GB803623A - A self-acting, electro-mechanical programming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

803,623. Switching systems. VIDAL, A. P. L. May 28, 1956 [June 8, 1955], No. 16421/56. Class 38 (4). [Also in Groups VI, XXXVII and XXXVIII] An electromechanical programming apparatus includes a perforated card device 15 which, in dependence on the position of the perforations in each column of the card 16, which co-operate with a plurality of contacts 19 under the card and associated individual " brush' contacts 21 positioned above the card, supplies current via a plurality of conductors 24 to banks of contacts 5 . . . 10, the latter closing in predetermined order and for predetermined intervals determined by the angular position and the profiles of a rotating cam assembly 2, 3, 4 to prepare via electromagnetically-operated contacts 23 the circuit of a device A which circuit is completed, if the perforated programme requires it, via conductors 25 and the appropriate one of contacts 19. When the cam 2 of the assembly has " passed " its associated contact (i.e. contact 11) the electromagnet 22, which operates contacts 23, is deenergized thus opening the circuit of device A and allowing the pawl 18 to release the carriage 14 which is then moved towards the left-hand side a distance equal to the width of one column under the action of a spring mechanism. The interval which elapses before the next sequence commences is determined by the particular one of the bank of contacts 5 ... 10 to which the conductors 24 associated with the particular " brush " contacts 21 which cooperate with the perforations in the next column are connected, the maximum interval (between bank 5 and bank 10) being six seconds, which is the time for one revolution of the cam assembly (driven at constant speed by motor 1) and the minimum interval one second (between any two adjacent banks). In the present arrangement each column of the card 16 may have a maximum of twelve perforations the first six being effective over individual contacts 19 and 21 and conductors 24 to complete circuits to the contact banks and the remaining perforations effective over the other individual contacts 19 and 21 and conductors 25 to complete the circuit of individual devices A (maximum of six) already prepared by the first set of perforations. By employing a second set of contacts 19 and 21 the number of devices, such as A, controlled by the apparatus may be doubled. An application of the invention in experimental psychology in which the reaction of a subject as indicated by the subject closing or not closing (as required by the programme perforated on the card) an electric switch in response to an external stimulus (e.g. sound or light &c. signal produced by device A) is determined and the time of such reaction measured is described in connection with Fig. 3 (not shown).