Document retrieval system

Document retrieval apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of cartridges each randomly storing documents encoded along at least one sorting edge to facilitate distinguishing said documents of a deck from each other, said documents each having a leading edge disposed transversely to said at least one sorting edge, said documents each also having a trailing edge opposite said leading edge and a length measured between said leading and trailing edges,
• a plurality of addressable crypts normally storing different ones of said cartridges,
• a first document selector in which coded documents of a retrieved cartridge are randomly positionable in a deck in registry in face-to-face relation at a sort position with their respective sorting and leading edges aligned, said leading and sorting edges of said aligned and registered documents when in said sort position in said deck collectively defining leading edge and sorting edge planes, respectively, said document selector including sorting elements proximate said sorting edge plane and cooperable with said document sorting edges to select at least one desired document from said plurality of documents in said deck and advance it forwardly relative to said deck in a direction parallel to its sorting edge to a selected document position whereat its leading edge is displaced forwardly of said leading edge plane a preset distance less than said length of said document, said leading edge of said selected document lying in a selected document leading edge plane disposed parallel to said leading edge plane and forwardly thereof by a distance equal to said preset distance,
• a cartridge retriever for transferring cartridges between said first selector and a selected crypt,
• selected document removal and storage means mounted for movement along a traversing path in a direction parallel to said leading edge plane, said selected document removal and storage means having a temporary document storage zone therein, said selected document removal and storage means further having a document removal assembly thereon engageable with a selected desired document located at said selected document position for fully removing said at least one selected desired document engaged therewith from said deck and transferring it to said temporary storage zone,
• drive means for moving said selected document removal means along said traversing path,
• a buffer deck of generally planar documents each having opposite faces, each said document in said buffer deck encoded along at least one sorting edge to facilitate distinguishing said documents from each other, said documents in said buffer deck each having a leading edge disposed transversely to said at least one sorting edge, said documents in said buffer deck each also having a trailing edge and a length measured between said leading and trailing edges,
• a buffer document selector in which said coded documents of said buffer deck are randomly positionable in registry in face-to-face relation at a sort position with their respective sorting and leading edges aligned, said leading and sorting edges of said aligned and registered documents of said buffer deck when in said sort position in said buffer deck collectively defining leading edge and sorting edge planes, respectively, said buffer document selector including sorting elements proximate said sorting edge plane of said buffer deck and cooperable with said document sorting edges of said buffer deck to select at least one desired document from said plurality of documents in said buffer deck and advance it forwardly relative to said buffer deck in a direction parallel to its sorting edge to a selected document position whereat its leading edge is displaced forwardly of said leading edge plane of said buffer deck, and
• control means for operating said buffer document selector and first document selector substantially simultaneously to search substantially simultaneously both said buffer deck and retrieved deck for a desired card.