U.S. patent number 3,847,382 [Application Number 05/198,722] was granted by the patent office on 1974-11-12 for card handling apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to True Data Corporation. Invention is credited to James W. McKee.
United States Patent |
3,847,382 |
McKee |
November 12, 1974 |
CARD HANDLING APPARATUS
Abstract
Apparatus for handling cards containing data to be scanned at a
reading station, and including a feeding station for a stack of
cards at which the stack is agitated to dispose the cards in edge
contact with a surface at the feeding station in proper alignment
with the reading station. Cards are sequentially delivered to a
transport roll, and held against the roll in proper reading
alignment as the cards are transported past the reading station to
a receiver at which the cards are stacked on end in sequence.
Resilient screw devices engage and move successive cards from the
path of the on-coming cards.
Inventors: |
McKee; James W. (Corona del
Mar, CA) |
Assignee: |
True Data Corporation
(N/A)
|
Family
ID: |
22734530 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/198,722 |
Filed: |
November 15, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
271/4.08;
271/118; 271/179 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H
3/62 (20130101); B65H 29/42 (20130101); B65H
3/063 (20130101); G06K 13/08 (20130101); B65H
2701/1912 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06K
13/08 (20060101); B65H 3/62 (20060101); B65H
29/38 (20060101); B65H 3/06 (20060101); B65H
29/42 (20060101); B65H 3/60 (20060101); G06K
13/02 (20060101); B65h 003/34 (); B65h
029/42 () |
Field of
Search: |
;271/4,3,41,86,87,89VT,10,118,117,179,178,35,34 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Schacher; Richard A.
Assistant Examiner: Stoner, Jr.; Bruce H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Lee, Jr.; Newton H.
Claims
I claim:
1. In data card handling apparatus comprising a card feeding
station adapted to receive a stack of cards, a reading station
having means for reading the cards, a receiver for cards which have
been read, transport means for moving cards successively from said
feeding station past said reading station to said receiver, and
drive means for said transport means, said feeding station having
card aligning means engageable by the side edges of the cards in
said stack for aligning the cards with said means for reading the
cards, and jostling means for agitating the cards, said jostling
means including a plate engageable with the stack of cards, said
plate extending on a plane normal to said card aligning means,
means mounting said plate for card agitating movements, and
actuator means for moving said plate towards and away from said
stack of cards independently of said drive means, means providing
an inclined surface remote from said transport means to feather the
stack of cards with the leading edge of the card adjacent to said
plate nearest said transport means, and means operable in response
to each movement of said plate away from said stack of cards to
effect engagement of said leading edge of successive cards by said
transport means and transport of the successive cards from said
feeding station past said reading station.
2. In data card handling apparatus as defined in claim 1, said
transport means including means for maintaining the alignment of
the successive cards with said means for reading the cards as said
cards are transported past said reading station.
3. In data card handling apparatus as defined in claim 1, said
transport means comprising a feed roll revolvable on an axis
transverse to the direction of movement of said cards, said means
operable to effect transport of said card adjacent to said plate
including pressure applying means engageable with the leading edge
of successive cards to press the same into frictional engagement
with said roll upon movement of said plate away from said stack of
cards.
4. In data card handling apparatus as defined in claim 1, said
transport means comprising a feed roll revolvable on an axis
transverse to the direction of movement of said cards, said means
operable to effect transport of said card adjacent to said plate
including pressure applying means engageable with the leading edge
of successive cards to press the same into frictional engagement
with said roll upon movement of said plate away from said stack of
cards and throughout movement of said cards from said feed station
past said reading station to said receiver for maintaining the
alignment of the successive cards with said means for reading the
cards as said cards are transported past said reading station.
5. In data card handling apparatus as defined in claim 1, said
transport means comprising a feed roll revolvable on the axis
transverse to the direction of movement of said cards, said means
operable to effect transport of said card adjacent to said plate
including pressure applying means engageable with the leading edge
of successive cards to press the same into frictional engagement
with said roll upon movement of said plate away from said stack of
cards and including additional pressure applying means engageable
with successive cards to press the cards into frictional engagement
with said feed roll throughout movement of said card from said feed
station past said reading station for maintaining the alignment of
the successive cards with said means for reading the cards as said
cards are transported past said reading station.
6. In data card handling apparatus as defined in claim 1, said
transport means comprising a feed roll revolvable on an axis
transverse to the direction of movement of said cards, said means
operable to effect transport of said card adjacent to said plate
including spring means engageable with the leading edge of
successive cards to press the same into frictional engagement with
said roll throughout movement of said cards from said feed station
past said reading station to said receiver.
7. In data card handling apparatus as defined in claim 1, said card
aligning means including at least one vertically extended guide
surface engageable by the side edges of said cards, said transport
means including a feed roll revolvably mounted adjacent to said
plate, and said means responsive to movement of said plate acting
on the leading edge of the lowermost card on said support.
8. In data card handling apparatus as defined in claim 1, said card
aligning means including at least one vertically extended guide
surface engageable by the side edges of said cards, said transport
means including a feed roll revolvably mounted adjacent to said
plate, said means operable in response to each movement of said
plate comprising pressure applying means movable between a position
relieving the leading edge of the lowermost card from engagement
with said feed roll and a position pressing said leading edge into
engagement with said feed roll, said actuator means for said
jostling means having means for moving said pressure applying means
to the first-mentioned position and allowing movement of said
pressure applying means to the second-mentioned position, said
pressure applying means also including means for maintaining
pressure against the cards to hold the cards against said feed roll
in alignment with said means for reading the cards as the cards
pass said reading station.
9. In data card handling apparatus as defined in claim 1, said card
aligning means including at least one vertically extended guide
surface engageable by the side edges of said cards, said transport
means including a feed roll revolvably mounted adjacent to said
plate, said means operable in response to each movement of said
plate comprising pressure applying means movable between a position
relieving the leading edge of the lowermost card from engagement
with said feed roll and a position pressing said leading edge into
engagement with said feed roll, said actuator means for said
jostling means having means for moving said pressure applying means
to the first-mentioned position and allowing movement of said
pressure applying means to the second-mentioned position, said
pressure applying means comprising means cooperable with said feed
roll to press the cards against said feed roll substantially
entirely across the cards.
10. In data card handling apparatus as defined in claim 1, said
transport means comprising a feed roll revolvable on an axis
transverse to the direction of movement of said cards, said means
operable to effect transport of said card adjacent to said plate
including pressure applying means engageable with the leading edge
of successive cards to press the same into frictional engagement
with said roll upon movement of said plate away from said stack of
cards said receiver comprising a stacking station including means
for receiving the leading edge of successive cards from said
transport means while said cards are engaged between said feed roll
and said pressure applying means and moving the trailing edge of a
preceding card from the path of the leading edge of an oncoming
card.
11. In data card handling apparatus as defined in claim 1, said
transport means comprising a single feed roll and adjacent pressure
applying means for pressing successive cards against said feed
roll, said means operable in response to each movement of said
plate comprising a projection on said plate extending towards said
feed roll, said feed roll having a reduced diameter portion
receiving said projection, said projection being engageable with
the leading edge of successive cards to move the latter and said
pressure applying means away from said feed roll upon movement of
said plate in one direction and said projection allowing the
leading edge of the lowermost card to engage said feed roll upon
movement of said plate in the other direction.
12. In data card handling apparatus comprising a card feeding
station adapted to receive a stack of cards, a reading station
having means for reading the cards, a receiver for cards which have
been read, and transport means for engaging and moving cards
successively from said feeding station past said reading station to
said receiver, said receiver comprising a stacking station
including revolvable screw means for receiving successive cards
from said transport means while engaged thereby and moving the
preceding card from the path of an on-coming card to prevent damage
of said cards, said revolvable screw means comprising a pair of
rotary shafts spaced apart to permit passage of cards therebetween,
and resilient spring screws carried by said shafts, said resilient
spring screws being yieldable upon engagement of said cards
therewith.
13. In data card handling apparatus as defined in claim 12, said
resilient spring screws having opposite leads, and means for
rotating said shafts in opposite directions.
14. In data card handling apparatus having card feeding means, card
reading means, transport means for engaging and positively driving
successive cards from said feeding means past said reading means,
and a card stacker for receiving cards edgewise from said transport
means, said stacker means including walls defining an inlet for
cards, a base wall below said inlet, and rotary screw means
engageable by said cards as they successively move while engaged by
said transport means from said inlet to said base wall for shifting
preceding cards from the path of on-coming cards, said screw means
including a resilient, spring wire wound in a loose helix, said
spring wires being yieldable upon edge engagement by a card to
prevent damage of said card.
15. In data card handling apparatus as defined in claim 14, an
inclined wall between said inlet and said base wall engageable by
the leading edge of successive cards for decelerating said
cards.
16. In data card handling apparatus comprising a card feeding
station adapted to receive a stack of cards, a reading station
having means for reading the cards, a receiver for cards which have
been read, transport means for moving cards successively from said
feeding station past said reading station to said receiver in a
path determined at said feeding station, and drive means for said
transport means, said feeding station having a card aligning
surface engageable by the cards in said stack means for aligning
the cards with said means for reading the cards, jostling means for
agitating the card in said aligning means, and means for
introducing successive cards to said transport means for movement
in said path past said reading station, said aligning means
including a guide surface disposed at an angle to the vertical,
said jostling means including a member movably mounted adjacent to
said guide surface for movement towards and away from said cards,
and actuator means for moving said member independently of said
drive means to agitate said cards into edge engagement with said
guide surface, means providing an angular wall portion remote from
said transport means to engage the cards and feather the stack of
cards with the card nearest said transport means having a leading
edge extending toward said transport means, and means operable in
response to movement of said member to effect engagement of the
leading edge of said nearest card with said transport means and
transport of said lowermost card from said feeding station past
said reading station.
17. In data card handling apparatus comprising: a card feeding
station adapted to receive a stack of cards, a reading station
having means for reading the cards, a receiver for cards which have
been read, transport means for moving cards successively from said
feeding station past said reading station to said receiver, said
transport means including a friction feed roll and pressure
applying means engageable with successive cards to press the cards
into engagement with said friction feed roll, drive means for
continuously rotating said feed roll, said feeding station having
at least one card guide surface extending vertically and engageable
by the side edges of the cards in said stack for aligning the cards
with said means for reading the cards, jostling means for
vertically agitating the cards, said jostling means including a
plate for supporting the stack of cards, said plate extending on a
plane normal to the guide surface, means mounting said plate for
vertical card agitating movement beneath said cards, means for
moving said plate independently of said drive means, means for
providing an inclined surface remote from said transport means to
feather the stack of cards with the lowermost card having a leading
edge nearest said transport means, and means operable in response
to each movement of said plate to effect engagement of said leading
edge of successive cards between said friction feed roll and said
pressure applying means and transport of said lowermost card from
said feeding station past said reading station.
18. In data card handling apparatus as defined in claim 17, said
means operable in response to each movement of said plate
comprising a projection on said plate extending towards said feed
roll, said feed roll having a reduced diameter portion receiving
said projection, said projection being engageable with the leading
edge of successive cards to move the latter and said pressure
applying means away from said feed roll upon movement of said plate
in one direction and said projection allowing the leading edge of
the lowermost card to engage said feed roll upon movement of said
plate in the other direction.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various card handling devices have heretofore been provided for
successively feeding cards, such as data cards, containing data in
the form of perforations or printed indicia arranged in laterally
spaced rows extending along the card or check, past a reading
station at which the data, or the perforations or indicia
representative of the data, are scanned by a reader head to
transmit the information or data to a computer for storage or
conversion to legible data.
Problems have been encountered in the apparatus in respect of
establishing and maintaining alignment of the card with the reading
station within acceptable limits to avoid erroneous readings or
machine stoppage when excessive mis-alignment occurs. Among other
things, alignment problems reduce the effective reading rate of the
apparatus, because of the necessity, in many cases, to operate at
low feed rates and because of frequent stoppage. These problems
have persisted, notwithstanding the advent of expensive and
complicated apparatus, including, for example, vacuum type feed
rollers. Such prior machines, moreover, experience difficulty in
the proper handling of cards which have been folded, bent,
spindled, or otherwise mutilated, for example by torn edges.
Regarding reading accuracy or inaccuracy caused by mis-alignment,
conventional data card, including check, handling apparatus
provides a feeding station to which the cards are supplied in
stacks, the cards being fed successively from the bottom of the
stack. The alignment of the cards with the reading head at the
reading station is accomplished by guides spaced apart to provide
limited tolerance for the opposite longitudinal edges of the cards.
The feeding of the cards is accomplished by spaced capstans or
rollers which engage the cards as they travel to and past the
reading station. The cards, however, are capable of skewing in
their path of travel, that is, to move angularly within the guides
about an axis perpendicular to the path of travel. Moreover, the
cards are unrestrained except at the points of contact with the
feed rollers or capstans and are, therefore, free to flutter, that
is, to partake of an undulating motion or transverse flexure. When
the cards in such apparatus are engaged between a spaced pair of
capstans or rollers, the unavoidable and inherent differential
peripheral speeds of the capstans or rollers, caused by dimensional
differences in the rollers themselves and in the drive therefor,
causes longitudinal buckling of the cards.
All of these alignment problems which can cause erroneous reading
or machine stoppage can occur at the critical point, where
uniformity of alignment and speed is most needed, namely, at the
reading station.
When the cards leave the reading station, they are successively fed
to a receiver. If a preceding card is in the path of a following
card, the following card may contact the card in front of it and as
a result be caused to be slightly retarded, causing stoppage of the
conventional apparatus which generally includes sensing means for
detecting slight longitudinal shifting of the card during the
period that it is being read, to avoid erroneous readout. While
auger type shifting defices have been employed in an effort to
positively move the preceding card from the path of the following
card, such auger type devices are only partially effective since
the cards may be deterred in their travel by impingement upon the
crest of the helical rib of the auger, thus causing stoppage of the
apparatus and potential edge damage to the card.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides card handling apparatus which
obviates the above referred to problems and deficiencies in the
prior card handling apparatus. As used herein, "card" is intended
to be generic to various documents or sheets containing data in the
form of punches or optical marks, such as the typical cards,
checks, and the like, and including price tags or other documents
which can be supplied to a transport mechanism from a stack and
transported past a reading station having the usual data reading
means capable of reading punches, pencil marks, magnetically and
coded data and the like.
More particularly, the present invention provides novel card
handling apparatus for feeding data cards past a reading station,
wherein the cards are initially successively aligned properly with
the readout head and are delivered to a transport mechanism, while
in such alignment, and held positively in alignment as the cards
are successively transported past the reading station. The
transporting mechanism is such that skewing, flutter and
longitudinal deformation of the cards are all prevented. In
addition, the transport mechanism is so constructed that bent or
crumpled cards, as well as damaged cards are picked up and
transported past the reading station in a flattened state so as to
be accurately read and to thereby avoid machine stoppage. Further,
the apparatus provides auger means for moving a preceding card from
the path of a following card at the receiving station to avoid
impingement by the following card, wherein the auger is resilient
and offers no immovable obstruction to a card to cause the stoppage
of machine operation and/or edge mutilation of the card.
In accomplishing the foregoing, the invention provides a feeding
station having a card guiding or aligning surface disposed at an
incline along an edge of the stack of cards, and the stack of cards
is jostled or agitated to cause the cards to gravitate into contact
with the card aligning surface to a position parallel with the
direction of card travel when the cards are successively picked up
at the feeding station by the transport mechanism.
The transport mechanism which transports cards from the feed
station, past the reading station, to the receiving station, in
accordance with the invention, employs a single feed roll against
which the cards are pressed to hold the cards against lateral or
longitudinal shifting relative to the feed roller. Such pressing of
the card against the feed roller is also present at the reading
station, where immobility of the card from proper alignment or
slippage of the card with respect to the feed roller would
otherwise cause error or stoppage. Pressing of the card against the
transport roller at the reading station will also flatten crumpled
or bent cards at the critical point to enable such cards to be
accurately read. Since only a single feed roll is used in the
transport, the usual timing disc can revolve with the roll and
accurately represent card motion, whereas such a timing disc on one
of the capstans of a dual capstan transport mechanism is inaccurate
since it merely represents motion at a single capstan which may
differ from total card motion.
In a specific form, the jostling of the stack of cards in the
feeding station to uniformly align the cards with the reading head,
is accomplished by a mechanism which also operates to cause the
leading edge of successive cards to be pressed against the
transport roller when activated.
When the successive cards pass the reading station and enter the
receiving station or stacker for removal from the apparatus, they
are removed from the path of the on-coming card by resilient screw
or auger devices composed of an open spiral of spring wire. Thus,
the oncoming card will not contact the preceding card, nor will the
leading edge of the successive cards be torn or mutilated, since
the spring spiral will resiliently deflect sufficiently to avoid
such damage.
The invention possesses other features and has other advantages
which will be best understood from the following detailed
description, taken together with the accompanying drawings forming
a part of the application; but it is to be understood that the
description and drawings are not to be taken in a limiting sense,
since the invention may take other forms and is best defined in the
appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a predominantly frontal perspective of card handling
apparatus made in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is a section, as taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1, showing
the interior apparatus;
FIG. 3 is a section as taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section as taken on the line 4--4 of FIG.
2;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section, as taken on the line
5--5 of FIG. 3, showing the card transport mechanism conditioned to
pick up and start movement of a card towards the reading
station;
FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 5, but showing the card
passing the reading station;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged horizontal section, as taken on the line 7--7
of FIG. 2;
FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 5, but showing a modified
construction; and
FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6, but showing the modified
construction of FIG. 6.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As seen in the drawings, the apparatus of the invention is
incorporated in a case or housing 1 having a base 2 adapted to rest
on a suitable support, such as a table or other support, and having
an upper section 3 in which is a feeding station F to which a stack
of data cards, such as punched catds, checks or the like are to be
supplied, the housing also having a lower section 4 in which is a
card receiver or stacking station S, to which cards are transported
by transport means T past a reading station R. The details of the
housing 1 require no specific illustration, but it will be
understood that it is so constructed as to enable access to the
interior working mechanisms described below.
The housing has an inner wall 5 which extends upwardly from the
base in the stacking station S and a wall portion 6 forming the
back of the feed station F, these walls, as best seen in FIGS. 1
and 3, being inclined relative to a vertical plane denoted by the
line 7 in FIG. 3, at an angle which facilitates movement of the
cards, particularly in the feed station F, laterally into edge
engagement with the wall 6. In practice, this angle A may be on the
order of 25.degree. from vertical and, if desired, the wall 6 may
be substantially horizontal.
The feed station F includes means 8 for agitating or jostling a
stack of cards C which are placed in the feed station in generally
horizontal relation. The jostling means 8 includes a plate 9 which
is generally horizontally deposed between the inner wall 6 and an
outer wall 10, the plate being mounted on pivot means 11 remote
from the transport station T. The plate 9 has an upwardly inclined
end section 12 so that a stack of cards C inherently tends to slide
toward the transport station T in stepped or feathered relation in
a direction longitudinally of the plate 9, the lower most card
being positioned with a leading edge closer to the transport means
T than the cards thereabove. The stack of cards also inherently
tends to shift laterally into longitudinal edge contact with the
inner wall 6, as seen in FIG. 3, due to the fact that the plate 9
is laterally inclined relative to a horizontal plane. As shown, the
axis of the pivot means 11 is normal to the wall 6, and therefore,
if the wall 6 is at an angle of 25.degree. relative to the vertical
plane 7, the plate 9 will be at an angle of 25.degree. relative to
a horizontal plane. At its upper edge, the wall 10 has a bevelled
surface 13 tending to cause cards to move toward the wall 6 when a
stack of cards C has a height greater than the front wall 10 and
any of the cards laterally project from the pack towards the wall
10, a distance greater than the small clearance between the cards
and the walls 6 and 10. In the event that the guide wall 6 is
disposed at an angle nearing horizontal, say between horizontal and
about 45.degree. from horizontal, means may be employed to urge the
stack of cards against the plate 9. Indeed, even when the guide
wall 6 is at an angle as illustrated, means may be needed to apply
downward pressure on the stack, particularly when there are few
cards in the stack.
In the illustrated embodiment, the agitating or jostling means 8,
comprises a solenoid 14, the armature 15 of which is suitably
connected beneath the plate 9. A coiled spring 16 disposed about
the armature 15 normally biases the plate 9 to pivot upwardly about
the pivot means 11, limited by suitable stop means 16a on the lower
end of the armature 15, in the illustrated form of a stop nut.
Downward movement of the plate 9 is limited by the solenoid stroke
or by a stop pin 17 suitably connected by nuts at 18 to a solenoid
support bracket 19, a resilient bumper 20 being provided on the pin
17 to engage the plate 9. As will be more fully described below,
the solenoid 14 is energized to cause downward movement of the
plate 9 against the stop 17 and then de-energized so that the
spring 16 returns the plate 9 to the upper position. Such
oscillation of the plate 9 beneath the stack of cards C
sufficiently agitates or jostles the cards that they are
effectively caused to slide laterally down the laterally inclined
plate 9 into longitudinal edge contact with the wall 6 at the
feeder station. Thus, each card, as the stacked cards are
successively moved from beneath the stack by the transport means,
is in the same longitudinally aligned relationship to the transport
means T and the reading station R.
The transport means T comprises a friction roll 25 rotatably
carried by a shaft 26 for rotation on an axis transverse of the
feed station and on the same plane as the plate 9. When the
apparatus is in operation, the roll 25 is continuously rotated by a
drive motor 25a carried by a motor support 25b. A drive pulley 25c
on the motor drives a belt 25d which drives a pulley 25e on the
roll 25. The friction roll 25 has a resilient cover provided with
laterally spaced peripheral grooves 29 and 30 and lands 31, 32 and
33, and means under the control of the oscillation of the plate 9
are provided for causing frictional engagement between the leading
edge of the lowermost card and the lands 31-33 on the roll upon
each downward movement of the plate 9, so that the lowermost card
is picked up at the feeding station and transported past the
reading station R to the stacking station S.
More specifically, the end of the plate 9 adjacent to the roll 25
has a pair of laterally spaced extension fingers 34 and 35
extending into the roll groves 20 and 30 substantially tangentially
to the lands 31-33, the cards being supported on the upper surfaces
of these fingers when the plate 9 is in the upper position (FIG. 5)
and the lower card contacting the friction roll 25 when the plate 9
is moved downwardly (FIG. 6) so that the fingers 34 and 35 are
moved radially inwardly in the grooves 29 and 30.
Means are provided to apply pressure to the lowermost card in the
stack when the plate 9 and the fingers 34 and 35 are moved
downwardly, so that the lowermost card will frictionally engage the
lands 31-33 of the roll 25 and thereby be carried by the roll to
the reading station R. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6, the pressure
applying means comprises spring means including a pair of laterally
spaced leaf spring arms 36 and 37 affixed by fasteners 38 to an end
wall 39 at the feed station F and projecting downwardly in the
planes of the roll grooves 29 and 30 and towards the reading
station R. These springs 36 and 37 are engageable with the leading
edge of the lowermost card when the plate 9 moves downwardly to
press the leading edge against the roll 25, but when the plate is
in its upper position, the plate fingers 34 and 35 engage beneath
the springs 36 and 37 (FIG. 5) to hold the springs out of pressure
contact with the lowermost card. The springs 36 and 37 extend
circumferentially of the roll 25 sufficiently towards the reading
station R, that as the lowermost card is carried by the roll 25
towards and past the reading station, the card is held in the same
precise alignment, with respect to the roll 25 and the reading
station R, which was established by edge contact of the card with
the wall 6 at the feed station. Thus, inaccuracy in reading the
card due to misalignment is avoided. Moreover, the springs 36 and
37 press the card smoothly against the lands 31-33 and no
fluttering of the card is possible. Since only one roll is in
engagement with the card, moreover, no undesired longitudinal
deformation of the card can occur. As a consequence, the transport
mechanism can efficiently carry cards past the reading station R
which have been mutilated or crumpled, so that such cards can be
effectively read, without jamming or being torn in the transport
mechanism and without causing machine stoppage. A timing disc 25f
is carried by the roll 25. Such discs, as is well known, are
transparent, but have circumferentially spaced opaque markings
revolvable relative to fixed opaque markings and a light source
(not shown) to time the reader with card motion. Since the cards
are fed by a single roll 25 and slippage cannot occur, due to the
springs 37 forcing the cards into positive frictional drive
relation with the roll 25, the timing is more accurate than in
machines where futter and longitudinal deformation of the card are
inherent.
To position successive cards at the feed station and avoid the
simultaneous picking up of more than one card by the roll 25 when
the solenoid 14 is actuated, which might occur by reason of burrs
or tears in adjacent cards or interfacial card friction, a gauge
bar 40 is mounted by fasteners 40a on the end wall 39, the gauge
bar 40 having depending stop fingers 41 spaced from the periphery
of the lands 31-33 sufficiently to enable passage of a single card
past the fingers 41, but the superjacent card will engage the
fingers 41 and be held against movement until the trailing edge of
the lowermost card clears the leading edge of the superjacent card
and solenoid 14 is again actuated.
At the reading station R, is a support arm 45, clamped or otherwise
mounted on the roll support shaft 26 by set screws 46. Mounted on
the support arm 45 by fasteners 45a is a reading head supporting
bracket 47 which carried a conventional reading head 48 by which
the successive card fed through the feed station are scanned. The
details of the reading head are not germane to the present
invention, but in any event the reader head detacts and supplies
signals to a data storing or printing apparatus representing the
data recorded on the card. Adjacent to the roll 25, the bracket 47
has a portion 49 opposed to the periphery of the roll 25 and having
a face 50 against which the leaf springs 36, 37 abut at their free
ends, so that the springs 36, 37 exert substantial pressure on a
card pressing the card positively into frictional engagement with
the roll 25 as the mid-section of the springs 37 are flexed
outwardly from the grooves 29 and 30 of the roll 25 by a card
approaching the reading station R, as seen in FIG. 6.
As the cards successively pass through the reading station R, they
move downwardly to the stacking station S through a throat 60
defined between an outer guide 61 and an inner guide 62 having
stripper fingers 63 which extend into grooves 29 and 30 in the feed
roll 25 to prevent the cards from clinging to the roll and deflect
the leading edges of the cards into the throat 60. The guide 61 is
at the upper end of a plate 64 which, at its lower portion 65, is
inclined inwardly to decelerate and deflect the lower end of the
cards as they move downwardly to form a stack of cards standing on
edge, as seen in FIG. 2. A retainer 66 pivotally carried on the
free end of an arm 67 pivotally supported at 68 retains the edge
stacked cards against sliding to horizontal positions so that the
cards are stacked edgewise in the same order at the stacking
station S as the cards are transported from the feed station F.
Means are provided at the stacking station for moving the
successive cards from the path of an on-coming card, as best seen
in FIGS. 2, 3 and 7, so that an on-coming card cannot impinge upon
a preceding card and cause mutilation of either card. As is
apparent in FIG. 2, the preceding card will engage the bottom 69 of
the stacker station while an on-coming card is still being
positively driven by the transport roll 25. While the drive
friction between the card and the roll 25 is sufficient to prevent
slippage, so that slippage is no problem, in accordance with the
invention, it is necessary to prevent impingement of the card being
transported against anything which can cause card damage. Thus, the
means for moving the successive cards from the path of an on-coming
card comprises resilient rotary screw means 70.
More particularly, a vertical wall 71 at the stacking station T,
beneath the reading station R, supports, on mounts 72, drive means,
here shown, as a pair of electric motors 73, 73, the shafts 74 of
which extend through openings in the support wall 71, and are
laterally spaced a distance greater than the width of a card C
which passes from the throat 60 between the shafts 74. Suitably
mounted on the shafts 74 for rotation therewith are helically
wound, resilient screws or auger devices 75, having a lead
longitudinally of the shafts 74. In the illustrated embodiment, the
spring screws are of opposite hand and are, therefore, rotated
oppositely, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 7. The spring screws
project laterally towards one another so that a card C moving
downwardly between the shafts 74 will be engaged at its opposite
longitudinal edges and moved progressively to the left in FIG. 7,
as indicated by the arrow, so that the trailing edge of each card
is moved from the path of the leading edge of the on-coming card.
Since, the screws 75 are resilient, if the leading edge of a card
initially engages the outer crest of any helix, the spring will be
deformed without offering substantial resistance to further
longitudinal feeding of the card by the transport roll 25, and
therefore, notwithstanding the fact that the card is being
positively moved into engagement with the spring screws 75, no
damage can occur to the card.
Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, a modified structure is shown for
initiating and maintaining frictional coengagement between the
cards and the feed roll 25 and for further guiding a card into the
throat 60. In this embodiment, short leaf springs 137, mounted on
the feed station end wall 39, like the previously described leaf
springs 36, 37 are adapted to engage the lowermost card at the feed
station when the finger 35 on the plate 9 is moved downwardly to
the position of FIG. 9 from the position of FIG. 8, to initiate the
transport of the successive cards. A second set of springs 137a
have ends connected to the stop block 40 by the fasteners 40a and
free ends which contact the face 50 of the reader support 47, so
that the bowed, intermediate portions of the springs 137a will
exert the pressure on the cards required to transport the cards
past the reader 48. With this modified construction, the main
transport friction provided by the springs 137a can be established
independently of the pressure of springs 137 required to initiate
the transport.
In addition in FIGS. 8 and 9, a third leaf spring or springs 160
mounted beneath the reader 48 and having a down-turned free end
projecting towards the stripper fingers engage the card to
constrain it to movement through the throat 60 and to maintain
frictional engagement of the card with the roll 25 during the
terminal stage of movement into the stacker, after the card has
fully passed the reading station R.
From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention
provides card reading or handling apparatus which is simple in its
construction, yet efficient in operation, the single feed roll and
pressure applying means resulting in uniform feeding of cards to
the reading station throughout the entire range of card feed rates,
in uniform alignment as established at the feed station, and
notwithstanding that a card may be bent or crumpled, the cards
being effectively end stacked at the stacking station without
damage or shut-down of the apparatus.
* * * * *