Optical character scanner

Claim 1

An optical character scanning apparatus for reading a strip of visual indicia located along the face of a document, comprising: a support frame having a stationary wall surface area adapted to be slidably engaged by the document face; a viewing slot formed through the frame in open communication with said wall surface area; an array of light-responsive sensors mounted to said frame; lens means mounted to said frame intermediate the viewing slot and the array of light-responsive sensors for focusing light reflected through the viewing slot onto the array of light-responsive sensors; and means for fixedly mounting the frame to a document guiding apparatus, whereby optical alignment of the viewing slot, array of light-responsive sensors and lens means may be accomplished on the frame prior to such mounting.

Claim 5

An apparatus for reading a longitudinal strip of visual indicia containing discrete alpha-numeric characters located along the face of a document, wherein the document has a constant thickness and its face is bounded along one side by a planar longitudinal reference edge, the document having a predetermined width dimension perpendicular to the reference edge, the strip of visual indicia being located within transversely spaced boundaries parallel to one another and to the reference edge of the document; a rigid frame; an elongated document slot formed through the length of the frame; said document slot being bounded by a pair of opposed walls having inner surfaces faced apart to freely receive the thickness of a document between them, said walls having coplanar longitudinal edges and outer ends; said document slot also being bounded by a base that extends between said pair of walls at a location spaced inwardly from the longitudinal edges thereof a distance less than the document height; whereby the document can be manually moved in a longitudinal direction within the document slot with respect to the frame, the document being hand-held and guided by sliding engagement of the base by the reference edge of the document; a separable support frame having a stationary wall surface area adapted to be slidably engaged by the document face; a viewing slot formed through the support frame in open communication with said wall surface area; an array of light-responsive sensors mounted to said support frame; lens means mounted to said support frame intermediate the viewing slot and the array of light-responsive sensors for focusing light reflected through the viewing slot onto the array of light responsive sensors; one of said walls of said rigid frame having an opening formed therein to receive the stationary wall surface area of the support frame in a position at which it is substantially coplanar to the inner surface of said one wall; and means for fixably mounting the support frame to said one wall, whereby optical alignment of the viewing slot, array of light-responsive sensors and lens means can be accomplished on the support frame prior to such mounting.

Claim 6

An apparatus for reading a longitudinal strip of visual indicia containing discrete alpha-numeric characters located along the face of a document, wherein the document has a constant thickness and its face is bounded along one side by a planar longitudinal reference edge, the document having a predetermined width dimension perpendicular to the reference edge, the strip of visual indicia being located within transversely spaced boundaries parallel to one another and to the reference edge of the document; a rigid frame; an elongated document slot formed through the length of the frame; said document slot being bounded by a pair of opposed walls having inner surfaces faced apart to freely receive the thickness of a document between them, said walls having coplanar longitudinal edges and outer ends; said document slot also being bounded by a base that extends between said pair of walls at a location spaced inwardly from the longitudinal edges thereof a distance less than the document height; whereby the document can be manually moved in a longitudinal direction within the document slot with respect to the frame, the document being hand-held and guided by sliding engagement of the base by the reference edge of the document; a separable support frame having a stationary wall surface area adapted to be slidably engaged by the document face; a viewing slot formed through the support frame in open communication with said wall surface area; an array of light-responsive sensors mounted to said support frame; lens means mounted to said support frame intermediate the viewing slot and the array of light-responsive sensors for focusing light reflected through the viewing slot onto the array of light responsive sensors; one of said walls of said rigid frame having an opening formed therein to receive the stationary wall surface area of the support frame in a position at which it is substantially coplanar to the inner surface of said one wall; and means for fixably mounting the support frame to said one wall, whereby optical alignment of the viewing slot, array of light-responsive sensors and lens means can be accomplished on the support frame prior to such mounting.