Method and device for destroying credit cards

Claim 1

MEANS TO ASCERTAIN THE VALIDITY OF A CREDIT CARD WHEN IT IS PRESENTED FOR PAYMENT AND TO SELECT AN ALTERNATIVE BETWEEN PERMITTING FURTHER USE OF SAID CARD WITHOUT RESTRICTION AND IMPAIRING FURTHER USEFULNESS OF SAID CARD AND TO THEN CARRY OUT THE SELECTED ONE OF SAID ALTERNATIVES, WHICH COMPRISES: A PLURALITY OF OUTLYING STATIONS, A CENTRAL STATION, AND AT EACH OF SAID OUTLYING STATIONS: A RECEIVER FOR RECEIVING SIGNALS TRANSMITTED FROM SAID CENTRAL STATION, A TRANSMITTER FOR TRANSMITTING SIGNALS TO SAID CENTRAL STATION, A DEVICE TO RECEIVE A CREDIT CARD, LATCH MEANS IN SAID DEVICE TO LOCK IT CLOSED TO PREVENT REMOVAL OF SAID CREDIT CARD FROM THE DEVICE, MEANS IN SAID DEVICE TO IMPRINT INDICIA FROM SAID CREDIT CARD UNTO A FORM, A CARD SENSING UNIT IN SAID DEVICE TO SENSE A CODE EMBODIED IN SAID CARD, A CARD IMPARING UNIT IN SAID DEVICE TO IMPAIR THE USEFULNESS OF SAID CARD, SWITCH MEANS IN SAID DEVICE TO OPERATE SAID LATCH MEANS, A CODING UNIT, A DECODING UNIT, SAID CODING UNIT BEING DISPOSED TO RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM SAID CARD SENSING UNIT CORRESPONDING TO THE CODE EMBODIED IN SAID CARD AND TO CONVERT SAID INFORMATION INTO A SUITABLE ELECTROMAGNETIC SIGNAL SUITABLE FOR TRANSMITTAL OF SAID INFORMATION AS MODULATION OF RADIO FREQUENCY CARRIER WAVES, AND MEANS TO INTRODUCE SAID SIGNAL FROM SAID CODING UNIT TO SAID TRANSMITTER, SAID DECODING UNIT BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A SIGNAL FROM SAID RECEIVER, SAID SIGNAL CARRYING INFORMATION INDICATING AN ALTERNATIVE BETWEEN THE TWO ACTIONS: USEFULNESS OF THE CARD IS TO BE IMPAIRED AND USEFULNESS OF THE CARD IS NOT TO BE IMPAIRED, SAID DECODING UNIT ADAPTED TO INTRODUCE A SIGNAL CORRESPONDING TO THE FIRST ALTERNATIVE TO SAID CARD IMPAIRING UNIT TO CAUSE OPERATION OF SAID UNIT AND TO INTRODUCE A SIGNAL CORRESPONDING TO THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE TO SAID SWITCH MEANS TO CAUSE SAID DEVICE TO BE UNLATCHED, SAID CENTRAL STATION EMBODYING: A RECEIVER FOR RECEIVING SIGNALS FROM SAID OUTLYING STATIONS, A TRANSMITTER,