GB944196A - Apparatus for transporting punched cards and similar data carriers - Google Patents

Abstract

944,196. Feeding sheets. SIEMENS & HALSKE A.G. Oct. 9, 1962 [Oct.16, 1961], No. 38130/62. Heading B6B. The apparatus claimed in Specification 941,218 is modified in that the slot 5 between the front plate V1 of the magazine for a stack V of information-carrying cards, and the base thereof, can be adjusted automatically to prevent two successive cards being fed out simultaneously until the first of these has been fed out of the stack by a predetermined amount. This arrangement prevents the two lowermost cards of a new stack being fed out of the stack to the feed rollers 2 whilst superpositioned. The plate V1 is raised and lowered by an electromagnet E controlled by a photo-electric cell F and light source L, and until the light ray is interrupted by the presence of a card passing to the rollers 2, the plate VI is in the lower position to permit only the lowermost card to pass through the slot S. Immediately the card breaks the light ray, the plate V1 is lifted to permit two cards to pass through, and continuous feed of the successive cards in staggered relationship commences. The card-separator roller 1 is spaced from the trailing edge of the lowest card by a distance of one quarter of a card length, and the distance between the roller 1 and rollers 2 is, equal to one card length, and the light ray is interrupted to cause the slot S to be widened to permit simultaneous passage of two cards, when one third of a card projects through the slot S. The second set of feed rollers 3 rotatate at higher peripheral speeds than the rollers 2, the latter rotate faster than the roller 1, and all the rollers have the same diameter. The photo-electric device F, L could be replaced by a mechanical device directly actuated by the cards.