US2161589A - Tabulating machine - Google Patents

Description

June 6, 1939. E. J. RABENDA TABULATING MACHINE Filed April 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.I

INVENTOR. M

A TTORNEY June 1939- E. J. RABENDA 7 2,161,589

.TABULATING MACHINE Filed April 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'IGQZ CF 30 L C517 INVENTOR. W%. 47

ATTORNEY Patented June 6,1939

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE TABULATING MACHINE Edward J. Rabenda, Blnghamton, N. Y., asslgnor to International BusinessMachines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 25, 1935, Serial No. 18,145

4 Claim. This invention relates to accounting machines and more particularly to automatic group con trol systems for record controlled tabulators.

Recordcontrolled tabulators are designed to add,' 5 list, and print totals of items automatically entered in the machine from control records on which the items are represented by index point perforations located in difierent positions in the several card columns, each column ordinarily representing one character which may be either.

the group classification being represented in -,each card by similarly located perforations and it is desirable to continue the automatic feeding of the records to the analyzing mechanism as long as'the group classification does not change but to interrupt the card feed for the purpose of taking totals or performing other operations when the group changes. This is ordinarily accomplished by providing two sets of analyzing brushes which are spaced apart so that one card feeds to one of them as the preceding card feeds to the other and so that the some index point pos tions on successive cards are under the analysing mechanisms simultaneously.

'Pabulators which :3 yr and control with.

the records in motion, are e narily oi the elec trical type and the analyzing mechanism sists of a contact roller cooperating with iudi vidual brushes. The cards are fed between the roller and the brushes to hold an electric circuit 40 open for each card column as long as there are no. perforations in such column on'the card but to permit engagement of each brush with the roller through the card when the brush encounters a perforation on the card. In machines of 43 the moving card type, a single row of brushes usually suifices to completely analyze each card, these brushes, of course, searching the several index point positions at differential times and difierentially controlling the adding and print- :10 ing mechanism to enter items therein according to the diilerential time at which the circuit is made at the analyzing brushes. The automatic group control system usually consists of a circuit including the two sets of analyzing brushes in series and if the cards under the two sets of brushes contain identical controlling perforations, this circuit would be closed at some time in the machine cycle, serving to keep the card feed active to feed another card during the succeeding card feeding cycle. If the controlling perforations are not identical in successive cards, this series circuit fails to make and. the machine either stops or automatically takes a total of the data entered into the accumulators.

For certain classes of work, the existing forms of automatic group control mechanism cannot be satisfactorily employed and it is accordingly the principal object of the present invention to provide an automatic group control mechanism for a tabulating machine, which is designed to respond to more varied conditions than control systems at present. I

In existing systems, where, for example, six columns are utilized for operation of the automatic group control mechanism, the successful operation of the device is predicated upon the presence of one or more perforations in each of the six columns, since a series circuit must be completed through each columnar position in order to continue the machine in operation. The present system permits the absence of perforations in one or more of the card columns included in the control field. Such field may contain perforations representing the name of a town or account number where the name of the so town or the account number may consist of two separate words or numbers with a space between represented by a column left ole-his. On successive cards, the position of the blank columns may vary, especially in the case ct" names of towns where the number of control columns is determined by the name of'the town having the greatest length, so that where a. shorter name is recorded, there will be numerous blank columns included in the control field of the card.

Incarrying out the object of the invention,-

there are provided a pair of relays for each 1005- v sibe control column. One relay of each pair is controlled from one ofthe analyzing stations and the other of each pair is controlled from the second analyzing station Between each of thepair of relays is. a normally open circuit path which is completed if one of the pair of relays is energized in response to a perforation sensed at one analyzing station without accompanying energization 'of the other of the pair. The completion of the normally open circuit indicates a non-comparison of a card column and causes interruption of card feeding operations.

A further object of the invention resides inlthe provision of an automatic group control mecha nismin which all of the index point positions of the same value are analyzed and tested for agreement before the index point positionsof the next value are analyzed.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious from the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying the invention or from an inspection of the accompanying drawings; and the invention also constitutes certain new and useful features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a wiring diagram of the electric circuits of a complete tabulating machine, including the improved group control circuits.

Fig. 2 is a representation of a record card showing the manner in which a controlling field may be perforated.

' Fig. 3'15 a timing chart showing diagrammatically the relative timing of the pertinent electrical devices of the machine.

Fig. 4 isa timing chart of a modified arrange ment of certain of the contact devices relating to a modified form of the invention.

The present improved'system is applicable to existing machines operating either on stationary or moving cards and in connection with single or combinational hole systems.. It has been shown as applied to a machine of the type in which single or multiple index point positions are perforated in the card columns and in which the cards are adapted to be analyzed while-in motion. The particular type of machine does not enter into the present invention as any other .type of machine in which single or combinational adaptable.

Referring now to the drawings, the machine is provided with a card feed clutch magnet l0, shown in'the upper part of Fig. 1, which, when energized, will cause the feeding ofrecord cards from the supply magazine so that they will move past the upper brushes U3 and exactly enemachine cycle later past the lower brushes LB. The machine is driven by the motor M, which is placed in operation by closing the switch 8. Depression of the start key to close contacts M will complete a circuit from one sideoi line l2, through contacts H, card feed clutch magnet l0, relay contacts MIa, stop key contacts ll, to line H. In parallel with clutch magnet III is a relay magnet R5, which is energized concurrently therewith to close a pair of contacts Rio.

As the cards subsequently passthe lower brushes LB the usual card lever contacts LCL close tocomplete a circuit through card lever relay LCLM, which will close its contacts LCLMa, providing the holding circuit for the relay extending from line l2, to relay LCLM, contacts LCLM, cam contacts CFI, to line H. It may-be pointed out at this time that in the'circuit diagram are shown various cam, controlled contacts. Those designated with thefpre fix are 'in operation when the card feeding mechanism functions; those prefixed are constantly in operation; and those prefixed P"operate only during the functioning of the total taking .ings l9 and 20.

mechanism. Relay magnet LCLM closes its. contacts LCLMb to provide a holding circuit for the card feed clutch magnet which is traceable from line l2, contacts LCLMb, R5a, magnet l0, contacts MIa, contacts l3, to line l4. -As long as the successively fed cards contain the same classification or group control designations, the circuit just traced will remain established and cards will continue feeding. Upon a change in group classification, the group control. mechanism will function to energize the relay MI, thereby opening its contacts MIa to permit interruption of the card feed clutch magnet circuit when cam contacts CF12, which normally short circuit contacts MIa, open at a predetermined point in the cycle of operations. The group control mecha nism is shown in the central part of Fig. 1 and comprises a set of relays having windings I! and I8 and a second set of relays having wind- The two sets of relays are arranged in pairs and three such pairs have been shown in the circuit diagram for control by three card columns, although it will be understood that a great many more are usually provided, the number generally' being about sixteen.

The windings I8 are provided with plug sockets 2| which are connected by suitable plug connections 22 to the brushes LB which traverse the columns containing the control designations. The windings l9 are provided with sockets 23 which are connected through plug connections 24 to the upper brushes UB which traverse the same card columns. Associated with windings H are contacts lib, l1c, whose common contact blades are connected to plug sockets 25, which are interconnected by connections 26, as shown,

when all three orders are utilized. A further plug connection 21 is made 'from' one of the sockets 25 to a plug socket 28 which is wired to a winding of a relay magnet 29. As the record card moves past the brushes, circuits will be completed through the windings Is at times corresponding .to the location of the perforation in the columns under consideration. Assuming-a'perforation in the 9 index point positionof the column traversed by the brush associated with the uppermost winding IS, the particular circuit will be traced as follows: from line l2, through cam contacts CBI, contacts CFI I, common contact roller, perforation in the 9'? index point position, brush UB, plug connection 24, to socket 23 of the uppermost winding l9, wire 30, card lever relay contacts UCLMa, closed'while cards are passing the upper brushes, to line H. Energization of winding M will close contacts 20a, establishing a circuit through winding 20 traceable frofii line l2, through wire 32, winding 20, contacts 20a, wire 33, cam contacts CF30, to line ll. Energization of windings J8 and 20 will cause opening of the brush 3|, contacts CFO, relay UCLM to line H.

Relay UCLM closes its contacts UCLMb to estab lish a holding'circuit through contacts CFO. The time of energizationand holding of relay UCLM is indicated on the timing chart. Thus, as long as cards continue to feed, relay UCLM is not energized and its contacts U a consequently remain closed. 7 C

If, while the perforation sensed bypthe upper brushes completes the circuits energizing windlngs l9 and 20 a correspondingly located perforation is sensed by the corresponding lower brush, a circuitwill be completed traceable from. line l4, lower card lever contacts LCLMc, cam

contacts CF2, lower brushv commoncontact roll, perforation in the card, plug connection 22, to socket 2i, uppermostwlnding l8, wire 34, cam contacts C-Bl, to line l2. Winding l8 closes contactsylla to provide a circuit for winding H which is traceable from line I2, wire 32, winding ll, contacts Ila, wire 33, contacts CF30, to line H. The. consequent energization of winding I! will open contacts Ho and close contacts Ilb. If windings l9 and I8 are not concurrently energized; that is, if the cards at the upperand lower brushes do not have a perforation in the same index point position, one of the contacts 200 or He will fail to open.

Assuming that winding I9 is energized without accompanying energization of winding 18, accordingly contacts 20b will. be closed and contacts [lb and He will remainin the position-.4 shown. A circuit will accordingly be thereupon traceable from line 14, cam contacts CBI'I, wire 35, contacts 20b, contacts He, plug socket 255; connection 21, socket 28, right hand winding of magnet29, to line l2. Magnet 29 will close its contacts 29a to provide a holding circuit from line 12, left hand winding of magnet 29, contacts 29a to earn contacts C3, to line it. Energization of, magnet 29 will cause interruption of card feeding through further circuits to be traced hereinafter.

If winding l8had been energized without accompanying energization of winding 9, the circuit through magnet 29 would have been completed through a path including contacts Nb and 200. It will be noted that the circuit to magnet 29 is not completed when windings l9 and i8 are both deenergized or both energized and that each order of the control-mechanism represented by pairs of windings Hand i8 control parallel circuits independent ofone another. For example, if the disagreement in control'occurred in the lowermost order, the circuit from wire 35 would extend through either of the lowermost contacts 20?) or 200, thence through either of the lowermost contacts llb or lie, to. the lowermost socket 25, thence through connections 26 and 27 to magnet 29. Referring to the timing chart, it will be seen that the cam contacts CBi close and open again for each index point position of the cardand that the cam contacts CF30 maintain the holding circuit for the windings until index point positions 9 to .l, in elusive, have been analyzed.

At this time, contacts CF39 open to drop the holding circuits, permitting restoration of all the relay cohtacts lla to i'lc and 20a to 200. Thus, the subsequent analysis of the index point positions 11 and 12 will take place to determine whether perforations in these positions are in agreement on the .two cards traversing the analyzing brushes. In accordance with the system ,of designating alphabetic data by com binational :hole perforations in card columns, characters are,represented in the card either by a single hole in one of the index point positions or by two perforations in a column, one of which is made in the positions 9 to l and the secin the 11 or "12" position plus a perforation in one of the digit positions. For this reason, theholding circuit for the windings IT and 20 which is controlled through cam contacts CFM is maintained throughout the portion of the cycle during which the digit positions are analyzed.

It will be appreciated that where a difierent combinational arrangement of holes is employed, for example, where any two or more positions'in a column may be perforated, the cam contacts CFSOmay be arranged to break for each position sensed.

The cam contacts CBI'I, as shown on the circuit diagram, make for each index point position 9-1, 11 and 12 sensed and it will be observed that the making of contacts CBI'I occurs shortly after each position has been sensed and it will be apparent that for each index position sensed there will be a separate and distinct testing operation upon the closure of the contacts CBI'I.

- It will be noted that contacts CBl'l and CFSQ are open when the 0 index point positions are sensed so that no sensing circuit or testing hold either be blank or contain 0's in which case there would have to be comparison. It'will be noted that .the shunt control holding circuit through relay 29 held by contacts CBM is not broken for 0 but holds until after-the 11 and 12 positions are sensed, in order not to lose the setup effected during sensing of the digit positions 9-1. I

In Fig. 4 is shown the'modified timing of cam contacts CF30 which have applications in which. combinational hole perforations include any two or more index point positions. The repeated opening and closingv of contacts CF30 in conjunction with the repeated opening and closing of contacts CBil will bring about a repeated sequence of operations including the sensing of an index point position, .thesetting up or. a holding circuit for such relays as may be energized during the sensing in that position, the testingof the-relay setting, and the bros-Eng of the hole.- ing'circuit, permitting its restoration in prepa ration for analysis, of the neat index point position.

An example will now be given of the manner in which controlilelds iii which one or more col- New York and in which column 8, representing a space between the two words, is blank, as are also columns 13 and 14. In Fig. 2 it will also be noted that each of the letters is represented by a perforation in one of the digit positions and a second perforation in one of the positions 0, 11 or 12. If, as the card bearing the perforations of Fig. 2 passes the lower brushes LB a similar card having the same perforations passes the upper brushes, the relay windings l3 and I9 associated with columns 5, 6, 7, 9, ll), 11 and 12 will all be energized, while the relays associated withcolurnns 8, l3, and 14 will remain deenergized and no circuit will be completed to relay magnet 29. Thus where blank columns are included in the controlling field, such blank columns do not effect the status of theirrelated nets, 43 the adding relays l8 and I9 and of themselves are ineffective to interrupt card feed unless there is a disagreement. I

As the cards pass their respective sets of brushes, the relay magnets 18 and [9 will become deenergized after the 1 index point positions have been analyzed and will be re-energized in response to the perforations in the 11 and 12 positions.

It will now be explained in what manner the energization of magnet 29 interrupts the further card feeding operations and initiates total taking operations. Upon energization, magnet 29 closes a pair of relay contacts 2%, which permit completion of a circuit upon closure of cam contacts CFI, which is traceable from line ll, contacts LCLMc, contacts CFI, contacts 2917, switch 36, left hand coil of therelay magnet MI, cam contacts OBIS, to line 12. Magnet MI will close its-contacts MIb, establishing a holding circuit from line i2, through right hand winding of magnet MI, contacts MIb, cam contacts PM8, to line i l. Contacts PMB are normally closed and open during .a total taking cycle of operations so that once magnet MI is energized, it remains so until total taking operations have been performed. Th magnet opens its contacts MIa, shown at the top of Fig. 1, so that upon opening 9f cam contacts CF12 duringthe latter half of the last card feed cycle, the card feed clutch circuit will be in-' terrupted.

Magnet MI closes its contacts M10 and MId, the former of which permits the completion of a circuit from line l2, through cam contacts C B2l, switch 37, contacts MIc, print controlling magnet PCM, to line H. Energization of magnet POM will cause operation of the printing mechanism during the ensuing total taking cycle.

Closure of contacts MId will complete a circuit extending from switch 31, through'contacts .MId to a magnet TS to line M. The magnet TS prepares the circuits of the machine for recording the total standing in the accumulators.' The detailed mannerin which these magnets control the various operations form no part of the present invention and their detailed functions need accordingly not be described herein. 'The magnets PCM and TS correspond to the similarly designated magnets in the application referred to, The circuits for the accumulating and printing devices are generally indicated at the bottom of Fig. 1 where three denominational orders of an accumulator are diagrammatically represented and inwhich 42 indicates the usual printing agmagnets, and 44 the subtracting magnets. V While there has been shown' and described and pointed out the fundamentalnovel 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. It is the intention. thereforeto be limitedonly as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a group control 'system'for a tabulating machine responsive to record cards having columns of diiferently'located index point positions, comprising a' pair of sensing devices for sensing a column in each of apair of record cards, one sensing device sensing-the different positions in the column of one 'card, in succession, while the other sensing device, concurrently, and in 9,

like manner senses the correspondingly located positions in the column of the second card, a magnet for each sensing device, circuit connections completed by each sensing device upon sensing a perforation in an index point position for energizing its related magnet, means controlled by each magnet, upon energization, for completing a holding circuit for the magnet, an armature for each magnet, a controlmagnet, a circuit closing device, a pair of normally incomplete circuit connections including said armatures intermediate the control magnet and the circuit closing device, said armatures and circuit connections being arranged to complete one of said intermediate connections when ,only one of the related magnets is energized, in response to the concurrent sensing of the same index point positions in the two card columns, andameans for operating said circuit closing device to complete a circuit through said control magnet and the completed intermediate connection, said means being coordinated with said sensing devices for effecting closing of said circuit closing device after an index point position is sensed; a related magnet energized and a holding circuit completed therefore, and for eifecting reopening of-said circuit closing device before the next succeeding index point position is sensed.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 in which a pair of normally closed contacts is included in said holding circuit and means are provided to enable opening of saidcontacts for rendering the holding circuit ineffective, said means being coordinated with said sensing devices for effecting opening of said contacts upon the completion of sensing of a predetermined succession of index point positions less than the total number thereof and for effecting reclosing of said con-. tacts before all of the index point positions are sensed.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1 in which machine, a card sensing device for sensing a column of a card for perforations in differentially located index point positions representing the numbers 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, 11 and 12 in succession a second card sensing device for concurrently sensing a column of another card for correspondingly located perforations, a pair of,

.relay magnets, 'one for each sensing device and 'eachenergizedthrough a circuit connection established by its relatedsensing device upon sens.-'

ing-a perforation in a card column, circuit connections for each magnet established upon energization of the magnet to hold the same energized, a pair ofcontacts in said circuit connections, controlling means therefor to effect continued closure of said contacts during the sensing of the positions representing the numbers 9,

8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1, opening of the contacts during the sensing of the position representing 0 andreclosure during the sensing of the positions representing, 11 and 12, an armature for each relay magnet, a control magnet, a circuit closing device, a-*pair of normally incomplete circuit connections including said armatures and inter- 7B mediate the control magnet and the circuit clos ing device, said armatures being arranged to Complete one of said intermediate connections when only one of the related magnets is energized, in response to the concurrent sensing of the same index pointpositions in the two card columns, and means for operating said circuit closing device to complete a circuit through said control magnet and the completed intermediate connection, said means being coordinated with said sensing devices for completing said circuit and again opening it after each one of the index point positions 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 11 and 12 5 is sensed.

EDWARD J. RABENDA.

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