US3735093A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Step motor and controls for non-oscillating punch/read positioning of 80-column record cards
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1971-06-30
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Granted: 1973-05-22
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Expires: 1991-06-30
Abstract
Abstract A high precision high speed bidirectional step motor assembly, without gears or commutation, rapidly and precisely positions standard 80 column record cards without oscillation relative to a combined reading, punching and printing station of a card data recorder. Read cells and punch-print elements are separated by 2 units of card column displacement (2 X 0.087 inches). Four step drive excitation for the step motor (three drive pulses and one ''''hold'''' or ''''detent'''' pulse) is derived from pre-existing recorder circuits associated with buffer storage and logic sections. This permits reading, punching and printing operations to occur in synchronization with buffer and logic operations while card motion is definitely stopped in the holding stage of the motor drive cycle. A pressure roller which engages the card with a feed wheel extension of the step motor is disengaged either manually or by operation of conventional registration mechanisms as the cards are fed to the initial registration position of the combined station (card column ''''0'''' under punch and print elements; column 2 under read cells). In read mode the first dummy cycle of step motor excitation backs up the card one column returning column 1 of the card to the read position. The advantage of this is that the read cells can be utilized in a dual mode to detect the leading edges of cards as a condition of the registration operation and to read card apertures. In punching-printing mode the usual first ''''dummy'''' cycle of forward stepping is taken.
Inventors
- 👤 F Kendall
- 👤 D Pierce
- 👤 W Weikel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 15:23
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K13/00; G06K13/02; G06K13/07; G06K13/077
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
253 words
An arrangement for utilizing a step motor to position a record cards for selective and coordinated coaction with a processing assembly located adjacent a processing path, and with a cyclic electronic buffer store having a scanning period shorter than the time minimally required by said motor to effect a single column stepping movement of said card, comprising: a card conveying assembly associated with said motor for positioning said card in said path relative to said processing assembly, said conveying assembly comprising a pair of selectively engageable and disengageable rollers having an engagement position tangential to said path for selectively pinching said card to impart movement thereto relative to said processing assembly; said step motor having a rotor member connecting directly with one of said rollers without any gears, clutches or the like, for intermittently moving the card along said path; means for feeding said card in said path from a source position removed from the pinching range of said rollers into said pinching range while coordinately controlling said rollers to allow said card to move freely into said range with the rollers disengaged and then be pinched by said rollers; and means coupled to the timing controls of said buffer store and coordinated with said conveying assembly for supplying intermittent electrical stepping pulses to said step motor, after engagement of said card by said rollers, in coordination with predetermined phases of operation of said store, thereby permitting intermittent operations of said processing assembly and store relative to said card to be conducted efficiently.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
253 words
An arrangement for utilizing a step motor to position a record cards for selective and coordinated coaction with a processing assembly located adjacent a processing path, and with a cyclic electronic buffer store having a scanning period shorter than the time minimally required by said motor to effect a single column stepping movement of said card, comprising: a card conveying assembly associated with said motor for positioning said card in said path relative to said processing assembly, said conveying assembly comprising a pair of selectively engageable and disengageable rollers having an engagement position tangential to said path for selectively pinching said card to impart movement thereto relative to said processing assembly; said step motor having a rotor member connecting directly with one of said rollers without any gears, clutches or the like, for intermittently moving the card along said path; means for feeding said card in said path from a source position removed from the pinching range of said rollers into said pinching range while coordinately controlling said rollers to allow said card to move freely into said range with the rollers disengaged and then be pinched by said rollers; and means coupled to the timing controls of said buffer store and coordinated with said conveying assembly for supplying intermittent electrical stepping pulses to said step motor, after engagement of said card by said rollers, in coordination with predetermined phases of operation of said store, thereby permitting intermittent operations of said processing assembly and store relative to said card to be conducted efficiently.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
74 words
An arrangement according to claim 1 in which said step motor is subject to being reversibly driven by said stepping pulses; said processing assembly comprises a card punching assembly and a card reading assembly having centers of coaction spaced apart by a distance equal to two card column increments of displacement; and the center of card pinching engagement of said roller is located in line with the center of coaction of the punching assembly.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
An arrangement according to claim 2 wherein said feeding means delivers said card to an initial registration position in which its first recording column is situated midway between said centers of coaction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
100 words
An arrangement according to claim 3 in which said reading and punching assemblies are located successively in the direction of forward stepping movement of said cards along said processing path and including: edge detection circuit means cooperative with at least one record information sensing element of said reading assembly and with said feeding assembly to detect passage of said card leading edge and portion relative to said reading means during movement of each card into said registration position; and means coupled to said edge detection circuit for controlling initial operation of said pulse supplying means relative to said step motor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
102 words
An arrangement according to claim 4 wherein said operation controlling means includes forward/reverse control circuit means coupled to said stepping pulse supplying means and reading assembly for selectively conditioning said step motor to effect reverse movement of said card from said initial engagement position for reading operations whereby all columns of the card may be read while the card is held motionless between the time coordinatable intervals of stepping movement of the motor while preventing the benefits of having the reading assembly used for ''''in movement'''' leading edge detection and of having the initially engaged card positioned close to the punching assembly.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
118 words
An arrangement according to claim 1 in which: said step motor contains four discrete winding circuits and is subject to being driven in single angular increments of column displacement rapidly, accurately, without overshoot and without card slippage relative to the rollers, by application of first, second and third successive accelerating pulses of predetermined different durations to respective three of said windings followed immediately by application of a fourth detent holding pulse of indefinite duration to a respective fourth of said windings; and said pulse supplying means includes means for producing said successive accelerating and detent pulses in synchronism with predetermined phases of operation of said buffer store, and means for applying said pulses to said respective motor windings.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
77 words
An arrangement according to claim 6 including an electronic data handling system associated with said store subject to operating independently of said processing assembly with intermittent coupling connection to said assembly, said system having a cyclic electronic time base defined by high frequency clock signals produced by control circuits associated primarily with said system and store; said pulse producing means having ancillary connection to said system control circuits devoted to production of said accelerating and detent pulses.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
An arrangement according to claim 7 in which the combined durations of said accelerating pulses is less than 7 milliseconds and said detent pulse may have duration as low as 5 milliseconds; whereby said cards may be stepped at a rate in excess of 82 (i.e. greater than 1,000/12) columns per second.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
58 words
An arrangement according to claim 6 in which the assembly coacts with said card at predetermined phase of operation of said store and only while said card is motionless; i.e. only during occurrences of said detent pulses; thereby maintaining reliable communication between said card and processing assembly while coordinately permitting efficient communication between said processing assembly and store.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
An arrangement according to claim 7 in which said first, second and third accelerating pulses have respective durations of 1.601, 2.650 and 2.272 milliseconds.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-05-21 | 1976-11-20 | 1977-05-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-05-21 | 1980-11-20 | 1981-05-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-05-21 | 1984-11-20 | 1985-05-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |