GB600598A - Improvements in or relating to statistical machines - Google Patents

Abstract

600,598. Typewriters &c. REMINGTON RAND, Inc. Jan. 23, 1946, No. 2293. Convention date, Dec. 23, 1944. [Class 100(iv)] [Also in Group XIX] A statistical machine comprises means for feeding alternately arranged " data " and " record " cards, means for sensing the data cards, and means operative under the control of the sensing means to print on each record card an interpretation of the data sensed from the preceding data card. The invention is described as a modification of the printing interpreter described in Specification 550,618, by means of which data read from a card is printed at a selected position on the card. In the modified machine, data read from a ninety-column " round-hole " card is printed in a succeeding eighty-column, " slotted hole " record card. The modified machine can, however, be set by a manual control 54, Fig. 7, to operate as a normal interpreter. Cards are fed from a magazine 10, Fig. 4, to a card chamber 17; sensing pins are raised in the usual manner and, passing through perforations in the card, set up a representation of the sensed data on an upper set of pins which are held in their set positions by latch plates 21. This " set-up " is cleared when a cam 34 lifts a lever 37 and link 38 whose upper end raises a lift finger 39. A lug 56, Fig. 7, on the finger 39, by engaging one of two pawls 44, 45, rocks a pair of coupled arms 42 which are linked to the latch plates 21 and so the set-up is cleared. The two pawls 44, 45 are adapted to be moved out of the path of the lug 56 in certain cases so that the set-up can be retained, if desired, to control the printing of data on a succeeding card. For this type of operation the hand setting knob 54, Fig. 7, is released from its latching plate 53 and moving outwardly, retracts a link 51 with a laterally extending arm 58 which disengages a vertical link 57, allowing it to be pulled by a spring 61, whereby a lug 64 on an arm 65, is positioned at the end of the horizontal portion of a bayonet slot 63 in the link 57. When a special control hole is sensed in a card, a pin 85 is lifted, rocking a shaft 86 and so lifting the link 57 which now rocks the arm 65 on shaft 43. This movement positions the toe 46 of pawl 44 over the lug 56 to cause clearing of the previous set-up, and another arm 91 on the shaft 43, operating through. a link 92, Fig. 5, rocks a hook lever 93 which pushes a link 96 to the left against a spring 97 until a latch 98 pivoted to the link, rides over the edge of a plate 101. This exercises control over the card stop in the sensing chamber setting it in alternate positions whereby the leading " data card is sensed in the normal manner but the following slotted-hole card is held in a slightly less advanced position so that all the sensing pins engage the solid portions of the card lying between the index point positions. A block 73, Fig. 7, is secured to the stop 72 to provide this second stop which is moved into operative position by the linkage. shown in Fig. 5; a camcontrolled link 77 normally rocks a shaft 81 which operates the stop 72 through a linkage 82-84, but when the link 96 is latched in its left-hand position, as described above, a hook 107 is pulled by a spring 104 and, during movement of the link 77 engages under a flange 111 formed on a member 112 secured to the link 77, whereby lost motion provided for by a slot 78 in the link 77 is taken up and the shaft 81 is therefore rocked to a greater extent during this cycle. As no perforations are sensed in the follower card, the pin 85, Fig. 7, is not operated to rock the shaft 86 and therefore the link 57 is not raised, the shaft 43 is not rocked and the pawl 45 is held out of the path of the lug 56 on the lift finger 39, thus allowing the set-up from the preceding card to remain for subsequent control of the printing mechanism. This is shown in Fig. 3; racks 26 are moved up in known manner until they meet stops controlled by the set-up data, and type wheels 27, geared to the racks, are struck by firing fingers 135 at the proper time to print data on a card held in the card chamber 164. The release of the firing fingers is prevented when a ninety-column card is in the chamber by a bail 131 on a bell-crank 130 which is linked to a second bell-crank 128 to one arm of which is pivoted a pawl 124 whose upper end is held by a spring 142 so that its path upwardly is blocked by a fixed bar 123. When the machine senses a card, however, cam plates 22, Fig. 4, are displaced laterally, rocking a bail arm 146 and tensioning a spring 149 to urge a link 151 to the left. A pin 156 on this link rocks the pawl 124 clear of the bar 123 thus allowing the bail 130 to to be moved clear of the firing fingers which are subsequently released by a bail 133. When the machine is set for sensing data cards and printing only on follower cards, a link 161, Fig. 5, connected to the hook lever 93, previously mentioned, exercises further control on the pawl 124 by swinging a control arm 159 to hold back the link 151 by engaging a pin 155 and so prevent printing on alternate cards. Two stops are provided in the print chamber to enable printing on the card at two different places. When the data of the upper zone has been printed in one run of the cards, a handle 170, Fig. 14, is moved simultaneously to shift a slide frame 168 'and so re-position interponents 169 for printing data on the lower zone of the cards, and also to select the corresponding stop in the print chamber through a linkage 171, 174, 176, 178, 179, 177, Fig. 16, and 182. Notches 183 in the member 182 are aligned with one or other of the stops 166, 167 which are lowered by a bar 184, means being provided to prevent this adjustment except when the stops are depressed and no card is in the sensing chamber. While printing takes place the stops are lowered and the card is held by a clamping bar 29. Means for aligning the type wheels 27, Fig. 3, by counteracting lost motion between the parts, and also for permitting withdrawal of the stop bars without friction, comprises a pawl 212, Fig. 3, mounted on a lever 215 which is rocked slightly by means of a cam 115, bell-crank 218, and link 217.