Card guide and card picker

Abstract

A card guide for holding a stack of cards to be separated, and a card picker for separating a single card from a stack of cards at a first location and moving the separated card to a second location, where each card has substantially the same thickness and substantially the same periphery. The card guide is includes a frame having a periphery sufficiently larger than the card periphery to permit the cards to readily enter the frame while remaining substantially aligned. The card guide has an open front face and an open rear face. The card guide frame includes a bottom member having a card support area with a rear edge and includes a side member having a notch extending substantially the full height of the open rear face and extending from the card support area rear edge toward the front face by a distance at least as great as the thickness of the cards. The bottom member has at least one air hole through it. The center of the air hole is spaced from the card support area rear edge by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of cards, and the air hole diameter can be at least as great as the thickness of the cards. Preferably, a number of air holes is provided, extending in a line parallel to the card support area rear edge. Preferably, also, a second line of such holes is provided parallel to the first line and spaced from the first line by a distance substantially equal to twice the thickness of the cards. The card picker has a picker finger which engages an edge of the end card of the stack of cards and moves such card in the direction of the frame side member so that the card moves through the notch in the side member. An air source supplies air to the air hole, aiding in separating the end card from the stack of cards, while also blowing away debris and removing static electricity.