Record card feed device

Claim 2

A record card feed device comprising, in combination, a frame defining a card passage; a record card guide wall extending along one longitudinal side of said card passageway; a capstan formed of a soft resilient plastic material, rotatably mounted in said frame for engagement with a card moving along said card passageway; drive means operable to rotate said capstan at a substantially constant rate; a pinch roller rotatably mounted in said frame and cooperable with said capstan for moving a record card along said card passageway; an information readout element positioned along said cArd passageway to read out the information on the record card while the latter is moving along said passageway; and a pressure roller rotatably mounted in said frame and engaging a card in the card passageway to press the card into engagement with said information readout element; said capstan having a frusto-conical peripheral surface whose maximum diameter portion is disposed nearer to said card guide wall; whereby, when said frusto-conical peripheral surface of said capstan presses against a card, it exerts a force on the card directed axially of the capstan toward said card guide wall to press the card against said card guide wall; the card thereby being caused to move rectilinearly along said card passageway without a deviation from a rectilinear movement; the periphery of said pinch roller being formed with a triangular cross section relief groove vertically aligned with the larger diameter end of said capstan whereby to prevent contact between said capstan and said pinch roller when no card is feed between said capstan and said pinch roller to preclude unnecessary deformation of the frusto-conical peripheral surface of said capstan to prevent its premature permanent deformation.

Claim 3

A record card feeding device comprising, in combination, a frame defining a card passageway; a record card guide wall extending along one longitudinal side of said card passageway; a capstan rotatably mounted in said frame for engagement with a card moving along said card passageway; drive means operable to rotate said capstan at a substantially constant rate; a pinch roller rotatably mounted in said frame and cooperable with said capstan for moving a record card along said card passageway; an information readout element positioned along said card passageway to read out the information on the record card while the latter is moving along said passageway; and a pressure roller rotatably mounted in said frame and engaging a card in the card passageway to press the card into engagement with said information readout element; said capstan having a frusto-conical peripheral surface whose maximum diameter portion is disposed nearer to said card guide wall than its minimum diameter portion; whereby, when said frusto-conical peripheral surface of said capstan presses against a card, it exerts a force on the card directed axially of the capstan toward said card guide wall to press the card against said card guide wall; the card thereby being caused to move rectilinearly along said card passageway without deviation from a rectilinear movement; said frame comprising upper and lower frame members defining said card passageway; one of said frame members mounting said information readout element and the other said frame member having said card guide wall thereon; means operable to adjust horizontally the relative lateral positions of said upper and lower frame members; said frame members being substantially rectangular; and screws threadedly interconnecting said frame members at the four corners thereof; each of said screws being threadedly received in one of said frame members and having its shank extending, with lateral play, through an opening in the other frame member, to provide for relative lateral adjustment of said two frame members.

Claim 4

A record card feeding device comprising, in combination, a frame defining a card passageway; a record card guide wall extending along one longitudinal side of said card passageway; a capstan rotatably mounted in said frame for engagement with a card moving along said card passageway; drive means operable to rotate said capstan at a substantially constant rate; a pinch roller rotatably mounted in said frame and cooperable with said capstan for moving a record card along said card passageway; an information readout element positioned along said card passageway to read out the information on the record card while the latter is moving along said passageway; and a pressure roller rotatably mounted in said frame and engaging a card in the card passageway to press the card into engagement with said information readout element; said capstan having a frusto-conical peripheral surface whose maximum diameter portion is disposed nearer to said card guide wall than its minimum diameter portion; whereby, when said frusto-conical peripheral surface of said capstan presses against a card, it exerts a force on the card directed axially of the capstan toward said card guide wall to press the card against said card guide wall; the card thereby being caused to move rectilinearly along said card passageway without deviation from a rectilinear movement; said frame comprising upper and lower frame members defining said card passageway; one of said frame members mounting said information readout element and the other said frame member having said card guide wall thereon; means operable to adjust horizontally the relative lateral positions of said upper and lower frame members; said frame members being substantially rectangular; and screws threadedly interconnecting said frame members at the four corners thereof; each of said screws being threadedly received in one of said frame members and having its shank extending, with lateral play, through an opening in the other frame member, to provide for relative lateral adjustment of said two frame members.

Claim 5

A record card feed device, comprising, in combination, a frame including upper and lower frame members defining a record card passageway therebetween; a record card guide wall on said lower frame member extending longitudinally of one side of said card passageway; a capstan operable in said record card passageway; a shaft supporting said capstan and rotatably mounted in said lower frame member; an electric motor connected to said shaft and operable to rotate said capstan at a substantially constant rate; a pinch roller rotatably mounted in said lower frame member and cooperable with said capstan for moving a record card along said card passageway; an information readout element positioned in said upper frame member along said card passageway to read out the informatiOn on the record card while the latter is moving along said passageway; a pressure roller mounted in said lower frame member and engaging a card in the card passageway to press the card into engagement with said readout element; a gear housing secured to one end of said electric motor and supporting a train of gears for transmitting rotation of said electric motor to said capstan support shaft, said train of gears including a final gear fixed to said capstan support shaft; said gear housing being loosely supported by said capstan support shaft and said electric motor and said gear housing being retained between support plates secured to said upper frame member.

Claim 6

A record card feed device, comprising, in combination, a frame including upper and lower frame members defining a record card passageway therebetween; a record card guide wall on said lower frame member extending longitudinally of one side of said card passageway; a capstan operable in said record card passageway; a shaft supporting said capstan and rotatably mounted in said lower frame member; an electric motor connected to said shaft and operable to rotate said capstan at a substantially constant rate; a pinch roller rotatably mounted in said lower frame member and cooperable with said capstan for moving a record card along said card passageway; an information readout element positioned in said upper frame member along said card passageway to read out the informatiOn on the record card while the latter is moving along said passageway; a pressure roller mounted in said lower frame member and engaging a card in the card passageway to press the card into engagement with said readout element; a gear housing secured to one end of said electric motor and supporting a train of gears for transmitting rotation of said electric motor to said capstan support shaft, said train of gears including a final gear fixed to said capstan support shaft; said gear housing being loosely supported by said capstan support shaft and said electric motor and said gear housing being retained between support plates secured to said upper frame member.