Another form of job card, intended for use where jobs require more than one day, is shown in Fig. 14. With this card, it is intended that the starting and finishing time shall be entered in the ordinary way, and the name of the operation checked.
Fig. 15. Day Time Register for Production Time Records, Manufactured by International Time Recording Co.
14. Mechanical Time Recorders. For the same reasons that they are best for making records of total time, for pay-roll purposes, mechanical time recorders are best for obtaining production time records. Whether the responsibility of making the record rests on the workman or a clerk, it is always better to have the actual recording done automatically whenever it is possible to do so.
While the time recorders used for keeping total time are also used for obtaining production time records, there are certain advantages in using recorders of slightly different types. Manufacturers have made great progress and are now supplying machines which answer every requirement.
One type of recorder designed for production time records is shown in Fig. 15. This outfit includes, in addition to the recorder, a rack for jobs ahead and jobs started, a rack for finished jobs, and a distribution rack. The first rack contains pockets of the right size to hold time cards or tickets. These pockets are numbered to correspond with the men's numbers, two pockets being provided for each man, one for jobs ahead and one for jobs started. The rack for finished jobs is divided into compartments bearing the men's numbers, with slots through which the cards are inserted. The distribution rack is divided into compartments numbered for the different jobs.
Fig. 16. Individual Job Card Used with the Day Time Register
The recorder and card racks are placed near the foreman's desk, which should be at a central point in the department. The foreman prepares cards for the different employes and places a card for the next job in the jobs ahead pocket. The workman, when starting to work, takes the card for the next job, records the starting time, and places the card in the jobs started pocket. When the job is finished he again records the time, on the same card, and places the card in the compartment bearing his number in the finished jobs rack. At night, if he has an unfinished job, he records the time, the same as for a finished job, and either turns in the card to the foreman or places it in a box kept for suspended jobs. The foreman then makes out new cards and places them in the jobs ahead rack, while the suspended card is placed in the finished jobs rack.
Every morning all cards of the previous day are taken from the finished jobs rack, the time recorded on each man's cards is computed and compared with the record of the total time recorder, and the cards distributed by job numbers in the distribution rack. This checks the job time with the pay-roll time, and permits of leaving the cards in the distribution rack until the entire job is finished. The cards are then taken to the cost department and the time records distributed on the cost sheet.