US2386423A - Code presentation register - Google Patents

Description

R. T. BLAKELY Oct. 9, 1945.

CODE PRESENTATION REGISTER Filed May 4, 1944 I! Eww 2 2520mm E3555 INVENTOR ROBERT T BLAKELY.

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 9, 1945 2,386,423 CQDE PRESENTATION REGISTER Robert T Blalcely, Silver Spring,

lira, assignor to International Business Machines Corporatlon, New York, N. Y.,

York

a corporation of New 7 Application May 3, 1944, Serial No. 534,133 6 i'llalms. (Cl. 235-l25l This invention relates to photographic record-- ing machines and more particvlarly .to the type wherein numerical data may he photographicaiiv recorded on a film by coded designations on a frame thereon. Such coded designations are utilioeci to control statistical tabvlating machines and the like.

In one aspect, the invention relates to a photographic recording system for providing coclecl digit representations on 9. Elm corresponding to the numerical represents-tics an'item counter but in its broader aspects it is not limited to an item counter, and equivalent structures may he utilized.

I has been proposed heretofore to record on a. film coded digit representing designations of tievices which have been clifierentially set'either manually or by control devices, in the machine, but to extend the usefulness of the tahulating system controlled by coded designations on films it is ciesirahle to secure coded designations on films which correspond with the numerical data on data representing wheelslt'would, of course, not'oe feasible to photograph the spots if they were placed on a digit representing wheel in view of the fact that a plane surface could not he photographed and the digit representations would not occurat the required differential positions on the film. The recession of the spot representation from either side away from the position immediately in frontof the camera, or which would ordinarily constitute the digit reading line would not enable the oeslrecl spot representation on the film at the required olifiereritially located positions, and if so recorded would appear distorted on the film.

This disadvantage is overcome by the present structure which consists of a. tape, hancl, or the like geared to he cirlven by the related eligit representing wheel, said tape carrying a spot representation to be photographed. According to the successive digit positions oi the wheel the spot representation on the band is located at the reqoired difierential digit representing positions and the recording on the frame of the film enables the similar photographic recording.

item counters, accumulators, etc, utilized in the caluculating machine art, usually comprise a series of wheels and with the present improvement applied. to such devices a plurality of bands, strips, tapes, or the like are provided. These hands are mounted in juxtaposition and a portion of each is extended in a straight line to present a. plane area immediately in front of the camera which constitutes the photographic area. Within resetting of such devices whether this area the spots are difierentially be photographed on the film.

This construction can he var-led in many ways and the present disclosure should not be con.- sidered as the only Way of carryhig out the basic idea. Irrespective of the variations the important feature of securing a. plane photographic area can be derived by the use or a tape, hand, strip, or the like driven by relate-cl cligit wheel.

The provision of an endless tape further eh= ables the uni-directional rotation of the type representing wheels, essential in ac emulators or item counters to accumulate t me on rice therein. The provision of the endless ta linther enables it is effected by rotation of the wheels in the same oirection as digit entries are made therein or in a reverse direction. 'Further, unit carries may he carriecl Without confilict.

Accorclingly, the main object of the present invention is the provision of means setta'ole by the rlifierential rotation of item wheels of. item counter, digit representing wheels or an accumulator or the like to effect a spot representation in a plane photographic area for recording on o, film the numerical representation in statistical code.

A more specific object of the invention resides in the provision of a plurality of tapes or hands carrying said spot representations and arranging the tape or band in juxtaposition and in such fashion that they furnish a plane photographic area.

Still further objects reside in the specific construction of the tape or hands, the material therefor, the mountings therefor and the specific-a1- rangement which eficiently fulfills the object to derive simplicity in design.

Other objects or" the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims ahcl illustrates in the accompanying drawing, which discloses, by Way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been con.- temple-ted, of applying that principle.

in the drawing:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic representation of a series or digit representing Wheels, the associated spot representing bands and also shows diagrammatically a camera for photographing the spot representations.

Fig. 2 is a front View showing the front register plate, with the appearance of the spot representetions on the bands constituting the photographic area.

- Fig. 3 is a fragmentary portion of the film disposed to granted January 15, 1924,

showing the appearance and location of the numeral representing spots on a frame.

The present invention is particularly useful in connection with telephone registers or counters. Such registers 01' item counters may be of the well known Veeder type, one form of which is shown in patent to C. H. Veeder, No. 1,480,738, although other types of item counters may work equally well. Each telephone subscriber has an associated counter which is actuated a unit each time that a telephone call is made. As utilized in a telephone accounting system, banks of such counters have been used, one for each subscriber. At the termination of an accounting period, the reading of the counter is obtained and the total numerical value provides the basis for making out the subsequent telephone bill. It is usually the practice to make an additional charge if the number of telephone calls exceeds the predetermined amount established in the contract with the user..

When the card controlled tabulating system is used as a basis for making the telephone bills, it

has been the practice to read the numerical representation on the counting wheels and then punch a tabulating card which is utilized to control subsequent tabulating and billing operations.

By the incorporation of the present improvement the numerical value of the counter may be transcribed to a photographic film to control such billing and accounting operations.

Referring now to the preferred embodiment, reference numerals l0 represent a series of digit representing wheels and in the case of a counter the units wheel is actuated a unit for each counting operation. As is well known, upon the passage of a wheel through zero, a units transfer is effected to the next higher wheel and so on. This is the conventional units transfer mechanism for such type of counter and is well known.

Such digit wheels may also constitute wheels of an accumulator or other digit representing device. Whether such wheels have associated transfer mechanism therebetween or are simply rotated to digit representing positions to effect the storage of a numerical value i immaterial. The essential feature is that digit representing wheels are utilized.

Encircling each digit representing wheel is a tape, band, or strip H which is preferably endless when the wheels are rotated uni-directionally. The band i l, as it will hereinafter be designated, is substantially the width of the digit representing wheel and is provided with marginal feeding holes 12 received by the gear teeth i3 which-may be an integral part of each representing wheel or part of a gear attached to said wheel. The endless band ll passes around a series of rollers i5, i5, 16, ll so as to obtain free travel of the same by the rotation of the digit representing wheel. Each band consists of one or more sections, the length of each section being equal to thecircumierence of the wheel which drives the band. Each section of the band is provided with an opaque spot representation l8.

The connections between the wheel and the associated band are such that for each successive digit position of the wheel the band will move in a straight line to the distance of one unit. If the wheel is arranged to accumulate decimal entries, the ten digit receiving steps of movement given to the wheel will effect ten steps of movement of the band I i and therefore the spot representation 58 carried thereby. Therefore, between the upper and lower limits of the position of the located at differential locations of numerical code designations in the Hollerith code. This will be clear from Fig. 1 wherein it will be seen that the three left hand spot representations have been positioned to represent 531 in the Hollerlth code.

Preferably the bands are arranged in juxtaposition and are so spaced apart according to the denominational columns of the spot representation on the film. The photographic area in one dimension is threfore dependent upon the number of bands arranged in juxtaposition and the vertical dimension of the photographic area is the length of each band between the-rollers I6 and I7. Therefore, with the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 a photographic area constituting a plane surface is provided. I

This photographic area is preferably arranged in front of the digit representing wheels, the width of the bands being sufllcient to cover the wheels. When the digit representing wheels are mounted as a unitary structure with a register cover l9, the spot representations It will appear as shown in Fig. 2. The front register cover may be provided with longitudinal windows 20 through which such spot representations appear and other integral parts of the front cover may be utilized to effectively conceal or cover the gear teeth I3 of the digit representing wheels and the feeding holes l2 of the tapes i i.

In the present drawing, for illustrative purposes, the spots i8 are shown as dark portions on a light background but-in actual practice the reverse may be provided. That is to say, the background may be black with the spots appearing as the color of the tape which is preferably white. The final record on the photographic film will then appear reverse to Fig. 3 or as a white spot on a black background, or as a negative film.

If so desired the digits may remain on the periphery of the wheel and appear through a. semi-translucent band. Therefore, at the reading line (the 5 line of Fig. 1) the digit representations of the wheels may be read through the tape and be photographed on the film appearing rather lightly as shown dotted in Figs. 2 and 3 so as not to interfere with the statistical control operations. With this modification, verification of the digit representations of the Wheels can 'be provided, in case it is necessary to check this from the viewpoint of accuracy.

01' course, where the endless band is made up of several sections as described, any section of the tape may be utilized for the photographic area.

The manner of gearing the tape and the digit representing wheels is preferably of the arrangement shown wherein it will be seen that at the tangential point of contact the gear teeth 13 pass through the feeding holes ii of the band II. If so desired the band may partially surround the digit representing wheels so that more gear teeth will pass through the feeding holes of the band to secure a more positive drive. With this construction the photographic area will then not be this point of'gearing connection and another section of the band may then be utilized. The above is merely an explanation of a modification which is obvious and which will not require further showing. In the same way, other changes may be made, all of which are within the spirit of the invention.

Associated with the arrangement just described and which is diagrammatically illustrated. The recording camera is aligned by aligning pins 21 of the camera seated in holes 22 of the register cover. Thus, the photographic area and the spot representations are photographed on the film 23 which is advanced to the extent of one frame after each picture. The same camera C may always be associated with the same register or the camera may be selectively associated with a plurality of registers of the counting bank. thereby obtaining on the film a transcription of the numerical representation of a series of registers.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention, as applied to a single embodiment, 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 claimedis:

1. In an arrangement for obtaining simultane ously a photographic record of a digit value indication and a coded representation of the same digit value indication, a counting element carrying opaque digit value indications positionable to be visible at a reading line, and a transparent band in front of said element through which such digit value indication are visible, bearing an opaque spot and movable correspondingly with such counting element to cause said opaque spot to be variably positioned from'a datum line to digit representing positions corresponding to the digit value indication at said reading line.

2. In a device for obtaining simultaneously a numerical and coded representation of the same digit value comprising an item counter carrying digit value representations, a transparent band through which the digit value representations are visible, tangential to the item counter and bearing an opaque spot, and driving means interposed between said item counter and transparent band so that the opaque spot is variably positioned with relation to the point oftangency according to the value of the digit value representation on the item counter which is visible at the point of tangency.

3. In an apparatus for obtaining on a film a photographic recording of digit representations in code, a series of axially aligned rotatable digit representing wheels. of an accumulator or item counter, each wheel of which is rotatable unidirectionally to accumulate or count successive digit entries therein represented by digit representations inscribed on the wheel circumference, a transparent band through which the digit representations of the related wheel are visible and carrying a spot representation in an area to be photographed to represent by a diilerentially disposed coded designation on the film thecorrespending numerical representation of the related wheel, means for adiacently mounting said bands toiprovide in front or said wheels a photographic area in which all the diflerentlal p ns of the spots and their corresponding digit representation on the wheel circumference may appear through said transparent band for photographic reproduction, and gearing means carried by each wheel cooperating with feeding holes of the related band for moving said band and the spot carried thereby to different digit representing positions in the photographic area corresponding to the digit representations of the wheel appearing through said band.

"4. In an arrangement for obtaining simulta-- neously a photographic record of a digit value indication and a coded spot representation thereof, a digit representing element carrying opaque digit value indications, and a transparent band in front of said element positionable concomitantly with said element and of sufflcient transparency to enable said digit value indications to be visible through said band for a photographic reproduction readable on a film but unresponsive as a control means for a film-controlled machine, and carrying an opaque spot differentially positionable to correspond in its coded digit representation with the digit value at the reading line and when photographed efiecting a spot representation on a film responsive as a control means for said film-controlled machine.

5. In an arrangement for obtaining simultaneously a photographic record of a digit value indication and a coded representation of the same digit value, a digit representing element carrying opaque digit value indications positionable at a reading line, and a transparent band positionable concomitantly with said element through which said opaque digit value indications are readable and bearing an apaque spot positionable differentially to represent by a coded representation the digit value readable at the printing line, said digit value indication readable at the reading line comprising means for visually verifying the coded representation.

6. In an apparatus for obtaining on a Him a photographic digit representation in code simultaneously with a corresponding digit representation, a series of digit representing wheels of an accumulator or item counter to accumulate or count digit entries therein represented by digit representations inscribed on the wheel circumference, a transparent band for each wheel and carrying a spot representation in an area to be photographed to represent the corresponding digit representation of the related wheel by a coded spot designation photographed on the film in a well defined outline responsive as a control means for film-controlled machines, means to dispose said transparent band in front of the related wheel to enable said inscribed digit representations to be visible through said band to be photographed simultaneously with the spot representation but reduced in definition according to the transparency of the band to provide a readable outline unresponsive for controlling the aforesaid film-controlled machine, and means to drive said band concomitantly with the related wheel to move the spotcarried thereby to different digit representing positions in the photographic area.

ROBERT T. BLAKELY.

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