US2708971A - Deck shift control for a card punch - Google Patents

Description

May 24, 1955 M. MAUL DECK SHIFT CONTROL FOR A CARD PUNCH Filed Oct. 27, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 [I'll/entan- Michael Maul i v W May 24, 1955 M. MAUL 2,708,971 DECK SHIFT CONTROL FOR A CARD PUNCH Filed Oct. 27, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Michael Maul ATTY.

May 24, 1955 M. MAUL DECK SHIFT CONTRQL FOR A CARD PUNCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 27, 1952 Nm mm mm Aw Inventor? Michael Maul United States Patent 9 DECK SHIFT CONTROL FOR A CARD PUNCH Michael Maul, Schwabach, near Nurnberg, Germany Application October 27, 1952, Serial No. 316,985

Claims priority, application Germany November 13, 1951 1 Claim. (Cl. 164-112) In perforated record cards it is usual to provide a plurality of superpositioned rows of perforated characters which are included in adjacent perforation columns. This arrangement is particularly desirable if hole combinations are used in order to obtain a utilization of the card as far as possible with a favourable relation 4- of the width of the card to thelength of the same. The rows of perforation columns are known as perforation decks.

Now, in punching machines having column by column perforation of the cards, the individual decks are punched one after the other. For this purpose it is necessary that after the perforation of each deck the card is again fed back by the card carriage to the starting position for perforation and in addition thereto the selection of the next deck must be effected by the deck selector device. Accordingly, in such known machines two separate manipulations are necessary upon deck change.

Now, according to the invention operation of the 1nachine of the indicated type is simplified. For this purpose the deck selecting device and the card feeding device are operatively connected to each other in such manner that the return of the card to starting position for punchingyand the deck selection are effected together. Accordingly only a single manipulation is required to cause the return of the carriage to starting position for perforation and to cause the deck change. Preferably however, the arrangement is made in such manner that also the carriage return to starting position can be effected in a known manner independently of the deck selection or that the deck selection can be effected independently of the carriage return to starting position.

It is of subordinate importance for the invention in which manner the deck selection is effected. The deck selection can be effected in the one type of known machines by moving the card and a set of punches common to all decks deckwise relatively to each other. Such an arrangement wherein the set of punches is displaceable deckwise relatively to the card is known from the German Patent 704,256. However, in the converse manner the card may be displaceable deckwise relatively to the set of punches common to all decks, as is known from the German Patent 654,130. Moreover there is the possibility of providing for each deck a separate set of punches of which selectively only that set associated with the desired deck, is selected for punching, as is the case in the machine according to U. S. Patent 1,962,607. In all these devices the deck selection and the carriage return to home position may be brought in operative connection with each other according to the invention.

The manner of card feeding is also of subordinate importance for the invention. A particularly desirable solution is obtained if upon key actuation the card carriage is shifted step by step past the punches against spring action in which case the card travels from its starting position past the punches from the right to the 'ice left for punching. With such a construction of the card feed it is then possible to disengage the locking pawl for the card carriage upon deck shifting so that the carriage will again run back under spring action to its starting position for perforation while at the same time deck shifting is effected.

In another type of card shifting, as frequently used the operation is reversed. Upon key actuation the card is fed by spring action by means of an escapement mechanism. column by column from the right to the left. With this arrangement the return of the carriage from the left hand inserting position to the right hand starting position for perforation may be operatively connected to the deck displacing device in a mechanical manner so that the displacement work for the deck shifting is derived from the carriage return. The deck displacement can be elfected in a known manner by displacing the card with respect to the set of punches or by moving the set of punches relatively to the card.

As will be realized from the foregoing the inventive idea may be carried into practice in various ways. Some embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings essentially diagrammatically:

Fig. 1 shows the embodiment wherein upon key actuation the card is displaced electromagnetically against spring action from the right to the left past the set of punches. In this case the set of punches is common to all decks and can be displaced by a deck shifting device selectively upon one of the two decks. Since the control for the punches by the keys as well as the deck shifting are known in essential parts from the German Patent 704,256 mentioned above, this portion of the machine is not illustrated in detail.

Figs. 2 and 3 show an embodiment wherein carriage shifting is etfected in a similar manner as in Fig. 1. For each deck, however, a separate set of punches is provided of which each one may be selectively rendered effective by deck shifting means. The parts of the machine relating thereto are however, not illustrated in detail since they are known essentially from the'above mentioned U. S. Patent 1,962,607.

Figs. 4 to 6 finally show a further embodiment which is distinguished from the preceding ones essentially in that another type of card feed is provided. In this case the card is fed manually by means of the carriage to the right hand starting position for perforation and runs column by column to the left under spring action, and

. under control of a key actuated escapement mechanisr The device according to the invention is constructed in such a manner that, upon the manually effected movement of the carriage from the left to the right, the drive for the deck adjusting means, which latter is operatively connected to the card carriage, is derived from the 'movement of the latter. The displacement is effected in this instance by displacing the card relatively to the set of punches common to all decks as already known from the above mentioned German Patent 654,130. The punching device and its control by the key board are also known from this patent and are therefore also not illustrated in detail. Instead of moving the card with respect to the set of punches, however, when employing the carriage shifting means according to Fig. 4 the set of punches could equally well be moved with respect to the card as is the case in the German Patent 704,256 and as has also been assumed in the embodiment according to Fig. 1.

Further preferred features of the invention will be seen from the specification and the claims. 4

The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 is based in its essential parts on the construction of a punching machine according to German Patent 704,256. Differing there.- from however is the displacing of the card carriage the & latter being moved in the embodiment by a step by step shifting mechanism, actuated by the magnet 11.

If a character key 12, of which in Fig. 1 only a single one is illustrated, is depressed it will encounter the translator bars 13 (of which also only one is shown) by means of which the punches 14 are selected in a known man ner for the perforation. The key 12 however also engages the common bar 15 which is depressed downward. The latter actuates the contact 16 which closes the current circuit through the magnet 11 so that the same will be energized and will attract its armature 17. The pawl 18 is mounted on the armature 1'7 and slides off the pin 19 into the teeth of the card carriage 21 holding the card 22 whereupon the pawl will take with it the card carriage for one step to the left against tension of the spring 23. The locking pawl 24 will click in this case into the next tooth of the card carriage 21.. If the key 12 is again released the key and also the common bar 15 will return to their home position. By this means the contact 16 and therefore the current circuit through the magnet 11 will be interrupted. The armature 17 will drop and will be drawn to the right by means of the spring 25. In this operation the pawl 18 will skip over the teeth and will be removed from the same by the pin 19. In this manner the stepwise shifting of the card to the left under the punches is effected until the card has reached the left hand end position which is the insertion position.

If now the lower deck is to be punched the set of punches must be adjusted upon the lower deck. This is effected by means of a handle 26 on the shaft 27 and through the toothed segment 28. Simultaneously with the displacing of the set of punches the cam 29, also fast on the shaft 27, is rocked in counter-clockwise direction to the position indicated by dotted lines. There- 5 by it will rock the lever 31 in clockwise direction whereby the latter will remove the locking pawl 24 by means of the bar 32 from the teeth of the card carriage. Thereby the card carriage is released and will be drawn by spring 23 to the right into starting position for perforation.

Fig. 2 shows the release of the carriage return for electrical deck selection. The manner of operation is only indicated in principle while the construction is similar as that of the punching machine described in the U. S. Patent 1,962,607. The construction of the carriage shifting means is just the same as in the embodiment described above and is therefore not explained in detail any more. Parts having the same function as described in Fig. l, are indicated by the same reference numbers. Differing with respect to the first embodiment there is provided for each deck a separate set of punches and punching magnet 35 or 36. Depending upon the deck selection by means of a switch 37 either the one or the other punching magnet is included in the current circuit of the machine. In order to ensure that punching can only be efiected if the shifting step of the carriage has been completed, there is provided the contact 38 which is actuated by the armature 17 and closes the current circuit to the punching magnets. The contact 38 is so adjusted that it is closed only in the last moment of the armature movement and the card carriage movement respectively.

If punching of one deck-has been completed and if a change to the other deck is to take place, the change to the other punching magnet is effected by means of the shift lever 39. The shift lever 39 rocks the lever 41 downward which moves the locking pawl 24 from the teeth by means of bar 42 thereby releasing the card carriage which is drawn by the spring 23 to the right into the starting position.

Figs. 4 to 6 show an embodiment of the invention for the usual carriage shifting whereinthe carriage is shifted step by step through an escapement mechanism and must be brought to starting position by hand. In this instance 4 the deck shifting is derived from the movement of the carriage. The deck selection is effected by moving the card by means of a frame past the fixed set of punches as is shown in the German Patent 654,130.

Deck setting can be effected independently of the carriage movement by means of the crank 45 as described in the above mentioned patent. On the other hand it is possible to derive the deck adjustment from movement of the card carriage. Deck setting is effected by moving the frame 47 by means of gear 46 which can be moved by the crank 45 or the bevel gear 59. The gear 46 engages the teeth of the frame 47. The card 48 is guided in the frame 47 and is moved by the carriage 49 transversely of the columns. The carriage is shifted step by step by an escapement mechanism of a known type as described in the above mentioned patent.

The carriage 49 is brought by hand by means of handle 51 to starting position for perforation. In front of the handle 51 there is a smaller handle 52 which is rockably mounted on the carriage 49. If upon carriage return pressure is excited on the handle 52, its lip 53 will rock downward and will temporarily close the contact 54. Depending upon the position of the frame 47 one of the two clutch magnets 55 or 56 is energized and will engage the bevel gear 57 or 58 into the teeth of the bevel gear 59. The movement of the carriage 49 is transferred to the bevel gears 57 and 58 by means of gear 61. One of these latter bevel gears drives the bevel gear 59 depending upon which clutch magnet is energized. The bevel gear 59 is fast together with the gear 46 and the crank 45 on the shaft and displaces by this means the frame 47.

The selection of the magnet and therewith the selection of the position of the frame 47 is'eifected by the contacts 62, 63, 64 and 65. Depending upon the position of the frame 47 it will actuate the contacts 62 and 63 or 64 and 65. If for instance the set of punches is adjusted upon the upper deck, and if accordingly the frame 47 is in its lower position, the two contacts 62 and 63 are actuated, as shown in Fig. 5, the contact 62 being closed and the contact 63 open. The contacts 64 and 65 on the other hand are not actuated so that the contact 65 is open and contact 64 is closed. Now, if the carriage is moved by means of the handle 52 to the right and the contact 54 is temporarily closed the clutch magnet 56 will receive current through the two contacts 54 and 62 (Fig. 6). The clutch magnet 56 is energized and engages the bevel gear 57. At the same time it will close the contact 67 which establishes a holding circuit so that the magnet 56 remains energized even if the contact 54 has opened again. The magnet 56 will receive current through the two contacts 64 and 67. Since now the bevel gear 57 engages the bevel gear 59 and since the card carriage 49 is moved to the right, the frame 47 is moved by gear 46 upward so that the lower deck passes under the punching device. By this means the contact 62 opens while the contact 63 is closed. When the frame 47 has reached its upper end position it opens the contact 64 and closes the contact 65. Thereby the holding circuit to the magnet 56 through the two contacts 64 and 67 will be interrupted so that the magnet becomes deenergized and the bevel gear 57 will be disengaged from the bevel gear 59.

If punching of the lower deck has been completed and if now the carriage is again fed back to the right with a new card, the contact 54 will instantaneously close and will now establish the current circuit to the clutch magnet 55 whereby the frame 47 will be again moved downward so that the upper deck is set for perforation again. The magnet 55 will herein remain energized through contact 66 the latter being closed upon response of the magnet. In this instance the holding circuit is interrupted by the contact 63.

I claim:

In a key actuated punching machine for multiple deck record cards, means for feeding the card upon key actuinitial position upon actuation of the deck selecting ation column by column past punching means from an means. initial position to a terminal position, means for selecting any one of said decks of said record cards for punch- References Cited m the file of fins patent ing, said selecting means being movable in two opposite 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS directions, and means controlled by said deck selecting 1,445,597 Kawamura Feb. 13, 1923 means independent of the direction of the selecting move- 1,962,607 Maul June 12, 1934 ment for feeding the card independently of its location 1,983,698 Kaufmann Dec. 11, 1934 between said initial and said terminal position back to 2,566,931 Cunningham et a1. Sept. 4, 1951

Images