* GB786034 (A)

Description: GB786034 (A) ? 1957-11-13

Improvements in magnetic digital-data storage devices

Description of GB786034 (A)

AMENDED SPECIFICATION Reprinted as amended in accordance with the Decision of the Superintending Examiner acting for the Comptroller-General, dated the twenty-eighth day of September, 1961, under Section 14 of the Patents Act, 1949. PATENT SPECIFICATION DRAWINGS ATTACHED 786 MO 34 4 'X t Date of Application and filing Complete Specification: June 23, 1950. No 37215/54. Application made in Germany on Oct 1, 1948. (Divided out of No 786,021) \ \ 2/ Complete Specification Published: Nov 13, 1957. Index at acceptance:-Class 106 ( 1), S. International Classification:-GO 6 k. COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Improvements in Magnetic Digital-Data Storage Devices I, GERIARD DIRKS, a German citizen of 44, Moerfelder Landstrasse, Frankfurt/Main, Germany, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - This invention relates to information storage devices for signals. The present invention provides information storage apparatus comprising a tape which includes a magnetisable layer and adapted to have information recorded on such layer in a plurality of information storage areas arranged lengthwise of the tape, each such area comprising a plurality of individual signal storage areas, sensing and recording means associated with the tape, means adapted to product relative movement between the tape and the sensing and recording means to render said information storage areas available in succession for

sensing or recording, control means adapted to be operated by a predetermined signal or signals, such signal or signals designating a selected information storage area to or from which information is to be transferred, means adapted to select from each information storage area one or more signal storage areas and adapted to feed as operating signals to said control means signals sensed from said one or more areas, and means adapted to be operated by the said control means to render said sensing and recording means effective to transfer signals synchronously with said relative movement from or to all the signal storage areas of said selected information area. According to another feature of the invention at least some of said areas may have an associated magnetic signal storage area or group of areas for a designating mark or marks, sensing means being provided for said mark or marks and the control will operate in response to the sensing of designating marks. The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a tape feeding and signal transfer mechanism, this being described in more detail in my co-pending application for Patent No. 37212/54 (Serial No 786,031); Figure 2 is a perspective view of an alternative form of tape-feeding mechanism; Figure 3 is a wiring diagram showing how signals may be transferred from one tape to another; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an inductive selecting switch; Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a presensing process explained below; Figure 6 is a wiring diagram of an electronic selecting gate for use with the arrangement shown in Figure 5 and, Figure 7 is a more detailed diagram of the pre-sensing process shown in Figure 5. The invention will first be described as embodied in an arrangement for sorting information recorded as signals on a magnetic tape. Such an arrangement is fully described in my co-pending Application No 37212/54 (Serial No 786,031) Briefly, the information is recorded in " unities ", a unity being defined as a storage area for a group of information signals having a common factor such that it is desired to transfer or otherwise process such signals as a group For example, each unity may consist of the information originally recorded on a single punched record card or other document Thus a unity generally contains signals representing a plurality of symbols, such as alphabetic characters or digits etc The information bearing tape may be sensed and each unity having a predetermined symbol in a chosen position be selected for recording on a second magnetic tape This process corresponds in essence to the direction of a punched card into a particular pocket of a sorting machine under control of the sensing

of the corresponding punching in a particular column By repetitions of this process, the original information may finally be recorded in a predetermined, e g numerical, order. The position within the recording of a unity, of the signals representing a particular symbol, determines the denominational significance, for example, of the symbol It will be apparent, therefore, that the sorting arrangement referred to requires selective transfer of signals sensed from a magnetic tape and, in the case of repeated transfer, facilities for synchronisation of each transfer so that the positional significance of the symbol representing signals is maintained. Fig 1 shows in diagrammatic perspective the main parts of a two-tape sorting mechanism, such as is set forth in my co-pending Application for Patent No 37212/54 (Serial No 786,031) It comprises two stepwisely operating tapes 1, 2 for the successive stepwise sensing and recording of signals on sorting tapes Each tape system comprises a reel (not shown) from which the tape is uncoiled, a sensing head system 3 by which the tape 1 is sensed, the tape feeding system 4 with stop teeth 5 and a reel (not shown) for rewinding the tape The sensing and the transport systems are operated in dependence on the movement of the main shaft driven by a motor (not shown). A signal-head system 7 moves during one cycle of the operating means, from right to left in arrow-direction 8 and back in arrow direction 9, by an extent of 80 denominations 101-o (width of one "unity" 11 '-" of the tape, each unity being equivalent to one punched card) The tape 1 is stationary during the movement of the sliding signal head system 7 from right to left in arrow direction 8, and moves by one " unity " to the right on the backward movement of the sliding signalhead system 7 in arrow direction 9 The movement of the tape by one "unity" 11 in arrow direction 9 is controlled by the upper part of the control device 4 which, in like manner to the sliding signal-head system 7, moves to and fro by one " unity " from right to left and backward to right, corresponding to a certain number of performations 12. The feeding of the tape 1 is controlled by a magnet 14, which operates a lever 13 To move the tape a distance equal to one unity from left to right, the magnet 14 is de-energised at the moment when the transport system 4 is starting to move in the arrow direction 9 This allows the end of the lever 13 to engage a feeding hole, such as 12, in the edge of the tape and thereby move the tape in synchronism with the system 4 When the tape is to remain stationary, as for example 70 when the transport system is moving in the arrow direction 8, the magnet 14 is energised to move the lever 13 clear of the feeding holes in the tape Registering teeth 5 are provided to lock the tape in position except when it is 75 to be moved The teeth 5 may, for example, be held in the

operative position by a magnet (not shown) which is connected in parallel with the magnet 14 and retracted from the tape when the magnet is de-energised 80 The feeding of tape 2 with its " unities" 153-D is controlled by the lower part of the feeding control mechanism 4 It consists, comparable to its upper part, of the feeding-lever 16 and the magnet-coil 17 It can only feed 85 the tape 2 from left to right in arrow-direction 9 by one "unity" 15, if the magnet-coil 17 does not prevent the lever 16 from gripping into one of the perforations in the tape. The signal-head system within the sliding 90 head 7 comprises two sets of e g 15 signal heads 18 ' and 19 arranged in parallel with their respective slots 3 '3 and coils 20 '-, slots 21 -= and coils 22 0, of which each signal head is co-ordinated to one of hori 95 zontal tracks 23 Oe On the movement of the sliding signal-head system 7 to the left hand side, in arrow-direction 8, the magnetic signals within all the different rows 23 are sensed within one cycle and those in any selected 100 vertical (transverse) column may be selected as sorting signals and may be used for the selective control of the transfer of the sensed signals of all the columns of a unity on tape 1 to a unity on tape 2, for example during 105 the backward movement of the sliding head system, the tapes 1 and 2 being held stationary during such transfer. Instead of the sensing and recording being done by the moving of signal heads over a 110 stationary tape the reverse arrangement may be adopted, which simplifies the mounting of, and connections to, the signal heads. Referring to Fig 2, there is shown the manner of step-wise feeding and the sensing 115 and recording of one or more tapes controlled independently of each other From the original tape 1, which is stepwtvisely fed, a transfer of all the signals of a unity is effected at the first passage to the second tape 2 only when 110 the first tape contains in a selected column, the selected sorting signal e g the digit value " 0." At the same time, when such a transfer has taken place, the second tape 2 will be moved on by one step, as in this case the 125 corresponding bar 25 with the feeder 26 is not attracted to the core of the unenergised magnet coil 27 and the rotating disc 28 on shaft 6, moving the to-and-fro transport system, can pull the tape forward by one step After this 130 786,034 786,034 3 forward movement, the cross bar 26 with its cams or grippers 29 will be pulled out of the corresponding transport hole at the edges of the tape, and is held fast by the energised magnet coil 27 during the rearward movement of the bar 25 Combined with the up and down movement of the cams or grippers 29 is the up and down movement of the stops which have a slanted edge and are spring mounted, so that by these the tape

receives a definite position in which accurate sensings and recordings can be effected The sensing and recording is effected by means of the sets of sensing-, recording and erasing heads 18 and 19 The reciprocating drive provided by the shaft 6, disc 28, and bar 25 may be used for moving the sensing and transport systems 7 and 4 of Figure 1. During the successive steppings forward of the first tape 1, a transfer from its sensing coils 18 "-e to the recording heads 19 of the next tape 2 can be effected only if at the selected column the sorting signal, e g the digit value " O ", is sensed. Fig 3 shows the operation of a two tape sorting device with tapes 1 and 2 by means of a schematic circuit diagram This is explained in detail in my said co-pending Application for Patent No 37212/54 (Serial No 786,031). Above the tapes 2 and 3 move the signal head sets 18 - and 19 in arrow directions 8 and 9 The sensing heads 18 -0 are connected with the amplifier 30 and via a selecting stepping switch 31 with the amplifier 32. During the mnovement of the signal heads in arrow direction 8 the signals of tape 1 are sensed by the set of sensing heads 18 and the signals sensed from tape 1 may be transferred or not transferred after amplification in amplifier 30 (which amplifier may for example have parallel channels) for a recording by means of the recording heads 190-0 on the tape 2, under the control of a selective mechanism Such selective mechanism may e g. comprise a selective device for sorting columns, a selective device for sorting digit-value signals or the like in the selected column, a transfer switching device and a switchable feeding device actuated in dependence on the presence or absence of such selected signals. The selective device for sorting columns includes the amplifier 32, which is in-active in its normal position and only opened for a short period by the selective switch 33, including e g the inductive distributing switch 34 actuating the igniting of the discharge tube selectively By means of this selective switch the selection of the sorting column may be effective. In Fig 3 the switch 356 is shown closed, which makes the windings of the inductive switch effective during the passage of signal heads 18 over column 24 " 3, which column has been selected by the actuation of switch 363 as the sorting column amongst the columns 24 t 1 for this phase or stage of the sorting process The selected switch effects the ignition of the relay tube 35 at the passing of the co-ordinated sorting column 24 of the 70 magnetisable tape 1 below the sensing heads. Thus the ignition of the tube 35 indicates that a unity has been

sensed which contains a " zero " in column 33, so that this unity should be transferred to the tape 2 The cir 75 cuit may be arranged to effect this in either of two ways Firstly, the amplifier 30 may be operative during each movement of the heads 18 and 19 in the arrow direction 8 Hence each unity is recorded by the heads 19 on the 80 tape 2 as it is sensed by the heads 18 from the tape 1 However, a tube 37 is normally generating a high frequency erasing current which is applied to the amplifier 30 during movement of the heads in the arrow direction 85 9, this being achieved by, for example, switching of the H T supply to the tube at this time. Hence the unity which has just been recorded on the tape 2 is erased On the other hand, when tube 35 is ignited erasure must be pre 90 vented so that the unity remains recorded on the tape 2 This may be done by connecting a cathode load in common to tubes 35 and 37 so that the voltage developed with gas tube ignited is sufficient to prevent tube 37 oscil 95 lating (not shown) or by a relay I in the anode circuit of tube 35 having contacts in the anode circuit of tube 37 (as shown) The ignition of the tube 35 also causes, through a tube in the amplifier 32, energisation of the magnet 17 100 This magnet operates the lever 16 to feed the tape 2 one unity, as already described in relation to Fig 1 Similarly, if the arrangement of Fig 2 were used, the magnet 17 would correspond to the magnet 27 105 Secondly, the amplifier 30 may be normally ineffective and is rendered effective by ignition of the gas tube 35 The erasing current generator 37 is not used for the tape 2 in this case, but it may be used for erasing 110 on the tape 1 Thus, when the tube 35 is ignited it allows the transfer of information from the tape 1 to the tape 2 during movement of the heads in the arrow direction 9. It will be clear that whichever way of sort 115 ing is employed, the tube 35 may be ignited at any time during the movement of the heads in the arrow direction 8, depending on which column has been selected to control sorting. Accordingly, the tube 35 should be made 120 effective if ignited, e g by a contact controlled by the head movement, only during the movement of the heads in the arrow direction 9 and it must be extinguished at the end of the movement in such direction 125 Further details of the sorting process as such will be found in my said co-pending Application No 37212/54 (Serial No. 786,031). In the devices described up to now the sort 130 786,034 ing was effected by the transfer of unities to a set of sorting tapes by transfer which "has been made effective " either during the movement of the tape after the selected signals have been sensed from a stationary tape, or by first transferring all signals and then sensing

a sorting signal and, during the movement of the tape, erasing all those transferred signals not selected by the sorting signal. The transfer can be effected in such a way, that in the preceding sensing process the digit value of the sorting column is sensed and used for selecting In dependence on the result of this use of the signal in a second sensing process, the whole unity is sensed and in a given case transferred on to the other tape. Such a sorting device, which effects the sorting process at the transfer from a sorting tape 1 by means of two sensing processes is described in the following with reference to Figs 4-7. In Fig 5 the sensing heads 18 are shown, which introduce signals via the switches 31 in a selectable way via the connection ways a, b, to the electronic selecting gate comprising the discharge tubes 35 and 38 and the pentode 39 of Fig 6. The sorting column according to which the sorting is to be effected, is selected by means of an inductive distributor, the construction and operation of which is more particularly described in my co-pending Application No. 15773/50 (Serial No 786,021), repeated selection being by rotational adjustment The circle 44 carries a scale, which indicates in which sorting column the coils 40/41 and 42/43 are to be effective Discs 45 and 46, which are provided on the main shaft 47, have two teeth 48 and 49, the edges of which pass closely over the edged cores of the said coils 40/41 and 42/43. If the primary winding 40 of a coil is excited by means of direct current, the gas discharge tube 35 is ignited at the passing of the tooth 48 over the core of that coil, since the secondary winding 41 of this coil is connected with the control grid of the gas discharge tube 35 The ignition of the gas discharge tube 35 effects an opening of pentode 39, as the cathode resistance 50 of the gas discharge tube delivers the screen grid voltage of the pentode as a voltage drop. After an interval of almost one column, the yoke 49 of disc 46 passes the core of the coils 42 and 43, and the gas discharge tube 38 is ignited which closes the pentode 39 by making the cathode potential positive in relation to the potential of the suppressor grid. In Fig 5 a sorting operation is shown for the first running through of the tape, switch 31 is closed, so that the digit value 0 is used as selecting value The further selecting according to other selecting values may be done with the same arrangement of means by further running through of tape 1 and a step-wise change of the selective switching of switch 31 from position 310 to position 311, 312 etc for e g the successive digit values 0-9. In the drawing, the control grid of pentode 39 is connected only with that one of the sensing heads 18 ", which is switched on via the

corresponding switch 31 (i e in the case shown the switch 31 "), so that only those signals can be made effective via the pentode 39, which correspond both to the selected column as determined by the position of the coils 40/41 and 42/43 (e g column 24 2) and to the switched-on of sensing heads 18 (e g. in the case shown, signal head 18 '). If such a signal is sensed from a selected column, it ignites the gas discharge tube 51 via the pentode 39 (opened only during the passing of this column 24 ") and opens the pentode 52, the control grid of which is connected with secondary winding 53 while in the plate circuit of that pentode the recording coil 54 is arranged; compare the connections or lead points e and f in Figs 5 and 6. By this means, an indicating mark is stored in the first or other preceding columns of the same unity, indicating that the signals of this unity must be transferred to sorting tape 2 at the next sensing and transfer stage In Fig. the tape moves from left to right. By this process a relatively high speed of the tape can be attained, as the movement of the tape can take place during the backward movement of the feeding systems By means of this pre-marking for the effecting of a transfer, this transfer can be effected directly, without the making of ineffective transfer which later has to be erased This pre-marking signal is sensed by means of the signal head 55, which is connected with the control grid of the pentode 56 via the switching ways c, d The amplified signal effects the ignition of gas discharge tube 57, opening the respective switches connected to the respective cathode circuits at 58 determining whether a transfer of the signals of the unity to tape 2 is to take place or not. If instead of the inductive distributor there is provided a cathode ray distributor for the selection of the column and/or digit values, an arrangement can be used according to switching diagram of Fig 7 The sorting process itself is almost the same as has been described in connection with Figs 4-6. In the example illustrated, and in contrast to Fig 5, an additional sensing head 59 senses a synchronising track to generate a signal which effects via the co-ordinated pentode 60 and a phase-shifting device the circular rotation of the cathode ray in the electronic distributor 61 The column according to which the sorting is to be effected, is indicated by the connection to the high-ohmic resistance 62, by means of the cathode ray impinging on the plate associated with that resistance, which may 1 ' 786,034 by employing a common mechanical driving system A similar system may be employed with the arrangement of Figure 7 However, the provision of a synchronising track, sensed by the head 59, allows the use of electrical

synchronisation For example, one of the tapes may be driven by a motor operated from a supply, the frequency of which is synchronised under control of the synchronising track on the other tape The use of a synchronised motor allows continuous, as opposed to step-by-step, feeding of the tapes. The embodiments described above utilise selective transfer of information from a tape to achieve sorting of the information, so that the selection is controlled by the information itself, e g by the presence of a specified digit in a specified column The tape may also be used as an information storage device for a calculator or the like, so that it performs a function similar to that of the magnetic drum and disc storage devices described in my copending Application No 37214/54 (Serial No. 786,033 The different modes of making selections in the storage for the sensing and/or recording of signals set out in detail in my co-pending Application No, 37214/54 (Serial No 786,033) may likewise be used with the present invention, for the various purposes set out in that application For example, magnetic heads may be positioned to sense signals, which are recorded on the tape in accordance with a code, in order to effect the selection.

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* GB786035 (A)

Description: GB786035 (A) ? 1957-11-13

Selectively readable storage devices for signals

Description of GB786035 (A)

PATENT SPECIFICATION Date of application and filing Complete Specification: June 23, 1950.

No 37216154. Application made in Germany on Oct 1, 1948. (Divided out of No 786,021). Complete Specification Published: Nov 13, 1957. Index at acceptance:-J Classes 40 ( 3), A 5 G 6; and 106 ( 1),M ( 1 X: 2 X: 4 A: 5 D). International Classification:-GO 6 k 1 GO 8 c. COTMPLETE SPEOIFI'OATION Selectively Readable Storage Devices for Signals I, 'GBRHARD DIRKS, a German citizen, of 44, Moerfelderlandstrasse, Frankfurt on Main, Germany, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which iis asto be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - This invention relates to selectively readable storage devices for signals with which ithe senslng of signals is effected by optical means. The invention provides selective optical storage means comprising an optical signal carrier and signal sensing means therefor, with a relative cyclic movement 'between such signal carrier and said means, each cycle of such movement being a movement of a pre-determined extent, and comprising also means whereby signals may be transferred selectively from the signal carrier by said sensing means. Said relative movement may be a continuous movement, constant or otherwise and may be 'a movemeni of the signal carrier relative to stationary sensing means. According to another feature of the invention signals sensed from the said signal carrier may 'be transferred selectively to another storage means e g a magnetizable drum, disc or tape between which and a sensing and/or recording means there is a cyclic movement by which if necessary a repeated sensing of the signals may be effected Such other storage may be as set out in my said co-pending Application No 37214/54 (Serial No. 78,6,03,3) and may 'be used for any of the purposes mentioned in that Application, including changes of sequences of the signals as to their denominational position. The said cyclic movement may 'be a ro ational movement or a linewise movement and sufficient to traverse in each cycle a given number of signal-containing areas It also may be a continuous or intermittent movement. The invention will 'be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: lFig 1 is a face-view of an optical signal carrier in the form of a disc; and Fig 2 is a similar view of an alternative form of a disc. i Fig 1 shows 'a transparent disc 1 e g a disc having a photographic

layer The disc 1 is mounted on shaft 2 for rotation by means not shown, and has signall tracks in the form of concentric rings 3 -9 Arranged below the rings are the selecting flash tubes 4 the several tubes being behind a slotted viewing member 5 having a continuous slit through which any of the flash tubes may light up the disc in the corresponding track Alternatively, there may be smaller slits and the viewing member be movable for the selection of tracks. Wider tracks, for example for denominations may be divided into narrower tracks, such as for digit values, and such movement of the viewing member may effect a selection of such narrower tracks. Above the said arrangement is a photbcell 6 which may be used for all the tracks selectively and is effective in dependence on the track lit up by a selected flash tube and for the time lengdth durinlg which that tube remains fit during the relative movement between the disc and the optical sensing arrangement. In Fig 1 the selective sensing is effected first by selecting 'a track 3 'by selective illumination of a flash tube 4 and then by selecting the time instant at which or the time period for which the tube is illuminated The sensed signals may be transferred by the photo cell 6 to a storage or may be passed directly to an indicating means or to a computer. Referring now to Fig 2, there is shown diagrammatically another form 'of optical selective storage device, which may for instance be used for effecting selections from stored logarithm tables and other tables of constants as usually recorded in books, or for the signals representing numbers and groups of characters for words, syllables and the like or signal's representing the shape of dot and tine characters, or signals for control' purposes. The disc is shown as divided into four sectors representing four columns, e g four denominations of a' number, say four-figure logarithms Each sector is subdivided into 786035 IT., Pconcentric annular parts a, b and c, and is also subdivided into larger and smaller sub-sections 1-3 and 4. The selection of the different signals in Fig. 2, is controlled by means of pulse marks constituting address signals on the concentric rings " a 00-90 " and "b 0-9 " of the disc, the disc having a micro-film layer by which those signals have been recorded The information signals are recorded in the concentric ring c. The selection of address signals is shown in Fig 2 as being effected by means of the movable diaphragms or viewing members A and B Any suitable means, manual or automatic, may be adopted for moving the diaphragms to the selected positions. In the example of Fig 2 subdivisions into only one series of a hundred (ring b) and one series of ten (ring a) are shown, for the sake, of

the clarity of the drawing The address signals for the hundred are recorded on 10 tracks of part "a 00-90," whereas the address signals for the units are recorded on 10 tracks or part " b 0-9 " A photo-cell (not shown) connected with a discharge tube is provided for sensing in each of the said subdivisions "a " and " b " By means of selected dispositions of the diaphragms " A-B," only one of the concentric tracks "a 00-9 a " and one of the tracks ",b 0-9 " may become operative at the same time, the diaphragms A and B being disposed so as to make any selected combinations of a tens track with a units track The selecdion effected is a selection of a time instant or time period, because at any one time instant or during any one time period, only one signal in part c can be sensed With a four-digit address the control signals "a 00-90 " and " b 0-9 " are present in quadruple subdivision, whereas, in this Fig only a two digit address is shown. As an alternative selection means in this form of the invention a series of flash tubes may be used such as is shown in Fig 1, with a slotted viewing member, and any one of said flash tubes may be illuminated selectively in ring a and in ring b to effect the selection. These groups of ten-fold address signals are arranged in as many sectors I, II, III, IV etc of the disc as there are denominations in the numbers concerned, for instance logarithms In the example of Fig 2, only four sectors are shown The same division into sectors may be effected in the storage means shown in Fig 1. Each sector is divided into a sensing area (respectively I/1-3, II/1-3, etc) and a sector for the evaluation of the signals sensed in those sensing areas (respectively 1/4, II/4 etc) This division will be required if operation time is necessary at determined instants after the sensing of signals in part c, for example if the sensed signals are to be directly processed, without intermediate storage, e g in a synchronised serial computor of the type set forth in my co-pending Application for Patent No 15773/50 (Serial No 786,021) According to the adjustment of the slotted diaphragms A and B two pentodes (not shown) co-ordinated with two photo-cells are, with a two-digit address, opened only during a determined period, a sensing of any one signal of the different digits in ring c being possible only during a single period in each sector I/1-3. The said photo-cells control gates for signals and, if both cells are operative at the same time, thus opening both gates, the sensed address signals make effective, at that instant, the sensing of the corresponding information signals in ring c of the disc The gates wvill usually be electronic gates operative as electronlc switches in s'itching ways, but there may be, as an alternative, a selectively controlled flashing of one flash tube.

As the selecting positions of the diaphragms A, B do not vary during one rotation of the disc, the different denominations of this computing table, for instance logarithm table, are selected one after another, address signals in one sector being positioned correspondingly to those in the other sectors Conveniently, the sensed information signals are fed sectorwise (denomination-wise) into a computing device, e.g as in the said co-pending Application No. 15,773/50 (Serial No 786,021), or to an intermediate storage means from which they may be used for further operations. The information signals, e g digit signals, are disposed in concentric tracks within ring c of the respective sectors around the centre of the disc Each concentric track corresponds therefore to a determined digit value The sensing of the digit tracks may be provided for instance by means of photo-cells, one for each track, together with co-ordinated amplifiers. Obviously other signal arrangements as heretofore described may be used, and instead of slotted diaphragms deflected rays of light or controlled flashes of light may be used Insfead of the optical storage being on the surface of a disc, as shown, it may be on the surface of a drum, and the sensing means may be shiftable axially or circumferentially of the drum, or a plurality of sensing means may be selectively switched into operation. The means for making the local and timed selection of tracks, sectors or other sub-divisions of the signal carrier may be any of those set forth in my co-pending Application No. 37214/54 (Serial No 786,033), and in particular with the use of magnetic storages e g. drum, disc, tape or the like. The relative movement between the signal carrier and the sensing means therefor may be controlled under the influence of a control frequency or the like of a signal generator. Furthermore, when signals are recorded on the signal carrier for effecting a synchronism in a transfer of the selected signals to some other 7 | 86,035 786,03 'S 3 device, selecting means may be provided including distributive switching means operating under the control of said synchronising signals The distributing means may include a contact distributor or may distribute signals by the selective variation of variable fields of force e.g in an inductive distributor, or it may distribute signals 'by means of two-entry gates selecitvely which gates may, for example, be magnetic gates Furthermore, when there is a plurality of photo-sensitive sensing devices the selecting means for selecting particular sensing devices may be switched in dependence on digit values or on control signals, say by means of electro-mechanical, electric, magnetic, electronic or other switches

Such selecting means may include means operating on a basis of locality and/or time and may include driving means for a selective intermittent relative movement between the signal carrier and the sensing means. The sensed signals may be transferred to an intermediate storage, or directly to a computer or the like Switching means for transferring signals to an intermediate storage, computor or the like may in some cases be effective only at an intermission of an intermittent relative sensing movement. There may also be synchronising means effecting a synchronisation between the selective storage and output means, intermediate storage means, computing and/or other means Such synchronising means may include 'a mechanical coupling or may include electric and/or magnetic control means influencing operation speeds The synchronising means may be adapted to deliver synchronising signals for controlling operation speeds and for controlling electric and/or magnetic gates of output means etc 'It may deliver synchronising signals for controlling electronic gates of the output means or for controlling electromagnetic and/or electronic relays and/or other intermediate storage means, computing means or the like e g for controlling the cathode ray deflection of cathode ray storage tubes Such cathode ray deflection may be effective in dependence either on synchronising signals sensed from a synchronising track of the signal carrier or from a signal generator common to both the cyclic relative movement and the synchronised driving means Sensing means may include means adapted to transfer synchronising signals:and information signals from the signal carrier ito output means, intermediate storage, computing or other means without alteration of their mutual time and/or local relationship. The means for selective transfer of signals may include a first selecting means for making a secondary selection after the first e g the first selection may be a selection of address signals and the second by a selection of information signals on a timed or local basis The said first selecting means may be mechanically synchronised with the said cyclic relative movement, whereas the second selecting means is electrically synchronised as by synchronising signals, or vice versa. There may Tbe switching ways co-ordinated 70 to the respective signal, heads which are switched in dependence on the distributing means under the control of numerical' value signals or other signals. The improved selective storage equipment 75 may also include a comparing device and means whereby signals are transferred from the sensing means in dependence on an equality or non-equality in said comparing device between signals sequences from the signal carrier (or

80 a record means operating in synchronism therewith) and signal sequences from another source Such comparing device may include a chain of gates each gate being controlled on the one hand by one signal and on the other 85 hand by the signals to 'be compared, the said chain providing a continuous signal path if the comparison in all the gates of the chain is equal 'Such a chain of gates is set forth in' detail in my co-pending Application No 90 37214/54 (Serial No '786,033). The signals from the signal carrier or the said synchronised record means may be delivered to the comparing device in repeated changes of sequence during each cycle of said 95 cyclic relative movement and the repetition of the change of sequence may be a constant repetition. The number of gates in the chain of the comparing means may be equal to the number 100 of denominations required to' indicate any signals or group of signals to be selected from the signal carrier For instance, it may be equal to the number of denominations required in a binary number to indicate iany signal or num 105 ber of signals in the signal carrier. There may be means whereby multiplying, dividing, raising to powers, extraction of roots and so en is effected by means of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing of logar 110 ithms, 'and switching means will be provided which 'control the selection of digit value signals for functions (such as those hitherto recorded visually in books and on sheets) in dependence on comparing or controlling signals 115 effected from a key-board or from storages or the like, and further switching means may be provided which transfer the corresponding logarithms into computors;Switching means may be provided which make use of inter 120 mediate resulting logarithms for a selection of further computing signals in selective storages or a selection' of operating means in a computing arrangement and/or further switching means may be provided which effect the trans 125 mission of such intermediate results into a storage The signal carriers may be arranged in reels, cassetts or the like. The improved selective storage means may include synchronised output means which con 130 7; 86,0315 trol a relative movement between computing, input and/or control means or other signal carriers and co-ordinated Transmission means, and/or control the effectiveness of distributors. Such synchronised output means may be made effective in dependence on a relative movement between transmission means and a computor and input control and/or output means. The synchronised movements may operate continuously according to the start-stop principle and/or according to the stepping switch principle.

These synchronising means may operate in any of the ways set forth in my co-pending Application No 37214/54 (Serial No. 786,033).

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* GB786036 (A)

Description: GB786036 (A) ? 1957-11-13

Improvements in storage means for digital data signals

Description of GB786036 (A)

PATENT SPECIFICATION Date of Application and filing Complete Specification: June 23, 1950. No 37217/54. Application made in Germany on Oct 1, 1948. r It of No 786,021). ete Specification Published: Nov 13, 1957. 786,036 Index at acceptance:-Classes 40 ( 6), G( 1 G: 2 G: 3 K: 3 M), P( 1 T: 2 C 4: 3 K: 3 M: 3 S: 45); and 106 ( 1), C( 1 B: ID: 2 81: 2 83: 2 M: 3 D: 4 A: 5: 6). International Classification:-GO 6 f H 03 k. COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Improvements in Storage Means for Digital Data Signals I, GERHARD Di Rizs, a German citizen, of 44, Mcerfelder Landstrasse, Frankfurt on Main, Germany, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - This invention relates to signal storage apparatus employing cathode ray tubes.

It is known to employ cathode ray tubes having secondary emission screens for the generation of television images Such screens have the property of an electrically charged area may be produced on the screen by impingement thereon of the cathode ray beam, the charge density being a function of the beam current Such a charged area may be read by a sensing beam which in passing over the charged area generates a signal in, for example, a metallic pick-up plate arranged adjacent to the screen. It is an object of the invention to utilise a cathode ray tube having such a storage screen for the storage of signals representing digital information. It is a further object of the invention to provide a cathode ray tube storage arrangement including means for synchronising the operation of the storage device and signal input-output means. According to one feature of the invention signal storage apparatus includes a cathode ray tube having a screen on which an electric charge pattern may be formed by controlling the intensity of a recording cathode ray beam, means adapted to scan the beam in succession over each of a plurality of storage areas on the screen, each storage area being adapted to store a digit, and means adapted to operate in synchronism with said scanning means and to generate a signal to vary the intensity of the cathode ray beam as it is scanned over each storage area at a time representative of the value of the digit to be stored in such area. According to another feature of the invention, signal storage apparatus includes a cathode ray tube having a screen on which an electric charge pattern may be formed by controlling the intensity of a recording cathode ray beam, means adapted to scan the beam in succession over each of a plurality of storage areas on the screen, each storage area being adapted to store a digit, means adapted to sense a record member to generate signals representing digits to be recorded on the screen, the sensing and scanning means being synchronised so that a storage area is scanned for each digit which is sensed, and means controlled by said digit representing signals and adapted to vary the intensity of the cathode ray beam to produce an electric charge pattern representative of a digit to be recorded in a scanned storage area. The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figs 1 and 2 show schematically a double beam cathode ray tube and the associated screen; Figs 3 and 4, 4 a and 4 b show schematically a second form of double beam cathode ray tube and the associated screen; Figs 5 and 6 show two storage tapes, and Figs 7 a and 7 b are a diagram of the control circuits The connections between these two Figs are indicated

by the Roman numerals 1-IX. Cathode ray tube 43 (Fig 1) comprises two complete electrode assemblies cooperating with a screen 48 (Fig 2) The upper electrode assembly consists of a cathode 100, a control grid 101, a first anode 102, a focussing electrode 103, a final anode 104 and two pairs of deflecting electrodes 44 and 45, which electrodes control deflection of the beam 99 in the horizontal and vertical directions respectively. The lower electrode assembly is similarly constructed Parts of the screen 48 are composed of a material having secondary emission properties such that an area thereof may be electrically charged by the cathode ray beam. The material is semi-conducting so that it retains the charge for an appreciable time and may therefore be used to store information. The use of a material of this kind in conjunction with a cathode ray scanning system is well known in relation to the transmission of television pictures. Cathode ray tube 56 (Fig 3) has two electrode assemblies similar to those of the tube 43 The upper and lower assemblies produce cathode ray beams 75 and 76 respectively, which scan a screen 61 The tube 56 is used as a control tube for the storage tube 43, and the screen 61 is divided into three sections 62, 63 and 64 (Figs 4, 4 a and 4 b) The section 62 is scanned by the beam 75 and the sections 63 and 64 are scanned by the beam 76 Each of the markings in these sections, such as 109, 116, 1251 etc, correspond to the positions of an area of secondary emitting material, or a metallic target plate, so that an output voltage is obtained when the cathode ray beam passes that position. The beam 75 is rotated over the circular area 62 under control of deflection plate systems 57 and 58 One plate of each system is connected to a phase shifting network 159 a (Fig 7 b) which is in the anode circuit of a pentode, the control grid of which is driven by a magnetic sensing head 158 This head senses a synchronising signal recorded on tape 65 (Fig 5) The network 159 a produces a phase shift of 90 , so that the beam 75 follows a circular path The use of a synchronising track is described in more detail in my co-pending Application No 37215/54 (Serial No. 786,034). The deflection of the beams in the tube 43 is synchronised in the following manner A gas tube 94 will receive an impulse each time the beam 75 passes over position 110 of the screen 62, via a connection (not shown) from 110 to terminal g This impulse fires the gas tube and in consequence a pentode 83 is rendered conducting by a connection from the cathode of the tube 94 to a control electrode of the pentode A capacitor 89 a is charged by the current passed by the pentode,

which acts as a constant current device so that the voltage across the capacitor rises substantially linearly. Terminals m, n, o and p are connected to positions 109, 115, 118 and 120 respectively of the screen 62 Hence, with switch 126 in the position shown, a pentode 82 receives an impulse each time the beam 75 passes over one of these positions This impulse is amplified by the pentode and fed, via a capacitor 86, to the grid of a gas tube 89 The gas tube 89 fires and discharges the capacitor 89 a The gas tube is extinguished when the voltage across the capacitor falls below the maintaining voltage and allows the capacitor to re-charge The grid of the tube 89 is connected to a bias voltage through a further contact of switch 126 and this voltage is such that the tube is fired by each synchronising pulse from the pentode 82, so that four cycles of saw-tooth waveform are generated across the capacitor 89 a for each rotation of the beam 75 This voltage is applied to one plate of the deflection 70 system 44 of the tube 43, so that the beam 99 is deflected in a synchronised manner controlled by the tube 56 and therefore by the synchronising signal sensed from the tape. The position 109 of the screen 62 is also 75 capacitatively coupled to the grid of a gas tube 130 (Fig 7 b) This tube has a high impedance anode load and a capacitor 131 is connected between the anode and the zero potential line Hence the tube is fired by the 80 passage of the beam over position 109 and then extinguishes itself immediately afterwards. The cathode of the tube 130 is connected to the cathode of a pentode 133, so that the current of the tube flowing through a common 85 cathode load 132 cuts the pentode off This reduces the voltage drop across the resistor 134, thereby extinguishing the gas tube 94 at the beginning of each cycle of the tube 56. The D C potential of one plate of the 90 deflection system 44 is controlled by gas tubes 94 a, b, c, and d Terminals r and S are connected to positions 118 and 120 of the screen 62, so that the tubes 94 a and 94 b respectively will be fired when the beam passes over these 95 positions With neither of the tubes 94 a and b fired, the beam 99 is scanning in the section 49 of the screen 48 When the tube 94 a is fired, the scanning area is shifted to cover the part a in portion 50 of the screen 48 When 100 the tube 94 b is fired, the scanning area is shifted to cover the areas 53 and 54 These areas contain secondary emitting positions such as 19, 21 and 22 which are used to generate signals for controlling computing in a manner 105 described in more detail in my co-pending Application No 37233/54 (Serial No. 786,051) Thus the beam 99, which operates to sense stored signals in the area 50 or the positions 19 etc may be caused to scan any 110 one

of the three areas The tubes 94 a and 94 b are extinguished by a similar arrangement to that used for the tube 94 This arrangement comprises pentode 149 a and gas tube 149 The gas tube 149 is fired by an impulse generated 115 each time the beam 75 of the control tube passes position 115. One plate of the deflection system 46 which controls recording beam 135 of the storage tube 43 is also capacitatively coupled to 120 receive the saw-tooth voltage waveform developed across the capacitor 89 a by a connection to terminal w The D C potential at the terminal W is controlled by two gas tubes 94 c and 94 d The tube 94 d is fired in a similar 125 manner to the tube 94 b by a connection to the position 120 from terminal u, and is extinguished concurrently with the tube 94 b The potential is such that the beam 135 is scanning the part b of portion 50 of the screen 48 130 786,036 each increment of voltage is effective to shift the beam 76 from one of the positions 1251125101 to the next. A connection (not shown) is made between the position 125101 and the control grid of the 70 gas tube 88, via terminal e so that, when the voltage across the capacitor 85 has risen sufficiently to deflect the beam 76 on to the position 1251 11 the gas tube 88 is fired and discharges the capacitor 85 The resulting fall in 75 voltage extinguishes the tube 88 and the residual voltage is such that the beam 76 strike position 125 ' The position 125101 is also connected to terminal t to fire the gas tube 94 c. The recording beam 135 of the storage tube 80 receives the voltage across the capacitor 85 via terminal c, so that this beam is shifted vertically in synchronism with the beam 76 of the control tube 56 Thus each of the positions 1251 etc corresponds to one line of the screen 85 area 50 on which a digit may be recorded, that is, in the present case, one hundred lines occur for each cycle of vertical scan and one hundred digits may be recorded The terminal e may be connected to an intermediate posi 90 tion 125, say the thirtieth, so that the tube 88 is fired after only twenty-nine lines have been scanned and each recording cycle would record twenty-nine digits On the other hand, the number of recorded digits may be increased 95 by figuratively dividing the screen area 50 into several vertical sections, each containing one hundred digits and providing the additional screen area 64 (Fig 4 b) similar to the area 63. Each time the gas tube 88 is fired, a gas tube 100 corresponding to the tube 94 d is fired, so that the scanned area is shifted horizontally A connection is made to a further gas tube from a chosen position of the area 64 and the recording cycle is terminated when this latter 105 tube is fired and the tube 88 is also fired It will be appreciated the longer axes of the areas 63 and 64 would conveniently

be arranged perpendicularly the width of the area 63 being such that the beam 76 falls on the 110 positions 125 wherever the scan may be located, but falls on a different position of the area 64 for each of the vertical scanning areas. A digit is recorded in a particular line by producing a charged area on the screen area 50 115 at a position along the line which represents the value of the digit This charged area is produced by applying a voltage to the control electrode of the recording beam system to produce a substantial beam current Since the 120 beam is being scanned over the screen by the applied deflecting voltages, in the manner already described, the voltage must be applied to the control electrode at a definite time in the horizontal scan over the particular line 125 This timing is controlled by the sensing beam 99 which moves horizontally in synchronism with the recording beam. The position 116 of the screen 62 is connected via terminal f and a switch 106 to the 130 If the tube 94 c is fired, in a manner to be described, the D C potential of both deflecting systems 44 and 46 is changed and the ratio of resistors 151-154 and the anode loads of the tubes 94 b, 94 c and 94 d is such that the beam 99 scans said part b of screen portion 50, and the beam 135 scans the said part a of that screen portion. Thus far the description has related to the manner in which the sensing and recording beams are caused to scan horizontally various selected areas of the screen 48 in accordance with the position of the beam 75 on the screen 62 The means by which the beams are simultaneously deflected in a vertical direction will now be described. One plate of the deflecting system 45 receives a voltage waveform from a generator formed by pentode 79, gas tube 87 and capacitor 84 (Fig 7 a) A further generator formed by pentode 81, gas tube 88 and capacitor 85, supplies a voltage waveform to one plate of the deflection system 47, by a connection to terminal c and to one plate of the deflection system 60, by a connection to terminal d. The storage tube 43 may also be used for computing and for reading out character representing pulse trains, as described in more detail in my co-pending Application No. 37233/54 (Serial No 786,051), however, only the storing and sensing of value will be considered in detail in the present Application. The storage area 50 is utilised to store a plurality of digits A digit is stored during each horizontal scan by the recording beam and after each scan the voltage applied to the deflecting plate system 47 is increased slightly so that the next horizontal scan occurs slightly above the previous scan and so on. Recording of a value takes place whilst the beam of the control tube

is between positions and 109 As already explained, the deflection systems of the storage tube are controlling a horizontal scan of the positions 22 etc by the sensing beam and a horizontal scan of the storage area 50 by the recording beam. The grid of a gas tube 93 (Fig 7 a) is connected through a switch 1263 (in the position shown) to the position 109 of the screen 62. The tube has a large anode load and a capacitor 136 connected from anode to ground, which form a self-extinguishing circuit Thus, each time the cathode ray beam passes the position 109, the tube 93 is fired and then extinguishes itself almost immediately The cathode of the tube 93 is connected to the screen grid of the pentode 81, so that the pentode passes current only when the tube 93 is conducting The anode current charges the capacitor 85, so that the voltage across the capacitor increases by a small increment each time the tube 93 fires The voltage across the capacitor is applied to one plate of the deflection system 60 of the cathode ray tube 56 and 786,036 control grid of a pentode 78 The screen voltage of the pentode is controlled by a gas tube 90, which is fired on each cycle of the control tube by a signal applied to the grid from position 115 Thus the input signal is amplified by the pentode and is fed to a gas tube 91 to fire it This gas tube, when fired applies screen voltage to the pentode 79 and causes it to conduct The anode current of the pentode 79 starts to charge the capacitor 84. This charging continues until the pentode is cut off by an increase in cathode voltage caused by a gas tube 92 being fired in response to a sensed digit signal. The digit signals are recorded on a tape (Fig 5) and are sensed by a magnetic sensing head 69 Such a -sensed digit signal is amplified by a pentode 80 and fed to the grid of the gas tube 92 to fire it The value of the digit signal is represented by its position on the tape so that the-higher the value the later is the signal sensed in the cycle of sensing for that denomination This form of recording is described in more detail in my co-pending Application No 37215/54 (Serial No. 786,034) The significance of the sensed digit signal is secured since the scanning circuits are synchronised by signals recorded on the tape in the manner already described, the head 158 co-operating with the tape 65 during recording on the storage tube Alternatively, each digit signal may be accompanied by a zero signal on the tape, as described in the above-mentioned Application The zero signal may be sensed by head 68 (Figs 5 and 7 a) so that the tube 91 is fired in response to the passage of the cathode ray beam over the position 116. Hence the capacitor 84 will be allowed to charge for a time proportional to the digit value Since the pentode 79 operates as a constant current device, the final voltage across the capacitor will

be proportional to the digit value The capacitor 84 is discharged before sensing each digit value by the gas tube 87, which is fired by the application to the grid of a signal from position 109. The discharged voltage of the capacitor 84 is such that the sensing beam is on the same horizontal line as position 20 ', whereas it is moved upwards to the level of position 20 ' if the capacitor has been charged under control of the digit value nine The sensing beam is scanned horizontally across the area 54 in synchronism with the movement of the recording beam over a line in the area 50 It will be assumed that the digit value three has been sensed, so that the sensing beam will scan on a line passing through position 293 As the beam scans from left to right, as seen in relation to Fig 2, it first passes over position 22. This position is connected to a tap on a grid resistor connected to the control grid of a pentode 139 The amplified signal is fed to a further pentode 140, which has a transformer 141 connected in the anode circuit One side of the secondary of the transformer is connected to the control electrode 122 of the electrode assembly for the recording beam, and the other side is connected to a suitable D C. supply potential The sensing of the position 70 22 produces a signal in the secondary of the transformer 141 which is sufficient to increase the beam current from zero to approximately half the maximum current Hence, a charged point or area is produced on the area 50 This 75 point has approximately half the maximum charge density and acts as a zero mark. The positions 29 -299 have a common output line which is capacitatively connected via a terminal 123 to the grid of the pentode 139 80 Hence, when the sensing beam passes over the position 29 ', the transformer 141 produces a second output pulse, of larger amplitude, which increases the recording beam current to the maximum value and therefore produces a 85 second charged point on the screen area 50, this point having the maximum charge density. It will be apparent that the distance between the two charged points on the area 50 is proportional to the distance between the position 90 22 and the particular position 29 which is scanned by the sensing beam Since the position 29 which is scanned is determined by the charge on the capacitor 84, it will be seen that the stored charge pattern represents the 95 digit sensed from the tape 65 The next digit to be sensed will be stored in a similar manner, but on the next line of the recording beam scan, and so on for subsequent digits. If it is desired to record the stored values 100 on the tape 70, for example, head 159 is used to record the synchronising frequency on the tape This frequency is sensed from the tape and also synchronises the control cathode ray tube The signals from the area 50 are 105 fed to

the control grid of a pentode 156 The anode circuit of this pentode includes a recording head 160 which records on the tape 65. It has already been explained that the sensing beam scans the area 50 once in each cycle of 110 the control cathode ray tube Each time the sensing beam 99 passes over a charged area which has been produced previously by the recording beam 135, a relatively large signal is fed to the pentode 156, which energises the 115 recording head 160 Hence, for each line scanned in which a digit has been recorded, the head 160 is energised to record a zero mark followed by a digit signal at an interval representing the digit value The signal from 120 the lower intensity zero mark on the screen area is sufficient to produce a full strength recording on the tape The different intensity of the zero and digit signals is utilised for computing purposes as explained in my co 125 pending Application No 37233/54 (Serial No. 786,051). The transformer in the anode circuit of the pentode 156 has a further secondary winding which may be utilised to supply a beam in 130 786,036 trolling the intensity of a recording cathode ray beam, means adapted to scan the beam in succession over each of a plurality of storage areas on the screen, each storage area being adapted to store a digit, means adapted to 70 sense a record member to generate signals representing digits to be recorded on the screen, the sensing and scanning means being synchronised so that a storage area is scanned for each digit which is sensed, and means 75 controlled by said digit representing signals and adapted to vary the intensity of the cathode ray beam to produce an electric charge pattern representative of a digit to be recorded in a scanned storage area 80 6 Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which said record member comprises a magnetisable tape. 7 Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which said record member comprises a drum or disc 85 having a magnetisable surface. 8 Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 5, 6 or 7, in which a synchronising signal is recorded on the record member and in which means are provided for synchronising said 90 scanning means in response to sensing of the synchronising signal. 9 Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, in which said sensed synchronising signals control a synchronising pulse generator, which gener 95 ates pulses to synchronise said scanning means. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, in which said synchronising pulse generator comprises a cathode ray tube. 11 Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 or 100 claim 10, in which said recording cathode ray beam is adapted to be deflected along a line corresponding to a storage area by a first scanning means, and in a direction perpendicular to said line by a second scanning means 105

and in which said synchronising pulse generator is adapted to synchronise both said scanning means to produce a plurality of line storage areas each displaced a fixed distance perpendicularly from the preceding line 110 12 Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, in which said synchronising pulse generator is adapted to control said second scanning means to generate a pre-determined number of line storage areas 115 13 Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, in which said first scanning means is also adapted to control the deflection of a sensing cathode ray beam to scan a selected digit area and in which said sensing cathode 120 ray beam is deflected to select such digit area under control of a digit representing signal sensed from the record member, each digit area being adapted to generate a signal representing the corresponding digit, to vary the 125 intensity of the recording beam. 14 Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, in which there is a digit area corresponding to each of the digits 1 to 9 and each area includes a zero mark and a digit mark, the distance 130 tensifying signal to the control electrode for the beam The positions 117 (Fig 4) are then used to control individual gas tubes (not shown) so that the control tube operates as a cathode ray tube distributing switch in a manner similar to that described in my copending Application No 37214/54 (Serial No. 786,033). This latter application describes the use of a magnetic drum or disc as a signal recording or storage device It will be apparent that the signals and synchronising frequency may be derived from such a drum or disc, instead of from a magnetic tape as described above, so that signals may be transferred between such storage means and the storage tube 43. Equally, the signals to be recorded may be derived from an optically sensed tape, the magnetic sensing heads being replaced by photo-electric cells.

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* GB786037 (A)

Description: GB786037 (A) ? 1957-11-13

Improvements relating to typographical machines

Description of GB786037 (A)

PATENT SPECIFICATION 786,037 Date of Application and filing Complete Specification: June 23, 1950. No 37218154. Application made in Germany on Oct 1, 1948. (Divided out of No 786,021). Complete Specification Published: Nov 13, 1957. Index at acceptance:-Class 100 ( 4), C 20 Y 4. International Classification:-B 41 j. COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Improvements' relating to Typographical, Machines I, GEREIAD DIRKS, of Moerfelder Landstrasse 44, Frankfurt on Main, Germany, of German Nationality, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - This invention relates to typographical machines, for example typewriters, printers, line-composing machines, calculating and other machines having means for reproducing alphabetic, numerical and like characters, including the electric calculating machine set forth in my co-pending Application for Patent No 15773/50 (Serial No 786,021). Very interesting results may be obtained by co-ordinating a storage device (preferably of the magnetic type) to typewriters or printers, compositors, computers and the like An office machine equipped in this manner allows of its being used in new ways For example, by storing letters, digits and the like, at the time of operating the keys for printing or other visible record, very interesting possibilities of a correction are obtained, especially with the possibility of an automatic repetition for a text of words and for numbers With this arrangement, it is not necessary to re-type entire pages by reason of possibly only minimal corrections Only the actual parts to be corrected require to be typed again, and insertion of correction text passages into the original text is obtained by means of stored signals For instance, corrected texts can be inserted into determined places Cancellations of letters may be effected and the re-arrangement of

whole paragraphs is possible, with or without automatic carriage return and/or a re-arrangement or equalisation of the lines, for example as in my co-pending Application No. 37219/54 (Serial No 786,038). The invention therefore provides a typographical machine comprising an input means for recording an original or initial typographical matter as signals on a storage, and for recording substitute or additional matter in the same way, as corrections of the original lPrice matter, and sensing means for the original matter and for the substitute or additional matter, controlled selectively by signals in the storage, for reading the stored original matter and the stored substitute or additional matter in the sequence necessary to produce a corrected text. With such an arrangement, letters typed by a secretary and simultaneously recorded in a magnetic storage, which are subsequently corrected, need not be retyped, it being necessary only to type the corrections and thereby record them in the storage, and to insert command signals on to the storage co-ordinating the stored corrections with the stored original text. The same advantages may be obtained by a reporter, interviewer or the like, typing his draft report on to paper and thereby also effecting a storage on a storage tape or the like for subsequent correction or revision and retyping. This invention may be incorporated in a machine having in it the invention of my copending Application for Patent No 37220/54 (Serial No 786,039), wherein words represented on keys by stenographic symbols, and/or some other self-chosen words represented by keys can be stored in their extended form in the storage device ready for reading out for printing or other recording in such extended form. It is not necessary to print immediately as the keys are depressed Instead, the matter may be visible temporarily, e g as luminous lettering or otherwise, as well as being stored in a storage means. The invention therefore allows of the operation of a key-board machine to produce a printed or other permanent visible record of an alphabetic text put in by the keys, wherein the actuation of the keys first effects a storage of the put-in matter as signals in a storage means and allowing of a variation of the matter within the storage if it requires correction before being sensed for final reproduction. The operator has, with ithe above method, the possibility to correct the text before it is given out to the printer or other permanent recording means by the storage device. Furthermore, the operation of the key-board can be completely noiseless The operator may have also the possibility to type a determined number of characters, an entire line or an entire text as

draft copy and simultaneously record it on a storage means. In most cases, the recording on the storage means will take place as a primary operation similarly to the punching operation when using punched card machines, or similarly to the production of perforated tapes for teleprinters. In their simplest form these storage devices are provided with a key-board, a recording magnet and a conveying device for a recording tape They may also be connected with other means making records on paper, cards or the like for instance cash registers and the like. The control being purely electrical, the recording on the recording tapes or the like may also take place by tele-transmission, so that for instance within one factory separated " keyboards " may effect a recording on a common storage device With magnetic recordings, instead of these being on a drum or a magnetic storing tape, the recording may be provided on other objects and/or on different materials if they are provided with a magnetizable layer permitting a recording and sensing of signals by means of a magnetic coil. Further, verifying means may be used to find the substitute or additional stored matter, if the same signals are recorded on a second storage means or in another area of the same storage means as in the first storage as control signals Differences of operation, i e absence of verification, would in such cases indicate errors and cause the machine to stop or effect the printing of a special mark, calling for the effecting of corrections by the operator. The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein: Fig 1 is a perspective view of an office machine which includes a key-board and a storage device and a printer operating under the control of ithe storage device, according to the invention The particular machine shown is described also in my co-pending Application for Patent No 37219/54 (Seriajl No. 786,038), and includes means for making a complete printed page visible, means for making single lines temporarily visible, the means for automatic correction of the text, a computing device, storing tapes, and means for automatically varying the spacing in a line, and for equalizing the lengths of line; Fig 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating the operation of the invention; Fig 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a storage device with selective sensing means; and Fig 4 is a circuit diagram to illustrate the operation of parts shown in Fig 3. As shown, the printer includes the single column printing unit 1 slidably mounted on the guideway 2, and includes also the keyboard 3 The printer may for example be of 70 the type set forth in my co-pending Application for Patent No 37201/54 (Serial No. 786,022).

The printer 1 is fed with signals from a storage means to which they have first been 75 delivered by the key-board The printing unit 1 is small and the height of its typing surface is, in a practical case, 4 25 mm, corresponding to the height of a character, it is mounted so as to slide horizontally on the bar 2 80 The horizontal movement of the printer, relatively to the paper, is provided by means of the movement of the printing unit along the guideway 2, and such guideway may be moved up and down vertically, along the guide rails 85 4, the printing unit thus being moved to any part of the paper in the example shown The same combination may naturally be arranged moving the paper with regard to the printer, as in a usual typewriter The operation of this 90 printer being controlled solely by electrical means, no additional mechanical apparatus is necessary The arrangement illustrated includes other means as well as the correcting devices and is intended to show in an under 95 standable form the arrangement of lines and spaces as well as line justifying means as set forth in my co-pending Application No. 37219/54 (Serial No 786038). The lateral movement of the printing unit 100 1 along the guide-way 2 is effected in this case by means of a servo-motor 5 (controlled by means of rotating fields or by synchronizing signals) Instead of this device a continuously effective magnetic relay or a wire pull may be 105 provided With the arrangement illustrated it is preferable to use a servo-motor because of its universal and simple controllability The guide bar 2 moves up and down along the guides 4 by similar means The sheet of paper 110 to be printed is held by means of a frame 6 as a full page, permitting a good control and simple correction, especially with several copies. Housing or casing 7 contains the necessary 115 accessories, including a signal converter such as, for example, the converter set forth in my co-pending Application No 37222/54 (Serial No 786,041) Computing and sorting devices may also be included in the housing 7 120 An aperture 8 is provided displaying line by line the matter being put in at the key-board and recorded in the storage means, such as the drum 9, to be printed later on by the printing unit 1 The drum 9, being rotation 125 symmetrical has side by side storage tracks traversed by the recording and sensing means. The display of a line may be on the screen of a cathode-ray tube as set forth in my co-pending Application No 37222/54 (Serial No 130 786,037 transferred to a drum for cyclic sensing thereon, or the input matter could go to the drum direct The sensing head 17, sensing the rotating drum 9 of Fig 3 and appointed to store only the original typed text, can only influence 70 the grid of pentode 13 if all of the three contacts 18, 19 and 20 of the relays 21, 22 and 23 are closed, i

e if the discharge relays 24, and 26 are not excited. The coils 15 and 16 are carried on a rota 75 table member which is stepwisely rotatable independently of the cyclically-readable record means, in this case the storage drum, and their positions are set relatively to a scale indicating at which letter space in a line the recording 80 or sensing is to be effective, and correspondingly which letter space of a line on the paper is in the typing position That is to say the coils 15 and 16 rotate in step with the movement of the printer 1 across the paper, and in 85 successive rotations of the storage, successive areas of a storage track are sensed. The transfer of the sensing or recording operation from track to track of the storage corresponding to a movement from line to line 90 in the text, may be effected by shifting a signal head along the drum, or by selectively switching in one or another of a series of signal heads arranged along the drum. The step by step sensing (rotation by rota 95 tion of the drum and letter space by letter space reading of the original text) by means of the sensing head 17 is interrupted as soon as the sensing head 27 receives a signal indicating that a correction has to be made 100 Sensing head 27 senses the before-mentioned special signal tracks co-ordinated to each original track for the signals of letters, as mentioned above, so that via the single primary coil 28 and the separate secondary coils 29, 105 and 31, forming part of an inductive distributor, that one of the discharge tubes 24, 25, 26 is excited by pentode 32 which was indicated by means of the indicating signals sensed by means of coil 27, e g by means of 110 different types of signal co-ordinated to different correction storages or storage areas, such as differenttime instants from zero, for example time instants I, II and III The primary coil 28, and the secondary coils 29, 30 and 31 are 115 parts of an inductive distributor such as is described in my co-pending Application No. 37214/54 (Serial No 786,033), the coupling between primary coil 28 and the secondary coil 29 taking place in time instant I, the coupling 120 between primary 28 and the secondary coil 30 taking place in time instant II, and the coupling between primary coil 28 and secondary coil 31 taking place in time instant III The discharge relays 24, 25 and 26 each 125 control a separate part of the storage drum so that, by means of the selective action of relay 21, 22 or 23, sensing head 33 of corrective storage means I, or sensing head 34 of corrective storage means II, or the sensing head 35 130 786,041). An electric coupling is disposed in the housing at 10, for connection with other electric devices, e g for teleprinting, or for a combination with a punched card sensing device or the like, or other devices The efficiency of a single-line, single-column printer is

about 25-30 characters per second. To repeat a text in the corrected form after it has been stored, there is provided the possibility of ascertaining every position at which a correction is to be made, and of recording control signals indicating at the respective positions (letter spaces or lines) of the storage means, in which correction part of the storage means the signals for the corrections to be inserted are stored, for example for the insertion of additional words or phrases or punctuations or the like If letters, syllables, words or phrases are to be eliminated, the usual erasing means, i e high-frequency arrangements, may be used. If entire lines are to be added, correctionsignals are provided for the marking of such lines, and these signals may be stored in the appropriate track of the storage means at the beginning of the line to be corrected, indicating that a correction storage is to be used instead of the main storage and effecting a transfer of the sensing operation to that correction storage. If the possibility of corrections or modifications at any desired place in a line is to be provided (possibility of universal correction), this is effected by augmenting each track of the storage means containing the signal sequences of the original matter by one additional track, for signal sequences of the substitute or additional matter In some cases no character signals are stored in these additional tracks, but only those control signals are stored there which indicate the part of the storage means in which are to be found signals for the substitute or additional words or phrases to be inserted With simple embodiments, however, such additional tracks may themselves store also the symbols representing the substitute or additional text to be inserted. Storing tapes moved step by step, each step corresponding to line length, may be used instead of storing drums, the line length being made up of areas representing letter spaces. Examples of such tapes are shown at 11 and 12 During the sensing of these tapes by suitably placed sensing heads (see my co-pending Application No 37215/54 (Serial No. 786,034)), for the letters and other characters to be printed character after character, pentode 13 (Fig 2) will be opened always at the passing of one or more signal heads over the area representing the letter space owing to the ignition at that instant of the gas discharge tube 14, through the coils 15 and 16 (see Fig. 3) moving step by step Instead of a cyclic sensing of the tape, the record may first be 786,037 of corrective storage means III becomes operative, according to the indicating signals sensed. At the same time at which one of the discharge tubes 24, 25, 26 has been excited, and S the corresponding relay has become active, the

sensing circuit 18, 19, 20 and 17 is interrupted, the respective one of the three contacts of the relays 21, 22 and 23 being opened. The step by step sensing of the correction tracks I, II and III in the storage device is provided similarly as the sensing of the original track by means of signal head 17, only the inserted one of the heads 33, 34 and 35 being substituted for head 17 which was 1 S operative before The sensing and the step by step printing proceed therefore similarly as described in my co-pending Application No. 37214/54 (Serial No 786,033). As soon as one of the discharge relays of the set 36, 37 and 38 and so on is ignited, the relay coil 39 moves the armature 40 to position 42 a The discharge tubes 36, 37, etc, are controlled by the secondary coils 45, 46, 47 of an inductive distributor which includes the common primary coil 44 The contact 43 opens once during each rotation of the storage means extinguishing the gas discharge tubes 36, 37 and 38 and so on by means of an interruption of the principal circuit The closed circuit operating current of winding 41 moves armature 40 to the original position 42 b For each of the symbolizing elements which make up the printed character, there will be a discharge relay in the set 36, 37, etc, which will operate a printing device, either directly or through an intermediate storage and/or through a converting device such as is described for example in my co-pending Application No 37222/54 (Serial No 786,041). The discharge relays 36, 37, etc, are controlled by the secondary coils 45, 46, 47, of an inductive distributor, including the common primary coil 44, this coil being energised by signal sequences sensed by the sensing heads 17, 33, 34 and 35, and representing the characters to be printed If none of the gas discharge relays 36, 37, 38, etc, is ignited, i e. a blank space being inserted on the paper instead of a letter, contact 40 of relay 39/41 will remain in position 42 b Alternatively, there could be a special contact signal for actuating the discharge tube 48 directly The lower right hand part of Fig 2 illustrates a carriage return and line equalising means operating in dependence on the discharge tube 48 as is more fully set forth in my Application for Patent No 37219/54 (Serial No. 786,038). In the use of the invention many advantages are possible, for example in the operation of a key-board instead of there being a direct action on printing elements or the like from the keys, this action may be delayed for a determined number of, for instance, 10, 15, or more touchings, or until the operation of a special key, for instance the space key after each word or group of words which gives the possibility of correcting the stored signals before the signals are

effective to operate a typewriter. printer, compositor or other means for obtain 70 ing a permanent visible record, which record itself may be adapted for reproduction purposes In this case, the storage need have only twice the maximum number of the said touchings, and the stored signals will be 75 erased after each printing operation Both thie operation of the keys and the delayed effect of the stored signals are continuous, but the latter is at a certain time interval, or a certain interval of touchings behind the former 80 In other cases, or in the case of corrections required after the delayed printing, the actuation of the keys will, in addition to the storing of the signals, make visible the matter represented by the key depressions, either by 85 making it visible say, one line at a time in an indicator, or by the writing out of a draft copy. If a mistake is made in the current line, say by the depressing of a wrong key, this may be 90 corrected merely by going back to the mistake and at the same time effecting a correction in the corresponding area of the storage track, by replacing the wrong signals by ithe correct ones The same effect may be obtained in the 100 correction of a mistake in a previous line In such a case, that part of the signal storage means corresponding to the line in question is brought into relationship with the signal head, and the required letter space area in such line 95 is brought to the signal head for the replacement of the wrong signals by the correct ones. Such part of the signal storage means corresponding to a line may be a track on a drum or a portion of the length of a stationary tape 105 over which signal heads move to and fro through a distance corresponding to a line length, or a portion of tape moving similarly with respect to stationary heads. In cases where a word or words must be 110 inserted in a line, and the correction does not involve running over into the next line, the correction may be made either by replacing the signals for the original line by signals for the amended line, or by inserting in the track 115 containing the original line a signal indicating that instead of the original line a correction is to be taken from the correction tracks of the signal carrier, and by recording the signals for the amended line in such correction tracks 120 and at the end of those correction signals recording a command signal-which effects a return to the next line of the original record. Where the corrections involve a runningover into the next line or lines, the insertions 125 will be recorded in a separate part of the signal carrier as above described, and brought into effect under the control of command signals associated with the original track and, within a given number of ltouchings (say 10 or 15) 130 786,037 ing

means would have been operated indicating the respective character. In the other possibility, a series of for example ten characters would during one selection be transferred in direct succession to the 70 magnetic surface of a drum or the like. If no automatic limitation to a determined length of the line is desired, but only a line spacing is to be provided, no additional arrangement but a relay contact instead of dis 75 charge tube 48 is required, the closing of this contact after the traverse of a predetermined number of letter spaces setting the machine for a new line. This relay contact is a contact being closed 80 in the actuation of said relay at the end of a line: with the switching on of such contact, that one of the relays 49 I-492 switched on by the then, position of contact yoke 51 is energised and holds itself by means of its holding 85 contact 50 and its holding winding The other contacts of those relays 52 ', 531 f, 5412 n shown in Fig 4 select the sensing heads 5512, 561-n and 57 ' generating signals by means of that one of discs 58 '-n which corresponds 90 to a required speed in the operation of the printer, as set forth in my co-pending Application No 37219/54 (Serial No 786,038). The generated sensed signals are fed to the grids of the amplifier pentodes 591, 592 and 95 59 ' The amplified signals are fed to the motor for effecting the transport of the paper, or the support of the printing unit with such a speed, that during the printing of the whole line the length of the traverse of the paper is the same 100 By means of contact yoke 51 moved stepby-step at each touching one of the contacts of the contact distributor 60 is brought into circuit and indicates at which place this interspace has been inserted near the end of the 105 line One or another of relays 49 ' is excited according to the position of contact yoke 51 with respect to the contacts of distributor 60 at the ending of the line, and another speed relation of the printer with regard to the paper 110 and the movement of the printing levers is brought about, depending on the column at which the interspacing was caused The insertion and the changing of the speed relation may be effected with different means according 115 to the type and equipment used.

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* GB786038 (A)

Description: GB786038 (A) ? 1957-11-13

Improvements in typewriters and other keyboard operated machines

Description of GB786038 (A)

PATENT SPECIFICATION Date of Application and filing Complete Specification: June 23, 1950. f l H No37219/54. Application made in Germany on Oct 1, 1948. R E < O (Divided out of No786,021). Complete Specification Published: Nov 13, 1957. Index at acceptance:-Class 100 ( 4), C 20 (B 2 K 1: C 4 A: G 3 A: G 7: G 9: Y 4), C 27 L. International Classification:-B 41 j. COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Improvements in Typewriters and other Keyboard Operated Machines I, GERHARD DIRKS, of Moerfelder Landstrasse, 44, Frankfurt on Main, Germany, of German Nationality, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - This invention relates to typewriters, printers and like machines making permanent visible records of texts or the like. One object of the invention is to provide improved automatic means for returning the carriage or the like at the end of a line, whilst another object is to provide a means for an automatic equalizing of line length to any desired standard length. Such means makes it possible that after a pre-determined number of key actuations the first actuation of the space key, a punctuation key or a hyphen key sets the machine for a new line. The invention also makes it possible when very long words occur to operate a pre-mark hyphen key between any syllables of such word, which key operates only if the letterspace for such pre-mark hyphen is positioned after such basic line length, in which case it also operates the automatic carriage return.

Moreover the invention makes it possible that for any one line the number of touchings in excess of said predetermined number controls means for establishing a uniformity of line length. The invention provides a typewriter, printer or like keyboard operated reproduction machine, wherein after the traversing of a predetermined number of letter spaces in each line the first actuation of the space key, a punctuation key or a hyphen key sets the machine for a new line This arrangement may be further characterised in that the actuation of the keys effects the storage of signals which when sensed operate the reproducing means, and the reproduction of a space, punctuation mark or hyphen after said pre-determined number of letter spaces is accompanied by the setting of the machine for a new line. Particular embodiments of the improved machine have means actuated by key depressions to record corresponding signals in a signal storage device, and means for sensing those signals to operate the typing, printing or like mechanism, the sensing of signals for one line taking place during the actuation of keys for the next line, means for counting in each line the number of key-depressions between the end of a basic line length and the first actuation of the said key which is to effect carriage return, after the reaching of such length, and means in dependence on the count in each line for varying the rate of operating the typing, printing or the like for that 'line, to effect the typing, printing or the like in lines of uniform length. Justification may be effected by ascertaining the original length of the line either throughout the whole length of such line or more conveniently by measuring the excess over a standard or basic line length. The taking into account of the number of letter spaces in the line may be effected in different ways, dependent upon whether an added length to achieve uniformity is to be distributed amongst characters and interspaces or amongst the interspaces only In the former case either all the letter spaces in a line may be counted, or only those after a pre-determined basic line length, as both those counts will reveal by how much the line is short of the desired uniformity, the shortage of line then being distributed evenly amongst the total number of letter spaces during the subsequent automatic reproduction process from the storage In the second case, the number of interspaces is counted, as well as either the total number of letter spaces or the number above the said basic line length, and the shortage is distributed evenly amongst the interspaces only. The ascertaining of the number of letter spaces in a line may take place during the automatic reproduction of a preceding line. 786,038 ss This ascertainment may take place as the keys of the machine are operated for the recording of the line in the storage

Alternatively, a stored line may be sensed for the purpose of ascertaining the number of letter spaces before the automatic reproduction takes place This last alternative has the advantage that in counting the letter spaces in a line the sensing means may regard any corrections of the content of the line stored for instance in correction areas of a storage as set forth in my co-pending Application for Patent No 37218/54 (Serial No 786,037). The signals may be stored by a change in the magnetic state of record material, which may be the surface of a rotating drum, or disc or the like. For effecting the justifying of the line during the automatic repetition process, in a machine which allows of a continuous relative movement between the type or the like and the material on which the type operates, there may be means for varying the speed of such relative movement in dependence of the ascertained lengths of the respective lines. When a stored text has been provided with corrections in a correction storage as in the said co-pending application, the corrected text may be restored, with or without being printed at the same time, or otherwise made visible justification may be effected during such restoring as the keys for effecting the re-storing are operated by signals sensed from the first storage. In the accompanying drawings: Fig 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a storage device with selective sensing means for the equalizing of lines in a printer, typewriter or the like; Fig 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating the operation of the selecting means shown in Fig 1; Fig 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the mechanism for varying the rate of relative movement; Fig 4 is a perspective view of one form of type-writer or like machine incorporating the invention; Fig 5 is a perspective view of a typewriter showing an adjustable stop for automatic carriage return; Fig 6 is a block diagram illustrating one mode of use of the invention; and Fig 7 is a wiring diagram illustrating the operation of the invention in more detail. Referring first to Figs 1 and 2, there are coaxially arranged on a shaft 1, a drum 2 having a magnetic layer serving as a storage means, a series of induction wheels 31-fl, each having a number of teeth on the periphery for inductive association with sets of sensing heads 4 ', 51-' and 6 n The shaft 1 also carries the rotary parts 7 of a distributor, selecting wheels relating to processes described in my co-pending Application No 37220/54 (Serial No 786,039), and also a magnetic storage disc. There are also further signal heads 71 n for use in co-operation with the magnetic storage drum 2, as sensing, recording and erasing heads The storage may be either part of the 70 drum itself or an

interchangeable layer er film applied to the drum in a registered position. Fig 4 diagrammatically shows the rotating drum 2, and its associated rotating parts mounted within the casing 8 of a machine 75 having a keyboard 9 at the front, with input and output tapes l Oa and l Ob at the rear. The machine shown also includes a reproduction means 2 a movable to and fro along a bar 2 b by suitable control means By this 80 arrangement the reproduction means may be brought to any line and any column of a sheet of paper, photo-sensitive film, magnetic record material or the like removably held in the frame 2 e The reproduction means may be a 85 printer, for example a dot and line printer according to my co-pending Application No. 37201/54 (Serial No 786,022) The record material may also be a medium for use in a reproduction machine for example a duplicat 90 ing or printing machine. In all cases, the same effects may be obtained by moving the paper or other record material over a stationary reproduction means. By making the text visible, it is possible to 95 make corrections which would be recorded in a correction storage, as set forth in my copending Application No 37218/54 (Serial No. 786,037), for use in a subsequent reading out of the storage for an automatically produced 100 corrected text. The machine also has at 2 c means for making single lines temporarily visible, for example before they are recorded in the storage, so that they may if necessary be re 105 typed in corrected form before being stored. Referring now to Figs 5 and 6, a different form of typewriter is shown in which the paper is held in a moving carriage of normal kind These figures illustrate a means for auto 110 matic return of the carriage for a new line. The same arrangement could be applied to the automatic return of the reproduction unit 2 a of Fig 4 A contact 11 is disposed within the range of the carriage movement in adjust 115 able distance from the extreme end of such range, for instance betwen 10 and 15 touches before the end of the line When the machine is being operated, either manually or by signals sensed from the storage, this contact 11 and a 120 fixed contact 12 on the machine operate the first coil I of a relay 13, which in turn closes the switch 13 a and moves switch 13 b to one position (to the left in Fig 6) Coil II of relay 13 is energized by the closing of switch 13 a 125 and holds the switches 13 a and 13 b closed, despite the re-opening of switch 12 by the further advance of the carriage Thereafter, closing of switch 14, by the next operation of the space bar (or other selected key) energizes 130

786,038 The counting could be provided by means of a multi-column step-by-step switch conveniently together with a second switch, as the length of the line may for instance be 70 touchings The process may be simplified pro 70 viding again, there is a contact at 55 or 60 touchings The counting may thus be limited, as practically no line equalization of more than 10-15 touchings will take place. The method hereafter described combines 75 an embodiment of the most extensive realization of this counting process together with a line equalization only possible with a printer of the dot and line type as shown for example in my co-pending Application No 37201/54 80 (Serial No 786,022) Instead of a mechanical transposition an electronic transposition mechanism will be described. To determine when a word near the end of a line terminates, contact-yoke 21 is provided 85 at a determined place near the end of each line, this yoke (Fig 7) being equivalent to the contact 11 in Fig 5 The said yoke 21, during the latter part of the carriage movement switches by means of a contact bridge the 90 respective contacts 231- of a contact distributor having 10 to 15 contacts ( 10 in the case shown), being connected with the coils 221-n. If no automatic limitation to a determined length of the line is desired, but only a line 95 spacing is to be provided no additional arrangement but a relay contact instead of discharge tube 29 is required. This rdlay contact is a contact of the relay according to Fig 6 being closed upon the 100 actuation of said relay 15 at the end of a line. With the switching on of such contact, that one of the relays 221-22 ' switched on by the then position of contact yoke 21 is energized and holds itself by means of its holding con 105 tact 25 a and its holding winding The other contacts of those relays 25 b/c/d 1 shown in Fig 2, select the sensing heads 41-n, 51-n and 61-n generating signals by means of that one of the induction wheels 31-n which corresponds 110 in its number of teeth to the desired length of the line The generated sensed signals are fed to grids of the amplifier pentodes 161, 162 and 16 ' The amplified signals are fed to the motor for effecting the transport of the paper 115 or of the printing unit with such a speed, that during the printing of each line the length of the traverse is the same, but the speed is greater as the amount of justification required is greater 129 By means of contact yoke 21 moved stepby-step at each touching, one of the contacts of the contact distributor 23 is brought into circuit One or another of relays 221 is excited according to the position of contact 125 yoke 21 with respect to the contact distributor 23 at the ending of the line, and another speed relation of the printer with regard to the paper and the movement of the printing levers is brought about, depending on the letter space 130

relay 15 to actuate mechanism for returning the carriage to the position for a new line. Also the delayed relay 17 is energized which eventually opens switch 18 to de-energize the relay 13, whereupon switch 13 a re-opens, switch 13 b returns to its position (to the right in Fig 6) and switch 18 re-closes The circuit is now in its original condition The switch 19 is the normal switch for voluntary commencement of a new line, by energizing the relay 15, whilst the relay 20 is the normal relay for spacing when the space bar switch 14 is closed with the contact 13 b in the position shown. Thus an automatic return of the carriage will ensue if a space bar or other control key is touched within the adjusted end portion of the carriage movement Similarly a coupling with the punctuation key and/or a hyphen key may be provided, which will in this case be treated as a pre-control key. As above stated there may be a pre-mark hyphen key for use in the splitting of long words between syllables at the end of a line. Such a key, operates at places in the word where splitting may be necessary records a premark hyphen signal or signals in the storage at such places If when the storage is being read out for automatic reproduction of the text such signal is reached within the basic line length it is ineffective, being fed to a contact of relay 13 which is then open If however it is reached after the basic line length is exceeded, that contact then having been closed, the signal is operative through such contact to print a hyphen and also to return the carriage for a new line. The invention also provides a justifying means for giving the same length to each line, independently of the number of characters contained in the lines Thus, the typed text has a good appearance, as it is not obtainable by normal typewriting By selecting different widths of character, or different spacings at each touching, by selecting the appropriate signals from a storage means, it is possible not only to fill the place of a line-composing machine but to compose the text or the like too Instead of the usual method of text arrangement with assistance of printers, the new method of equalized text arrangement proves an excellent way of typewriting. For justification purposes the text of a line is first fed to a storage means as signal sequences for example by the operation of a normal typewriter keyboard, and the use of a converting device as set forth in my co-pending Application for Patent No 37220/54 (Serial No 786,039) If necessary the text is made visible The number of touchings in the line is counted simultaneously with the feeding in of the text by means, for instance, of a step-by-step switch Depending on the result of the counting, the width of the letter spaces in the

reproduced text is determined This process is described in the following. 786,038 at which the line ended. The means for changing the speed relation are shown in Fig 1 On the rotating shaft a set of induction wheels or toothed discs 31-n is arranged and the number of their teeth has a fixed ratio (difference of 1 tooth per disc), each of these discs having a number of teeth corresponding to the number of touchings in the line to be justified The respective sets of sensing heads or coils 41 n, 51 ' and 61 ' are arranged at equal distances around the wheels 31-" and create electric "rotating fields" 1-n. The pentodes 161, 162 and 16 ' are switchably connected with the rotating field system by means of relay switches 25 b/c/dl-n (Fig 2). The number of teeth on the selected toothed discs determines hereby the rate of relative movement between the reproduction element 2 a and the record material In the case of a dot and line printer a continuous relative movement is effected as each character may be built up as the movement takes place. For electrical switching in combination with a device for effecting corrections, Fig 7 shows the electronic operating of relays 221 by means of discharge tube 29 ignited by winding 39 at a space-command at the end of a line. For each of the symbolizing elements which make up the printed character, there will be a discharge relay in the set 241, 242 etc, which will operate a printing device, either directly or through an intermediate storage and/or through a converting device such as is described for example in my co-pending application No 37222/54 (Serial No 786,041). The discharge relays 241, 242 etc are controlled by the secondary coils 321, 32 ', 32 ' of an inductive distributor, including a common primary coil not shown within the drawing, this coil being energized by signal sequences sensed by the sensing heads 71 N of Fig 1 and representing the characters to be printed. At each sensing of a letter or a space in the storage means or at each tapping of a key for a letter the co-ordinated one of the gas discharge tubes 241-3 is ignited, excited relay winding 26 moving the armature 30 to position 27 ' and switches on contact 21 by one step, e.g by means of its switch 30 in position 272. At each sensing of the signals for a letter or a space, and at each actuation of a key or the space bar a surge is generated within secondary coil 39 and fed to the ignition grid of discharge tube 29. During the touching of keys for the first section of a line, contact 21 does not connect any contact 23 and the cathode circuit of discharge tube 29 is open When touching keys or sensing signals near

the end of a line an ignited tube 24 moves switch 30 in position 27 a thus switching off the plate voltage of discharge tube 29 After actuation tubes 24 are extinguished by a short opening contact Furthermore, switch 30-27 b is closed feeding control signals to the stepping mechanism of switch 21 The remanent current of winding 31 moves armature 30 to the original position 27 b. Upon touching the space bar, a hyphen key or the like or at sensing the respective signals 70 for a space or hyphen or the like none of the gas discharge relays 24 is ignited, i e a blank space or the like being inserted on the paper instead of a letter, contact 30 of relay 26-31 remaining in position 27 %, thus feeding the 75 plate current to gas discharge tube 29, and igniting that tube at the next exciting of its grid. The discharge current of tube 29 energizes relay 28, thus releasing the control signals for 80 beginning a new line Furthermore, the discharge current energizes the respective relay 22 for selecting the means for the line spacing as described above. The intermediate storing in connection with 85 correction means is set forth in more detail in my co-pending application No 37218/54 (Serial No 786,037).

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