Solenoid control system

Claim 2

In a solenoid-actuated record card feeding device wherewith individual cards are advanced from a stack thereof and wherein the load opposing subsequent actuations of the device varies directly with the weight of the stack as cards are added and fed, a solenoid control system comprising: monitor means responsive to the position of the plunger of an electrically actuatable card feeder solenoid associated therewith for providing an electrical output indicative of the plunger position; and control means operably responsive to the electrical output of said monitor means for prolonging the actuation of the card feeder solenoid only until its plunger has been advanced a predetermined distance, the duration of solenoid actuation thereby being a function of solenoid plunger travel time, which is a function of varying card stack weight; said monitor means comprising: light projecting means for providing a source of light; light detecting means disposed in effective opposition to said light projecting means for detecting light emissions therefrom, said light detecting means having an electrical output operably responsive to the light emissions; and light shutter means for controlling the passage of light from said light projecting means to said light detecting means in response to the position of the card feeder solenoid plunger; said light projecting means comprising a light emitting element having a substantially unidirectional optical output; said light detecting means comprising a photoelectric device having a characterisitic electrical output responsive to the presence and absence of light emitted by said light projecting means; said light shutter means comprising an optically opaque lever normally disposed betweeen said light projecting means and said light detecting means, blocking the passage of light therebetween, said shutter means being movable away from its normal position upon actuation of the card feeder solenoid, thereby permitting the passage of light from said light projecting means to said light detecting means; and said control means comprising a bistable logic element responsive to an external card feed signal for initiating actuation of the card feeder solenoid and being responsive to the electrical output of said light detecting means for discontinuing solenoid actuation.

Claim 3

A solenoid-actuated record card feeding device, wherewith individual cards are advanced from a stack thereof and wherein the load opposing subsequent actuations of the device varies directly with the weight of the stack as cards are added and fed, comprising: a support member; an electrically actuatable solenoid disposed on said support member and having a plunger movably dependent thereon; at least one card feeding implement movably disposed on said support member and operably coupled to the plunger of said solenoid for advancing an individual card from a stack thereof in response to each actuation of the solenoid; a monitor disposed on said support member and having an electrical output responsive to the position Of said card feeding implement; and a control member operably responsive to the electrical output of said monitor for prolonging the actuation of said solenoid only until said card feeding implement has been advanced a predetermined distance, the duration of solenoid actuation thereby being a function of card feeding implement travel time, which is a function of varying card stack weight. said monitor comprising: a light projector disposed on said support member for providing a source of light; a light detector disposed on said support member in effective opposition to said light projector for detecting light emissions therefrom, said light detector having an electrical output operably responsive to the light emissions; and a light shutter for controlling the passage of light from said light projector to said light detector in response to the position of said card feeding implement; said light projector comprising a light emitting element having a substantially unidirectional output. said light detector comprising a photoelectric device having a characterisitic electrical output responsive to the presence and absence of light emitted by said light projector; said light shutter being normally disposed between said light projector and said light detector, blocking the passage of light therebetween, said shutter being movable away from its normal position upon actuation of the card feeder solenoid, thereby permitting the passage of light from said light projector to said light detector; and said control member comprising a bistable logic element responsive to an external card feed signal for initiating actuation of the card feeder solenoid and being further responsive to the electrical output of said light detector for discontinuing solenoid actuation.

Claim 4

A solenoid-actuated record card feeding device, wherewith individual cards are advanced from a stack thereof and wherein the load opposing subsequent actuations of the device varies directly with the weight of the stack as cards are added and fed, comprising: a support member; an electrically actuatable solenoid disposed on said support member and having a plunger movably dependent thereon; at least one card feeding implement movably disposed on said support member and operably coupled to the plunger of said solenoid for advancing an individual card from a stack thereof in response to each actuation of the solenoid; a monitor disposed on said support member and having an electrical output responsive to the position Of said card feeding implement; and a control member operably responsive to the electrical output of said monitor for prolonging the actuation of said solenoid only until said card feeding implement has been advanced a predetermined distance, the duration of solenoid actuation thereby being a function of card feeding implement travel time, which is a function of varying card stack weight. said monitor comprising: a light projector disposed on said support member for providing a source of light; a light detector disposed on said support member in effective opposition to said light projector for detecting light emissions therefrom, said light detector having an electrical output operably responsive to the light emissions; and a light shutter for controlling the passage of light from said light projector to said light detector in response to the position of said card feeding implement; said light projector comprising a light emitting element having a substantially unidirectional output. said light detector comprising a photoelectric device having a characterisitic electrical output responsive to the presence and absence of light emitted by said light projector; said light shutter being normally disposed between said light projector and said light detector, blocking the passage of light therebetween, said shutter being movable away from its normal position upon actuation of the card feeder solenoid, thereby permitting the passage of light from said light projector to said light detector; and said control member comprising a bistable logic element responsive to an external card feed signal for initiating actuation of the card feeder solenoid and being further responsive to the electrical output of said light detector for discontinuing solenoid actuation.

Claim 5

A solenoid-actuated record card feeding device as defined by claim 2 wherein said card feeding implement comprises a feed knife affixed to the upper end of an associated feed knife support lever, the lever being pivotable about its lower end by said card feeder solenoid, the body of said feed knife having an impelling projection extending upward therefrom, the projection being abuttable with the trailing edge of the lowermost card of a stack thereof for advancing that individual card upon actuation of said solenoid.

Claim 6

A solenoid-actuated record card feeding device, wherewith individual cards are advanced from the bottom of a card stack and wherein the load opposing subsequent actuations of the device varies directly with the weight of the stack as cards are added and fed, comprising: a supporting structure; an electrically actuatable solenoid disposed on said supporting structure and having a plunger movable in one direction in response to the energization thereof and returnable in the opposite direction in response to the deenergization thereof; at least one card feeding implement movably disposed on said supporting structure and operably coupled to the plunger of said solenoid for advancing an individual card from a stack thereof in response to each energization of said solenoid; detector means disposed on said supporting structure and having an electrical output responsive to the position assumed by said card feeding implement at the conclusion of its card advancement; and electrical circuit means for controlling the energization and deenergization of the solenoid, said circuit means including an electrically operated bistable logic element having ''''set'''' and ''''reset'''' inputs and being responsive to an external card feed signal on the ''''set'''' input of the logic element for initiating the energization of the solenoid and being further responsive to the electrical output of said detector means on the ''''reset'''' input of the logic element for discontinuing the energization of the solenoid, the duration of solenoid energization thereby being a function of card feeding implement travel time which is a function of the varying card weigHt.

Claim 7

A solenoid-actuated record card feeding device, wherewith individual cards are advanced from the bottom of a card stack and wherein the load opposing subsequent actuations of the device varies directly with the weight of the stack as cards are added and fed, comprising: a supporting structure; an electrically actuatable solenoid disposed on said supporting structure and having a plunger movable in one direction in response to the energization thereof and returnable in the opposite direction in response to the deenergization thereof; at least one card feeding implement movably disposed on said supporting structure and operably coupled to the plunger of said solenoid for advancing an individual card from a stack thereof in response to each energization of said solenoid; detector means disposed on said supporting structure and having an electrical output responsive to the position assumed by said card feeding implement at the conclusion of its card advancement; and electrical circuit means for controlling the energization and deenergization of the solenoid, said circuit means including an electrically operated bistable logic element having ''''set'''' and ''''reset'''' inputs and being responsive to an external card feed signal on the ''''set'''' input of the logic element for initiating the energization of the solenoid and being further responsive to the electrical output of said detector means on the ''''reset'''' input of the logic element for discontinuing the energization of the solenoid, the duration of solenoid energization thereby being a function of card feeding implement travel time which is a function of the varying card weigHt.