Stafsferja Glossary

Advanced copier:
stores the rows on a sticksboard, so that it can be changed, then punches the corrected copy.
Advanced Garatheins:
the basics for the Stafsferja. Technics from the Advanced Garatheins are built into the Stafsferja
Advanced punching machine:
the puncher keys trigger handles to a sticksboard. The rows are saved on the sticksboard and can be manipulated (corrected) on the board.
APAS:
All Purpose Administration System, other name for the Stafsferja
Archiver:
number or name on a card, written in pen, used to store the cards in archive drawers.
Card slot:
place to put the card in. A bell rings when the next card can be inserted. The bell-mechanism can also be used to handle a Feeder.
Card:
page with information. See also Single row card and Multi row card. Usually made of cardboard, heavy paper or parchment. One card holds one record, most of the time. Multi-row cards can hold more than one record, or more information in one record.
Character columns:
see stafs
Column picker:
see Sorter slots
Copier:
a simple Stafsferja to copy cards. It reads and punches what it has read. See also Advanced copier.
Crippled card:
malfunctioning card, should be disposed of in a shredder.
Cut-corner:
the upper left corner of a card. The corner is cut, so the machine can read which side is the right one to start with.
Double register:
register with the number keys above the character keys. There is no handle needed to switch from numbers to characters.
Eisarngasts:
see the Weird creatures section.
Feeder:
feeds cards, one by one, to a card slot, while turning a wheel. This can be done automatically as well.
Feeding edge:
usually the right side of a card, that guards the card through the machines with little cuts or holes. Some systems are designed to have a feeding edge in the middle (only Multi row cards).
Furniture:
the machines, devices and other systemparts that form a system. The Furniture stands in a system room. Sometimes, the steam engine is also in this room, but more often it is found in the Kitchen. It is called furniture because the machines etc. are kept in wooden closets in the style that is found in many palaces.
Garatheins:
counting device.
Holes:
punched positions, indicating that this position is chosen.
In-wand:
a stick level with the sticksboard
Index:
see Number slot
Information:
the information, the data, the things that should be registered.
Kitchen:
place where the steam-engine stands. Usually very hot - the reason to keep the machines away from it.
Letterwheels:
see Reader.
Long, the:
the long side of a card. See also The Short.
Matrix:
list of 9 horizontal positions and 4 vertical positions, filled with characters. See also single use matrix and multi use matrix.
Multi row card:
card with more than one row of information, such as 3R (3 rows) or 5R (5 rows).
Multi-slot machine:
machine that can read more than one card at a given time. Synchrony feed makes this possible. Sequenced feed does not make the information to be read at the same time, but speeds up the process of inserting cards. See also Card slot.
Number slot:
first slot in a row. Indicates if the following row contains a number (hole) or not.
Oil:
the mechanic systems run on oil to smear the gears. The Stafsferja has an advanced method to spread the oil in the systems.
Order row:
row containing information that another kind of information /function will follow.
Out-wand:
a stick that sticks out of the sticksboard.
Output reader:
A reader that shows only results that are not stored on sticksboards or cards. Commonly used between a calculation and the actual punching of the results.
Plates:
metal cards, usually in the machine. Plates are used for often used functions or information. They do not wear out as easy as cards.
Puller:
small handle on a wand to manipulate its position (from out-wand to inwand or reversed).
Puncher keys:
flat sticks with all characters on it, used to indicate which holes should be punched. The puncher key triggers 2 or 3 punchers (for index, picker and character).
Puncher:
needle that actually sticks the hole in a card.
Punching machine:
device to punch holes directly into cards.
Reader:
closet connected to the Stafsferja or a sticksboard to read the information. It has lots of Letterwheels (up to 120 in a row). The letterwheels have all characters/numbers on it. The reader “reads” a card and then turns the wheel in such a way that the read character/number is put in front of a small window, so it can be read by a human. There is a zero-handle that replaces all wheels to the starting position (blank)
Row zero:
Indication row. Example:
nr. of the card punched in the card, author of the card...
Row:
line of information:
1 index, 4 pickers, 9 stafs
Row number:
number of the row, written in pen on the card. The number should be the same as on the sticksboard.
Short, the:
the short side of a card. The machine reads the information starting with the short side. The longer the card, the more information it has. The standard card is a finger on the short side, the multi rows are usually less short. Square cards are not done, they do not have an upper-left corner.
Shredder:
device to destroy (crippled) cards.
Single register:
36 puncher keys in a row. A handle is used to switch from numbers to characters and back. See also double register.
Single row card:
card with just one row of information
Single use matrix:
matrix with only one sort of information (numbers or characters). Single use matrices do not require an Index in a row.
Matrices are usually shown as a single use matrix, but they are hardly used.
Sorter slots:
position 2, 3, 4 and 5 in a row, indicating which row from the matrix should be picked.
Stafs:
9 positions to indicate which character or number should be picked.
Static memory:
a Card or Plate
Steam engine:
the steam engine gives power to the system. With this steam power, the wheels turn easier. Steam power makes it possible to do some repetitive things automatically.
Stick:
wand or stick, about one finger long, that is attached to a sticksboard. Each stick represents a position in a row. See also Storage stick.
Sticksboard:
a large board representing a card that has been read or is going to be punched. All holes are Out-wands, that can be manipulated to In-wands. The sticksboard is used to correct the errors made at punching or to read the information before it gets punched.
Multi row cards require multi row sticksboards.
Storage sticks:
sticks on the Sticksboard. See also Stick.
Temporary memory:
the sticksboard.
Vermin:
small animals (mice, rats, birds) that creep up into the Furniture and disturb the process of work.
Wand reader:
Reader that reads a sticksboard. See also reader.
Wand:
see also Stick
Wheel up/down:
replace the card in a punching machine. With a wheel, the position of the card can move to the former row (wheel down) or the next row (wheel up). A good punching machine has the wheel numbered, so that it indicates the current row of the card.
“My steam engine is a dream engine”
- Dagmare, 1840
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