US2531786A

US2531786A - Card for sequence sorting

Info

Publication number: US2531786A
Application number: US58494A
Authority: US
Inventors: Albert A Rembold
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-11-05
Filing date: 1948-11-05
Publication date: 1950-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 1967-11-28

Description

Patented Nov. 28, 1950 [TED STATES PATENT QFFIGE 2,531,786 'onli-D Foe SEQUENCE fsoR'rING Albert A. Reinhold, san iinelso, Calif. Application November 5, 1948, serial iso. 58,494 4 claims. (cl. 12e-lan This invention relates to cards, dat sheets and the like (hereinafter called cards) for classication purposes `and for iseqilence sorting that are similar to the card shown in my United States Letters Patent No. `2,424,053 of July l5, 1947.

Cards herein disclosed are formed adjacent one or more edges thereof with coded openings or perforations, one or more voi. which are slotted out to the ledge of the card to provide a lnotcrll or pattern of notches identifying the card. The openings in val1 cards are arranged "to register with eaich other when the edges of the cards are aligned in a stack or row, so that a separating needle 'or rod thrust through one set at a time of any `sets of registering openings, and then lifted, will carry with it all cards in which said openings are `not slotted out, but the card or cards, in the fsaid set of openings, that are slotted out to the edge, will fall from the elevated stack.

It is understood that the stack referred to above extends horizontally so that the cards themselves are substantially vertical.

The method employed for sequence sorting is old, and the general structure employed is old. Prior to my .disclosure in the above mentioned patent, `the openings to be slotted out were arranged in one, two or three rows parallel with an edge of each card. These rows were divided into elds and these fields usually have had the same number of openings in each with code symbols, usually numbers, identifying the openings in .each field. The fields in series from one 'end of the rows Vto the other have been usually identied for "units, tens hundreds "thusands, etc., being limited only by the length of the `card or theextent to which the nuinerical `classifying system maybe required.

VTn my above mentioned patent, an arrange- `nient wasshown in which only four openings were required in each field, being arranged two wide and two deep, and `by this arrangement the space that was formerly required for accomplishing the same result was reduced by a third, thus `pnfrnitting a very great extension of the datacapacity of each card without increase in the size of the card, or else the' size ofthe card could be greatly reduced without sacrice in the amount of vdata thereon.

In order to obtain the desired results in the card shown in said patent, it was necessary to 'slot out an opening in one or more elds in certain cards at an angle to the adjacent edge of the card. While this offered no particular probe dem for hand punching, it was discovered that by a slight repositioning of the four openings in each iield, overcam'e the problem of slotting out the openings with faster quantity punching gap.- paratus, and that the slotting out by hand punches was 'accomplished more accurately 'and easily. Y

:'ne rof the objects of this invention is the provis'io'n of a cal-'d having ope'nings in the iields so `'arranged that diagonal or slanted 'slottingout of the 'desired opening or opening in `each iield may be accomplished accurately 'and `easily and `v'vithout objectionable loss in the strength .o'f the card Vwhen the sorting operation is being done.

Another object of the invention is a Adifferent arrangement of Vthe openings in each eld 4in se- -le'ctive sort-ing cards of the type shown in my previously "mentioned patent whereby faster and more :accurate 'diagonal slotting out of one or ln'orefo'f the openings `in the fields may be accomfplished without olojectionab'ly weakening the card a'ndwith'ou't floss in the results and advantages thereof.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a plan View of' a card that is illustrative of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a card having a different pattern of notches from that shown in Fig. l.

In detail, each card `l is provided with a row of openings 2 close to an edge thereof and paralleltherewith, while a second row 'of openings 3 `is parallel :with said edge but spaced slightly farther therefrom. Thus, a pair of A'parallel rows of openings i'sadjacent one edge 1 of the card. VIt is obvious that a pair of rows of 'such openings may be along any of the other edges of the card, if desired; and usually such row is along one or more -of such other edges'.

VThe openings in these rows are the same in number, wf, Aevery other opening of rowri is slightly offset toward row 2 and. 'also is closer` toi one the adjacent .openings atnohe .sidether'ejo lso ,each opening 4 ispreyferab'ly smaller than the other openings, while `the latter rare of uniform ."siz., 1

. seepage i in .ew ,-.3 eine een Genies 14u-are) in alignment with an `adjacent opening ,6 in row "2f .at right angles to the adjacent edge -of the card. n

`llt `is, to be understood that invention is not limited to the precise dimensions of `the openings, biit as an example, the openings ft may each be about .005 of an inch less in diameter than the Adiameter of each of the remaining openings, while the remaining openings may each have `a diameter of about .092. inGhS; Siri of these tintinH ings in each row may be in each inch extending longitudinally of the row.

The offset of each opening 4 in one direction longitudinally of row 3 may be only about half the diameter of each opening 4 and about the same degree of offset is toward row I, or about .04 of an inch of the size of the openings is that given above.

The openings in the rows are divided by lines I6 into fields of four openings in each field. One of the openings 4 is in each eld and openings 4 are each similarly positioned in each eld.

The openings in row 2 in each group may be identified by the

numerals

1, 3 which numerals may be printed adjacent said openings if desired. The openings in row 3 in each group may be identified by the numerals 7 and 2.

Following the usual practice of slotting out such openings singly or in combinations of two, it will be clear from Figs. 1, 2 that all digits from one to nine are readily obtained by directly slotting out openings in either row 2 or row 3 directly to the edge 'l except in the case of the digit 6. The card shown in Fig. 1 has the openings slotted out for identifying the card as Card No. 62,371, while the card of Fig. .2 has its openings slotted out for identifying the card as No. 590,468. Thus the ten thousand field of the card of Fig. 1 and the ten field of Fig. 2 must each make provision for the digit 6, which has been done by diagonally slotting out the opening for designating the digit 7 through the opening for identifying the digit 1.

In the type of notching shown in the drawings, the card having the diagonal slotting will drop from the stack when a needle is thrust through the holes identifying the digit 7, and in a sequence sorting operation the cards bearing the digit 6 anywhere in their combination will be in correct order after said operation is performed.

The sorting for one field from 0 to 9 will be described, it being assumed that the stack of cards are numbered from 0 to 9. Inasmuch as resort must be had to a second field in order to obtain the numeral 10, the operation will be restricted to one eld, which field may be considered as the field designated units on the card.

The sorting needle or pin is rst thrust through the opening identified by the numeral l and upon lifting the needle the cards identied as 0, 3, and 7 will be retained on the needle While the cards identified as 1, "2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9, will drop therefrom.

The cards retained on the needle are then removed therefrom and those that were released are placed in the rear of the stack or row. The needle is then inserted through the openings designated 2, thereby freeing cards identified as 2, 5, and 9, which latter cards are placed at the rear of the stack and the needle is then thrust through the openings designated 3 for freeing cards identified as 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9. These latter cards are placed at the rear of the row. The operation performed with the needle in the openings designated 'l will result in freeing the cards designated l6j "7, 8 and 9, and at this point it is to be noted that the card designated 6 will be just ahead of the one designated 7 and all cards will be in sequence, it being understood that the above re- !{61} [(7,11 ((8)), (t9), the back of the stack or row.

In a zone indicated at II are two openings I2 that may be employed for use in sorting cards where a zero is involved in the identifying number, but this is no part of the present invention.

The conventional punch employed for slotting out one of the openings in row 3, one of which slots is indicated at I3 in Fig. 1 is not adapted for making the diagonal slot I5 (Fig. 1). However, by positioning the openings 4 nearer to row I2 and to the opening 5, and by making openings 4 slightly smaller in diameter than the other openings, the openings 4 may readily be slotted out by swinging the punch about a point adjacent the nearest edge of the card so that the outer end of said punch will cut out the opening 4 without objeetionably weakening the card. Furthermore, the slotting out of the openings 4 in directions at right angles thereto, as seen at I4, will not cause any objectionable weakness.

It may be noted that the punch for slotting out the openings need not necessarily extend to the closed side of the opening that is opposite the side that is to be slotted out. Also, a hand punch may be readily used for punching out the holes.

I claim:

1. A card for classification purposes having a first row of uniform diameter equally spaced openings formed therein along one edge parallel therewith, a second row of openings formed in said card, alternate openings in said second row being in alignment with a corresponding opening in said first row in direction perpendicular to said edge and the other openings in said second row between said alternate openings being offset in one direction longitudinally of said second row and also offset toward said rst row distances respectively less than the diameter of the openings in said rst row the openings in said first and second rows being grouped in series of four approximating a square with the offset opening in each of said series of four being in the perimeter of the square opposite said edge.

2. A card for classication purposes having a first row of uniform diameter equally spaced openings formed therein along one edge parallel therewith, a second row of openings formed in said card, alternate openings in said second row being in alignment with a corresponding opening in said first row in direction perpendicular to said edge and the other openings in said second row between said alternate openings being oiiset in cnecdirection longitudinally of said second row and also offset toward said first row distances respectively less than the diameter of the openings in said first row, the said openings in said rst row and in said second row being arranged in groups of four with one of said offset openings being in each group and in the same relationship to the other openings in each group the openings in said first and second rows being grouped in series of four approximating a square with the offset opening in each of said series of four being in the perimeter of the square opposite said edge.

3. A card for classication purposes having a first row of uniform diameter equally spaced openings formed therein along one edge parallel therewith, a second row of openings formed in said card, alternate openings in said second row being in alignment with a corresponding opening in said first row in direction perpendicular to said edge and the other openings in said second row between said alternate openings being offset in one direction longitudinally of said second row and also offset toward said first row distances respectively less than the diameter of the openings in said first row, the said openings so offset being slightly smaller in diameter than the openings in said rst row the openings in said rst and second rows being grouped in series of four approximating a square with the ofset opening in each of said series of four being in the perimeter of the square opposite said edge.

4. A card for classication purposes having a rst row of uniform diameter equally spaced openings formed therein along one edge parallel therewith, a second row of openings formed in said card, alternate openings in said second row being in alignment with a corresponding opening in said first row in direction perpendicular to said edge and the other openings in said second row between said alternate openings being oset in one direction longitudinally of said second row and also offset toward said rst row distances respectively less than the diameter of the openings in said irst row, one of the openings so offset being slotted out to the adjacent edge of said card through one of the openings that is in alignment to said edge with the opening in said second row that is adjacent the said oiset opening, the openings in said first and second rows being grouped in series of four approximating a square with the offset opening in each of said series of four being in the perimeter of the square opposite said edge:

ALBERT A. REMBOLD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,424,053 Rembold July 15, 1947