Encoder

摘要

1,106,600. Valves. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. 19 Oct., 1966 [2 Nov., 1965, No. 46726/66. Heading F2V. An encoder comprises a plurality of elongated flexible tapes 13, a support 11, 12 which supports the tapes for longitudinal movement, a plurality of selectively operable input devices 21 each arranged to flex a predetermined selection, of the tapes, the different devices 21 flexing different predetermined selections of the tapes, and an output device which provides an indication of the combination of tapes which have been flexed. One end of each tape is held by a pin 11a, and if it is not to be flexed into a cavity 30 by operation of a particular input device 21, it has an aperture beneath the outlet 14 from that device. Alternatively, the outlet 14 is sealed off or the cavity 30 is omitted. When a tape is flexed, a port 17 is brought into register with a signal output conduit 19 or an electrical or mechanical output may be provided. In a further embodiment, a plurality of perforated strips controls the fluid input to a vertical bank of flexible tapes which may operate character selection latches on a typewriter. Each data entry location may be encoded with two completely independent codes by arranging for the tape 51, Fig. 4, to be flexed into either of a pair of cavities 55, 56, a conduit 59 being connected through a valve 57 operated by a shift key 57a to either the suction or delivery lines of an air pump 58. In Fig. 5, the coding may be changed by depressing a key 67 to flexibly deform the tape 62 into a cavity 62a and to align a perforation 69 with the outlet from the pressure line controlled by the shift key 61 so that the tape becomes inoperative.