GB533632A - Improvements in or relating to punching mechanism for perforating statistical recordcards - Google Patents

Abstract

533,632. Punching record cards. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. Aug. 15, 1939, No. 17275/40. Convention date, Aug. 16, 1938. Divided out of 23578/39. [Class 31 (ii)] Apparatus for punching statistical record cards for example in a cash register machine with ticket and record strip printing apparatus and differential punch slide setting mechanism as described in Specification 23578/39 (as open to inspection under Sect. 91) comprises a number of slides 257 advanced through differential amounts determined by columns of keys 21 ; each slide carries an associated punch 259 guided in an open sided slot 260a in one side face of the slide and has a longitudinal slot 258 for the card to be punched, the punch being supported with its end above the card slot and the lower end 260b of the vertical slot 260a serving as the punching die. Each slide 257 may be formed in one piece but preferably consists of a flat spring steel part 240, Fig. 10, and two U-shaped parts 242 secured thereto by rivets 241. The slides are supported side by side in rather loose assembly to facilitate their individual movements but are clamped together during the punching operation by plates 288, 290, Fig. 4, on shafts 287, 289 carrying right angled levers 291, Fig. 5, geared together and connected by a spring 292 tending to move the plates into clamping position but such plates are normally held in unclamping position by means of an arm 294 on the shaft 289 and spring urged latch 293 which is released before the punching operation by a crank pin 295 engaging in cam 297 on the latch. After the punching operation the arm 294 is moved to the right to allow the latch 293 to be reset by means of a pin 298 on arm 294 engaged by a forked lever 299 actuated by a cam 300 on the shaft 219. The apparatus is driven by a one revolution shaft 29 controlled by a motor bar which shaft 29 drives through bevel gears a fore and aft shaft 219, the latter driving through a train of gearing a shaft 218 carrying a card feed roller 217 coacting with a lower roller 230 to feed the top one of a card pile at the moment when a stud 252 on an arm 251 is released from contact with the pile by the arm 253 and cam operated slide 254 shown in Fig. 6. Two other feed rollers 231, 232 complete the feeding of the card into the slots in the punch slides and the front end of the card enters between another pair of delivery rollers 235, 236 up against a stop plate 241 normally held in lowered position by spring pressed arms 243. These latter are lifted to release the card after punching by a cam lever 246 and rocking lever 248, Fig. 6. The card pile is supported by a platform 210 urged upwardly by a spring 213. The punches 259 are normally held in elevated position by bars 277, Fig. 1, engaging transverse pins 276 in the punches and are actuated to punch the card by a plate 267 with bent up sides 268 guided for vertical movement and having projecting studs 270 engaging fork-ended levers 271 rocked by levers 274 and cams 273 on the shaft 29. Notches 240b on the punch slides 240 coact with an aligning bar 279 to register them accurately. Means are provided for locking the machine if no card is fed comprising an arm 302 secured on the shaft 244 which lifts the card stop plate 241 and a lever loose on the same shaft with three arms urge a feeler arm 303, an arm 304 connected by a spring 305 to the arm 302 and a locking arm 308. If no card is in position to restrict the swing of the feeler 303 the arm 308 swings far enough to rock a sector 310 allowing the rightangled lever 312 to rotate clockwise and interpose an arm 312a in the way of an arm 315 on a shaft 328 restriction of the movement of which prevents the depression of the motor bar as described in Specification 23578/39.