O.k. Partnership

Other

Access Corporation

Paul J Neumeier

Robert J Kalthoff

A machine-retrievable card and associated card retrieval apparatus and method therefor is disclosed in which the card is provided with a code-notched sorting edge located between the leading and trailing card edges which has (a) a predetermined configuration of complementary and primary digit code teeth which are retained and removed, respectively, to encode the card with a particular digit, and (b) an acquisition tooth at the leading edge and associated acquisition slot, and (c) a return tooth displaced inwardly of the trailing edge by an associated notch. The card retrieval apparatus includes complementary and primary code blades which selectively engage associated complementary and primary code slots of the card, respectively, as well as an acquisition blade and a return blade which cooperate with the acquisition and return teeth, respectively. The blades engage the card sorting edges and shift in a specified sequence to shift the cards in stages between three principal positions to thereby select a desired card from the deck.

Machine-retrievable card and card retrieval apparatus and method therefor

A machine-retrievable card and associated card retrieval apparatus and method therefor is disclosed in which the card is provided with a code-notched sorting edge located between the leading and trailing card edges which has (a) a predetermined configuration of complementary and primary digit code teeth which are removed and retained, respectively, to encode the card with a particular digit, and (b) an acquisition tooth at the leading edge and associated acquisition slot, and (c) a return tooth at the trailing edge and an associated notch. The card retrieval apparatus includes complementary and primary code blades which selectively engage associated complementary and primary code slots of the card, respectively, as well as a pair of acquisition blades and a pair of return blades which cooperate with the acquisition and return teeth, respectively. The blades engage the card sorting edges and shift in a specified sequence to shift the cards in stages between home, intermediate and advanced positions to thereby select a desired card from the deck.

Apparatus for (a) selecting plural desired edge-notched coded documents from different decks of similarly coded documents successively delivered to a document selector from a remote mass document store, in which selection process the selected documents extend only partially out of their respective decks in a direction parallel to their code-notched edge, and (b) successively fully removing the partially extending documents selected from the various successively retrieved decks and temporarily storing them in a temporary storage zone prior to ejecting them into a stationary container in which they are accumulated for manual removal at the convenience of an operator. Also included is a movable selected document removal and temporary storage assembly which traverses along a path adjacent the document selector proximate the leading edges of documents selected from the deck thereat. The traversing assembly is provided with means for successively removing from the deck selected documents extending into its traversing path at different points therealong and temporarily storing the selected cards so removed in a temporary storage zone incorporated in the traversing assembly. The traversing assembly further includes a document ejecting assembly which, when the traversing assembly is in its home position clear of the document selector following traversal of each deck, is effective to eject selected documents located in the temporary storage zone thereof into a stationary container adjacent the home position for accumulation and subsequent manual removal by an operator.

Document retrieval system

Apparatus for automatic closed loop retrieval and return of a document, bearing coded document-identifying edge notching, from a mass document store. The mass document store contains plural, selectively retrievable cartridges normally stored at addressable locations, with each cartridge containing plural minicartridges at addressable locations within the cartridge. The documents, randomly stored in the minicartridges, are each coded with an identifying number which distinguishes each document from others in the same minicartridge. A cartridge retriever transfers a cartridge containing a desired document from its addressable storage location to a remote document selector whereat only the minicartridge containing the desired document is selected and released from the cartridge for operative cooperation with document selector to facilitate selection of the desired document therein. A selected document removal/return transport indexable to the selected minicartridge removes the selected document and transfers it to an aligned storage compartment of an intermediate buffer store containing plural document storage compartments. The intermediate buffer store, as well as the document removal/return transport, are addressable to the particular minicartridge of the retrieved cartridge at the document selector which contains the desired document. Also included is a remote buffer store and an associated document transport for transferring documents between aligned document storage compartments of the intermediate buffer store and the remote buffer store. Finally, a document conveyor having an inlet proximate the intermediate buffer store and an outlet proximate the remote buffer store is provided.

Growing community of inventors

Loveland, OH, United States of America

Paul J Neumeier