File card retrieval apparatus

Claim 1

IN CARD SORTING APPARATUS FOR RETRIEVING CARDS FROM A PACK OF CARDS WHEREIN ONE OF THEIR EDGES IS EXPOSED AND HAS A MAGNETIC PORTION AND CODE NOTCHES: SUPPORTING MEANS FOR THE PACK OF CARDS, A RETRIEVAL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING: FRAME STRUCTURE MOUNTED FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS FOR TRAVERSING SAID EDGES, MAGNETIC CARD WITHDRAWING MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME STRUCTURE AND OPERTIVE TO ATTRACT SAID MAGNETIC PORTIONS ON THE CARDS AND WITHDRAW THE CARDS SUCCESSIVELY FROM THE PACK IN THE COURSE OF SAID RELATIVE MOVEMENT, AND BARRIER CODE BARS ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME STRUCTURE AND ADJACENT TO SAID EDGES WITH ONE OF THEIR END PORTIONS ADJACENT TO SAID MAGNETIC MEANS IN SUCH RELATION THERETO THAT THE CARD EDGES ARE ADAPTED TO BE BLOCKED BY SAID END PORTIONS AGAINST ANY SUBSTANTIAL MOVEMENT TOWARD SAID MAGNETIC MEANS, SAID BARS BEING CORRELATED WITH SAID CODE NOTCHES AND BEING SELECTIVELY SETTABLE TO POSITION THE BARS WITH SAID END PORTIONS CORRESPONDING TO THE CODE NOTCHES OF A SELECTED CARD TO BE WITHDRAWN FROM THE PACK BUT TO BLOCK WITHDRAWAL OF ALL OTHER CARDS FROM THE PACK, SAID END PORTIONS OF SAID BARS BEING SO LOCATED WITH RESPECT TO SAID MAGNETIC MEANS THAT THE CODE NOTCHES OF THE SELECTED CARD AFFORD ESCAPE CLEARANCE PAST THE BAR ENDS FOR WITHDRAWAL BY THE MAGNETIC MEANS, MEANS FOR EFFECTING SAID RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND SAID ASSEMBLY TO EFFECT SUCCESSIVE PASSING OF SAID MAGNETIC MEAND IN MAGNETIC ATTRACTING RELATION PAST SAID MAGNETIC PORTIONS WHEREBY SAID SELECTED CARD IS MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTED THROUGH ITS MAGNETIC PORTION TOWARD SAID MAGNETIC MEANS, AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID MAGNETIC MEANS TO EFFECT WITHDRAWAL OF SAID SELECTED CARD.