Do not fold spindle or mutilate was written on every punch card who invented the punch card?

Answer 1

actually "do not fold spindle or mutilate" was NOT written on every punched card. the standard IBM card form that they sold the most of was just a plain card with 80 copies of the digits "0" through "9" printed on it and the IBM form number in small print near one corner. the card forms on which "do not bend fold spindle or mutilate" WAS printed on (in large print) were usually billing forms to tell the clerk processing them not to damage them before returning them with the payment so their account could be properly credited for the payment. spindling especially was a very common practice at the time of clerks to keep papers on their desk organized, but it punched a hole in each paper spindled!

the 80 column rectangular hole IBM card was invented in 1924, it is unclear by who, probably a group, as a replacement for Herman Hollerith's 45 column round hole card.

Herman Hollerith's original 1890 punch card was even smaller. I have no idea where the idea it was the size of an 1890 dollar bill came from, I have seen samples of the 1890 census punched cards and they aren't much different in size from an ordinary 3x5 index card.

Answer 2

Inventors of the punch card were:

• Jacquard invented a punch card as a control mechanism for textile looms
• Hollerith invented a punch card as a means of data storage.
• In 1924 IBM redesigned the existing "Hollerith" 45 column 12 row round hole card to be the now familiar "IBM" 80 column 12 row rectangular hole card (no change in size) to increase storage capacity per card.
• In the 1930s Remington Rand redesigned the data coding of the existing "Hollerith" 45 column 12 row round hole card so that the first 45 columns of 6 bit codes took the top 6 rows and the second 45 columns of 6 bit codes took the bottom 6 rows (no change in size or holes) creating a 90 character card to increase storage capacity (and outdo IBM).

Many other inventors created cards in various sizes and shapes for data processing in this time period.

About "Do not fold or mutilate:" Actually "Do not fold, bend, spindle, or mutilate." was NOT written on every punch card, just the ones sent to the public as bills, checks, savings bonds, etc. This was to remind clerks and the general public that this was a machine processed form and not a plain piece of paper processed by humans and any damage to it may delay or prevent processing. Ordinary punch cards used in the industry for in house purposes did not need this notation and were usually just printed with rows and columns of digits or printed with the column layout of the specific form they were to be used for. Some were even totally blank, if they were just to be punched and read by machines. I once found a batch of unpunched cards in a box that were totally white except for the words TOP SECRET printed diagonally in red inch tall outline font and a small red box summarizing the Federal Laws you would break and penalties in fine print, if you read the contents of the card without clearance and need to know.

Answer 3

I'm sorry but Do not bend, fold, spindle, or mutilate. was NOT printed on every punchcard! It was only printed on those used as billing forms, checks, &c. where a clerk might treat the card as an ordinary document and damage it. Most cards were used only inhouse and only had rows and columns of digits printed on them. Some cards were even completely blank!

Jacquard invented an automated loom controlled by punchcards. But I believe such cards existed before that.

Hollerith invented a system of tabulating machines & sorters that used punchcards about a century later.