US3827553A

US3827553A - Card shift mechanism for random access filing systems

Info

Publication number: US3827553A
Application number: US00362273A
Authority: US
Inventors: L Cross
Original assignee: Randomatic Data Systems Inc
Current assignee: Microsize Inc
Priority date: 1973-05-21
Filing date: 1973-05-21
Publication date: 1974-08-06
Anticipated expiration: 1991-08-06
Also published as: JPS5021646A

Abstract

Equipment is disclosed, in which a soft rubber feed pad underlies randomly filed code cards. In a manner already known to the art, selector slides are extendable into downwardly opening notches of the cards, so that cards whose notches conform to a selected code are free to move in a prescribed direction while the remaining, unwanted cards are restrained against such movement. To separate the selected from the unwanted cards, the feed pad is given cyclical, rotational motion through a circular path. During a portion of each cycle of movement of the pad, it frictionally contacts the undersides of the cards, and as further travel of the feed pad through the same cycle occurs, the feed pad frictionally grips and moves the selected cards in a direction to off-set the same from those that have not been selected. The number of revolutions of the feed pad per minute is governed by the number of cards which it underlies. Typically, movement of the feed pad is on the order of 1,300 - 2,000 r.p.m. This motion imparts incremental advancement to the selected cards to a fully off-set position in respect to the unwanted cards and has the unexpected and desirable result of shifting all the cards to an upright position to facilitate the final separation thereof, simultaneously with the card off-setting function. In alternative arrangements, an eccentrically rotating bar may be the member contacting the cards to discharge the card shifting function. Also, in commercial embodiments two feed pads, or eccentric bars, can be connected for joint operation.

Description

United States Patent [191 Cross, Jr.

[4 Aug. 6, 1974 CARD SHIFT MECHANISM FOR RANDOM ACCESS FILING SYSTEMS Laurence Allan Cross, Jr., Groveville, NJ.

[73] Assignee: Randomatic Data Systems, Inc., Trenton, NJ.

[22] Filed: May 21, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 362,273

[75] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl 209/805, 271/139, 271/129 [51] Int. Cl B07c [58] Field of Search 209/805, 110.5; 271/42,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1902 Wright ..271/129 3/1938 Klemm ..271/42 Primary Examiner-Allen N. Knowles Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sperry & Zoda ABSTRACT Equipment is disclosed, in which a soft rubber feed pad underlies randomly filed code cards. In a manner already known to the art, selector slides are extendable into downwardly opening notches of the cards, so that cards whose notches conform to a selected code are free to move in a prescribed direction while the remaining, unwanted cards are restrained against such movement.

To separate the selected from the unwanted cards, the feed pad is given cyclical, rotational motion through a circular path. During a portion of each cycle of movement of the pad, it frictionally contacts the undersides of the cards, and as further travel of the feed pad through the same cycle occurs, the feed pad frictionally grips and moves the selected cards in a direction to off-set the same from those that have not been selected.

The number of revolutions of the feed pad per minute is governed by the number of cards which it underlies. Typically, movement of the feed pad is on the order of 1,300 2,000 rpm. This motion imparts incremental advancement to the selected cards to a fully offset position in respect to the unwanted cards and has the unexpected and desirable result of shifting all the cards to an upright position to facilitate the final separation thereof, simultaneously with the card off-setting function.

In alternative arrangements, an eccentrically rotating bar may be the member contacting the cards to discharge the card shifting function. Also, in commercial embodiments two feed pads, or eccentric bars, can be connected for joint operation.

19 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures CARD SHIFT MECHANISM FOR RANDOM ACCESS FILING SYSTEMS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention pertains generally to the field of information storage and retrieval, and in particular to equipment used in this technology, developed for the purpose of permitting random filing and storage of code cards, and the quick retrieval of those cards that respond to a selected code number impressed upon the equipment. In an even more particular sense, the invencompressed air has been employed. In other instances,

a metal piece has been attached to each card to permit magnetism to be utilized, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,478,877 issued to R. D. Parry on Nov. 18, 1969. In still other instances, it is known to utilize a mechanical brush system. Or, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,292,631 issued to the present inventor on Dec. 20, 1966, a gravitational action is employed. This may be combined with a vibration of the cards, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,617 also issued to the present inventor, on Dec. 30, 1969.

Although each of these arrangements accomplishes the end result desired, certain disadvantages are present therein. They are, for example, in many instances costly. In other instances considerable inconvenience and/or excessive .noise is present. In still other instances, the code cards or equivalent elements are subjected to excessive wear when subjected to the card separating mechanism incorporated in the filing apparatus.

The inventor is aware of such patents, in addition to those specifically noted above, as the following:

U.S. Pat. No. 2,644,459

U.S. Pat. No. 2,645,226

U.S. Pat. No. 2,779,652

U.S. Pat. No..3,220,4l7

U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,497

U.S. Pat. No. 3,394,247

U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,166

British Pat. No. 777,737

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Summarized briefly, the invention in its broadest aspect incorporates a member that underlies all the cards, and which in the preferred embodiment is a flat surfaced, horizontally disposed soft rubber feed pad normally located either slightly out of contact, or perhaps in very light contact with, the several cards. A suitable mounting of the feed pad is provided, such as to cause the pad to have a cyclical motion, on the order of l,300-2,000 rpm. in a typical, working embodiment, through a closed, generally circular path. Initially, in each cycle the feed pad moves upwardly into frictional contact with the bottom edges of all the cards. Thereafter, as the cycle continues, the feed pad travels through the top of its circular path, carrying with it those cards, and only those cards, that are free to move in the same direction in which the feed pad is moving at this point in its cycle.

In this way, the cards that are free to move with the feed pad are incrementally advanced, so as to be quickly shifted to positions in which they are off-set from those cards that are not free. As a result, the desired card separation in quickly effected, and the offset cards can be further separated by supplemental mechanical means, as, for example, a lift bar engaging the off-set cards and shifting them upwardly so as to facilitate their being grasped by a user and completely removed from the file.

By reversing the direction of rotation of the feed pad, cards that have been off-set can be returned to their initial position of storage in a support structure with other randomly filed cards.

In a typical embodiment, the feed pad mounting is provided through the medium of one or more arms, one end of which supports the feed pad. The pad supporting ends of the arms are mounted for eccentric movement, to impart the desired, corresponding motion to the feed pad, while the other ends of the arms are mounted upon the support structure for sliding pivotal motion.

In a second form of the invention, instead of a rubber feed pad, an eccentric bar is employed, also adapted to frictionally grip the cards, to advance selected cards to an off-set position relative to those that are not wanted. Still further, the invention may employ a pair of feed pads, or a pair of eccentric bars, linked for conjoint operation, so as to act upon the same cards at' more than one location taken longitudinally of the cards, thereby to provide, in some instances, a more efficient and speedy removal of selected cards.v

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, top plan view of a random access card file, showing one card compartment in association with a card shifting device according to the present invention, the selector slide mechanism conventionally employed in a filing apparatus of this type being omitted to simplify the drawing and facilitate understanding thereof;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view, substantially on line 22 of FIG. 1, the dotted lines indicating the off-set positions of the cards when shifted by the device, a selector slide mechanism being illustrated somewhat schematically, in dotted outline;

. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the device substantially on line 33 of FIG. 2, the device being viewed from the front, the cards being illustrated in dotted lines in a typical, canted position and in full lines in an upright position assumed during operation of the device comprising the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view on the same cutting plane as FIG. 2, showing the device in its rest position, prior to initiation of an operational cycle;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views similar to FIG. 4, showing the mechanism at succeeding stages of a single operational cycle;

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view similar to FIG. 2, portions being broken away, illustrating a doubleacting form of the invention, in which two feed pads act upon the cards simultaneously;

3 FIG. 8 is a plan sectional view, portions being broken away, substantially on line 8-8 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, detail sectional view similar to FIGS.-46 showing a modified construction utilizing an eccentrically rotating bar instead of a rubber feed pad. 1

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The card shifting device asseen in FIGS. 1-6 incorporates a support structure generally designated 10, which would typically comprise part of the chassis, frame or equivalent stationary support embodied in the random access card file. It is to be understood that since the present invention is concerned primarily with the card shifting mechanism, no attempt has been made to illustrate in full detail the exact construction of a supporting frame, or housing, or card selection mechanism. All of these components are well known, and may be readily noted, for example, by reference to US. Pat. No. 3,486,617 referred to above and issued to the present inventor. It is, indeed,primarily of importance to note that the card shifting device comprising the present invention is particularly adapted to be used .with a card selection apparatus of the type illustrated in that patent, or for that matter in connection with any of the many random access card files known today, that utilize the selector slide concept, entering into notches in such fashion as to free some cards for removal, while restraining the remaining cards from such removal.

In any event, the support structure 10, illustrated in its simplest form, includes a base plate 12, to which is fixedly secured an upstanding rear wall 14, at least two transverse partitions 16 affixed to and projecting forwardly from the rear wall, and a front wall 18, affixed rigidly to the front ends of the slidewalls or partitions 16. Between sidewalls 16 (see FIG. 1), rear wall 14 is formed with a forwardly opening recess 20, having a vertical surface 21 that constitutes an abutment engaging the rear ends of the stored cards C, C, and further having a horizontally disposed support surface 22, upon which the cards rest in positions elevated above the base plate 12. Referring to'FlG. 2, in the illustrated example the top surface of the front wall 18, and the surface 22, are in a common horizontal plane, so that they define, respectively, front and rear support ledges supporting the cards at locations spaced along the bottom edges of the cards.

Illustrated somewhat schematically, in FIG. 2 is a selection mechanism generally designated 24. No attempt has been made to illustrate this in detail, or for that matter to show it in other figures of the drawing, since such a selection mechanism is well known in and of itself, and has been clearly illustrated and described, for example, in the above mentioned US. Pat. No. 3,486,617, a disclosure which is incorporated by reference into the disclosure of the present application. Or, the selection mechanism may to equal advantage be formed as shown in US. Pat. No. 3,618,763 issued to the present inventor Nov. 9, 1971; a selector slide or selection mechanism as shown in Bandenburg US. Pat. No. 3,610,413 issued Oct. 5, 1971; Bandenburg US. Pat. No. 3,596,762 issued Aug. 3, 1971; or Kalthoff et al. US. Pat. No. 3,469,774 issued Sept. 30, 1969. All of these are incorporated by reference into the present application, in the sense of illustrating selector slide 4 mechanisms with which the present invention can be advantageously employed.

For the purposes of the present invention, it is mainly important to note that it can be employed in any code card selection device in which selected cards are freed to move laterally in a prescribed direction to at least a limited extent, in respect to unselected, wholly restrained cards. Once a card or cards is so freed, the present invention is adapted to act thereon for the purpose of displacing or shifting the same in the mentioned, prescribed direction in respect to the remaining cards.

Accordingly, the selection mechanism in the illustrated example has been disclosed as comprising solely a stationary selector slide support 25, having upwardly opening selector slide recesses or slots in which elongated selector slides 26, 28, 30 are normally recessed, one or more of said slides being elevatable to the position shown for the slide 26 in FIG. 2, during the process or selecting a card C and removing it from unselecting cards C. I

To this end, it is conventional practice to employ, with the known selector slide mechanism illustrated in FIG. 2, downwardly opening code notches such as shown at 32, 34, 36 for the wanted card C. In the illustrated example, and for the sake of simplicity, a oneslide one-notch selection is illustrated, in which the slide 26 has been selected for elevation, moving upwardly into the forward end of an elongated code notch 32. It will thus be seen that due to the elongation of the notch 32 in respect to notches of normal width such as shown at 34, 36, card C will be left free for displacement from its full line, stored position shown in FIG. 2, I

to its dotted line, off-set position illustrated in the same FIGURE of the drawing.

With further reference to FIG. 2, it may be observed that the cards C do not have elongated notches at the same location as the notch 32. Instead, cards C have notches 38 of normal width receiving selector slide 26 when it is elevated. Accordingly, cards C will be restrained against movement in the prescribed direction, that is, movement laterally to the left in FIG. 2 from the full line to the dotted line position illustrated for card C in that Figure of drawing.

Obviously, in commercial embodiments, a single card file may have a substantial number of side-by-side compartments, one of which is illustrated between side walls or partitions 16 in FIG. 1. Further, commercial embodiments may have a selector slide mechanism extending under all the compartments, and said selector slide mechanism may require elevation of one, two, three, or more slides when a particular code number is impressed upon the apparatus, with only those cards being freed that have elongated notches into which the elevated slides are moved.

Disposed against the front wall 18 is a lift bar 40, which in the illustrated example is in its lowered position. This lift bar is also known in devices of this type, and may be elevated from its normal, lowered position illustrated in FIG. 2 at a completion of the card displacement cycle, in such fashion as to act upon the advanced, off-set card C shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, and shift it upwardly so as to increase the convenience by which the card may be grasped by a user and removed completely from the file.

However, it may be noted that the lift bar 40 is not essential to operation of the present invention, since the present invention is concerned only with displacing freed cards laterally in respect to restrained cards, to an extent that will permit the card to thereafter be completely removed, either with or without the use of a lift bar such as shown at 40.

The card shifting device 42 in the illustrated example, includes, in the form shown in FIGS. 1-6, a pair of identically formed, spaced, substantially horizontally disposed feed pad support arms 44, 44 (see FIGS. 1 and 3), having rear ends formed with lost motion slots 46 receiving a pivot shaft 48 stationarily mounted upon the support structure whereby to mount the arms 44 upon said structure for sliding, pivotal movement at the rear ends of the arms.

The arms 44 project forwardly from the pivot shaft 48 (FIG. 1), and at their front ends are mounted upon a shaft 50 paralleling pivot shaft 48. The shaft 50 would be rotatably driven by any suitable drive mechanism, not shown, and in a working embodiment it has been found that excellent results are obtained when the shaft is driven at approximately 1,400 r.p.m. It has further been found that the speed of rotation can, however,

vary, and it depends upon the number of cards supported within the particular apparatus.

The drive shaft 50 extends through circular opening 54 formed in the front end portions of the arms. These openings are of a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of shaft 50, which is eccentrically disposed within said openings. Snugly, rotatable fitted within openings 54 are eccentrics 52, secured to shaft 50 for rotation therewith, as for example by means of set screws 53.

It will thus be seen that'upon rotation of shaft 50, the eccentrics will be caused to travel about the axis of rotation of the shaft 50, thus causing the front end portions, of the arms to correspondingly have eccentric motion about the axis of drive shaft rotation. This motion, thus, will cause a feed pad support bar 56, and a feed pad 58 secured thereto, to correspondingly travel through a generally circular path such as shown, for example, in dotted lines at A in FIG. 4.

The bar 56 is secured fixedly to and extends between the arms 44, in underlying relation to the front end portions of the several cards. The feed pad 58, which in a working embodiment may be of relatively soft material such as foam rubber, is adhesively or otherwise fixedly secured to the bar 56, and has a flat top surface which would be spaced closely from or might possibly be in very light contact with, the bottom edges of the several cards in the lowermost position of the feed pad shown in FIG. 4.

The use of a soft rubber pad has been found to promote efficiency in the device, in that not only does this material substantially eliminate the possiblity of damage or wear of the cards themselves, but also, has a high frictional coefficient as regards the cards. Stated otherwise, the rubber feed pad 58, when moved upwardly into engagement with the cards, frictionally grips the cards, so that when the feed pad is thereafter caused to move forwardly, that is, to the left in FIGS. 4-6, it incrementally advances the free cards in respect to the cards that are restrained against forward movement, that is, the feed pad grips and moves forwardly the card C in respect to the restrained cards C.

The use of a rubber feed pad has been successfully demonstrated in a working embodiment of the invention, and may be one successful mode of carrying out the inventive concept. As will appear hereinafter, other modes of practicing the invention may also be efficiently practiced and may be novel over the prior art.

In any event, reference may not be had to FIG. 4, in which the arm 44 is shown in its lowermost, rest position. In this position, the feed pad 58 is wholly spaced from, or may be only in light engagement with, the bottom edges of the cards.

Upon rotational movement being imparted to shaft 50, said shaft is rotated so that, in a single cycle of rotation, the eccentric 52 is moved counterclockwise when viewed in FIGS. 4-6, about the axis of rotation of the shaft 50. In FIG. 5, the eccentric has been moved 180 from its initial, FIG. 4 position. At this time, the feed pad 58 will have been frictionally engaged with the cards at the beginning of the movement of the eccentric from its rest position, position, and will elevate all the cards to the FIG. 5 position, out of contact with ledge 18. At the same time, the eccentric will already, by the time it. reaches the FIG. 5 position, have imparted forward movement to card or cards C (the cards that are free to be so moved).

Referring now to FIG. 6, further movement of the eccentric through another from its FIG. 5 position continues to produce incremental advancement of the freed cards C. Finally, still further movement of the eccentric through the balance of a single rotational cycle, back to its FIG. 4 position, causes all the cards to drop back onto the support ledge provided at the top of wall 18. However, the freed cards will have been moved forwardly to a slight extent in respect to the unwanted, restrained cards.

It is understood that a repetitious rotational cycle of the eccentric is incorporated in the device, and indeed, as abovenoted an optimum arrangement would involve rotation of the eccentric at approximately 1,400 r.p.m. It has been found that in the circumstances, and assuming a normal complement of perhaps 250 cards in a single compartment, the freed cards will be displaced to the dotted line position if FIG. 2 in a few seconds.

In practicing the invention, an unexpected phenomenon, adding a highly desirable characteristic to the invention, was observed. Referring to FIG. 3, if the mass of cards does not completely fill the space between partitions or sidewalls 16, they would naturally tend to cant or tilt as shown in chain dotted outline in FIG. 3. Immediately upon imparting the rotational movement to the shaft 50 and during the continued rotation of said shaft, the cards shift laterally at their bottom edges, in whatever direction they may happen to be tilted, to an upright position. Thus, in FIG. 3 the bottom edges of all the cards shift to the right in this figure of the drawing, into vertical alignment with their top edges, assuming upright positions concomitantly with the above discussed displacement of selected cards relative to unselected cards.

This arrangement is highly desirable, in that it disposes the cards upright for engagement by a lift bar 40, or alternatively in any event facilitates their being grasped and removed by a user.

Arrangements can be provided wherein two feed pads are driven jointly, in underlying relation to the same group of cards. Thus, in FIGS. 7 and 8, arms 144 have slotted ends receiving pivot shaft 148, and mounted upon arms 144 is a feed pad support bar 156 to which is attached a feed pad 158. A shaft is rotated, to rotate eccentric 152 within openings 154 of arms 144, in the same manner as described with reference to FIGS. 1-6.

In this arrangement, however, a second feed pad 258 is disposed adjacent the other ends of the cards, being mounted upon bar 256 that extends between and is fixedly mounted upon arms 244. Arms 244 have slotted ends, receiving pivot shaft 248. Below feed pad 258, arms 244 have openings in which rotate the eccentrics 252 secured to shaft 250 for rotation therewith.

, Referring to FIG. 8, a main shaft 60 is driven from a suitable source of motive power, not shown, at a selection speed, as, for example, 1,400 p.r.m., rotating drive pulley 62 about which is trained belt 64 trained also about pulley 66 rotatable with shaft 250. Shaft 250 may be journaled in bearings 68.

Also rotating with shaft 250 is pulley 70, driving belt 72, that is also trained about pulley 74 rotatable with shaft 150 journaled in bearings 76.

If the arms overlap, as they might in some forms of the invention, clearance recesses 145, 245, can be formed therein to permit clearance of the

pivot shafts

248, 148, respectively.

This arrangement causes both

feed pads

158, 258 to have the above mentioned eccentric motion, in the same direction, with both feed pads being so arranged as to move to the upper limits of their travel at the same time, so that both feed pads would simultaneously frictionally contact the undersides of the cards that are free for movement, incrementally advance the cards, and release the frictional grip upon the cards during further motion of the feed pads through a single rotational cycle.

In FIG. 9, there is illustrated a modified form, showing the capability of the invention for frictionally contacting cards, and advancing them in exactly the same manner as previously described herein, but without use of arms such as the

arms

44, 144. or 244. In FIG. 9, a shaft 350 is rotated, and an elongated, eccentric bar 352, that would underlie all the cards in the same manner as the feed pad 58 underlies said cards, would be secured to the shaft 350 for rotation therewith, as for example by means of a set screw 353. Eccentric 352, when rotated to its high position shown in FIG. 9, would be in a position corresponding to that shown for the first form of the invention in FIG. 5, that is, eccentn'c 352 would initially be out of contact with the cards, but would move upwardly into contact with the cards and move the freed cards to the left in FIG. 9, in respect to restrained or blocked cards.

The eccentric shaft 352 can surfaced with a high friction material, as for example it may be covered with a rubber sleeve, not shown, or could otherwise be provided with a roughened or soft surface. It is mainly important, in both forms of the invention, that the frictional coefficient between the cards and the feed pad or eccentric bar such that when the feed pad or eccentrio bar is driven through the specified circular path, the friction between the unblocked cards and the feed pad or eccentric bar as the case may be, is to be high enough to overcome the inertia of the cards, thereby producing the desired incremental advancement of the unblocked cards during each rotational cycle.

In the illustrated example, the unblocked card or cards C have been described as those that are the wanted or selected cards. It is obvious, however, that a reverse arrangement can be employed, that is, the invention could be applied in such fashion as to displace unwanted cards in respect to restrained wanted cards. In other words, it is entirely possible that the cards to be selected may be blocked, while the cards that are to be left in the file (the unwanted cards) may be the cards that are freed for movement by the feed pad or eccentric bar.

I claim:

1. In a card selection system, a device for off-setting at least one card that is free to move in a prescribed direction, from at least one other card against movement in that direction, comprising:

a. a support structure receiving the cards; and

b. means on the support structure movable in said direction while maintained in frictional contact with the cards, whereby to shift said one card in the prescribed direction in respect to the other card, said means frictionally contacting corresponding edges of the cards, and said support structure being in supporting relation to the cards at spaced locations along said edges thereof.

2. In a card selection system, a device for off-setting at least one card that is free to move in a prescribed direction, from at least one other card limited against movement in that direction, comprising:

a. a support structure receiving the cards; and

b. means on the support structure movable in said direction while maintained in frictional contact with the cards, whereby to shift said one card in the prescribed direction in respect to the other card, said supporting structure being in supporting relation to the cards at spaced locations along edges of the cards contacted by said means, said structure including a back wall having a support ledge providing at least one of said locations, and a front wall upon which the cards are supported to provide a second location at which the cards are supported by said structure.

3. In a card selection system, a device for off-setting at least one card that is free to move in a prescribed direction, from at least one other card limited. against movementin that direction, comprising:

a. a support structure receiving the cards; and

b. means on the support structure movable in said direction while maintained in frictional contact with the cards, whereby to shift said one card in the prescribed direction in respect to the other card, said means having a repetitious, cyclical, unidirectional motion in a generally circular path through 360, thereby to contact the cards at intervals to impart an incremental motion to said one card in the prescribed direction.

4. In a card selection system, a device for off-setting at least one card that is free to move in a prescribed direction, from at least one other card limited against movement in that direction, comprising:

\ a. a support structure receiving the cards; and

b. means on the support structure movable in said direction while maintained in frictional contact with the cards, whereby to shift said one card in the prescribed direction in respect to the other card, said support structure and said means being in underlying relation to the cards, said means being movable upwardly and downwardly into and out of said frictional contact with the cards and shifting laterally in the prescribed direction while in its upwardly moved, card contacting position.

5. In a card selection system, a device for off-setting at least one card that is free to move in a prescribed direction, from at least one other card limited against movement in that direction, comprising:

a. a support structure receiving the cards; and

b. means on the support structure movable in said direction while maintained in frictional contact with the cards, whereby to shift said one card in the prescribed direction in respect to the other card, said cards having bottom edges contacted at one location by said means, the support structure including spaced support ledges underlying the cards in contact with said bottom edges in supporting relation to the cards at locations spaced from said one location.

6. In a card selection system, a device for off-setting at least one card that is free to move in a prescribed direction, from at least one other card limited against movement in that direction, comprising:

a. a support structure receiving the cards;

b. a rigidly constituted arm movably mounted upon said structure;

c. an eccentric joumalled in one end of the arm and imparting a corresponding unidirectional rotatable motion to said end of the arm through an angular distance of 360 in a generally circular path upon rotation of the eccentric; and a d. a feed pad fixed to said end of the arm for movement therewith through said angular distance of 360 into frictional contact with the cards when eccentric motion is imparted to the said end of the arm, and traveling in said prescribed direction while maintained in frictional contact with the cards, whereby to shift said one card in the prescribed direction in respect to the other card.

7. In a card selection system, a device as in claim 6 in which said arm, at its other end, has a sliding, pivotal connection to the support structure.

8. In a card selection system,a device as in claim 6 in which said end of the arm has an opening in which the eccentric rotates to impart said correspondingly eccentric motion to said one end of the arm in response to the rotary movement of the eccentric about its axis of rotation. I

9. in a card selection system, a device as in claim 6 in which the arm, at its other end, is formed with a slot, the support structure including a pivot shaft extending through said slot whereby the arm, at said other end thereof, has a sliding oscillatory motion to free the first named end of the arm for said eccentric motion thereof.

10. In a card selection system, a device as in claim 6, wherein said eccentric is rotated at a speed in the range of l,300-2,000 r.p.m.

11. In a card selection system, a device as in claim 6 wherein the feed pad is of a soft material having a high coefficient of friction in respect to the surfaces of the cards contacted thereby.

12. In a card selection system, a device as in claim 6 in which the feed pad is formed of soft rubber.

13. In a card selection system, a device for off-setting a first card or cards free to move in a prescribed direction, from one or more other cards limited against movement in that direction, and for at the same time shifting all the cards to an upright position in the event the cards are canted at the time a selection cycle is initiated, comprising:

tween, the several walls defining an enclosure for said cards, said back and front wall providing support ledges, the sidewalls being spaced apart whereby the several cards are canted toward one or the other of the sidewalls in the event the quantity of cards is insufficient to fill the space between said sidewalls; and

b. means on the support structure disposed between the front and back walls thereof in underlying relation to the cards, mounted for travel in a generally circular path into and out of frictional contact with the cards in a repetitious motion such as to be repeatcdly brought into contact with the cards while traveling in the prescribed direction, thereby to incrementally shift the first cards in said prescribed direction in respect to the other cards while simultaneously moving all the cards to an upright position facilitating final and complete separation of the off-set cards from the cards limited against movement in the prescribed direction.

14. A card selection system as in claim 13, wherein said card off-setting means includes a feed pad comprising the portion of said means in frictional contact with the cards, said feed pad having a card contacting surface establishing a friction grip upon the several cards effective to transmit the motion of the card offsetting means in said prescribed direction, to those cards gripped by the feed pad, that are free for movement in said direction.

15. In a card selection system, a device as in claim 14, in which the feed pad extends between the sidewalls transversely of and in underlying relation to all of said cards.

16. In a card selection system, a device as in claim 13, wherein said means comprises a feed pad underlying the several cards and mounted for movement, in succession upwardly into frictional contact with the cards from a rest position, then in said prescribed direction while maintained in frictional contact with the cards and then downwardly and back to said rest position to complete a single cycle of movement of the feed pad preparatory to repetition of said cycle.

17. In a card selection system, a device as in claim 16 wherein said means further includes at least one arm on one end of which said feed pad is mounted, said one end of the arm being mounted upon the support structure for travel through said circular path whereby to impart corresponding circular motion to the feed pad, travel of the feed pad and said one end of the arm through a single 360 movement in the circular path constituting a single cycle of the feed pad and of said one end of the arm, the other end of the arm having a slidable pivotal connection to the support structure.

18. In a card selection system, a device as in claim 17 further including a second feed pad and a second arm on which the second feed pad is mounted, both feed pads underlying the several cards at locations adjacent the respective ends of the cards and the locations at which the cards are supported upon the front and back walls respectively, the second feed pad and arm being mounted upon the support structure similarly to the first feed pad and arm and being connected to the first feed pad and arm for conjoint rotation in the same direction, whereby the first card or cards will be contacted simultaneously by both feed pads and urged in the bar, whereby to impart motion to the bar in said circular path, said bar being engagable at its periphery with and frictionally gripping the several cards during a portion of the rotational cycle of the bar, for imparting said movement to the first card or cards in said prescribed direction.

Claims

1. In a card selection system, a device for off-setting at least one card that is free to move in a prescribed direction, from at least one other card against movement in that direction, comprising: a. a support structure receiving the cards; and b. means on the support structure movable in said direction while maintained in frictional contact with the cards, whereby to shift said one card in the prescribed direction in respect to the other card, said means frictionally contacting corresponding edges of the cards, and said support structure being in supporting relation to the cards at spaced locations along said edges thereof.

2. In a card selection system, a device for off-setting at least one card that is free to move in a prescribed direction, from at least one other card limited against movement in that direction, comprising: a. a support structure receiving the cards; and b. means on the support structure movable in said direction while maintained in frictional contact with the cards, whereby to shift said one card in the prescribed direction in respect to the other card, said supporting structure being in supporting relation to the cards at spaced locations along edges of the cards contacted by said means, said structure including a back wall having a support ledge providing at least one of said locations, and a front wall upon which the cards are supported to provide a second location at which the cards are supported by said structure.

3. In a card selection system, a device for off-setting at least one card that is free to move in a prescribed direction, from at least one other card limited against movement in that direction, comprising: a. a support structure receiving the cards; and b. means on thE support structure movable in said direction while maintained in frictional contact with the cards, whereby to shift said one card in the prescribed direction in respect to the other card, said means having a repetitious, cyclical, unidirectional motion in a generally circular path through 360*, thereby to contact the cards at intervals to impart an incremental motion to said one card in the prescribed direction.

4. In a card selection system, a device for off-setting at least one card that is free to move in a prescribed direction, from at least one other card limited against movement in that direction, comprising: a. a support structure receiving the cards; and b. means on the support structure movable in said direction while maintained in frictional contact with the cards, whereby to shift said one card in the prescribed direction in respect to the other card, said support structure and said means being in underlying relation to the cards, said means being movable upwardly and downwardly into and out of said frictional contact with the cards and shifting laterally in the prescribed direction while in its upwardly moved, card contacting position.

5. In a card selection system, a device for off-setting at least one card that is free to move in a prescribed direction, from at least one other card limited against movement in that direction, comprising: a. a support structure receiving the cards; and b. means on the support structure movable in said direction while maintained in frictional contact with the cards, whereby to shift said one card in the prescribed direction in respect to the other card, said cards having bottom edges contacted at one location by said means, the support structure including spaced support ledges underlying the cards in contact with said bottom edges in supporting relation to the cards at locations spaced from said one location.

6. In a card selection system, a device for off-setting at least one card that is free to move in a prescribed direction, from at least one other card limited against movement in that direction, comprising: a. a support structure receiving the cards; b. a rigidly constituted arm movably mounted upon said structure; c. an eccentric journalled in one end of the arm and imparting a corresponding unidirectional rotatable motion to said end of the arm through an angular distance of 360* in a generally circular path upon rotation of the eccentric; and d. a feed pad fixed to said end of the arm for movement therewith through said angular distance of 360* into frictional contact with the cards when eccentric motion is imparted to the said end of the arm, and traveling in said prescribed direction while maintained in frictional contact with the cards, whereby to shift said one card in the prescribed direction in respect to the other card.

8. In a card selection system, a device as in claim 6 in which said end of the arm has an opening in which the eccentric rotates to impart said correspondingly eccentric motion to said one end of the arm in response to the rotary movement of the eccentric about its axis of rotation.

10. In a card selection system, a device as in claim 6, wherein said eccentric is rotated at a speed in the range of 1,300-2,000 r.p.m.

13. In a card selection system, a device for off-setting a first card or cards free to move in a prescribed direction, from one or more other cards limited against movement in that direction, and for at the same time shifting all the cards to an upright position in the event the cards are canted at the time a selection cycle is initiated, comprising: a. a support structure including a back wall, a front wall, and a pair of sidewalls extending therebetween, the several walls defining an enclosure for said cards, said back and front wall providing support ledges, the sidewalls being spaced apart whereby the several cards are canted toward one or the other of the sidewalls in the event the quantity of cards is insufficient to fill the space between said sidewalls; and b. means on the support structure disposed between the front and back walls thereof in underlying relation to the cards, mounted for travel in a generally circular path into and out of frictional contact with the cards in a repetitious motion such as to be repeatedly brought into contact with the cards while traveling in the prescribed direction, thereby to incrementally shift the first cards in said prescribed direction in respect to the other cards while simultaneously moving all the cards to an upright position facilitating final and complete separation of the off-set cards from the cards limited against movement in the prescribed direction.

14. A card selection system as in claim 13, wherein said card off-setting means includes a feed pad comprising the portion of said means in frictional contact with the cards, said feed pad having a card contacting surface establishing a friction grip upon the several cards effective to transmit the motion of the card off-setting means in said prescribed direction, to those cards gripped by the feed pad, that are free for movement in said direction.

17. In a card selection system, a device as in claim 16 wherein said means further includes at least one arm on one end of which said feed pad is mounted, said one end of the arm being mounted upon the support structure for travel through said circular path whereby to impart corresponding circular motion to the feed pad, travel of the feed pad and said one end of the arm through a single 360* movement in the circular path constituting a single cycle of the feed pad and of said one end of the arm, the other end of the arm having a slidable pivotal connection to the support structure.

18. In a card selection system, a device as in claim 17 further including a second feed pad and a second arm on which the second feed pad is mounted, both feed pads underlying the several cards at locations adjacent the respective ends of the cards and the locations at which the cards are supported upon the front and back walls respectively, the second feed pad and arm being mounted upon the support structure similarly to the first feed pad and arm and being connected to the first feed pad and arm for conjoint rotation in the same direction, whereby the first card or cards will be contacted simultaneously by both feed pads and urged in the prescribed direction to off-set said first cards from the cards limited against movement in said prescribed direction.

19. In a card selecTion system, a device as in claim 13 wherein said means comprises a bar underlying all of said cards and formed to a circular cross-section, said bar being mounted upon the support structure for rotation about an exis accentric to the longitudinal axis of the bar, whereby to impart motion to the bar in said circular path, said bar being engagable at its periphery with and frictionally gripping the several cards during a portion of the rotational cycle of the bar, for imparting said movement to the first card or cards in said prescribed direction.