US1926896A

US1926896A - Printing counter for sorting machines

Info

Publication number: US1926896A
Application number: US234329A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eugene A Ford
Original assignee: International Business Machines Corp
Current assignee: International Business Machines Corp
Priority date: 1927-11-19
Filing date: 1927-11-19
Publication date: 1933-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 1950-09-12
Also published as: DE572338C; US1882796A; GB325480A; GB300909A; FR659722A

Abstract

325,480. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Ford, E. A.). Nov. 19, 1927, [Convention date]. Divided on 300,909. Statistical apparatus.-In a record -card - controlled counting machine having units counters for the card-hole positions connected individually with the card-reading device, a reject counter has a connection (182), normally effective, which transmits at the end of each card cycle an impulse to the reject counter, there being controlling means (183) which operate, when a counter has been actuated by a hole being read, to disable the said connection to the reject counter. The apparatus described is the same as that described and shown in Figs. 3, 9, 15, 16, 18, 21, and 22 of Specification 300,909. When a card-hole is read by the brush a circuit is closed from positive line to 43, 44<1>, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, card-lever contacts 186, to negative. Simultaneously, a circuit is made from 182 to common bar 188, a units counter magnet 107 and segment 179 corresponding to the hole under the brush, 180, 189, to 186. Energization of 183 unlatches 192 to open contacts 182. Late in the card cycle a cam rotated by the sorter motor restores part 192 to close contacts 182. Normally, therefore. reject counter magnet 107 is energized when the rear edge of the card leaves the brush and the latter meets the base contact roller 43. If a hole has been read, however, contacts 182 are open and the reject magnet is not energized. Hence this magnet will count all cards not counted on other units counters 9 - - 0, X, or E. Specification 284,241 also is referred to.

Description

Sept. 12, 19.33. E. A. FORD PRINTING COUNTER FOR SORTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 19, 1927 11 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 12, 1933. E. A. FORD PRINTING COUNTER FOR SORTING MACHINES 11 Sheets-Sheei 2 Filed Nov. 19, 1927 Qwwentoz Sept. 12, 1933. E. A. FORD PRINTING COUNTER FOR SORTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 19, 1927v ll Sheets-$heet 3 Z a////////////// V ,1 A k WM? ma i w j///////A///////// S .i go 5? M lli -07 B Y L. @2 w M Q mw Swueutoz Sept. 12, 1933. E. A. FORD PRINTING COUNTER FOR SORTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 19, 1927 ll Sheets-Sheet 4 I I. IIIIK awwwntoz Sept. 12, 19 33. A, FORD PRINTING COUNTER FOR SORTING MACHINES ll Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov.. 19, 1927 u gum Q W1 1W 1 Sept. 12, 1933. E. A. FORD 1,926,896

PRINTING COUNTER FOR SORTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 19, 1927 ll Sheets-Sheet 6 351 i Gu /a I Sept. 12, 1933. E. A. FORD 1,926,896

PRINTING COUNTER FCR SORTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 19 1927 ll Sheets-Sheet'V Sept. 12, 1933. V

E. A. FORD PRINTING COUNTER FOR SORTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 19, 1927 Y 11 Sheets-Sheet 8 jlglz s! 2s avwemtoz Sept. 12, 1933.

E. A. FORD PRINTING COUNTER FOB SORI'ING MACHINES Filed Nov. 19, 1927 11 Sheets-Sheet amve ntoz GM M5.

Sept. 12, 1933. E. A. FORD PRINTING COUNTER FOR SORTING MACHINES 11 Sheets$heet 1o Filed NOV. 19, 1927 I gvwemi oz Sept. 12, 1933. E. A. FORD 1,926,896

PRINTING COUNTER FOR SORIING MACHINES Filed Nov. 19, 1921 ll Sheets-Sheet ll Patented: Sept. 12, 1933 Eugene A. Ford, Scarsdale, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 19, 1927 Serial No. 234,329

Claims.

This invention relates to accounting machines which are automatically controlled by record cards bearing index point designations.

The object of this invention is to provide a 5 combined printing and counting attachment controlled by an accounting machine to print a record of the number of differently characterized record cards operated on or fed through said accounting Y machine.

Another object is to provide an improved construction of counter for operation with said accounting machines.

Still another object is to provide a counter with novel means for printing from said counter on a sheet of paper, a record of cards passing through an accounting machine.

The object is further to operate the printing counter under control of an analyzing device which is adapted to simultaneously read the cards for accounting purposes.

Another object is still further to initiate the operation of a printing counting device under controlof an accounting machine and to terminate the operation of said counting device independently of said accounting machine.

Still another object is also to devise a printing counter attachment which is driven independently of the driving means for the accounting machine controlling the counter.

Another object is to construct a printing counter; as a separate machine which may be connected interchangeably to various accounting machines.

More specifically, the object of this invention is to print a record of the number of record cards sorted into each of the several pockets of a sort ing machine.

Another object is to provide an improved construction of analyzing brush holder for the sort= ing machine whereby it is adapted to removably hold a plurality of analyzing brushes, one or more of which may be used for printing control, another for sorting control, or either of which may be used for both sorting and printing control.

Various other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein the printing counter attachment is shown in combination with a sorting machine.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the sorting machine;

Fig. 2 is a top View of the printing counter attachment for the sorter with parts in section;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the printing counter attachment;

Fig. 6 is a detail of the analyzing brush, holder 60 and its positioning plates;

Fig. 7 is a detail of the means for removably securing the analyzing brush in position;

Fig. 8 is a detail side section through the paper roll carrier of the printing counter attachment; 7

Fig. 9 is a top detail view of the printer counter attachment partially in section;

Fig. 10 is a detail of the unit element of a printing counter bank;

Fig. 11 is a detail of the highest order element of a printing counter bank;

Fig. 12 is a detail of one of the card lever contacts of the sorting machine;

Fig. 13 is an edge view of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 isa sectional detail taken on line 14-14 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 15 is a section taken-on line 15--15 of Fig. 18;

Fig. 16 is a detail of the positiverestorer for the armature shown in Fig. 15;

Fig. 17 is a side section through the control portion of thesorting machine Fig. 18 is a front elevation of the sorting machine looking toward the card magazine;

Fig. -19 is a detail of the Veeder counter used to count total cards operated on;

Fig. 20 is a detail of the operating means for the Veeder counter;

Fig. 21 is a section on line 2121 of Fig. 18; and.

Fig. 22 is the circuit diagram of the sorting machine and its printing counter attachment.

It will be understood that while a sorting machine has been disclosed in combination with the printing counter attachment, that any other accounting machine such as a computing and printing tabulating machine may be combined with the printing counter attachment.

Referring to Figs. 1, 1'7 and 18, particularly, the sorting machine .with which the printing counter attachment is combined is provided with a magazine 25 for holding a stack of record cards. The sorting motor 26 when set in operation effects rotation of a shaft 27 running longitudinally of the machine. A worm gear 28 fixed on the end of the shaft 27 meshes with a worm gear 29 on a picker actuating shaft 30. At the left end of said shaft (as viewed in Fig. 18) is a crank arm 31 which revolves an eccentric sleeve 32 about coast. The sleeve is provided with arms 38'pivotally associated with one of a-pair of picker arms 34'fixed at their lower ends to a shaft 35 journaled in fixed bearings 36, the picker arms being forced by shaft 35 to partake of the same oscillating motion. Each picker arm is pivoted to a slidable picker blade 37, so that at each oscillation of the picker arms the knife edges 38 of the picker blade will feed onecard. at a time from the magazine to the feed rolls 39, a series of which feed the card continuously through the machine to the several sorting pockets 40. The first pair of feed rolls advances the card through guide aperture 41 into the guide aperture 42 and onto the side frame plates 42'. Between

guide apertures

41 and 42 is located the analyzing device comprising the usual contact roll 43 and the coacting sensing brush 44. The

latter is fixed m a holder 45 including plates 46 of insulating material, the vertical edges of which fit into aligned notches 47 (see Fig. 6) in a pair of fixed positioning plates 48. Each pair of aligned notches 47 corresponds to a card column, one of the plates 48 being marked with the numbers of the columns corresponding to the notches. The analyzing brush may be set to sense any desired column by inserting holder 45 in the appropriately marked notches 47 of the plates 48. The holder is then looked in position in plates 48 by means of a semi-circular shaft 49 freely rotatable in a circular opening in a bearing block 50. The top of e block is in contact with the end of a sprin pressed pin 51 urging the fiat surface of the shaft 49 into engagement with the top of the brush holder, downward movement of which is limited by plates 52 attached to the bottom of plates 48. Referring to Fig. 7, at each end of the shaft 49 is rigidly attached a disk 53 provided with a-pair of curved notches 54 ninety degrees apart, the notches being adapted to engage a fixed rod 55. One of the disks has associated therewith a handle 56 which when turned ninety degrees to the left from the position shown in Fig. .7, =rotates the shaft and diskclockwise, as viewedin Figs. 7 and 17, thus causing the plane surface of the shaft to move off the top and to one side of the brush holder which may then be removed from the notches 47. Spring-pressed pin 51 holds the notches 54 in yielding engagement with rods 55 so as to retain the shaft in position shown in Fig. 7, for locking the brush holder or in position, 90 clockwise of Fig. 7, to permit removal and insertion of the brush holder.

Referring to Fig. 17, after the forward edge of the card passes the guide aperture 42, it moves under the upwardly turned edges of the guide blades 56, the card being supported at its sides by fixed plates 42', while the guide blade edges are supported on a vertically movable plate (not shown) between the side plates 42'. When the analyzing brush encounters a perforation in the card, it contacts roll 43 and establishes a circuit to be described later, energizing magnet coils 57 which thereupon attract the armature 58 to which said movable plate is attached, the action of the magnet being opposed by spring 59. The movement of thearmature lowers the plate causing the edges of guides 56 to drop under their own weight in the absence of a card beneath them. However, those guide edges under which the card has already moved will not drop,

being supported by the card, which in turn is supported by the fixed plates 42'. As the card continues to feed, it will move over the first of the guide edges which have dropped .below the ma am:

card to the appropriate sorting pocket 40. The

time of energization of the magnet to effect the drop of the guide blade edges depends on the position of the perforation which in turn determines the position of the card beneath the guide blade edges, so that the guide blade over which the card passes to the sorting pocket corresponds of which is fastenedto the side of arm 62 (see Figs. 17 and'l8) urging the arm toward the eccentric sleeve. The lower end of the arm 62 is provided with a pin 66 which is guided for vertical movement by a guide slot 67 in the frame 69. The action of the eccentric sleeve 32 effects the oscillation of arm 62 and the vertical reciprocation of the pin 66 on the end of the arm within the guide slot 67. The end of the pin 66 under the influence of spring 65 lies normally within the slot. When the first card is fed from magazine 25, it closes the usual card lever con tacts 166' (Fig. 22) which remain closed so long as cards are being fed from the magazine. The closing of the card lever contacts establishes a circuit from the positive to the negative side of the supply through a magnet 68 (see Fig. 22) which remains energized while cards are being fed. The magnet coils 68 are carried by the subframe 69 attached to the frame leg 70 (see Figs. 17 and 19). The energization of magnet 68 attracts lts pivoted armature 71 against the bias of a spring 72. The free end of the armature loosely fits within slots 73 formed in the right angularly extending ends of a pairof arms 74 of a bell crank, the other arms 75 of which are joined at their ends by an integral plate 76 in contact with the head of pin 66. Unless magnet 68 is energized, spring 72 forces the free end of armature 71 downward and plate 76 engages pin 66 lightly. As soon as the first card closes the card lever contacts, the magnet 68 is energized, as described, attracting armature 71 to rock the bell crank counterclockwise, the plate 76 then forcing the end of pin 66 outside the slot 67 to the position shown in Fig. 20 in which position it remains till the card feed ceases. In this position, as the pin reciprocates on its upward movement it contacts an arm 77 loosely mounted on a stud 78 and moves the arm and stud upwardly against the force of a spring 79, which also acts to hold the end of arm 77 towards the pin 66. Loosely journaled on the stud is an arm 80 which is fixed to the shaft 81 of the Veeder counter. Thus reciprocation of the pin 66 after energization of magnet 68, effects reciprocation of arm 77, and oscillation of shaft 81 through arm 80. Each actuation of the shaft 81 advances the Veeder counter one unit in a well-known manner. Since the reciprocation of pin 66 is effected by the crank 31 which also effects the card feed, it is apparent that the Veeder counter counts the total number of cards fed through the sorting machine. The head of a screw 82 fixed in the end of a rod 83 acts as a stop to limit the movementof armature 71 away from the magnet 68 under the force of spring 72. The other end of rod 83 is threaded in frame 69 and by means of a knob 84 the rod may be adjusted to hold the armature the desired distance from the magnet, and if desired to hold the armature out of the range of attraction of the magnet to prevent operation of the Veeder counter.

The printing counter attachment combined with the sorting machine is provided with a separate motor 85 (Figs. 2 and 5), which rotates the counter printer shaft 86 through worm gears 87 (Fig. 2). The shaft has a key-way 88 in which are seated keys 89 of friction disks 90. Each printing bank 91 mounted on the shaft has a set of four wheels 92 except the total printing bank which has five, although it is obvious that the number of wheels in a bank may be varied as desired. A friction disk is provided on each side of a wheel, compression springs 93 located between adjacent banks, engaging the outer disks and urging them into frictional engagement with the sides of the wheels. As the friction disks rotate with the printing counter shaft, they tend to rotate the wheels but are prevented from so doing by pawls 94, the nose 95 of the pawl engaging the long side 96 of one of the notches 97, in the escapement wheel plate 98 to prevent the latter moving in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 10). The plate 98 is rigidly attached to the printing wheel which is provided with ten type lugs bearing characters 0 to 9 disposed in successive order equal circumferential distances apart. The escapement plate is within a hollow formed by the periphery of the printing wheel which extends as an annular flange 99 from the side of the wheel. On the inside of the flange are equally spaced apart escapement lugs 100, of which one side 101 is substantially radial of the flange. There is a lug corresponding to each notch 97, which in turn corresponds to a printing lug on the wheel. The pawl nose 95 projects from the side of the pawl and is sufficiently narrow, to pass between the top of the lug 100 and the periphery of the escapement plate. The pawl 94 is provided above the pawl nose with a lug 103 coextensive with the. sides of the pawl. The escapement plates 98 of all but the highest order wheels are formed with a lug 104 extending from the side adjacent the pawl of the next higher order wheel. By means of the cam lugs 104 and 103, a transfer operation is effected when a lower order wheel moves in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 10) to present its 0 type at the index or printing position. During this movement, cam surface 105 on the lug 104 of a wheel engages the head of 'lug 103 of the "pawl of the next higher order wheel and depresses the pawl against the bias of spring 106 causing the pawl nose to disengage notch side 96 to permit the Wheel to move with the rotating friction disks in the direction of the arrow. The engagement of lugs 104 and 103 is limited to such time as will permit the wheel to move only one step or the distance from notch to notch. Should the pawl not rise soon enough to engage the next notch side 96, due to the lagging action of spring 106, the wheel is prevented from moving more than one step by the engagement of the radial side 101 of the next flange lug 100 with the pawl nose while the latter is in its lower position. As soon as the pawl rises under the influence of the spring 106, it disengages said lug 100, permitting the wheel to move till the adjacent notch side 96 strikes the pawl nose, thus completing the transfer operation.

The action of the holding pawl in permitting the unit wheel of a bank to move one step is similar to that described above but in this case, the

pawl is depressed by means of a magnet 107. Upon the analyzing brush of the sorter. encountering a perforation in the card, a circuit is established in a manner to be hereinafter described which energizes the magnet 107 of the printing bank corresponding to the designation of the perforation. For example, if a perforation designating 5 is sensed by the brush, the magnet of the printer bank 5 (see Fig. 2) is energized. Upon energization of the magnet 107, it attracts'armature 108 to which the pawl 94 of the units wheel is fastened and moves the pawl nose out of engagement with the notch -side 96 it is then engaging. The wheel then moves with the friction disks and if the magnet fails to deenergize soon enough or the spring 106 does not act promptly, the pawl .nose contacts in its lowered position the next lug 100, from which it is released to engage the adjacent notch side 96. If the magnet and spring act promptly, the nose 95 moves upwardly before the next lug 100 reaches it and passes over the lug to engage the adjacent notch 97.

In Fig. 11 is shown the highest order printing wheel of a bank, the escapement plate thereof differing from the others in being provided tact the right side of the pawl nose 95 of the pawl when the wheel is turned clockwise stopping the wheel with the space between type 9 and 0 in the index or printing position. This is designed to prevent the highest order wheels going from 9 type to 0 type since no transfer is to be effected by these wheels. If the wheel stops with no type in printing position, there will not be any figure printed by the wheel, revealing to the operator that the capacity of the bank of which said wheel is an element was exceeded during operation of the machine.

In order to zeroize the printing counter wheels, the direction of rotation of the counter shaft 86 is reversed by means to be described later. The pawl nose 95 is not adapted to restrain the reversed movement of the counter wheel in the opposite direction of the arrow, Fig. 10. However, during this movement, a plane surface 109 of the lug 104 of lower order wheel contacts the forward edge of the nose 95 of the pawl of the next higher order wheel which stops the lower order wheel with its 0 type in index or printing position. During their reversed movement, the highest order wheels are stopped with the 0 type in index position by contact of the lug 104' thereof with the left side of the pawl nose 95 of its holding pawl.

After the sorting operation is completed, the number of cards in each pocket is presented at the index position by the corresponding printerbank and the total number of the cards in all the pockets is presented by the total printing counter bank. The following means are provided to effect printing on a sheet of the figures standing on the printing wheels. Referring to Figs. 2, 3, and 9, the housing 110 is open in the front, the type lugs from which the impression is to be taken projecting past said opening in index position. A ribbon 111 extends the length of the opening in the housing directly in front of the type lugs in index position. The left end of the ribbon is attached to a clip 112 on the end of an arm 113 pivoted to the side of the housing. A spring 114 acts on the arm urging the free end thereof away x the carriage 125 is 'at the right as shown in Fig,

from the housing. The other end of the'ribbon is attached to the end of another arm pivoted to the housing. The arm is provided with an opening through whioh-ascrew 116 passes, the end of the screw contacting the side of the housing under the influence of the spring 114 acting on the other end of the ribbon. The screw may be used to adjust the tautness of the ribbon as well as to shift it relatively to the types. Spring strips 117 (Fig. 3) for guiding the ribbon and holding it slightly away from the printing wheels are fastened-to the base of the housing intermediate the counter banks. A fiat platen band 118 is fastened at each end to a pin 119 (Fig. 9) carried by the frame plates 120 which are rotatably mounted on a shaft 122 iournalled in standards 123 fixed to the base of the printing counter attachment. A beam 124 fastened to platesf120, (Figs. 3, 9, and 14) extends the width of the attachment in a direction parallel to the platen and ribbon strips. Slidably mounted on the beam 124 is a carriage 125 provided with a handle 126 for moving it and a freely rotatable steel roller 127 opposite the handle pressing against the platen strip.

After the sorting operation, the frame plates 120 are moved to the position shown in Fig. 14 with the plane of the platen band parallel to the plane of the ribbon. By means of handle 126, the carriage 125 is then moved from one end of the guide bar 124 to the other. For example, if

5 then it is moved to the left. The operation may be-repeated, if desired. In each extreme position of the carriage a spring pressed ball 128 in the handle engages a notch 129 (Figs. 5 and 14) to hold the carriage yieldably in position. During the motion of carriage 125 on the beam 124, the roller 127 presses the platen strip against the printing lugs on the wheels so that as the roller moves past a printing lug, it causes the lug to print on a paper positioned between the platen and the ribbon. When the carriage 125 has moved from one side of the machine to the other, it has caused all the type lugs in index position to print onthe paper the total number of cards in each pocket and the total number of cards in all the pockets, as shown in Fig. 2.

The paper is supplied in the form of a roller which is placed in a circular holder, comprising a lower part 130 fixed to the side plates 120 of the movable frame (see Fig. 5) and an upper part 131 hinged to the lower part. After the paper ing 134 in the holder over a table 135 fixed to the movable frame members 120, the platen strip 118, and a rod 136, then under a plate 137 and between the plate and a pair of rubber covered rolls 138 and over a roll 139 freely rotatable on shaft 122. The paper may be severed against the edge 140 of the plate 137. The shaft 141 of rolls 138 is journalled in arms 142 rockably mounted on the shaft 122. Extensions 143 of the arm have springs 144 fastened thereto, the other end of the springs being attached to rod 136. The springs urge the roll 138 into contact with the paper. The end of the shaft 141 is providedwithaknob145 (Fig.5) whichisusedto rotate the shaft and the rolls 138 thereon in order to feed the paper past plate 137.

When not in printing position (Fig. 14) the printing frame is usually in the position shown in Fig. 3. In order to move the frame 120 from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that in Fig. 14,

the operator grasps the handles 146 at each side of the frame and swings the frame clockwise on .shaft 122. The parts are retained in the printing position shown in Fig. 14 by means of a spring pressed latching pawl 150 slidably retained in each of the side plates 120 by a pin 151 fixed in the plate acting within a notch 152 of the pawl to limit the movement of the pawl. The nose of the pawl, when in the position shown in Fig. 14, enters the space between the forward edge of a fixed cam plate 153 and a screw 154 to releasably hold the frame in the printing position. After printing is completed, the operator grasps the handles 146 and swings the frame counterclockwise, the latch pawl 150 being forced out of the space between cam 153 and screw 154 and moving along cam 153. The latter has a stop 155 which is adapted to be engaged by the latch 150 to hold the frame in position where the plate 135 may be used as a table for writing on the sheet. The stop 155 also prevents the abrupt dropping of the frame into the position shown in Fig. 3 under the force of its weight should the operator suddenly release handles 146. The operator by exerting a slight additional pressure on the frame forces latch 150 off the stop 155, the frame then taking the position shown in Fig. 3.

The manner in which the sorting machine and the printing counter attachment coact will be explained with reference to the circuit diagram Fig. 22. The motor of the sorter is set in operation by pressing on the start key 160. A circuit is thus established from the positive side of the power supply through the stop key contacts 161, the start key contacts 162, the

magnets

163 and 164 to the negative side of the power supply. As soon as magnet 164 is energized, it attracts its armature to close contacts 165 completing the circuit through the sorter motor 26. The motor being set in operation, the cards in the magazine 25 of the sort-.

ing machine will be fed one at'a time by the pickers 38 (see Fig. 17). .When the forward edge of the first card passes the analyzing brush, it closes the usual card lever contacts 166, and contacts 167 being already closed by energization of magnet 163, a circuit is completed which shunts the start key contacts 162, after which the start key may be released. The motor 26 being in operation, the sorting commutator 168 is set in motion synchronously with the feed of the card so that the contact of commutator brush 169 with the commutator segments occurs simultaneously with the wiping of the corresponding index point positions on the card by the analyzing brush 44.-

Upon the'analyzing brush encountering a perforation in the card,'a circuit is established from the positive side through the contact roll 43 and analyzing brush 44 to a socket 170 on a plug board 171, from socket 170 to another plug board socket 172, to the common commutator contact brush 173, the commutator segment corresponding to the position of the perforation in the card, the commutator brush 169, through magnet 174 and the sorting magnets 57 to the negative side. The magnets 57 thereupon cause the guide blades 56 (Fig. 17) to sort the card, as previously explained. The magnets are energized for the remainder of the card cycle, through contacts'1'l5 closed by magnet 1'74, the circuit thenbeing through magnet 5'7, through contacts 175, brushes 1'16, wipinga sorter breaker contact roll 177 to the positive side of the line. The insulated portion'of the sorter breaker contacts the brushes 176 while the space between successive cards is under the analyzing brush, thereby breaking the circuit through the sorting magnets.

Rotated by the sorter motor 26 in synchronism with the feed of the card past the analyzing brush is a printing counter commutator brush 180 which engages the commutator segments 179 successively and simultaneously with the analysis of the corresponding index point positions on the card by the analyzing brush. When it is desired to merely count the number of different perforations in a column of a run of cards, an analyzing brush 44' is connected to plug board contacts 181. Upon the brush 44' meeting a perforation in the card, a circuit is established from the positive to the negative side .through the analyzing contacts 43, 44', contact 181, contacts 182, magnet 183, brushes 184 wiping a counter breaker contact roll 185, and card lever contacts 186 separate from the other card lever contacts and closed slightly in advance of the latter. Simultaneously with energization of magnet 183, a circuit is also established from contacts 182 through contacts 187, the common contact bar 188, the counter magnet 107 and contact segment 1'79 corresponding to the perforation under the analyzing brush, through the brush 180, contact ring 189, to the brushes 184 andjthrough card lever contacts 186 to the negative side of the supply. The energization of the counter magnet actuates the pawl 94 to permit the unit wheel of the printing counter bank corresponding to the position of the card perforation to move one step, in the manner previously described. The energization of the counter magnet is momentary as contacts 182 are broken, upon energization of magnet 183 which occurs simultaneously with the energize.- tionof the counter magnet. The energization of magnet 183 attracts its armature 190 against the force of spring 191, moving the end of the armature away from the contact blade 192 of contacts 182 and permitting the blades to spring apart and open the contacts. The magnet 183 is thereby deenergized but armature latch 190 is unable to again close contacts 182, being restrained by contact with the lower edge of blade 192. Referring to Figs. 15 and 16 which illus trate the relation of magnet 183 and contacts 182, a cam roll 193 is rotated by the sorter motor synchronously with the counter commutators and breaker rolls. A projection 194 on the roll 193 is adapted to engage an arm 195 during the interval between successive card feeds to rock the arm on its pivot toward the contact blade 192,

Y an insulated piece 196 of the arm 195 then contacting said blade and moving it to the right off the top of armature 190. The spring 191 then acts to move the armature upwardly to engage the side of the blade 192 and close contacts 182.

' 200, the outer end 201 of which is adapted to contact armature 190. The engagement of lug 197 with arm I98 rocks the plate 200 counterclockwise, causing it to move the armature counterright.

clockwise and positively restore it to locking engagement with the side of blade 192 simultaneousiy with the am 195 moving the blade to the The contacts 182 are thus closed before the beginningof a card cycle.

Referring again to Fig. 22, the insulated portion 202 of the counter breaker roll 185 wipes the brushes 184 during the interval between successive card feeds thus preventing energization of magnet 183 and counted magnets 108 due to the analyzing brush wiping the bare contact roll 43 in the absence of a card. A third brush 203 coacting with the breaker roll 185 wipes the insulated portion 204 of the roll which has a conducting spot 205 for engaging brush 203 just after the rear edge of the card leaves the analyzing brush. A circuit is thereby established through contacts 187', the total counter magnet 107', brushes 203 and 184, card lever contacts 186 to the negative side of the line. The total printer counter magnet being energized, the unit wheel thereof is advanced one step. This occurs every card cycle so that the total number of cards analyzed is recorded by the total printer counter. The reject counter magnet is energized when the rear edge of the card just leaves the analyzing brush, provided none of the other magnets have been analyzed during the last card cycle. Should a perforation be read by the analyzing brush during this cycle, the contacts 182 will break and remain open until the beginning of the next card cycle as explained above, thus preventing further energization of a counter magnet for the remainder of the first cycle. The reject counter magnet will thus fail to be energized unless a perforation in the card has not been sensed during the card cycle. Should the latter condition occur, the contacts 182 will still be closed when the card leaves the analyzing brush, and a circuit be established upon engagement of the analyzing brush with the bare contact roll 43, through thereject counter and corresponding commutator segment 1'79. Immediately after this the insulated portion 202 of counter breaker 183 wipes brushes 184 and opens the counter magnet circuit.

By means of the plug board arrangement, an analyzing brush 44 may be utilized to merely efl'ect counting of the different positions in a particular column on the card, or a similar brush 44 may be used to merely sort the cards. Should it be desired to sort and also count the cards in the different sorting pockets, one of the brushes is removed and the other brush set to read the card column according to which the cards are to be sorted. For example, if brush 44 is used, connection is then made from plug contact 181 to plug contact 172 or if brush 44 is to be used, connection is made from plug board contact 170 to plug board contact 181. The brush upon encountering a perforation in the card will thereupon establish the sorting and counting circuit simultaneously.

The plug board arrangement also permits both brushes 44 and 44' to be connected for controlling the printing counter from different card columns or both brushes to be used for controlling sorting from different columns. The utility of this arrangement is in reading a plurality of columns having the same kind of data but pertaining to different classes, for example, each of two columns may contain age data but one of the columns used for men and the other for women. It may sometimes be desirable to sort for age alone irrespective of the class or to count the different ages recorded on the card regardless of whether they are those of men or of women. By connecting plug board contact 170 with plug board contact 181, both brushes 44 and 44' will control the printing counter from different columns and both will also control the sorting from the columns. By disconnecting contact 170 from 172, the brushes will control only the printing counter.

The objectof providing contacts 187 and 187' is to prevent undesirable energization of the counter magnets and resulting movement of the printing wheels when the platen frame is in the position shown in Fig. 14. When the printing counters are operating during the sorting of cards, contacts 187 and 187 (Fig. 22) remain closed and the platen frame is in the position shown in Fig. 3. These contacts are carried by spring blades 210 (Fig. 4) below the base'plate of the housing 110 (Figs. 3 and 14) One of the blades of each pair is longer than the other. The long blade of contacts 187' has an extension 211 which is in contact with an insulated block 212 attached to the other long arm. The block is normally engaged on the side opposite that engaged by extension 211 by the end of an arm 213 of a bell crank 214 pivoted at 215. When the frame 121 is moved from the position in Fig. 3 to Fig. 14, the forward edge of plate 137 engages the outer end of hell crank 214 which is in the path of the plate and further movement of the plate to printing position of Fig. 14 rocks the bell crank on its pivot causing the arm 213 to move the long blades 210 of contacts 187 and 187' away from the short blades, thus opening contacts 187 and 187', which by reference to Fig. 22 are seen to be in the circuits of the counter magnets 107 and 107'. Energization of these magnets is thus impossible while the printing is being effected.

The Veeder counter magnet 68 remains energized so long as cards are feeding, as explained previously, the circuit through the magnet beingbroken only by opening of the card lever contacts 166' which happens after the last card is fed.

Fig. 22 also shows the circuit for driving the counter motor with the means for reversing the current in the motor field 216 to reverse the rotation of the motor shaft in order to zeroize the counter wheels, in the manner explained previously. When the counter wheels are being rotated in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 10, the motor operating circuit is through the switch 217, the contact block 218, spring blade 219, contact posts 220, the motor field 216, the contact posts 221', spring blade 222 and contact block 223. To reverse the motor, the operator grasps the free end of a lever 224 (Figs. 2 and 5) pivoted to the base of the printer attachment and swings the lever to the right moving a link 225 on the other end of the lever to the left, against the force of a spring 226. .The lever 225 actuates

spring blades

219 and 222 connected by insulated pins to the left out of contact with contact studs 220 and into contact with studs 221, which reverses the fleld of the motor. When the operator releases the handle, the spring 226 returns the

blades

222 and 219 to the right to the normal position shown in Fig. 5. In order to prevent reversal of 'the motor when the printing is being effected, a rod 227 (Figs. 2 and 5) pivoted to the forward end of lever 224 is guided for movement in a hole 228 in standard 123'(see Fig. 5). When the parts are in the printing position (Fig. 14) the movement of link 227 to the right islimited by contact with the side of the adjacent printing frame plate 120. The lever 224 as a result cannot be moved to the right to shift the motor contacts. When the parts are in non-printing position (Fig. 3) the movement of the link 227 through hole 228 is unrestrained by the member 120. It is obvious that the reversing means for the counter motor is not limited to the particular construction shown, as any equivalent convenient reversing means may be employed.

The sorter breaker 177, the counter commutator brush 180, the counter breaker 185 and the cam disk 193 for effecting closing of contacts 182, are all fixed to the same shaft 230 mounted within a housing 231 attached to the main frame of the sorter, (see Fig. 18). This shaft is driven by a worm gear 232 meshing with the worm gear 28 which also drives the card feed shaft 30. V The feed of the card and the rotation of the commutators and cam disk 193 are thus in perfect synchronized relation.

The only connection between the printing counter attachment and the sorting machine is a cable containing the various leads from the sorting machine to the counter magnets, although it is obvious that the printing counter may be made integral with the sorter.

The Veeder counter may be used as a check against the total printing-counter.

While I have shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention." I intend to be limited therefore only as indicated by the scope of the following claims:

1. In combination, in a machine for operat-' ing upon record cards bearing index point designations, means for analyzing said record cards, means controlled by said analyzing means for separating said cards into groups in accordance with said index points, printing elements, means controlled by said analyzing means for initiating operation of said printing elements at diflerent times in the cycle in accordance with said index points, and means cooperating with said elements for effecting printing on a record sheet of the number of cards in each group.

2. In combination, in a machine for operating upon record cards bearing index points, analyzing means for reading said record cards, sorting stations for said cards selected by said analyzing means in accordance with said index points, printing elements simultaneously selected by said analyzing means in accordance with said index points, means for operating the selected printing elements, and means cooperating with said elements for effecting printing on a record sheet of the number of cards in each station.

3. In'combination, in a machine for operating upon record sheets bearing index point designations, sorting elements, corresponding printing elements, means controlled in accordance with said index points for simultaneously selectively effecting operation of said sorting elements and said corresponding printing elements in accordance with said index points, and means cooperating with said printing elements for effecting printing on a sheet of the number of cards corresponding to each operated sorting element.

4. In combination, in a machine for operating upon record cards bearing index point designations oi diirerent values, feeding means tor feeding a run of cards through the machine,

- banks of printing elements each bank correspondmg to a different value designation, magnetic means for controlling each bank of said printing elements, means controlled by cards as they are fed for operating said magnetic means to move each bank one step each time a card with a corresponding value designation is fed whereby after the run oicards is completelyied, each bank will have type at the printing position representing the number of cards in the run which correspond to said bank, and means coacting with said printing banks to print a record of the number of cards in the run bearing the same designation.

5. Means for combining a printing attachment with a card sorting machine for sorting record cards bearing different designations correspondthereby being positioned to .record the number of cards of each designation, and impression effecting means coacting with said devices to print on a sheet the number of cards of each designation after the cards have been fed through the machine.

EUGENE A. FORD.