US2318325A - Letter writing machine - Google Patents

Description

y 1943- F. w. NICHOL ETAL 2,318,325

LETTER WRITING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet l FIGJ.

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LETTER WRITING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

ATTORNEY.

May 4, 1943.

FIG. 6.

F. W. NICHOL ETAL LETTER WRITING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 i "fill? m w m i W FE/w s *8 uunw 3 ATTORNEY.

y 1943- F. w. NICHOL ETAL 2,318,325

LETTER WRITING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1940 7 Sheeis-Sheet 5 FIG] g ?INVENT OR$ BY M ATTORNEY.

May 4, 1943. F. w. NlCHOL ETAL LETTER WRITING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 llll E 5Q E IILSQII EN T085 W ATTORNEY.

T Nm QZDNUJFN y 1943- F. w. NICHOL ETAL 2,318,325

LETTER WRITING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 ATTORNEY.

Patented May 4, 1943 LETTER WRITING MACHINE Frederick W. Nichol New York, and Louis B.

Froneileld, Conklin, N. Y., asslgnors to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 29, 1940, Serial No. 354,632

6 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for automatically transcribing information and, more particularly, to letter writing machines controlled by perforated record tapes.

It is the general object of the instant invention to incorporate improved control means in ordinary automatic letter writing operations.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide improved means for sensing coded data on a record tape for controlling a transcribing apparatus such as a typewriter.

Another object is to provide for selective control of the name and address records in accordance with designated classification numbers as detected by the sensing means.

Still another object resides in the provision oi record sensing means comprising a plurality of sensing brushes and novel means for causing the brushes to traverse the record sheet for the purpose of detecting the perforations therein.

According to the invention, a robot machine for controlling a typewriter is provided with a name and address unit and a form letter unit each having an individual perforated record tape. Only one of the tapes at a time is operable to control the typewriter. A cylindrical sensing device is associated with the tape and has sensing brushes which rotate over the surface of the tape to engage the coded perforations therein. In view of the fact that a typewriter is normally adapted to print but one character at a time, a progressively escaping column selector is provided to complete circuits successively to energize solenoids controlling the operation of the typewriter character keys. Typewriters best suited for this type of control are those having automatic tabulating, carriage return, and line space features which serve to reduce the number of manipulations which would otherwise be necessary in standard letter writing operations. The well known Electromatic typewriter, the principles of which are disclosed in Patent Nos. 1,777,055 and 1,873,512, is readily adapted for such use and will be described hereinafter.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode which is contemplated of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig, 1 is a plan view of the typewriter and robot machine showing the general location of the principal units.

Fig. 2 is a detail section on lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation view of the typewriter and robot.

Fig. 4 shows a magnet control unit in side elevation.

Fig. 5 is a section on lines 55 of Fig. 1 show ing a portion of the drive mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken at 8-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 represents a sectional view along lines 1-1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a sectional detail view of the name and address sensing unit.

Fig. 9 is a section on lines 9-9 of Fig. 8 showing the escapement m chanism associated with the sensing unit.

Fig. 10 is a wiring diagram of the circuits of the machine.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of an Electromatic typewriter mechanism.

Location of the units Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the name and address tape feeding unit, generally designated A, is located directly to the right of a drive unit B which in turn is adjacent a control mechanism C located directly in back of the typewriter D. The form letter tape feeding unit E appears at the left of the control mechanism C and is ar ranged to be operatively connected with the drive unit B for tape feeding purposes. All of the units just named are mounted on a common base I 5, and the control and drive mechanisms are provided with a suitable housing I6.

The control tapes The form letter unit and the name and address unit are provided with control tapes 20 and 20a respectively. The tapes are of dielectric material, such as paper. It is proposed to use tabulating card stock for this purpose because of its freedom from conductive impurities. Each tape is pre-punched according to a given code which for our purposes may be assumed to be the same as that used to represent alphabetical characters in the well known Holle'rith accounting machine systems. Accordingly, each tape may be considered as comprising a plurality of sections corresponding to the ordinary tabulating card. Each section is divided into vertical columns with twelve index point positions to a column usually designated R, X, 0 to 9 running from top to bottom. Each column has the capacity for representing one digit or one alphabetical character. A digit is represented by a single perforation in one of the index point positions 0 to 9. An

alphabetic character is represented by two perforations, one of which lies within the R, X, group of index point positions and another of which lies within the 1 to 9 group. For example, the code for "A" is R and 1, for B R and 2, etc. Combinations not used for characters may be employed for special functions such as carriage return, shift, and tabulating. A complete layout of such a coding arrangement is disclosed in the Lake and Hamilton Patent No. 2,240,562 issued May 6, i941, and reference thereto is recommended should a more detailed explanation be desired.

It is contemplated that one typewritten line of information will be formed from each section of tape. The name and address tape will be rendered active only when the form letter tape becomes inactive and vice versa so that the control of the typewriter is from only one tape at a time. The necessary interlocking controls for insuring this condition will be described later.

Because of the fact that a fewer number of characters are generally required for a line of name and address information than for a full letter line, the name and address tape may be made considerably narrower than the form letter tape. However, the name and address tape is made sufiiciently wide to have room for a classificatlon number so as to provide for pre-selection of the names and addresses to be printed. Aside from the difference in width, the two tapes are essentially the same, have similar mountings, a common drive means, and similar data sensing mechanism. It therefore seems appropriate to avoid duplication in the description which i'ollows by confining the explanation principally to the name and address unit, the similarity of the two units being ever kept in mind.

The typewriter The typewriter which is disclosed in the present embodiment of the invention, as mentioned before, and which is particularly adapted for electrical control from sources such as perforated tapes, is the well known Electromatic typewriter, the operating mechanism of which is represented in Fig. 11.

Briefly, the depression of a typewriter character key 6 releases a latch 1 from a cam 3 permitting a spring-pressed lever 9 to move the cam against the continuously rotating motor-driven shaft Ill. The cam is rotated by frictional contact with the shaft in a direction to cause the rocking of the cam carrier II and the depression of a link i2. Cam units are located both at the front and rear of power shaft in order to make a more compact structure. The direction of rotation of the shaft, as indicated by the arrow, remains the same. Therefore, the rear cams, when tripped, are rotated in a direction opposite to that of the front cams. Regardless of this difference in direction of rotation, the effect is to depress a link l2 to, rock a linkage l3 to propel a type bar it towards platen 23, causing the type on the type bar to print on whatever record sheet may be positioned on the platen.

The carriage return key CR (Fig. 1) operates carriage return means such as disclosed in Patent No. 1,955,614. The cam 3 which operates the carriage return mechanism is of somewhat different shape in that it has only one lobe instead of two as the cams associated with the character keys have. This is illustrated by the right-hand cam 8 in Fig. 11. The principle of operation is essentially the same with the exception that the carriage return operation requires a full revolution of the related cam 8, whereas an ordinary character printing operation necessitates but one-half revolution.

The tabular mechanism, operated by a tab key TAB (Fig. 1), is of the type disclosed in Patent No. 1,935,436.

As is well known, the ordinary hold-down shift key SH (Fig. 1) is depressed to cause a capital case shift of the type and must be continued to be held down to maintain the type in capital case position.

For each of the character keys 6, the space bar SP, the carriage return key CR, the TAB key. the shift key SH, and for any other typewriter key to be operated automatically, as well as manually, a solenoid S0 is provided. Solenoid SO when energized depresses its associated key or bar to effect the same operation as when the key or bar is manually depressed. In letter writing operations the solenoids are selectively energized under control of the data perforations or designations of tapes 20, 20a in a manner which will now be considered.

Robot The robot comprises means for reading out the designations punched in the tapes into equivalent functions of the typewriter.

First of all, it must be remembered that only one of the tapes is active at a time. This condition may be assured by the provision of control contacts 24, 25 which are arranged to be operated from a cam 26 on the platen 23. It is obvious that a settable means controlled from the keyboard might also be employed, the cam means being shown merely as an example. The contour of cam 26 is cut according to the portion of the letter which is to receive name and address printing and to the portion in which the body of the letter is to appear, the cam effecting a change in the condition of contacts 24, 25 during rotation of platen 23 in the normal course of line spacing operations. The circuits will be explained hereinafter.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it is seen that the name and address tape 20a is mounted in position over sprocket drive wheels 21 and 28 and under idle sprocket wheels 29 floating on a contact rotor 32. The tape is then connected to take up wheel 33 which is provided with a continuou friction drive by virtue of belt connection 34 with drive pulley 35. The drive pulley is operated from continuously running mechanism comprising motor 40 operatively connected to shaft I! (Fig. 6), gears Ila, 18a, vertical shaft l8, gear [8b, Ila, and shaft IS. The motor 40 is put in operation by the closing of a start switch 3| located near the keyboard (Fig. 1), and causes shaft l3 to be rotated constantly in a clockwise direction. Drive pulley 35 is geared to the end of shaft I3 by gears and 94, and is therefore rotated whenever the tape feed is operated. Shaft I1 is iournaled in parallel standards I50 and lib (Fig. 7) extending upwardly from base It. The leftward end of shaft H is geared to drive the form letter unit E.

Assume now, by way of example, that a record sheet in the typewriter has been fed into the name and address printing position and that contacts 24 have closed as shown in Fig. 2 by virtue of the rotation of cam 28 along with platen 2a to this position. At this time the letterform circuits are broken by the opening of contacts 25.

The name and address unit is now rendered active by electrical impulses which set certain mechanisms in motion, the first of which is the contact rotor or address cylinder 32. The circuits will be described later. Cylinder I! is released for rotation in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. 8) by the energization of clutch magnet I which in turn attracts armature 43 permitting dog 44 to engage with a continuously turning single tooth ratchet ll which is fixed to shaft iI. 'Ihe engagement of dog 44 with ratchet ll is aided by the bias of spring 4'.

Associated with the address cylinder 82 is a carriage 41 (Fig. 7), which is shown in its fully restored position. The restoring means for the carriage includes cam ll which is fixed to a shaft 4! iournaled in frame members ilc, ild (Fig. 6) Just beneath the base II. Shaft 42 is geared to the continuously running mechanism by gear connection 31. A roller 4| (Fig. 7) carried by a slide II is located so as to be engaged by the rotating cam ll which causes the slide to be moved to its extreme leftward position. The slide 50 carries a stud ii to which the carriage operating arm I! is loosely connected. The lower end of arm I! is pivoted in a bearing I3 and the upper end of the arm is bifurcated to engage a grooved pin it fastened to carriage ll. Springs II are provided for the purpose of urging the carriage to the right during sensing operations and for opposing the carriage restoring operations initiated by cam 48. Carriage rollers 38 and II ride on members it and II which serve to guide the movements of the carriage.

In order to maintain the carriage in its restored position, a latch ll is provided. The latch is in the form of a bell crank, being pivoted at II and having a spring ll connected at its lower end so as to bias it in a clockwise direction. The latch is rotated to a limited extent in a counterclockwise direction upon energization of carriage trip magnet II. The extent of movement is sufficient to cause the latch It to release the slide II for movement to the right, as viewed in Fig. 'I. so as to permit the carriage to space to column one where it is arrested by a spring-pressed dog is controlled from a cam ll (Fig. 5) adapted to be clutched in with shaft i'I upon energization of clutch magnet Ii which, it will be remembered, is energized to eilect a revolution of the address cylinder 32. During a revolution of cam It, a cam follower arm Ila is actuated which in turn rocks a bell crank arm ll (Fig. 9). Clockwise motion imparted to bell crank II is transmitted through linkage Ila, Ilb to lower a springpressed escapement pawl 18c into a tooth of rack 0 and simultaneously to raise dog I! clear of the rack. Just after the dog is clear of the rack. the bell crank II is moved back to its original position. causing the escapement pawl Ilc to be removed from rack 03 and to permit dog I! to seek the next tooth in the rack. It will be noted that the carriage is thus permitted to escape one tooth for each revolution of the address cylinder 32 since both the escapement and cylinder movements depend upon the energization of clutch magnet l I.

In order to provide for selection of the names and addresses to be printed from those not to be printed, a classification number is punched in each section of the tape. For purposes of illustration, columns 1 to 15 of the tape are allotted effective. That is, the classification number in the tape must agree with the set-up in the plugboard before the various printing control circuits. to be described hereinafter, may become operative.

Columns 17 to 24, which have been set aside for classification control purposes, are not aff'cted by the address carriage but receive their ele trical impulses from a set of brushes '4 directly mounted on the address cylinder 32. A group of contacts,'generally designated 80 (Fig. 10) and provided with a pair of contacts for each column from 17 to 24, may be connected through the plugboard PB for control purposes. Contacts .8 are part of a series of trip latch magnet assemblies 81 (Fig. 4) of control unit C and are conirolled by cams N mounted on shaft iI extended. The cams ll engage operating levers II to break contacts It. When magnets 81 are energized, the related armatures 1i become attracted to cause levers II to be lowered about their fulcrum points "a by gravity and springs 12 so as to close contacts N. Then, when the high point of cams BI engage levers Iii, these levers are restored, breaking the contacts 88 once mcre. Only if the proper ones of contacts II are operated, according to the plugging set-up, may the carriage trip magnet 6i be energized. Another condition must also be fulfilled, namely, that the arriage is fully restored to close contacts II (Fig. 7) which are operated by slide '0. Contacts It control the energization of the magnets Bl by virtue of being in the common circuit thereto Fig. 10).

Now. assuming that with the first counterclo'lzwise movement of cylinder 32 the interpretaiicn agrees with the set-up, then the cariiage trip magnet will be energized and the carrises 41 will escape one column to the right and break c ntacts I3. By energizing the carriage tr p magnet and attracting the armature 58, a pair of contacts I4 are made (Fig. 7) which hold the trip magnet ll energized until the end of the name and address sensing operation. Contacts I5, assrciated with contacts H, are arranged to be opened by the energization of magnet 6i to prevent tipping the tape clutch magnet at the end of each cycle of the sensing cylinder 32.

The sensing mechanism in itself, as already dcs'ribrd in part. consists of the rotatable cylindex 32. provided with a brush 65 for each column, a column by column distributor includin transversely moving carriage 41 to interpret the columns progressively by means of sensing fingers 82 mounted on top of the carriage and a plurality of stationary bars 8i of conducting material, one i each indrx print position in a column, to rec'ive impulses and direct them to trip latch mag nets 87a which are operated similarly to the magnets 61 for classification control operations which were already described. The lower ends of sensing fingers 82 engage stationary conductin bars '3, one i:r each finger. to complete the various cithi s f'r directing sensing impulses to the magnets 61a. Contacts 88a are operated by magnets B'a t complete selective circuits to the character key solenoids S0 to effect printing. The interpreting trip magnet latches are restored at the end of every cycle of the cylinder as the carriage travels from column 1 to column 15 (last column of address information), and during the next cycle of the cylinder the carriage will move a limited distance beyond the 15th column to operate what may be called last column contacts. These contacts are designated 84, 85, and 88.

By the opening of contacts 84, the entire sensing circuit, which also includes the cylinder clutch magnet 4|, is broken. Immediately upon deenergization of magnet 4|, the cylinder 92 is arrested by reason of the fact that dog 44 latches up on armature 43.

Last column contacts 88 close upon escapement of the carriage from the last address column and energize a tape clutch magnet 81 (Fig. 5) which in turn breaks its associated contacts 88 to prevent reenergization of the cylinder clutch magnet at this time. The mechanism involved here comprises a contact lockout arm 89 acting on a cam 98 mounted for rotation with the tape feed drum 21. Magnet 81 is equipped with an armature 8i which trips pawl 92 into continuously turning ratchet 93 thereby feeding tape 28a to the next interpreting position by means of gears 84, 88. and 98. The gear ratio is such that the tape feed shaft 91 is rotated one revolution for every half revolution of the tape drums.

Last column contacts 88 close to energi e a carriage return magnet I88 (Fig. '1) and return the carriage to its fully restored position by attracting armature IM to permit dog I82 to engage ratchet I83 thereby rotating carriage return cam 48 to restore carriage 41. However, since the carriage trip magnet BI is still energized, the carriage moves immediately to the first column position. Contacts 88 also cause energization of the carriage return solenoid of the Electromatic typewriter which effects a line spacing of the paper in the typewriter one line.

The usual name and address information requires three lines, one for the name and two for the address, so that three complete interpreting operations just like that described above take place with a line space of the typewriter sheet following each such operation. After the name and address information has been interpreted, cam 26 on platen 28 causes contacts 28 to open and contacts 24 to close a circuit to the form letter sensing unit E. The operations involved in interpreting data from the form letter tape 28 are similar to those described, except that classification is omitted, and it is therefore believed that they need not be further explained.

Circuits The various circuits of the machine are quite simple and are in fact almost obvious from the description of operations given above. However, it is believed that a few representative circuits should be listed here with reference to Fig. 10 to insure a better understanding of the invention. All of the circuits are connected from conductors 98 and 98 which lead to positive and negative terminals, respectively, of a power sup- Address cylinder clutch circuit-This circuit is from positive conductor 98, contacts 28 which are closed for name and address operations, contacts 84 and 88 also now closed, conductor I84, cylinder clutch magnet 4i, to negative conductor 88. The purpose of this circuit is to energize magnet 4i to set the address cylinder 32 in rotation.

Classification circuit-During the first cycle fof operation of the address cylinder circuits are completed for testing the classification number as follows: from positive conductor 98, contacts 28, 84, and 88 now closed, conductor I84 through common brush C, to the right-hand showing of the sensing cylinder 92. brushes 84, through holes in tape 28a in corresponding columns to conducting bars 8|, plug hubs II8 of plugboard PB, and from there by plug wires to column magnet hubs II2. column magnets 81, contacts 18, to negative conductor 89. There are two diagrammatic showings of the sensing cylinder in Fig. 10 for the sake of convenience. The righthand view is concerned with classification control alone and the left-hand view with normal character interpretation. Each of these showings has a letter "A" beside it to indicate that it is part of the name and address unit. The circuits just traced bring about the energization of certain of the column magnets 81 and the closure of their contacts 88.

Carriage trip circuit.Ifthe classification number on the tape agrees with'the'plugging set-up of plugboard PB, a circuit is completed through the plugged ones of contacts 88 to energize the carriage trip magnet 8| as follows: from positive conductor 98, contacts 28, conductors I88, I81, through contacts 88 which are now closed, and connected in series by plug wires, circuit breaker CB8, magnet ii, to negative conductor 89. Once the trip magnet is energized, it will be remembered, the carriage 41 is moved to the first column position and breaks the classiflcation circuit by opening contacts 18.

Name and address sensing circuit-A representative circuit is from positive conductor 88. contacts 28, 84, and 88, common brush C, cylinder 82, brush 68, hole in tape 28a, in the corresponding column, conducting bar 8i, magnet 81a. common wire I88, to negative conductor 89. Energization of any of the magnets 81a causes closure of its associated contacts 88a which connect directly with the key solenoids S0 of the typewriter. Printing of the letter "A", for example requires the closure of the contacts 86a in the 1 and R positions. This simply means that magnets 81a for these positions must be picked up by the sensing brushes 88 through holes in the tape in the 1 and R positions.

Tape clutch circuit-Contacts 18 are opened to prevent the tape clutch from becoming operative to feed the tape when the carriage is tripped, that is. unless the carriage is in the last column in which event contacts 88 close a shunt circuit about contacts 18.

Carriage return and line space circuit-Comtacts 88 close an obvious circuit to energize carriage return magnet I88 and the Electromatic typewriter carriage return solenoid to effect a line space of the sheet at the platen of the typewriter.

Circuit breakers.The circuit breakers CBI, CB2, CB3 are continuously rotating, being mounted on shaft I1 (Fig. 7). Since the address cylinder 82 is clutched into shaft l1 by means of the single tooth ratchet 48 into which dog 44 engages, it is seen that there is always a fixed timing relationship between the circuit breakers and the engaged cylinder 82. CBI and CB! should be made for the duration of the sensing of the index point positions on the tape. CB2 is made for a relatively brief period following the sensing portion of the cycle so that if the classification number has not agreed the tape will be fed a predetermined amount. Note that contacts 88 are opened to render the cylinder clutch 4I inoperative when the tape clutch is operative. It will be remembered that these contacts are held open for a further period by mechanism associated with cam 80 (Fig. so as to insure the idleness oi the address cylinder while the tape is feeding.

As for the form letter sensing circuits, these become active when platen contacts 24 close. A sensing cylinder and circuits to magnets 81 are provided, the letter "E" being placed by the cylinder to denote that it belongs to the form letter unit. Certain of the contacts 860 are energized singly or in combination to eflect operation of the typewriter key solenoids in the manner previously described.

The combinational arrangement for selection of the typewriter solenoids has been worked out in Fig. for character printing alone. The special operations such as carriage return, shift, tabulating, etc. can easily be added by supplying extra contacts on the contacts 66a in the R and X positions, for example, to provide for additional combination. It is believed suflicient to state for purposes of the disclosure herein, that all of the typewriter operations are contemplated to be read from the tape, in coded combinations as taught by the aforementioned U. S. Patent No. 2,240,562, this feature per se forming no part of the present invention.

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 in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described; a typewriter unit, a data tape bearing coded data perforations arranged in columns thereon, a data sensing unit comprising a rotating contact cylinder on one side of said data tape, means for rotating said contact cylinder, a plurality of sensing brushes mounted on said cylinder for rotation therewith, a plurality of stationary contact elements located on the opposite side of the tape from the contact cylinder and arranged to be contacted by the brushes as they engage perforations in the tape during each rotation of the cylinder, positionable circuit selecting means connected electrically with said typewriter unit for engaging different predetermined ones of the contact elements for each position of said means, and means for synchronizing the positioning of the selecting means with the rotation of the cylinder. in order to effect a change of position of the selecting means for each revolution of the cylinder, to complete individual circuits from the brushes through the data perforations and the contact elements to the typewriter unit to contro the latter unit in accordance with the data represented by the perforations on the tape.

2. In a machine of the class described: a typewriter uni't; a record sheet having a plurality of record forms divided into columns and bearing item designations disposed in said columns, one item to a column, a rotatable conductor and means for rotating the same, a plurality of electrical analyzin brushes mounted in a row along said corductor and on one side of the record sheet for analyzing the item designations in the sheet while in rotation, one of said brushes being provided for each column of the record sheet, a

plurality of rows of stationary conductive elements, one row for each column of the record sheet, located on the opposite side of the record sheet from the brushes and arranged to be brought into electrical contact with said brushes upon the sensing of item designations in related positions on said sheet, a plurality of sensing fingers, a carriage for said fingers, and means for advancing the carriage the equivalent distance of one column for each revolution of the conductor to cause the sensing fingers to contact the rows of conductive elements in sequence to establish momentary control of the typewriter unit by each of the item designations in turn.

3. In a machine of the class described; a sensing unit for sensing coded perforations on a record tape, including a plurality of spaced electrical brushes, a cylindrical carrier for said brushes, means for rotating said carrier so as to cause said brushes to wipe across the surface of one side of the tape to encounter the perforations, individual conductive members located on the other side of the tape adapted to be brought into momentary electrical contact with said brushes upon encountering said perforations, a plurality of sensing elements, a carriage mounting said elements, and means for moving the carriage in timed relation with each revolution of the carrier to cause said elements to contact different predetermined groups of the conductive members in sequence and to cooperate with the brushes and said members at the moment of contact to complete the sensing of the data perforations.

4. In a machine of the class described; a sensing unit for sensing coded perforations on a record tape, including a plurality of spaced electrical brushes, a cylindrical carrier for said brushes, means for rotating said carrier so as to cause said brushes to wipe across the surface of one side of the tape to encounter the perforations, individual conductive members located on the other side of the tape and adapted to be brought into momentary electrical contact with said brushes upon encountering said perforations, a plurality of sensing elements, a carriage mounting said elements for movement into engagement with different predetermined groups of the conductive members in sequence, carriage latching means for maintaining the sensing elements out of contact with said members, a presettable control means effective during the first revolution of the carrier in accordance with the presence of certain perforations in the tape for tripping the latching means, and means for moving the carriage step by step during further revolutions of the carrier to cause the sensing elements to engage said different predetermined groups of conductive members in sequence to complete the sensing of other data perforations.

5. In combination, a typewriter unit; sensing means for sensing coded perforations on a record tape includin a plurality of spaced electrical brushes, a rotatable carrier for said brushes, and means for rotating the same so as to cause the brushes to sweep across settable classification control means active during the first passage of the brushes over the perforations in accordance with the presence of perforations corresponding to the preset classification, for releasing the carriage from the restraining means; and yieldable drive means for said carriage effective upon a release thereof to cause the contact fingers to successively engage ditlerent groups of the conductive bars in order to complete the sensing of other perforations in the tape as these perforations are encountered by the brushes during further revolutions of the carrier, to control the typewriter unit in accordance with the data represented by said perforations.

6. In a machine or the class described controlled by records perforated at selected index point positions in their diflerent columns, character manifesting means including a set of electromagnetically operated selecting devices, there being one of said selecting devices for each of the index positions of any one column of the record, analyzing means comprising, for each column of the record, a set of stationary independent contact elements on one side of the record opposite the respective index point positions and a traveling contact element adapted to move in contact with the opposite side of the record along the set 01' stationary contact elements, so as to make contact with any of the latter when a perforation in the record sheet is encountered, shiftable connecting means adapted to connect the stationary contact elements pertaining to the analyzing means of any column of the record individually to the related selecting devices, and means to shift said connecting means from one set of said stationary contacts to another.

FREDERICK W. NICHOL. LOUIS H. FRONEFIELD.

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