IBM 80
| Industry | Data processing equipment |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1925 |
| Products | Punched card sorters (models 80, 81, 82, 83, 84) |
| Parent | IBM |
A punched card sorter is a device engineered to organize stacks of punched cards, a vital step in operations utilizing unit record equipment for data handling. Throughout processing workflows, decks were frequently rearranged multiple times according to the punched information. IBM’s well-known 80 series sorters directed cards into one of thirteen designated pockets depending on the punched holes in a specific column and the machine’s configuration.
Basic operation
The sorter examines a single column on each card and directs it into the appropriate pocket based on that data. Cards enter the machine face down with their bottom edge, known as the "9-edge," leading. Detection of holes in the selected column is performed by either a metal brush or an optical sensor, while the sorter’s control system determines which pocket will receive the card. Metal chute blades then channel the card into one of thirteen pockets—one of which is reserved for blank cards, rejects, or errors.
Sorting operations
Sorting involving multiple columns employed a least significant digit method, beginning with the least significant column and progressing to the most significant. Numeric columns, punched in rows 0 through 9 and sometimes including sign overpunches, could be sorted in a single pass. Alphabetic columns required two passes due to their use of both zone and digit punches.
Alphabetical sorting techniques varied depending on the sorter model and the nature of the data. On IBM 082 and earlier machines, each column was sorted twice—initially by digit rows (1-9), followed by zone rows (12, 11, 0)—with operator-controlled switches disabling digit rows during the second pass. This approach optimized sorting for alphabetic data but was less effective for alphanumeric content.
Complex characters and punctuation marks involved multiple punches within a single column; later EBCDIC encoding expanded this to as many as six punches per column. IBM 083 and 084 sorters were capable of recognizing these intricate punch patterns and would divert problematic cards to an error pocket.
Earlier sorters
Manual sorting box from the 1890 census era.
The challenge of sorting cards arose during the 1900 agricultural census, prompting Herman Hollerith’s company to create the 1901 Hollerith Automatic Horizontal Sorter, which featured horizontally arranged pockets.
In 1908, Hollerith unveiled the more compact Hollerith 070 Vertical Sorting Machine, capable of processing 250 cards per minute.
The Type 71 Vertical Sorter, introduced in 1928, included twelve pockets each holding up to 80 cards and could sort at a rate of 150 cards per minute.
Subsequent models included the Type 75 Model 1, which achieved speeds of up to 400 cards per minute, and the Type 75 Model 2, operating at 250 cards per minute.
IBM 80 series Sorters
IBM’s lineup of 80 series card sorters comprised:
- IBM 80 Electric Punched Card Sorting Machine, model 1, launched in 1925 with a throughput of 450 cards per minute. This magnetically driven horizontal sorter nearly doubled the speed compared to earlier vertical designs. By late 1943, IBM had leased over 10,200 units.
- IBM 80, model 2, introduced around the early 1920s, sorting at approximately 250 cards per minute.
- IBM 81 Sorter
- IBM 82 Sorter, released in 1949 with a capacity of sorting 650 cards per minute.
- IBM 83 Sorter, available from 1955, capable of processing up to 1000 cards per minute.
- IBM 84 Sorter, debuted in 1959, reaching speeds as high as 2000 cards per minute.
As of August 1957, rental fees were set at $55 monthly for a basic IBM 082 unit and twice that amount for an IBM 083. By 1969, IBM’s rental offerings had narrowed to models 82, 83, and 84 exclusively.
Modern card sorters
During the early 2020s, TCG Machines introduced a card sorting device specifically created for trading card game cards. Contemporary sorting machines have substituted traditional punched cards and mechanical brushes with advanced image sensors (cameras) and computer vision systems, while preserving the fundamental design and functionality of their earlier versions.
See also
Further reading
- IBM Archives: IBM Type 80
- (rental rates, descriptions, photographs)