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Claim 1

IN CARD SORTING APPARATUS FOR RETRIEVING CARDS FROM A PACK OF CARDS WHEREIN EACH CARD HAS ONE EDGE THEREOF EQUIPPED WITH CODE NOTCHED MAGNETIC MEANS INCLUDING RESPECTIVE PORTIONS ADJACENT TO THE ENDS OF SAID EDGE, AND WITH ALL OF SUCH EDGES OF THE CARDS ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED IN A SUBSTANTIALLY COMMON PLANE AND EXPOSED FOR RETRIEVAL SORTING, A SELFCONTAINED RETRIEVAL UNIT COMPRISING: A SUPPORTING CARRIAGE FRAME STRUCTURE INCLUDING SIDE FRAME MEMBERS HAVING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE CARRIAGE FRAME STRUCTURE FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT IN A PATH WITH RESPECT TO SUPPORTING STRUCTURE IN WHICH SAID CARDS ARE SUPPORTED WITH SAID EDGES IN SAID COMMON PLANE, AND THE CARRIAGE FRAME STRUCTURE IN SAID RELATIVE MOVEMENT SUCCESSIVELY TRAVERSING SAID EDGES OF SAID CARDS, INDIVIDUAL MAGNETIC CARD EXTRACTING MEANS MOUNTED ON THE CARRIAGE FRAME STRUCTURE ADJACENT TO EACH OF THE RESPECTIVE SIDE FRAME MEMBERS FOR MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTING THE RESPECTIVE OPPOSITE END MAGNETIC PORTIONS OF THE CARD EDGES AND SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY APART TO LEAVE SUBSTANTIAL PORTIONS OF THE CARD EDGES BETWEEN SAID MAGNETIC END PORTIONS AVAILABLE FOR CARD SELECTION PURPOSES, CARD SELECTING INDIVIDUALLY SETTABLE BARRIER BARS CARRIED BY THE CARRIAGE FRAME STRUCTURE BETWEEN SAID SPACED MAGNETIC CARD EXTRACTING MEANS AND HAVING MEANS FOR SETTING SAID BARS ACCORDING TO A PREDETERMINED CODE RELATED TO SAID NOTCHES TO BLOCK EXTRACTION OF ALL CARDS EXCEPT ANY CARD