Automatic Reading And Writing Mechanism For Bank Passbooks And The Like

Abstract

Relates to apparatus for automatically reading from and writing upon relatively thick documentary or multi-page material, such as bank passbooks and the like, and particularly with regard to magnetic data storing stripes secured to covers or other surface portions of such material. The mechanism includes an abuttable edge serving as a positioning guide for the passbook and a magnetic transducing read head arranged to compressingly engage the magnetic stripe and either magnetically read from or write data thereupon as it is moved along the stripe. Also included in the mechanism is a passbook gripping device which functions before travel of the transducing head to clamp onto the introduced edge portion of the passbook and pull it firmly into abutment with the positioning guide, thereby bringing the magnetic stripe into colinear relationship with the path of travel of the transducing head. Additionally, included in the mechanism is a provision for sensing the proper positioning of the introduced edge of the passbook and generating an electrical signal for initiating the movement of the transducing head when such position is attained. Additional features include provisions for pressing the moving transucing head into engagement with the magnetic stripe after it has accelerated to a constant rate of speed and for providing return movement of the head to an initial position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates generally to transducing equipment for magnetically recording and sensing information on documentary material and particularly to such equipment designed to perform its transducing functions on relatively thick, compressible documents, such as bank passbooks and the like.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Identification instrumentalities such as credit cards, bank passbooks and the like are of common knowledge and in widespread use and have been generally issued to customers of financial institutions, such as banks, to provide identification as well as efficient service and to maintain accurate financial transactions between the customers and the institution. Accounting equipment has been designed to accept bank passbooks for making accounting entries therein and exemplary thereof is the accounting machine disclosed in the U. S. Pat. to Racz No. 2,468,408 (FIGS. 4, 24 and 25) of common ownership herewith. To protect as well as to speed up financial transaction between the customers and the institution, magnetic stripes have been bonded to or printed upon relatively thin bank checks and ledger sheets and the like in such a manner that the payee's name and account number are both visible to the eye and machine writable and readable.

However, where thicker and more compressible documentary material is concerned, such as multi-page bank passbooks and the like having relatively thick protection covers, a problem arose because the transducing tip of a magnetic read/write head will have to physically engage the magnetic material to assure complete, strong signal sensing and writing of data thereon. Such engagement not only creates the problem of wear of the transducing head and the magnetic material forming the stripe but also the proper positioning of the thicker document or book for the transducing operation. If the passbook is not properly positioned within the automatic reading and writing equipment then the consequent misalignment of the magnetic stripe with the direction of travel of the transducing head is likely to result in faulty or erroneous transfer of information either to or from the stripe.

In view of the difficulties and problems described above, it is evident that an improvement is needed which will overcome these problems and at the same time minimize the unavoidable effect of wear of the transducing heads and thereby extend their lifetime usefulness. It is also apparent that for thick, compressible record media it is necessary to provide continuous substantially uniform contact between the magnetic head and the stripe during transducing operations regardless of any irregularity in the condition of the passbook or the like, or the manner of its manual introduction into the reading apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an important object of the invention to provide an improved method of and apparatus for machine reading of data carried on relatively thick, compressible materials and more specifically the covers of multi-page books such as bank passbooks and the like.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an improved magnetic stripe patch for securement to relatively thick, compressible articles and in such a manner as to reduce the wear on a transducing head engageable with the stripe as it is moved therealong.

It is another important object of the invention to provide an accurate, reliable and durable method of and apparatus for transducing information from a magnetic stripe carried on relatively thick, compressible documentary material, while assuring strong transduced signals even as wear occurs.

Another important object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for machine reading of magnetic stripes bearing transducable coded information.

A further important object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for machine reading of and writing upon magnetic stripes secured to relatively thick support members, such as the covers of bank passbooks and the like, and which assures that the transducing head of the apparatus applies a continuous substantially uniform rubbing action on the magnetic stripe as relative movement occurs between the head and the magnetic stripe.

In carrying out the objects of this invention, the present invention contemplates a novel method of and apparatus for sensing magnetic impulses either from or upon a magnetic stripe and for recording such impulses thereon, the stripe being secured to a relatively thick, yielding documentary medium requiring actual engagement of the transducing head with the stripe as relative movement occurs therebetween. Typical of such documentary media are the relatively soft compressible covers of books and the like and particularly the protective covers of financial institutional passbooks and the like. The present invention assures satisfactory transducement of data between the head and the magnetic material on the stripe by automatically properly positioning the stripe with respect to the path of travel of the head and by automatically compressibly engaging the head with the stripe with the same degree of pressure throughout the movement of the head along the stripe. More specifically, as illustrated herein, the magnetic stripe is secured to the cover of a bank passbook, or other similar financial bookkeeping instrument, so that its longitudinal axis extends, when read by the transducing read head, generally coextensive with the path of travel of the latter.

To provide a desired orientation of the magnetic stripe to the path of travel of the read head, the transducing apparatus of which the head is a part is provided with an abutting wall or edge guide with which one edge of the cover of the book bearing the stripe is brought up against. The read head is mounted for travel in the illustrating embodiment of the invention in parallel relation to this edge guide and such that the longitudinal axis of the stripe extends colinear to the path of travel of the head. A provision is incorporated in the apparatus for automatically assuring this relationship before head travel and for signaling such condition to initiate the head travel. A feature of the transducing apparatus is the provision which yieldingly forces the read head into engagement with the magnetic stripe and maintains such pressure on the head during its travel over the stripe. Another feature of the invention concerns the dimensional relation of the stripe and the read head, the latter having a wider extent than the stripe sufficient to straddle the latter throughout its engaging stroke.

These and other objects, advantages and aspects of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of the drawings, specification and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view, partly broken away in section, of a magnetic read/write station of a data processing apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention and illustrating the major operating components of the station and in dotted outline the reception therein of a bank passbook bearing a magnetizable data recording stripe;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view illustrating in smaller scale the read/write station of FIG. 1 and showing the position of the parts preparatory to starting a transducing movement of the magnetic head;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the position of the parts at the conclusion of the transducing movement of the magnetic head;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the cable system for moving the carriage carrying the magnetic transducing head;

FIG. 5 is a partial side view of the driver mechanism for imparting motion to the transducing head of the magnetic read/write station;

FIG. 6 is a partial view of a corner portion of a bank passbook illustrating a magnetic stripe patch thereon extending parallel to one edge of the passbook;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the read/write transducing station illustrating the opened position of the passbook gripper mechanism and showing the leading edge of the passbook approaching the gripper jaws;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 illustrating the closed position of the gripper mechanism showing the leading edge of the passbook gripped by the gripper jaws and further showing the transducing head in engagement with the magnetic stripe;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the read/write station with the carriage plate removed to show the passbook gripper mechanism and the mounting and adjusting provision for the magnetic transducing head;

FIG. 10 is an isolated view in side elevation of the mounting and the adjusting provisions for the magnetic transducing head; and

FIG. 11 is a detail view of the provision for adjusting the magnetic transducing head so as to align its direction of travel over the magnetic stripe precisely perpendicular to the magnetized data bits recorded on the latter.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate similar or identical elements in the FIgures, and with initial reference to FIG. 6, there is shown a corner portion of a record medium 10, such as a bank passbook, to which is affixed a magnetic stripe label or patch 12, the construction of which will be described in more detail hereinafter and is similar to that described in the patent application of Hilliard R. DiVeto, Ser. No. 186,203 filed Oct. 4, 1971. and of common ownership herewith, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,255. The magnetizable data storing section of the patch is indicated at 14, and as illustrated herein it forms a narrower upper layer of the patch 12 extending in close proximity to the leading edge 16 of the passbook and parallel thereto. The magnetic stripe 14 provides the area of the passbook where the stored magnetic information, such as account number, balance and passbook line number are recorded.

A magnetic read/write station generally indicated at 18 in FIGS. 2 and 3 is constructed so as to be adjusted to accept covers of passbooks of various sizes and thicknesses as well as of different styles. To compensate for their different thicknesses as well as to assure accurate transducing of data between a magnetic transducing head 20 and the magnetic stripe 14 of an introduced passbook, the head of the station 18 is resiliently mounted so that it may be pressed into contact with the magnetic stripe 14 of the patch 12 for the major portion of its predetermined path of travel. In the description which follows, it will be noted that the patch 12 is secured or bonded to the passbook 10 such that when the book is properly placed into a readable or writable position with respect to the transducing head 20, the magnetic stripe carried by the patch will align with the path of travel of the head.

As shown in the schematic view of FIG. 1, the read/write station 18 includes, in general, a support or base plate 22 upon which the magnetic transducing head 20 is mounted for to and fro movement over the magnetic stripe 14 on the leading edge portion of a passbook 10 introduced into the station, as indicated in dotted outline. The base plate 22 may be shaped along its forward edge to form an entrance or mouth for the leading edge of a passbook and engageable with the leading edge is a gripper mechanism for properly positioning this edge and the magnetic stripe 14 with reference to an edge guide forming part of the mouth. To this end, the gripper mechanism is constructed in such a manner as to have a compound motion, first gripping the leading edge 16 of the passbook and then moving in a retracting direction to pull the leading edge fully and firmly into abuting engagement with an edge guide which, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, may take the form of a bar 26. The edge guide or bar 26 is interrupted for part of its length to permit the protrusion of certain operating elements of the gripper mechanism therethrough and beyond its front face for gripping the leading edge of the passbook. The dimensions of the mouth should be large enough to accommodate bank passbooks 10 of various sizes and styles, which are in common use, such as described in the aforesaid referenced DiVeto patent application. Thus, as a result of the accommodation provided by the mouth, and the operating elements associated therewith, when a passbook is fully inserted thereinto, it will be positioned to locate the patch 12 and particularly its magnetic stripe 14 in an engageable and transducing relationship with the magnetic read/write head 20.

The passbook gripper mechanism comprises, in general, a U-shaped member generally indicated at 28, including two generally parallel arms 30--30 of similar construction connected at the closed end of the U by cross member 32. The U-shaped member may be constructed of a one piece member bent into the U-shaped form and disposed in the mechanism so that its open end faces in the direction of the entrance or mouth of the read/write station. The U-shaped member 28 forms the upper jaw of the gripper mechanism and is both pivotally and translatably mounted on a rod 34 extending crosswise of the member through aligned slanting slots 36--36 formed in the arms 30--30, the rod 34 being suitably mounted on supports at the outer extremities thereof.

Cooperating with the outer ends of the arms 30--30 of the upper jaw of the gripper mechanism formed by the U-shaped members 28 is a lower jaw composed of two similar paddle-shaped elements 38--38. These two elements lie under the extremities of the arms 30--30 and are preferably beveled as at 40--40 to provide slanting faces up which the leading edge 16 of a passbook is guided. Each paddle-shaped element is provided with a rearward extension which inwardly of its paddle end is L-shaped in cross section to provide a vertical section 42 extending along side of its associated arm 30 and to which it is loosely pivotally connected by a stud 44. To prevent the bottom jaw elements from rising vertically with the upper jaw, each stud 44 extends through a vertical slot 46 as best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 so that the upper jaw may be rocked about the pivot rod 34 without imparting vertical movement to the lower jaw. However, such rocking movement of the upper jaw will impart a horizontal retractible movement to the lower jaw as will be more fully described hereinafter. Means in the form of a spring wire 48 is associated with each vertical section 42 of the lower jaw for holding the same down against the base plate 22. The intermediate portion of each spring wire is coiled several turns about the rod 34. One extremity of the wire 48 resiliently presses downwardly against the horizontal paddle element 38 of the jaw with which it is associated as indicated at 50 and its opposite extremity bears against a lateral flange 52 on the adjacent arm of the upper jaw. Each spring wire is of sufficient strength to hold the lower jaw against upwardly movement during the rocking motion of the upper jaw.

Carried on the outer extremity of each arm 30 of the upper jaw component of the gripper assembly is a gripper in the form of a shoe 54 of resilient material, such as rubber, which may be cast thereon and provided with an integral portion thereof which enters a hole through the end of the arm such as shown in dotted outline 56 in FIGS. 7 and 8 for interlocking engagement thereof. Each shoe depends below the end of its arm 30 and will engage the leading edge portion of the passbook following its insertion between the upper and lower jaw members. The shoes 54--54 will be slightly compressed as they engage the leading edge of the passbook and their high frictional characteristic will aid in drawing the leading edge of the passbook fully against the stop bar 26, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

Superposing the gripper mechanism 28 of the read/write station is a track member 58, a portion of which is shown in FIG. 1 and end views are shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The track member 58 extends transversely over the arms 30--30 of the gripper mechanism and also leftwardly thereof as viewed in FIG. 1, and may be supported as shown by an interior frame member 59. A carriage whose supporting plate is indicated at 60 is mounted for travel on the track member 58 and for this purpose it is provided with three triangularly positioned rollers 62, two of which are shown on opposite sides of the track member 58 in FIGS. 7 and 8. Preferably, the periphery of the rollers are convexly rounded as shown and ride in concavely shaped grooves 64 of the same radius of curvature formed in the opposite parallel side edges of the track member 58. Each roller 62 is mounted upon the carriage plate 60 in any suitable manner such as by the provision of a bolt 66 extending through the plate and carrying a nut 68 on the upper surface of the plate.

Depending from the forward edge of the carriage plate 60 and in a vertical plane approximately intersecting the shoes 54--54 of the gripper mechanism is a plate 70 carrying on one side an upper outwardly projecting pin 72 and on the other side a lower inwardly projecting pin 74 as best shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 10. The vertical plate 70, together with its pins 72 and 74, will move with the carriage in its to and fro motion on the track member 58. The pin-carrying plate 70 is mounted for vertical movement relative to the carriage plate 60 and this may be accomplished in any suitable manner such as being hinged to the latter plate for rocking movement about a horizontal pin indicated at 71. Also, carried by the carriage is the magnetic transducing head 20 previously referred to, and the latter also partakes of the same movement as the carriage.

The transducing head 20 is mounted on the extremity of an elongated flexible assembly generally indicated at 76 in FIGS. 9 and 10, the opposite end of which is secured to the carriage for joint movement therewith. The assembly 76 includes as part of its length a pair of similarly formed parallel extending, flexible metallic blades or flextures 78--which, as shown in FIG. 10, connect the head extremity of the assembly to a block 80. The two parallel flexures 78--78 permit the head to be resistingly depressed downwardly to engage the magnetic stripe 14 on the entering edge of a passbook or the like, as previously explained.

For purpose of precisely positioning the gap of the transducing head relative to the magnetic stripe and parallel to the magnetic bits recorded thereon, the head 20 is adjustably connected to the immediate adjacent block 82 at the outer end of the flexure members by the provision of a metallic spring strap 84, best shown in FIG. 11, connected to the inner side of the head and block 82. On the opposite or front side of these two members, there is provided an adjustable provision for varying the angularity of transducing head 20 with respect to the adjacent block 82, which may take the form, as illustrated in FIG. 11, of two complementary projections 86 and 88 on the head 20 and block 82 respectively, the latter projection 88 being provided with internal threads for receiving a screw 90. In order to provide the fine adjustment of the angularity of the transducing head with respect to its mounting on the carriage, the connecting strap 84 should provide a slight clearance between the head 20 and the adjacent block 82 as illustrated in FIG. 11. This will enable the screw member 90 to finely adjust the head as the screw is rotated in the threads of the projecting body 88 to vary, if need be, the transverse direction of the gap 92 (FIG. 10) of the head, relative to the magnetic stripe 14, and to bring the gap into precise alignment with the data bits stored on the magnetic stripe.

The left most portion of the head mounting assembly, illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, is constituted by a block 94 which is secured by the transverse pin 71 to a part of the carriage represented by the plate 60. Normally, this connection holds the mounting assembly for the transducing head 20 such that the latter will clear a passbook of the usual size introduced into the read/write station.

In order to depress the head 20 into engagement with the magnetic stripe on the passbook, the pair of pins 72 and 74 carried by the lever 70 are utilized to force the head downwardly shortly after it commences its movement along its path of travel. This depressing action is performed, as best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, by the engagement of the lower inwardly projecting pin 74 with the underside of a camming member 98 which forms the outer forward extremity of a plate 100 secured to the underside of the interior support 59 upon which the track member 58 is mounted. FIG. 7 illustrates the initial or starting position of the transducing head prior to its engagement with the magnetic stripe of an introduced passbook, and in this position it is evident that the pin 74 is in engagement with the high side of the cam 98. Shortly after the commencement of the travel of the head the pin 74 is depressed by the cam 98 drawing down the arm 70 and its outwardly projecting pin 72 to the position illustrated in FIG. 8 where the head 20 has been lowered to engage the magnetic stripe on the leading edge portion of a passbook introduced between the gripper members. In this position it is evident that both the pins 72 and 74 have assumed a lower level position depressing the head 20 against the magnetic stripe.

Preferably, the outer projecting pin 72 acts upon the upper side of a flexible blade member or finger 104 which is as viewed in FIG. 2 is secured by a lateral extension 105 (shown in FIG. 3) of the carriage plate 60. The finger 104 overlies the transducer head mounting assembly 76 for substantially the length thereof and has its free end slightly dimpled for engagement with the head as illustrated in FIG. 10. The outer projecting pin 72 of the camming mechanism overlies an intermediate part of the finger 104 and when its companion pin 74 is depressed by the camming surface 98 of plate 100, it will in turn force the finger downwardly and flex the pair of blades 78--78 also downwardly to lower the head into engagement with the passbook. The two pins 72 and 74 together with their supporting plate 70 move with the mounting assembly for the head and with the finger 104 as is evident from a comparison of FIGS. 2 and 3. The only member which remains stationary of this operation assembly is the cam 98.

The gripper mechanism 28 is preferably operated by a solenoid 106 which, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, is located along the rear side of the read/write station and mounted so that its axis extends parallel with the path of movement of the carriage 60. Forming part of the solenoid is an armature 108 which, as shown in the aforementioned Figure, is reduced in thickness to form a narrow blade-like extension log which is enclosed within an inverted U-shaped member 110 for the major portion of its length. At the end remote from the solenoid the armature extension 109 is secured to one extremity 112 of a coiled spring 114 carried by the support 22 of the apparatus and has its opposite extremity 116 fitted through a rectangular opening in a projection 118 fixed to the cross member 32 of the upper U-shaped jaw member 28. In the position of the parts shown in FIG. 7, where the jaws are separated and ready to receive a passbook, the extremity 116 of the coil spring 114 is disposed in the lower portion of the rectangular opening of the extension 118. Upon energization of the solenoid, its armature 108 is retracted drawing the opposite end 112 of the spring 114 theretoward with the result that the spring is placed under tension tending to raise the end 116 thereof as shown in FIG. 8. The elevation of the end 116 of the spring will lift the rearward end 32 of the upper U-shaped jaw carrying member 28 first rocking the front end of each side member 30 downwardly about the rod 34 until the forward ends thereof carrying the shoes 54--54 abut the leading edge of the passbook overlying the lower paddle-shaped jaws 38--38 with the result that the leading edge portion will be gripped by the upper and lower sets of jaws As the end 116 of the coil spring continues to rise, the slanted slots 36--36 in the arms 30--30 through which the rod 34 extends will cause the upper U-shaped jaw member to bodily move rearwardly and at the same time jointly carry the lower set of jaws therewith. Comparison of FIGS. 7 and 8 will show the extreme positions of the upper and lower jaw members as they move from a forward non-gripping position to a rearward gripping position bringing the leading edge of the passbook into abutment with the separated sections of the edge guide 26. It is apparent that the simple straight-line movement of the armature 108 of the solenoid causes the upper set of jaws 54--54 to perform a compound motion initially rocking into gripping relation with the lower set of jaws 38--38 and then thereafter causing bodily movement of both sets of jaws rearwardly to effect a reference position for the leading edge 16 of the passbook against the edge guide or bar 26.

Protruding slightly beyond the front face of the separate sections of the stop bar 26 is a pair of spaced-apart control elements identified at 120--120, one of which is located within the area embraced by the U-shaped jaw member 28 as shown in FIG. 1 and the other about the maximum distance of travel of the carriage 60 to the left as viewed in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. These control elements or buttons are first engaged by the leading edge of the passbook and are depressible into their respective units or boxes 122 as the leading edge 16 approaches and abuts the stop bar 26. Each button enters a control box 122 which preferably contains an electrical switch which may be of the magnetic reed switch type. These two switches are in circuit series relation and both must be closed before a signal is generated which is employed for actuating the solenoid 106. If the passbook should be in an askewed condition as it enters the entryway of the apparatus, actuation of only one of these two switch units 122 by its control button will fail to produce the signal with the result that the solenoid will not be operated to draw in the passbook. Such an indication of faulty entry can be visually indicated by a signal lamp to notify the operator.

The mounting of the carriage 60 for movement on the track 58 has been previously described herein. The provision in the illustrated embodiment of the invention for moving the carriage comprises a cable system connected to the carriage intermediate its ends and at one end to a resilient mechanism whose stored energy is used to move the carriage in one direction and at the other end to a rotary power source which is coupled to a rotary driving member of the machine with which the read/write station is associated. Referring to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 and particularly to FIG. 4, the cable system is constituted by a single cable 124 extending from the aforementioned resilient member in the form of a coiled spring 126 to a rotary power source enclosed within the block 128. Intermediate its ends the cable is fixed to the plate 60 representing the carriage unit of the mechanism. It will be noted that the cable system of FIG. 4 may be overlaid upon FIG. 2, but it is separately shown in FIG. 4 for purposes of clarity. In FIG. 4, the carriage 60 is shown in the right hand position of its movement preparatory to moving the transducing head to the left to perform a transducing operation on the magnetic stripe 14 of a passbook. A clamp 130 carried by the carriage plate 60 serves to secure an intermediate portion of the cable to the carriage and specifically that section of the cable identified at 132 and having a straight-line connection with the spring 126. Separate sections of the cable are evident from FIG. 4 and in succession from section 132 constitute sections 134, 136, 138, 140, 142 and 144. At appropriate turning points in the system, pulleys are provided for guiding the cable in its different directions of movement, such pulleys being identified at 146.

The source of rotary power for moving the cable in one direction as illustrated in FIG. 5 and comprises a drive shaft 148 coupled through a one revolution clutch of conventional construction to a continuously rotating power shaft 156 to which a fly wheel 149 is connected. Carried by drive shaft 147 and jointly rotatable therewith in the direction of the arrow is a generally elliptical cam member 150. A cam follower 152 bears on the periphery of the cam and is journaled in one arm 154 of a tripedal lever which is pivotally mounted as at 156. The opposite arm 158 of the tripedal lever carries a pulley 146 of the cable system and about which is trained the juncture of the two cable sections 142 and 144 of the system. The last cable section 144 is secured to a supporting member by means of a clamp 160. It is evident from FIG. 5 that the cam 150 will rock the tripedal lever back and forth as the follower 152 rides on the cam thereby moving the follower 152 and the pulley 146 back and forth between their respective full line to dotted line postions as illustrated in FIG. 5. It is apparent that when these elements move from their respective dotted line positions to full line positions they will tension the cable to move the carriage to the left as viewed in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. However, upon return movement from full to dotted position the coil spring 126 will tension the cable to move the carriage 60 toward the right as viewed in these aforementioned Figures.

It is evident from the description hereinabove that the invention provides automatic magnetic read/write capabilities for a bank passbook and the like. A magnetic patch affixed to the outside cover of a passbook 10 provides the area where the magnetic information, such as account number, balance, and passbook line number are recorded. The passbook is inserted into the machine to its full extent and at this point actuates the two side-by-side switches 122--122 which insure that the passbook is within a specified distance of the limit stop 26 and within a specified maximum skew relationship from the limit stop. Actuation of these switches will trigger the solenoid which actuates the two jaw components of the gripping mechanism. These jaws grip the passbook and pull it firmly up to the limit stop and hold it there.

At this point the magnetic read/write head 20 can be actuated, and motion for this is derived from the platen space drive of the machine with which the read/write station is associated and through the gearing, one-revolution clutch, fly wheel, cam and pulley and cable means previously described. The read/write transducing head transverses back and forth from right to left over the area of an introduced passbook 10 on which the magnetic stripe bearing patch is affixed. Both magnetic reading and writing occurs from right to left as the operator faces the machine. No reading or writing occurs on the return stroke of the read/write head, although the head remains in contact with magnetic stripe 14. Information is read from the stripe, compared with information in a central processor of the machine, new information is entered from a keyboard, computed and the magnetic stripe information is updated by the head magnetically writing this information on the stripe.

The passbook is then spaced up to correct print line automatically read from the magnetic stripe in order to have the latest transactions posted in book. A start read signal (photo transistor and lamp) may be included in the design to indicate the proper time to start reading after the transducing head 20 is up to a constant speed. An over-fold control mechanism may be included in the machine or data processing apparatus for preventing any printing in the area adjacent to the fold of the passbook or other folded documentary material.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be understood, of course, that it is not desired that the invention be limited thereto since modifications may be made, and it is therefore contemplated by the appending claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An automatic reading and writing device comprising:

a support member shaped along one side to form an entryway to receive the leading edge of an inserted record document;

an elongated edge guide affixed to said support member transverse to and recessed from the entryway to define proper operational orientation of an inserted record document;

a gripper mechanism pivotally and bodily movably disposed upon said support member to receive and position against said edge guide the leading edge of an inserted record document;

a transducing head disposed upon said support member and movable along a path within the entryway and parallel to the leading edge of an inserted record document;

means for resiliently camming the tranducing head against an exposed recorded surface portion of the record document as the head is moved along its path of travel;

said transducing head being a magnetic read/write head having an effective gap for performing its read/write functions and further having means for adjusting the angularity of the head with respect to said path of travel of the head;

a control member disposed on said support member effectively in the path of and actuatable by the leading edge of an inserted record document;

said gripper mechanism comprising:

an upper gripper jaw and a lower gripper jaw;

an electrically actuated solenoid disposed on said support member and being effectively responsive to said control member to retract an armature associated therewith; and

means operatively coupling the armature of said solenoid to the upper and lower gripper jaws and operable upon a change in the energization of the solenoid to rock the upper gripper jaw toward the lower gripper jaw and, upon grippingly engaging a record document inserted therebetween, to bodily move the two gripper jaws deeper into the entryway thereby drawing the leading edge of the gripped record document into abutting alignment

2. In an automatic record document reading and writing device a gripper mechanism for properly positioning the record document comprising:

a support member having an entryway for receiving the leading edge of a record document and carrying a fulcrum spaced apart from the entryway;

at least one first lever having a free end and an actuatable end and being pivotally disposed intermediately between said ends on said fulcrum and having a limited degree of both rockable and slidable movement obliquely away from the record document entryway, an upper gripper jaw being formed at the free end of said first lever;

at least one second lever having a free end and being pivotally connected at its other end to said first lever and having a limited degree of slidable freedom of movement thereon relatively perpendicularly away from said entryway, a lower gripper jaw being formed at the free end of said second lever to underlie the respective upper gripper jaw of said first lever, the free end of said first lever being resiliently biased away from the free end of said second lever; and

a gripper actuator for forcing the actuatable end of said first lever toward the respective lower gripper jaw formed at the free end of said second lever to grip a record document inserted therebetween, and thereafter causing both the upper gripper jaw and the lower gripper jaw to move jointly along said support member toward an edge guide, thereby drawing the leading edge of an inserted and gripped record document into

3. A gripper mechanism as defined in claim 2 wherein said gripper actuator comprises:

a solenoid disposed on said support member and having a plunger retractable upon the electrical actuation of said solenoid in response to the insertion of a record document between the upper and lower gripper jaws formed at the respective free ends of said first lever and said second lever; and

a coupler operably connecting the plunger of said solenoid to the actuatable end of each of said first levers to convey mechanical motion therebetween and operable upon actuation of said solenoid to cause the

4. A gripper mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein said coupler comprises a coil-type actuating spring having obtusely extending extremities operably connected between the plunger of said solenoid and the actuatable end of said first lever, thereby, upon actuation of said solenoid, resiliently driving the upper gripper jaws of said first lever toward the respective lower gripper jaw of said second lever and, upon contact with a record document inserted therebetween, resiliently driving the leading edge of the gripped record document into alignment with the edge guide as

5. In an automatic reading and writing device having a support member shaped along one side to form an entryway to receive the leading edge of an inserted record document and carrying a fulcrum spaced apart from the entryway, an edge guide affixed to said support member transverse to and recessed from the entryway to define the proper operational orientation of an inserted record document, and a transducing head disposed upon said support member and movable along a path within the entryway and parallel to said edge guide and the leading edge of an inserted record document properly abutting the edge guide;

a gripper mechanism carried by said support member for receiving and positioning the leading edge of an inserted record document against said edge guide, said gripping mechanism comprising:

a first lever having a free end and an actuatable end and being pivotally disposed between said ends on said fulcrum and having a limited degree of both rockable movement and slidable movement obliquely away from the record document entryway, an upper gripper jaw being formed at the free end of said first lever;

a second lever having a free end and being pivotally connected at its other end to said first lever and having a limited degree of slidable freedom of movement thereon relatively perpendicularly away from said entryway, a lower gripper jaw being formed at the free end of said second lever to underlie the respective upper gripper jaw of said first lever, the free end of said first lever being resiliently biased away from the free end of said second lever; and

a gripper actuator for forcing the gripper jaw at the free end of said first lever toward the respective lower gripper jaw formed at the free end of said second lever to grip a record document inserted therebetween, and thereafter causing both the upper gripper jaw and the lower gripper jaw to move jointly toward the edge guide, thereby drawing the leading edge of an inserted and gripped record document into abutting alignment with the edge

6. In an automatic reading and writing device as defined in claim 5 wherein said gripper actuator comprises:

a solenoid carried by said support member and having an armature retractably movable in a given direction upon energization of the solenoid in response to the insertion of a record document between the upper and lower gripper jaws formed at the respective free ends of said first lever and said second lever; and

coupling means operatively connecting the armature of said solenoid to the actuatable end of at least one of said levers to convey mechanical motion therebetween and operable upon energization of said solenoid to cause the gripper jaws to grip a record document inserted therebetween and draw the levers and the record document inwardly of the entryway to bring the leading edge of the record document into abutting alignment with said edge

7. An automatic reading and writing device comprising:

a support member shaped along one side to form an entryway to receive the leading edge of an inserted record document;

an edge guide affixed to said support member transverse to and recessed from the entryway to define a proper operational orientation of an inserted record document;

a gripper mechanism disposed upon said support member for receiving and positioning against said edge guide the leading edge of an inserted record document, said gripper mechanism including an upper gripper jaw and an opposing lower gripper jaw pivotally connected together and being bodily movable within the entryway and in the direction perpendicular to the edge guide;

a transducing head disposed upon said support member and movable along a path within the entryway extending parallel to the edge guide and the leading edge of a properly inserted record document;

means for resiliently camming the transducing head against an exposed recorded surface portion of the record document as the head is moved along its path of travel;

a control member disposed on said support member effectively in the path of and actuatable by the leading edge of an inserted record document;

an electrically actuated solenoid disposed on said support member and being effectively energized in response to the actuation of said control member to retract an armature associated therewith; and

means coupling the armature of said solenoid to the upper and lower gripper jaws and operable upon the energization of the solenoid to rock at least one of the gripper jaws toward the other gripper jaw and, upon grippingly engaging a record document inserted therebetween, to bodily move the two gripper jaws deeper into the entryway thereby to draw the leading edge of the gripped record document into abutting alignment against said edge

8. An automatic reading and writing device as defined in claim 7 wherein

9. An automatic reading and writing device as defined in claim 7 wherein said transducing head is a magnetic read/write head having an effective gap for performing its transducing functions and further having means for adjusting the head to vary the angularity of its gap to the direction of

10. An automatic reading and writing device as defined in claim 7 wherein the longitudinal axis of the solenoid extends substantially parallel to

11. An automatic reading and writing device as defined in claim 7 wherein a compressible pad of a high frictional characteristic is attached to one of said gripper jaws for engaging the leading edge of an inserted record

12. In automatic reading and writing apparatus including:

a supporting structure shaped along one side to form an entryway to receive the leading edge of an inserted record document having a data recordable stripe thereon extending generally parallel to the leading edge;

an edge guide affixed to the supporting structure transverse to and recessed from the entryway to define a proper operational orientation of such an inserted record document;

gripper mechanism disposed upon said support member for receiving and positioning against said edge guide the leading edge of such an inserted record document, said gripper mechanism including a pair of opposing jaw members relatively movable toward and away from one another and being coupled together for joint bodily movement in the direction perpendicular to the edge guide;

a transducing head disposed upon said supporting structure and movable along a path within the entryway extending parallel to the edge guide and in transducing relation to the data recordable stripe of a properly inserted record document;

a control member disposed in the entryway and effectively in the path of and actuatable by the leading edge of an inserted record document;

an electrically actuated solenoid disposed on said supporting structure and being effectively responsive to said control member to retract an armature associated with the solenoid; and

means coupling the armature of said solenoid to the pair of jaw members and operable upon a change in the energization of the solenoid to move at least one of the jaw members toward the other jaw member and, upon grippingly engaging a record document inserted therebetween, to bodily move the two jaw members deeper into the entryway thereby to draw the gripped record document toward said edge guide to bring the leading edge

13. In automatic transducing apparatus:

a supporting structure having an entryway for receiving the leading edge of an inserted record document having a data recordable stripe thereon extending generally parallel to the leading edge;

a stationary edge guide extending transverse to and recessed within the entryway to define a proper operational orientation of an inserted record document;

a gripper mechanism pivotally and bodily movably disposed within the entryway for receiving and positioning a record document against said edge guide, said gripper mechanism including an upper gripper jaw and an opposing lower gripper jaw;

a transducing head movable along a path within the entryway extending parallel to the edge guide and in transducing relation to the data recordable stripe of a properly inserted record document;

electrical switch means disposed within the entryway and effectively in the path of and actuatable to closure by the leading edge of an inserted record document;

an electrically operative device carried by said supporting structure and being operable in response to the closure of said switch means to move a member; and

means coupling said movable member to the upper and lower gripper jaws and being operable upon movement of the member initially to move at least one of the gripper jaws toward the other gripper jaw and thereafter, upon grippingly engaging a record document inserted therebetween, to bodily move the two gripper jaws deeper into the entryway thereby to draw the gripped record document toward said edge guide to bring the leading edge

14. An automatic reading and writing device as defined in claim 13 wherein

15. An automatic reading and writing device as defined in claim 13 wherein said transducing head is a magnetic read/write head having an effective gap for performing its transducing functions and further having means for adjusting the head to vary the angularity of its gap to the direction of

16. An automatic reading and writing device as defined in claim 13 wherein the force applying axis of the electrically operative device extends

17. An automatic reading and writing device as defined in claim 13 wherein a compressible pad of a high frictional characteristic is attached to one of said gripper jaws for engaging the leading edge of an inserted record

18. In automatic transducing apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein said switch means comprises a pair of switches electrically connected in series and laterally spaced apart from one another on a line parallel to the edge guide thereby requiring both to be engaged and closed by the leading edge of an inserted record document to render said electrically operative

19. In automatic transducing apparatus including supporting structure provided along one side with a recess for receiving the leading edge of an inserted record document and carrying a fulcrum spaced from the entrance of the recess, an edge guide extending transverse to and spaced inwardly from the entrance of the recess to define the proper operational orientation of an inserted record document, and a transducing head movably mounted within the supporting structure for travel along a path within the recess and parallel to said edge guide and the leading edge of an inserted record document properly abutting the edge guide;

gripper mechanism disposed in said recess member for receiving and positioning the leading edge of an inserted record document against said edge guide, said gripper mechanism comprising:

a generally U-shaped member having the sides thereof forming a pair of levers extending in the direction toward the entrance of the recess and terminating in free ends adjacent thereto and having the closed end thereof forming a cross bar rigidly connected to the opposite ends of the pair of levers, said pair of levers being pivotally disposed on said fulcrum and having a limited degree of both rockable movement about the axis of the fulcrum and bodily movement toward and away from the entrance of the recess, a gripper jaw being formed on the free end of each of said pair of levers;

a second lever associated with each of said pair of levers having a free end adjacent to the entrance of the recess and its other end connected to its associate lever for joint movement therewith toward and away from the entrance of the recess, a gripper jaw being formed on the free end of each of said second levers for cooperative gripping action with the associated gripper jaw of said pair of levers;

means resiliently biasing the associated free ends of the levers away from one another to open the gripper jaws; and

a gripper actuator connected to said U-shaped member and operable initially to rock the levers of the U-shaped member about said fulcrum in the direction to cause the gripper jaws to grip a record document inserted therebetween, and thereafter to bodily move the U-shaped member and the gripper jaws deeper into the recess thereby to draw the gripped record member toward said edge guide to bring its leading edge into proper

20. In automatic transducing apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein said gripper actuator includes:

a solenoid carried by said supporting structure and having an armature coupled to the cross bar of said U-shaped member, the solenoid being operable upon energization to rock the levers of the U-shaped member to grip an inserted record document and to bodily move the gripper jaws and the record document gripped thereby deeper into the recess; and

switch means for controlling the operation of the solenoid located in the recess at approximately the location of said edge guide and being operable to close the circuit to the solenoid upon being engaged by the leading

21. In automatic transducing apparatus as defined in claim 20 wherein said switch means comprises a pair of switches electrically connected in series and laterally spaced apart from one another on a line parallel to the edge guide thereby requiring both to be engaged and closed by the leading edge of an inserted record document to energize the solenoid.