US2692729A - Record sensing mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 26, 1954 E. J. GUTTRIDGE ETAL 2,692,729

RECORD SENSING MECHANISM s Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Aug. 28, 1953 r0 SWITCH 72 INVENTORS ERIC JOHN GUTTRIDGE RAYMOND owsu PARMENTER Oct 1954 E. J. GUTTRIDGE. EI'AL 2,692,729

RECORD SENSING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 28, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS ERIC JOHN GUTTRIDGE RAYMOND OWEN PARMENTER RECORD SENSING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 28, 1953 INYENTORS ERIC JOHN- GUTTRIDGE RAYMOND OWEN PARMENTER Patented Oct. 26, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RECORD SENSING MECHANISM Application August 28, 1953, Serial No. 377,164

Claims priority, application Great Britain October 22, 1952 7 Claims.

This invention relates to record card controlled statistical machines and in particular to apparatus for automatically rendering temporarily ineffective a no-card detector device provided at the output end of the machine.

As is well understood in the art, during the operation of a statistical machine there are usually located a plurality of cards between the input and output positions of the machine and such machines are usually provided with a no-card detector device at the output end thereof, which device is operative to interrupt the operation of the machine in the event that a card following its passage through the machine does not reach the detector device at the proper time. Heretofore when starting up a statistical machine, it has been customary to prime the machine with cards so that on starting the machine the nocard detector device does not immediately operate, thereby interrupting the operation of the machine before it has become fully operative.

It is a main object of the present invention to provide apparatus automatically to render incfiective the operation of the detector device at the output end of the machine for a predetermined interval when starting up the machine, and permitting the detector device to become operative only when the first card fed from a magazine at the input end of the machine reaches the detector device at the output end thereof.

According to the present invention there is provided in a record card controlled statistical machine having a main shaft driven from a source of motivating power through a solenoid controlled clutch, apparatus comprising a normally open knock-off switch at the output end of the machine and included in the solenoid circuit, a normally closed delay switch in series with the knockolT switch, a normally inactive relay connecting said solenoid with a source of potential and permitting energisation of the solenoid when one or both of the knock-off and delay switches is or are open, reduction gearing driven in timed relation with said main shaft, a one-revolution delay cam coupled to the reduction gearing on operation of the solenoid to effect rotation of the main shaft, switch operating means operated by the delay cam to retain said delay switch in open condition during the one revolution of the cam, and interrupter means carried by the delay cam to effect uncoupling of the cam from the reduction gearing on termination of said one revolution thereby to restore the delay switch to the normally closed condition thereof and to condition the solenoid circuit for subsequent control by the knock-off switch.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically a detector device located at the output end of the machine,

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic pictorial View of some of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a pictorial view, partly exploded, of a clutch device included in the driving means for the machine and by which operation of the machine can be interrupted and restarted,

Fig. 4 is an elevation illustrating a delay mechanism according to the invention,

Fig. 5 is a section on line V -V, Fig. 4, and illustrates a reduction gearing included in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram illustrating the connexion between switches included in the appa ratus according to the invention.

Referring to the drawings, record cards are fed through the machine from a magazine, not shown, at the input end of the machine, the cards being fed, as is customary, through the machine by pairs of rollers, not shown, the rollers being positively rotated by gearing, also not shown, driven from a main shaft I, Figs. 3 and v4:, through a clutch device connecting the shaft l to a continuously rotated shaft 2, Fig. 3, which is rotated by any suitable means, for example an electric motor, not shown.

The clutch device forms an interrupter device whereby operation of the machine canpe interrupted and restarted and comprises a clutch dog 3 secured to a worm wheel 4, freely rotatable on shaft I and driven by a worm 5, secured to shaft 2. A clutch pawl 5 is carried by and is pivoted to a disc I secured to the shaft I for rotation therewith and is urged by a spring, not shown, to the active position thereof shown in Figs. 3 and l. A trip member 8 pivoted at 9 is normally held out of engagement with the pawl 6 but is operable by the armature Ill, Fig. 4, of a solenoid II, as described below, to trip the pawl 6 out of engagement with the clutch dog 3, thereby interrupting the operation of the machine.

The main shaft I, through gearing not shown, drives a shaft 12, Figs. 1 and 2, in a manner such that the shaft I2 rotates once for each revolution of the shaft 1. To the shaft I2 is secured a cam [3 with which co-operates a follower roller M carried by a link 15, the upper end of which is provided with a slot iii. In the slot 18 is located a pin I! carried by an arm l8 secured to a rocking spindle I9 to which is also secured two further arms 28 and 2| respectively. The arm 20 supports a detector roller 22 which is freely rotatable on a stub spindle 23 secured to the arm 20, and the roller 22 is supported by the arm 20 for movement thereby bodily towards the path of cards C through the machine to determine whether a card is, as shown in Fig. 1, located beneath the roller during the movement thereof bodily towards the path of the card. Should no card C be in position beneath the roller during its movement towards the path of the cards it passes between two rollers 24 secured to a spindle 25 to which is also secured eject rollers, not shown, for ejecting a card C, Fig. 1, from the machine. If the detector roller 22 detects the absence of a card it operates, through arm ZI, a normally open knock-off switch about to be described.

As above mentioned, in Fig. 1 the card C is shown in position between the roller 22 and the rollers 24 and, in this position, the pin I1 is raised from the bottom of the slot I6 although normally it rests on the bottom of the slot, the arm I8 being pulled downwards, as viewed in Fig. 1, by a spring 26.

The arm 2| is connected to a contact operating arm 21, the forward end of which is provided with a sloping face 28 engaged by a contact carrier 29 pivoted at 30. The contact carrier 29 supports for movement therewith a moving contact 3| for co-operation with a fixed contact 32. The contact operating arm 21 is supported for substantially horizontal movement by an abutment 33 which engages the under-side thereof.

During the normal operation of the machine the dwell in cam I3 permits lowering of the link I5, as viewed in Fig. 1, so that, should a card not be positioned between the detector roller 22 and rollers 24 on movement of the roller 22 towards the path of the card the roller 22 passes between the rollers 24 thus rocking spindle I9 counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. l, whereupon the arm 2I moves the contact operating arm 21 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, thus permitting the contact carrier 29 to be lowered until the moving contact 3I engages with the contact 32 whereupon the solenoid II is de-energised and a spring 34, Fig. 4, moves the trip member 8 from the full line position thereof shown in Fig. 4 to the dotted line position thereof so that it is interposed in the path of the tail 35 of the clutch pawl 6 thereby tripping the pawl 6 out of engagement with the clutch dog 3 and interrupting the operation of the main shaft I.

To render operation of the detector device 22, 3 I, 32 ineffective whilst, on starting up of the machine, the first card is being moved from the magazine into position between the rollers 22, 24 there is provided a normally closed delay switch comprising a fixed contact 36 and a moving contact 31 which, as can be seen from Fig. 6, are in series with the contacts BI, 32. Operation of the contact 31, which is supported for movement with a contact carrier 38, Fig. 4, pivoted at 39, is controlled by reduction gearing comprising four gear wheels 40, ll, 42, 43 which, in the machine being described, comprise a 4:5 reduction gearing. The gear Wheel 49 is secured to a shaft 44, for rotation therewith, the shaft 44, Fig. 5, being rotated by gearing, not shown, from the main shaft I so as to rotate in a 1:1 ratio with the shaft I. The gear wheel 43 is supported on a stub spindle 45 which, due to the 4:1 ratio gearing, rotates once for each four revolutions of shaft 44. Secured to the spindle 45 for rotation therewith is a toothed wheel 46 and freely rotatable on the spintile 45 is a one-revolution delay cam 41 to which,

at 48, Fig. 4, is pivoted a pawl 49 engageable with the teeth of the wheel 46 to couple the cam 41 to the spindle for rotation therewith. The pawl 49 is urged towards the teeth of the wheel 46 by a spring 50 and is rendered normally inactive, that is it is retained out of engagement with the teeth of the wheel, by the co-operation of a tail 5I on the pawl with tri means comprising an overturned portion 52 formed on a latching bell-crank 53 pivoted at 54 to a frame plate 55. To the latching bell-crank 53 is freely pivoted a latching piece 56 urged in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 4, by a spring 51.

The latching piece 56 co-operates with an abutment formed as a pin 58 carried by one arm of an operating bell-crank 59 which is pivoted at 60 to the frame plate 55. Th other arm of the operating bell-crank 59 is provided with a slot 6| in which is located a pin 62 carried by a link 63 connecting the trip member 8 to the armature ID of the solenoid II. The bell-cranks 53, 59 are sprung towards each other by a spring 64.

The delay cam 41 is provided with a peripheral detent 65 in which, when contacts 36, 31 are closed, is located a pin 66 carried by a switch operating means formed by a rocking arm 61 pivoted at 68 to the frame plate 55, the arm 61 having an overturned portion 69 which is engaged by a tail piece 10 of the contact carrier 38. The arm 61 is urged towards the delay cam 41 by a spring 1I,

As can be seen from the circuit diagram, Fig. 6, an operating switch 12 is provided in the circuit which switch is closed when operation of the machine commences and, at this time, the contacts 36, 31 of the delay switch are closed as shown in Fig. 4, but at this time the contacts 3|, 32, of the knock-off switch are open as the roller I4 is located on the high part of cam l3. Also in the circuitis a normally inactive relay 13 having normally closed contacts 14 and normally opens contacts 15.

Operation of the apparatus is as follows:

On starting the machine the operating switch 12 is closed, whereupon current passes through line 16, contacts 14, and line 11 to solenoid II thus energising solenoid I I so that the armature I9 thereof is moved to the right, as viewed in Fig. 4, thereby withdrawing the trip member 8 from the path of the tail 35 of the clutch pawl 6 and permitting the clutch pawl to be engaged with the clutch dog 3, thereby effecting rotation of the driving shaft I. On rotation of the driving shaft I, shafts I2 and 44 are also rotated and rotation of the shaft 44 effects rotation of the toothed wheel 46 through the 4:1 gearing 49, M, 42, 43. The movement of the link 63 which is effected by the armature I0 on energisation of solenoid II, causes the operating bell-crank 59 to be moved to the full position thereof, as shown in Fig. 4, thereby raising the latching piece 56 which, in turn, rocks the latching bell-crank 53, counter-clockwise as viewed in Fig. 4, so that the overturned portion 52 thereof is moved out of engagement with the tail 5| of pawl 49 which thereupon, under the influence of spring 50, is engaged in the teeth of the wheel 46. Accordingly, the delay cam 41 rotates with the wheel 46 and the pin 66 on arm 61 is raised on to the periphery of the delay cam 41, thus rocking arm 61, counter-clockwise as viewed in Fig. 4, and swinging the contact carrier 38 counter-clockwise about its pivot 39 to move the contact 31 out of engagement with the fixed contact 36 and open the delay switch. Engagement of the pin 66 with the peripheral surface of delay cam 41 maintains the delay switch 36, 37 open until the pin 66 again enters the detent 65, which occurs when the spindle 45 has completed one revolution, at which time the shaft 44 has completed four revolutions and the first card fed from the magazine at the input end of the machine is located between the rollers 22, 24 at the output end of the machine.

Since shaft l2 also has completed four revolutions, the cam I 3 will have operated contact 3! of the knock-off switch four times but during these operations the delay switch 36, 31 is open and the circuit to relay 13 accordingly also is open so that contacts 14 are closed and solenoid ll remains energised. After the fourth cycle of the main shaft I, however, the delay switch 36, 31 remains closed during continued operation of the machine so that, if thereafter the knock-off switch 3|, 32 is closed, due to no card being between rollers 22, 24 at the appropriate time, then the circuit to relay I3 is closed, contacts 14 are opened, contacts '15 are closed, and solenoid H is de-energised. On de-energisation of solenoid I I, the trip member 8, as described above, is moved beneath the tall 35 of clutch pawl 6 to effect tripping of the clutch pawl out of engagement with the clutch dog 3 to interrupt the operation of main shaft I.

From Fig. 4 it will be seen that the delay cam 41 has secured thereto, to move therewith, an abutment formed by a pin 18 which, during rotation of cam 41, engages with a nose 19 on latching piece 56 to rock the latching piece counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 4, out of engagement with pin 58 on operating bell-crank 59. On disengagement of latching piece 56 from pin 58 the latching bell-crank 53 is moved clockwise about its pivot 54 by spring 64 so that the overturned portion 52 is interposed into the path of the tail 5| on pawl 49 whereby when the pin 66 is again located in detent 65 the pawl 49 is tripped out of engagement with the teeth of the wheel 46. The extent of clock-wise movement of the latching bell-crank 53 is determined by a pin 80 secured to a fixed arm 8| and that of operating bell-crank 56 is determined by a fixed pin 83.

If at the end of the fourth cycle of shaft 1 cards are arriving at the output end of the machine in proper timed relation, as determined by the detector roller 22, the trip member 8 remains in the full line position illustrated in Fig. 4 and the pin 58 on operating bell-crank 59 is not re stored to operative engagement with a face E2 of latching piece 56 until the solenoid I l is again die-energised, the pin 58 during the normal operation of the machine resting against a face 84 on latching piece 56 and being moved therefrom into engagement with the face 82 when, on de-energisation of solenoid II, the operating bell-crank 59 is moved clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 4, to the chain line position thereof.

I claim:

1. In a record card controlled statistical machine having a main shaft driven from a source of motivating power through a solenoid controlled clutch, apparatus comprising a normally open knock-off switch at the output end of the machine and included in the circuit for said solenoid, a normally closed delay switch in series with the knock-off switch, a normally inactive relay connecting said solenoid with a source of potential and permitting energisation of the solenoid when one or both of the knock-off and delay switches is or are open, reduction gearing driven in timed relation with said main shaft, a one revolution delay cam coupled to the reduction gearing on operation of the solenoid to effect rotation of the main shaft, switch operating means operated by the delay cam to retain said delay switch in open condition during the one revolution of said cam, and interrupter means carried by the delay cam to effect uncoupling of the cam from the reduction gearing on termination of said one revolution thereby to restore the delay switch to the normally closed condition thereof and to condition the solenoid circuit for subsequent control by the knock-off switch.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a toothed wheel continuously rotatable by said reduction gearing with a velocity less than that of said main shaft, a pawl carried by said delay cam to couple the cam to said toothed wheel for rotation by said gearing, trip means operable by said interrupter means to render the pawl inactive, and an actuator operable by said solenoid on conditioning thereof to clutch the main shaft to the motivating means therefor to render the pawl active.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the trip means and actuator comprise a latching bellcrank to co-operate with said pawl, an operating bell-crank, a pivot for each said bell-crank, a spring connecting one arm of each bell-crank and tending to urge the arms towards each other, an abutment carried by said one arm of the operating bell-crank, a latching piece freely pivoted on said one arm of the latching bell-crank, a spring urging the latching piece towards said abutment, and a nose on said latching piece for engagement by said interrupter means to effect displacement of the latching piece from active engagement with said abutment.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, including conditioning means operable once during each revolution of the main shaft to permit closing of the knock-off switch, said conditioning means comprising a lengthwise movable contact operating arm to operate a moving contact of the knock-01f switch, a freely pivoted contact carrier for said moving contact, a sloping face on said operating arm engaged by said contact carrier to control pivotal movement of the carrier on lengthwise movement of the operating arm, a rocking spindle connected with said operating arm to effect lengthwise movement thereof, a detector roller carried by the rocking spindle for movement thereby through the path of cards moving through the machine, a cam rotatable at the angular velocity of said main shaft and having a dwell to permit movement of the operating arm to close said knock-off switch when no card is engaged by the detector roller on movement thereof towards said card path, a link operable by said cam, an arm secured to said rocking spindle, a pin and slot connection between said link and arm, and a spring normally retaining the pin engaged with one end of the slot to permit rocking of the rocking spindle to move the detector roller towards the card path and to permit relative movement between the link and arm when the detector roller is arrested by a card.

5. In a record card controlled statistical machine having a main shaft driven from a source of motivating power through a solenoid controlled clutch, apparatus comprising a normally open knock-off switch at the output end of the machine and included in the circuit for said solenoid, a

7 normally closed delay switch in series with the knock-off switch, a normally inactive relay connecting said solenoid with a source of potential and permitting energisation of the solenoid when one or both of the knock-off and delay switches is or are open, reduction gearing driven in timed relation with said main shaft, a one-revolution delay cam coupled to the reduction gearing on operation of the solenoid to effect rotation of the main shaft, switch operating means operated by the delay cam to retain said delay switch in open condition during the one revolution of said delay cam, interrupter means carried by the delay cam to effect uncoupling of the cam from the reduction gearing on termination of said one revolution thereby to restore the delay switch to the normally closed condition thereof and to condition the solenoid circuit for subsequent control by the knock-off switch, a horizontally movable contact operating arm to support a moving contact of the knock-off switch, a freely pivoted contact carrier for said moving contact, a sloping face on said operating arm engaged by said contact carrier to control pivotal movement of the carrier on lengthwise movement of the operating arm, a rocking spindle connected with said operating arm to effect lengthwise movement thereof, a detector roller carried by the rocking spindle for movement thereby through the path of cards moving through the machine, a cam rotatable at the angular velocity of said main shaft and having a dwell to permit movement of the operating arm to close said knock-off switch when no card is engaged by the detector roller on movement thereof towards said card path, a link operable by said cam, an arm secured to said rocking spindle, a pin and slot connecting between said link and arm, and a spring normally retaining the pin engaged with one end of the slot to permit rocking of the rocking spindle to move the detector roller towards the card path and to permit relative movement between the link and arm when the detector roller is arrested by a card.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, including a toothed wheel continuously rotatable by said reduction gearing with a velocity less than that of said main shaft, a pawl carried by said delay cam to couple the cam to said toothed wheel for rotation by said gearing, trip means operable by said interrupter means to render the pawl inactive, and an actuator operable by said solenoid on conditioning thereof to clutch the main shaft to the motivating means therefor to render the pawl active.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the trip means and actuator comprise a latching bell-crank to co-operate with said pawl, an operating bell-crank, a pivot for each said bell-crank, a spring connecting one arm of each bell-crank and tending to urge the arms towards each other, an abutment carried by said one arm of the operating bell-crank, a latching piece freely pivoted on said one arm of the latching bell-crank, a spring urging the latching piece towards said abutment, and a nose on said latching piece for engagement by said interrupter means to effect displacement of the latching piece from active engagement with said abutment.

No references cited.

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