Apparatus and method for automated printing, reading, and dividing of information-carrying documents

Apparatus for automatically printing, reading and otherwise treating tickets and other documents having provided thereon an information carrier which carries data that can be read magnetically, optically or in some other way, said apparatus being useful for reading and otherwise processing ATB-tickets (1) at airport gates, called gate readers (8), wherein the tickets (1) have a magnetic strip (2) provided on one side thereof, called the rear side, and lack an information carrier on the other side thereof, called the front side, and have a first set of perforations (3) and a second set of perforations (4) which respectively divide the ticket (1) into a binding stub (5), a flight coupon (6) and a boarding pass (7), or into separate boarding passes (7), said gate reader (8) having at least one latchable ticket insertion opening (10) and at least three ticket outfeed openings (11, 12 13), characterized in that for the purpose of handling an ATB-ticket (1) or some other document provided with an information carrier on which data can be entered and read magnetically, optically or in some other way with the ticket moving in a circular pathway, the gate reader (8) includes a cylindrical ticket cylinder (16) which can be divided readily in a plane which passes through its center line and in which the ticket (1) or some other document provided with an information carrier in which data can be inserted and read magnetically, optically or in some other way, is able to move both clockwise and anti-clockwise;

• and in that there is provided inwardly of at least one of the ticket outfeed openings (11, 12, 13) a document divider (19) which functions to separate the boarding pass (7) from the remainder of the ticket (1);
• said document divider (19) is mounted adjacent the ticket cylinder (16) and is provided with an immovable, sharp ticket-dividing edge and includes a pressing device and is also constructed so as to assist in separating the boarding pass (7) from the remainder of the ATB-ticket (1) in the following fashion:
• An instruction is issued by a main control system to divide the ticket (1)d, whereupon the ticket is partially extended from the ticket cylinder (16) through a slot or some other opening provided adjacent said dividing edge of the ticket divider (19) and wherein said ticket can be extended through the slot both when the ATB-ticket (1) moves clock wise and when the ticket moves anti-clockwise in the ticket cylinder (16).
• Extension of the ticket through said slot is stopped when a pre-perforation, embossment or some other dividing indication on the ticket (1) is located a short distance from said dividing edge of the document divider (19).
• The ATB-ticket (1) is folded by means of said pressing device along said pre-perforation, embossment or like dividing indication through an angle greater than 90 degrees and in a direction towards said dividing edge and is there held in a folded state by means of the pressing device.
• The ATB-ticket (1) is fed into the ticket cylinder (16) in a direction opposite to the direction in which said ticket was partially extended through said slot, said pre-perforation, embossment or like dividing indication being moved against said dividing edge such as to effect division of the ticket (1) as close as possible to the pre-perforation, embossment of like ticket-dividing indication, said dividing edge preferably being angled so as to lie against the pre-perforation, embossment or like ticket-dividing indication at only one single point which moves along said pre-perforation, embossment or like ticket-dividing indication as the ticket (1) is divided, so as to effect division of the ticket with the smallest possible force.

A document reading and processing device, comprising:

• a document inlet to which a document having an information carrier or record medium is inserted;
• a width determining mechanism for determining correct document insertion;
• a length determining mechanism for determining the type of document inserted;
• transport means for transporting said document from said document inlet to a cylindrical document cylinder;
• reading means for reading information recorded on said document, said reading means being formed of at least one reading head on opposing sides of said document cylinder;
• a document divider coupled to said cylindrical document cylinder for dividing said document into at least two parts;
• and
• transport means for transporting said document from said cylindrical document cylinder to said document divider and for transporting at least one part of said document from said document divider back to said cylindrical document cylinder.

A method of reading and processing a document having an information carrier or record medium, comprising:

• inserting said document into a document inlet;
• determining the width of said document for verifying correct document insertion;
• determining the length of said document to determine the type of document inserted;
• transporting said document from said document inlet to a cylindrical document cylinder;
• reading the information recorded on said document regardless of document orientation, said reading being performed by one of at least one reading head on opposing sides of said document cylinder;
• transporting said document from said cylindrical document cylinder to a document divider, dividing said document regardless of document orientation, and transporting at least one part of said document from said document divider back to said cylindrical document cylinder.