US1736540A - Sorting machine - Google Patents

Description

Filed Jan. 25, 1927 9 Sheets-Sheet Nov. 19, 1929. J. LAST SORTING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25. 1927 awuemtoz Nov. 19, 1929. J. LAST SORTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25. 1927 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 avweutoz 35 fin Qbtomm Nov. 19, 1929. J. LAST SORTING MACHINE Filed Jan 25. 1927 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 nocmto'c 9m anew,

Nov. 19, 1929. J. LAST 1,736,540

SORTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1927 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov. 19, 1929. J. LAST SORTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25. 1927 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 2%500 v 951 Gum/nu;

Patented Nov, 19 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE JAMES LAST, or DOBBS FERRY, new YORK, AssIeNomBY MESNE ASSIGNM NTS, 'ro

nnmnve ron RAND 1110., on NEW YORK, N. Y., A coaronn'rron or DELAWARE SORTING MACHINE Application filed January 25, 1927. Serial K0. 163,440.

This invention relates to improvementsin machines for sorting perforated record cards and is applied to a machine of the type in which a card is fed from a magazine to a j position for sensing or analyzing, temporarily held in such position, sensed, and then released and passed on to be discharged into the par ticular box for cards of its designation under control of the sensing mechanism. Heretofore, it has been customary to provide means set by the sensing mechanism for raising or adjusting card deflectors at proper times to effect entry of the cards in their respective card receivers or boxes. The general form of machine to which I have'shown my invention applied is the form in commercial use and known as the Powers sorter.

One of the objects of my inventlon is to provide timed mechanism under control of a sensing mechanism for releasing the cards from the sensing o'r analyzing section.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for effecting a timed. operation of the deflectors independently of any selective action of the sensing mechanism.

Other and incidental objects will be ap parent from the following description and appended claims.

All of these objects are accomplished by mechanism shown in the accompanying draw- I ings in which v Fig. 1 is a front elevation. of the machine embodying my invention, the vieWbeingpartly in section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the card' feeding and sensing head, parts being shown in section and broken away for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 3" is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 6-6 of'Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail elevation showing the pin box fully depressed and one of the pins riding on an imperforate portion of the card.

Fig. 7 b is afragmentary view showing the card-stop and latch bar atthe same instant.

of operation as Figs. 7 and 7.

Figs. 8, 8*" and 8 are views similar respectively to Figs. 7 7 a and 7 b but showing the pin box in its fully up position. I

Figs. 9, 9 and 9 are views similar respectively to Figs. 8, 8 and 8? but showing the pins being released.

Figs. 10, 10 and 10 are views similar respectively to Figs. 9, 9 and 9", but showing the parts returned to normal position.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of one section of the distributer portion of the machine.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the same show- 7 data in Fig. 20.

. I Fig. 20 is a timingtable.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts throughout.

As has heretofore-been stated, this machine to which the invention is applied is of the general form of the standard Powers sorter, and in the drawings the general framework indicated at 20 is substantially the same, any differences being pointed out hereinafter.

Thegeneral feeding mechanism is also the same, but as many of the parts are intimately related to the new mechanism, the feed will be quite specifically detailed.

M air} driving mechanism Motor power is derived from an electric motor 21, Fig. 1, or other source of power, to drive a belt 22 which rotates a pulley 23 to rotate shaft 24.- on which said pulley isfixed.

Fixed to for rotation with shaft 24; are a large worm 25, Fig. 2, a smaller worm 26,.and a shaft 37 of the machine.

spur gear 27. Gear 27, Fig. 4, meshes with gear 28 which drives the upper ejector roll 29. Gear 28 meshes with a gear 30 which rotates the lower ejector roll 31, and gear 30 itself meshes with a gear 32 which is secured to for rotating a gear 33 and is meshed with for rotating a gear 34 which rotates a skid roll 35. Gear 33 meshes a gear 36 which is fast on [and rotates the main spindle-or main ear 36 also rotates an -idl'er 3 8 with which it meshes and which is in turn secured to for rotating a gear 39. Gear 39 is meshed with a gear 40 for rotating a second skid roll 41, and is also meshed with a gear 42 which rotates a lower 47 of each pair of rolls 46 so as to force said rolls 46 downwardly against skid rolls 35 and 41 or against any card which may be fed through between the skid rolls and said pressure rolls. The arms 47 are pivoted on brackets secured to the framework as is well known in the art.

Gard feed The cards to be sortedare placed in a magazine indicated at 49, from which they are removed one at a time by a picker knife 50 as is well understood in the art. The picker knife is operated by an eccentric 51 which operates an arm 52 fast on a rocker-shaft 53. This rocker-shaft carries an arm 54 which is connected'by a link 55 with the picker knife 50. By this means at each rotation of main shaft 37 the picker knife 50 is caused to pick a single card, from the bottom of the stack in the magazine and move it between the feed rolls 43 and 45. Each card is moved by the feed rolls and skid and pressure rolls toward the eject rolls. The card is, however, intercepted by the card stop 56. This card stop is movable, but for the present we shall consider that it is stationary and that a card has abutted against it. In passing thru the feed rolls, the card was fed between a pair of apertured pin plates 57 and 58, such being the usual practice in the art.

The sensing mechanism frame carrying a pin box adjustable horizontally on said frame and carrying a plurality of pins for feeling or sensing holes or apertures which may have been punched in the card. Specifically the frame consists essentially of a pair of side members 59 and 60 of H formation which are secured together and spaced apart by tie rods 61 and 62. The sides of the H-members form slides which are vertically slidable in ways formed by the gear box cover 63 secured to the main frame, and ribs 64 formed out on the said cover 63. The cross-bar portion of each H- member carries a stud 65 upon which is. mounted a roller 66, each of such rollers riding in the camgroove 67 of a respective boxcam 68 secured to for operation by the main shaft 37. The grooves in the cams have the same contour and as best shown in Fig. 3, the major portion of this groove is concentric, being provided with a dip and return at 69, the dip and the return portions being so formed as to give uniform positive acceleration to maximum velocity and uniform negative acceleration to rest on the depression and rise of thepins in order to reduce the loading on the cam and roller surface to a minimum having regard to the weight of the parts and the time allocated to their movement. It will be seen that in this manner the frame is vertically reciprocated once at each rotation of the main shaft 37.

The pin box proper comprises a pair of' end plates 70 and'71, Figs. .5 and 6, the former being formed with wings and bosses 72, which embrace and ride on tie rod 61; and 71 being formed with an index finger 73 which rides on the bar 62 and traverses a scale 74 as is usual in the art for indicating the column of the card which the pin box 105 is set to sense. The pin box is therefore mounted .for horizontal adjustment along the rails or tie rods, and it is held in any desired position. along said rods by the action of a latch-member 7 5 on the end plate 70 and no having a finger-piece76 for disengaging it from the bar 61, and a spring 77 for holding the member 75 in its normal upper or latching position. This latch is old and wellknown in the art, but in the present construc-' tion is used for another purpose also, which is new and will presently be set forth. The 3 pin-box-frame is made rigidby two plates 78 and 79 and a cross bar 80 which are secured at opposite ends to the frame members 70 and 71. The plate .78 is horizontally disposed and has one of its edges notched into .comb formation so as to guide the sensing its top edge forms a limit stop to define the lowest position of the sensingpins with regard to the pin box. The bottom edge of plate 79 is bent and slotted to form a plurality of spring hooks or anchors, one for each pin 81, and on these hooks are fastened the lower ends of springs 83, the upper ends of said springs being hooked into cars 81 formed on the heads 82 of the pins 81, all as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The pins are swaged round at their bottoms and pass thru apertures or holes in the bar 80.

The pins 81 are formed with respective lips or fingers 85 turned over from one edge thereof, and on their opposite edges with upper notches 86 and lower notches or stopshoulders 87. A latching shutter 88 is normally spring pressed against the pins 81. This shutter will be fully described in a latter portion of this description, but for the present it will be sufficient to know that it is mounted on the pin box, is spring pressed against the pins 81 and with the pins in nor-- mal or lower position in the pin box, rests in the notches 86 of all of the pins.

The operation of the sensing mechanism so far described is as follows: With the card to be analyzed in the positionin which we last left it,i. e. against the card stop and between the pin plates, and with the pin-box in such position that its pins are over the vertical column to be analyzed, operation of the machine causes rotation of the box cams 68 which effects a vertical reciprocation of the vertically movable frame on which the pin box is mounted, thereby carrying down the pin box and its pins. As the pins 81 reach the surface of the card, the card where it is not perforated will arrest the downward movement of such pins as touch it as shown in Fig. 7 but where there is a perforation in register with a pin, that pin will pass thru the perforation and continue to move with the pin box to the limit of its downward movement as shown in Fig. 7 It will at once be apparent, since the shutter 88 is mounted on the pin box, it will move out-- wardly and ride overthe inter-notch projections on all detained pins and will engage in the lower notches 87 of such pins. As the pin box moves up, it will carry all the pins up with it, those which have not passed thru a hole or perforation in the card being carried mp by the engagement of the latching shutter 88 with the notches 87 to a higher position than where they rest, ineffectively, on the upper edge of the plate 79.

It might be well at this point to say that pin boxes as heretofore used have utilized the pin which passes thru the card to effect setting up or indexing for the distribution of the card, whereas in this device, the pins which do not pass thru perforations are utilized to prevent operation of normally operative selecting means, the pin which passes thru the card merely remaining incapable of preventing selecting of the distribution box or station with which it is correlated. The means and manner of selecting the proper instant at which to release the card from the card stop so as to arrive at its destin ation at proper time will now be described.

Suitably mounted for longitudinal movement at one side of each pin 81 is a selecting bar 89. Twelve such bars are here shown since there are twelve pins, but there may be more or less according to the number of pins. Each such bar 89 has a pair of plates 90 riveted on opposite sides at one end of the bar and extending beyond the bar and carrying between them a large roller 91, and having their ends notched or bifurcated to receive the trunnions or pintles of a small roller 92, said roller 92 riding on the periphery of roller 91. The purpose of this construction is to provide a small roller for feeling a cam device and a large roller for receiving the thrust. Each selecting bar 89 is formed on its lower edge with a series of notches adapted to receive the lip or finger 85 of the pin 81 with which it is associated. A spring 93 is secured. to a pin on the side of each bar 89 and has its at 96. By reference to Figs. 7 to 10 it will be seen that each of the plates or elements comprising the drum is made with a cam notch or dip 97. and is provided with thirteen key-ways 98 spaced apart equal distances, so that the equivalent of a helically grooved drum may be formed from these 'plates by arranging cam dips in spaced relation to each other and then keying them to the shaft 99 by a single feather 100. The thirteenth plate 96 differs from the plates only in that it has also a cam nose or lug 101. Shaft 99 is provided with a worm gear 102 which is operated by worm 25 in such manner that the drum makes one revolution for each revolution of the main shaft 37 and reciprocation of the pin-box mechanism.

Returning now to the operation of the mechanism, it will be remembered that as the pin box moved upwardly, it carried with it all of the pins which had not passed thru a perforation latched by shutter 88 in a somewhat elevated position. Being latched in this upper position, they bring their fingers 85 into engagement with the notches of their respective selecting bars 89 thereby preventing such bars from moving when the cam dips 97 of the correlated plates 95 come successive ly into register with the respective rollers 92. The only bar 89 which is permitted to move is the one which is correlated with the pin that passed thru a perforation in the card because this is the only bar not latched, and as the drum brings its respective cam notch or dip 97 opposite the respective roller 92, this selecting bar is moved by its spring 93, and

is then restored to normal position by theriding of the roller 92 out of the cam notch. The movement of the roller into the cam notch and the consequent movement of the respective selecting bar effects the release of the card by mechanism and in a manner which will now be described.

The card stop 56 is shown in the form of a vertically movable plate which is moved downwardly by the descent of the pin box, is automatically locked in a lowered position so as to prevent movement of the card to be analyzed, and is later released by one of the selecting bars and is raised by springs. As shown in Fig. 6 the plate or card stop is mounted for vertical movement in slide-ways formed in spring carrying plates 94, and in elements 104 secured to the inside of the gear housing. Springs 105 fast at one end to plates 94 and at the other to pinson the card stop 56 tend constantly to elevate the card stop. The ends of the card stop are extended and are further guided in recesses 106 formed in the sides of upwardly extending comb plates 107 the upper portions of which guide the selecting bars 89 and a latching bar 108. The

H-frames 59 and 60 have inwardly projecting. lugs or fingers 109 which normally rest over the extended ends of the card-stop 56, and as the pin-box frame is lowered, these lugs positively depress the card stop. The card stop has a sliding contact with the pin plates so as to effectually prevent the card from turning up and for positively holding the card in proper relation with the sensing mechanism, and is depressed considerably beyond the mere card-stopping position by the action of the pin-box'frame. The latching bar 108 is formed somewhat differently from the selecting bars inasmuch as its teeth 110 are of the ratchet type, and in this case plates 111 are slidably secured to the end of the latching bar by means of pin and slot connection as shown in Fig. 6. These plates 111 carry a large and small roller 91 and 92 as in the case of plates 90, but it will be seen that a limited amount of relative movement is permitted the plates 111 with relation to bar 108. A spring 112 tends constantly to force the roller 92 of plates 111 against the thirteenth cam-plate 96, and if permitted would also move the bar 108 thru the pin and slot connection of said bar with the plates 111.

It can now be clearly seen that when the pin-box frame has depressed the card stop and the lug or cam lug 101 strikes the roller 92 of the bar 108, it will move the bar 108 to the right in Fig. 6 until the stop lugs 113 on bar 108 are over stop lugs 114 on the card stop 56. As the pin-box frame rises, the abrupt faces of lugs 114 engage the abrupt faces of lugs 113 whereby further upward movement of the card stop is prevented. The beveled faces of the lugs 113 and 114 serve to effect a parallel upward movement of the card stop when it is thereafter released. As the cam lug passes beyond the roller of the latching bar, the plates 111 move outwardly to the normal surface of the plate which is only to the extentof their pin and slot connection to the latching bar.

When, after the latch bar has moved to latching position, it is moved to the left in Fig. 6, the release of the card stop 56 will be effected, and the card stop will be moved up by its springs 105 so as to release the sensed card for ejection by means of the skid rolls 35 and 41, pressure rolls 46 and ejector rolls 29 and 31. Such releasing movement of the latch bar 108 is effected by the selecting bars 89 by the following mechanism and in the following manner.

As shown in Figs. 7 to 10 each selecting bar 89 is provided with a lug 115 formed on one of its plates 90, which lug normally stands against a bridge-bar 116 extending across all of the plates 90 and carried by a pair of rock arms 117 pivotally mounted on ashaft carried by extensions of the main framework which also support the drum shaft 99. The bridge bar 116 also extends into a hook-shaped portion 118 of the latch bar 108 as shown in Fig. 6, and when the latch bar is in latching position, stands in and adjacent to the end of such hook.

It will now be apparent that if any one of the selecting bars is permitted to move endwise, the lug 115 on its plate 90 will engage and rock the bridge-bar 116 and said bar 116 will engage the hook 118 and draw the bar 108 to unlatching position whereupon the card-stop 56 will spring up and release the card. This works for all cards having a punch hole in the column being sensed, but it frequently happens that a card has no hole and must be routed for what is termed in. the art the reject box. To do this, use is made of the latch-bar itself.

We have seen that when the latch bar was moved to latching position, the plates 111 of said bar immediately thereafter returned to the extent of their loose connection with said bar and with the roller 92 in contact with the concentric portion of the thirteenth plate 96 0f the drum. It will be remembered also that this plate 96 is provided with a cam notch or dip 97. When this cam dip now comes into register with the roller 92 of the plates 111, these plates move toward the drum and draw the latching bar to unlocking position and the card stop will release the card which will be routed to the reject box as will hereinafter be more clearly understood.

If desired, counters could be provided and operatedunder control of the selector bars sider the operations of the latching shutter 88 which have accompanied these several movements of the parts described;

We have hereinbefore mentioned'that the shutter 88 is mounted for movement with the pin box and that it is spring pressed against the sensing pins. Actually, the shut ter is provided with pintles 119 by which it 1s pivoted in the frames and 71 of the pin box (see Fig. 6). A pin 120 at the upper portion of one end of shutter 88 extends thru. a slot 121 in thepend of plate 70 and pivoted on pin 120 is a pawl 122. A spring 123 secured to a tail 124 of pawl 122 and to a pinextending from plate 70, tends constantly to throw the pawl 122 into the teeth 110 of the latching bar 108 and tends also to throw the shutter against the sensing pins. The pawl 122 is provided with a pin 125 which stands under the end of the latch member so that when this member 7 5 is depressed either in the vertical movements of the pin-box or when releasing the pinbox for movement along the tie- rods 61, 62, the pawl 122 is disengaged from the teeth 110 of the latching bar 108.

It will now be seen that upon the down stroke of the pin-box, pawl 122 is disengaged from teeth 110 and is held disengaged until the pin-box has nearly completed its up stroke, during which period of disengagement the latching bar 108 has been moved to latching position. Then as the operation progresses, the pin-box reaches its limit of upward travel and the pawl 122 engages one of the teeth 110. Thereafter, as the bar 108 is moved to unlatching position, as heretofore described, it carries pawl 122 with it thereby forcing the shutter 88 to unlatching position so that all pins which have been latched up may return to normal position under the impulse of their springs, for the card has been released by the operation of bar 108 and the pin setting need be retained no longer.

It may be well to mention again at this point that the cam elements 95 and 96 are set with relation to each other so that they will bring their cam notches or dips into operation seriatim. Cards utilized commercially are provided with punch positions which run as follows from top tobottom of a column: 12,11,0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. More or less may be used, butthose stated are normal practice. These numerals have been used on the drawings to indicate the pins correlated with such designations on the card, and in conjunction with the letter R (denoting reject) to indicate correlated portions of the drum and the respective boxes or receiving stations and other correlated. parts. Hence numerals 1 to 12 inclusive are not to be considered as reference characters in the ordinary sense but only in the sense that they serve to indicate and associate related elements of the several trains. I

The first portion of the invention which includes the injecting of a card to sensing position, the sensing or analyzing of the card, the releasing of the card at an instant determined by the sensing, and the ejecting of the card from sensing position, has now been fully set forth. The second portion of the invention deals with the conveying of the cards along a path which includes all thirteen stations of the distributing mechanism, and the deflecting of the cards into their respective boxes or stations. This portion will now be taken up in detail, after which some technical phases will be discussed and the relative positions of parts as charted on'several figures of the drawing will be set forth.

When the card stop is raised to permit a card to pass from sensing position, the card is first passed to the eject rolls 29 and 31, and by these rolls is passed on to the conveyor rolls indicated at 126 in Figs. 1, 11, 12 and 13. These rolls are old in the art and are a usual part of the standard commercial machine hereinbefore mentioned. There is one pair of such rolls for each card box or 'station except thatone nearest the ejector rolls, the cards being fed directly to this first box, which corresponds to. the numeral 12, from the ejector rolls. The linear movement of the card as it passes from the ejector rollsis faster than its, feed by the conveyor rolls 126. The effects of this as to timingwill be pointed out in connection with the technical aspects of the case hereinafter set forth. There are twelve pairs of conveyor rolls 126, the rolls of each pair being secured to a respective shaft 127 arranged transversely of the path of movement of the cards. The

shafts 127 are mounted in bearings in the side frames of the machine as is well known in this art. Each shaft carries a bevel-gear 128 which meshes with an equal respective bevel-gear 129, Fig. 2. All of the gears 129 are secured to for rotation with a shaft 130. Shaft 130 carries a worm-gear 131 which meshes with worm 26 hereinbefore described as driven from the motor. By the mechanism above described, the cards are fed or conveyed along the card path after leaving the I ejector rolls. This card path is over thirteen bins or card boxes indicated by numeral 132, and into these card boxes the cards must be deflected according to their punchings as successively sensed by the analyzing mechanism. The mechanism for deflecting the cards will now be described.

Each pair of conveyor rolls 126 is utilized to operate deflector mechanism for deflecting the tops of the cards intended for the adjacent box 132 which is nearer the sensing mechanism. Thus that pairof rolls nearest.

the sensing mechanism efl'ects deflecting of cards into the 12 box,i. e. the box nearest,

. thesensing mechanism and situated between the conveyor rolls are provided with comthe sensing mechanism and the first .pair of conveyor rolls 126. As to the thirteenth or -R box, it is arranged with a constantly active deflector device so that any card which passes under the twelfth pair of conveyor rolls dro s into this box. From an examination 0 Figs. 12 and 13 it will be seen that panion idler rolls 133 and that the cards are moved' along their path of travel by being gripped between the rolls 126 and 133 and moved along by the driving action of the rolls 126. Between the pairs of rolls 133 are p interposed shutters or tables 134 over which the cards normally travel and beneath which the cards are deflected when they are routed for the boxes\over which the shutters 134 "are disposed. Between each shutter and'the rolls 133 nearest the e'ection rolls is a respectiveopenin 135 t ru which the cards may be deflecte The means for deflecting cards into these "openings 136 is thesame for eachbox or station exce t that for the '12 cards and that for' the R c ards, that is, the deflector means is identical except for the station nearest the eject ,rolls and the station farthest from 'said rolls. This deflector means for the eleven intermediate boxes consists in each instance essentially of a plurality of deflector fingers 136, preferably four for each box,

formed out from the lower arms of rocklevers 137. Levers 137 are pivoted on the sides of four spaced plates 138 freely mounted on rock shafts 139 having their bearings supported in the side frames of the machine. Theupper arms of the rock levers 137 are pivotally connected to respective links 140, and the opposite ends of links 140 have a slot and pin attachmentto respective arms 141.

Springs 140 tend constantly to hold the linksup so as to take up the lost motion permitted by the pin and slot connection. There is one shaft 139 for each card box, and all of the arms 141 connected with the deflector mechanism for any one box are secured to the respective shaft 139. Each shaft 139 is provided at or near each end withan upstand- 1 I ing rock am 142 which has a lost motion connection with the shaft; The -pair of rock and tooth 149' is on the hub associate 127 at which the eccentric straps are'in symmetrical relation to each other only one of The loose connection above referred to in relation to arms'142 and shaft 139 comprises hubs 146 secured on said shaft and each having .a tooth 147 extending laterally of the shaft, and hubs 148 secured to arms -142, 142' and each having a tooth 149, 149 exthese points is fully. effective on the deflector Y I a s7 showndiagrammatically in Flgs. 15 and tending laterally for engagement with therespective tooth 147. The tooth 149 is on 143, with the eccentric strap 144. The teeth 147 are in alignment and are shown diagrammatically in Fi s. 14, 15, 16 and 17 as a single the hub associated with eccentric stra act. A spring 150 tends constantly to turn shaft 139 counter-clockwise. I

For an understanding of how the shutter fingers are operated, reference may be had to tooth on w ich both of the teeth 149, 149" Figs. 11, 12 and 13 for the mechanical construction and details of parts, and to diagrammatic Figs. 14, 15,-16-and 17 for the operation and relative positions of parts.

It may be well to mention at this point that whll the eccentrics of each shaft 127 are set in the same relative position as the eccentrics of every other shaft 127, they are set at different-positions for the several shafts soas to bring the deflectors mto action at different times for deflecting the cards into the several boxes. We shall therefore take one deflector at its fully elevated position and trace its operations, and these operations .will be the same for all of the deflectors although the deflectors on one shaft 139 will be d1f ferent in time of operation from the deflectors on another of such shafts. In Fig.

14 is shown aldeflector 136-137 in fully elevated position at. which time shaft 139 has been turned clockwise thereby thru arms 141, links and rock levers 137 raising the deflector finger or blades 136. The shaft 139 is held in the position here shown by finger 149 abutting the finger 147. Finger 149 at this time is spaced quite some distance from fin er 147.

s the operation progresses,*the parts move to the position shown in Fig. 15,, in which the eccentric straps are in symmetry. The

axis of symmetry s indicated at A and a line B is drawn at right angles. thereto thru thepivot of shaft 127. It will be seen that-the eccentrics are in symmetry but on one side of line B. The arms-14'1 and 141" are now parallel altho shown side by side for clearness and the deflectors have been moved down but not into the path of movement of the cards,.

owing to the controlling influence of teeth 149, 149 which are both a ainst the tooth 147, as indicated by the cross -atchin As the operation progresses urther, the parts assume the positions shown in Fig. 16;,

the parts assume the positions shown in Fig.

17 in which the eccentrics are again in symmetry but on the opposite side of line B so that teeth 149, 149 are moved to such position as to permit tooth 147 to move far enough 'counterclockwise to effect movement of the deflector 136 to its lowestposition at which,

. it enters aperture 135 so as to deflect the front end of a card moving thru the- adjacent rolls 126, 133, so that such card will enter under plate 134 and be discharged into the respective card box.

Of course it will be understood that further operation brings the parts again to the position shown in Fig. 14, andit will be understood that the eccentrics on the several shafts are set so as to cause deflecting of a card meant for the respective box. Limits of movement of the several parts are shown by dot and'dash lines in these four views for ease in comparison.

Referring now to Figs. 18, 18", 18 and 18, there are shown four positions of the deflector 136 with relation to the card to be deflected thereby. In Fig. 18, the card C is shown in the position it assumes when starting thru the feed rolls (not shown) and the deflector is coming down. In Fig. 18 the card has moved slightly forward and the deflector has moved down to contact with the card C. In Fig. 18, the card' is shown advanced by the feed rolls and deflectedby the deflector so as to pass under the plate or shutter 134; and in Fig. 18, the card is under the shutter and the deflector is moving up.

If through some mechanical defect in the card or other reason, a card should get out of proper timed relation so that a deflector would come down on it while its front end is on the plate or shutter 134, the deflector will merely ride on the card, spring 140 not being strong enough to force or jam the card.

The members 434 have heretofore been treated as mere stationary parts, but they are actuallyrnovable shutters as shown in Figs. 12 and 13. The shutters 134 are formed with ears'151 thru which a pivot pin 152 passes,such pin being supported in a U-shaped bracket 153 secured to the framework of the machine. A spring 154 normally holds the shutter 134 down in horizontal position. One or more lips 155 are turned downfrom the shutter 134 to deflect the card. When the card enters under the shutter 134 the shutter may float up if required to accommodate it'to the card," but the limit of this upward rotation is' determined by theshutter moving against the upperend of bracket 153. I

Turning now to the deflector for the 12 box, the mechanism is substantially the same I as above described for the other boxes except that instead ofhaving four deflector levers 137, there is merely a pair of such arms. indicated at 137 inFig. 2, which are bridged by same as for the other boxes except that the deflector plate 136 moves down earlier so as to deflect a card fed directly from the ejector rolls which move the card faster than the conveyor rolls.

For the R-box which is the final one, the card-shutter is merely raised into the cardpath so as to deflect any cards which may' travel so far. It will be recalled that this box receives all cards not designated for other boxes.

The mechanical elements have nowbeen a deflector plate 136'. The operation is the Fig. 19 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the relative positions of a card routed for the R or reject box and each deflector when fully depressed. The distances shown are all plotted from the data in Fig. 20. ,A line MM is used as a base on which to lay ofl' the distances and a vertical lineN is drawn inter-. secting line MM. This intersection represents the position of any deflector plate when fully depressed. The distance fromthis line .N to the line indicated by numeral 9 is the distance which the reject card is away from the 9 deflector when the latter is fully depressed and so on down to the 4 position. Here we find the card was positioned relatively near the 3 deflector when the 4 deflector was down, but on plotting for the 3 deflector we find that when this deflector was down fully, the card was some distance away as indicated by the intersection marked with numeral 3'.

It will be also seen that when the 11 and 12 deflectors were fully down each in their turn, the reject card had not been released from sensing position.

Turning now' to the table Fig. 20, the data is all figured from the fully down position of the 11 deflector, and the data is all given in terms of cycles of operations, one complete operation or rotation of the main shaft being a cycle. Looking. at. the vertical column headed 12 we find that when a card is routed for the 12 box, the 12 deflector will have been fully depressed .2864 of a cycle before the moment of full depression of the 11 deflector- Passing now to the vertical column headed 3 we find that the card reaches fully depressed position;. and it reachesthe v 0, 1, 2, and 3 deflectors, respectively, at .556, .888, 1.220, and 1.552 of a cycle i I the combination of card senslng means, means meant, it beingunderstood that a complete rot tion bf any gone of these elements is co-' incident to a complete-rotation ofa'allo'f them.

be the 'most desirable embodiment of my in- 'ventio'm-I do 'not limit myself to anything While 1 have described what I consider to less than thewhole of my invention as herein described .and as hereinafter particularly ointed out, in the claims? WjhatI claim is:

'. 1.-In a mach'ne of thelcharactei' described,

' for retaining cardsin position to beanalyze v by said sensingmea ns, and means fore fiect- 1- ing-lrelease of said cards by sald retaining means under control of said sensing means. 2. In a machine of the character described,

' the combination of card sensing'meangmeans for retainingica-rds in position to be analyzed by said sensing means, and means for effecting release of ,said cards by said retaining [mean under control oi said sensing means and at different times in the cycle of operation according to the 'c'ontrol of the sensing means.

'3'. In a machine of the character described, the combination of ,a card-stop, ,mea-nsfior I'feedin'g a card against said 'card-stop, sensing mechanism co ,operative with a' card'fedl against-sand card-stop, and means controlled. by said sensing mechanism for efi'ectlng movement of said, card-stop; t6 card for further movement,

release the 7 4. In a machine of the character described,

' the combination of a: card stop,'means for -feeding a card" against said card-stop, sens-I.

ing mechanism cooperative with acard fed against said card-stop and a plurality of dev1ces' operable at different times inacycle of operation for-effecting relative movement of said card-stop and card under control of said 1 v sensing mechanism.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination ot a card-stop, means for feeding apcard against said card-stop, sense ing mechanism co-operative with a card fed against said card-stop, a plurality of devices a for effecting movement of saidcard stop, and

- means whereby said sensing mechanism may [select one of said devices for operation.

6. In a machine of the character described,

' the'combination of a cardsstop, means for feeding a" card against said card-stop, sensing mechanism'co-operative with a card fed against said card-stop, a plurality of devices for (meeting movement ofsaid 'card stop, and

. means whereby saidsensing mechanism mayprevent a plurality of said devices from o'pplurality'of analyzing pins, means for efiect crating.

1'7; Ina machine of the-character described,

"the combination of a card-stop, means for may prevent all of said devices rom operat- 8. In a device of the class described, the

combination of'means for feeding a card, means for detaining the card in position to be sensed, means'for sensing the card, means .for releasing the card from said detaining means, and means controlled by said. sensing means for operating said releasing means.

9. In a device of the class described, the

combination of means for feeding a card,-

means for detaining the card in position to .be sensed,means for sensing the card, means for releasing the card from said detaining rmeans, means controlled by said sensing means -for operating said releasing means, and secondary means for operating'said releasing'ameans'.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of means for feeding a card, -m'eans for detaining the card in position to be --sensed, automatic means for rendering the detaining means inefiective, and means for preventing operation of said automatic means during", a

11. .In amachine of-the class described,the combination of: means for feeding a card, means for-detaining the card "-in position to be sensed, automatic means for rendering the detaining means ineffective, and automatic means for preventing operation of said automat c means dur ng a portion of the operation ofsaid machine.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination of meansfor feeding a card, -,means for detaining the card in position'to be sensed, card-sensing mechanism, automatic means for-rendering the detaining means in eflective, means controllable by said sensing rnechanism for rendering said. automatic 'meanseflective, and means for; rendering said automatig' means e'fl'ective independently of said sensing'mechanism. I

13. The combination of card-feeding mechportion-of the operation of saidmachine.

' a nism, cardesensin mechanism for-analyzing cards, means for e acting relative movement of a card and said sensing. mechamsm for -bringing the latter, into analyzing relation.

with said card,- and means correlatedwith said sensin mechanism for causing said sensing mec anism to retain the analysis of a card after it is moved relatively out of analyzing relaticn.

14. The combination of card-feeding mechanism, card-sensin mechanism including a ing bodily relative movement of said ins and a card along a. line perpendicular to t e nlane of the card for bringing them into analyzing relation, and means for retaining said pins in analysis. indicating relation While permitting bodily relative return movement of the card and pins.

The combination of card-feeding mechanlsm, a plurality of card-analyzingpins, means for effecting bodily reciprocation of said plurality of pins for analyzing a card,

and latching means for retaining the pins in analysis indicating position as effected by the card analyzed, upon moving the pins out of analyzing relation with the card.

16. The combination of card-feeding mechanism, a plurality of card-analyzing pins, means for eflectin bodily reciprocation of' said plurality of pins for analyzing a card,.

latching means for said pins, and means for rendering said latching means effective during movement of said pins in one direction and retaining said latching means in effective position durlng movement of said pins in the opposite direction.

17 The combination of card-feeding mech anism, a plurality of card-analyzing pins, means for effecting bodily reciprocation of said plurality of pins for analyzing a card,

latching means for said pins, means for rendering said latching means effective during movement of said pins in one direction and retaining said latching means in effective position during movement of said pins in the opposite direction, and means for rendering said latching means ineffective.

18. The combination of card-feeding mechanism, a plurality of card-analyzing pins, means for effectin bodily reciprocation of said plurality of pins for analyzing a card, latching means for said pins, means for rendering said latching means effective duringmovement of said" pins in one direction and retaining said latching means in effective position during movement of said pins in the opposite direction, and means-for rendering said latching means ineffective and retaining said latching means in ineffective condition.

19. In a device of the character set forth,

the combination ofcard-feeding mechanism,

a plurality of pins for sensing cards, a latch mechanism for said pins, a card-stop for maintainingcards in sensing position, and means for correlating said card-stop and said latch mechanism.

20. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of card-feeding mechanism, a plurality of pins for sensing cards, alatch mechanism for said pins, a card-stop for maintaining cards in sensing position, and means for efi'ecting'substantially simultaneous operation of said latch mechanism and card stop.

21. In a the combination of card-feedmg mechanism,

a plurality'of pins for sensing cards, a latch mechanism for said pins, a card-stop for stop, card i v time of release deviceof the character set forth,

maintaining cards in sensing position, means for automatically operating said card-stop, and means for enabling the automatic means to operate and for effecting operation of said latch.

22. In a machine of the character described, the combination of card-feeding mechanism, analyzing and routing mechainto their respective card-stations, the construction and. arrangement being such that each deflector is operated once in each cycle of operation of said machine and that said deflectors operate in such timed relation with each other and with said routing mechanism as to deflect only such cards as are meant for the respective card stations as determined by said analyzing mechanism. V

24. In a machine of the class described, the

' combination of card feeding mechanism,

analyzing means, a card-stop, means controlled by said analyzing means for rendering said card-stop inelfective, a plurality of card-stations, a plurality-of deflectors each correlated to a respective one'of said card stations, and means for operating said deflectors once at each cycle of operation of said machine. I

25. In a device of the character described,

the combination of card feeding means, card analyzing means, card stations, deflectors, and means for operating said deflectors, the last said means including a double eccentric device. p.

26. In a machine of the class described, the combination of card feeding means, a card analyzing means operable to rendersaid card stop ineffective at variable 1nstants during a cycle of operation of sa1d machine so as to release cards in timed relation to their analysis, a plurality of card stations, and deflectors each associated with a respective card stat-ion and operating means for operating each deflector oncein each cycle of operation ofsaid machine, sa d operating means being constructed to operate each of said deflectors in such timed relation to the of the cards from said card stop as to effect deflecting of each card into its correlated card station. 7 1

27. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of card feeding means, a card stop, card-analyzing means operable torenderjsaid. card stop in'efl'ectiv'eat variable instan tsduring a cycle oi operation of said machine so as'torelease cards 1n timed ,relation to. theiranalysis, a plurality of card stations,1anddeflectors each associated witharespective card station and operating means for -operating each deflector once in each cycle of operation of said machine, said; operating means being constructed to operate each of said-deflectors in such-timed relation to the time ofreleas'e of 'the cards from said card stop as to eflect deflecting of each card-into its correlated card station and to permit cards not intended for one position to-pass such station and pass on to the intended station.

I 28. In a machine ofthe' character set forth,- the combination'ofa pin-"bomaplurality of pinsmounted therein, latching means glfor said pins, a card stop, latching means. for-said card stop, .and' means permanently assoc1- ated with one of said latching means' for periodically connecting such latching means with the other of said latching means.

29. In'amachineof the character set f orth the'combination of a pin-box, a plurality of" pins mounted 'thei'ein, latching means for said pins, a card stop, latching-means for said 'cardstop, means 'pennanently'associated with.

one of said latchingmeans'for periodically connecting suchlatching means with the] other. of said latching means, and manipulative means -for' disabling said con'nectin'g means.

30. In a machineof'the;class described,the I combination of card feeding mechanism, card analyzing and routing means, a plurality ofcard stations, 'aplurality of card deflectors each associated with a respective one of said card 'stations, ;and a plurality of movableshutters, each associated-with a respective one off said card stations, v .31. In a 'machin'eofthe class described, the combination of zap-plurality of card stations,

rmea nsfor' feeding cards to said stations, a pluralitypf' card. deflectors each associated WI th a respective one of said card stations,.

means for effecting card-deflectingactuation of eac of saiddeflectors time at each cycle of operation of said machine, and operating. means for all ofsaid actuating means and associated therewith in such manner; as to effect operation ofthe sveralactuating means at various moments-in the. cycle of operation of the machine... i

321-111 amachine of -.the."c lass described, the

combination'of a plurality of card stations, means for feeding cards. to. said stations, a plurality ofacard deflectors each assoeiated with :a respective. one-' of said card stations, and separate actuating meansfor each of said deflectors, each actuating .ineans, -incl{ud- -mg a pair of eccentrics set with relation to} eachother at an anglel'ess than one hundred eighty degrees,

33. In a machine of the class described, the I "being set at the same angular relationship as the/eccentrics of every other pair, and each pair of camsbeing set to effect actuation of the respectiye deflector at a different moment in the'cycle of operation of the machine from that at which actuation of another of said deflectors is actuated.

34. In a machine of the class described .comprising means for analyzing a card in restposition, a card distributing mechanism, and means controlled by the card analyzing means for'variably determining the time in a cycle of operation at which the card enters the distributing mechanism.

35. In a machine of the classdescribed, the

combination 'with means for analyzing a '.'card 1n. rest positlon and means for d scharging the card from its analyzing position; of means controlled by the analyzing means for determining the time in a cycle of operation at which the card is discharged from the analyzing position.

In testimony whereof aifix my signature. JAMES LAST.

Images