Magnetically encoded card read/write/capture apparatus

Abstract

Apparatus for capturing a card and/or reading and/or writing data bits on a record stripe of the card, including a carriage for supporting a card inserted into the apparatus via a slot, the carriage being bidirectionally selectively driven past a transducer on elongated guide means by a motorized rotatable screw threadably engaging the carriage. A card clamp assembly is associated with the carriage for clamping an inserted card thereto when the carriage is located in other than its home position, whereat positive transfer of a card between the insertion slot and carriage occurs, which home position is proximate the card insertion slot. Stationarily mounted cams cooperating with cam followers of the card clamp assembly deactivate the clamp when the carriage is in its home position to facilitate transfer of an inserted card to and from the carriage. A motor-driven pick-up roll assembly located between the card insertion slot and the carriage home position facilitates mounted positive transfer of a card between the slot and carriage. A card abutment selectively interposable in the path of a card carried by the translating carriage strips and the card from the carriage for deposit in an underlying bin to capture an inserted card rather than return it to the user. A slotted disc mounted for rotation with the carriage drive screw cooperates with a phototransducer assembly to provide timing pulses at a rate correlated to the rate a card carried by the carriage moves past the transducer, enabling data to be read from and/or written on the card record stripe at a density, in bits per unit record length, which is invariant notwithstanding variations in the translational velocity of the card past the transducer. A mounting assembly for the transducer is provided which accommodates for variations in the position of the card record stripe relative to the transducer induced by vibration, card warpage and the like.