Feeding and sorting device for punched cards and the like

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR FEEDING AND TRANSPORTING LIKE INFORMATION CARRIERS OF THE TYPE OF PUNCHED CARDS AND MANGETICALLY MARKED CARDS AND THE LIKE, HAVING A SUPPLY OF LIKE CARDS STACKED IN A MAGAZINE AT THE BOTTOM, OF WHICH IS FORMED A GAP THROUGH WHICH THE RESPECTIVELY LOWERMOST CARDS CAN BE WITHDRAWN, AND HAVINGT A PLURALITY OF FEEDOUT ROLLERS OPERATING WITH DIFFERENT PERIPHERAL SPEED FOR SUCCESSIVELY ACCELERATING THE FEED MOTION OF WITHDRAWN CARDS, WHEREBY CARDS ARE TRANSPORTED FROM ROLLERS OPERATING WITH LOWER PERIPHERAL SPEED TO ROLLERS OPERATING WITH HIGHER PERIPERAL SPEED AND WHEREIN SAID CARDS, DURING NORMAL OPERATION, ARE TO BE DISCHARGE FROM SUCH MAGAZINE TWO AT A TIME IN SUPERPOSED, MUTUALLY STAGGERED RELATION, COMPRISING SENSING MEANS AT THE EXTERIOR OF SAID MAGAZINE DISPOSED TO SENSE THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF AT LEAST ONE CARD PROJECTING FROM SAID MAGAZINE, A PORTION OF SAID MAGAZINE DEFINING SAID CARD DISCHARGE GAP BEING MOVABLE INTO EITHER OF TWO OPERATING POSITIONS, IN ONE OF WHICH SAID GAP IS OF A WIDTH CORRESPONDING TO THE THICKNESS OF TWO CARDS, AND IN THE OTHER OF WHICH SAID GAP IS OF A WIDTH CORRESPONDING TO THE THICKNESS OF ONE CARD, MEANS OF EFFECTING MOVEMENT OF SAID MAGAZINE PORTION BETWEEN SAID OPERATING POSITIONS, SAID SENSING MEANS BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID LAST MENTIONED MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE LATTER TO PROVIDED A GAP WHICH WILL PASS TWO CARDS FROM SAID MAGAZINE WHEN THE PRESENCE OF AT LEAST ONE CARD IS SENSED BY SAID SENSING MEANS, AND PROVIDE A GAP WHICH WILL PASS ONLY ONE CARD, IN THE ABSENCE OF A CARD AT SAID SENSING MEANS.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR FEEDING AND TRANSPORTING LIKE INFORMATION CARRIERS OF THE TYPE OF PUNCHED CARDS AND MANGETICALLY MARKED CARDS AND THE LIKE, HAVING A SUPPLY OF LIKE CARDS STACKED IN A MAGAZINE AT THE BOTTOM, OF WHICH IS FORMED A GAP THROUGH WHICH THE RESPECTIVELY LOWERMOST CARDS CAN BE WITHDRAWN, AND HAVINGT A PLURALITY OF FEEDOUT ROLLERS OPERATING WITH DIFFERENT PERIPHERAL SPEED FOR SUCCESSIVELY ACCELERATING THE FEED MOTION OF WITHDRAWN CARDS, WHEREBY CARDS ARE TRANSPORTED FROM ROLLERS OPERATING WITH LOWER PERIPHERAL SPEED TO ROLLERS OPERATING WITH HIGHER PERIPERAL SPEED AND WHEREIN SAID CARDS, DURING NORMAL OPERATION, ARE TO BE DISCHARGE FROM SUCH MAGAZINE TWO AT A TIME IN SUPERPOSED, MUTUALLY STAGGERED RELATION, COMPRISING SENSING MEANS AT THE EXTERIOR OF SAID MAGAZINE DISPOSED TO SENSE THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF AT LEAST ONE CARD PROJECTING FROM SAID MAGAZINE, A PORTION OF SAID MAGAZINE DEFINING SAID CARD DISCHARGE GAP BEING MOVABLE INTO EITHER OF TWO OPERATING POSITIONS, IN ONE OF WHICH SAID GAP IS OF A WIDTH CORRESPONDING TO THE THICKNESS OF TWO CARDS, AND IN THE OTHER OF WHICH SAID GAP IS OF A WIDTH CORRESPONDING TO THE THICKNESS OF ONE CARD, MEANS OF EFFECTING MOVEMENT OF SAID MAGAZINE PORTION BETWEEN SAID OPERATING POSITIONS, SAID SENSING MEANS BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID LAST MENTIONED MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE LATTER TO PROVIDED A GAP WHICH WILL PASS TWO CARDS FROM SAID MAGAZINE WHEN THE PRESENCE OF AT LEAST ONE CARD IS SENSED BY SAID SENSING MEANS, AND PROVIDE A GAP WHICH WILL PASS ONLY ONE CARD, IN THE ABSENCE OF A CARD AT SAID SENSING MEANS.