Card profile compensation for removable card-handling cartridge

Claim 2

For use in a card cartridge having a plurality of cardretaining pins for cooperating with a plurality of end-coded cards arranged in a side-by-side relationship in the cartridge, and having fluid nozzles arranged at the sides of the cartridge for directing fluid flow at the end of the cards for maintaining the cards in a separated condition, and having a pair of sidewall members, a front wall member, and an end wall member, card profile compensation apparatus comprising: said end wall member having a plurality of fluid-exhaust apertures in fluid communication with the interior of the cartridge, fluid source means for providing fluid flow through said apertures bearing on the face of the end card next adjacent said end wall member for holding said end card out of contact with said end wall member at all times and at a distance sufficient to enable another card to be inserted between said end wall member and said end card, and with a spacing being maintained between said other card and said end wall member and also between said other card and said end card; and fluid conduit means for coupling to a source of pressurized fluid, said fluid conduit means being in fluid communication with said plurality of fluid-exhaust apertures.

Claim 3

Card profile compensation apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said fluid conduit means includes fluid input means downwardly extending in said end wall member and opening at the bottom of said sidewall member for fluid communication with fluid supply ports in the associated card-handling apparatus, and a plurality of transverse channels extending upwardly along said end wall member, respective ones of said plurality of exhaust ports located in associated ones of said channels.

Claim 4

Card profile compensation apparatus as in claim 2 and further including a predetermined number of dummy cards retained in side-by-side relationship adjacent said front wall member, said dummy cards normally being unselectable and arranged for spacing selectable ones of said cards outwardly from said front wall member, thereby rendering the selectable cards readily separatable by the fluid nozzles.

Claim 5

Card profile compensation apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said plurality of fluid-exhaust apertures are arranged in a coordinate array extending over substantially all of the surface of said face of said end card for providing substantially uniform loading on said card.

Claim 6

Card profile compensation apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said end wall member is in the card-return area for returning cards, said fluid exhausted forming a fluid bearing for keeping said returning cards out of contact with end wall member.

Claim 7

For use in card-handling apparatus, and improved cartridge including in combination: a pair of parallelly arranged spaced-apart sidewall members; a front wall member joined intermediate said sidewall members; and endwall member generally parallel to said front wall member and joined intermediate said sidewall members; a top member joined to said sidewall members, said front wall member, and said end wall member for closing the top of the cartridge; a plurality of selectively actuatable card-retaining and selection pin means for supporting a plurality of end-coded cards, said pin means mounted between said front wall member and said end wall member; fluiD nozzle means mounted in said sidewall members for directing fluid flow at the edges of the retained cards for maintaining the cards in spaced-apart positions; said endwall member including a plurality of fluid-exhaust apertures in fluid communication with the interior of the cartridge, fluid source means for providing fluid flow through said apertures bearing on the face of the end card next adjacent said end wall member for holding said end card out of contact with said end wall member at all times and at a distance sufficient to enable another card to be inserted between said end wall member and said next adjacent end card, and with a spacing being maintained between said other card and said end wall member and also between said other card and said end card, and fluid conduit means for coupling to a source of pressurized fluid from the card-handling apparatus, said fluid conduit means in fluid communication with said plurality of fluid-exhaust apertures.

Claim 8

For use in card-handling apparatus, and improved cartridge including in combination: a pair of parallelly arranged spaced-apart sidewall members; a front wall member joined intermediate said sidewall members; and endwall member generally parallel to said front wall member and joined intermediate said sidewall members; a top member joined to said sidewall members, said front wall member, and said end wall member for closing the top of the cartridge; a plurality of selectively actuatable card-retaining and selection pin means for supporting a plurality of end-coded cards, said pin means mounted between said front wall member and said end wall member; fluiD nozzle means mounted in said sidewall members for directing fluid flow at the edges of the retained cards for maintaining the cards in spaced-apart positions; said endwall member including a plurality of fluid-exhaust apertures in fluid communication with the interior of the cartridge, fluid source means for providing fluid flow through said apertures bearing on the face of the end card next adjacent said end wall member for holding said end card out of contact with said end wall member at all times and at a distance sufficient to enable another card to be inserted between said end wall member and said next adjacent end card, and with a spacing being maintained between said other card and said end wall member and also between said other card and said end card, and fluid conduit means for coupling to a source of pressurized fluid from the card-handling apparatus, said fluid conduit means in fluid communication with said plurality of fluid-exhaust apertures.

Claim 9

The cartridge as in claim 6 wherein said fluid conduit means includes fluid input means downwardly extending in said end wall member and opening at the bottom of the sidewall members for fluid communication with fluid supply ports in the card-handling apparatus, and a plurality of transverse channels extending upwardly along said end wall member, respective ones of said plurality of fluid-exhaust apertures located in associated ones of said channels.

Claim 10

The cartridge as in claim 7 and further including a predetermined number of dummy cards retained in a side-by-side relationship adjacent said front wall member, said dummy cards normally being unselectable and arranged for spacing selectable ones of the cards outwardly from said front wall member, thereby rending said selectable cards readily separatable by said fluid nozzle means.

Claim 11

The cartridge as in claim 7 wherein said plurality of fluid-exhaust apertures are arranged in a coordinate array extending over substantially all of the surface of said face of said end card for providing substantially uniform loading on said card.

Claim 12

The cartridge as in claim 9 wherein said end wall member is on the card-return area for returning cards, said fluid exhausted through said plurality of fluid-exhaust apertures forming a fluid bearing for keeping said returning cards out of contact with said end wall member.