Combined article selector and coder
AssigneeO.K. Partnership
InventorRichard C. O'Brien
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A combined selector-coder apparatus is disclosed for selecting one or more edge-notched cards from a stack and for edge coding cards by removing selected teeth. The coding apparatus of this invention comprises an integral part of the card selector and includes knife blades actuated by the code bars used to select cards. When a code bar is displaced, it shifts its associated knife blade which in turn cuts a tooth from an edge-notched card disposed in an adjacent card holder.
Claims14
A combined selector for selecting articles having a sorting edge with alternate registration notches and code notchable teeth from a plurality of such articles supported with their respective sorting edges aligned and a coder for selectively notching the teeth of such articles to encode the articles comprising:
- a platen for supporting said articles;
- a plurality of spaced parallel slots within said platen extending transversely of said sorting edges adjacent said registration notches;
- a plurality of sorting bars, one of said sorting bars being disposed within each of said slots;
- means for selectively displacing said sorting bars in accordance with a preselected code, whereby said displaced bars are raised above said platen and enter registration notches in said articles, and articles not having said selected code are restrained, while articles having the selected code can be shifted relative thereto;
- a card-receiving slot for receiving a toothed article to be encoded;
- stop means limiting the insertion of said article within said slot;
- a knife blade associated with each of said sorting bars, each of said knife blades being movable transversely of said slot and being positioned to sever one tooth from said article;
- means responsive to the displacement of a sorting bar for shifting an associated blade transversely of said slot to sever the tooth in registry therewith;
- and
- means for returning said blades to a retracted position.
A coder for selectively notching the teeth of articles having a sorting edge with alternate registration notches and code notchable teeth, said coder being combined with a selector for selecting such articles from a plurality of such articles supported with their respective sorting edges aligned, said selector being of the type comprising a platen for supporting said articles and having a plurality of spaced parallel slots, a plurality of sorting bars, one of said sorting bars being disposed within each of said slots, and means for selectively displacing said sorting bars in a horizontal and vertical direction, said coder comprising:
- a housing including a card-receiving slot for receiving a toothed article to be encoded;
- stop means limiting the insertion of said article within said slot;
- a knife blade associated with each of said sorting bars, each of said knife blades being movable transversely of said slot and being positioned to sever one tooth from said article;
- means responsive to the displacement of a sorting bar for shifting an associated knife blade transversely of said slot to sever the tooth in registry therewith;
- and
- means for returning said knife blades to a retracted position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.