US3690457A

US3690457A - Card sorting device

Info

Publication number: US3690457A
Application number: US62526A
Authority: US
Inventors: John H Lanahan; William W Abraham
Original assignee: Mohawk Industrial Laboratories Inc
Current assignee: Mohawk Industrial Laboratories Inc
Priority date: 1970-08-10
Filing date: 1970-08-10
Publication date: 1972-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 1989-09-12
Also published as: DE2139916A1; DE2139916C3; DE2139916B2

Abstract

A card sorting device comprises a bay for a plurality of edgealigned, vertically oriented cards having a bottom edge notched in at least one position in accordance with information on the cards. The cards are supported by front and rear support members extending generally transverse to the cards underneath the lower edges adjacent the front and rear edges of the cards. The device includes means for moving one or more selected code bars into a position transverse to the bottom edge of the cards and in alignment with the notches in the selected cards. When one or both of the support members is moved downwardly, the selected cards can move downwardly due to the alignment of the notches and the code bars. The remaining, rejected cards, do not have notches in alignment with the selected code bars and are restrained from moving downwardly by contact between their lower edges and the code bars. The rejected cards are then moved as a unit relative to the selected cards to effect separation. In a device of this type, it is possible that a rejected card is restrained from downward motion by a single code bar or by a plurality of code bars located towards one end of the card. In either event, it is possible for such rejected cards to pivot downwardly about a code bar and this spurious downward pivotal movement may interfere with card selection since, for proper operation, only the selected cards should undergo downward motion. According to the present invention, rejected cards are restrained from spurious downward pivoting action in at least one sense about a code bar engaging the lower edge thereof at a point where there is no edge-notch. This spurious pivoting motion of rejected cards is prevented by providing an elongate member above the cards having a lower surface engageable with the upper edges of the cards near one end thereof. The rejected cards are thus restrained from upward pivotal motion of that end about a code bar.

Description

United States Patent Lanahan et al.

[ CARD SORTING DEVICE [72] Inventors: John H. Lanahan, Whitesboro; William W. Abraham, Utica, both of [73] Assignee: Mohawk Industrial Laboratories,

Inc., Vernon, NY.

[22] Filed: Aug. 10, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 62,526

52 US. 01. ..209/s0.s, 209/110 511 im. c1 ..'...n07 3/00 [58] Field or Search ..209/80.5, 110

561 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,394,247 7/1968 lrasek ..209/80.5 x 3,292,631 12/1966 Cross, Jr ..209/s0.s 3,266,497 8/1966 Bleiman ..209/80.5

Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher Assistant ExaminerGene A. Church Attorney-Larson, Taylor and Hinds 5 7] ABSTRACT A card sorting device comprises a bay for a plurality of edge-aligned, vertically oriented cards having a bottom edge notched in at least one position in accordance with information on the cards. The cards are supported by front and rear support members extending generally transverse to the cards underneath the 15] 3,690,457 1 51 Sept. 12, 1972 lower edges adjacent the front and rear edges of the cards. The device includes means for moving one or more selected code bars into a position transverse to the bottom edge of the cards and in alignment with the notches in the selected cards. When one or both of the support members is moved downwardly, the selected cards can move downwardly due to the alignment of the notches and the code bars. The remaining, rejected cards, do not have notches in alignment with the selected code bars and are restrained from moving downwardly by contact between their lower edges and the code bars. The rejected cards are then moved as a unit relative to the selected cards to effect separation. in a device of this type, it is possible that a rejected card is restrained from downward motion by a single code bar or by a plurality of code bars located towards one end of the card. In either event, it is possible for such rejected cards to pivot downwardly about a code bar and this spurious downward pivotal movement may interfere with card selection since, for proper operation, only the selected cards should undergo downward motion. According to the present invention, rejected cards are restrained from spurious downward pivoting action in at least one sense about a code bar engaging the lower edge thereof at a point where there is no edge-notch. This spurious pivoting motion of rejected cards is prevented by providing an elongate member above the cards having a lower surface engageable with the upper edges of the cards near one end thereof. The rejected cards are thus restrained from upward pivotal motion of that end about a code bar.

20 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures vI] n m avg INVENTORS 6 JOHN H. LANAHAN W ILLIAM W. ABRAHAM I BY 289? ATTOR N 2Y5 CARD SORTING DEVICE BaCKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to card sorting devices. More particularly, the invention relates to card sorting devices for separating selected cards from a plurality of edge-aligned, vertically oriented cards wherein selected cards are moved downwardly fi'om the stack and the remaining, rejected, cards are moved rearwardly away from the selected cards. A device of this type is more fully disclosed in our co-pending application,'Ser. No. 811,826, filed Apr. 1, 1969, now US. Pat. No. 3,586,166, issued June 22, 1971, the disclo: sure of which is herein incorporated by reference. In a preferred embodiment of this device, the cards are vertically oriented with their lower, notched, edges horizontally aligned and supported by front and rear vertically moveable support members extending generally transverse to the cards beneath the front and rear ends of the lower edges thereof. A plurality of code bars are located beneath the lower edge of the cards and are selectively moveable into adjacency with the lower edges of the cards transversely of the cards between the front and rear support members. When the front and rear support members are moved downwardly, cards having notches in alignment with selected code bars are moveable downwardly relative thereto. The remaining cards, not having notches corresponding to all of the selected code bars, are not free to move downwardly relative thereto and, in fact, are retained in a relatively elevated position by engagement between the lower edge and at least one selected code bar. After the selected cards move downwardly, the remaining, rejected cards are moved as a unit relative to the selected cards. This is conveniently accomplished by moving a notch-engaging member into a notch provided in the top edge of all of the cards. Since the selected cards are moved downwardly, the member engages the notch only in the top edges of the rejected cards and thus the rejected cards can be moved as a unit by moving the member in engagement with the top edge notches. However, if a rejected card is free to pivot downwardly in a sense such that the top edge notch moves with the selected cards, it is possible that the notch-engaging member will not engage the top edge notch in such cards and these cards may subsequently be treated by the device as selected cards. For example, it is possible that some rejected cards are supported by a single code bar or by several closely spaced code bars. In either event, where the end of the card adjacent the topedge notch can pivot downwardly about the code bar, it becomes possible for the rejected card to be treated as a selected card.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a card sorting device free from the possibility of spurious pivotal motion of rejected cards mentioned above. It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved card sorting device of the type mentioned wherein pivoting motion of rejected cards is prevented. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a card sorting device and method wherein the selected cards move relative to the rejected cards in a pivoting action and it is a further object to prevent spu rious motion of rejected cards in such device.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIO The foregoing and other objects which will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art, are achieved according to the present invention by providing in a card sorting device of the type described, means for preventing spurious downward pivotal motion of rejected cards in at least one pivotal direction about a code bar located adjacent a bottom edge of the cards and by providing a card sorting device and method wherein selected cards move relative to rejected cards by pivotal motion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTion OF THE INVENTION There follows a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, together with accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of a portion of a card sorting device more fully described in co-pending application, Ser. No. 811,826;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic elevation of a phase of operation of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic elevation of a portion of a card sorting device according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic elevation of a portion of a card sorting device wherein selected cardsmove relative to rejected cards in a pivoting motion;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic elevation of a phase of operation of the device of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic elevation of a portion of a card sorting device of the type shown in FIG. 4 modified according to the present invention.

However, it is to be understood that the detailed description and the accompanying drawings are provided solely for the purpose of illustrating a preferred embodiment, and that the invention is capable of numerous modifications and variations apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. t

A card sorting device of the type more fully described in our earlier application, Ser. No. 81 1,826 is illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 1, two cards only being shown for simplicity. A plurality of edge-notched cards are vertically oriented in edge alignment in the position indicated by rejected cardR. The cards are supported in this position by front and rear vertically

moveable support members

1 and 2 originally located at a position higher than illustrated in FIG. 1 in contact with the lower edges of all of the cards. This position is indicated in FIG. 1 as adjacent the lower edge 3 of rejected card R. When the device is actuated, one or more selected code bars, two code bars 4 and '5 being illustrated, are moved into adjacency with the lower edges of the cards.

Riser bars

1 and 2 are then lowered into the position shown in FIG. 1 whereupon any

card having notches

6 and 7 corresponding to all of the code bars will be moveable downwardly relative to the code bars and relative to the remaining cards. In the FIG. 1 illustration, the selected card S moved from its original position in alignment with card R to the position shown in FIG. 1 with the lower edge 8 of card S in contact with

riser bars

1 and 2. The device also includes means to move the rejected cards rearwardly as a unit in the direction of arrow 9. For example, the device may include a notch engaging member 12 moveable downwardly into engagement with a notch 13 in a top edge of the cards. Each card includes a notch indicated as 13 in the rejected card R and 13' in selected card S in its top edge in alignment with the notch in the top edge of all other cards. Since only the rejected cards remain relatively higher than the selected cards,

member 12 engages only the notch 13 in rejected cards. Member 12 is thenmoved rearwardly in engagement with all rejected cards as a unit in the direction of arrow 9. Thus, the rejected and selected cards are separated. The selected cards are then disengaged from the code bars, such as by moving support members 1 and'2 upwardly. The selected cards are then removed from the machine in any convenient manner such as by engaging member 12 with the aligned notches 13' in the selected cards. The selected cards can then be moved out of the machine as a unit by motion of member 12 in a direction opposite to arrow 9.

It will be readily understood with reference to FIG. 1 that since notches and 11 in card R do not register with selected

code bars

4 and 5, the rejected card R will be supported by the selected code bars due to engagement thereof with the lower edge 3 of card R at points free of notches. Thus, card R will not move downwardly and the selected cards are thus effectively separated from the original stack of cards. The cards can thus comprise randomly storededge notchedcards which are easily separated depending on which code bars are actuated. Using edge-engaging brushes or other means to assist in separation, rapid and precise separation of selected cards can be achieved.

In certain instances, however, it is possible that spurious movement of rejected cards occurs as will be ex- Y plained in connection with FIG. 2. In this embodiment,

a rejected card R and selected card S each have all notches in registry except one. A single aligned notch 14 in card S is shown in registry with a notch 15 in card R for simplicity. These registered notches are in alignment with selected code bar 16. The selected card S has a further notch 17 in registry with selected code bar 18 and thus the selected card is moveable downwardly into the selected position shown in FIG. 2 from a first position wherein its upper edge is indicated by dashed line 19. Rejected card R does not include a notch in registry with code bar 18 and thus the card is rejected. However, card R does include a notch registering with all other selected code bars, such as code bar 16, and on downward motion of

riser bars

1 and 2, the rejected card becomes supported at a single point by bar 18. It is therefore possible for the rejected card to pivot downwardly about this point to the position shown in FIG. 2 wherein the front portion of lower edge 20 is supported by front riser bar 1.,This spurious downward motion of the front end of the rejected card interferes with effective card separation as will be evident from FIG. 2. The front end of card R drops from its original position, shown as dashed line 19, such that notch 13 is not in position to be engaged by member 12. Accordingly, member 12 will not move card R with the remaining rejected cards and card R will thenceforth be treated by the device as a selected card. It will also be evident from FIG. 2 that pivotal motion of card R in an opposite, counterclockwise, sense, would not interfere with card separation. Accordingly, it is spurious pivotal motion in the clockwise sense which should be prevented in the embodiment of FIG. 2. This spurious motion is prevented in the improved arrangement shown in FIG. 3. Two cards are shown in FIG. 3 for simplicity. The selected card S includes notches 21 and 22 registering, respectively, with selected code bars 23 and 24. The rejected card includes a first notch 25 registering with code bar 23 and a second notch 26 out of registry with code bar 24. Thus, there-is a single differentiating code bar. In this device the rejected card is supported by a single code bar 24 but is prevented from suprious pivotal motion about this code bar by an elongate member 27 disposed generally transverse the upper edges of the cards and engageable adjacent the rear end thereof. The elongate member 27 may comprise any rigid member presenting a surface engageable with or in engagement with a rear portion of the upper edges of all of the rejected cards whenathe cards are in their elevated position restrained from downward motion by engagement with one or more code bars. The elongate member does not extend behind the

rear edges

28,29 of the cards and the rejected cards are thus free' to move rearwardly relative to the selected cards by any convenient means such as a member 12 extending transversely of the forward portion of the upper All of the stacked cards would be provided with a notch 13 but the moveable bar would only engage the re- 30 jected cards. The elongate member is conveniently mounted in the cabinet housing the cards and is either fixed thereto in engagement with the upper surface of the cards or is moveable into engagement therewith. In the latter case, any conventional moveable mounting means can be used and the member is preferably actuatedautomatically at an appropriate time during operation of the device such as just prior to lowering

riser bars

1 and 2. This is conveniently accomplished by a conventional cam means associated with a cam shaft utilized to actuate the riser bars. A suitable arrangement of the latter is fully illustrated in application, Ser. No. 81 1,826.

When elongate member 27 is inits operative position, it is preferred that it is slightly spaced above the upper edges of the cards so that the cards will not be wedged between the subadjacent selected code bars and the elongate member. Accordingly, it is contemplated that certain rejected cards, such as card R in FIG. 3, will pivot clockwise to a slight extent. The extent to which the rejected cards may possibly move in this manner is readily predictable and easily controlled by the spacing between the top of the cards in their unsorted, stacked, position, and the lower surface of member 27.

It is also contemplated that the selected cards will be moved upwardly from the position shown in FIG. 3 prior to removal from the machine. In the event that the forward ends of the selected cards are to be raised higher than their initial position indicated by the position of card R in FIG. 3 the elongate member 27 can be'mounted to permit upward motion to compensate, if necessary, for the upward pivoting motion of the selected cards. Thus, member 27 may rest on an arresting stop at the bottom of a guide slot in which the member is moveable upwardly. In the scheme of FIG. 2 spurious clockwise rotation of a rejected card is contemplated. In a similar fashion, spurious counterclockwise rotation could occur if the differentiating code bar 16 were located towards the forward end of the rejected card. As mentioned above, in the embodiment shown, motion of this type would not interfere with card selection since the forward, notched, upper edge of the rejected card would pivot upwardly and would be arrested by member 12. When member 12 is actuated, it would process such rejected card with the other rejected cards. However, it is possible to locate notch 13 in the rear end of the cards and in this instance, as well as in other instances utilizing means of card separation other than member 12 and

notches

13,13, counterclockwise motion could be harmful. Such motion can be restrained, of course, by locating elongate member 27 at the forward end of the cards.

It is also possible, in accordance with the invention, to permit selected cards to move relative to rejected cards in a pivoting action. Thus, selected cards may pivot about a fixed support member, such as rear member 2, into engagementwithselected code bars. Thus, it is possible to provide one moveable support member and one fixed support member and elongate member 27. In this embodiment, the selected cards pivot downwardly about the fixed support member. Spurious motion of rejected cards can thus only take place in a single pivotal direction, pivotal motion in the opposite direction being prevented by thefixed support member. Accordingly, elongate member 27 is positioned above the cards adjacent the fixed support member to prevent spurious pivotal motion of rejected cards. Spurious movement in the opposite direction is prevented by the fixed support member which remains stationary during operation of the device. This embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 4-6.

As in FIGS. 1-3, a single rejected card R and a single selected card S and two'code bars 4'5, are shown for simplicity. One riser bar, in this case front riser bar 1, is moveable downwardly in the direction of arrow 31 shown in FIG. 4. The other riser bar, in this case rear riser bar 2, is not moved. Selected card S has two notches 6' and 7' in the bottom edge 3' in alignment with code bars 4' and 5 and rejected card R has a notch in alignment with notch 7 and code bar 5' and a notch 11" not in alignment with code bar 4'. Code bar 4 is thus the differentiating code bar.

To select a card, code bars such as 4',5 are selected and brought into adjacency with the lower edges of the cards. Front riser bar 1 is lowered relative to the rear riser bar 2' and the selected cards are thus free to pivot downwardly about the stationary rear support 2' relative to the code bars 4',5'. Rejected cards are restrained from downward motion by one or more differentiating code bars and thus the rejected and selected cards are separated. The rejected cards are then separated as a group from the selected cards such as by member 12 which is engaged with notches 32 in the top edges of the cards as described above.

As in the case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, it'is possible that the rejected cards will pivot downwardly with the selected cards when the rejected cards are supported by a single differentiating code bar or a plurality of closely spaced differentiating code bars. This condition is illustrated in FIGS. 4-6 by the single differentiating code bar 4 located near the stationary riser bar 2'. As shown in FIG. 2, when front riser bar 1' is lowered, rejected card R can pivot downwardly about differentiating code bar 4 with the selected cards. This spurious pivotal motion interferes with card separation and may lead to the selection of rejected cards with selected cards. This spurious pivotal motion is prevented according to the present invention by locating elongate member 27 adjacent the upper edges of the cards near the stationary riser bar. The member 27 ispositioned to permit pivotal motion of the selected cards while preventing spurious pivotal motion of the rejected cards. This is easily accomplished by positioning the member adjacent the upper edge of the card a horizontal distance x between the stationary pivot point and the differentiating code bar closest to the fixed support sufficient to permit the selected cards to pivot and less than the distance between those points by a space y sufficient to permit rejected cards to be prevented from substantial spurious pivoting about the differentiating code bar. The rejected cards are then easily separated from the selected cards as a group, for example by moving the rejected cards rearwardly in the direction of arrow 33 or forwardly in thedirection of arrow 33 by means of member 12 engageable with notches 32' in the upper ends of the cards. The selected cards are then easily removed from the device. Removal of selected cards may be done manually but, asin the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, this is preferably done mechanically. For example, the selected cards may be disengaged from the code bars by lowering the latter, by raising riser bar 1, or both. The selected cards are then moved as a group such as by member 12' engaged with notches 32 in the upper edges of the cards. Thus, the selected cards can be simply moved in the direction of arrow 33 as a group. In practice, the upper edge of riser bar 1' will be quite large relative to the notches in the lower edges of the card to permit facile movement of the selected cards.

With reference to FIG. 2, it will be understood that while a single differentiating code bar 16 is shown, spurious pivotal movement could also occur if several differentiating code bars supported one end only of the rejected card. With reference to FIG. 3, it will be understood that such spurious movement of rejected cards is prevented in the present device.

The expression front and rear as used herein are arbitrary and were chosen for purposes of clarity. and not with reference to a front or rear portion of a card sorting device.

What is claimed is:

1. In a card sorting device for sorting selected cards from a plurality of edge-aligned vertically oriented cards wherein selected cards having at least one notch in a bottom edge move downwardly relative to selected code bars positioned transverse and adjacent to said bottom edge and aligned with said notches, wherein rejected cards having at least one notch in a bottom edge are restrained from downward motion by contact between said selected code bars and portions of the bottom edge-of said rejected cards free of notches, the improvement which comprises a member extending transverse to and adjacent the upper edge of said plurality of aligned cards for preventing spurious downward pivotal motion of said rejected cards in at least one pivotal direction about a code bar during downward motion of said selected cards.

2. An improved card sorting device according to claim 1 wherein said member is elongate and extends adjacent an end of said cards, the lower surface of said elongate member being located adjacent to the top edge of said cards for preventing upward pivotal motion of said end of said rejected cards about a code bar.

3. An improved card sorting device according to claim 2 wherein the top edge of each of said cards is provided with an aligned notch, and wherein said device includes a 'card moving member extending generally transverse to the top edge of each card and engageable with the aligned notches to move all of the aligned cards longitudinally as a unit.

4. An improved card sorting device according to claim 3 wherein said aligned notches are provided adjacent an end of said cards remote from said elongate member.

5. A card sorting device for separating selected cards from a plurality of edge-aligned vertically oriented cards having at least one notch in a bottom edge thereof comprising: front and rear support members extending generally transverse to said cards underneath and supporting the lower edges thereof; at least one code bar individually moveable into a position transverse and adjacenttothe lower edges of said cards in alignment with each notch in the lower edge of a card to be selected; means for moving each selected code bar into said position; means for lowering at least one of said front and rear support members to permit selected cards having notches in alignment with said selected code bars to 'move downwardly relative to the remaining, rejected, cards; and means for preventing spurious downward pivotal motion of said rejected cards in at least one pivotal direction about a code bar.

6. A card sorting device according to claim 5 wherein said motion preventing means comprises an elongate member extending transverse to the upper edge of said plurality of aligned cards adjacent an end thereof, the lower surface of said elongate member being located adjacent to the top edge of said cards for preventing upward pivotal motion of said end of said rejected cards about a code bar.

7. A card sorting device according to claim 6 wherein said elongate member is located adjacent the rear end of said cards.

8. A card sorting device according to claim 5 wherein said support member moving means comprises means to move one only of the support members whereby selected cards move downwardly in a pivoting motion.

9. A card sorting device according to claim 8 wherein one support member is fixed.

10'. A card sorting device according to claim 6 wherein said elongate member is located adjacent the front end of said cards.

11. A'card sorting device according to claim 9 wherein said front support member is fixed thus preventing downward pivotal motion of the front end of rejected cards about a code bar.

r 12. An improved card sorting device according to claim 6 wherein said lower surface of said elongate member is spaced from the sub-adjacent selected code bars a distance slightly larger than the height of the cards located therebetween to prevent binding of the cards between said surface and said supportv member.

13. In a card sorting device for sorting selected cards from a plurality of edge-aligned vertically oriented cards wherein selected cards having at least one notch in a bottom edge move downwardly relative to selected code bars positioned transverse and adjacent to said bottom edge and aligned with said notches, and wherein rejected cards having at least one notch in a bottom edge are restrained from downward motion by contact between said selected code bars and portions of the bottom edge of said rejected cards free of notches, the improvement which comprises means for effecting downward pivotal motion of said selected cards relative to said rejected cards for separating said selected cards from said rejected cards.

14. A card sorting device for separating selected cards from a plurality of edge-aligned vertically oriented cards having at least one notch in a bottom edge thereof comprising: front and rear support members extending generally transverse to said cards underneath and supporting the lower edges thereof; at least one code bar individually moveable into a position transverse and adjacent to the lower edges of said cards in alignment with each notch in the lower edge of a card to be selected; means for moving each selected code bar into said position; means for lowering one only of said front and rear support members to effect downward pivotal motion of selected cards having notches in alignment with said selected code bars relative to the remaining, rejected, cards; and means for preventing spurious downward pivotal motion of said rejected cards in at least one pivotal direction about a code bar.

15. A card sorting device according to claim 14 wherein one of said front and rear support members is fixed.

16. A method of separating selected cards from a plurality of edge-aligned selected and rejected cards having a plurality of notches in one edge thereof comprising locating a plurality of selected code bars in adjacency with said edge, each selected code bar being in alignment with the notches in selected cards, pivoting the selected cards in a first direction towards said code bars relative to the remaining cards, and moving the remaining, rejected, cards relative to the pivoted selected cards to separate the rejected cards and selected cards.

17. A method according to claim 16 including the further step of moving the separated selected cards relative to the separated rejected cards to effect further separation of the selected and rejected cards.

18. A method according to claim 16 wherein the separated selected cards are pivoted upwardly relative to the separatedrejected cards to effect further separation of the selected and rejected cards.

19. An improved card sorting device according to claim 13 including front and rear support members underneath said cards for supporting said cards and wherein said downward pivotal motion effecting means comprises means for moving one only of said front and rear support members out of a position for supporting said cards.

20. An improved card sorting device according to claim 13 further including means for preventing spurisaid pivotal direction.

Claims

1. In a card sorting device for sorting selected cards from a plurality of edge-aligned vertically oriented cards wherein selected cards having at least one notch in a bottom edge move downwardly relative to selected code bars positioned transverse and adjacent to said bottom edge and aligned with said notches, wherein rejected cards having at least one notch in a bottom edge are restrained from downward motion by contact between said selected code bars and portions of the bottom edge of said rejected cards free of notches, the improvement which comprises a member extending transverse to and adjacent the upper edge of said plurality of aligned cards for preventing spurious downward pivotal motion of said rejected cards in at least one pivotal direction about a code bar during downward motion of said selected cards.

3. An improved card sorting device according to claim 2 wherein the top edge of each of said cards is provided with an aligned notch, and wherein said device includes a card moving member extending generally transverse to the top edge of each card and engageable with the aligned notches to move all of the aligned cards longitudinally as a unit.

5. A card sorting device for separating selected cards from a plurality of edge-aligned vertically oriented cards having at least one notch in a bottom edge thereof comprising: front and rear support members extending generally transverse to said cards underneath and supporting the lower edges thereof; at least one code bar individually moveable into a position transverse and adjacent to the lower edges of said cards in alignment with each notch in the lower edge of a card to be selected; means for moving each selected code bar into said position; means for lowering at least one of said front and rear support members to permit selected cards having notches in alignment with said selected code bars to move downwardly relative to the remaining, rejected, cards; and means for preventing spurious downward pivotal motion of said rejected cards in at least one pivotal direction about a code bar.

10. A card sorting device according to claim 6 wherein said elongate member is located adjacent the front end of said cards.

11. A card sorting device according to claim 9 wherein said front support member is fixed thus preventing downward pivotal motion of the front end of rejected cards about a code bar.

12. An improved card sorting device according to claim 6 wherein said lower surface of said elongate member is spaced from the sub-adjacent selected code bars a distance slightly larger than the height of the cards located therebetween to prevent binding of the cards between said surface and said support member.

18. A method according to claim 16 wherein the separated selected cards are pivoted upwardly relative to the separated rejected cards to effect further separation of the selected and rejected cards.

20. An improved card sorting device according to claim 13 further including means for preventing spurious downward pivotal motion of said rejected cards in said pivotal direction.