Sensor for punched cards

Claim 2

A contact comb of the type used for sensing punched records comprising a base member and a plurality of coplanar bifurcated contact fingers of resilient material extending outwardly from said base member at acute angles thereto each bifurcation of each of said contact fingers terminating in an electrical contact surface.

Claim 3

The contact coMb of claim 1 wherein said base member and said contact fingers are integral portions of a unitary sheet of relatively thin metal.

Claim 4

The contact comb of claim 2 wherein a portion of each of said contact fingers distal from said base member and proximal to said contact surfaces is wider than the remainder of said contact fingers.

Claim 5

The contact comb of claim 1 wherein said base member is provided with a plurality of indexing apertures.

Claim 6

A movable contact array of the type used for sensing punched records comprising a plurality of spaced contact combs: each of said contact combs comprising a base member and a plurality of coplanar bifurcated contact fingers of resilient material extending outwardly from said base member at acute angles thereto; each bifurcation of each of said contact fingers terminating in an electrical contact surface; and nonconducting spacers interposed between adjacent pairs of said contact combs.

Claim 7

A movable contact array of the type used for sensing punched records comprising a plurality of spaced contact combs: each of said contact combs comprising a base member and a plurality of coplanar bifurcated contact fingers of resilient material extending outwardly from said base member at acute angles thereto; each bifurcation of each of said contact fingers terminating in an electrical contact surface; and nonconducting spacers interposed between adjacent pairs of said contact combs.

Claim 8

The movable contact array of claim 5 wherein each of said spacers engages said base member of at least one of said contact combs adjacent to said spacer and is fixed at a predetermined spacing from adjacent spacers and from the contact fingers of adjacent contact combs whereby a predetermined separation is maintained between contact combs and free deflection of said contact fingers toward said base members is permitted.

Claim 9

The movable contact array of claim 5 wherein each of said spacers further comprises means for limiting the deflection of the contact fingers of at least one adjacent contact comb.

Claim 10

A punched record sensor comprising in combination the movable contact array of claim 5 and a fixed contact plate; said fixed contact plate comprising an array of fixed contacts spaced from each other and each positioned to make electrical contact with the contact surfaces of a corresponding contact finger of said movable contact array.

Claim 11

The punched record sensor of claim 8 wherein: said movable contact array and said fixed contact plate are mounted for movement relative to each other between a first open position and a second closed position; said first open position providing a space between said movable contact array and said fixed contact plate in which a punched record can be interposed; said second closed position permitting the contact surfaces of those contact fingers adjacent to punched locations of said punched record to make electrical contact with the corresponding fixed contacts of said fixed contact plate; and movement from said first position to said second position causing the contact surfaces of said movable contact array to move toward said fixed contact plate until said contact fingers are deflected by contact with said fixed contacts or with the surface of said punched record and thereafter to move in a direction generally tangential to said fixed contacts whereby a sliding contact is achieved between each contact surface adjacent to a punched location of said punched record and the corresponding fixed contact of said fixed contact plate.

Claim 12

A punched record sensor comprising: a first contact leaf and a second contact leaf one comprising a generally planar array of movable contacts and the other of fixed contacts, said first contact leaf being hingedly mounted to said second contact leaf for a limited range of swinging motion relative thereto, said range extending from a first open position wherein portions of said contact leaf remote from the hingeline are sufficiently separated to permit insertion of a punched record between said contact arrays to a second closed position wherein said array of movable contacts mates with said array of fixed contacts; said array of movable contacts comprising a plurality of contact combs, each of said combs comprising a base member and a plurality of coplanar bifurcated contact fingers of resilient material extending outwardly from said base member at acute angles thereto, each bifurcation of each of said contact fingers terminatIng in an electrical contact surface and nonconducting spacers interposed between adjacent pairs of said contact combs, each of said spacers engaging said base member of at least one of said contact combs adjacent to said spacer and being fixed at a predetermined spacing from adjacent spacers and from the contact fingers of adjacent contact combs whereby a predetermined separation is maintained between contact combs and free deflection of said contact fingers toward said base members is permitted, each of said spacers comprising means for limiting the deflection of the contact fingers of at least one adjacent contact comb; said array of fixed contacts comprising a plurality of fixed contacts spaced from each other and each positioned to make electrical contact with the contact surfaces of a corresponding contact finger of said array of movable contacts; bias means operable in said second position to bias said contact leaves toward said first position; and an overcenter toggle mechanism for controlling the arcuate position of said first leaf relative to said second leaf, comprising an operating lever pivotally mounted to said first leaf at a first pivot axis, a connecting bar pivotally mounted to said second leaf at a second pivot axis and pivotally mounted to said operating lever at a third pivot axis, said operating lever being rotatable to straighten said toggle mechanism to a position wherein said third axis lies on a line connecting said first axis and said second axis and being further rotatable to a limit stop to lock said toggle mechanism and to hold said leaves against said bias means in said second position.

Claim 13

A punched record sensor comprising: a first contact leaf and a second contact leaf one comprising a generally planar array of movable contacts and the other of fixed contacts, said first contact leaf being hingedly mounted to said second contact leaf for a limited range of swinging motion relative thereto, said range extending from a first open position wherein portions of said contact leaf remote from the hingeline are sufficiently separated to permit insertion of a punched record between said contact arrays to a second closed position wherein said array of movable contacts mates with said array of fixed contacts; said array of movable contacts comprising a plurality of contact combs, each of said combs comprising a base member and a plurality of coplanar bifurcated contact fingers of resilient material extending outwardly from said base member at acute angles thereto, each bifurcation of each of said contact fingers terminatIng in an electrical contact surface and nonconducting spacers interposed between adjacent pairs of said contact combs, each of said spacers engaging said base member of at least one of said contact combs adjacent to said spacer and being fixed at a predetermined spacing from adjacent spacers and from the contact fingers of adjacent contact combs whereby a predetermined separation is maintained between contact combs and free deflection of said contact fingers toward said base members is permitted, each of said spacers comprising means for limiting the deflection of the contact fingers of at least one adjacent contact comb; said array of fixed contacts comprising a plurality of fixed contacts spaced from each other and each positioned to make electrical contact with the contact surfaces of a corresponding contact finger of said array of movable contacts; bias means operable in said second position to bias said contact leaves toward said first position; and an overcenter toggle mechanism for controlling the arcuate position of said first leaf relative to said second leaf, comprising an operating lever pivotally mounted to said first leaf at a first pivot axis, a connecting bar pivotally mounted to said second leaf at a second pivot axis and pivotally mounted to said operating lever at a third pivot axis, said operating lever being rotatable to straighten said toggle mechanism to a position wherein said third axis lies on a line connecting said first axis and said second axis and being further rotatable to a limit stop to lock said toggle mechanism and to hold said leaves against said bias means in said second position.