First character detector for paper tape reader

Claim 1

IN A RECORD HANDLING SYSTEM WHEREIN THE DATA IS ARRANGED IN DISCRETE ROWS ALONG THE RECORD MEDIA, EACH ROW COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF DATA CODE POSITIONS AND A SPROCKET POSITION, SAID RECORD MEDIA HAVING INDICIA AT SAID DATA CODE POSITIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN SAID ROW, A DEVICE FOR DETERMINING WHETHER THE FIRST DATA ROW READ DURING A CURRENT RECORD READING OPERATION IS THE FIRST DATA ROW WHICH SHOULD BE READ COMPRISING: FIRST MEANS TO STORE AN INDICATION OF THE POSITION IN WHICH THE RECORD MEDIA WAS STOPPED AT THE COMPLETION OF THE PAST RECORD READING OPERATION; SECOND MEANS FOR SENSING THE INDICIA UPON SAID RECORD MEDIA; AND UTILIZATION MEANS; A SELECTIVELY OPERABLE LINK CONNECTING SAID SECOND MEANS TO SAID MEANS UTILIZATION MEANS; AND THIRD MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEANS FOR DETERMINING IF THE DATA ROW READ IS THE CORRECT FIRST DATA ROW AND FOR RENDERING SAID LINK OPERABLE.