GB243362A - Improvements in or relating to record-card-controlled statistical machines - Google Patents

Abstract

243,362. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Bryce, J. W.). Nov. 22, 1924, [Convention date]. Statistical sorting machines.- In a sorting machine for Peirce Code cards there is a card-reading device at each sorting-box consisting of one or two brushes 104, each device being arranged according to a particular one of the ten numbers of the code as shown in Fig. 5. For any one reading device the brushes are connected in parallel, Figs. 7, 7<a>, to one winding of a magnet 107 operating the deflector 108. This magnet has two windings and resistances are arranged in these circuits so that the windings are only energized equally to allow the deflector to rise when all the brushes of the particular reading device make correct contact simultaneously. The card-feeding rollers and the card-feed picker-blade mechanism are as described in Specification 242,654. By traversing the brush holder 101 across the machine each reading device may co-operate with any desired column. The brush-operated magnets 107, Fig. 3, have each two opposed windings which when unbalanced attract the armature 118 pivoted at 120 and maintain raised an arm 119 latching the deflector arm 110. When a correctly-perforated card is read, the windings are energized equally, the armature is raised by spring 122 and the deflector is raised by spring 111 to divert the card. The numerals 10 and 20 on Figs. 7, 7<a> represent' the units of current allowed to pass by each resistance, so that if all the parallel circuits are not made when the card is in the correct reading position and the cam contacts 126 give a momentary closure of the main circuit, one winding of the magnet is energized more than the other and the armature is maintained lowered. A special arrangement of two brushes is provided for the " 5 " sorting deflector in order that it may take its correct place in the sequence 0 - - 9 without operating for " 1 " and " 3 " cards. Once per card-cycle, a bar 113 and pins 117 return all unlatched deflectors. In addition to sorting machines, the invention is applicable to other record-card-controlled machines. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 (3) (a) included switches 130 for cutting out any desired reading device. This subjectmatter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.