GB287144A - Improvements in or relating to sorting machines for perforated statistical record-cards - Google Patents

Abstract

287,144. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Gray, A. E.). March 16, 1927, [Convention date]. Sorting cards.-In a machine for sorting perforated record cards means are provided for causing a sorting operation performed upon a card in accordance with a selected perforation to be repeated upon a subsequent card. For the purpose of checking wages, in a system wherein master cards with identification particulars accompany the wages cards and the wages cards themselves have perforations representing pay-roll numbers, the cards can be sorted according to the pay-roll numbers by the means described. The cards are fed to a sorting mechanism of the kind described in Specification 27067/07 and associated therewith is a device, for repeating the sorting operation, comprising an electromagnet 10, Fig. 1, an insulated latch 14 carried by the armature 11, and a cam-disc 15 frictionally mounted on a shaft 16a and normally held by the latch 14. The camdisc 15 as shown in Fig. 4, is carried by a sleeve 22 fixed to the shaft and is pressed into engagement therewith by a spring 23 held in position by a collar 21. An insulated contact 16 is adapted to co-operate with the raised part 17 of the cam-disc and a second contact 20 rides on the collar 21 the first contact being so arranged that the circuit is completed one card cycle after the raising of the latch 14. In the operation of the machine the stack of wages-cards and mastercards are fed from the magazine 24, Fig. 3 between the roller 26 and the brush 27 set to the pay-roll number column of the wages card. When the brush feels a perforation in this column the circuit through the holding electromagnet 28 is completed and the magnets 34, 35 are also energized. By the energization of the magnet 35 the circuit of the sorting electromagnet 30 is completed through the wires 41, 42, magnet 43, wires 44, 45, and contacts 37 whereby the armature 48 determines the compartment to which the card is to be delivered. At the same time the circuit through the electromagnet 10 is completed so as to raise the latch 14 and free the cam disc 15 which, one card cycle later, will close the circuit through the contacts 16, 20. and lines 59, 60 to the electromagnet 43 as above described to energize the sorting electromagnet 30 whereby the succeeding card (master card) is delivered to the same compartment. The contacts 37, 37<1> are opened during the passage of the cards to deenergize the electromagnets 28, 34 and 35. Starting controls. To start the machine a key 25 is provided in circuit with a stop key 61, electromagnets 62, 63, and a card contact 65. The key 25 is held down until the first card has been fed and the contacts 66 closed; thereafter the circuit is maintained until after the last card has been fed whereupon the contacts 66 are opened and the magnets de-energized.