US2059797A - Tabulator - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 3, 1936;

E. L. KIRKEGAARD TABULATOR 5 Sheet Filed June 27, 1930 ...naw man@ magno www wwmwwwwwwwwwwvwuu 333032353 mmm 322332,

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5 Sheets-Sheet 2 upemtoz M Nov. 3, 1936. E. l.. KIRKEGAARD- TABULATOR `Filed June 27, 1930 rlllll//lr/ w MW ` @Mom NOV- 3, 1936. i E. L. KIRKEGAARD 2,059,797

TABULATOR Filed June 27, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 4.

Swve 11 To:

NV- 3, 1936. E. L. KIRKEGAARD 2,059,797

TABULATOR Filed June 27, 19:50 5 sheets-'sheet 4 E. L. KIRKEGAARD TABULATOR 4 Filed June 27, 1930 Nov. 3, 1936.

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 LPS l @nom/woz Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES 21159.79? rAnULAroa Einar Lawrence Kirkegaard, Detroit, Mich., as` signor, by mesne assignments, to International .Business Machines Corporation,

New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application .time 27, raso, serial No. 464,191

Claims. (Cl. 23S-92) bills or invoices to be prepared directly from such perforated ledger cards by the use of well known types of tabulating machines thus obviating the necessity for clerical work in the preparation of such statements.v

The invention, while adapted to various uses, will be illustrated and described in connection with the accounting systempf a public utility corporation supplying services in connection with electricity, light, power, gas and the like. It ls o customary to install meters on the premises of users of electricity and gas on which the Wconsumption of these commodities is registered. An employee of the corporation makes periodic visits to read the meters, entering the readings in'a meter read book which forms the book of original entry. This book shows the last previous and present readings of the meters and the dif-l ference between the two, representing the consumption of the commodity during' the selected period. According to the present invention it is proposed to form perforated ledger cards from these books of original entry. The ledger cards are punched in differential locations, in the well known manner, to represent different data and ordinarily a single card is, prepared for the consumption of several commodities by each consumer during the accounting period. Thus each ledger card is punched. with identifying data of the consumer, identifying data ofthe particular 46 commodities, present and previous readings of the meters, thel differences between the readings, representing consumption during the period, and the amount due for this consumption in each commodity.

45 This punched card constitutes the sole ledger and obviously presents all the advantages for auditing and statistical purposes which usually result from these mechanical accounting systems. The statements, bills or invoices which are 50 sent out to consumers at the end of the accountlng period may be prepared directly'from the perforated ledger card. Each consumer may' have a single card for gas and electricity .con-

sumption. In order tosave postage it` is proposed 55 according to the present invention toprepare the bills on post cards although, of course, the system is not to be limited to this manner of operation. Suitable feeding mechanism is provided to feed the post cards to the printing mechanism of the tabulator while the perforated 5 ledger car'ds are fed through the accounting section. The tabulator is provided with mechanism to accumulate data from successive cards and cause a total .to be taken of the items in the particular classification group. 10

The post cards are fed to the platen of the tabulating machine by special feeding mechanism and the present reading, previous reading, consumption and amount due for the consumption are printed on the post card from the per- 1o forated ledger card for one of the commodities. Incidentally the amount due is entered into an accumulator and at the end-of the billing operation the total of the amount due for the particular consumer is also printed on the post card. zo The line spacing for the several items on each post card is obtained from the usual line spacing. mechanism of the machine. After the total forthe card has been printed, the special feeding mechanism feeds the printed post card out of the 25 machine and feeds a blank post card into printf ing position to receive printed data from the following c ard. Thus the consumers itemized bills are obtained in convenient form directly from the ledger without any clerical or copying 30 work.

The particular method of handling the ledger cards may vary. Ordinarily after the `statements or bills are made and mailed the ledger cards are placed in a special'container and as each bill is 35 paid its particularledger card is withdrawn from the special container and placed in the permanent file. At the end of a certain period of time all the ledger cards remaining inthe special container which now represent overdue accounts are 40 again run through the tabulator and special follow up notices are printed from them in the same manner as the original bills were printed. These ledger cards y are then replaced in the special container and removed as before when the bills are paid. At the end of another period of time the ledger cards still remaining in the container may be again run through the tabulator to print special shut-oil' notices.

Another form of accounting might be employed in which the original bill, follow up and shut-off notices would be printed in one operation on the original passing of the ledger cards through the tabulating machine. The number of follow up and shut off notices which are actually needed is small, however, and the former method is preferred. 'I'he invention will now be explained more explicitly in connection with drawings in which: y

Fig. 1 shows a post card with a severable stub arranged as a bill and having amounts and totals from certain perforations of the card shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 shows a tabulatin'g card punched to form a ledger according to the invention.

Fig. 3 is a section through the notice card feeding mechanism of the tabulator.

Fig.l 4 is an outside view of the driving mechanism of the notice card feeding devices.

Figs. 5 and 5a taken together form a circuit diagram of a complete tabulator on which bills or statements may be prepared according to the invention. 1

Referring to Fig. 2 a ledger card is shown which ris punched to represent all the data pertaining to the consumption of gas and electricity for a certain consumer during an accounting period. This card is of well known form and carries inthe accompanying xdicia arranged in columnsto represent the nu-l consumption shown in the adjacent columns'and the last columns to the'right are punched with a number identifying the consumer.

By mechanism which will be hereinafter described a blank bill is first fedto the platen of the tabulating machine so that its ilrst printing impression from a particular consumers card will occur along the first printing line Ias shown in Fig.v 1 whereon all data pertinent to one class of service is recorded together with the consumers account "number, On the line following will be yprinted all data relating to a second class of service A total is also printed 'which is the sum of the -amounts due for each class'of service. Preferably the post card is scored or perforated into readily detachable portions of which one part y may constitute the vconsumers receipt, another the collectors check, 'and'al third the cashiers stub. The amounts due and'their totals appear on two portions of the bill and hence this series of diilerent sets of type as will be' hereinafter* items and totals must be printed from thesaine columns of the ledger tabulating card from two disclosed.- d

The ledger cards are fed through a tabulator of well known type which is fully illustrated and described inf the patent to Daly and Page, No.

"1,762,145, issued June 10, 1930.

'I'he machine is provided with .the usual card.

.feed devices and accumulatingl sections shown diagrammatically in the wiring diagram of Figs.

' 5 and 5a and a printing sectionillustrated in Figs.

.3 and 4 which is provided with special feeding 'mechanism for feeding the bills. The printing section contains type bars coordinated to the counters so that the several amounts entered into the counters and the totals thereof may be printed. In the present example those columns of the ledger cards which contain perforations representing present reading, prior reading, consumption and amount'are each connected with an ac cumulator or counter so that the data may be printed from the associated printing bars.

Under control of the card in Fig. 2, the machine is adapted to list4iirectly upon the vbill information concerning gas service on the first line of the bill in Fig. 1. Concurrently, information concerning electric service is entered into appropriate counters to be stored until the bill has been spaced to the next printing line whereupon such data is read from the counters and printed on the second line of the bill. r

'Ihe information in the fields headed "Amount is entered into the same counter for both the gas anclv electric service during the card feeding cycles of the machine and the sum thereof printed concurrently with the printing of the second line of data from the storage counters. The machine is adapted to automatically present a blank bill for each card fed through the machine as long as cards continue to be advanced from thehopper. r

. The general arrangement of the post card or bill feeding mechanism is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. The platen of the tabulator is shown at 'I0 and opposite it, arranged for vertical movement are the type bars II each of which carries'a type head with ten type I2 representing the digits from 0 to 9. A rock shaft I3 rocks rst clockwise and then counterclockwise during each printing cycle, both listing'and totaling, to first raise the different type I2 successively to printing position 'opposite the platen and thenA lower the type bars to home position.

The perforated ledger cards are fed through the card feeding'section synchronously with the movement of the type bars and suitable analyn,

ing mechanism causes differentially timed eleetric impulses according to the location of the perforations in the several card columns. These' impulses control electromagnetic devices to ar.

rest the upward movement of the type bars so that the type l2 corresponding to the perforations are stopped in printing position and at a certain time hammers I4 are tripped to force the selected type against the platen III and cause.

printing. This isA the listing operation. 'I'he total printing operation is entirely similar except that. the Adifferentially timed impulses which arel rest the type bars originate from devices lwhich feel out the position of the counter wheels and time the impulses according to the accumulated amounts standing on the counters. These operations are well known and fully described in the above mentioned patent and need no further explanation. i

lThe bill post cards 1II (Fig. 3) lare placed in a suitable hopper I6 from which they are fed one lby one by means of a reciprocating picker I1 :susv

operating on the lowermost card of the stack.

'Ihe picker I1 operates? on .a total taking and reset operation and feeds the lowermost card into the bite of rolls I8. On a reset and total taking operation the rolls IB feed the card into the bite of a second set of feed rolls I9. The rolls I9-also operate during reset and feed the card to the' platen Ill, in position to receive the first line of printing. After the operation `is once started each reset andq total taking operation feedsl l v7o reset so ing themwill be described in detail hereinafter but rst the usual line spacing devices for moving the platen during listing will be briefly explained.

The rock shaft I3 (Fig. 3) rocks clockwise during each listing cycle and an arm 23 fixed thereto carries a pin 24 which rocks a frame 25 counterclockwise about its pivot 26. A link 2l pivoted to frame 25 is thereby lowered. 'I'he lever has connection with the usual spring pressed pawl which cooperates with a ratchet wheel fixed to the platen shaft and thereby feeds the platen one line space after each listing printing operation. This mechanism as usual serves to space thepost card bills one line space after each item is printed on them.

The special feeding mechanism which operates after total printing to feed the printed bill free of the platen and to feed a fresh card bill to the platen is detailed in Figs. 3 and 4. In Fig. 4 the total print shaft which makes one revolution on each total printing and reset operation is shown at 30. During the first half of its revolution total printing is effected and during the last half of its revolution the counters are reset to zero. The picker and the several special feed rolls are operated from this shaft during the last half of its revolution so that the special bill feeding operation occurs after total printing. A disk 3| isy fixed to shaft to operate a pitman 32 of adjustable length. The pitman reciprocates a rack 33 guided in a grooved block 3d. The rack meshes with a gear 35 to which is fixed an arm carrying a pivoted pawl 36. This arrangement, on rotation of the total print shaft 30, causes gear 35 to rotate substantially one third of a revolution in a counterclockwise direction and then one third of a revolution inja clockwise direction. Free on shaft 31 is a gear 38 having three times as many teeth as the gear 35-and fixed to the gear is a disk 39 provided with three evenly spaced notches to cooperate with pawl 36. The gear 38 drives a gear train with a three to one ratio which reciprocates' the picker I'I through links 40, one on each side of the strucl ture, and drives the platen I0 through a chain and sprocket connection 4I. The sprocket connection to the platen I0 includes a one Way clutch designated generally at Illa, sp that the platen may be line spaced by the usual line spacing mechanism without interference from 1 this special drive.

'Ihe lower rolls I8 are mounted on the shaft 42 which carries the eccentrics for'picker operating links and the rolls I9 are driven from a 'chain and sprocket geared to this same shaft.

The constantly running reject rolls are driven by a special motor d3 through a belt and pulley arrangement shown at M. 'I'he driving shafts of reject rolls 20 and 2l are shown at d5 and t6 respectively.

The operation and coordination of these mechanisms will be brief-ly explained in connection with Fig. 3.` Assuming that a stack of post cardsl -rotates disk 3.8 and attached gear 38 a third of Vprecede the first adding cycle.

a revolution. Owing to the three to one gear ratio this causes picker I1 to make one complete reciprocation and special feed rolls I8 and I9 to make one revolution. The picker I1 therefore feeds the lowermost card bill into the bite of rolls I8. On the next reset operation rolls Ifeed this flrst bill to the bite' of rolls I9 andrthe picker Il feeds the next bill to rolls I8. On the third reset operation the flst card bill is fed into printing position on the platen due to the further' operation of the mechanism as explained above. After this the several items may 'be printed on the bill from the tabulating ledger cards. After each item the platen is stepped one line space by the usual line spacing mechanism. This line spacing has no effect on the special bill feeding device owing to the presence of the one way clutch in the latter. After the first customers tabulating card is itemized and totaled the reset operation causes the special feeding mechanism to again function whereby the movement of the platen feeds the printed bill to the constantly running reject rolls 2l) and 2l which deposit it in the discharge container 22. Incidentally a blank post card bill is fed to the platen.

The operation of the complete machine so that the previously described printing and adding operations maybe accomplished will now be explained in connection with Figs. 5 and 5a which show a simplified but substantially'complete circuit diagram of the tabulator disclosed in the patent previously mentioned. During adding and listing operations the tabulator is driven by the tabulating motor TM which is controlled by a group of circuits and relays in the upper right hand portion of the drawings. During totaling and reset operations the tabulator is driven by' reset motor RM controlled through associated circuits and contacts. Both of these motors are so arranged that the machine performs complete cycles after they are once started. In order that the counters of the machine maybe cleared of previous data for starting a tabulating run, the circuits are arranged so that a reset cycle must As previously explained, three reset cycles are necessary to get the first bill post card onto the platen. To simplify the explanation, it may be assumed that automatic reset switch 50 is open at this time. 'Ihe three reset cycles may be obtained by depressingthe reset key R three separate times, waiting each time until the reset operation is complete. The closure of the contacts of reset key R establishes a circuit through the reset motor in series with the total clutch magnet T which controls a one revolution clutch serving to clutch the total print and reset mechanisms to the drive vshaft of the motor. Immediately after starting, a cam contact P-I closes, shortcircuiting the initial circuit for the total or reset clutch magnet T. Toward the end' of the cycle the cam contacts P-I open and stop the reset motor at the end of a single resetl operation. After three such operations, the first post card has been fed to the platen in position to receive itsfirst line of printing. l

It is now necessary to start the tabulating ledger cards 'through the machine. It may be assumed for the sake of simplicity that the automatic start switch5f is open and the start key is depressed, closing contacts ST. Closure of contacts ST causes operation-of motor TM and feeding of cards to commence. The circuit established includes arnormally closed relay contact 53 con trolled by its coil 52. Energization of coil 52 will form a total printing or reset operation. In a als A.contact 51 will deenergize coil 52 permitting its related contact 53 to close so that if the machine ycls manner to be described the coil 52 will be controlled to cause the machine to alternately execute a card feeding cycle and a totaling printing 'cycle for each card.

During the card feeding cycle, the rst line of infomation is printed upon the bill, being read directly from the card by thelower brushes. During the total printing cycle, the second line of infomation is printed upon the bill; this data being printed under'control of counters into which -such datahad previously been entered while the card passedl the upper brushes. The information in the column headed Amount of the gas portion lof the card is entered into a counter dur- 'ing passage of the cardby the upper brusheseand the information in the column headed Amount of the "electric field ofthe card is entered into the same' counter while the card is passing the. lower brushes thus giving an accumulation of these two amounts which is printed during the total printing cycle together with the other data printed on the second line of the bill.

Referring to Fig. 5, a cam contact LP-l is adapted to close momentarily near the end of a total printing or reset cycle to set up the relay contacts 55, 51 through the following circuit: from line 50, contact LP-1, coil 55, contact T4, closed at this time, back to line 6|.

The coil 55 is adapted to shift its related contacts 58, 51. Theclosure of contact 56 estab- `lishes a holding circuit from line 60 through coil v55 and contact T4. The concurrent opening of is set forautomatic restarting, card feeding commences following the completion lof the reset' cycle. During `the card feed cycle cam contact` T4 will open to deenergize coil 55; contact 51 will again close and `contacts 53 will be opened. If the switch 50 is closed, a total printing cycle ensues, followed by a card feeding cycle as explained above. adapted to go'through a card feed cycle, then a reset cycle, card feed cycle and so on.

parallel ch-cult with contact 'r4 .and is adapted te be open as long as cards feed past the upper brushes. cards the usual card feed leverpcontact UCL is closed and thereby maintains the coil UCL3 which is in series therewith l energized. Coil 'UCL8 when'energized, opens contact 54. Thus,

upon failure of cards to feed contact 54 will close t and prevent the automatic shifting of contacts Y58, 51. A switch S is also provided which when closed,y shunts out contacts 54 .and T4 and maintains coil 55constantly'energized. This will permit the machine to perform ordinary tabulating and listing operationsy independently of the l.

aforedescribed controlling circuits.

The manner in which'the information to `be printed on the bill is obtained from the card will now be explained. In Figs. 5 and 5a. the various vbanks of printing elements are numbered 1a,- 2a,

3a, etc. These banks include printing magnets 10 which when energized interrupt the type-bar llof Fig. 3 in position to print.

FThe several accumulators are numbered 2,

F112 which are adapted te close differentially lh 7s 8 4,15.. 'I'hese units include the usual adding magnets 1| and theuusual total printing contacts accordance -with the amount contained in the In this manner the machine is During such continuous feeding of.

` upper brushes UB. The brushes LB which read the present and prior meter readings, consumption, account number and symbol G relating to gas in Fig. 2, are plugged as shown in Fig. 5,'by

.Wires 13 to printing banks la and 2a and such other printing banks` ras desired to obtain the duplicate printing as in Fig. 1. The brushes LB which read the present and prior meter readings, consumption and symbol E relating to electric service, are plugged by wires 14 to accumulators l and 2 where this information is stored. Followving such entry andthe printing of the gas items the machine goes through a total printing cycle as already explained during which the .electric information is transferred through contacts 12 and plug wires 15 to the appropriate columns of the printing banks. `Each column .of printing elements includes adouble contact 16 adapted to be l shifted by magnets 11 during total printing operations to connect the magnets 10 to plug wires 4 being printed directly from the card whilek the electric amount is first set up in a counter and read therefrom in the following total printing cycle. v f

In orderto" complete the bill in a minimum number of cycles of operation, a switching arrangement isprovided between two counters so .theyreset in alternate cycles and also control total printing in alternate cycles. In Fig. 5a are vshown cam contacts SI and S2 which turn during card feeding cycles at half I the machine speed; that is they make one revolution for two turns of the card feeding mechanism. 80 and 8| are the usual zero button magnets and function, whenenergized to vprepare their respective coun- A card lever relay contact 54 ls provided in ters 4 and 5 for total printing and resetting. 'I'he time of operation is such that counter 4 is reset during onatotal printing cycle and counter 5 is reset during the next total printing cycle. Magnets 80 and 8| are shown diagrammatieally in the circuit diagram and their mechanical association with the counter is fully shownand descrlbed in Patent Ne..1,'zz5,132 granted tc C. D. Lake etal, September 9, 1930.

The upper brushes UB associated with the gas amount' fleld are connected by plug wires 18 to counter 4 through switching contacts- 82 so that the gas amount is added in this counter.

Similarly plug wires 19 connectW the lower brushes LB associated with the electric amount to magnets 1| of counter 5 through other contacts 82.l After thegas amount has been entered in counter 4 andy before the next adding or card`^6 feeding cycle commences, contact S2 will close and energize magnets, 83 to 'shift-the various contacts 82 so that lwhen thecard under` consideration passes the lower brushes LB the electric amountwill pass' from the brushes to the loweste blades cf ,thecentectt sz associated with counter .5 to the inagnets 1| of counter 4 "thus addingr this amount to the gas amount already therein.-

Concurrently'v with this operation, Vthe gas 5 amount of the next'` succeeding card'is :being 75 sensed by the upper brushes and passed through tions related to the dierentcard fields with the the lowest blades of the contacts 82 associated with counter 4 to be entered in counter 5, where such amount remains during the ensuing total. printing cycle since this counter Will not reset at this time since lower contacts Sl are open during this cycle preventing the energization of magnet 8|. However, since upper contacts Sl are closed, energizing magnet which closes contacts 80a and also conditions counter 4 for resetting, the total printing contacts 12 of counter 4 will now function to cause-total printing in bank 6a, being connected thereto by plug Wires l5 after which counter 4 is reset in preparation to receive a new gas amount while counter `5 is receiving an electric amount.

Where al card is perfo-rated with information concerning only one type of service or commodity the operation of the machine is the same as described above. If the electric service eld of the card is unperforated, no printing will bev effected on the second line of the bill. except a total which will be a repetition ofthe gas amount. In like manner, if the gas service eld is unperforated, nothing but account number will be printed on the first line of the bill. Electric service items and total whichlis a duplication of electric amount Will be printed on the second line of the bill. The printing of the symbol G or E will then denote the classicatio-n of service being billed, the G being listed directly from the card and the E being printed as a result of a one which isset up in a storage counter in any selected column. The type bars which these symbols control will, of course, have these characters substituted for the numerals corresponding to the index point position used on the card.

What is claimed is as follows:- Y'

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a single accumulator, a plurality of analyzing stations, each one designed for analyzing a different one of a plurality of card ilelds of the same perforated record, meansfor moving' the record past said stations in succession, and means for successively connecting the stavaccumulator as the plurality of elds pass the related analyzing stations.

21 In an accounting machine, a plurality o'f record analyzing stations, means for moving records past said stations in succession, a plurality of entry receiving devices, leach of which is adapted to receive entries under control of said analyzing stations, and means for connecting each analyzing station in turn with each of said entry receiving devices whereby each entry receiving device will receive a succession of entries from the analyzing stations. 3. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of record card sensing stations, means for moving a record card past said stations in succession, an entry receiving device, and means including automatically operable switching mechanism for causing said device to be controlled by each of said stations in succession as the -record card moves past the same. 4

4. In a record controlled accounting machine,

a plurality of record analyzing stations for reading perforated record cards, means for moving ,a card past each of said stations in succession, an accumulator and means including automatically operable switching mechanism for causing said analyzing stations to progressively enter into said accumulator amounts sensed successively by said analyzing stations on a single record card as it is `moved past the same, said-switching mechanism operating to prevent control of said accumulator by one station while another is controlling entering of an amount.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a single accumulator, a plurality of brush sensing lstations each one designed for sensing a different one of a plurality of card elds of the sameperforated record, means for moving the record past the said sensingstations in, succession and means including electrically controlled switching devices for successively connecting the sensing stations related to the different ycard nenas with the accumulator as the plurality of fields pass the related sensing stations.

EINAR LAWRENCE KIRKEGAARD.

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