Hand-operated magnetic stripe card reader
AssigneeAmerican Magnetics Corporation
InventorJagtar S. Saroya
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Azimuth related problems common to hand-inserted, magnetic card readers are avoided by a spring loaded edge guide track which extends along the entire length of travel of the card rather than only in the vicinity of the read head. The invention of both advancing edges of the card within tracks and a pressure plate maintain the advancing card in the plane of travel in a prescribed vertical position necessary for cards with active electronic elements as well.
Claims6
A reader for a medium bearing a magnetic stripe, said reader including a platen for receiving said medium and first and second guide tracks for receiving first and second advancing edges of said medium, said reader also including a magnetic read head having an axis aligned with said magnetic stripe for reading information on said stripe as it advances in said reader between said tracks, said first and second tracks extending along the entire length of travel of said medium thus defining a plane of travel said first track being in fixed alignment with said axis, said second track being spring loaded for urging said medium against said first track and thus maintaining said stripe in alignment with said axis for avoiding azimuth errors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.