US3972138A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Credit card
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-09-30
•
Granted: 1976-08-03
•
Expires: 1994-09-30
Abstract
Abstract An improved credit card construction includes visible information embossed thereon as well as the improvement of a slot having at least one magnetizable signal carrying tab movable to a desired index position. The credit card user places the tab in the correct index position to identify the user of the card as the proper user. When the card is not in use, the indexing tab is maintained in some other position in the indexing slot. The construction eliminates misuse of the credit card since only the proper owner knows the appropriate indexing tab position.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas L. Armbruster
- 👤 Willliam N. Hill
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 22:19
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07F; G07F7/00; G07F7/08; G07F7/10; G06; G06K; G06K19/00; G06K19/06; G06K19/08; G06K19/10; G06Q; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/30; G06Q20/34; G06Q20/347; G07F7/1025; G07F7/1058; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S283/00; Y10S283/904
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
226 words
In a credit card construction of the type including lines of visible embossed numbers and information on the front panel and at least one strip of magnetic tape affixed to said card, said tape having information coded therein uniquely associated with the visible embossed information on said card, the improvement comprising a settable index mechanism in said card comprising a series of linearly arranged, serially ordered equispaced index positions defined along a slot in said card, at least one index member affixed in said slot and slidable therein to any one of said index positions, said index member being sized to correspond to only a single index position at any one time, said index member including a surface covered at least partially by magnetic tape material on the same side of the card as said strip of magnetic tape, said index member thereby providing additional identification information only when the index member is positioned in a certain one of the positions whereby the user of said card upon being advised of an appropriate index position associated with the proper use of said card can place said index member in said position whenever said card is to be properly used and can remove said index member from the defined proper position during periods of non use in order to frustrate confiscation and misuse of said credit card.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
226 words
In a credit card construction of the type including lines of visible embossed numbers and information on the front panel and at least one strip of magnetic tape affixed to said card, said tape having information coded therein uniquely associated with the visible embossed information on said card, the improvement comprising a settable index mechanism in said card comprising a series of linearly arranged, serially ordered equispaced index positions defined along a slot in said card, at least one index member affixed in said slot and slidable therein to any one of said index positions, said index member being sized to correspond to only a single index position at any one time, said index member including a surface covered at least partially by magnetic tape material on the same side of the card as said strip of magnetic tape, said index member thereby providing additional identification information only when the index member is positioned in a certain one of the positions whereby the user of said card upon being advised of an appropriate index position associated with the proper use of said card can place said index member in said position whenever said card is to be properly used and can remove said index member from the defined proper position during periods of non use in order to frustrate confiscation and misuse of said credit card.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
The improved credit card construction of claim 1 wherein magnetic tape includes coded information thereon indicating the certain one index position for said settable index member whereby the credit card provides self-contained information for verification that the index member is properly positioned in the certain one position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The improved credit card construction of claim 1 wherein said single slot includes a plurality of index members for setting a multiple index combination of positions relative to index positions of said slot.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The improved credit card construction of claim 1 wherein said credit card includes a plurality of slots, each slot including at least one separate index member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The improved credit card construction of claim 1 wherein said credit card construction includes a plurality of slots, each of said slots including a plurality of index members for setting a multiple index combination in each of said slots.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
79 words
The improved credit card construction of claim 1 wherein said index member includes a planar surface for said magnetic tape, said tape covering only a portion of said surface, said index member being slidably positioned in said slot at one of the indexed positions and also rotatable in said slot at said index position, said additional identification information being provided by positioning said member in the certain one of said positions and rotating said member to a certain orientation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
61 words
The improved credit card construction of claim 1 wherein said index member comprises a link extending through said slot and terminating on opposite sides of the slot with flanges which maintain the member in the slot, one of the flanges having the magnetic tape affixed thereto and the other flange including a handle portion for manual positioning of the index member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The improved credit card of claim 7 including detent means cooperative with the slot to retain the index member in a fixed position in the slot.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3245697A
Cited
US3399473A
Cited
US3593292A
Cited
US3823308A
Cited
US3676644A
Cited
US3713235A
Cited
US3821060A
Cited
US3790754A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-08-03 | 1980-02-02 | 1980-08-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-08-03 | 1984-02-02 | 1984-08-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-08-03 | 1988-02-02 | 1988-08-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |