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US 4,356,613 AGranted
Key top for automatic assembly for keyboard apparatus
AssigneeBurroughs Corporation
InventorEdward I. Nelson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of forming and attaching individual key tops to the key stems of a multi-key keyboard wherein each key top is formed of contrasting colors such that the key top indicia is clearly visually recognizable while also providing each key top with a bar code indicia for enabling a bar code reader to select a desired key top from among a random group of key tops and for enabling a transfer mechanism to selectably orient the selected key top with respect to a key stem for automatic attachment thereto.
Claims10
A method of automatically attaching indicia coded key tops to the key stems of alphanumeric keys comprising;
- a. Forming a key top in contrasting colors such that the indicia color differs from the surrounding color,
- b. Providing orienting and guiding means for each key top,
- c. Applying coded indicia to said key top indicating the information/data carried by said key tops,
- d. Providing feeding means for said key tops including means for receiving said key tops in random order and for orienting said key tops rightside up for serial feeding,
- e. Providing one or more correctly oriented key stems in position for receiving respective key tops,
- f. Selectively matching an individual key top with a respective key stem,
- g. Transferring a selected key top from said feeding means to a respective key stem in accordance with the selective matching step, and
- h. Returning unwanted key tops to said feeding means for further handling.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.