Punched card reader

Claim 1

IN A PUNCHED CARD READER, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: NORMALLY DISCONNECTED CIRCUIT MEANS FOR PERFORMING PRE-SELECTED FUNCTIONS; A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED SUPPORTING BASE MEMBER: A VERTICALLY DISPOSED ELECTRIC CONDUCTING PLATEN RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID BASE MEMBER, SAID PLATEN HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL SHOULDERS BEFINING A SLOT FOR RECEIVING A RECTANGULAR CARD PUNCHED WITH A PLURALITY OF HOLES; A GUIDE PLATE FROMED OF ELECTRIC INSULATING MATERIAL SECURED TO SAID PLATEN BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF SHOULDERS TO CLOSE SAID SLOT, SAID GUIDE PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENING ARRANGED IN A PREDETERMINED PATTERN, SAID HOLES IN SAID CARD CORRESPONDING TO CERTAIN OF SAID OPENINGS IN SAID GUIDE PLATE; A PLURALITY OF GUIDE RODS HORIZONTALLY RIGIDLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID BASE; A VERTICALLY DISPOSED CONTACT HOLDER PLATE SLIDABLY SUPPORTED ON SAID GUIDE RODS; A PLURALITY OF ELECTRIC CONDUCTING CONTACTS PROJECTING FROM SAID PREDETERMINED PATTERN, EACH OF SAID CONTACTS INCLUDING A ROD MEMBER YIELDLY URGED FROM SAID CONTACT HOLDER PLATE TOWARD SAID PLATEN; FIRST SELECTIVELY OPERABLE CONTROL MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CONTACT HOLDER PLATE TOWARD SAID PLATEN WHEREBY SAID ROD MEMBERS OF SAID CONTACTS EXTEND THROUGH SAID OPENINGS IN SAID GUIDE PLATE AND THROUGH SAID CORRESPONDING HOLES IN SAID CARD POSITIONED IN SAID SLOT, WHEREBY SAID ROD MEMBERS IN POSITIONS CORRESPONDING TO SAID HOLES IN THE CARD CONTACT SAID ELECTRIC CONDUCTING PLATEN TO CONNECT SAID CIRCUIT MEANS; SECOND SELECTIVELY OPERABLE CONTROL MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CONTACT HOLDER AWAY FROM SAID PLATEN WHEREBY SAID ROD MEMBERS ARE RETRACTED FROM SAID OPENINGS IN SAID GUIDE PLATE; MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE IMPROPER POSITIONING OF A CARD IN SAID SLOT OF INHIBITING OPERATION OF SAID FIRST CONTROL MEANS TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF SAID CONTACTS INTO CARD-READING POSITIONS FOR CARDS IMPROPERLY POSITIONED IN THE SLOT, SAID LAST-NAMED MEANS INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND SWITCH MEANS MOUNTED ADJACENT THE LOWER END OF SAID SLOT AND ADAPTED TO BE ACTUATED BY THE LEADING EDGE OF A CARD INSERTED IN THE SLOT, SAID SWITCH MEANS SERVING ALSO TO EJECT ANY IMPROPERLY POSITIONED CARD.