Card sorting method and apparatus

A card sorting apparatus for sorting a plurality of cards in a predetermined order based on characters or numerals borne by said cards comprising:

• a plurality of card accommodating means, including a main card accommodating means (1) and at least one further card accommodating means (2) said main accommodating means initially accommodating a plurality of said cards;
• each of said card accommodating means having a receiving section (28, 29) provided to receive said cards, and a delivery section for delivering the cards;
• stacking means (22, 21) for stacking cards in sequence as an input queue in each said card accommodating means as cards are received from said receiving section (28, 29), and for moving cards to said delivery section (25, 26);
• card delivery means (23, 24) for delivering cards from said delivery section (25, 26) in said card accommodating means;
• card holding means (5) for holding a plurality of cards delivered from said delivery section (25) of said main card accommodating means (1);
• reading means (3, 4) for reading numerals borne by cards to be delivered by said card delivery means (23, 24) from said main card accommodating means to said card holding means (5);
• card transfer means (102) for feeding and transferring cards from said delivering means between said plurality of card accommodating means and said card holding means;
• memory means for storing values of said numerals or characters read by said reading means, and for storing the values of the cards held by said card holding means (5);
• and
• control means (100) causing, for the purpose of arranging said cards, the transfer a predetermined number of cards accommodated in said main card accommodating means (1) to said card holding means (5) by controlling said cards delivery means (23) and said card transfer means (102), and for comparing the values of each card held in said card holding means (5) with all other cards held in said holding means (5), and for delivering a card satisfying selection criterion to one of said input queues in the corresponding card accommodating means (1);
• wherein all cards in said card holding means (5) are compared with each other and those cards which have finished being compared are rearranged in said input queues in an order according to their read value in at least one of said plural card accommodating means until said cards originally accommodated in said main card accommodating means (1) are all rearranged in said input queues;
• said control means being further operable for causing said cards in said input queues to be resorted and to be arranged in the predetermined order in said main card accommodating means to complete the sorting when said cards are rearranged in said input queues in a plurality of said card accommodating means.