US2214012A - Tabulator controlling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 10, 1940- J. T. COX ET AL.

TABULATOR CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS JOHN Tv COX STEVEN A. ZGRANIK THEI ATTORNEY Sept. 10, 1940.

2 Sheets-Shem 2 FIGZ INVENTORS JOHN T.COX STEVEN A. ZGRANIK av aww fwE R ATTOFQNEY Patented Sept. 10, 1940 UNETED STAT S ATENT OFFICE TABULATOR CONTROLLING APPARATUS Application November 5, 1937, Serial No. 172,926

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to automatic controlling mechanism for tabulating machines and more particularly to a means for preventing the feeding of record cards in a tabulating machine, when the translating unit thereof has been incorrectly placed in the machine.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings as applied to a tabulating machine of the Powers type which, as is well known in the art, operates on perforated record cards to compute and record the data punched in these cards. The Powers machine comprises generally a storage chamber in which the cards to be tabulated are placed, feed mechanism for ejecting the cards seriatim from the chamber, sensing mechanism for analyzing the perforations in the card, computing and printing mechanism, operable from the sensing mechanism, and translating mechanism for transmitting the data from the sensing mechanism to the computing and printing mechanism. The machine is power driven and entirely automatic in its operation so that when a stack of cards is placed in the storage chamber and the machine started one card will normally be fed from the chamber eachmachine cycle until the machine is stopped, either manually or through several automatic controlling means mounted in the machine itself. The translating mechanism mentioned above is comprised in a unitary removable structure and will thereinafter be referred to as the translator. Contained in the translator is a plurality of wires supported between upper and lower frame plates of the unit, these wires being operable by pins associated with the card sensing mechanism. When the translator is positioned correctly in the machine the lower ends of the Wires therein lie directly over their respective sensing unit pins so that if a pin is elevated, the corresponding translator wire will also be elevated to set up a stop in the computing mechanism in the well known manner. The translators used in the Powers machines are of such construction and are so fitted in the machines as to enable them to be easily removed and replaced by one of different wiring in order that varying types of accounting problems may be performed on one machine. The translator is adapted to be mounted upon guide rails and may be moved easily in and out of the machine by the operator. In the practical application of this machine it has been found that occasionally, through inadvertence on the part of the operator, a translator may be incorrectly positioned in the machine with the result that the wires therein are not directly aligned with the pins of the sensing mechanism. If this error is not noticed and corrected before the machine is started, the sensing pins will be ineffective to elevate their proper translator wires and also may be damaged by contacting the frame- :5 work of the translator.

In order to prevent an occurrence such as that described above, the device of the present application has been developed which device serves to prevent the operation of the card feed mechanism until the translator is correctly positioned in the machine. Proper adjustment of the translator will disable the device of the invention and permit normal feeding of cards. As explained more fully in the description to follow, if no card is present to be operated upon by the sensing mechanism the pins thereof will be prevented from rising and will thus be kept from damage or faulty operation of the translator wires. This function of disabling the sensing mechanism when no card is present in the sensing chamber is old and well known in the Powers machine and is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,044,119 to William W. Lasker, issued June 16, 1936.

One objection of our invention is to prevent misoperation of a tabulating machine, resulting from an improper insertion of the translator unit, through the provision of a card feed disabling means which means is rendered ineffective when the translator is correctly positioned in the machine.

Another object of our invention is to provide a lever, spring urged to effective position, for causing the disabling of the card feed mechanism of the machine, said lever being operable by the framework of the translator and movable thereby into ineffective position when the translator is correctly positioned in the machine.

Another object of our invention is to indicate an incorrect adjustment of the translator in a tabulating machine by holding the card feed mechanism disabled when such a condition occurs.

Other objects and structural details of our invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view of the base portion of the machine in leftehand cross section and shows gen-- erally the path of travel of the cards through the machine and part of the card feed disabling mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a View of the base portion. of the ma.- chine in left-hand side elevation and shows the operating source of the card feed mechanism and 55 the stopping and starting mechanism of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a detailed isometric view of the card feed disabling mechanism.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Inasmuch as the mechanism of the invention relates primarily to the card feed mechanism of the machine and certain controlling means therefor, the major portion of the following description is directed towards a disclosure of this mechanism. For a disclosure of operating mechanism not specifically described herein, reference should be made to the previously mentioned Lasker Patent 2,044,119. The computing and printing mechanisms are neither illustrated nor described in the present application but are basically the same as those disclosed in the U. S. patent to James Powers No. 1,245,502, issued November 6, 1917.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 the previously mentioned storage chamber I, in which the cards to be tabulated are placed. In a manner later to be described the cards are ejected singly from the chamber I and by means of a pair of power driven feed rolls 2 are fed into the sensing chamber comprised of a pair of perforated plates 8 and 4. Each successive card is held in the sensing chamber for a certain definite interval by a reciprocable card stop 5. During the time the card is held between the plates 3 and 4, it is sensed by a plurality of pins 6 supported in a reciprocable pin box 1 movable by an eccentric disk 8 secured to a shaft 9 supported between the side frames of the machine. The shaft 9 is the main cam shaft of the machine and controls all of the operating mechanisms of the base including the card feed mechanism as will presently appear. The main shaft 9 is connected, in a Well known manner, to a source of power and suitable clutch mechanism is interposed between the shaft and the power source. Various well known controlling means are provided for operating the above clutch mechanism, these means including both manually operable and automatically controlled mechanisms. Thus, once for each cycle of the shaft 9, the pin box I is reciprocated vertically and the pins 6 contained therein sense the card positioned between the. plates 3 and 4. The pins 6 are provided in columns of twelve with forty-five columns comprising the entire unit. At a point near the end of the upward travel of the pin box I, the pins 6 pass through the perforations in the lower plate 3 and, according to the location of the perforations in the card, either pass through such perforations or limit against imperforate portions of the card. As the pin box I completes its upward travel, those pins 6 which have passed through perforations in the card continue their travel through the upper plate 4 to contact and elevate an associated intermediate pin I I. Those pins 6 which find no perforation merely press idly against the lower surface of the card against the tension of a spring (not shown), one of which surrounds each of the pins 6. The intermediate pins I I are equal in number to the pins 6 and are similarly arranged in a fixed pin box I2. The lower ends of the pins II are positioned directly over the upper ends of their respective pins 6 and one of which surrounds each of the pins I I. The

card stop 5 is, as was prevoiusly mentioned, a reciprocating element and is under the control of a cam (not shown) mounted on the main shaft 9. The card stop is normally lowered, in the position shown in Fig. 1, to block the exit of the sensing chamber but is raised momentarily once for each machine cycle to permit the card just sensed to be moved out of sensing position. The card is ejected from the sensing chamber by a pair of power driven feed rolls (not shown) operating in conjunction with a pair of cooperating pressure rolls I4 and is fed thereby into a receiving pocket I5 through the medium of a set of power driven eject rolls I6.

Positioned directly above the intermediate pin box I2 is the translator, indicated by the reference numeral I I and shown mounted upon a pair of guide rails I8 (one shown) supported in a manner not shown herein by the side frames of the machine. Contained in the translator I1 is a plurality of wires I9 adapted to be elevated by the pins I I. As previously mentioned the translator wires I9 act as a transmitting means between the sensing mechanism and the printing and computing mechanism. The well known function of these wires is to set up digit stops in the head section of the machine (not shown herein), thereby positioning the accumulator actuating racks and the printing sectors. A translator of the type described above is shown in one form in Fig. 11 of the U. S. Patent 2,044,119. The translator I1 is adapted to be moved along the guide rails I8 and when correctlypositioned in the machine the wires I9 therein are in direct alignment with their respective intermediate pins I I.

Card feed mechanism 1 The previously mentioned card feed mechanism, whereby one card is ejected from the storage chamber I each machine cycle, is under the control of a cam'on the main shaft 9. Situated in the base of the storage chamber-I is a picker knife and block (not shown) connected to an arm 2I (Fig. 1) fast on a shaft 22, journalled between the side frames of the machine and extending slightly outside the left-hand side frame.

Referring now to Fig. 2 there is secured to the extreme left-hand end of the shaft 22 an upstanding arm 23 connected by means of a link 24 to another arm 25. The arm 25 is pivoted toa stud 26 set in the left-hand side frame and there is mounted on the arm, at a point near its upper end, a roller 2'I. The roller 21 is adapted to ride on the periphery of a cam 28 secured to the shaft 9 and is caused to follow the contour of the cam by a spring 29, tensioned between the arm 23 and a stud on the frame piece. From the shape of cam 28 it will be seen that once for each cycle of the shaft 9the pair of arms 25 and 23 will be rocked in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 2), thereby imparting a similar rocking motion to the shaft 22. The shaft 22 thus normally moves in a reciprocable rocking motion once for each cycle of the shaft 9 and through the arm 2| effects operation of the picker knife to eject a card from the storage chamber.

Also illustrated in Fig. 2 is the stopping and starting mechanism of the machine, shown in the position it assumes when the machine is stopped and the storage chamber and sensing chamber are empty of cards. The stop-start mechanism shown herein is similar in its general features of construction and operation to that shown in the above Patent 2,044,119.

Card feed disabling mechanism A well known feature of the Powers type tabulating machine is its function of interrupting the operation of the card feed mechanism during a total taking operation. The taking of a total in these machines requires several cycles of operation so that provision is made whereby the feeding of cards is prevented during these certain cycles. As shown in Fig. 2 the link 24, which connects the arms 23 and 25 is formed with a notch 3| adapted to be engaged by a latch 32 secured to a stud shaft 33. The latch 32 is tensioned upwards by means of a spring 34 and normally assumes the disengaged position illustrated. If, however, the shaft 33 is rocked a short distance in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 2) the latch 32 will be forced downward to engage the notch 3|. The cam 28 is thus rendered ineffective and the card picker knife is held in extreme retracted position against the tension of the spring 29. It will be seen, therefore, that as long as the shaft 33 is held rocked the card feed mechanism will continue to be held disabled and that when the operating means for rocking this shaft is withdrawn, the spring 34 will restore the latch 32 to normal disengaged position thereby permitting the resumption of card feeding. Considering now Figs. 1 and 3 it will be seen that the stud shaft 33 is supported by the left-hand side frame and that secured to the right-hand end of the shaft, and positioned a short distance inside the frame piece, is a rearwardly extending arm 35. Corinected to the arm 35 is an upwardly extending link 36 resiliently connected at its upper end to one end of a lever 31. As explained in somewhat greater detail below, the lever 3? is operated by a cam of the total unit and it is through this assembly comprising lever 31, link 36 and arm 35 that the shaft 33 is rocked to disable card feeding during total cycles. The card feed disabling means, as thus far described, is identical in all points of construction and operation to that disclosed in the previously mentioned Patent No. 2,044,119. This chain of mechanism, shown herein in Figs. 1 and 3 is illustrated in Fig. 22 of the above patent wherein the operating cam controlling the movement of the disabling mechanism is indicated by the reference numeral 370. In the present application this same cam is given the same reference character. The cam 310 is a part of a rotatable cam and ratchet unit (only partially shown herein) which is normally inactive and moves only during total taking operations. One form of this cam and ratchet unit is disclosed in the above patent and reference may be made thereto for a complete description of the function of this unit.

During the usual total taking operation the unit comprising the cam 310 is advanced in three step like motions under the control of a normally ineffective cam (not shown) on the main shaft 9. The cam 310 is formed with three high points upon one of which a roller, mounted on the rearmost end of the lever 31, is adapted to ride during two of the three steps of movement of the cam. The direction of motion of the cam 310 as it moves from normal is clockwise as viewed in Fig. 1' and as its high spot moves beneath the roller on lever 31, the lever is rocked in a clockwise direction about its pivot 38 thereby forcing downward the link 36 and rocking the shaft 33.

The present invention contemplates a second,

and independently operable, means for forcing the link 36 downward. This meansis embodied in a bellcrank lever 39 positioned above the link 36 and pivoted to a stud 41 mounted on a fixed frame piece 42. The frame piece 42 is secured to the previously mentioned intermediate pin box 42 and besides serving as a support for the lever 33 serves another purpose not pertinent to the present invention. The lever 33 extends forwardly and rearwardly of its pivot ll and is tensioned in a clockwise direction by a spring 2-3 connected at one end to the forward arm of the lever and at its other end to a bracket 44 secured to the lefthand side frame. The rear arm of the lever 39 extends slightly downward and is formed with a smooth round surface at its far end which is adapted to bear against the frame of the translator l i. As is shown particularly in Fig. 3 the forward arm of the lever 33 is bent leftwardly and overlies a laterally extending stud 35 integral with the upper end of the link 36. The spring H3 is of a greater strength than the oppositely disposed spring 34 (see Fig. 3) and unless a sufficient retaining pressure is applied against the rear arm of the lever 39, the lever will be rocked in a clockwise direction (Fig. 1) thereby depressing the link 36 and rendering latch effective, as above. Thus, if no translator is in the machine the card feed mechanism is disabled, but in inserting the translator it is moved forwardly along the guide rails 13 and just before it reaches its farthest forward position the rear framework thereof contacts the rear rounded edge of the lever 33. The additional movement required to align the translator correctly in the machine serves to rock the lever 39 in a counter-clockwise direction, against the tension of spring 43, thereby relieving the pressure which the lever exerts upon the link 36 and enabling the spring 34 to move the latch 32 to ineffective position and return the chain of mechanism associated there with to normal. The weight or inertia of the translator is sufficient in itself to hold the lever 35*) disabled, but all of the standard Powers type translators are provided with a latching means not shown herein whereby they may be retained in correct position. In order that the lever 39 may be completely disabled the translator must be moved to its extreme forward position in the machine and if, through some inadvertence, this should not be done the lever will continue to be held effective and the card feed mechanism will remain disabled. If the machine is started while in this condition no cards'will be fed from the storage chamber and the operator will thereby be apprised of the fact that the translator has been incorrectly positioned.

Earlier in the specification mention was made of the fact that if nocard is present in the sensing chamber, comprised of plates 3 and 4 (Fig. 1), a complete sensing operation will be prevented from taking place and the pins H cannot be raised. The mechanism for performing this function is old and well known in the Powers machine and a detailed description of its construction and operation may be found in the Lasker Patent No. 2,044,119. Briefly stated, the principle of this operation lies in these facts. As previously mentioned each of the sensing pins 6 is urged upwardly by an individual compression spring (not shown herein) While their associated intermediate pins II are urged downwardly by similar springs l3. The springs l3 are, however, stronger than the springs surrounding the pins 6 so that a pin 6 is unable to elevate its respective pins 6 a locking slide 46 is provided for each column of sensing pins in the lower pin box 1.

.which have passed through perforations in the Latching slots are cut in each ofthe slides 46 ,which slots coact with extrusions formed on the pins 6. The locking slides 46 are spring urged towards the front of the machine but, through means clescribedin greater detail in the above patent, they are normallyheld latched in the ineffective position'sho-wninFig. 1at which time the pins t are under the sole control of their respective compression springs. means whereby the slides 46'are held ineffective is controlled by an auxiliary pin 41 (not completely. shown herein) supported in the pin box fl. This auxiliary pin reciprocateswith the pin box l and suitable openings are provided for it in the sensing chamber plates 3 and 4. When the pin box rises at a time when no card is presentvin the sensing chamber the upward travel ,of the auxiliary pin 41 is uninterruptedand the latching means controlling movement of the slides 46 remains efiective. However, if a card is present in the chamber an imperfo'rate portion of the card is positioned over the auxiliary pin so that the pinis prevented from rising to its full extent. When this occurs the locking slides 46 are unlatched and under the pressure oftheir spring move to theright to engage those sensing pins 6 card and, during the remainder of the upward travel of thepin box, impart a positive driving action to these pins. The sensing pins which do not pass through perforations in the card are not in position to be engaged by the slides 46.

Thus, since an incorrectly positioned translator permits the card feed mechanism to be held dis-.

The latching abled no cardwill be fed into the sensing chamber whereupon the locking slides 46 will remain operated thereby rendering this medium ineffec I tive to control the movements of the latch 32.

While we. have described what We consider to be a highly desirable embodiment of our invention, it is obvious that many changes in form could be made without departing from the spirit of our invention, and we, therefore,.do not limit ourselves tothe exact'form herein shown and described, nor to anythingv less, than the whole of our invention as hereinbefore set forth, and as hereinafter claimed.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

In a tabulating machine having a reciprocable pin box, a removable translator unit with translating elements set by said pin box and a card feed mechanism including a card picker arm, the combination of a latch for holding said picker arm from feeding, a movable sensing lever displaced from effective position by said translator unit when the latter is in home position, and means actuated by said sensing lever in its return for moving said latch into effective position when said translator'is removed.

" JOHN T. COX.

STEVEN A. ZGRANIK.

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