Optical reader for an embossed card

Claim 2

A read head for optical reading of raised embossments provided serially on an embossed card, the surface of each of said embossments possessing irregularities in height, and surface inclination, the combination comprising: a tray, an aperture provided in said tray, a plurality of signal-sending optical transmission lines mounted on said tray having the terminal ends thereof protruding into said aperture, a light source carried on said tray for directing light energy along said signal-sending optical transmission lines, a plurality of signal-receiving optical transmission lines having terminal ends protruding into said aperture, holding means mounted on said tray fixedly receiving the terminal ends of both said signal-sending and said signalreceiving optical transmission lines, biasing means connected to said tray and to said signal-sending and said signal-receiving optical transmission lines for biasing said terminal ends of both said signal-sending and signal-receiving optical transmission lines toward protruding relationship into said aperture, and guide means on said tray for alignment of said aperture provided in said tray over each of said raised embossments in turn as the raised embossments are serially transported past said tray, said biasing means biasing said signal-sending optical transmission lines into engagement on said raised embossments serially transported past said tray, said raised embossments engaging the terminal ends of said signal-sending optical transmission lines and selectively shuttering the terminal ends of said signal-sending optical transmission lines to create an optical code indicative of the identity of tHe raised embossments serially transported past said tray.

Claim 3

The structure as recited in claim 1, and further including: said receptacle portion overlying said holding means, a light source and an electro-optic both being received in said receptacle portion, alignment means cooperating with said holding means and said receptacle portion for aligning said light source with respect to said signal-sending optical transmission paths and for aligning said transducer with said signal-receiving transmission paths such that light energy from said light source is transmitted through said signal-sending optical transmission paths, reflected off the surface of said embossed card and is received through said signal-receiving optical transmission paths and is converted into electrical signals by said transducer, said embossments selectively shuttering the optical signal transferred from said signal-sending optical transmission paths to said signal-receiving optical transmission paths to create said coded optical signal.

Claim 4

The structure as recited in claim 2, wherein, said alignment means comprises a generally V-shaped surface on said receptacle portion, and further including a corresponding V-shaped portion on said holding means matingly engaged in said V-shaped surface of said receptacle portion.

Claim 5

The structure as recited in claim 1, and further including: biasing means for biasing said holding means into protruding relationship with respect to said aperture provided in said tray, said raised embossments individually engaging the holding means and displacing said holding means against the biasing action of said biasing means to allow engaging conformity of said holding means with the irregularities in each individual embossment serially transported past said read head.

Claim 6

The structure as recited in claim 4, wherein said biasing means includes a differentially yieldable portion connecting said optical transmission paths to said tray, said optical transmission paths being displaceable by each embossment surface against said biasing means, said biasing means being differentially yieldable in response to said displacement of said optical lines for conformity with the irregularities in each individual embossment serially transported past said read head.

Claim 7

The structure as recited in claim 5, wherein: said differentially yieldable portion includes at least a pair of resiliently yieldable coil springs connecting said tray and said holding means, each one of said resiliently yieldable coil springs being yieldable independently of the other in response to displacement of said holding means to allow said differential yielding of said differentially yieldable portion.

Claim 8

The structure as recited in claim 1, wherein, said signal-sending optical transmission lines comprise five in number arranged along a single line extending transversely with respect to the embossments as they are transported past said read head.

Claim 9

In an embossed card reader, the combination comprising: a frame, a carriage provided with a plurality of signal-sending optical transmission lines and a plurality of signal-receiving optical transmission lines, a tray, mounting means mounting said tray to said frame, said carriage being mounted on said tray, transporting means on said frame for transporting a card provided with a serial array of raised embossments past said tray, steering rails on said tray for serially engaging opposed sides of a serial array of raised embossments serially transported between said steering rails and for guiding said carriage in overlying relationship serially over said embossments as they are transported past said tray, the terminal ends of said signal-sending transmission lines protruding from said carriage and through said tray between said rails for overlying and engaging individual embossments as they are transported serially past said tray, biasing means on said carriage for biasing said terminal ends of said signal-sending traNsmission lines toward protruding relationship from said tray at a location generally between said steering rails, said carriage being movably mounted on said tray for allowing said biasing means to bias said carriage into engagement over the irregularly inclined raised surfaces of said embossments, said carriage being movably biased by said biasing means into conforming engagement with the irregularities in the inclined raised surfaces of said embossments, and a light source on said carriage for supplying light energy along said signal-sending optical transmission lines, said light energy being selectively shuttered adjacent the terminal ends of said signal-sending optical transmission lines by said raised surfaces of said embossments to produce an intermitent optical code reflected off said card and received by said signal-receiving optical transmission lines, which code identifies each of said embossments.

Claim 10

In an embossed card reader, the combination comprising: a frame, a carriage provided with a plurality of signal-sending optical transmission lines and a plurality of signal-receiving optical transmission lines, a tray, mounting means mounting said tray to said frame, said carriage being mounted on said tray, transporting means on said frame for transporting a card provided with a serial array of raised embossments past said tray, steering rails on said tray for serially engaging opposed sides of a serial array of raised embossments serially transported between said steering rails and for guiding said carriage in overlying relationship serially over said embossments as they are transported past said tray, the terminal ends of said signal-sending transmission lines protruding from said carriage and through said tray between said rails for overlying and engaging individual embossments as they are transported serially past said tray, biasing means on said carriage for biasing said terminal ends of said signal-sending traNsmission lines toward protruding relationship from said tray at a location generally between said steering rails, said carriage being movably mounted on said tray for allowing said biasing means to bias said carriage into engagement over the irregularly inclined raised surfaces of said embossments, said carriage being movably biased by said biasing means into conforming engagement with the irregularities in the inclined raised surfaces of said embossments, and a light source on said carriage for supplying light energy along said signal-sending optical transmission lines, said light energy being selectively shuttered adjacent the terminal ends of said signal-sending optical transmission lines by said raised surfaces of said embossments to produce an intermitent optical code reflected off said card and received by said signal-receiving optical transmission lines, which code identifies each of said embossments.

Claim 11

The structure as recited in claim 8, wherein, said biasing means is differentially yieldable in response to movement of said carriage in conforming engagement with and engagement over the irregularly inclined surfaces of said embossments, and said carriage is movable against the biasing action of said biasing means during engagement over and in conforming engagement with the irregularly inclined surfaces of said embossments which are serially transported past said tray.

Claim 12

The structure as recited in claim 8, wherein, said biasing means includes at least a pair of resiliently yieldable coil springs connecting said tray and said carriage, each one of said resiliently yieldable coil springs being yieldable independently in response to said displacement of said carriage to allow said differential yielding of said biasing means in response to said movement of said carriage.

Claim 13

The structure as recited in claim 8, wherein said mounting means includes a shaft mounted on said frame, an arm mounted rotatably on said shaft, said tray being mounted on said arm and being rotatable therewith for lateral shifting of said tray into alignment over the serial array of embossments.

Claim 14

The structure as recited in claim 11, wherein, said arm comprises a first pair of resilient cantilever springs deflectable in a first direction and a second pair of resilient cantilever springs deflectable in a second direction, whereby said arm is resiliently deflectable in either of two directions to permit interception of the individual embossments without binding thereof in the guide rails and to permit adjustment in alignment of the tray over each embossment of the serial array of embossments, and further including: resiliently yieldable means mounting said carriage to said tray and being yieldable in response to engagement of said carriage on each embossment to permit lifting of said carriage relative to said tray and thereby allow said carriage to lift and thereby adjust itself for engagement on individual embossments of different heights as the embossments are serially transported past said carriage, said resiliently yieldable means further being yieldable to permit a rocking action of said carriage with respect to said arm to ensure conforming engagement of said carriage with each embossment and thereby compensate for the lateral shifting of said tray for alignment over the serial array of embossments.

Claim 15

The structure as recited in claim 11, wherein, said arm comprises a first pair of resilient cantilever springs deflectable in a first direction and a second pair of resilient cantilever springs deflectable in a second direction, whereby said arm is resiliently deflectable in either of two directions to permit interception of the emobssments without binding in the guide rail and to permit adjustment in alignment of the tray over each embossment of the serial array of embossments, and further including: resiliently yieldable means mounting said carriage to said tray and being yieldable in response to engagement of said carriage on each embossment to pErmit rocking of said carriage with respect to said tray for conforming engagement of said carriage with the inclinations in the surfaces of each said embossments in turn as said array of embossments are serially transported in turn past said tray.

Claim 16

In a card reader, the combination comprising: a frame, a card guide on said frame for receiving an embossed card, driving means for transporting said card along said card guide and for transporting the embossments of said cards serially along said card guide, a read head for serially reading the individual embossments as they are transported serially along said card guide, an arm rotatably mounted to said frame and rotatably mounting said read head with respect to said frame, mounting means for connecting said read head for relative motion with respect to said arm, said arm being rotatably mounted with respect to said frame for initially aligning said read head over each one in turn of the serially arranged embossments of said card, said mounting means allowing relative motion of said read head with respect to said arm for allowing alignment of said read head with respect to each individual embossment in turn as said plurality of serially arranged embossments are transported in turn past said read head, means on said read head engageable against each individual embossment serially transported past said read head for positively urging and moving said read head with respect to said arm thereby ensuring positive alignment of said read head with respect to each individual embossment, and encoding means carried by said read head for producing a code identifying each embossment serially transported past said read head.

Claim 17

In a card reader, the combination comprising: a frame, a card guide on said frame for receiving an embossed card, driving means for transporting said card along said card guide and for transporting the embossments of said cards serially along said card guide, a read head for serially reading the individual embossments as they are transported serially along said card guide, an arm rotatably mounted to said frame and rotatably mounting said read head with respect to said frame, mounting means for connecting said read head for relative motion with respect to said arm, said arm being rotatably mounted with respect to said frame for initially aligning said read head over each one in turn of the serially arranged embossments of said card, said mounting means allowing relative motion of said read head with respect to said arm for allowing alignment of said read head with respect to each individual embossment in turn as said plurality of serially arranged embossments are transported in turn past said read head, means on said read head engageable against each individual embossment serially transported past said read head for positively urging and moving said read head with respect to said arm thereby ensuring positive alignment of said read head with respect to each individual embossment, and encoding means carried by said read head for producing a code identifying each embossment serially transported past said read head.

Claim 18

The structure as recited in claim 14, and further including: biasing means for biasing said read head into overlying engagement on each individual embossment serially transported past said read head, said biasing means being yieldable in response to movement of said read into engagement over each embossment head to allow conformity of said read head with irregular inclinations in the height of each individual embossment serially transported past said read head.