Giant brains; or, Machines that think

by Edmund Callis Berkeley

Interpreter

The interpreter takes in a card, reads its punches, prints on the card the marks indicated by the punches, and stacks the card. We call this process interpreting the card, since it translates the punched holes into printed marks. The interpreter ([Fig. 8]) has one card channel, with one entrance, 2 card stations, and one exit. What the machine does at the second card station depends on what the machine reads at the first card station and on what we have told the machine by switches and plugboard wiring to do.

Fig. 8. Interpreter.

Reproducer

The reproducer or reproducing punch can:

Reproduce, or copy the punches in one group of cards into another group of cards (in the same or different columns).

Compare, or make sure that the punches in two groups of cards agree (and shine a red light if they do not).

Gang punch, or copy the punches in a master card into a group of detail cards.

Summary punch, or copy totals or summaries obtained in the tabulator into blank cards in the reproducer.