US2387863A - Tabulator - Google Patents

Description

A. F. TURNER TABULATOR Filed May 25, 1945 5 Sheets- Sheet 2 FIGS FIG 4 INVENTOR ALBERT F. TURNER BY j/ 4 LA? ATTORNE Y oct-.30, 1945.

A. F. TURNER TABULATOR Filed May 25, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 mvENroR ALBERT R TURNER BY. ATTORNEY Oct. 30, 1945. A. F. TURNER 2,387,863

' l TABULATOR Filedmay 25, 1945 54 shets-sheet 4 FIG. 7

mvENToR ALBERT TURNER 5 map24/fm1.;

ATTORNEY A. F. TURNER TABULATOR Filed May 25, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 mw 'Il NVENTOR ALBERT F TURNER By j/ ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 30, 1945 TABULATOR Albert F. Turner, Herkimer, N. Y., assignor to Remington Rand Inc., Buialo, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application May 25, 1943, Serial No. 488,404

21 Claims.

This invention relates to stacking devices, and in particular to card stacking as carried out in card controlled business machines.

While the invention, for the purpose of illustration, is shown in its relation to certain parts of card controlled business machines, it is understood that it may be applied wherever it is desired to stack plain or perforated cards, or sheets of any size, in alignment. In a card controlled tabulating machine of the type disclosed in the U. S. patent to William W. Lasker, Jr., Executor, and John Mueller, No. 2,323,816 (Figs. 1, 3, and 18), the U. S. patent to Lasker, 2,044,119, and card punching machines as shown in U. S. patents to Lasker, No. 2,044,707, and Mixer, No. 2,214,029 (Figs. 4, 6, and 36), the cards are fed from a magazine through the machine into a storage hopper. Even though the hopper may be approximately the size of the cards, the latter, as they fall into said hopper, tend to settle with their edges out of alignment, and it is usually necessary to rap the edges of the stack on a flat surface to bring the cards into alignment preparatory to further use. Cards in a stack, even though the pile be small, cling closely to each other and, as the stack is held in the hands and rapped on a flat surface, the frictional resistance of the cards that protrude from the stack, causes the edges of said cards to become broken down and thickened as they are being forcedinto alignment with the cards of the stack.

In a card controlled business machine, the cards usually pass through a restricted throat opening in leaving the card chamber and, as shown in Fig. 1 of Patent No. 2,044,119 to Lasker, are required to pass through closely spaced guide plates and analyzing means. Any abnormally thickened leading edges of the cards, occasioned by rapping the stack to align said edges, will cause the cards to jam or fail to pass through the throat of the machine, which throat is set to admit but one card at a time.

As the cards are handled, they accumulate static electricity which, combined with a natural tendency to adhere to each other, retards their quick individual selection in machine operations. In the present invention the stacking and aligning means is directed to the accumulation of the cards in a pile or stack, with a minimum of fricltion between the cards.

An object of the invention is to provide a stacking device which will stack or align the cards evenly as they fall into the card hopper.

Another object is to provide, in the stacking device, card tapping means which will strike the edge of the card witha snap or accelerated action blow to align it with the previously received cards,

and at the same time dissipate some of the staticV electricity accumulated in the cards.

Further objects are the provision of means for striking the cards an aligning blow that will not damage or thicken the edges of the cards; shaping the card retainer to allow the back edges of the cards to drop rst, to prevent them from causing static creating friction; automatically pushing the cards against the ends and back walls of the card hopper during reception to stack and align them; and to provide a device for stacking and static dissipation which is positive and simple in operation.

A more clear conception of the operation, construction, and further objects of the invention may be had from the following specification, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a View in rear elevation of a portion of a tabulator showing the card stacker;

Fig. 2 is a view in cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the relative arrangement of the parts of the stacker;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan View of operating mechanism employed in the form of invention shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View showing the snap action of the card aligning strip;

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of a form of card stacker as used with a card -punching machine;

Fig. 7 is a View in elevation looking toward the right-hand side of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a top plan View of the stacker shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and

Fig. 9 is a section in elevation taken onl the line 9-9 of Fig. 8. Y

In the application of the invention to card controlled business machines of the character shown in the patent application and patents referred to, the cards are fed, one at a time, from a magazine by a cam operated picker knife to feed rolls which pass each card into a card chamber in which it is momentarily detained for punching or sensing.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, cards pass through feed rolls i6 in transit from the card chamber referred to, for deposit in a storage hopper -20 having walls 2 l, 24, and 34, the hopper being secured between side members 22 of the machine byccnnecting plates 23. Y i

The hopper or card holder and its associated stacker mechanism is shown in relation to frame plates 28, which constitute the sides of the card detention chamber referred to, and through which passes a rock shaft 25. While this particular shaft 25, which performs other functions in the machine, is used to actuate the present invention, it is obvious that any shaft operating in like manner may beremployed. v

Secured to shaft is an arm 26 having a foot 21 formed at right angles thereto. Pivotally mounted on a tab 29 of one of the side frames 28 is a bell-crank 30 having a stud or roller 3| in the end of a horizontally disposed arm thereof with which the foot 21 of said arm 26 cooperates. The other arm of the bell-crank 30 is formed with a right angle ear 32 to which is secured the upper end of a depending resilient metal member or card striking and aligning strip or blade 33. The' strip 33 in its card aligning position is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and is formed to provide a lower biased portion 42 and end section 43, the latter of which is adjustably secured to the side wall 34 of the storage hopper 2l) by a screw and slot fastening combination 44. Stiifener plates 35 are provided on opposite sides of the upper end of strip 33 where it is secured to bell-crank 30, in order to prevent fracture of the metal strip due to flexing. The biased lower portion 42 of strip 33 provides a flexible floating action produced by adjustment of the end section 43 to present a slight bow in strip 33 as indicated in Fig. 1.

Each time shaft 25 is oscillated, bell-crank 3|) swings to position the aligning strip 33 as shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 1. The strip 33, at a point in its movement from bowed full line position snaps to straight vertical position and strikes the edge of the uppermost or last card C which has fallen into the card hopper 2D. Rocking motion of the shaft 25 is transmitted to Abellcrank 30 in this instance by a check-lever 46 which is pivoted to the bell-crank and carries a pin 45 engaging foot 21 at the opposite side'from pin 3|. The check-lever and the horizontal arm of the bell-crank are 'connected by a coil spring 41 (Fig. 1) suitably tensioned, so that said level and arm are prevented from jumping With respect to foot 21 when strip 33 snaps in its movement from straight to bowed position andvice 'versa (Fig. 5). The tension of the spring 41 is'such that the horizontalarm of bell-.crank 30 and check-lever 46 acts substantially in unison 4in iiexing the strip 33. When foot 21 acts downwardly on the check-lever, bell-crank 30 is actuated through spring 41which also provides a cushioning effect for the sudden stopping of the strip 33 at the extremes of its snap movement. The adjustment afforded by theY fastening means 44 permits the tension of the bow of spring'strip 33 to be varied as desired, so that the timing of the snap action and the force of the blow can be regulated. This insures a positive operation of strip 33, the action of4 which vertically aligns the edges of cards at one side of the stack against the upright stop plate 36 secured to a table 31 on which the cards fall.,V This table is free to move up and down and, as the weight of the pile of cards increases, a spring 38 yields to allow table 31 to descend and accommodate more cards in thel hopper.V A suitable opening isv provided in table' 31 for the strip 33.

In the cycle of operation of the machine, of which the shaft 25 forms a part, Fig. 1 ofthe drawings shows the parts in the: position they would occupy during the major portion'of'an operating cycle of the machine. The shaft 25 is given a rocking movement in one direction just near the close of each operating cycle and if at this time, the machine comes to rest, which it would normally do, if stopped the strip 33 would be in the dotted line position of Fig. 1, thus holding all the cards in alignment until the machine is again started.

The stacking of 'the cards should be such that. at all four sides of the pile, the edges of the cards are in vertical alignment. This will obviate any necessity for manual aligning, a manipulation which might damage any edges of the cards. To this end additional means are provided which will vertically align the edges ofthe cards at the sides opposite the sides aligned by the cooperative action ofthe aligning strip 33 and stop plate 36. 'Ihis additional means, therefore, will coact with the strip and plate mechanism described to align the four side edges of each card, as it comes into the hopper, with the four side edgesof the cards preceding it in the stacking operation.

This coacting mechanism includes a bail 40, pivotally mounted on. opposite side frames 28 for free swinging movement when a flexible deflector 39, carried by said bail, is engaged by the leading edge of a card coming into the hopper 20 fromvfeed rolls I6. The deflector 39 is of light spring metal and is disposed between bail carried tap blades or arms 4| which, when the bail 40 swings under the influence of deector 39, are actuated so that their depending lower ends strike the edge of a card as it settles on top of the stack and forces the card against the Wall 2| of the hopper, thus aligning it with preceding cards. The deflector 39 also slows the movement of the cards. The dimensions of plate 31; which, with springs 38, constitute a yieldable card support, are slightly less than the dimensions of the cards, so that the latter will be pushed against the wall 2| and plate 36.0f the hopper by arms 4| and strip 33, respectively. The arms 4| may be manually operated at any time and particularly when the card stack is to be removed from the hopper 20.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 6

' suitable bearing 5| for supporting shaft 50 is Y nection 6,9. Accidental iinterference with the yoke mounted on a punch frame 52 which supports a punch housing 53, from which punched cards are transferred by feed rolls 54 to an open rectangular card hopper 55 mounted on said frame 52. The hopper `consists of a bottom 51 and walls 56, 58, and 59 (Fig. 9) the latter of which constitutes a stop plate. The wall 5E supports spaced card aligning rails 60. The bottom has secured vto, the underside thereof` bearing blocks 6|, `which are attached to studs 32 extending from the frame of the machine to support the hopper `5,5. The bottom also carries near its ends, inverted U-shaped members 63'whose pendants 64 supportspindles 65 upon which are pivoted yoke levers 66. I'he yokelevers 66 are formed in a U at one end to provide bearing portions 61, whichcooperate with spindles 65 and t closely within the pendants 64 to give rigidity to the arms 68 of said levers, which arms overlap at their ends beneath the middle of thehopper and are pivotally joined by a pin and slot connection 69. Operationf of `one yoke lever actuates the other onein unison through con-- levers is prevented by' an apron '10 extending Ylongitudinally beneath the hopper and attached thereto by ears 1l. The bearing portions 61 of the yoke levers have secured thereto, in any suitable manner, vertically extending card supports 12 and 13 disposed exteriorly of the hopper, and each presenting a card support or finger 14 extending horizontally into the hopper through a slot 15 in each end wall 58 and 59. The shelves 14 constitute retractile `lingers underlying the edges of card C, as shown in outline in Fig. 8, to temporarily retain the card in the upper part of the hopper. The supports are so shaped that, when they are retracted, they will allow the back edge of thecard to drop first, and to this end said supports are each cut away at an angle to provide a bias 16. As the cards are dropped olf the shelves and settle on the stack in the hopper,

they are pushed against the side 59 of the hopper by a flexible vertical aligning strip or blade 11 (Fig. 9), secured to and depending from the upper portion of one support 12. The strip 11 extends into the hopper and below the bottom thereof and operates in an opening 18 extending from slot in wall 58 and bottom 51. The card ex-l tends slightly beyond the edge of bottom 51 and opening 18.

The arms 68 of the yoke levers 66 carry roller brackets 19, whose cam rollers 80 operate on cam plates 8| depending from card aligning blades 82 hinged, as at 83, on the edges of Walls 58 and 59 of the hopper and constitutes flap closures at one side thereof. Each blade is bent to form a vertical, inwardly extending, card engaging bead 84. The bead gives the blade a smooth spot contact with the cards.

The card aligning action of the strip 11 and blades 82 takes place as the yoke leversy 86 are mutually rocked on their spindles 65 by cam 85 fast on drive shaft 58. Motion from the cam is transmitted to a bell-crank lever 86 through the cam link parts 81 and 88, which are adjustably joined by the screw and slot connections 89. Member 81 of the link is forked to t over shaft 50 and is laminated to provide a Wide bearing 98 for the shaft engaging end of the link, so that the latter will not twist under force applied by cam 85 to a roller 9.I on said member 81. The finger lever 86 is pivotally mounted in a frame supported bracket 92 and carries at its free end a button 93 and a pin or roll 94 bearing on and operating a U-shaped arm 95 secured to the left-hand yoke lever 66. Lever 86 is automatically operated by the cam actuated link, but may be manually operated at will by pressure on button 93.

As cards enter the hopper 55, they fall upon and are supported by fingers 14 of card supports 12 and 13 (Fig. 9). When cam 85 causes downward movement of roll 94, said supports are swung outwardly with respect to the hopper to retract the lingers by mutual movement of the yoke levers 66. The biased portions 16 of the shelves cause the back edges of the cards to drop first, thereby reducing friction and floating action. As the supports beginl retractile movement, the aligning strip 11 is moved away from the card stack and the rolls 80, acting on cam plates 8|, swing the aligning flaps or blades 82 ajar. When the cam 85 allows spring 96 to raise arm 95, the strip 11 and the blades 82 operate in unison to strike the end and side edges of the cards to push said cards against the wall 59 and rails 68, respectively, thus vertically aligning the edges of the cards at the four sides of the stack. Each succeeding operation of the strip 11 and blades 82 maintains the cards of the stack in alignment, and .due to the tapping action, the charge of static electricity accumulated by the cards through friction and handling appears to be suppressed.

In order to facilitate removal of the card stack from the hopper, thel bottom V51 thereof has' an edge recess 91 which permits the stack to be gripped by the fingers ofV one hand and drawn from the hopper, while linger pressure on button 93 holds the flaps or blades 82 open. Thus, the stack can be removed from the machine. without displacing the cards. When the shaft 58 is in its normal stop position, the strip 11 and blades 82 engage the stack to maintain alignment;r of the cards.

From the above it is obvious that, as the cards are fed to the hopper, the edges thereof are individually aligned vertically with the stack, and when the machine is at normal stop position the cards are held in stacked alignment. It has also been found that cards stacked in this manner are free, more or less, from static. It is the belief of applicant that the forcible blow or tap given the cards by the aligning members suppresses or dissipates the static gathered by the cards in passage through the machine.

While a card supporting plate is described, beyond the edge of which the card extends, it ls evident that the holder could take the form of a wire or latticed frame in which instance the edges of the frame or card supporting table could be provided with suitable openings as 18 (Fig. 9) across which passes an edge of the card, whereby the card can be engaged by the striking member before the latter touches the edge of said support. The abutting member may be carried by the table or may be a wall of the holder or the posts of an open frame, if such latter is employed.

While the invention is shown in use on specic business machines, it may be used on any type of machine from which are fed for stacking, individual flat or thin objectsfof any material such as sheet metal, paper or cardboard. It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the above described mechanism is adaptable to many applications and uses, and that the present disclosure is given by way of example only, and does not limit the invention as defined other than by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A card stacking device comprising a vholder including a card supporting table beyond an edge of which cards extend, a card engaging member, means for moving an end of said member sidewise for causing said member to flex and strike the projecting edges of the cards a sharp, tapping blow for reducing static electricity accumulated in said cards, and abutting means against which the cards are pushed by the member to vertically align the edges of said cards.

2. The combination with a card handling machine including an operating shaft and card ejecting means, of a holder for ejected cards, a flexible card engaging member, adjustable means for varying the tension of the member, and means actuated by said shaft for alternately flexing the member to cause it to snap from bowed to card engaging position and vice versaV to vertically align the edges of said cards.

3. In a card -stacking device comprising a holder to which cards are fed, a flexible card engaging strip, means for mounting the strip'to provide a bow longitudinally thereof, means for moving an end of the strip laterally to cause said strip to'snap from bowed position to-card striking and aligning vposition and Vback to bowed position whereby the edges of the cards Aare vertically aligned as they stack in the holder. g 4. 'I'he combination with a machine employing cards inits operation including a drive shaft and card ejecting means, of a holder for'receiving the cards, a card aligning member, means for mounting the member to ilexibly bow the same, means actuated by the shaft for reciprocating anend v of the member sidewise to cause said member vto automatically snap from bowed to cardstriking position'andvice ve'rsa, and an abutment against which the cards are pushed bysaid memberto vertically align the edges of said cards asfthey stack inthe holder. i Y f 5.A' card" stacking device comprising a 'card holder to which cards are fed seriatim, said holder includinga platehaving an edge beyond which the cards extend, a rresilient card aligning strip adjacent the extending edges of said cards, means for flexing the strip to cause it to snap toward and away from the 'cards' to alternately strike said edges thereof, and abutting means againstjwhich the cards are pushed by the-aligning strip in its striking movement to Vvertically align the edges of'the cards.v i f 6. The combination with Ia machine employin'g cards in its operation including a drive shaft and card ejecting means, of a holderl for receiving the cards, lacard striking member, means for securing an end of said striking-member in iixed relation to the holder, pivot means to which the other end of said striking member is secured., means on said shaft for operating the pivot means for flexing said strikingmeansto cause the latter to snap toward and away from the cardsin the holder, and an abutting member "in the holder against which the cards are pushed by contact of the striking member to vertically align the edges of the cards in stacked formation. Y

'7. The combination with a machine employing 'cards in its operation including a frame part, a drive shaft and card ejecting means, of a card holder for receiving the ejectedcards, aV member pivoted on saidY part, a resilient-card striking strip;means forsecuring the-ends of said strip to the holder and the pivotedfmemberymeans for adjustably flexing the strip to bow the same, an arm on the shaft for swinging said pivoted member to snap the strip from card engaging to nonengaging position and lvice versa, and meansassociated with the pivoted member andvsaid arm for checking relative movement `therebetween during snapping action of said strip.

8. The combination with amachine employing cards including an operating shaft, of-a card receiving holder, lblades and a flexible strip pivotallyvassociated with the holderv for engaging dilerent edges of cards lodged' in said holder, means for swinging said blades and said strip to strike the cards, and abutting means in theholder against which said cards are pushed bythe blades and said strip to vertically align different edges of the cards as they stack in said holder.

9. The combination-witha'machine employing cards including yan operating shaft, of a cardreceiving holder, blades pivotally associated-with the holder for engaging an edgeof cards lodged in said holder said blades having edge Abeads for spot contact with the cards,- means-operable by said shaft for swinging the blades to' strike the cards, and abutting means against which-said cards are pushed bythe blades to vertically align the edges ofthe cards'as theystack in the lholder.

10. The combination with a machine employing cards includingan operating shaft, of a ,card receiving holder, a blade pivotally .associated with the holder for engaging an edge of cards lodged' in said holder, means operable by said shaft for swinging anend of the blade laterally to ilex the same and cause it to automatically jump alternately against and away from the` cards, said blade being in card engaging position when said operating shaft is normally at rest, and abutting means against whichfthe cards are pushed by the blade to vertically align the edges of said cards as they stack in said holder.

11. A card stacking device comprising'a card holder, bladesmounted in'pivotal relation with the holder4 and constituting closure flaps at one side thereof, camming means associated with said blades for moving the same pivotally to engage the edges of cards inthe holder, a card striking member for engaging the contiguous edges of the cards in the holder, means for actuating said camming means and said striking member, abutting means in the holder against which the cards are moved by the coactive operation of the card engaging blades and said striking mem-bengfor vertically aligning the edges of the cards in stack formation in the holderv and means for manually operating said blades and card striking member independently of said actuating means.

12. A card stacking device comprising a card holder, blades pivoted at one side of the holder and constituting closure aps for tapping the edges of the cards as they are fed to the holder, levers pivotally associated with the holder, cooperating camming means on said levers and blades for actuating the latter, means for operating, said levers intermittently, abutting means in the hold# er against which the cards are pushed by the blades to vertically align the edges ofthe cards, and means for manually operating said blades independently of said lever operating means.'Y

143. A card stacking device comprising a` card holder, card supports associatedwith said holder and presenting shelves for receiving cards preparatory to stacking, means for moving said supe ports to withdraw the shelves from-card sustain-r ing position, means on said shelves `for dropping the cards edge rst as the support withdraws a' card engaging blade for striking the edges of theV cards dropped from the shelves, meansfor actuating said blade, and abutting means in the holder against which the cards are -pushed by the blade to vertically align the edges of the cards in stacked formation. l l

14. A card stacking `devicefcomprising a card holder, card supporting andstriking means pivotally associated withrsaid holder, means for actuating said supporting and striking means for dropping the card into the holder'and tapping the edge thereof, means on said supporting means for dropping the card edge Viirst, and abutting means in the holder against which the cards `are pushed by said striking means to vertically align the edges of the cards in stacked formation.

15. A card stacking device comprising a cardv holder, card supports associated with the holder and presenting shelves for sustaining cards preparatory to stacking, means for moving said supports to retract the shelves from card sustaining position, said shelves tapering in "width to, drop the cards edge rst as'the shelves are retracted, card aligning means associated with the holder, and means for actuating 'said aligning meansto engage the dropped cards to Avertically align`the edges thereof in stackedformation' in vthe holder.'

16. The combination with a machine employing cards including an operating shaft, of a card holder to which cards are fed, card supporting means and card striking means pivotally associated with the holder, means coacting to operate the card supporting and striking means in unison, shaft driven means for automatically actuating said coacting means, means for operating said coacting means independently of said shaft driven means, said card support means being shaped to drop a card edge first, and abutting means in the holder against which the cards are pushed b'y said striking means to vertically align the contiguous edges of said cards as they drop to stacked position from said support means.

17. In a card stacking device, in combination, a holder to which cards are fed, resilient card aligning means associated with the holder, and means for laterally flexing said aligning means to cause it to automatically snap in opposite directions in card aligning operation.

18. In a card stacking device comprising a holder to which cards are fed, a flexible card aligning strip, means for mounting the strip to maintain the same under longitudinally bowed tension, and means for moving an end of said strip laterally to cause the strip to automatically snap toward and away from card engaging position in card aligning operation.

19,'. In a card stacking device comprising a holder to which cards are fed, a flexible card aligning strip, means for mounting the strip to maintain the same under longitudinally bowed tension, means for moving an end of the strip laterally to cause it to automatically snap toward and away from card engaging position, and means for adjusting the bowed tension of said strip.

20. In a card stacking device, a supporting table beyond two edges of which cards fed thereto project, fixed card abutting means disposed at each of the two edges of the table opposite the edges beyond which the cards project, card tapping blades disposed at one projecting edge of the cards, a exible tapping strip disposed at the other projecting edge of the cards, means for operating the blades and the strip to move the cards against said abutting means, and said blades being manually operable to allow removal of the aligned cards from the supporting table independently of said strip and blade operating means.

21. A card stacking device comprising a holder including a card supporting table beyond an edge of which cards fed to the holder project, card actuated means for striking one edge of the cards, another means for striking another edge of the cards including a flexible aligning member, means for exing said aligning member to cause it to jump against and away from said other edge of the cards, and abutting means against which the cards are aligned by said striking means.

ALBERT F. TURNER.

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