GB1316165A - Card feeding devices - Google Patents

Abstract

1316165 Punching cards INTERNATIONAL COMPUTERS Ltd 15 Sept 1971 [16 Dec 1970] 59653/70 Heading B4B A mechanism, e.g. for feeding record cards 10 through a punching means comprises a block 11 having means 13 for engaging the cards 10, pawls 28, 29 carried by the block 11 for engaging respectively a fixed and a reciprocable rack 14, 15, means 23 for biasing the block 11 to an initial position, drive means 27 for reciprocating the rack 15 so that the block 11 is indexed away from the initial position with each pawl 28, 29 engaging successive teeth of the racks 14, 15, and means for disengaging the pawl 29 from the movable rack 15 to interrupt indexing or both pawls 28, 29 from the racks 14, 15 to return the block 11 to the initial position. The block 11 is slidable on a rod 12, the pawls 28, 29 being pivotable on a shaft 26 and urged into engagement with the racks 14, 15 by leaf-springs 20, 21 and an enlarged rack tooth 33 defines the initial position. To interrupt the card feed, e.g. to allow a print wheel (not shown) to operate, a bail 16 is raised by a drive 18, e.g. a solenoid, to engage a lifting rod 19, the pawl 29 being disengaged while the pawl 28 maintains the indexed position, and on further raising of the rod 19, an end portion 22 engaging a recess of the pawl 28 pivots the pawl 28 about the shaft 26 to disengage it from the rack 14. An alternative bail drive, Fig. 2 (not shown), includes a lever (112) for holding the bail 16 out of pawl-disengaging position against springs, the lever (112) being actuated by a cam (108) on a shaft (107) which may be indexed by means of a solenoid-controlled pawl connection to an oscillated disc (102) driven by a rod connection (101) from the rack drive means 27. A solenoid-controlled interposer (114) is engageable with the lever (112) to limit movement of the bail 16 under the action of the springs when only the pawl 29 is to be disengaged from its rack 15.