US2101456A - Selector for sorting machines - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 7, 1937. ROSE 2,101,456

SELECTOR FOR SORTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 9, 1955 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 7, 1937. ROSE 2,101,456

SELECTOR FOR SORTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 9, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ewvasi- Pose Dec. 7, 1937. E. ROSE SELECTOR FOR SORTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 9, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 7, 1937. E. ROSE SELECTOR FOR SORTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 9, 1955 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Dec. 7, 1937. ROSE 2,101,456

SELECTOR FOR SORTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 9, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 7, 1937. E. ROSE SELECTOR FOR SORTING MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Feb. 9, 1935 WN N SW QN i Dec. 7, 1937. R 2,101,456

SELECTOR FOR SORTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 9, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Dec. 7, 1937. E. ROSE SELECTOR FOR SORTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 9, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 3 ms v N $N QM 9 w QNQEEMF WwN v w b N u a @N N.w

EPA/6 P 5 album Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE ternational Business Machines Corporation,

New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 9, 1935, Serial No. 5,804

3 Claims. 2091l0) This invention relates to a selector for sorting machines, particularly of the well known Hollerith type, whereby documents of a particular classification or several specific classifications may be sorted.

It is an object of the invention to provide a selecting mechanism which may be quickly and easily set for desired classifications and maintained in such set position until the sorting has been accomplished for such desired classifications when the selecting mechanism may be quickly and easily restored to its original position.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a restoring device which will release a plurality of selector keys at one time thereby eliminating the necessity of restoring individual selector keys one at a time.

A further object is to provide a visual distinction between selector keys which have been set 20 and those unset whereby the operator may easily recognize the selecting classifications for which the selector has been set.

The invention is designed to provide a selecting arrangement which can be used with a sorting machine with a minimum of alterations therein.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description below and will be particularly pointed out in the following description and claims and shown in the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a sorting machine and shows the card feeding and conveying mechanism, the card guiding devices and the analyzing device,

Figure 2 is a vertical elevation of the brush holder and special analyzing brush shown in Figure 1 and viewed from the left in the latter figure, 40 Figure 3 is a detail view in elevation showing the driving connections between the selector device and the sorting machine,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a battery of stationary commutators to cooperate with the selector keys with certain details omitted for clarity and illustrating the manner in which said commutators may be assembled,

Figure 5 is a side view of the stationary commutator controlling the shunting of the sorting magnet,

Figure 6 is a side view of a stationary commutator which cooperates with the selector keys for a column,

Figure 7 is a partial cross sectional view through the battery of stationary commutators along sec tion line 1-4 of Figure 6 looking in direction of arrows,

Figure 8 is a plan view of the selector key board,

Figure 9 is a partial perspective view of the key board,

Figure 10 is a longitudinal cross sectional view through one of the units of the key board with parts in elevation,

Figure 11 is a partial enlarged view of a portion of Figure 10 showing a key in set position,

Figure 12 is a cross sectional view along the section line 12-12 of Figure 11 looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 13 is a cross sectional view partially through the key board and taken at right angles to the view in Figure 10, and

Figure 14 is a circuit diagram with certain of the commutator-key board circuits omitted for greater clarity showing themanner in which the invention is connected to the sorting machine.

The present invention has been shown as applied to a sorting machine of a type now well known in the art. The construction and operation of the card selecting, conveying and guiding mechanism and the general arrangement of the circuits are fully shown and described in Letters Patent No. 1,741,985, granted December 31st, 1929 to E. A. Ford, while the mechanism for feeding cards from the magazine and the brush holder for the analyzing brush are shown and described in Letters Patent No. 1,741,992, granted December 31st, 1929 to Harry Kleckler.

The foregoing mechanisms will be only briefly explained herein since said patents contain a full description of well known mechanisms of which the present invention is an improvement.

The motor H! which drives the sorting mechanism is started by depressing a starting key II which establishes a circuit from source 12, line 13, motor relays 14, card relay l5, starting key ll, now closed, stop key 16, to the line I! and back to source l2. Energization of relays I 4 closes contacts Ma thereby starting the motor 10 while energization of relay l5 closes contacts I50, and connects the card lever contacts l8 in parallel with the starting key H. The starting key H is held depressed until cards begin to pass the analyzing brushes-after which the card lever contacts l8 close thereby establishing a holding circuit for the relays l4 and 15. The starting key ll may be released after the contacts 18 have established the holding circuit. When the last card has been fed from the card magazine and has passed the analyzing brush the card lever contacts l8 open thereby breaking the holding circuit for relays I4 and I5 and the motor stops. The motor may also be stopped at any time by depressing the stop key l5 which opens the holding circuit in a similar manner. V

The motor I0 is connected by suitable driving connections such as a belt or gearing to a main drive shaft l9 (Fig. 1) and drives the feeding rollers 25 by means of suitable gears 2| and 22. The cards 23 are fed from the magazine by means of a picker 24 carried by a reciprocating frame 25 sliding in suitable guides and operated by eccentric pins 26 carried by a cross shaft (not shown) driven by the shaft l9. A link 21 connects each pin 23 to a rock arm 28 journalled upon a cross shaft 20, each of the arms 28 having a slot at its upperend which engages a pivoted member carried by the frame 25. It will be clear therefore, that rotation of shaft l9 will cause the frame 25 to reciprocate from right to left (Fig. 1) to feed a card 23 from the magazine. The timing of the partsis such that a card 23 is fed from the magazine once during each revolution of the feed rollers 20. r

Extending crosswise of the machine above and parallel with the shafts supporting the card feeding rollers 2|] is a bar 3|] adapted to support and guide'a carriage 3| carrying a detachable brush holder 32. The carriage 3| is adapted to be shifted manually and crosswise of the machine or front and rear, as viewed in Fig. l, and carries a post 33 which cooperates with a hole 34 in the brush holder 32 to hold the latter in place. The brush holder 32 is locked in place by means of a rotatable pin 35 having a notch 36 near its midpoint of about the same radius as the pin 33 while the latter has a similar notch 31 near its end of a radius about equal to the radius of the pin 35. When both notches 36, 31 are facing each other the brush holder 32 may be easily removed but if a handle 38 carried by pin 35 is turned about 90 the notch 36 in pin 35 is rotated to the position shown in Fig. 1 and the solid part of the pin 35 will be brought into the notch 31 in pin 33 and thereby prevents removal of the brush holder 32.

Ordinary sorting operations of the sorting machine require a single brush which may be of the form disclosed in Patent 1,741,992 in which the brush holder is composed of two parts which are insulated from each other, the lower part being of metal permanently fastened to the upper part and carries a card analyzing brush and a contact shoe. The contact shoe bears upon a contact rail 39 carried by the bar 3|) and insulated therefrom so that the brush may be set to analyze any desired column of the card and still remain connected to the control circuits of the machine.

When it is desired to carry out thespecial sorting operation whereby several classifications may be sorted, the ordinary brush holder is removed and replaced by a special brush holder having six brushes adapted to analyze simultaneously six adjacent columns of the record card.

The special brush holder is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 in which it is shown as comprising a substantially U-shaped frame 32, between the downwardly extending arms 40 of which are supported six brush retainers 4| insulated from each other and from the frame 32. The brush retainers 4| carry the brushes 42 which are held in place by set screws 43 the lower ends of the retainers being slotted as at 44, to permit the brushes to fiex under the pressure they exert upon the card as it passes over the rotatable and insulated contact roll 45.

The brush retainers 4| are supported by pins 45 which pass through the arms 40 of holder 32 and are held in said arms by means of pins 41 which pass through the arms 4|) and the pins 46, suitable insulating bushings surrounding the pins 46 and preventing the metal of the brush retainers from touching the pins 46. The retainers 4| are insulated from each other and from the arms 40 by means'of fiat separators 48 of insulating material and each is provided with a connector lug 49 to which are soldered or welded the individual wires 50 connecting the brushes 42 to the selector circuits. Interposed between the extreme right and left separators 48 (Fig. 2) and the arms are plates 5| cooperating with set screws 52 carried by the arms 40. It will be clear that the set screws 52 may be turned in either direction to adjust the brushes slightly in a direction axial with respect to the set screws 52 and, when said brushes have been once set properly, said screws 52 may be both tightened to hold the brush retainers firmly in place. The individual wires 50 may be cabled and 'of a suificient length to permit setting the carriage 3| to position the brushes in coincidence with any six columns of the record card as it passes over the contact roll.

Before proceeding with a detailed description of the special selector mechanism a brief description will be given of the operation of the sorting machine when operated in the ordinary manner. The single brush used for normal sorting operations is indicated by broken lines (Fig. 14) and bears the reference numeral 53. It will be understood that the special brush holder 32 has been replaced by the ordinary brush holder having a single brush and that the special selector circuits, hereinafter to be more fully described, have been disconnected by means of certain switches provided for that purpose. The brush 53 is positioned to analyze the desired column on the record card as the card is fed from the first set of feed rollers 20 (the right set,Fig. 1) The guide blades 54 rest up on the top of an armature 55 which is controlled by a sorting magnet 56, the armature lying level with and between two fixed guide plates (not shown) over which the card is adapted to slide under the influence of the feed rollers 20. The ends of the guide blades 54 are so spaced relative to the analyzing brush that the brush will sense an index-point perforation at the instant the left edge of the card underlies the end of the guide blade 54 corresponding to that index point position. Each guide blade leads to a sorting pocket (not shown) which is designed toaccumulate all of the record cards having a given index-point perforation in the colum analyzed.

There are thirteen such sorting pockets, the thirteenth pocket being for the reception of unperforated cards and commonly called the reject or R pocket. The other twelve pockets correspond to the twelve index-point positions of the record card and each has a guide blade 54 leading thereto. The first blade on the right (Fig. 1) corresponds to the 9 pocket, the next corresponds to the 8 pocket, and the others in order, from right to left. correspond to the 7, 6, 5", 417, H31) H21), 19:, on, al and 12 pockets, respectively.

As the card passes beneath the brush 53, the left edge passes beneath each blade end and, if a perforation should be present in any of the index point positions named, said perforation will be sensed by the brush 53 at the same instant the left edge of the card underlies the end of the particular blade 54 corresponding to the sorting pocket adapted to accumulate cards perforated at that particular index-point.

When the perforation is sensed by the brush 53 contact will be made with the contact roll and a circuit established as followszSource 12, line l3, sorting magnet 56, brush relay 51, line 58, contact rail 39, brush 53, contact roll 45, contact roll brush 59, commutator brush 60, through the commutator segment corresponding to the index-point perforation sensed, common brush 6|, line H, back to source l2. Energization of the brush relay 5! closes contacts 51a and establishes a holding circuit for the relay 51 through a commutator segment 62, brush 63 and the common brush 6| to the source I 2. The segment 62 is of sufficient circumferential length to hold the circuit until the last index-point position has passed beneath the brush after which event occurs the brush '63 passes out of contact with said segment 62 thereby breaking the holding circuit for relay 5'1. The energization of the sorting magnet 56 causes the armature to drop thereby lowering all of the blade ends 54 not resting upon the record card analyzed and, as a consequence thereof, a gap is made between the last blade on the left (Fig. l) which is held up by the card and the next adjacent lowered blade into which the card is carried by the feeding rollers 20. The card will thereafter be guided to the appropriate sorting pocket by means of suitable feeding rollers similar to the rollers 20.

Patent No. 1,741,985 gives a. more detailed description of the construction and operation of the commutator 64 cooperating with the brushes 60, 6| and a reference to that patent will fully explain its purpose. Since the present invention does not directly involve the said commutator, it will not be described in detail herein. It will be understood that each bar or spot on the commutator has been made current conducting in each index point position as explained in detail in said patent.

The special selector device is arranged to be attached to an existing sorting machine without any structural alteration in the machine and for that reason may be made a compact and self-contained unit or may be preferably divided into two units as shown in Fig. l in dotted lines at '66 and 66A. The casing 66 containing the battery of stationary commutators hereinafter described may be attached to the rear of the machine and near the right end of the machine and is shown particularly in Figs. 4. 5, 6, and '7. The casing 66A containing the keyboard and preferably flexibly electrically connected with the casing 66 is preferably positioned at the front of the sorting machine so as to permit easy access thereto.

Journalled within the casing 66 is a shaft 61 which extends forwardly and exteriorly of the casing (to the left Fig. 3) and carries mounted thereon a gear 68 meshing with the gear 22 carried by shaft I9 and driving the lower right feeding roller 20 (Fig. 1). The gear 68 has a hub which extends through an outboard bearing 69 carried by a bracket 10 attached to the left side of the casing 66.

The shaft 61 has mounted thereon a series of brush holders 1|, six in number, and a brush holder 12 cooperating with the commutator block 13 which shunts the sorting magnet 56. The brush holders H and 12 are insulated from the shaft 61 in any desired manner such as by the insulating rings 14.

Located within the casing 66 are preferably four supporting rods I5 for the commutator blocks 16 and the above mentioned block I3. The blocks 16 and the block 13 are made of insulating material such as bakelite or the like and are spaced from one another by the spacers 11 carried by the rods 15 thereby providing spaces through which the leads to the contacts 18 upon the blocks 16 and to the contact 19 upon the block 13 may be led.

As mentioned above, the brush holders II and the brush holder 12 are insulated from the shaft 61 by the rings 14. fixedly secured to the shaft 61 in any desired manner and the brush holders H and 12 are in turn fixedly secured to the insulating rings 14 by means of the set screws 80. This permits any circumferential and axial adjustment desired for the brush holders upon shaft 61. The brush holders are made of conducting material such as copper or the like and are provided with an annular groove 8| against which bears a flexible lead 82 secured to a side of the blocks 16 and I3 as for example by the screws 83.

Secured adjustably in the holders H by means of the set screws 84 are the brushes H and secured in holder 12 in like manner is brush '2.

The stationary ccmmutators have the contacts 18 therein which constitute the commutator bars and are insulated from each other. There are twelve commutator bars numbered as shown in Fig. 6 from 0 to 9 and 11 and 12. As above mentioned, six commutator blocks 16 are provided although a greater or less number may be provided depending upon the special type of work or rather cards which are to be sorted.

The brush ll contacts the fixed commutator bars in succession and each brush H is connected in series with the brushes 42 previously described. In the embodiment of the invention shown there are six brushes 42, but in Fig. 14 the connections to the first commutator only are shown although the remaining brushes and commutators are similarly connected.

It is to be noted that each circumferential row of commutator bars in each block 16 corresponds to a column on the record card to be analyzed and each bar 18 corresponds to an index-point I position in such column with which it is adapted to cooperate. The rotation of the brushes H are so timed that the bars corresponding to a given index-point position are in contact with brushes H at the instant the brushes 42 are reading the same index-point positions on the card.

The commutator block 13 cooperating with the brush I2 is adapted to shunt the sorting magnet 56 during special sorting operations. In order to permit normal sorting operations there is provided a switch III which may be opened to prevent shunting of the sorting magnet. This switch 'may be mounted in the casing 66 or exterior thereto and may be of any desired type. The block 13 as above mentioned, is provided with a single contact 19 which extends along the greater part of the periphery of the cut-out portion of the block and cooperates with the brush 12' in a manner and for a purpose explained more' in detail hereinafter.

The construction of the key board disposed in the casing 66A will now be described. In the particular embodiment of the invention shown only six units A, B, C, D, E and F are disclosed These insulating rings are although, as is obvious, the number may be increased or diminished as desired in accordance with the number of columns upon a card it is desired to analyze at one time. Since the units are all alike only one will be described.

Each unit is designed to contain all the contact keys for a single column upon the card being analyzed. The contact or selector keys are indicated generally at 85 and are disposed within a casing 86 having a cover 87 of bakelite or other insulating material. The cover 8'! is preferably detachably secured to the casing 86 by screws 88 or any other desired means and is preferably of sufilcient thickness so as to serve as the sole guide for the stems 89 of the keys 85.

The stems 89 are of a cross section so as to prevent rotation thereof and in the present instance, are shown as square in cross section and accordingly the cover 8! is provided with square guiding apertures 90 for the stems 89.

The keys 85 comprise the key heads 9I carrying indicia thereon corresponding to the indicia upon a column of a card and the stems 89. Encircling the stems 89 and disposed between the heads 9| and the upper surface of the cover plate 81 are coil springs 92 constantly urging the keys to their uppermost position whereby the contact ring 93 of brass or any conducting material loosely mounted upon each stem by means of rivet 94 is brought into contact with spaced contacts 95.

The contacts 95 are preferably flexible spring contacts of the form shown so as to make a wiping contact with ring 93 and are secured to the under surface of cover plate 81 by screws 96 or any desired means.

The ring 93, as stated, is loosely mounted upon stem 89 and this is accomplished by making the aperture 91 therein slightly larger than the cross section of the stem so that the ring may pivot to some extent upon the stem and thereby ensure making contact with both contacts 95 if one of the contacts should extend further from the cover 8'! than the other.

The stem 89 is cut away at the lower end thereof to accommodate pawl 98 which is pivoted by pivot 99 to the extreme lower end of stem 89 and the pawl 98 is urged by flat spring I00 constantly away from stem 89. A shoulder IOI upon stem 89 extends into the path of pawl 98 and limits its movement away from stem 89.

In each unit there is provided a plate I02 slidingly mounted in the U-shaped guides I03 secured to the side walls of the casing 86 by screws I04 and the plate is provided with rectangular openings I05 accommodating stems B9 and somewhat larger than the cross section of stems 89 as shown particularly in Fig. 12. In place of guide I03 it is obvious that a pair of angle irons may be used.

At one end the plate I02 terminates in a rod shaped portion I06 which extends through aligned apertures I01 and I08 in casings 86 and A respectively. The portion I06 .ends in a threaded portion to which is screwed a knob I09 serving as a handle. Encircling the rod shaped portion I06 and positioned between the wall of the casing 86 and shoulders IIO upon plate I02 is a coil spring I I5 as shown particularly in Figs. 11 and 12.

At the other end of the unit from handle I09 there are aligned openings H6 and II! in casings 86 and 66A through which the circuits to the contacts 95 may be led.

The operation of the keys takes place as follower surface of plate I02. The spring I00 then comes into action and urges pawl 98 outwardly as shown in Fig. 11 and then when pressure is relieved from the key, the key is maintained in depressed position by the pawl 98 contacting the lower surface of plate I02 and thereby main tains ring 93 out of contact with contacts 95. A plurality of keys in a single unit may be locked in depressed position in the same manner. After the cards have been analyzed and a new setting is desired, then in such case it is merely necessary to pull the handle I09 against the action of spring II 5 whereby the apertures I06 in the plate I02 will be brought forwardly so that the pawls 98 even when in outward position will pass therethrough under the action of spring 92 and thereby restore the keys 85 to their original position so that the selector may be reset.

In the embodiment shown it is necessary to release the keys 85 in each unit independently of the others, but as is obvious, all of the portions I06 may be fixedly connected together exteriorly of the casing 66A so that all of the plates I02 in the key board may be operated as a unit and thereby release all the keys which have been set throughout the key board with one motion.

This same result may be accomplished by providing a detachable connection between the slides I02. This may consist of a plate member having spaced slots therein which may be slipped over the portions I06 between knobs I09 and casing 66A. A pull upon such plate member would have the effect of clearing all set keys.

The selector device depends for its operation upon the fact that an unperforated card passing the analyzing brush will not affect the sorting magnet. Not having a perforation in any index point position, the unperforated card will pass beneath the blade ends 54 of all of the guide blades leading to sorting pockets and will be guided eventually into the R or reject pocket which usually is the first pocket to the leftv of the analyzing brush as viewed in Fig. 1. It will be perceived that if it is desired to separate certain specified cards from the others it is merely necessary to nullify the presence of the identifying perforations in the cards-to be selected in order to permit said cards to be conveyed to the R pocket while the operation of the sorting magnet for the undesired cards will not be inter fered with. In other words, the present invention contemplates selection by rejecting the desired cards and diversion of the undesired cards so that the former will be guided to the R pocket and the latter to some other pocket such as, in the present case, the 12 pocket.

The selector device is so arranged that the effect of each of the perforations representing the identifying number in the desired cards are neutralized by depressing the corresponding key in the key board so that an open circuit will occur when each of said perforations is sensed by an analyzing brush 42 while the perforations in undesired cards will affect the brush relay so as to set up a circuit which eventually will be effective to control the sorting magnet at the 12 position to divert the undesired card to the 12 pocket.

In order to accomplish the foregoing resultthe keys are set so that no circuit can be established therethrough in any of the index-point positions representing the cards to be selected while the sorting magnet is shunted except at the 12 position and during the gap between successive cards. For this reason the gap I24 between the ends of the contact 19, see Fig. 5, is of a length to permit the establishment of the shunt circuit for the sorting magnet from the 9 to the 11 position, the shunt being removed at the 12 position of one card and reestablished slightly before the 9 position of the card immediately following.

For the purpose of preventing excessive sparking at the brush 12 when the circuit is broken at the 12 position, there is provided a condenser III connected in parallel with the sorting magnet and contained within the casing 66 and a glass insert II4 which is set flush with the contact 19 where the brush 12 breaks the circuit through contact 19. The glass insert prevents the spark created by the break in the circuit from burning the insulating material of which block 13 is constructed.

The circuits from the brushes I42 to the sort ing connection 39 through the stationary commutators and keyboard are as follows, reference being had to Fig. 14. In this figure the circuits from the brush 42 at the 1 position is only shown but the other circuits are similar and have not been shown for greater clarity.

The individual wires 50 from the brushes 42 have connected thereto in series switches I30. A lead I25 goesfrom switch I at the 1 position to brush H of the first commutator. In Fig. 14 only the unit of the keyboard corresponding to the first commutator is indicated.

From commutator bar 18 at the 12 position a lead I3I goes to one of the contacts 95 at the 12 position key; then by way of ring 93 to the other contact 95; then by lead I32 to common lead I33 to the sorting connection 39.

From the commutator bar 18 at the 11 position, lead I34 goes to contacts 95 at the 11 position key and thence by wire I35 to common lead I33. In the same manner, lead I38 goes from 0 bar to 0 key and by I31 to I33. From 1 bar lead I38 goes to 1 key and is connected by I39 to I33. From 2 bar lead I40 goes to I33. From 3 bar, lead I42 to 3 key and then lead I43 to I33. Similarly from 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 bars there are leads I44, I46, I48, I50, I52 and I54 to the corresponding keys and from the corresponding keys to the common lead I33 are leads I45, I41, I49, I5I, I53 and I55 respectively.

It will be assumed that it is desired to select from a given batch of cards all cards having perforations representing the number 458346 in the field assigned to the identifying number. The switch III is closed and also the six switches I30 are closed. The ordinary brush holder carrying the brush 53 is removed and the special brush holder 32 put in its place and then the carriage 3| is shifted in a well known manner to bring the six brushes 42 into position to sweep the six columns on the record card corresponding to the field assigned to the identifying number. If the identifying number had only four digits then two of the switches I30 would be left open.

The selector keys 95 in the various units A, B, C, D, E, and F are then set so that all except those representing the digits of the identifying number are current conducting with their rings 93 in contact with contacts 95. This is quickly and easily accomplished by merely depressing the, keys in the various units corresponding to the identifying number. With the identifying number above given, in A unit key 4 is depressed; in B unit, key 5; in C unit, key 3; in D unit, key 3; in E unit, key 4 and in F unit, key 6. The depressed keys will break the current between their associated contacts 95 since their associated contact rings 93 will be held removed from contacts 95 by the pawls 98 engaging the under surface of plates I02.

It is apparent that a flow of current cannot be established through the commutator bars 18 representing the desired number when the brushes 42 encounter the perforations representing that number and any card having the desired number will not aliect the circuits in any way since the only way in which the brush relay 51 can be energized is jointly through a perforation in the card analyzed, a brush 42, a bar 18 and a key 85 in non-depressed condition. How,- ever, the keys 85 in the index-point positions involving the desired number are depressed and therefore the desired cards will pass beneath all of the blade ends 54 and be conveyed to the R or reject box.

When a card is analyzed having a perforation in one or more other index point positionsthat is, having perforations representing a number other than the number 458346, a circuit will be established as follows: source I2, line I3, contact 19 (see Fig. 5), brush 12, switch III, previously closed, brush relay 51, thereby closing contacts 51a, line 58, sorting connection 39, line I33,.then through a non-depressed key 85, commutator bar 18, brush 1I, line I25, a switch I30, previously closed, line 50, brush 42, contact roll 45, contact roll brush 59, line I60, brush 60, commutator 64, common brush 6| and line I1 back to source I2.

The closing of contacts 57a by relay 51 sets up a holding circuit for the relay through brush 63, segment 62, common brush SI and line I1, to the source I2. However, the sorting magnet 55 is shunted by contact 19 of block 13 so that for the time being, nothing else happens. When the card under the brushes 42 reaches the 12 position the gap I24 breaks the shunt circuit and transfers the holding circuit of relay 51 to the sorting magnet 56 thereby energizing said magnet and causing the card to go to the 12 pocket.

It may happen that none of the perforations in a card analyzed by the brushes 42 correspond to the perforations representing the identifying number of the desired cards. When such is the case, the first perforation encountered by one of the brushes 42 will set up the relay 51 and the perforations subsequently encountered will have no effect although the keys 85 are in current conducting position.

This invention has been so devised as to form a compact and self-contained device which may be readily mounted upon an existing sorting machine without requiring any changes other than a slight reconnection and rearrangement of the circuits and the attachment of suitable supporting brackets to the frame of the machine. It may be readily connected and disconnected at'the will of the operator and imposes no appreciable additional load on the driving motor.

The present invention is not limited to selecting cards according to a single identifying number, but is capable of selecting all the cards 01" a complete series, for instance, all cards bearing identifying numbers ranging from 458341 to 458349 in-, elusive. This is obtained by merely depressing keys 85 in the sixth unit or unit F at positions 1, 42!, 37! (84)! I577 446), 477,, 877 5977.

When the batch of cards is passed through the machine no circuit can be set up by the presence of perforations representing the number 4" in the first column, the number 5 in the second, the

number 8 in the third, the number 3" in the fourth, the number 4 in the fifth or the numbers conveyed to the 12 pocket.

The present invention may be used to select record cards having identifying numbers up to six digits. However, it is not limited in scope to numbers of six digits as, by providing additional brushes 62, additional commutators l6 and additional units for the key board, the device may be used to select numbers having any desired number 'of'digit's. The device may be provided with as many analyzing brushes as there are columns on the record card, each brush having its corresponding commutator and keyboard unit. Under ordinary conditions numbers will seldom have more than six digits so that six brushes and associated mechanisms are more than ample for most purposes. Nor is the invention limited to use in connection with a sorting machine alone, since it may be built in the form of an attachment to a tabulating machine to select the card to be operated upon by said machine. This may be readily accomplished by delivering the desired cards directly to either the card magazine or the feeding rollers of the tabulating machine instead of accumulating the cards in the reject sorting pocket.

As is obvious from the above, the actual setting of the selector for a desired number or series of numbers is simplicity itself and can be accomplished in a minimum of time. The clearing of the Selector can also be accomplished in a minimum of time andif desired by a single motion. This permits the operator to greatly increase the number of classifications which may be run in a given time.

. I claim:-

' 1. In a sorting machine, sorting mechanism including a single magnet for selectively controlling the sorting mechanism, a series of record sensing brushes each sensing the index-point positions of one of the columns of a field in which record identifying designations representing serial numbers or the like are placed; a series of sorting control circuits connecting said brushes to said magnet, each sorting control circuit being connected to a single brush and consisting of a selecting commutator having a series of fixed commutator segments valued according to the respective indexpoint positions of the column sensed by the particular brush to which the sorting control circuit is connected, and a series of-switches, one switch for each bar, for connecting the bars of each series directly to the sorting magnet; and a keyboard comprising a plurality of banks of manually depressible keys, each bank being associated with the series of switches of one sorting control circuit and operating said switches to open same whereby the sorting magnet is controlled in accordance with numbers and the like set up on said keyboard.

2. A multi-column selector attachment for sorting machines in which the sorting mechanism is selectively controlled by a single sorting magnet; a series of multi-column selector circuits, each circuit consisting of a record sensing brush, a rotary contact member connected directly to said brush, a series of fixed commutator bars over which said contact member wipes in succession, each bar corresponding to an index-point position of a column in a serial number field in the records sensed by a corresponding sensing brush and a series of pairs of switches, each pair of switch contacts normally connecting one of the bars of each series to said sorting magnet; and a keyboard comprising a series of banks of manually depressible numeral keys, each bank being associated with a series of commutator bars and its related series of switches whereby the depression of any selected key in any bank will open the associated switch contacts and thereby disconnect the sorting magnet from the commutator bar associated with said switch.

3. A multi-column selector attachment for record controlled machines comprising a single machine operation controlling magnet, a group of record sensing brushes for sensing designations in the columns of a record field devoted to recording serial numbers the digits of which said designations represent, a' series of selecting circuits for conducting current from each brush to the magnet, each selecting circuit causing the magnet to be controlled in accordance with a single digit represented by a designation sensed by the brush to which it is connected, each circuit having a group of switches, said keys being each associated with one of the switches whereby the keys of each bank may be manually set to open the switches so as to cause each brush to control the magnet in accordance with a predetermined digit of a serial number.

ERNEST ROSE.

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