Magnetic encoding apparatus and method
US4937438A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 23, 1988 |
| Grant date | Jun 26, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 23, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06K1/125
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A magnetic stripe encoding apparatus (24) encodes information onto a magnetic stripe (22) of a card (20). A card carriage (26) moves the card (20) along a card transport path between a top rail (28) and a bottom rail (30). The magnetic stripe (22) passes an encoding write head (36) and a read head (40) for writing and verifying information on the stripe (22). Heads (36, 40) mount on a bracket (44) which allows only twisting motion and movement toward and away from the card (20) so that good contact is maintained between the magnetic stripe (22) and the heads (36, 40). One embodiment of the card carriage (26) includes spring biased pawls (60, 62) which are biased into the card transport path for engaging the card (20) and rotate away from the card transport path so that the pawls 60,62 do not engage the card (20).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.