Optical read head using light conducting rod and defining a triangular read area

Claim 1

AN OPTICAL READ HEAD COMPRISING: A FACETED LIGHT TRANSMITTING MEANS HAVING A FIRST FACET CLOSELY SPACED FROM A REFLECTIVE SURFACE, A SECOND FACET LYING DISTANT THEREFROM, AND A THIRD FACET JOINING SAID FIRST AND SECOND FACETS, SAID TRANSMITTING MEANS POSSESSING THE OPTICAL CHARACTERISTIC OF TOTAL REFLECTION, A LIGHT ENERGY SOURCE POSITIONED MORE DISTANT FROM SAID REFLECTIVE SURFACE THAN SAID FIRST FACET, A LIGHT ENERGY TRANSDUCER PROXIMATE TO SAID SECOND FACET, SAID LIGHT ENERGY SOURCE EMITTING LIGHT DIRECTLY UPON A PORTION OF SAID REFLECTIVE SURFACE AND UPON SAID THIRD FACET, AND LIGHT SHIELDING MEANS PROXIMATE TO SAID REFLECTIVE SURFACE AND SAID FIRST FACET ISOLATING SAID REFLECTIVE SURFACE FROM LIGHT OTHER THAN FROM SAID SOURCE, A REPRESENTATIVE PORTION OF SAID LIGHT EMITTED DIRECTLY UPON SAID REFLECTIVE SURFACE REFLECTING THEREFROM AND BEING COUPLED TO SAID LIGHT ENERGY TRANSDUCER THROUGH SAID FIRST AND SECOND FACETS ACCORDING TO THE CHARACTERISTIC OF TOTAL REFLECTION.