US2039832A - Record verifying machine - Google Patents

Description

May 5, 1936.- R. 1.. PALMER RECORD VERIFYING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l AT'TQRNEY \wwu NQE y 1936- R. L. PALMER 2,039,832

RECORD VERIFYING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 13, 1933 FIGS;

45 49 INVENTOR ATTQRN EY Patented May 5, 1936 I UNITED: STATES PATEN OFFICE 2.939.832 nnoonn "vnnmrmo MACHINE Ralph L. Palmer, Endicotg- ,Y assignor'to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporationof New York Application September 13,1933, S:erial No. 689,275

8 Claims. (o1. '13- 51)"; g

This invention relates to certain newand useful improvements in verifying machines.

In tabulating machine work, data are tabulated by punching differentially spaced holes on record cards. A machine for carrying out the punching operation may be the Schaafll machine shown in Patent No. 1,134,018. In this machine the punching operation is performed by depressing certain keys. Operators using the machine 10 sometimes depress the wrong key and incorrect data are then recorded on the card in the form of incorrectly located perforations. It has heretofore been found that the punched cards must be checked to determine if any errors have been made. Often this checking is done by a visual inspection of the cards, but this method of checking has been found unsatisfactory as the checker is liable to make the same error that was originally made by the operator who punched the card. Also the visual checking is a tedious and time consuming operation.

The present invention is directed to a ma-,

ward one step for the depression of .each key,

but if a punch hole is incorrectly spaced in the card, or if a hole is missing, a signal lamp indicates the presence of the error.

Heretofore in verifying machines mechanical and electrical devices have been employed to separately and physically explore each index-- point position of a card column in verifying position with a consequent duplication of sensing elements and controlled devices. One of the ob- Jects of the present invention is to provide a single light sensitive cell for simultaneously scanning all positions of a card column for determining the correctness of theperforations in said column.

In its preferred form the invention consists of a light sensitive cell which receives light through perforations in the card if such are present or none if the column is blank. A keycontrolled shutter is provided for each indexpoint position of the card columns and each punching position is adapted to be covered by 55 itsshutter when the corresponding key is oping is exceedingly rapid and the possibility'of erated, thereby cutting of! the light to the cell through the perforation, if one is present. A pair of thermionic tubes is controlled in accordance with the action of the light sensitive cell and each tube controls a relay in such manner 5 that one of the relays is responsive to the absence of light directed against the cell while the other is responsive to a change in the amount'of light directed against the cell.

When a perforation is sensed bythe cell the 10 first relay will be energized. If the correspond ing key is then operated and the light through the perforation cut' oil by a shutter, the second relay will cause a signal lamp to be momentarily illuminated and then extinguished and the card 1 5 carriage will escape to the next column.

If the incorrect key is depressed, or if the perforation is in the wrong location the said relay will not be operated, the signal lamp will remain illuminated and ;escapement of the carriage pre- 20 vented.

. If the perforation is missing and the column incorrectly left bIank the signal lamp will be illuminated upon depression of the key and will remain lighted. 7

Various other objects and advantages of my invention will be obvious from the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying the invention or from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, and the inventionalso constitutes certain new and novel features of the construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a central section through the device.

Fig. 2 is a'detail of parts in Fig. 1, shown in moved position.

Fig. 3 is a detail of the carriage escapement mechanism.

- Fig. 4 is a section taken along lines 4-4 of 40 Fig. 1.

i Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram of the electric circuits of the device.

Card feeding mechanism In the accompanying drawings in Fig. 1, the perforated card i0. is inserted between a card pusher ii and a forward guide l2 with the first column of the card coinciding with the common center line of light sensitive cell l3 and lamp I4. The filament of lamp I 4 lies parallel to the column of index-point positions of the record (see Fig. 4) and the cell I3 is similarly located so thatlight passing through a perforation in any position will fall upon the cell at a point above the hole.

The pusher II and guide l2 are attached to the carriage rack l5 which is suitably supported and guided by rollers l6 which cooperate with rail structure l1 secured to the frame of the machine. The rack |5 has teeth cut in its lower edge meshing with a gear l8 upon whose axis is mounted a spring barrel l9 which through connection to the gear l8 tends to urge the rack |5 toward the left.

A suitable escapement mechanism including a holding pawl 20 (Fig. 3) and a stepping pawl 2| cooperates with ratchet'shaped teeth 22 cut in the upper edge of carriage rack [5 to permit step-by-step advance thereof. The normal position of the pawls 2|), 2| is shown in Fig. 3. A shaft 23 when rocked in a counter-clockwise direction will tilt a double-armed lever 24 carried at one end thereof. Lever '24 has a pin 25 in one arm which extendsinto a notch in pawl 28 and a pin 26 in its other arm which extends into an enlarged opening in pawl 2|. As the shaft 23 and lever 24 are rocked, the pin 25 will lower pawl 20 into engagement with a tooth 22 to hold rack IS in position while pin 26 raises pawl 2| out of cooperation with the bar. Pawl 2! is loosely mounted on shaft 23 with sufllcient clearance so that upon return of lever 24 to its initial position, pawl 2| will be drawn slightly to the right by its spring 21 and the next tooth on the rack will engage the end of the 'pawl.

In Fig. 1 shaft 23 carries an arm 28, connected through link 29, bell crank 36, and link 3| to the armature of escapement magnet 32 in such manner that for each operation of the armature, shaft 23 will be oscillated to permit the card carriage to advance one step and the card columns will thus be successively presented to the analyzing position.

Link 3| carries a screw 44 which is adapted to cause opening of a pair of contacts 45 when the link moves toward the right.

Shutter mechanism connection with a plunger 31, mounted for vertical movement and in turn, having connection with an arm of a bell'crank 38. The other arm of the bell crank 38 has pin and slot connection 39 with a shutter '48 which is suitably mounted for horizontal movement. Energization of a magnet 33 will, through the connection just described, shift its associated shutter 40 toward the left from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that in Fig. 2 where the leading end covers the index-point position of the record column and cuts off the light from lamp H at such position. Each shutter 40 carries a spring pressed latch 4| which, when the shutter is advanced, will snap over a ball 42 supported by escapement shaft 23. Rocking of shaft 23 to effect an advance of 'the carriage will rock ball 23 to release latch 4| and permit shutter 40 to be retracted by its restoring spring 43. A pair of contacts 31a is located beneath each plunger 31 and is closed thereby and held closed while shutter 48 remains in advanced position.

Wiring diagram The various conditions which may exist to affect the operation, of the machine will now be explained inconneetion with the wiring diagram of Fig. 5 in which a plurality of keys 46, one for each index point position, are diagrammatically represented. Each key is adapted to close a pair of contacts 41. Current is supplied to lines '48 and 49 from a suitable source S and a separate battery 50 supplies current for the light sensitive 5 cell and thermionic tubes 5| and 52. 1 Tube 5| is direct-coupled and adjusted to energize a relay magnet 53 in its plate circuit when a predetermined amount of light falls upon cell i 3. That is, when reflected or direct light from extraneous sources, such as through the casing of the machine falls upon the cell l3, relay 53 remains energized. When light from lamp |4 falls upon the cell through perforations in the card, the tube 5| is actuated to cause deenergization of relay 53.

Tube 52 is capacity-coupled and operates independently of the absolute amount of light on the* cell l3 but is excited by changes in the amoimt of light incident upon the cell A relay 54 is included in the plate circuit of tube 52 and is accordingly energized when a change or decrease in the amount of light on cell l3 occurs.

Specifically, relay 53 is deenergized when light passes through a perforation and is energized when all such light is cut off, either by the shutters or because no perforations are present in the column being analyzed. Relay 54 is energized when the cell I3 is initially activated due to the presence of a perforation and the light is then cutoff by the shutter or shutters.

Correct perforations The manner in which the device functions to verify perforations will now be explained for the condition where the key depressed corresponds to the location of the perforation in the column. Assume that there is .a perforation in the 12 index-point position and that the "12 key 46 is depressed. Immediately upon the presentation of the column containing this 12 perforation the relays 53, 54, 55, 56 and 51 will all. be deenergized and their related contacts will be in the positions illustrated in Fig. 5.

Relay 53 is deenergized due to the incidence of light from lamp on cell |3 through the 12 hole. The operator then depresses the 12 key 46 and a circuit will be completed from line 48, wire 58, 12 magnet 33, 12 contacts 41, wire 59, normally closed contacts 56b of relay magnet 56, wire 68, relay magnet 51, to line 49. Magnet 51 closes itscontacts 514: to set up a holding circuit from line 48, release key contacts 6|, contacts 6 51a, contacts 56b, wire 60, magnet 51 to line49.

' Magnet 51 also closes its contacts 51b to complete and 54 and a circuit will then be traceable as follows: from line 48, contacts 45, relay magnet 55, wire 63,, contacts 54a, wire 64, contacts 531:, wire 65 to line 49. Since the energization of magnet 54 is but momentary, a second pair of contacts is provided as indicated at 545 which complete a circuit from line 49, wire 66, relay magnet 56, contacts 54b, wire 61, wire 59, "12 contacts .311: (latched closed at this time due to the advanced position of 12 shutter 49) wire 68 to line 48.

Magnet 58 closes contacts 56a which bridge contacts 54b so that the above circuit is held until 7,5

cont'acts 31a are opened under action of the escapement control mechanism.

Magnet 55, energized as traced above closes its contacts 550. to set up its own holding circuit from line 48, contacts.45, magnet 55, wire 63, contacts 55a to line 49. A second pair of contacts 55b completes the escapement magnet circuit as fol- Hole in wrong position.-'Ihe next column is now in analyzing position and if a perforation is present, relay magnet 53 is deenergized as before and verifying will take place also as before if the corresponding key is depressed. If the hole is punched in a position other than that in which it should occur or if the verifying operator depresses the wrong key, the shutter 40 advanced will not interrupt the light passing through the ,32 for the purpose of releasing the latched shutter 40.

If the error was occasioned by the verifying operator due to depression of the wrong key the depression of keys I and II will advance the card to the next column and verifying may then be continued.

Hole omitted-If the perforation to be verified has been erroneously omitted, analysis of the column will first cause energization of relay magnet 53 and the subsequent depression of a key 45 will effect the illumination of-lamp 62 and the setting up of the holding circuit therefor. 7

Extra hole-If in addition to a correctly located perforation there is a superfluous'perforation in another index-point position of the same column, the relay magnet 53 will not become energized upon depression of the key corresponding to the correct hole since the cell l3 will still receive light through the extra hole. The escapement circuit traced above. can. therefore not be completed, and the lamp 5! will remain illuminated.

Blank columns To verify a blank colum that is, to ascertain that no perforations have been made in a column that should be unpunched, key 13 is depressed when the blank column is-in analyzing position. Since no light is passing through the card, relay magnet 53 is energized and its contacts 53a are closed, and a circuit can therefore be completed from line 48, contacts 45, magnet 55, wire 53, contacts 14 of key 13, contacts 53a, to line 49. The escapement magnet is subsequently enersized in the now familiar manner and the card is advanced to the next position.

Automatic column skipping Frequently where the punched. columns tobe verified are separated from one another by blank columns and it is not desired to verify such blank columns, closure of a switch 15 will cause the same to be automatically skipped in the following manner. Upon arrival of any blank column in analyzing position, alllight from lamp I4 will be cut oil. from cell l3 and consequently relay magnet 53 will immediately become energized and a circuit completed from line 48, contacts 45, magnet 55, wire 53, switch 15, contacts 53a, to line 49.

'Mag'net 55 will close its points 55b to energize the escapement .magnet 32 and the card will thereupon be advanced to the next column. If this c'olumn is also blank, the automatic escaping action will be repeated, and will continue until a columnis reached in which there is a perforation.

In the preferred form illustrated, keys 46 are arranged for distant control of the machine, that is, they may be located at a point remote from the actual card feeding mechanism. If desired, however, plungers 31 may be provided with suitable buttons at their upper extremities and operated directly. Magnets 33 and contacts 41 may then be dispensed with entirely.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustratedand 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 claimed is as follows: 1. In averifying machine, means including a light sensitive cell for sensing the index-point positions of a column of a record card, card advancing mechanism, a thermionic tube, directcoupled to said cell to respond to the incidence of a predetermined amount of light on the cell, a second thermionic tube capacity-coupled to said cell to respond to a change in the amount of light incident'upon .the cell, verifying keys and means ,iointly controlled by said tubes and said keys for controlling the operation of said card advancing mechanism.

2. In a record verifying machine, ensensing station with means for sensing the presence of perforations in a record card column presented to said station, a pair of relays, one of said relays being normally energized and the other normally deenergized, means controlled by said sensing means, upon sensing a perforation for causing deenergization of said normally energized relay, means for covering the perforation sensed to cause 'said sensing means to reenergize the normally energized relay and concurrently energize the normally deenergized relay, a magnet and a circuit for operating the same. completed jointly by said relays when both are concurrently energized. 3. The invention set forth in claim 2 in which the energization of the normally deenergized relay'is momentary and in which means is pro-'- vided for maintaining said magnet energized after the momentary energization of said last named relay.

4. The invention set forth in claim 2 in'which a signal circuit is provided and completed conoperation of said relays causes interruption or said signal circuit.

5. The invention set forth in claim 2 in which means is provided for locking said perforation covering means inoperative position and in which means is provided and controlled by said relays for causing unlocking of said covering means. I

6. In a record verifying machine, a sensing station including a light sensitive cell and an illuminating lamp, means for presenting a column of a record card to said station whereupon light from the lamp will be reflected upon said cell through a perforation in an index point position of said column, a shutter, means for moving said shutter to cover said perforation and cut oil the light passing therethrough, means for latching said shutter in moved position and means controlled by said cell when said light is cut off for causing removal of the column from said sensing station and unlatching or said shutter.

7. In a record verifying machine, a sensing station including a lightsensitive cell and an illuminating lamp, means for presenting a record card column to said station whereupon a data designation in an index'point position of said tion for causing removal of the column from said sensing station and unlatching of said shutter.

8. In a record verifying machine, a light sensitive cell for sensing the index point positions of a column of a record card, a plurality of shutters,

one for each index point position, means for interposing one or more of said shutters between said cell and said index point positions, a pair of thermionic tubes controlled by said cell, one of said tubes being responsive to the presence or absence of data. designations in said positions, the other being momentarily responsive to a change in the amount of light reflected upon the cell, escapement mechanism for the record card and means controlled jointly by said tubes for controlling the operation of said escapement mechanism.

RALPH L. PALMER.

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