Fiber optic translator

Claim 1

In a fiber optic translator used to convert, by nonelectronic means, an optically unrecognizable pattern of openings in a card into optically recognizable objects, the combination of a display matrix connected by plastic light guide strands to a light receiver block spaced from a light concentrator block that is at one end of a box containing an incandescent lamp and reflector, a decoder card receivable between said light receiver block and said light concentrator block, said display matrix having light openings arranged thereupon in horizontal and vertical rows to form a grid for visually reading an alphabetical character or a numerical digit, one end of each of said strands being connected to one of said light openings, and the opposite end of each said strand being connected to said light receiver block that comprises a panel with spaced apart openings therethrough, the end of said strands being selectively connected to certain of said openings in light receiver block so to form an end coder, said connection being re-arrangeable in pattern, said light concentration block comprising a panel having openings therethrough in a same arrangement as said openings in said light receiver block, said openings of said light concentrator block being arranged with the openings of said light receiver block so that light from said incandescent lamp can pass through said openings of said blocks, said decoder card being made opaque and being of a size equivalent to a size of said light receiver block or light concentrator block, said decoder card being provided with several spaced apart openings therethrough which represent a particular alphabetical character or numerical digit, the openings in said decoder card being scrambled in position so that visually the said character or digit cannot be identified, said openings of said decoder card however being lined with certain of said openings and said light concentrator block and said light receiver block.