US1712183A - Card-testing device - Google Patents

Description

y 1929- A. WEILAND ET AL CARD TESTING DEVICE Filed July 16, 1924' 3 Sheets-Sheet May 7, 1929.

A; WEILAND ET AL.

CARD TESTING DEVICE Filed July 16, 1924 3 S heets-Sheet 2 mvsmoizs 0140M & Ar/141 0.,

ATTORNEY y 7, 1929- A. WEILAND ET AL 1,712,183

mu) TESTING DEVICE Filed July 16, 1924 s Sheets-Shet 3 INVENTORS OVM$ A TTORIVEY Patented May 7, 19 29.

K UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ALFRED WEILAND, F NESHAJN'IG, NEW JERSEY, AND CHARLES .A. MEZGER, or BROOK- LYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To REMINGTON BAND 11m, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OE DELAWARE.

calm-TESTING DEVICE. 9

Application filed July 16,

larly to the testing of the cards for defects which would cause erroneous operationbf statistical machines designed to function in accordance with records formed by perforating or punching the cards in accordance with the matter to be recorded.

- Usually the cards'are prepared by slitting 10 sheets of suitable material, such as heavy paper, longitudinally into strips of a. width corresponding to one dimension of the cards. These strips are formed into rolls and mounted in machines in which predetermined matter is printed on the strips to form card sections and such card sections are subsequently cut from the strips to form the completed cards.

Inasmuch as the most perfect tabulating or '20 likemachines may be caused bv defective cards to function erroneously the importance of testing the cards for such defects and re jecting the defective cards will be evident. Such erroneous functioning may be due' to defects of a number of different kinds but very frequently is due to a hole or weak spot,

in the material of the cards which allows one of the analyaing members, such as a springpoints on the cards weak spots or holes which inthe passage of the cards through the analyzer of a card-controlled machine would produce the effect of perforations made by the perforating machines, to provide means for detecting defective cards and "separating the same from the good cards, and to provide means for testing cards in succession, collect ing the good cards at one location, and ejecting each defective card without interference wiilrthc continuity of the testing operation.

According to one embodiment of the invention the testing of the cards is effected concomitantly with the cutting of the cards from a strip. To this end a pin box having the same number of spring-pressed pins as the pin boxes of the analyzers of the card-controlled machines is placed in the cutting head so that at each reciprocation of the head the to defects in the cards, to detect at the index 1924. Serial No. 726,252.

card being severed is engaged at each of its index points by the pins of the pin box.

If a weak spot or hole occurs at any index polnt in a card the corresponding pin will pass through the card andin connection with other means provided for the purpose will cause appropriate action, such as causing the defective card to be ejected in such a manner as to separate it from the-good cards. It will be evident that the detection of a weak spot might also be used to operate a signal or to stop the machine.

Such weak spots or holes are generally the result of slime spots formed during the process of manufacture the paper, but may also arise from injuries received during the handling of the paper, including that involved in printing and cutting the cards. An advantageous feature of the present invention is that the testing is effected just as the. manufacture of the card is completed and conse quently the discovery ofsuch defects as would cause defective operation of the card-con trolled machines is assured.

Other features-and advantages will hereinafter appear. v

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodyin one form of the invention, parts being bro en away to show the underlying structure; l

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the card testing means;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the I manner in which ejection of a defective card is obtained;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the circuit-breaking device represented in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the detection of a defect at one of the index pointsof a card; and

'Fig. '6 is a. diagrammatic view illustrating the use of the detecting device to stop the machine.

A strip 10 of suitable material, suchas heavy paper, and of the same width as the cards to be prepared is drawn from a roll 11 and through a tension device 12by cooperat-- ing rollers 13 and 14, of Which the latter is driven at suchia speed, by means tobe described hercinafter, as to maintain a loop 15 to avoid interference with the intermittent feeding of the strip through the card pr nting and cutting machine.

- comprises a stationary platen 20 and a typecarrying head 21 reciprocable by links 22 to print one by one, on the strip 10 fed there-.

through, card fields including index points at which perfo'rationsmay be made to record certain data. Between printingoperations the strip 10 is advanced a distance slightly greater than the length of a card by intermittently operated feed rollers 23 and 23', from which the strip is fed to the cutting element 19 at which each card is severed from the stri at both ends by fixed blades 24 and 25 and b ades 26 and 27 on a head 28 reciprocable ona fixed bracket 29.

During the cutting operation the blade 26 tends to carry the new leading end of the strip below the upper surface of the fixed blade 24. To insure restoration of such new leading end to a position to feed over the blade 24, provision-is made of a springsupported bar 30 depressed by fingers 31 at each downward movement of the cutting head 28.

and acting upon upward movement of the head to restore the leading end of the strip to position to be fed over blade 24. The strip is maintained in position on bar 30 by means of a guide 32 and when fed there'throughis guided by meansincluding plates 33 into cutting position between. rollers 34 and rollers 35 mounted on pivoted bell-cranks 36 and urged against rollers 34 by means of springs Upon completion of each cutting operation the head 28 is lifted and the rollers 34 and 35 are actuated to advance the completed card toa receiver 38 where it is normally checked by a gate 39 and allowed to drop on a support 40 which may be moved downwardly, as

the number of completed cards increases.

In each cutting operation there is severed from the leading end of the card thus formed a narrow strip of waste material which must be prevented from passing into the receiver To provide for the separation of such strips from the cards, the receiver 38 is spaced from the cutting device and provision is made of a nozzle 41 from which jets of air are emitted at such intervals as to drive downwvardly each waste strip as soon as it is severed by the cutting element.' The supply of air to the nozzle 41 is controlled by- I a valve .42 having a stem 43,.and a device 44 moving with the head 28 and constructed to yield as it moves downwardly. The dea vice 44 comprises a pivoted lever 45 having a roller to engage the stem 43 and normally held against astop 46 by a spring 47. In

' the downward movement the spring 47 yields so that there'is no actuation of stem 43 but in the upward movement of the head, 28', the

stop 46 holds the lever 45 rigidly and the stem 43 is actuated.

Mounted on the table 16 is an electric m0- ,tor 49 which acts through gears 50 and 51 to drive a shaft 52 and through a gear, not shown, on said shaft to drive a train of gears .53, 54, 55 and 56. The gear 54 is mounted on a shaft 57 and acts through bevel gears 58 to, drive the roller 14 which in connection with roller 13 maintains the loop 15; 1 The gear 55 is mounted on a shaft 59 having at its ends disks 60 provided with eccentric pins 61 on which are pivoted the lower ends of the links 22 for reciprocating the printing head by means of a link 65 with a pivot 66 on the lower end of the slide portion of the cutting head 28. Due to the equality of size of the gears 55 andv 56 and the corresponding ar rangement of the eccentric pins 61 and 64, the printing head 21 and the cutting head 28 are operated in synchronism.

The shaft 62 is also utilized to effect the intermittent feeding of the strip 10 and to this end is provided with a bevel gear 67 which acts through a bevel gear. 68', shaft 69, disk'70, eccentric pin 71-and a rack 72 to turn a pinion 7 3 and a disk 74 attached thereto alternately in opposite directions on a shaft 75. During each downward movement actuates both the sprocket wheel and the shaft. Such actuation of the shaft 75 effects a feeding movement of thestrip 10 by the the rollers 23' mounted by means of a shaft 79 on pivoted arms 80 and pressed against the roller 22 by springs 81 attachedto the .arms 80 and to fixed parts of the machine.

Such feeding of the strip isefiected between the printing and cutting operations and. during the next operation of printing a card field at the printing element 18 and of severing at the cutting element 19a card previously printed at the printingelement, there is an upward idle movement of the rack 72.

His necessary to remove each card from the cutting element as soon as it is severed in order to permit thenew leading end of the strip to be fed into the cutting element. To this end the sprocket wheel 78 is connected by means of a chain 82 with a smaller sprocket wheel 83 on a shaft 84 on which are fixed the.

ment with such speed as to. carry them into 105 roller 23. which is fixed on the shaft 7 5. and Y engagement with the gate 39 at the outer end of the receiver 38.

Statistical cards prepared as hereinbefore described are of'the proper dimensions to assure proper positioning in the perforating machines used for recording certain data by perforating the cards accordingly and in the machines which are designed to be controlled by said cards in accordance with the perforations therein. Such cards are, however, liable'to have; defects such as weak spots'or holes. If such defects occur at index points on the cards, the operation of a machine under the control of the defective cards would probably be erroneous in that it would be operated as if perforations had been made intentionally at such points. Such defects in cards. if located away from the index points would probably have no detrimental effect in the operation of machines controlled by the cards.

According to the present invention each card is teste at its index points only for defects which, when the card is placed in. a machine to be controlled thereby. would cause erroneous operation; and, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, such printing and cutting operations.

testing takes place at the end of the card If, the card field were tested at an earlier stage, the testing would not be so effective in that the cards might be injured during subsequent steps in their preparation or might be displaced so that the index points in the, finished cards would not agree with the points tested.

' For such testing, provision is made of a pin box 90 mounted in the cutting head 28 and having pins 91 corresponding in position and number to the pins of the pin boxes of the machines to be controlled by the cards. Consequently during the cutting'movement of the head 28, the card being cut is engaged at each index point thereof by a pin 91. The

, pins 91 are guided in plates 92 and 93 of the pin box and are normallv held in depressed position with collars 94 thereon engaging plate -93.by springs 95 interposed between the plate 92 and the collars 94. When the head 28 is lowered to cut a certain card 96, the pins 91 will usually beforced back and the corresponding springs 95 compressed.

at the cutting position is a card-supporting plate 97 which together with a plate 98 constitutes guiding means for circuit-closing pins 99 normally held in raised position by springs 100 interposed between the plate 98 and-collars 101 engaging the lower face of the plate 97 and posltion-ing the upper ends of the pins 99 flush with the upper surface of the plate 97. As shown in Fig. 5, the heads of the pins 99 are larger in cross-section than the pins 91, thereby making allowance for slight relative displacement between the pins 91 and 99. The plates 97 and 98 are of metal and directly connected with the'frame of the machine and when a pin 99 is depressed, as shown in Fig. 5, it will, by effecting an electrical connection between the plates 97 and 98 and a plate 102 supported by but insulated from the plate 98, close a circuit and, by means to be hereinafter described, rock a shaft 103 carrying the gate 39 and swing it outwardly to a position indicated in Fig. 1.

Mounted on the shaft 103 is a disk 104, which may be of insulating material, having at its edge a groove in which lies a flexible member or band 105 connected at one end to a spring 106 and at the other end to the core 107 of a solenoid 108 whose coil 109 is positioned between members 110 projecting from a plate 111 of insulating material. The lower end of the spring 106 is attached to a lug 112 sub path of the core 107 which is normally held by the spring 106 in a raised position determined by engagementof a shoulder 116, at one end of a cut-out in the disk 104, with a stop 11-7.

Rotation of the disk 104 in the opposite direction is limited bya shoulder 118, at the other end of the. cut-out, which may' be brought into engagement with the stop 117.

The coil 109 of the solenoid 108 is connected at one end with a binding post 119 on a shelf 120 of insulating material projecting from the lower end of the plate 111, and the binding post119- is connected by a conductor 121 with a suitable source of current, such as a battery 122. The battery 122 iscon'nected at its other side with the plate 102 bysmeans of a conductor 123 having therein a switch 124. The other end of the coil 109 is connected by a conductor 125 with the hub 113 of the lever 114 and is grounded with the frame at that point, as indicated in Fig. 3. Mounted on the shelf 120 is a spring contact 126 having its upper end adjacent the arm 114 but normally out of contact therewith, and connected at its lower end, by means of a conductor 127, with the conductor 123 at the point 128'.

' When'upon detection of. a defect at one of the index points of a card, a pin 99 is brought into contact with the plate 102, current flows from the battery 122 through the conductor 121, the coil of the solenoid 108, the conductor 125,.the frame, the depressed pin 99, and

the plate 102 from which-it flows back-to the.

battery. Consequently the coil 109 is ener-' gized to pull down the core 107 and'swing the gate 39 to open position. 1Downward move ment of the core 107 will, however, bring the i arm 114 into engagement with the spring contact and cause the current to follow a path of lower resistance from the conductor 125 through the arm 114, spring contact 126 and conductor 127,. thus preventing sparking when contact is broken between a depressed pin 99 and the plate'102. After the closing of the battery circuit through the spring contact-126, the core 107 may be drawn down unthis condition, a circuit-breaking device 130 is interposed between part-s of the conductor 12 The switch'portion of the device is mounted on a plate 131 of insulating material and this plate is attached by'suitable means such as screws 132 to a'U-shaped yoke 133 which is clamped by screws 134 to the bracket 29. Mounted on the plate 131' is an L-shaped metal plate 135 having a vertical portion, to the lower end of which is pivoted a contact arm 136, and a horizontal portion connected by a spring 137 with the contact arm 136 to hold a lug 138 on the latter in engagement with a contact 139 mounted on the plate 131 and provided with a bindingscrew 140 for securing thereto one branch of the'conductor 121, shown in Fig. 3 as the branch'connected directly with the battery. The other branch of the conductor 121 is connected with the plate 135 by suitable means such as a binding screw 141. Mounted on the freeend of the contact arm 136 by a' pivot 142 is'a bell crank 143 having a lateral projection 144 to engage the forward "end of the arm 136 and prevent downward f the downward movement of the head 28 and after breaking the circuit, slip past the'end of the bell-crank to permit closing of the circuit at this point before the head 28 reaches the card-testing range of its movement. During the upward movement of the head 28, the bellcrank 143 is engaged by the beveledupper face of the plate 146 and swung about its pivot out of the 'path of the plate. It will be seen that the gate 39, if opened for ejection of a defective card, 'will remain open until a certain point is reached in the next downward movement of the head 28. The circuit will then be-broken temporarily to close the gate. Obviously the plate 146 must be insulated from the head 28 and this may be done by placing the plate between-two plates 147 of insulating material and securing the assemblage to the head by means of screws 148, the holes in the plate 146 being of sufficient size to prevent contact with the screws.

buch breaking of the circuit by the plate 146 occurs on each down stroke of the head 28, but if the machine is stopped with the head 28 in raised position, the circuit will be left closed and it will be necessary to open the switch 124. Upon starting the machine again the switch 124 should be closed.

The operation of the preferred form of the invention is as follows: At each downward movement of the head 28, the. detector circuit is broken at the device or switch 130 and closed again before the head reaches the cardtesting position. In case a defect in a card is found by the testing device, a pin 99 at that point is depressed to connect the plates 97 and 98 with the plate 102 and completes a circuit through conductor 123, switch 124, battery 122, conductor 121, switch 130, conductor 121, coil 109, conductor 125' and the machine frame to which the conductor 125 and the plates 97 and 98 are grounded. The core 107, drawn downwardly by the energized coil, acts, through band 105 and disk 103, to swing the gate 39 outwardlyand also to depress the arm 114 into engagement with the spring contact 126 to complete through conductor 127 a path ofnlower resistance thus. reducing the current through the depressed pin 99 to such an extent as to avoid sparking between the pin and the plate 102, which may, however, be made of material which would not easily be injured by any sparking which mi ht occur.

Kfterthe circuit is completed through the conductor 127, the core 107 may be drawn down until checked by the stop 117 and the shoulder 116 on the disk 104 or by engage-' ment of the spring contact 126 with the stop 129. The gate 39 will then be held open and,

upon the upward movement of the head 28 and actuation of the rollers 34 and 35, the defective card will be ejected past the open gate-39 and out of the machine. During the next downward movement of the head the switch 130 will be opened temporarily to permit the gate 39 to fall to closed position and closed to enable another card to be tested.

Although according to the preferred form of the invention the testing device is used to cause ejection of each defective card without stopping the machine, the testing-device may be used to control a signal or to stop the machine upon detection of a defective card. A

signal could be controlled in the same manner and an arrangement to effect stopp ng is" shown diagrammatically in Fig. When a circuit closing pin 99 comes into engagement with the plate 102, a circuit is completed past sai through conductor 150, switch 151, current supply means such as a battery 152, a conductor 153, a coil of an electro-magnet 154, a conductor 155, and a switch 156 comprising an arm 157 and a contact 158 grounded to the machine frame. 3

vThe electro-magnet 154 when thus energized swings a switch arm 159 against the action of a spring 160 into engagement with a contact 161 and completes a circuit including a suitable source of power such as a battery 162, to operate a circuit breaker 163, which may be of any Well known type, and swin the handle 164 to ineffective position, there y stopping the machine. In this movement the handle 164 strikes theswitch arm 158 to break the circuit through the battery 152. Upon restoring the handle 164 to effective position for starting the machine, the switch arm 158 will be restored to circuitelosing position by means such as a spring 165, so that stopping of the machine may againbe effected when another card is found to be defective.

Inasmuch as, according to the preferred form of the present invention, the testing of the material is effected on the finished cards and only at the index points, there is no waste of material due to rejection for defects which would have no effect to cause improper operation of the card-controlled machines. Furthermore, by efieeting such testing at the time each card is cut from a strip, there is no delay in production due to such testing.

In the preferred form of the invention the gate-controlling circuit is closed at points be.- neath the defective cards, thereby preventing sparking through .the defective spots in the cards; and sparking at the circuit-closing points is also avoided by the short-eircuitlng arrangement hereinbefore described.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, means for testing each of a succession of statistical cards sup lied at a testing. position for defects at t e index points thereof, means for ejecting each card as soon as tested, and a device normally positioned to direct ejected cards to a collection position and con-. trollable by said testing device upon detection of a defective card for movement to a position to (permit such defective card to move collection position.

, 2. In a machine of the character described,

card cutting means including a reciprocable head, and card-testing means comprising a pin box mounted on the cutting head and havmg spring-pressed pins to engage the severed card at all the index means beneath the path of the card to cooperate with any of said spring-pressed pins pass points thereon and ing through a defective card to cause rejection of such defecting card.

3. In a machine of the class described, means for cutting cards from strips, means for testing each card for defects during the cutting thereof, and means controlled by said testing means for separating defective cards and good cards.

4. In a machine of the class described, means for cutting from strips of suitable Width cards having index points, means for testing each card, as cut, for defects at such index points,'and means controlled in accordance with the result of the test forcausing the good and defective cards to be delivered to different positions.

5. In amachine'of the class described, a support for an unperforated card to be tested, a reciprocable member having yieldable devices to engage all of the index points of the card simultaneously, means to feed the tested 1 cards to a receiving position, and means rendered effective by the passage of one of said devices through a defective spot to cause the defective card to be ejected from the machine and thereby separated from the good shiftable gate normally in the path of the:

ejected cards, a device for testin each card simultaneously. with'the cutting t ereof, and

means controllable by the testing device for shifting said gate to permit the defective cards to pass out of said receiver.

8. In combination, means for testing statistical cards comprising a pin box reciprocable to mozve the pins thereof into and out of engagement with the index points of a card in testing position, means for ejecting the card from the testing position when the pin" box is moved therefrom, a receiver for the ejected cards, a gate to prevent passage of the cards out of the receiver, means controlled by the testing device to open the gate jacent one face of a card in testing position 1 and having a plurality of circuit-closers, one for each. index pointon the card, and a plurality of feelers to engage the opposite face of the card at such index points and, in case upon detection of a defective card and means of a defect at one of said points, to actuate thereon, means to eject each card when the pin box is raised therefrom, a gate normally in the path of the ejected cards to effect collection thereof at that point, a set of springsfipported pins positioned beneath the testing position of the cards and actuable by the corresponding pins of the pin box when defects are found at the index points, a device beneath the spring-supported pins to be en gaged thereby when defects in the cards are detected, electrical means made effective by such engagement to shift the gate to ineffective position and to hold it in such position after the spring-supported pins are withdrawn from card device beneath the same,

and means to effect return of the gate to effective position before the pin-box again reaches the card-testing range of its movement. 3

"-11. In a deviceof the character described,

a reciprocable pin box having yieldable pins to engage cards in the testing position at all .of the index points thereon, means to eject each tested card when the pin box is raised, a device beneath the card-testing position comprising yieldably supported pins to be depressed by the pins of the pin box when defects appear at index points on the cards,

and an insulated conductor plate with which the spring su ported pins contact when depressed, a gat to check the ejected cards at the collection position, electro magnetic means to open said gate'to permit defective cards to pass out of the machine, a circuit closed by engagement of any of the spring supported pins with the insulated plate to energize said electromagnetic means, means to short-circuit the contact through the de re'ssed pin to avoid sparking when the pin isreleased and to hold the gate open, and means to deenergize the electromagnetic means to permit-the gate to close before the next card tested is ejected.

12. In apparatus of the class described, a

1 testing device comprising yieldable members to engage one face of each card tested and a circuit-closing device at the opposite face of the card and comprising yieldably supported pins to be depressed by said members when projected through a defective spot in a card, and a plate of conducting material insulated from said guides but positioned for engagement by sa1d pins,-means to eject each card from the testing position, a receiver for said cards, a gate shiftable to permit cards-to pass out of the receiver, and means, lncluding a circuit closedby said circuit-closing device,

to open said gate to permit the defective cards 1 of said receiver, including a circuit closed by said card-testing device upon detection of a defectlve card, a solenoid energized by sa1d circuit to open said gate, and a switch closed by said solenoid to short circuit the portion of the circuit connected with the card-testing device and maintain a circuit through the solenoid to hold the gate open.

14. In apparatus of the class described, a

card-testin device, means to eject each card from sa1d ev ce when tested, a recelver fer sa1d cards, a pivoted gate, and means-to open said gate to permit defective cards to pass out ofsaid receiver, including a circuit closed by sa1d card-testing devlce upon detection of' a defective card, a solenoid energized by saidcireuit to open said gate, a switch closed by said solenoid to short circuit the portion of the circuit connected with the card-testing device and maintain a circuit through the solenoid to hold the gate open and means to break the solenoid circuit prior to the testing of the next card.

15. In apparatus of the class described, a device for testing cards, means to eject each card when tested, a pivoted gate normally directing the ejected cards to a position for collection but swingable to a second position to permit cards to pass, to another position, a solenoid having a core connected with said gate to swing it to said second osition', and an electrical system for controlllng said solenoid comprising a circuit closer operable by said testing devlce, upon detection of a defect in a card, to energize said solenoid, a switch closed by saidv core to short circuit said circuit closer and keep the circuit closed through the solenoid, and a switch openable by the testing device priorto the testing of another card to deenergize the solenoid and cause the gateto return to its normal'position. Y

16. A machine for testing record cards comprising a reciprocable pin box, detecting pins carried by sa1d pin box and corresponding in number to the index points upon the respective record cards, adevice arranged to dehver defective cards to-a location different from perfect record cards, means 1nclud1n an electro-magnet for automatically contro ling said device, a control plate arranged in the path'of said pins and an electric circuit having all of said pins as one terminal and said control late as the other terminal, said circuit including said electro-magnet, whereby contact of any pin with said control plate closes said circuit to energize said electromagnet to operate said defective card device.

17 A machine for testing record cards comprising a reciprocable pin box, detecting pins carried by said pin box and corresponding in number to the index points upon the respective record cards, a device arranged to deliver defective cards to a location difierent from perfect record cards, means including an electro-magnet for automatically controlling said device, a control plate arranged in the path of said pins, an electric circuit hav ing all of said pins as one terminal and said control plateasthe other terminal, said circuit including said electro-magnet, whereby contact of any pin with said control plate closes said circuit to energize said electromagnet to operate said defective card device, and means to automatically short circuit said terminals to break said circuit and simultaneously maintain said electro-magnet energized.

those defective because of weak spots into the other position.

19. In a machine for sorting unperforated cards into groups of good cards and cards defective because of holes in any one of a plurality of positions in the area adapted to receive perforations, a seriesof pins, means for bringing said pins against the card and through holes in the card, means for delivering the good cards after atesting operation into a certain one of two positions, and means for controlling the delivery of defective cards into the other of said positions.

In Witness whereof we aflix our signatures.

ALFRED WEILAND. CHARLES A. MEZGER.

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