US2220502A - Comparing mechanism for tabulators - Google Patents

Description

1940- H. A. WEINLICH 2,220,502

COMPARING MECHANISM FOR TABULATORS Filed July 24', 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1. FIG. 2.

/ ACCOUNT NO. K

9 w m \l m n Q o p \NVENTOR v HERM/M/N A. l/VEl/VL/Ch ATTO RN EY Nov 5 1940. H. A. WEINLICH 2,220,502

COMPARING MECHANISM FOR TABULATORS Filed July 24, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I II II II H H II II H I IN ENTOR HEEM'q/V/V WE/NLICH ATTORNEY NOV. 5, 1940. H, w c 2,220,502

COMPARING MECHANISM FOR TABULATORS Filed July 24, 1937 v4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR HERM/JNA/ A WE/A/LJCH ATTORN EY NOV. 5, 1940. W H 2,220,502

COMPARING MECHANISM FOR TABULATORS Filed July 24, 1957 4 SheetS Sheet 4 Y ma aw? HUME 115a RM W ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 5, 1940 COMPARING MECHANISM FOR TABULATORS Hermann A. Weinlich, Berlin-Wilmersdori', Germany, assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 24, 1937, Serial No. 155,356

. In Germany November 17, 1936 2 Claims.

This invention relates to printing mechanism for tabulating machines or the like and is primarily directed to the provision of improved means for comparing classification data on a record card with classification data on a bill.

The comparing mechanism includes an entry receiving and retaining device which is adapted to receive an entry from a record card during a tabulating cycle of operation which, during a w subsequent cycle of operations, is compared with data on a bill sensed in another section of the machine. If agreement is found, operation of the machine continues uninterruptedly while if there is a disagreement, further operation is 15 prevented.

An object of the invention is to compare columns of data sensed from a bill at rest and compared column by column with data stored in denominational orders of an accumulator.

A further object of the inventionis to arrange a standard accumulator so that the same may be employed as a normal adding mechanism or as a storing device for comparing purposes.

Further objects of the instant invention reside 25 in any novel feature of construction or operation or novel combination of parts present in the embodiment of the invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings whether within or without the scope of the appended claims and 30 irrespective of other specific statements as to the scope of the invention contained herein.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a detail of a fragment of a record card.-

Fig. 2 is a detail of a fragment of a bill. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a part of the bill feeding mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a timing diagram of the new cam controlled contacts.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the accumulator 40 which receives the card data to be compared.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on lines 66 ofFig. 5. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are diagrammatic views showing the various relative positions of the bills and record cards.

Fig. 10 is a wiring diagram of the electric circults of the machine.

The mechanical construction of the machine is substantially that disclosed in the copending application of G. F. Daly, Serial No. 660,991, filed 50 March 16, 1933, now Patent No. 2,110,853, issued March 15, 1938, and constitutes an improved arrangement of the comparing mechanism for testing perforations in a card and a bill for agreement. The application referred to is itself an improvement of the machine disclosed in the (c1. ass-61.7

patent to Daly and Page, No. 1,762,145, granted June 10, 1930 to which reference may also be had for more detailed disclosure than will be given hereinafter.

In the machine of the Daly application re- 5 ferred to, a record card feeding mechanism and a bill feeding mechanism are provided. Data sensed on the record card is printed on the bill which is presented to a printing platen; In order to insure that the printing from a particular rec- 10 ord card 9r group of related cards is effected on the properly corresponding bill, the first card of each group is provided with perforations repre senting the group number and the related bill is also perforated to represent the same number. 15 The number on the card is entered into a storing mechanism and later, while the bill is advancing to printing position, a comparison is made between the number on the bill and the number in the storing device. 10

In the present arrangement, the bill number is not read while the bill is in motion, but while it is at rest. This permits the perforations to be made in the bill without regard to spacing of the holes or theircolumn-ar position with respect to the direction of feeding and. may accordingly be placed so as not to interfere with the arrangement of the printed matter on the bill.

In Fig. 1 is shown the arrangement ofthe perforations in the, card with'the arrow indicating the direction of feeding which is usual in tabulating machines. In Fig. 2 is shown the manner in which the perforations may be made in the bill with the columns lying transversely to the direction of feeding.

General operation of tabulcting machine The operation of the machine in the performance of functions which are similar to those of the above named application and patent'and 40 which are necessary to an understanding of the invention will first be briefly outlined, after which the improvements will be explained in 'greater detail.

I was general construction is similar to the usual index points representing digits are fed first beneath the upper analyzing brushes UB and exactly one machine cycle later beneath the lower analyzing brushes LB. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 show the relative positions of the record card C with respect to the feeding rollers and sensing brushes UB and LB, diagrammatically.

As the record cards pass the lower brushes LB, perforations in the index point positions will instantaneously close circuits through the proper brushes LB to effect adding and listing of information contained on the cards. These adding and listing devices are not shown as they are well known and form no part of the present invention.

During total taking operations, when motor. RM is in operation, the sums accumulated in the adding mechanism are printed and the accumulators are reset.

The usual automatic group control unit is also provided to cause the machine'to either stop or automatically cause the machine to enter upon total taking operations when the group numbers of successively fed cards fail to agree. This unit is the same as heretofore employed in machines and is generally designated at GC in Fig. 10.

Briefly, one of the magnets 29 (Fig. 10) is plug connected in series between the upper and lower brushes of each column selected for automatic control as by plug connections 3| and the contacts 30 of the selected magnets 29 are connected in series with each other in the control circuit which will be traced presently. When the control perforations in the cards under the lower and upper brushes agree, the selected magnets 29 will be energized momentarily and their contacts 39 closed. The contacts, when once closed, remain so until the end of the machine cycle and are then opened.

The minor control circuit is traceable as follows: from line ll, wire 32, minor relay points 33a, minor relay 33, wire 34, series contacts 30, upper card lever contacts UCLI, to right side of line l3. If one of the contacts 30 fails to close, this circuit is interrupted and causes deenergization of relay 33 which thus permits closure of its contacts 33b. A circuit is thereupon established from line I], wire 32, contacts 33b, wire 35, reset control relay 39, motor control relay 31 to line I3. The relays open their respective contacts 38a and 31a, the latter functioning to break the tabulating motor circuit and cause stopping of the machine. Contacts T4 serve to hold relay 33 energized while contacts 30 are being set undercard control.

The above sets forth briefly the usual operation of the tabulating machine to which the present improvements are applied.

Account number receiving device Figs. 5 and 6 show the accumulator which is d to receive and retain the account numpunched in the first card of each group.

Hollerith accumulator in which energization of a magnet 33 causes coupling of indicating wheel 39 to the continually running shaft 39a. Wheel 39 is thereby turned an amount proportional to the .value of the index point perforation sensed. Connected to wheel 39 by means of gearing 40 is a pair of electrically connected brushes 4i which are carried by and insulated from the uppermost gear 40. The brushes 4| cooperate with a plurality of conducting segments 42 and a common arcuate strip 43. The relationship is such,

that with wheel 39 positioned to represent a particular digit, one of the brushes 4| will be in contact with the correspondingly numbered segment 42 and the second brush will be in contact with the common strip 43.

After the account number read from the record card has been set up on this device, a comparison is made with the account number sensed on the bill, as will be explained, following which the device is reset to zero. The resetting is effected as for the usual accumulators. Magnet 44 upon energization during a total taking and reset cycle is adapted to cause coupling of the resetting gear 49 of the device with the shaft 43 which rotates during the latter half of such cycle. This action zeroizes the device in the same manner as the usual accumulator wheels.

Bill feeding mechanism The bill feeding mechanism is shown in Fig. 3 and diagrammatically in Figs. 7, 8, and 9 and is operated during the total taking cycle of the machine as explained in the application referred to. Bills B, prepunched with the account number as shown in Fig. 2 are placed in the feed hopper 43, from which they are fed singly by a picker knife 49 mounted for reciprocation in the frame of the machine. Picker 49 advances the card to feed rollers 63 which convey it to pass the sensing brushes 3'! and thence to the feed rollers 49 which effect further advance to printing platen 93.

From the platen the bill is advanced step by step as items are listed thereon by means of the usual spacing mechanism and then advanced to stacker I34.

Wiring didflram The complete operation of the machine will now be described in connection with the wiring diagram of Fig. 10. Before explaining the diagram, it is pointed out that for the present purposes a special sensing brush 63 (Fig. 7) is provided which traverses the column of the card C (Fig. 1) in which a perforation 10 may occur in the 5" index point position, the brush being so located that the 5 position is sensed Just before the 9" index point positions are sensed by the brushes UB. This hole 13 is made in only the first card of each different account number group and controls the entry of the account number from such first card into the account number receiving device.

With the record cards placed in the feed hopper of a tabulator of the type disclosed in Patent No. 1,762,145 and the bills placed in the hopper 43, the machine is sent through a preliminary ruet cycle initiated by closure of the reset key contacts R (Fig. 10) which set up a circuit from line l3, cam contacts L2, contacts R, wire I33, contacts Ilia, reset clutch magnet I34, accumulator reset magnet 44, reset motor RM, to line l'|.. Motor RM will now drive the total taking and resetting mechanism for one cycle during which contacts LP! close to establish the minor control circuit from line H, contacts LPI, relay 33, wire 34, upper card lever contacts UC'L3, lower card lever contacts LCL2 to line l3. Later, when cards have begun to feed, contacts UCL3 and LCL2 are open and contacts UCLI are closed so the circuit is from relay 33 to contacts 30 in series and contacts UCLI to line l3, keeping relay 33 energized as long as successive cards agree in their control perforations.

Closure of contacts 33a will complete a circuit to deenergize relays 36 and 31, contacts 33a enabling contacts PI to short-circuit the reset clutch magnet I24 so that only one cycle will take place.

During the reset cycle, the first bill is ad vanced to the position shown in Fig. 8 where the perforated field lies under the brushes 61 and the machine comes to astop. Restarting is-now efiected by closure of the start key contacts ST2 which complete the usual tabulating motor circuit to commence feeding cards. This circuit is traceable from line I1, motor TM, motor relay I I4, tabulating clutch magnet I I5, start relay I I6, start key contacts ST2, motor control relay contacts 31a, now closed, stop key contacts SP, cam contacts P3, to line I3.

A cycle of operation of the tabulator will thus be initiated during which the first card C is advanced to the upper brushes U3 and at the end of the cycle the card will be in the position shown in Fig. 7 with the leading edge under the brushes. Continued depression of the start key will incur a second feed cycle during which the card is advanced to pass the brushes UB to the position of Fig. 8. In so advancing, the account number is read from the card and entered into the account number receiving device through a switching arrangement controlled by the special brush. 7

Just before the 9 index point positions are sensed by brushes UB, brush 68 completes a circuit through the 5 hole 10 in the first card traceable from line I1, contact block 12, 5 hole in the card, brush 68, plug connection I50, contacts L30 (closed while the 5 position is at brush 68), relay I5I, wire I52, to line I3. Relay I5I closes its contacts I5Ia to provide a holding circuit through contacts L32 which keep the relay energized until the index point'positions have passed the brushes UB so that for such period contacts I5Ib are held closed. These contacts are plug connected between the brushes UB which sense the account number columns of the card and the adding magnets 36 as by connections I 53 and I54.

As the card proceeds to pass brushes .UB, entering circuits are completed of which the following is representative: from line I1,contacts T2, common I20, brush UB, connection I53, contacts I5Ib, connection I54, adding magnet 30, break contacts 30a, switch I55, to line I3. In this manner the account number is entered into the several orders of the accumulator as the card passes the brushes UB and such entry will be made only for the first card of'the group which has the special 5 hole.

At the end of the second tabulating cycle, the cards will have advanced to the position of Fig. 8 while the perforated field of the bill B is still under brushes 61. Also during the same cycle, the usual automatic group control mechanism by the account number perforations will have functioned to break the minor control relay circuit and deenergize relay 33, and energize relays 36 and 31, the latter opening its contacts 31a of motor control circuit. The machine accordingly stops.

Comparing circuits The machine is now in readiness to eifect a comparison between the setting of the account number receiving device and the bill. This is Brushes 61 (Fig. '10) are arranged in columns, one for eachcolumn of perforations in the bill and beneath each column of brushes is a conductor I58 and for simplicity of illustration but two columns are shown. Upon operation of key I56 contacts I51 close, completing the comparing circuits as follows. it is assumed that brushes 4| are set to represent For illustrative purposes I account number 13 and the bill B is perforated i with the same number. A circuit is completed from line I3, switch I59, cofritact S2d, tens order conductor I58, "'1 hole in bill B, "7" brush 61, wire I60, wire I6'I, wire I62, brushes 4|, set at""1,

switch I63, wire I64, contacts I51, contacts S20,

relaySZ, wire I65, to line I1. Energization of relay SZ causes opening of its contacts S2d, S20, and closure of its contacts 82c, 82c, and S21), the latter providing a holding circuit fro-m line I1, wire ,I65, relay S2, contacts'S2b, and contacts L23 -to line I3.

A further circuit'is now established from line I3, contacts S2e, units order conductor I56, -"3" hole in the bill, 3 brush 61, heavy line circuit to the 3 segment 42 in the units order, brushes 4|, switch I66, wire I61, contacts S2a, contacts SIb, relay SI, wire I65, to line I1. Thus, if there is agreement, the relays S2 and'SI are energized in succession. If the tens column did not agree, relay S2 would not be energized and the units column would not be tested. SI closes its contacts SIa to set up a holding'circuit through contacts L23.

Relay SI, upon energization, closes itscontacts SId to initiate a total taking and reset cycle,the circuit being traceable from line I3, contacts P3, Sp, Sld, wire I23, contacts II5a', clutch magnet I24, magnet 44, motor RM, to line I1. During the cycle so initiated, totals'are printed, the account number receiving accumulator is reset, and bill B is advanced to the position of Fig. 9 in readiness to receive entries from the card C about to pass the brushes L13. At the same time the next bill is advanced to the sensing brushes 61.

If auto start switch I09 is closed, the machine will enter upon tabulating operations, the start circuit being completed by closure of contacts P2 near the end of the reset cycle, and traceable from line I3, contacts P3, Sp, 31a (now closed), contacts L5,UCLI, P2, switch I09, relay I I6, magnet II5, relay II4, motor TM to line I1. The cards of the first group will now pass brushes LB in succession and the data thereon added and printed in the known manner until the first card of the following group passes the upper brushes.

Just before this first card of the next group passes brushes UB, its special hole 10 causes energization of relay I5I so that the account number will be entered into the receiving device as the card proceeds to pass the brushes. The group control device will detect the group change and cause the machine to stop with the cards and bills in the relative positions of Fig. 9. Key I56 is now depressed again and if agreement is found, the total is printed on the bill, the accumulators cleared, and the next bill advanced in readiness to receive data from the second group of cards.

If upon finding that the card and bill compared do notagree, the operator will manually remove the bill and replace it with the correct one and test again.

It was stated above that the account number receiving device comprised an accumulator adapted for the purpose. To enable the accumulator to again receive successive amounts for addition, it is only necessary to move switches I55, I59, I63,

4 W I 8. and I" to their dotted line positions. With this setting of the switches, the adding magnets a may be plug connected to the lower analyzing brushes and will be energized in the usual manner, together with theprinting magnets I'll, causing displacement of brushes 4| to represent the sum of the amounts entered. During total taking cycles emitter I12 will send impulses through the brushes ll at diiferential times to energize the print magnets III to record the total. These are normal adding and total printing operations, which are well known and need therefore not be described in detail.

With the addition therefore ofthe switches 15 listed, a brush set 61, relays S2, SI and the connecting wiring, a standard so-called bflling tabulator may be adapted to compare the cards and her storing mechanism but may utilize an al-' I} ready available accumulator for the purpose.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indlcated by the scope of the following claims.

Whatis claimed is as follows:

1. In an accounting machine, an entryz'freceiving device having a plurality of denominationally ordered elements, means for entering a.

digit in each, means for simultaneously sensing a plurality of denominationally irdered columns of a record card for digit representing perforations in each, including a plurality of sets of sensing devices, one for each column and each go set corresponding to one of said ordered elements, a circuit connection completed by one of the ordered elements and the related set of sensing devices when the digit entered in said element corresponds to the digit perforation in the re- 5 lated card column, a magnet included in said connection, a second circuit connection partially completed by another of said elements and the related set of sensing devices when the digit entered in said other element corresponds to of the digits, and ii which a digit is represented bya perforation in the related position, means for 16 sensing a record, an entry receiving device having ordered readout sections, one for each record bills without the addition of any special num- 1 mn. en erin means controll d by said sensing means to enter in each section the digit represented in the related column of the record, 20

means for simultaneously sensing all the index point positions in a plurality of columns of a second record including a set of sensing devices for each column sensed, a first comparing means including means for connecting the first one of 25 said readout sections with the set of sensing devices of the related column of the second record,

a normally ineflective, second comparing means including means for connecting the next one of said readout sectlonswith the set of sensing devises of the related column of the second record,

a control element included in and controlled by said first comparing means only when the digit in the connected first section and the digit perforation sensed in the connected set of devices 86 are alike, means controlled by said control element for rendering said second comparing means effective and the first comparing means ineffective, control connections for controlling subsequent operations of the machine, a second control In element included in and controlled by said second comparing means only when the digit in the connected next section and the digit perforation sensed in the connected set of devices are alike, and means controlled by said second .control eleg ment for partially completing said control connections.

HERMANN A. WEINLICH.

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