GB704225A - Improvements in or relating to an analyzing mechanism for analyzing a perforated record card - Google Patents

Abstract

704,225. Statistical apparatus. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. March 19, 1952 [Sept. 13, 1951], No. 7073/52. Class 106 (1) In record card sensing apparatus of the type in which electrical contact is made through all perforations in a record card simultaneously by means of a set of brushes, one for each index point, a commutator is usually provided to connect the index segments which have been energized by brushes passing through record card perforations, at the correct point in the machine cycle to provide the differentially timed impulses for controlling the machine function in well known manner. The present invention provides in place of the commutator a set of rockable contact elements, each associated with a pair of contacts. The rockable elements are each rocked from a neutral position into contact first with one contact and then the other of a pair, the rockable elements being rocked in sequence one after the other. The individual contacts are connected to the index segments in non-adjacent order, so that the twelve index points may be energized in sequence by the rockable elements making contact with their associated pairs of contacts in alternation with the next operated rockable element. Fig. 1 shows a set of brushes 109 for the index positions 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, X, R, mounted in a holder 112 energized at 119 and insulated from the main frame of the machine by insulated bushes 117 and mounting blocks 115. The brushes are lowered into contact with a card 110 with a slight lateral movement providing a contact wiping action between the brushes 109 and the contact points 189 immediately underneath the card. The contact points 189 are arranged to connect with pairs of contacts co-operating with rockable contact elements 194 in non-adjacent order as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus, contact points 9 and 7 are connected to the contacts associated with the rockable contact 194-9, 7, and contact points 8, 6 are connected to the contacts associated with the next rockable contact 194-86 and so on. Each rockable contact 194 is mounted on an arm 195 mounted on a shaft 196 to which is attached a clamp 198 terminating in a cam follower 199. The cam followers are arranged in sequence as shown in Fig. 1 and are actuated by a series of cams 200 mounted on a shaft 43. The cams are mounted in staggered sequential relation as shown in Fig. 3 so that rockable contact 194-86 makes contact with the 8 index point before the contact 194-97 breaks contact with the 9 index point and so on, so that the period for which each index point is connected to the machine controlling circuits may be made as long as possible. A series connected cam operated circuit breaker may be included to remove the overlapping characteristic if this is not required, In Fig. 3 the cam 200 A rises to a dwell 202A which rocks the contact 194-97 into contact with the 9 index position. Before the descent 203A is reached, the cam 200B rocks the arm 194, 86 into contact with the 8 index position, immediately thereafter the level portion 204A returns the arm 194-97 into neutral mid-position, after which the descent 205A rocks this arm into contact with the 7 index position. Immediately thereafter the descent 203B rocks the arm 194-86 into mid position where it remains for the duration of 204B after which the descent 205B makes contact with the 6 index position and so on for the remaining index positions which are thus connected in overlapping sequence to the machine controlling circuits. Specifications 315,881, [Class 106 (i)], and 623,823, [Group XII], are referred to.