Magnetic ink tester utilizing a. c. or d. c. magnetization and visual indications

Claim 1

IN A DEVICE FOR TESTING MAGNETIC INK ON A CHECK OR THE LIKE, THE COMBINATION OF; A CHECK MOVING MEANS INCLUDING A WHEEL AND A BELT FOR GRIPPING TO SAID WHEEL A CHECK CARRYING MAGNETIC INK SAMPLES, TO MOVE SAID CHECK AROUND SAID WHEEL; A SCANNING ZONE LOCATED ABOUT SAID WHEEL, SAID SCANNING ZONE CONTAINING A PERMANENT MAGNET AND AN A.C. RECORDING HEAD EACH SPANNING A PLURALITY OF CONTIGUOUS LATERALLY DISPLACED LONGITUDINAL AREAS ON THE CHECK; MEANS FOR EXCITING SAID A.C. RECORDING HEAD WITH AN A.C. CURRENT FOR PRODUCING BAR PATTERNS ON MAGNETIC INK APPEARING ON THE CHECK WITHIN SAID AREAS; A PLURALITY OF MAGNETIC PICKUP DEVICES MOUNTED IN POSITIONS STAGGERED LATERALLY AND LONGITUDINALLY WITHIN THE SCANNING ZONE AND ADAPTED TO INDIVIDUALLY PICK UP SAID BAR PATTERNS FROM EACH OF SAID AREAS; MEANS FOR SELECTING EACH OF SAID PICKUP DEVICES; MEANS FOR AMPLIFYING SIGNALS PICKED UP BY THE SELECTED PICKUP; CATHODE RAY TUBE MEANS FOR VISUALLY DISPLAYING SAID AMPLIFIED SIGNALS FOR EXAMINING THE RELATIVE QUALITY OF THE RECORDINGS OF SAID BAR PATTERN ON SAID INK SAMPLES; A GATE ADJACENT TO THE PATH OF SAID CHECK AROUND SAID WHEEL; AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID GATE TO AN EXIT POSITION TO EMIT SAID CHECK FROM ITS PATH AROUND SAID WHEEL.