MOUNTING AND DRIVE ASSEMBLY FOR MAGNETIC STRIP READING HEAD

摘要

The specification and drawings disclose an apparatus particularly suited for reading a magnetically encoded credit card. The apparatus disclosed includes a magnetic reading head aligned with a guideway along which the card is moved. Card movement is provided by a drive roll carried on a first frame mounted for pivoting movement about an axis perpendicular to the path of card movement. A pinch roll is arranged to maintain the credit card engaged with the drive roll. Both the drive roll and the pinch roll have their axes perpendicular to the path of movement. The magnetic reading head is preferably aligned with the axis of the drive roll and located so that as a credit card is conveyed between the drive roll and the pinch roll the magnetic stripe thereon is moved past the reading head. Additionally, the magnetic reading head is carried by a second frame mounted on the first frame for pivotal movement about an axis generally parallel to the intended path of movement of the card. The disclosed drive assembly for the drive roll comprises a synchronous motor mounted on the first frame and having a light-weight pulley carried on its output shaft. A relatively heavy flywheel-pulley assembly is drivingly connected with the drive roll and a resilient belt interconnects the light-weight pulley and the flywheel-pulley assembly.