* GB785849 (A)

Description: GB785849 (A) ? 1957-11-06

Method of making structural form ties

Description of GB785849 (A)

PATENT SPECIFICATION 785,849 a r k ' Date of Application and filing Complete Specification: Nov 9, 1955 No 32050/55. Complete Specification Published: Nov 6, 1957. Index at acceptance:-Classes 20 ( 2), 04 A; and 83 ( 4), E 9 F. International Classification:-B 23 k E 04 g. COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Method of Making Structurai Form Ties I, ROBERT CLYDE GATES, of 2105 South Kipling Street, Denver, State of Colorado, United States of America, a citizen of the United States of America, 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 methods of making structural form ties and has reference more particularly to a method of making form ties of the construction shown and described in U S Patent 1,692,166 of November 20, 1928. The tie described in the above mentioned patent relates to a tie for plastic forms, which will not only tie together the two side walls of the form, but will also serve as spacer, in that means were provided on said tie, adapted to bear against the inner face of the form walls This tie has many desirable features but was not manufactured in large numbers until lately when a practical method of manufacture was invented. It is the object of this invention to disclose and claim a practical method of manufacturing the tie described in the above identified patent. In order to describe the method reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the products of the several steps have

been illustrated in the order in which they are performed by the method. Figure 1 is a view showing a length of wire as it appears after it has been subjected to the first step of the method; Figure 2 is a top plan view showing the appearance of the wire at the end of the second step; Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the wire shown in Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a top plan view of the completed form tie. Referring now to the drawing reference numeral 10 designates a wire that has been lPrice 3 s 6 d l subjected to the first step of the method by which the ends are formed into hooks by first bending the wire at point 11 into an obtuse angle W; the wire is then bent reversely at 12 The end 13 extends at 50 right angles to the length of the wire The original length of the wire is divided into three equal lengths or approximately so, and these points are marked in some suitable manner and have been designated by numeral 55 14 in Figure 2. When the method is performed manually, the wire is reversely bent at points 14 into the shape shown in Figure 2 After this second step has been completed the ends 13 of the 60 hooks extend at right angles to the plane of the bights 15 and are located between the sides of the bights as shown in Figure 2. The wire which is now in the form illustrated in Figure 2 and 3 is then grasped at the bights 65 and the hooked ends are held in approximately the position shown in Figure 3 with the ends 13 extending equal distances on both sides of the planes of the bights The two bights are now subjected to a relative rotary move 70 ment which twists that portion between the hooked ends into a cable as shown in Figure 4 Due to the fact that the material has some resiliency the twisting is carried through more than a number of complete turns so 75 that when the torque is released the parts will turn in the opposite direction through an angular distance that brings ends 13 substantially into the same plane. What makes it possible to make these ties 80 by machine is that the ends are formed into hooks by the first step After the ends are formed into hooks the machine, when one is used, holds the ends in parallel relation and makes it possible and practical to hold the 85 hook ends perpendicular to the planes of their associated loops during the twisting operation. The discovery that the hooks must be made at the first step in the operation made 90 785,849 it possible to construct a practical machine for the automatic manufacture of the ties and it is to this feature or step of the method that this method is directed.

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* GB785850 (A)

Description: GB785850 (A) ? 1957-11-06

A new or improved vaned rotor for electric or electronic flow meters

Description of GB785850 (A)

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION A New or Improved Vaned Rotor for Electric or Electronic Flow Meters We, PIERRE EDMOND TUFFET,aFreneh citizen, of 7 Rue du Foulon, Tarbes (HauteCaronne), France, and JEAN SOULIE, a French citizen, of L'Union, (Haute-Garonne), France, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention has reference to a new or improved vaned rotor adaptable to electric or electronic flow meters or counters mounted on fluid pipings. An object of the invention is to provide a vaned rotor as aforesaid having a very small weight (a few ounces) and a very reduced size while being nevertheless most accurate, thereby enabling this vaned rotor to be fitted upon appliances or plants of small volume, the rotor being interposed to that effect in pipings through which flows a gas or a liquid the rate of flow of which has to be measured and operating in conjunction with electric or electronic flow meters. According to the invention, the improved vaned rotor which is driven by the stream of fluid flowing through the piping is characterized by the fact that it is rotatably mounted about an asis coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the piping and further characterized that the fact that it is provided with at least one transparent transverse part extending therethrough, a source of rays emitting a beam of rays

directed athwart the piping axis, and means sensitive to these rays and adapted to be energized every time said transparent transverse part of the rotor is interposed between said source of rays and said sensitive means, for computing or reeording-the number of revolutions effected by the rotor per unit of time and consequently the rate of flow of the fluid which drives the same. According to a preferred constructional form, the rotor is provided along its transverse axis with a bore in which is housed a core made of a transparent material forming the said transparent transverse part of the rotor. The record may reach an extreme degree of accuracy since the rotor has but a very small inertia and the interception of a light ray does not absorb any appreciable quantity of energy. The improved rotor according to the invention, also the detailed manner in which it can be interposed in a fluid piping will be now described more in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows by way of example a suitable embodiment of the invention. The single figure which constitutes the drawing is partly a diametrical sectional view of the improved rotor as it is interposed between two sections of a piping through which a gaseous or liquid fluid flows, the rate of flow of this fluid having to be measured. As illustrated, 1 designates the rotor proper which is mounted along the longitudinal axis of a piping made up of a pair of spaced sections indicated generally by 4 and 4'. For the sake of simplicity the rotor is assumed to have only two vanes and it is mounted (as shown) through the medium of ball bearings 3 upon a stationary body portion 2. The body portion 2 of the rotor 1 is centralized with respect to the piping section 4 by means of an intermediate member 5 having the shape of a four limb star, each limb of this star-shaped member having the outline as shown at 5'. At the end of each star limb and at right angles to its plane of symmetry are arranged securing lugs 6. The two sections 4 4' of the piping are axially aligned and have edged flanges 7 between which are interposed the securing lugs 6. The assembly is held in position by screws and nuts 8, gaskets such as 9 ensuring adequate tightness. The opposite ends of the two sections 4, 4' of the piping are provided with shoulders such as 10 the purpose of which is to ensure proper interposition of said sections at the suitable location of the piping through which there is a flow of fluid the rate of which has to be measured. The piping section 4' has mounted thereon a ring member 11 formed with a pair of diametrically opposed ports 12, 13. Stoppers such as 14 seal said ports so as to prevent any leakage of the fluid lvhieh flows through the piping. Such stoppers are provided with gaskets 15 held

ill position bv annular nuts 16. In the present constructional form, the stoppers 14 are of cylindrical shape and made of a transparent material. their location being such that their internal face is flush with the inner wall of the piping section 4'. The transverse asis 17 of the rotor 1 (at right angles to the major axis of the piping) has in alignment v--ith the ports 12, 13 a bore 17' in which is accommodated a cylindrical core 18 made of a transparent material. The transparent cylindrical core 18 extends from one of the transparent stoppers 14 to the other one. It will be understood that, owing to this arrangement, if on the one hand the filament of an energizing lamp (not shown) is placed along the axis of the port 12 and the transparent core 18 housed in the bore 17' and if on the other hand a photo-electric cell (not shown either) is placed along the axis of the port 13 and said transparent core 18, as the fluid which flows through the piping revolves the rotor 1, the latter allows a luminous impulse to pass therethrough every time it effects half a revolution upon itself. Such impulses may be electrically or electronically computed, thereby indicating the figure representing the instantaneous rate of flow of the fluid as well as the volunie of fluid that has floen through the piping during a given period. An arrangement such as the one shown in the drawing permits rates of floe- ranging from 300 to 20.000 liters per hour to be readily measured. Its weight is very small. Minor constructional details of this rotor adaptable to a flow meter may be varied without departing from the ambit of the invention. Thus for example the rotor may have its stationarv part mounted through the medium of needle bearings. ground hard stones between points or stocks, etc. . The transparent material used for making the stoppers and the core may be glass, quartz, crystal, etc.... A second photoelectric cell might be provided if computation by each quarter of a revolution u-as sought instead of a computation 'v each half revolution. What we claim is: 1. A vaned rotor for an electric floe- meter so adaptable to a piping f@ the fluid whose rate of flow must be measured as to cause said fluid to rotate said rotor, characterized by the fact that the rotor is revolvable about an axis coincident with the longitudinal axis of the piping and has at least one transparent transverse part extending therethrough, a source of rays emitting a beam of rays athwart the piping asis. and means sensitive to said rays and so arranged as to be energized every time said transparent part of the rotor conies into

interposition hetu-een said source and said sensitive means so as to record the number of revolutions effected by the rotor per unit of time and consequently the rate of flow of the fluid which rotates it. 2. A vaned rotor for a flow meter according to claim 1. characterized by the fact that it has along its transverse axis a bore in which is housed a core made of a transparent material forming the transparent transverse part of the rotor. 3. A vaned rotor for a flow meter according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that it comprises a pair of diametrically opposed vanes. the transverse axis passing through said vanes. the transparent core extending from end of a vane to the encl of the opposite vane. 4. A vaned rotor for a flow meter according to clairn 2 or 3. characterized by the fact that it is inserted in a piping section having in its wall a pair of diametrically opposed ports closed by transparent stoppers and having in front of them the source of rays and the means sensitive to said rays so as to energize said means every time the transparent core arranged along its transverse axis is interposed between said ports and registers with them. 5. A vaned rotor for a flow meter according to anv of the preceding claims. characterized by the fact that the source of rays is constituted by an energizing lamp including a filament while the receiving means comprise a photoelectric cell, the light impulses received by said cell during the rotation of the rotor being electrically or electronically computed for recording the rate of flow of the fluid through the piping. 6. A vaned rotor for a meter for indicating or recording the n.te of floe- of a fluid through a piping substantially as hereinbefore described and as shown in the accompanying drawing.

* GB785851 (A)

Description: GB785851 (A) ? 1957-11-06

Improvements in or relating to brassieres and the manufacture thereof

Description of GB785851 (A)

PATENT SPECIFICATION

785,851 Date of Application and filing Complete Specification: Nov 10, 1955. No 32151/55. Complete Specification Published: Nov 6, 1957. Index at Acceptance:-Class 141, W 5 E. International Classification:-A 41 b. COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to Brassieres and the manufacture thereof We, BART Ht LEMY ALCOVER and MARGUERITE ALCOVER, both French citizens and both of 57, avenue des Villas, Saint-Gilles, Brussels, Belgium, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention relates to a brassiere and to its specific method of manufacture. The brassiere made according to the invention is composed of at least three layers of material, namely ( 1) a lining of soft supple nylon material, ( 2) a semi-rigid sheet of nylon crinoline (composed for example of threads of nylon of 3 to 4 112 tenths of a millimeter) and ( 3) an exterior covering of a nylon material, the pattern of the material for this outside covering being variable as desired, with or without a sheet of sponge (nylon or equivalent) between the layers ( 2) and ( 3). The process of manufacture of such a brassiere comprises the following essential steps: the four or three layers of material are superimposed in their correct order and then cut out on a flat surface with a heated instrument in such a way as to form half cups of the brassiere, the cutting out operation also welding together the peripheries of the layers of material; the half cups are assembled and joined together with stitching which forms the two halves into a complete bust cup, the seams made with this stitching being then covered, on both sides, with a ribbon stitched recto verso; two of these bust cups are then joined together and are encircled all around their circumference by a nylon thread of 120 to 150 hundredths of a millimeter thickness, this thread thus giving rigidity to the circumference and being sewn to the above-mentioned components; finally, the inside of the circumference is bound with a tape to prevent a thread of the semi-rigid crinoline from accidentally pricking the wearer. The completion of the finished brassiere, lPrice 3 s 6 d l that is, the addition to the bust cups made as described above, of the shoulder and other ribbons is entirely at the discretion of the individual manufacturer. Other details of the invention will appear in 50 the following description, which is given by way of example, and in the accompanying

drawing. The drawing shows a brassiere according to the invention, the attachments, the shoulder 55 and other ribbons having been omitted. The brassiere is formed of four layers of material; the layer which comes into contact with the skin is a thin lining of nylon material; an intermediary layer is composed of a sheet of 60 crinoline woven of strong nylon threads and is therefore semi-rigid; the third layer is composed of a sheet of any kind of sponge or foam material, this third layer being however optional; lastly the layer which appears on the 65 outside of the brassiere is formed of a nylon material which, as it is destined to form the outside trimming, can present whatever appearance desired. To manufacture such a brassiere the four 70 (or three) layers are superimposed in the correct order on a flat surface and are cut out, by means of a heated instrument, into the half cups 1 and 2 The layers of material are welded together all round their circumference by this heated 75 cutting-out operation. The two half cups 1 and 2 having been cut out to the appropriate pattern, form, when assembled, a bust cup of the required shape and depth The two half cups 1 and 2 are sewn 80 together with zig zag stitching and the resulting seam is covered inside and outside by a ribbon 3 stitched in recto verso by a machine with two needles. Two of the bust cups thus formed are joined 85 together at 4 to make the brassiere, the entire periphery of each bust cup being encircled by a thick nylon thread assuring the rigidity of the edges of the brassiere This thick thread is then itself covered by a ribbon or any other 90 trimming such as decorative stitching 5. It must be understood that the invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and that many other variations are possible within the scope of this patent as defined by the appended claims.

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* GB785852 (A)

Description: GB785852 (A) ? 1957-11-06

Improvements relating to slide fasteners

Description of GB785852 (A)

A high quality text as facsimile in your desired language may be available amongst the following family members:

BE542962 (A) CH332785 (A) NL98182 (C) BE542962 (A) CH332785 (A) NL98182 (C) less Translate this text into Tooltip

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The EPO does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of data and information originating from other authorities than the EPO; in particular, the EPO does not guarantee that they are complete, up-to-date or fit for specific purposes.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (Improvements relating to (Slide Fasteners We, Ctz FASTENER INC., a Corporation organised under the laws of the State of New York, United States of America, of 748 Madison Avenue, New York, State of New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particu larly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention relates to slide fasteners and particularly to a method of forming on the edge of a piece of material a fastener element constituted by a series of over-edge loops. According to the present invention, a series of over-edge loops constituting a fastener element are formed on the edge of a piece of material by bending a continuous filament of thermoplastic material, the loops being stitched to the material during their formation and formed with portions for interlocking with corresponding portions on a fastener element formed on the edge of a second piece of material. Preferably the filament is bent over a mandrel held parallel to the edge of the material to form the over-edge loops and the filament in contact with the mandrel is deformed to form the interlocking elements. The filament may be deformed against the surface of the

mandrel by applying heat to the filament or the mandrel and/or by applying pressure between the filament and the mandrel such as by pulling the filament tightly around the mandrel during the formation of each loop. In either case, the filament is widened and flattened so that the outermost portions of the loops have an oblong cross-section, the longer cross-sectional dimension running in a direction substantially parallel with the edge of the material. On forming the fastener element on the edge of a piece of material, the direction of the filament is preferably reversed after each loop is formed to form another loop adjacent the one previously formed, and as the loops are formed progressively along the edge of the material, the filament is anchored to both sides of the material by a separate stitching thread. The fastener element may be formed by an over-edge stitching machine wherein the filament is substituted for rhe usual thread. For example a Merrow type machine may be readily adapted to form the fastening element merely by positioning the mandrel in the looper stitch arc so that when the over-edge looper brings the filament around the edge of the material, a loop is formed around the mandrel at a distance from the edge. Preferably the mandrel is held at one end only and has a free end in the direction of movement of the material so that the over-edge loops slide off the free end of the mandrel as the material is advanced by the machine. The filament may be of any suitable plastic material and is preferably a nylon mono- filament The method of forming fastener elements according to the present invention provides a simple and easy way of manufacturing slide fasteners and has the advantage that the fastener element on one piece of material is identical with that on a second piece of material with which it is to interlock. Thus it is possible to sub-divide a length of fastener element and use the sub-divided portions as mating companion elements. Fastener elements made according to the invention may also be used to fonn a rela tively water and/or air-tight closure. This is possible due to the fineness and close stitching of the filament to the material, as well as the close interlocking characteristics of the interlocking portions of the over-edge loops. In this case the material should, of course, be of impermeable thermoplastic material. Reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a piece of material having formed on it a fastener element, the length of over-edge loops being somewhat exaggerated; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of two interlocking fastener elements

formed respectively on the edges of two pieces of material; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the elements shown in Fig. 2. In Fig. 1 a fastener element is formed on the edge 10 of a piece of material B by bending a continuous plastic filament, such as a nylon filament, A around a mandrel D (shown in dotted lines) held parallel to the edge 10, thus forming a number of over-edge loops 11. A thread C is stitched to the material to secure the filament A. In tracing the formation of a fastener element shown in Fig. 1, beginning at the right-hand edge of the figure, it will be seen that after the loop 11a has been formed, the filament A extends towards the top surface of the material B to form a limb 13 which is bridged by a stitch 14 of the thread C. The direction of the path of the filament is then reversed to form an intermediate loop 15, another limb 16 for the next over-edge loop lib parallel to the limb 13 and then the loop lib adjacent the loop gila. The filament is then led once again in the direction of the material B, but this time beneath the material, forming a lower limb 17 which passes through a stitch 18 of the thread C formed beneath the material. The direction of the path of the filament is then again reversed to form an intermediate loop 19 beneath the material, the loop 19 passing through a stitch 20 adjacent the stitch 18. After passing through the stitch 20, the filament is formed into a lower limb 21 which is looped around the mandrel D to form another over-edge loop 11c. Thereupon, the filament once again is led towards the upper surface of the material B, forming a limb 23 which passes beneath a stitch 24 of the thread C before reversing itself once again at 25 and so on. The over-edge loops are thus formed in succession and are stitched to the material during their formation by stitches made on both sides of the material. The stitches 14 and 24 of the thread C anchor the limbs 13, 16 and 24 of the overedge loops to one side of the material B, while the stitches 18 and 20 anchor the limbs 17 and 21 to the other side of the material. It is understood, of course, that the over-edge loops may be formed and stitched to the material in either direction. The mandrel D shown in Fig. 1 is formed with a prominent tapering edge d and the filament A is formed with interlocking portions 12 by drawing the filament tightly around the mandrel during the formation of the over-edge loops, the mandrel being heated to facilitate deformation of the filament. The filament is deformed by flattening the portions contacting the wedge'4 the interlocking portions so formed having an oblong cross-section, with the longer di;nension substantially parallel to the edge of the material. The interlocking portions 12 are thus formed while the over-edge loops are themselves formed and stitched to the material and a separate deformation operation is thus

dispensed with. The nature of the over-edge loops enables the use of filaments of varying diameters. If the filament thickness is great enough, and the spacing of the loops sufficiently close and/or the thread C is coarse enough, it will not be necessary to attach bead cords to act as slider rails, as the intermediate loops 15, 25 etc., formed when the direction of the filament A is reversed, will serve as a slider rail. When the filament element is to be used to form a relatively water and/or air-tight closure, the over-edge loops should be formed very close together and in very close proximity with the edge of the material, thus eliminating ssir pockets between individual interlocking portions. The invention has been shown in a single preferred form and by way of example only, and obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus, it should be clear that in place of the separate stitched thread, the fastener device may be bonded to the material or tape. In addition, it may be possible with certain filaments to dispense with deforming the loops to produce interlocking portions, inasmuch as uniformly round or symmetrical loops may effectively interlock and hold together. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not to be limited to any specified form or embodiment except insofar as such limitations are set forth in the claims. WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of forming on the edge of a piece of material a fastener element for a slide fastener, in which the element is constituted by a series of over-edge loops formed in succession by bending a continuous filament of thermoplastic material, the loops being stitched to the material during their formation and formed with Portions for interlocking with corresponding portions on a fastener element formed on the edge of a second piece of material.

* GB785853 (A)

Description: GB785853 (A) ? 1957-11-06

Improvements in or relating to automatic reading system

Description of GB785853 (A)

A high quality text as facsimile in your desired language may be available amongst the following family members:

DE1110926 (B) US3000000 (A) DE1110926 (B) US3000000 (A) less Translate this text into Tooltip

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The EPO does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of data and information originating from other authorities than the EPO; in particular, the EPO does not guarantee that they are complete, up-to-date or fit for specific purposes.

1. ?, ' X' _p 1 It ri 1-, I'' d,l P C, 6 11 ' PATENT SPECIFICATION 78,5853 Date of Application and filing Complete Specification Dec 8, 1955. No 35316/55. Application made in United States of America on May 6, 1955. Complete Specification Published Nov 6, 1957. Index at Acceptance:-Classes 40 ( 3), H 15 B 2 D; and 106 ( 1), M( 1 D: 1 G: 5 G). International Classification: -G 06 k H 041. COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to Automatic Reading System SPECIFICATIO' N NO 785,853 By a direction given under Section 17 ( 1) of the Patents Act 1949 this application proceeded In the name of General Electric Company, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York; United States of America, of 9, River Road, Schenectady 5, New York; State of New York, United States of America. THE PATENT OFFICE, 2nd June, 1958 wave shape characteristic of each character, and means to identifv a character from the signal wave shape. One of the difficulties blocking the extensive utilization of automatic data-processing machines is that of providing the information on which such machine is to operate in a form wherein it can be rapidly transferred into the machine from the original documents on which the information exists in human language. By "human language" is meant the wellknown printed or written characters by which human beings communicate with one another on paper Presently known techniques for transferring the data contained on

bills or inventory sheets, for example, requires that this information be either punched as holes in cards, or as holes in paper tape, or be written magnetically in coded form on magnetic tape Any one of these can then be fed by means of suitable input devices to an automatic data-processing machine The requirement that the human language has to be read and transcribed to a form suitable for input to a machine, which may be called machine language, interposes a large source of potential errors made by the transcribers, besides being tedious and time wasting Some schemes have been proposed for printing the data in human language simultaneously with machine language coding, but this arrangelPr, DB 05359/1 ( 3)/1622 50 5/58 R tions in writing equipment. Some early attempts at "automatic read 65 ing" may be considered to have been made by devices known as " optiphones " or reading aids for the blind These devices would convert letters which have distinguishing characteristics in the form of dots, dashes, or letter 70 configurations which would fall into certain areas of a scanning device The scanning device would then convert the detected information into a form suitable for the blind to interpret-that is, either tactile or audible 75 None of these apparatuses, however, proved suitable for utilization in converting human language to machine language. A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel, useful, and simple method 80 and apparatus for converting human language into a form from which suitable utilization by automatic devices may be made. These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by writing the char 85 acters which are to be converted into machine language with a writing material having magnetic properties Such a writing material may be a magnetic ink When characters written with a magnetic writing material are mag 90 netized and then passed in sequence under a magnetic reading head, it can be shown that the output obtained from the reading head for each character is a signal having a wave shape CD W r-, ' 1 1 Z 9 I ' ' -W 5: h, l j t, r PATENT SPECIFICATION Date of Application and filing Complete Specification Dec 8, 1955. No 35316155. Application made in United States of America on May 6, 1955. Complete Specification Published Nov 6, 1957. Index at Acceptance:-Classes 40 ( 3), HI 51 82 D; and 106 ( 1), M(l D: IG: 5 G). International Classification: -G 06 o E H 041 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Improveaments in or relating to Automatic Reading System I, KENNETH ROLAND ELDREDGE, a citizen of the United States of America, of 650, Alger Drive, Palo Alto, California, United States of America, 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 apparatus for reading characters in human language and providing therefrom signals representative thereof in machine language. The present invention provides apparatus for reading characters written in human language comprising means to generate an electric signal from each character having a wave shape characteristic of each character, and means to identify a character from the signal wave shape. One of the difficulties blocking the extensive utilization of automatic data-pro cessing machines, is that of providing the information on which such machine is to operate in a form wherein it can be rapidly transferred into the machine from the original documents on which the information exists in human language. By "human language" is meant the wellknown printed or written characters by which human beings communicate with one another on paper Presently known techniques for transferring the data contained on bills or inventory sheets, for example, requires that this information be either punched as holes in cards, or as holes in paper tape, or be written magnetically in coded form on magnetic tape Any one of these can then be fed by means of suitable input devices to an automatic data-processing machine The requirement that the human language has, to be read and transcribed to a form suitable for input to a machine, which may be called machine language, interposes a large source of potential errors made by the transcribers, besides being tedious and time wasting Some schemes have been proposed for printing the data in human language simultaneously with machine language coding, but this arrangelPr l _ dfir" ment is space wasting and requires new, expensive equipment for its accomplishment 50 An object of this invention is the provision of apparatus for converting human language into machine language without the intervention of human readers and transcribers. Another object of the present invention is 55 to provide a novel arrangement for detecting the distinguishing characteristics of characters in human language and converting these to machine language. Still another object of the present invention 60 is the nrovision of a method and means for converting human language to machine language without requiring extensive alterations in writing equipment. Some early attempts at " automatic read 65 ing" may be considered to have been made by devices known as " optiphones " or reading aids for the blind These devices would convert letters which have distinguishing characteristics in the form of dots, dashes, or letter 70 configurations which would fall into certain areas of a scanning

device The scanning device would then convert the detected information into' a form suitable for the blind to interpret-that is, either tactile or audible 75 None of these apparatuses, however, proved suitable for utilization in converting human language to machine language. A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel, useful and simple method 80 and apparatus for converting human language into a form from which suitable utilization by automatic devices may be made. These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by writing the char 85 acters which are to be converted into machine language with a writing material having magnetic properties Such a writing material may be a magnetic ink When characters written with a magnetic writing material are mag 90 netized and then passed in sequence under a magnetic reading head, it can be shown that the output obtained from the reading head for each character is a signal having a wave shape 785,853 or envelope which is characteristic of thle character being scanned by the head Suitable recognition apparatus is employed which senses a characteristic wave shape and converts it into a code number which is suitable for subsequent utilization by automatic dataprocessing machinery There are two embodiments of the recognition apparatus described herein, although it will be readily realized that these are illustrative and not to be tak en as limiting. In one embodiment, the output of the reading head is passed through a delay line When the entire signal is within the delay fine, the amplitude of the signal at various significant (from the standpoint of distinguishing between wave shapes) positions are sampled The maximum one of these amplitudes is determined. A portion of this maximum amplitude is employed in such a manner so that further amplification is made only of those sampled amplitudes which exceed this portion of the maximum amplitude Since each one of the sampled portions is preserved in what may be considered as its own channel, the last step provides a voltage pattern akin to an electrical representation of a binary number This binary number differs for each characteristic wave shape and, thereby, is representative of 33 the different characters The subsequent utilization apparatus in the form of data-processing machines, automatic sorting machines, and the like, usually require binary-coded data as input, and, accordingly, the characters have been converted from human language to a form utilizable by the machine or machine language. The magnetization of the characters may be accomplished by using direct current in a magnetic-writing head or by a permanent magnet It

also may be an "alternatingcurrent " magnetization, which may be accomplished, for example, with another magneticwriting head, to which a constant-amplitude alternating current is applied as the characters written in the magnetic ink are passed thereunder In the latter case, the output of the reading head is rectified and passed through a filter before being applied to the delay line. Thus the signal is demodulated. In a second embodiment of the invention, a permanent magnet is employed to magnetize the characters written with a magnetic material The characters are successively passed over a permanent magnet for directcurrent magnetization They are then passed under a reading head The signal detected is then amplified, clipped, and applied to a delay line The presence or absence of a signal at predetermined points along said delay line is then detected by suitable circuits, such as flipflops The output voltage pattern of the group of flip-flops after such sampling is a coded representation of the character This can be employed directly for machine input, or converted electrically into another desired code form. The novel features that are considered characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims The 70 invention itself, both as to its organization and method of operation, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompany 75 ing drawings, in which:Figure 1, by way of illustrating this invention, shows the numerals 0 through 9 and the associated characteristic wave shapes obtained when these numerals are printed with mag 80 netic-writing material, a c magnetized, scanned in the horizontal direction by a magneticreading head, and then demodulated; Figure 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention; 85 Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention; and Figure 4 shows, by way of example, the numbers 0, 1, and 8, and the associated wave shapes, when these are written with magnetic 90 writing material, d c magnetized, and then scanned by a magnetic-reading head. In Figure 1, the numbers 0 through 9 were printed in human language The principles described here apply equally w,,ell to letters, 95 but numbers are shown by way of illustration. Magnetic ink, the magnetic-writing material, was used in the printing thereof The ink consists of a vehicle having suitable consistency to support a pigment which has magnetic 100 characteristics The preferred pigment is one which has a substantial remanence The numbers were magnetized employing alternatingcurrent magnetization and were then passed under a magnetic-reading head Although 105 most standard numerals can be employed for the purposes to be dlescribzd, the

numerals shown were designed to Drovide particularly distinctive wave shapes for each number when passed under a magnetic-reading head The 110 output signal from the reading head was then demodulated It will be seen that the resultant wave shapes which are shown accompanying each number are different from one another. In accordance with one embodiment of this 115 invention, samples at various points of detected wave shape are taken These sanmples are then corrected for variations in the over-all amplitude due to the variations in printing and then are passed through an amplitude discrimina 120 tor which establishes a pattern of voltages corresponding to a binary-code number representative of th'e wave sla e and/or character from which it is derived It should be a Dpreciated that the location of the places at which 125 the sample points are chosen can also assist in distinguishing between the wave shapes To this end the sample-point locations are selected at the points where the greatest distinctions between the different wave shapes exist The 130 st, s, 785,853 vertical lines passing through the various wave shapes shown in Figure 1 indicate favoured positions for such sample points. After a character is written in human language with magnetic ink, it may then be magnetized either by a permanent magnet or an alternating-current magnet The character is then moved past a magnetic-reading head which provides as an output a signal, the wave shape of which is characteristic of the character being scanned The use of the alternating-current magnetization requires a process akin to demodulation of a radio signal, since, in that case, the output of the magnetic-reading head is an alternating signal, amplitudemodulated by the variations in height of the magnetic mark The characteristic wave shape may then be recognized by converting it to a binary-code number. Referring now to Figure 2, there may be seen a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention A document 10, moving on suitable conveying apparatus (not shown), has characters written thereon in magnetic ink. The characters are preferably of the type shown in Figure 1 These are passed under a write station, which includes an oscillator 12 and a writing head 13 This head may be a magnetic-writing head of the type employed with a magnetic tape or drum It is driven by an oscillator where it is desired that the magnetization be of the alternating-current type This type of magnetization is preferred here, since the signal-to-noise ratio of the subsequently detected signal is maximized However, the invention can operate satisfactorily if direct-current magnetization of the characters is employed The document on which the letters or numbers appear may be carried on a

conveyor system so that the lines of writing are passed sequentially under the write station and then under a reading station This reading station includes a reading head 14 and amplifier 15 The reading head is of the type employed in reading from magnetic tape or drum A writing head may be provided to magnetize each line to be read A reading head may be provided to read each line. Proper sequencing may be obtained by staggering the positions of the heads so that as the paper moves its writing is read, line by line. Alternatively, the output of parallel reading heads may be stored on magnetic tape, for example, and then subsequently read out in any desired sequence. It should here be noted that the magneticreading head and the magnetic-writing head both are positioned so that their gaps extend transversely to the motion of the letter passing thereunder Furthermore, the length of the gap should be greater than the size of the characters passing thereunder, so that an entire character passes the gap and not just a portion thereof The reading may occur using any desired angle of approach between the character to be read and the head, providing the remainder of the recognition apparatus has been calibrated to detect the characteristic wave shape generated by such angle of approach Once the angle of approach has 70 been selected, variations, in this angle may be eliminated by well-known apparatus for aligning paper sheets or, for example, by employing marks which can be sensed for the purpose of properly orienting the document to have the 75 desired angle of attack. In any event, when a character passes underneath a reading head, a voltage is induced in its output coil in well-known fashion by virtue of the number of lines of 80 flux changing as the character moves underneath the head The voltage is closely proportional to the height of the written mark which is under the reading head or gap and is also proportional to the magnetic intensity 85 applied at the writing station The resulting output signal is a modulated carrier signal having the frequency of the write oscillator. The alternating or carrier signal is amplitude modulated by the variations in height of the 90 magnetic mark The output of the reading head is amplified by amplifier 15 and is then applied to a full-wave rectifier 16 The output of the rectifier is then applied to a cathode follower 18 for buffering and it is then applied 95 to a following low-pass filter 20 The output of the filter is the modulating signal from which the carrier has been suppressed This signal has an envelope, or wave shape, which may be, for example, one of those 100 shown in Figure 1 The wave shape, of course, is the one derived from the number which has been passed under the reading head. The output of the filter is then applied to 105 a delay line 22 The

delay line may be any of the well-known types which can delay an entire signal and yet substantially preserve its wave shape For example a suitable delay line is the artificial transmission line described on 110 pages 353 et seq of High-speed Computing Devices, by Engineering Research Associates, Inc, and published by the McGraw-Hill Book Company Another delay-line apparatus is a magnetic drum, or endless magnetic tape loop 115 The signal is recorded on these and then repeatedly displayed on a cathode-ray tube screen It may also be held in a storage tube such as the " Graphechon " which is described in the RCA Review for March 1949 by L 120 Pensalc The delay line has a time delay sufficient to enable the entire signal to be contained therein At a number of sampling points along the delay line, the amplitude of the signal contained there is detected Suit 125 able sampling points which are at the same relative position for each number are shown on the wave shapes in Figure 1 With the magnetic or tube storage, the sampling at the various points may be made in sequence and 130 785,853 repetitively and is made so rapidly as to be substantially simultaneous as far as the subsequent circuitry operation is concerned Each of these sample points is connected to a separate lone of the cathode followers 24 A through 24 F, which serve as buffers There are six sampling points illustrated More or less may be chosen if required The output of each cathode follower is applied to a subsequent associated diode 26 A through 26 F and to one input of an associated difference amplifier 28 A through 28 F The difference amplifier or comparator is an amplifier circuit which amplifies the excess of input signal over a reference potential These circuits are well known and are shown, for example, on pages 359 et seq of Waveforms, by Chance et al, published by the McGraw-Hill Book Company The diodes all have the same one of their electrodes connected together and to a cathode follower 27 With this arrangement, the signal applied to the cathode follower has the maximum amplitude of the signal which has been detected in the delay line The output of this cathode follower is applied to one side of six bias potentiometers 30 A through F A second cathode follower 29, also called a back-bias cathode follower, is connected to the other side of the six bias potentiometers The back bias cathode follower is biased to be at the same quiescent state as is the cathode follower 27, before any signal is applied thereto The back bias cathode follower serves as a ground return for the bias potentiometers The variable arms of the bias potentiometers are each connected to the difference amplifiers to supply the required reference voltage With this arrangement, the potentiometers serve to adjust the dynamic signal level for the difference amplifiers without affecting the quiescent, or d c, level The output of the buffer cathode follower 27 is

attenuated by means of the potentiometers A through 30 F Thus, when the cathode follower 27 conducts, it provides a dynamic reference voltage to each of the difference amplifiers Only a signal in excess of this reference voltage is amplified by the respective difference amplifiers Therefore, each one of the difference amplifiers 28 A through 28 F will provide an output only when the signal received from the respective cathode followers 24 A through 24 F exceeds an assigned fraction of the maximum amplitude signal obtained from the buffer cathode follower 27. The outputs of the difference amplifiers are applied to gates 32 A through 32 F These gates are normally closed, i e, closed in the quiescent condition They require two simultaneously present inputs in order to be opened. These gates are coincidence gates and suitable types are shown and described in Chapter 4 of the book High-speed Computing Devices, previously mentioned The second required input is derived from the delay line through intervening apparatus. In addition to the six signals obtained from the outputs of the different amplifiers, which are " present " or "absent" if they do not 70 exceed the value established by the peak signal and potentiometers, two more signals are derived from two of the six sampling points which may be termed " signal-present " signals These two sampling points are respec 75 tively connected to two " overdriven " amplifiers 34 36 These are merely high-amplifiers which sharpen up the leading and trailing edges of any applied wave shape These amplifiers are used to drive two Schmitt trigger cir 80 cuits 38, 40 These are trigger circuits which are driven from, a first to a second stable state as long as the input exceeds a preset voltage value These trigger circuits are well known and are described in an article by O 85 H Schmitt, entitled A Thermionic Trigger, in the Journal of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 15, pp 24-26, January 1938 The outputs of the Schmitt circuits are applied to gates 42, 44 These are the same as gates 32 A-32 F 90 and have the same second required input as those other gates Thus, eight signals are applied to the eight gates These eight signals form a unique voltage pattern for each unique wave shape in the delay line 95 The eight gates are " strobed " or opened for a sampling interval When the leading edge of a signal reaches the end of the delay line, indicating that the complete signal is contained therein, an " overdriven " amplifier 43 100 senses this The output of the amplifier is used to drive another Schmitt trigger circuit 46. The output pulse of the Schmitt triaer circuit is differentiated by the differentiating circuit 48 The output of the differentiating circuit is 105 amplified by amplifier 50 This, then, is used to drive

to its unstable state a monostable multivibrator 52 This is a flip-flop circuit which has a single stable state and an unstable state The time the circuit remains in its 110 unstable state is a function of the time constants of the circuit The output of this multivibrator thus serves as a time-samnliru ronut to all the gates 32 A-32 F, 42, and 44 These gates are then all enabled to pass anv eutruts 115 received from the difference amplifiers and Schmitt trigger circuits for the time the monostable multivibrator remains in its unstable state The gate outputs are a"utied to associated sharing amplifiers 54 A through 54 H The 120 shaping amplifiers serve to shape into more rectangular form any input signals applied thereto Their outputs are applied to succeeding cathode followers 56 A through 56 H These are buffer and impedance conversion circuits 125 Their outputs are all anplied to subsequent utilization apparatus. The cathode-follower outputs thus also rresent a voltage pattern which is an eight-digit binary code representation of a character which 130 passed under the magnetic-reading head sisting of a train of positive and negative pulses 55 ode is a binary one since it signifies intel which are characteristic of each character It e by presence or absence of a signal in will be seen that they are distinctive The outdigit position For the numbers shown in put of the clipper is applied to a delay line e 1, the following is the binary code or 80 which may be one of the types previously e pattern obtained mentioned in connection with Figure 2 The 70 A B C D E F (E) (F) various points of the signal wave shape in the delay line are sampled to determine whether 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 or not a voltage is present Individual flip1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 flops 84 A and 84 B sense the presence or 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 absence of a positive or negative voltage at each75 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 sampling point through individual gates 82 A 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 and 82 B Flip-flops 84 A are each sensitive to 1 0 0 1 1 O 1 0 positive voltages; flip-flops 84 B are each sen0 O 1 1 0 0 1 1 sitive to negative voltagesTherefore, they are 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 tripped or not, in accordance with the signal 80 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 waveform present in the delay line Thus, the 1 0 0 0 O 1 1 1 voltage pattern established by the outputs of ie letters A through F correspond to those all the flip-flops can be said to represent in rn at the sampling points of the delay machine language the character which is read The l's represent the presence of a volt by the magnetic-reading head The outputs of 85 pulse and the O's the obsence The cathode all the flip-flops are applied to subsequent code wer outputs are all applied to a utilization conversion or utilization apparatus in the manratus which may be a code converter, or ner described previously. ge apparatus, or subsequent sorting appar For triggering or opening the gates 84 A, which operates on the paper from which 84 B, the

output of the integrator 76, which is 90 ading has been taken In any event, this a wave shape which resembles that obtained odiment of the invention illustrates how, after demodulating the signal from an altera character written with magnetic ink nating-current magnetized character, is applied uman language, a wave shape is derived, to a clipper 90 This squares off the signal so unpled, and a code or machine language that it is substantially a rectangle having the 95 )tained therefrom substantial duration of the signal being suppigure 3 shows a block diagram of another lied to the delay line 80 The clipper output odiment of the invention In this embodi is applied to a delay line 92 This delay line t of the invention, direct-current magne is similar to the other and has the same delay ion of the characters which are written is period When the front end of the signal 100 loyed A writing station can thus consist reaches the end of the delay line or any desired permanent magnet 70 The paper contain point therein as dictated by circuit time conthe paper to be magnetized is passed in stants, a gate-signal generator is actuated to dmity to this magnet The paper is then provide a signal which permits the gates 82 A, sed under a reading head 72 in substan 82 B to open for sampling the signal in the 105 Vr the same manner as described previously delay line 80 The gate signal generator 94 : signal derived is applied to an amplifier may include the same apparatus employed forThe amplifier output is then applied to an time sampling which is shown in Figure 2 The grator 76 and to a clipper 78 If desired, output of the delay line 92 is also applied to permanent magnet 70 can be positioned a reset-signal generator 96 This provides as 110 osite the reading head The papn with the an output a pulse which resets all the flip-flop acters written thereon in magnetic ink is circuits to the same initial sensing condition. ed between them The head then reads The reset-signal generator is actuated by the ations in reluctance in the air gap as each end of a signal as it leaves the delay line This gnetio-ink written character is moved into can be readily achieved in weliknown manner, 115 )ut the resultant ouput wave shape is sub for example, by employing the aforementioned itially the same An ink with a magneti sampling circuit but inserting a rectifier after y soft " pigment can be used here, as well the differentiating circuit which is poled to )ne with a magnetically hard pigment provide an output only in response to a nega1 igure 4 represents a few of the wave shapes tive-going wave This is provided by the 120 lined by scanning, for example, the num differentiated' trailing edge of the Schmitt s 0, 1, and 8 OA, 1 A, and 8 A, respectively, trigger output which occurs when the delayresents the wave shape of the signals line output begins to drop The flip-flops are ained at the output of the reading head thus reset

after a character has been sensed 1 B, and 8 B represent the signal wave and are in readiness for the next character 125 pes after they have been amplified and There has thus been described and shown iped These wave shapes are drawn against herein a system and method for converting same time scale The originally generated human language to machine language by writial has been converted into a signal con ing the human language in magnetic ink, maghas F The ( ligen( each Figui voltal 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 0 TI shove line. age 1 foli appa stora atus, a re emb fron: m h is s is ol E emb men tizat emp of a ing pros pass tiall The 74. inter the opp chai pass vari mag it, I star call, as F obt. ber: repl obt; OB, sha clip the sigi 785,853 netizing the human-language characters, generating an electrical wave shape distinctly representative of the magnetized character, sairnling the wave shape at several points, and generating a code representation from the samples The letters scan or pass is made only once, thus simplifying the scanning procedure. Other types of recognition apparatus for a character-representative wave shape than the ones described herein may be employed and yet be within the present inventive concept. For example, cathode-ray tubes may be employed with wave-shape matching masks, departures from which are sensed by photocells to thus identify the mask from which there is no departure Other variations may occur to those skilled in the art and still be within the purview of the present invention. For example, more than one magnetic head may be used to scan a character fronm different directions, each of which provides a different unique wave shape for that character, thus enabling cross checking or character identification from the wave shape providing the most easily identifiable characteristics.

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