024 Card Punch & 056 Card Verifier

024 Punch

The 024 card punch has been brought back to life. It was in some places rusty and in many places gummed up solid, but a couple of days' work during November 2014 has seen it punching cards again. It and its companion 056 card verifier have received replacement table tops from laminated chipboard - wrong colour but they will keep the keyboards off the floor! A lick of paint would be good if we can find some IBM spray grey. A short video can be viewed here: IBM 024

The punch unit was left in place and lubricated with copious #6 oil. The punch clutch was removed for a thorough clean out, adjustments checked with the Punch Cluch Adjusting Tool and reassembled / greased with IBM #23 grease. The punch unit circuit breakers needed a good clean, but timings were within tolerance. The pin sense unit was removed and cleaned, everything else cleaned and lubricated in situ. Anything that was jammed up was gently persuaded back to movement with isopropyl alcohol followed by #6 oil, except for phosphor bronze bearings, which in general just needed oil.

The wire contact relays were cleaned, and where necessary wire contacts replaced - fortunately we have a small supply! There were a few loose wires out of the rear of the relay panel, and our only wiring diagram was for a different, earlier version. Fortunately the differences were not so great as to prevent, after a lot of measuring and probing, finding where they all belonged.

   

   

   

056 Verifier

The 056 was given the same mechanical treatment as the 024. Unfortunately the duo relay (similar to post office relays) is missing its armature and the contacts are badly bent, so we've not been able to power up. Other projects have since taken over, but at some point we'll see if we can straighten the contacts without breaking them and try to make an armature.