Vorrichtung zum Lesen von Informationstraegern

1,086,298. Sensing records. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. Oct. 25, 1965 [Dec. 17, 1964], No. 45058/65. Heading G4M. A record such as a workman's badge comprises a coded arrangement of low reluctance areas which are sensed by an array of permanent magnets and associated reed switches. The record is manually inserted in grooves in a channel bounded by plates 32, 34 the former carrying the permanent magnets 36 and the latter carrying the reed switches (not shown). The reed switches are normally biased to the closed position by permanent magnets 50 on a plate 48. A detent member 60 prevents insertion of a wrongly oriented record. As a record is inserted, it actuates a hammer, Fig. 4 (not shown) suspended on spring members 64, and when the record has been fully inserted it is locked in position by a pivoted lever engaging a hole in the record. A pair of contacts is closed to indicate correct insertion of the record, and a linkage system is actuated to release arm 58 whereby plate 48 pivots away from the reed switches to remove the biasing magnetic force. All the reed switches then open except those whose associated magnets 36 are not shunted by low reluctance areas in the record. The record is ejected by depressing a reset button, but this is prevented until sufficient time has elapsed for the information to be transmitted to a remote point, either by means of a timing mechanism 102 or by signals from the remote point.