Abstract A magnetic card transport which includes three drive rollers. A forward drive roller for driving the magnetic card toward the entry throat for recording character by character and for ejecting the card from the transport; a reverse drive roller for positioning the card in an opposite direction for read checking a previously recorded character; and a high speed reverse drive roller for positioning the card at the beginning of a track during initial entry from the throat and from the end of a previously recorded track. The three drive rollers continuously rotate beneath the card and the card is caused to move by application of a pinch roller to the card to press it into rolling contact with its associated drive roller. A fixed guide rail is provided and the card is biased against the fixed guide rail by means of guide springs. Further, to prevent misalignment of the card during reading and writing the pinch rollers associated with the forward and reverse drive rollers are canted such that the resultant moments of force are in a direction to bias the card against the fixed drive rail. The entry/exit throat of the card transport, the drive rollers and the magnetic head are located such that optimum utilization of the recording area on the card is accomplished. In addition, a dual card switch located near the innermost extremity of the card bed is positioned such that it is not contracted during normal movement of the card, but in the event an operator attempts to insert another card and thereby force the original card further into the machine and out from under the pinch rollers, the switch is operative to signal the logic that an eject cycle must be entered into and the mechanical spring of the switch causes the card which tripped the switch to be flipped back into engagement with the drive rollers such that that card is also ejected.
A transport for moving a card having two parallel sides along a linear path relative to a transducer to record/read data tracks along its length parallel to the parallel sides comprising: a card bed including a fixed guide rail positioned parallel to said linear path and means for biasing one of said parallel edges of said card against said fixed guide rail; said card bed including a common entry and exit throat for supporting said card in operable association with said transducer and said card bed further including a forward drive roller and a reverse drive roller rotating in opposite directions in said opening with a pinch roller associated with each of said drive rollers with the axis of rotation of said drive rollers being normal with respect to said guide rail and the axis of rotation of one of said pinch rollers is at an angle with respect to said normal and the axis of rotation of the other said pinch roller is at an opposite angle to said normal; and means for selectively moving said pinch rollers to selectively apply a normal force to said card when said card is located above said opening.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
196 words
A transport for moving a card having two parallel sides along a linear path relative to a transducer to record/read data tracks along its length parallel to the parallel sides comprising: a card bed including a fixed guide rail positioned parallel to said linear path and means for biasing one of said parallel edges of said card against said fixed guide rail; said card bed including a common entry and exit throat for supporting said card in operable association with said transducer and said card bed further including a forward drive roller and a reverse drive roller rotating in opposite directions in said opening with a pinch roller associated with each of said drive rollers with the axis of rotation of said drive rollers being normal with respect to said guide rail and the axis of rotation of one of said pinch rollers is at an angle with respect to said normal and the axis of rotation of the other said pinch roller is at an opposite angle to said normal; and means for selectively moving said pinch rollers to selectively apply a normal force to said card when said card is located above said opening.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
85 words
The transport apparatus of claim 1 further including a third drive roller in said card bed opening rotating at a higher speed than either of said forward or reverse drive rollers with an associated pinch roller and means for selectively moving said pinch roller to selectively apply a normal force to said card when said card is located above said opening and further with the axis of rotation of both said third drive roller and associated pinch roller being normal relative to said fixed rail.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The transport apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for biasing further includes a number of springs on said bed operative against the other of said parallel edges of said card.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
The transport apparatus of claim 3 wherein said card includes a handling area and a working area along its length and the distance between the axis of rotation of said forward drive roller and said throat is such that as said working area moves past said transducer said card does not extend out of said throat.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
78 words
The transport of claim 4 further including a two card switch located at the opposite extremity of said bed from said throat a distance from the axis of rotation of said reverse drive roller greater than the total length of said card and with said two card switch having a spring member operative upon deflection by a card to operate said switch and mechanically return the card back between said forward drive roller and its associated pinch roller.