US1944657A - Control device for accounting machines - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 23, 1934. H. c. EINSTEIN I CONTROL DEVICE FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed 001;. 23, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR M F,

ATTORN EY Jam. 23, 1934. H. c. EINSTEIN CONTROL DEVICE FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 25. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT ATTORNEY wwm Patented Jan. 23, 1934 PATENT OFFICE CONTROL DEVICE FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Howard C. Einstein, Detroit, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 23, 1929. Serial No. 401,731

1 Claim. (Cl. 235-58) This invention relates to card accounting machinery in general, and, in particular, to card sorting, selecting, or tabulating machinery where it is desired to make certain functions of these machines operative when and only when cer- Lain predetermined designations appear on said cards.

In essence, it comprises an attachment which can be readily incorporated in machines where it is desired to perform the act of selecting, sorting, listing, or taking a total, etc., when certain cards of predetermined designations are presented to the machine.

In particular, it presents a means adapted to sorting machines whereby such machines can be set to select or sort out, in one pass through said machines, cards bearing designations of a multiplicity of digits. It furthermore presents, when several of the attachments are used, means for setting the machines to sort out simultaneously a multiplicity of groups of cards, the selection of each group being controlled by a multiple digit designation and is adapted to efiect this selection or sorting regardless of the order of the cards presented to said machines.

It furthermore is adapted to listing machines to make the listing mechanism operative or inoperative as desired and consequently topermit the setting of the machine for the listing of all cards of my predetermined multiple digit designation or designations as desired, and to prevent the listing of any cards in the group presented to the machine other than those which carry one of said predetermined designations, regardless of the order in which said cards are presented.

It furthermore is adaptable to tabulating machinery to the total taking or sub total taking mechanisms to make them operative or inoperative as desired and consequently to permit the setting of said machine for the obtaining of all totals on all cards of any predetermined designation or designations and to prevent the including in said totals quantities presented on any other cards in the group presented to the machine except such as carry such predetermined designations.

In particular it comprises an attachment, containing certain wheels or gears which may be set to certain predetermined positions, said positions corresponding to certain predetermined designations, the setting of which wheels will cause the machine in which they are incorporated to be set in such a manner that the successive passing through this machine of a group of cards (said cards containing a variety of designations respectively, such designations being determined by holes punched therein, the relative location of the holes'to each other and the card determining the specific designation) will cause certain mechanical functions of said machine to be operative or inoperative according to whether said designations on respective cards presented to the machine correspond to the predetermined setting of the wheels of this attachment.

The advantages of the machine will appear from i the following description:

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a plan view of the mechanism;

Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of the mechanism; and

Fig. 3 represents a sectional View taken from section line 33 in Fig. 2-

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I show a series of flexible rods, 1, adapted to be joined to the pin box of any of the various types of machines used for sorting, listing, or tabulating; in such a manner that there will be one rod for each perforating position, under consideration, on the cards used in this art. When the pin box 30, 25 is moved to the right with the sensing pins 27 the pins will press against the card 26 and wherever a' perforation appears in the card the corresponding pin will reach through and engage the rod 1 moving the latter to the right and causing its upper end to project above the plate 4. The position of the rod thus set controls the operation of the machine.

Said rods are supported by flexible hollow tubes, 2, one tube being used for each rod, said tubes being fixedly attached to the frame Work of the machine as shown at 3.

I furthermore have additional framework of the machine designated by block 4, said block being adapted to permit each rod, 1, to be slid- 5 ably. mounted therein. Rods 1 are designed to have an increased diameter at d (see Fig. 3). Plates 7a, 7b, and 7c, are adapted to this smaller diameter and are fixedly attached to block 4. Rods 1 have a collar at e, as shown. A series of springs, 6, in compression between blocks 7a, 7b and 7c and the collars e of the rods 1, are shown, one spring 6, for each rod 1. Rods 1 are adapted to move slidably against the pressure of the springs upon being depressed at the pin box end.

The flexible rod casings 2 are attached at their other ends in a plate 25. The perforated card 26 being analyzed is stationed between plates 25 and 25'. The analyzing pins 27 reach through moved also.

plate 25 and have fixed thereon, collars 28 against which springs 29 are adapted to press. The other ends of these springs rest against a plate 30. Plates 30 and 25 together form a pin box which as is well known in this art may be moved to the right to press the pins against the card. Such pin boxes and the manner in which they operate are shown in U. S. Patent #1245502 dated November 6, 1917. When plate 30 is moved to the right all of the analyzing pins 2'7 will be Those that find perforations in the card will pass through while the others will be stopped by the card and the springs 29 will be compressed. The pins that pass through will push the flexible rods 1 against the action of their springs 6 which are weaker than springs 29 and the terminals of the rods will be raised above the frame or plate 4.

A series of toothed slides or racks 8, one for each row of rods 1, are slidably mounted in the machine in such a manner as to move freely in a lengthwise direction relative to block-4. Studs 9 are fixedly mounted in block 4, one stud for each rack 8. Between each rack 8 and its respective stud 9 are mounted springs 10, being tensed in such a manner as to tend to move racks 8 in the direction of studs 9.

Shafts 11, 15 and 20 are mounted in the frame work of the machine. The arms 12 are fixedly attached as shown on shaft 11. Rotatably mounted on shaft 11 between arms '12 are a series of segmental gears 14, one gear for each rack 8, and adapted to mesh therewith, each with its corresponding rack. Each gear contains a slot a as shown. Rod 13 is mounted fixedly between arms 12 and is adapted to move slidably in slot a.

Loosely mounted on the shaft 15 are two spaced arms 16 one of which is provided with a hub projection 23 integral therewith and having a set screw or nut 24 by which it may be rigidly fixed to the shaft .15. The outer ends of the arms 16 carry a common rod 17 rigidly attached thereto so that when the set screw 24 is loosened the arms may be moved with the rod 1'? as a single unit about the shaft 15. Rotatably mounted on rod 1'7 are several gears 18, one for each rack 8. Each of said gears is adapted to mesh with its corresponding rack 8 so as to be rotatedthereby as the rack moves to the right or to the left. Band springs 19, are mounted in shaft 15, and tensed to bear against gears 18, with sufficient tension to prevent idle spinning when they are out of mesh with racks 8.

Arms 21 are fixedly attached to shaft 20. Between arms 21 is rod 22 fixedly attached to both.

One of arms 21 is connected to a link 21a which represents the control member of any perforated record controlled machine as shown in Fig. 2, for controlling the sorting baffle'30. A spring 21b is adapted to move link 21a to the left and a restoring bar 210 moves it back to the right. The bar 210 is connected to the driving mechanism so as to be moved to the left and then back to the right. The bar 210 is connected to link 35 which in turn is connected to a bell crank 36, connected by link 36a to arm 36b pivoted at 37 and provided with a cam follower 38. The follower cooperates with a cam 39 on shaft 40 on which is also fixed a gear 41 meshing with gear'42 fixed on the main drive shaft 43. If, when the bar 210 moves to the left, the link 21a follows the full distance, it will control the machine in one manner. But if link 21a is not permitted to follow its full distance to the left it will control the machine in another manner. If, when the bar 210 moves to the left, the link 21a is permitted to follow its full distance, the shaft 20 will be rocked counterclockwise correspondingly. If the link 21a is prevented from moving its full distance to the left the shaft 20 will not be rocked its full distance. Whether link 21a moves to the left or not depends upon whether the notches b in discs 18 are all aligned below the rod 22 or not.

Shaft 11 may be connected in any desired manner to the driving mechanism so as to rock, first counterclockwise from the position shown in Figure 2 and thenclockwise back to this position. For this purpose the arm 12a fixed with respect to arm 12 is connected to a link 50 which is provided with a cam follower 51 cooperating with a cam 52 fixed on a shaft 53 on which is also fixed a gear 54 meshing with the gear 42 previously described. ,In oscillating, it swings arms 12,. through a corresponding arc, thus carrying rod 13 through slots a. Racks 8 are tensed toward studs 9 by springs 10, being restrained by segment gears 14 which are in turn restrained by rod 13. Hence the oscillation of rod 13 permits the movement of racks 8 toward pins 9 except as said racks are otherwise interrupted by other agencies. The movement of each rack 8 causes a corresponding rotation of its respective gear 18.

In the arrangement shown, with no stop rods 1 raised racks 8 will travel through the complete range of motion allowed by rod 13; that is, over the faces of all rods 1, up to the last one in each row. There is one row of rods for each rack 8 and twelve such rods to each row. I With gears 18 meshing as shown, this brings notches b directly under rod 22. Rod 22 is brought yieldably against gear 18 by spring 21b and, providing notch b in each of the gears 18 is in position to receive it, it will be free to swing through its complete cycle or swing. If any rack 8 is moved through any other distance than the one just described, notch b of corresponding gear 18 will not be positioned under rod 22 and said rod will strike the top of gear teeth and will be reswing or rotate on shaft 15 and may be swung by hand on said shaft, carrying shaft 17 and hence gears 18 out of mesh with racks 8. Gears 18 in this position may be freely rotated on shaft 17. Hence gears 18 may be set so that notch b is any desired distance from rod 22 when the gears are again thrown into mesh with racks 8, these racks being at the time, in a neutral position, (that is, the one shown in the drawings). While the gears 18 are disengaged from the racks 8'the operator can set each gear so that the notch b will be one or two or three steps away from the rod 22 depending upon what number on the card is to cause the notch to be moved into position directly under the rod 22. In other words, if it is desired that a par ticular rack 8 shall be moved to the right until it is stopped by the stop 1 representing the numeral 6 in order to place the notch b of its gear 18 under the rod 22, that particular gear 18 will be set with its notch six steps away from the rod 22. The operator can effect this setting by counting the number of teeth in the gear 18 where these teeth are equal in distance to the distance between adjacent stop pins 1. Or if desired, the gears 18 may be marked to aid in their setting. Also the several stop pins 1 may be set to represent the number which is to control the operation of the machine and then the racks 8 may all be moved into engagement with their several stop pins 1 and while the parts are in this position, the gears 18 may be lifted out of engagement with the racks 8 and all of the gears set with the notches b under the rod 22. The gears may then be moved into mesh with racks 8. Now when the racks.

8 are moved back to their normal positions, the notches b in the gears 18will be in various positions but Whenever the racks 8 are stopped by the stop pins 1, if the number is the same as the original setting, the notches b will be in alignment under the rod 22 and will permit the complete operation of the shaft 20. The setting of the stop pins 1 for the purpose of stopping the racks 8 so that the gears 18 may be initially set may be effected by first punching a card 26 to represent the number which it is desired to control the machine on; placing this card in the machine and causing the pin-box' with the pins 27 to be pressed against the card to raise the proper stop rods 1.

Assuming a gear 18 is set to bring notch b four positions from rod 22 and then thrown into mesh with rack 8 and set screw 24 again tightened, the machine operations would be as follows:

As each card is analyzed by the sensing pins 27 the rods 1 will be set in accordance with the perforations in the card. If the'fourth hole of the column in question in the card is perforated, the fourth rod 1, in the column of rods corresponding thereto will be raised thus presenting an obstruction in the path of the corresponding rack 8,, four positions from the neutral position shown.

As arms 12 swing counterclockwise thus releasing the several sectors 14, the springs 10 will pull the several racks 8 to the right until they are stopped by the raised stop rods 1. Where in a particular column the fourth stop rod 1 has been raised the corresponding rack 8 will be stopped in the fourth position. As notch b on the correspondinggear18 had been previously set a distance equivalent to four positions, from rod 22, gears 18 are brought to rest with notch b directly under rod 22. a perforation in the designated column of the card presented, at any other position than the one corresponding to the fourth position, notch b would not be brought to rest beneath rod 22. The same reasoning applies to the other series of gears, racks, and pins shown. In other words, if 2 is punched in the particular column instead of 4 the notch b will stop short of the position the column the notch will move beyond the rod It is obvious that with 22. In either of these instances the rod will be prevented from rocking into the notches.

Consequently, if the desired designation is a five column number, as, for example, 56821, the setting of gears 18 is made correspondingly. That is, notch b on the first gear 18 is set 5 steps from rod. 22, the second gear 18 on the same shaft 17, is set six steps from the same rod 22, and the other gears will be set accordingly. Thus, upon actuation as described above, notch b on the first gear will be brought to rest beneath rod 22 only when the rod 1 corresponding to the number five position in that particular column, is raised. To effect this result for the second gear, the rod in the number six position in the second column is raised. To bring the other three gears to rest with their respective notches b under rod 22, rods 1 in positions 8, 2 and 1, respectively must be raised.

Upon bringing rod 22 into yieldable contact with all five gears, it will be precluded from seating itself in the notches b on the various gears unless all five notches b on the various gears are in the rest position under this rod simultaneously; in other words, only when the 130 number, in this case 56821, appears in the appropriate location on the perforated card in question.

After a record card 46 has been analyzed by the sensing pins 27 and released thereby as shown in Fig. 2, it will drop into one or the other of the receiving pockets 47, 48, depending upon the position of the sorting bafile 30. This baflle is connected to the link 21a. Normally the bafile is in the position shown in Fig. 2 and the card will drop into the pocket 47 but when the sensing rod 22 encounters a row of notches b and the link 2la'moyes its full distance to the left, the baflle will be moved far enough to deflect the card and cause it to fall into the pocket 48. Such sorting pocket structure is shown in Hollerith Patent No. 1,030,305, dated June 25, 1912 and Wright Patent No. 1,287,558, dated December 10, 1918.

It will be understood that when the rod 22 is rocked downwardly, if it encounters all of the notches b the shaft 20 will turn counterclockwise a predetermined distance but if any one of the notches b is not under the rod 22 the shaft 20 will be prevented from turning such predetermined distance. i

I claim:

In a device of the class described, a plurality of rows of perforation sensing elements,'a plurality of slidable racks controlled by said elements, a plurality of gears meshing withsaid racks to be turned thereby, said gears having control notches therein, a rod adapted to reach into the notches when they are all aligned, means for moving said rod to test the setting 13,. of said gears, and a machine control member adapted to be controlled in accordance with the position of said rod.

HOWARD C. EINSTEIN.

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