US2944735A - Record medium for registration of administrative data - Google Patents

Description

July 12, 1960 N. GOLDSTERN RECORD MEDIUM FOR REGISTRATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE DATA Filed March 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIGJ FIG.2

July 12, 1960 N. G OLDSTERN 2,944,735

RECORD MEDIUM FOR REGISTRATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE DATA Filed March 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RECORD MEDIUM FOR REGISTRATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE DATA Norbert Golds tern, Tilburg, Watertorenplein, Netherlands Filed Mar. 15, 1954, Ser.No. 416,303 1 Claim. (Ci; 235561.12

The present invention relates to a method for the mechanical performance of booking, calculating and the like, according to which pulses are fed to booking and calculating machines through perforations in cards or similar registration material. I

The object of the present invention is to provide a novel and efficient system of legible characters or symbols, formed by perforations, which can be handled by business-machines.

A beam of light or other radiant energy scans the above mentioned perforated card or similar registration material and the light or other energy penetrating through the peforations is by means of a photoelectric cell or a detector for radiant energy transformed into electric pulses, which are transmitted to a system of relays controlling a business machine.

According to my invention the perforations constituting a symbol or character are arranged in such a manner, that the characters are legible and the total area of the perforations representing a character is different for the various characters. Thus any character or symbol is characterised by the total area of its perforations.

Preferably the perforations used for all the characters are of equal size.

It is known in the art to represent characters or symbols by transmitting an amount of energy, representative of the different characters, to a business machine.

Thus for instance, according to one of these methods an area of a size which is characteristic for the different characters is obtained by varying the breadth of the printed or written lines representing these characters, in order to obtain an area which is characteristic for a specified character and is different for each of the used characters. In this case the characters fill up a part of a white area of standard size and the part of this white area which is not filled up by the characters, is different for each of the characters, so that the amount of light reflected by the not filled-up part is different for each of the characters.

According to another method the figure symbols constitute a line of a uniform breadth, the length of which can, however, be varied as determined. The result obtained is the same as described above.

Further, also the determination of figure symbols by a certain number of perforations is known for each figure. These perforations can, however, only be transformed into legible figures or letters by a conversion in the machine and otherwise form inexplicable symbols like e.g. Morse signals on the registration material.

Finally it is generally known to apply characters to administration material by a number of similar perforations, however, not as an auxiliary means for transferring pulses to bookkeeping or calculating machines.

In so far as the method described above relates to mechanical booking or calculating, they have the common drawback, that the documents fed into the machine cannot be employed otherwise, i.e. without previous transformation by the machine for other bookkeeping purposes, for account defining or for registration purposes.

The present invention improves upon this. According to the invention the surface, which acts for instance for the optical scanning, consists of a number of equally 5 sized perforations, which number has been determined by the value of the separate registration symbols. These perforations are arranged according to the figures or the shapes of the letters in such a way, that they give legible print. ;.'Ihese symbols are scanned by a lightbeam, and theenergy of the beam is transmitted to a photoelectric 1 cell. .The released current is amplified and fed into relays cooperating; with the bookkeeping-machine.

Owing to this, the drawbacks of the systems which have so far been known, are obviated, since legible signals are concerned, which can also be made use of outside the machine. Besides, each kind of photographic reproduction can be effected very easily, including multiplication by means of photography or the like.

The invention is further illustrated in the accompanying diagram by way of example, said diagram schematically representing a registration material and a device for transmitting figures to a calculating machine or other apparatus.

Fig. 1 shows the way in which the figures can be formed. Legible figure symbols for a number of equally sized perforations differing for each figure are formed in the squares which act as standard surfaces and which form part of the registration material.

Fig.2 shows a source of light 1, a convex lens 2, the sheet 3, a covering slip 4 with a window, in which the figure can just become visible, a group of relays 7, an office machine 8, egg. an adding machine.

'The beam of light emitted from source of light 1 is concentrated by the lens 2. The sheet with the figures lies under the window in the covering slip 4, and the light passing through the perforations strikes the photoelectric cell 5.

Sheet 3, which may consist of paper, metal foil or metallized paper or of any other thin material, and mounted on rollers is shifted step by step as happens with a typewriter, so that new symbols are successively scanned. The symbol appearing in the window allows part of the beam of light to pass through. This part is converted into a current or voltage pulse in the photoelectric cell, which is amplified in the amplifier which is connected behind this cell. This current or voltage pulse, depending on its magnitude, operates one of the relays of group 7. The relay which is in operation presses down the key of machine 8, corresponding with the figures concerned.

Fig. 3 shows a device provided with an electronic switching apparatus. 5 is a photoelectric cell, 7 a group of relays.

The input of the amplifier is constituted by the gridcathode space of an amplifier tube, for instance a three electrode tube. The amplifier output comprises a condenser shunted by a resistor.

The charge of the condenser depends on the amount of light, transmitted through the perforations. The condenser is connected with the control-electrodes of an electronic switch, which may be embodied in an electronbcam-tube. The electron-beam can move over a set of contacts 11, 12 and so on, each of which is connected with a relay. The operating circuit of the relay is closed by the electron beam focussed on the contact of the relay.

If desired, the text on the sheet can be made more visible by positioning a contrast surface at the back of the sheet.

This may e.g. be a black surface in case the original sheet is white. Furthermore the sheet can be placed on a screen, consisting of diffuse light transmitting material the back of which is exposed to the light.

Also coloured strips may be fixed at the backside of the perforations.

The registration sheets, which are used according to the invention, are particularly suitable for copying purposes by means of phototypes.

Instead of scanning by means of beams of light scanning can also be effected by an electron beam, for which purpose perforated metal foils or metallized paper are used as registration sheets.

I claim:

In a record sorting machine employing a record medium wherein the amount of radiant energy passed through said medium is representative of the information contained thereon and is converted into voltage impulses to activate electrical relays, a record medium comprising a card having information thereon, said information being formed by a plurality of perforations arranged in a visually comprehensible symbol, each of said perforations being of equal size and each of said symbols having a different number of perforations.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,292,332 Jones Jan. 21, 1919 1,870,989 Eldred Aug. 9, 1932 2,000,404 Maul, May 7, 1935 2,302,009 Dickinson Nov. 17, 1942 2,362,004 Heidinger Nov. 7, 1944

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