CARD SELECTION SYSTEM

• US 3,795,063 A
• Filed: 02/28/1973
• Issued: 03/05/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roy A. Nelson
• Original Assignee: Roy A. Nelson
• Inventors: Nelson, Roy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, Wm. H.
• Application Number:
  US05/336,751
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 35/35D,9R,9D,9B
• US Class Current: 434/343
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/003 electrically operated apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/066 with answer indicating cards, blocks

Abstract

A card selection system comprises a control card and an element card, each having visible indicia, one card having a coded array of apertures and the other having a coded array of cooperating protrusions. The one card is received in a base with its coded array of apertures aligned with a plurality of resilient electrical contacts and receives the other card with its coded array of protrusions directed toward the contacts; the protrusions move certain of the contacts with respect to conducting means on the base, and the apertures cooperate to permit motion of those contacts with respect to the conducting means. An electric current is thereby conditioned through the conducting means to indicate the selection of an element card having an array coincidently coded with a control card coded array.

Claims

1. Card selection system for selecting at least one coded element card from a set of variously coded element cards, comprising a base having conducting means, and a plurality of resilient electrical contacts, movably positioned and biased with respect to said conducting means, a control card and an element card each having visible indicia, one of said cards having a coded array of apertures, and the other having a coded array of cooperating protrusions, said base receiving said one card with its said coded array of apertures aligned with said contacts and receiving said other card with its said coded array of protrusions directed toward said contacts, said protrusions moving certain of said contacts with respect to said conducting means, and said apertures cooperating to permit motion of said certain contacts with respect to said conducting means, whereby a current is conditioned through said conducting means to indicate the selection of an element card having an array coincidently coded with a said control card coDed array, said element and control card visible indicia being spaced from one another for simultaneous display thereof.

2. Card selection system for selcting at least one coded element card from a set of variously coded element cards, comprising a base having conducting means, and a plurality of resilient electrical contacts movably biased away from said conducting means, a control card and an element card, each having visible indicia, one of said cards having a coded array of apertures, and the other having a coded array of cooperating protrusions, said base receiving said one card with its said coded array of apertures aligned with said contacts and receiving said other card with its said coded array of protrusions directed toward said contacts, said protrusions directing certain of said contacts toward said conducting means, and said apertures cooperating to permit said certain contacts to engage said conducting means, whereby a current is transmitted through said conducting means to indicate the selection of an element card having an array coincidently coded with said control card coded array, said element card visible indicia and said control card visible indicia being spaced from one another for simultaneous display therof.

3. The system of claim 2, said conducting means comprising a plurality of conductors, said plurality of resilient electrical contacts being disposed in a sequence of contact arrays, each said contact array corresponding with a said conductor, said control card having a sequence of said coded arrays for selection of a sequence of said coded element cards, said control card being received in said base with its said sequence of coded arrays corresponding with said sequence of contact arrays.

4. The system of claim 3, each said contact array comprising two groups of connected contacts, said two groups being insulated from each other, each said contact array being connected to the next said contact array in said sequence, said protrusions of a coincidently coded said one card directing at least one said resilient contact within each said group of a said contact array toward said corresponding conductor, and said apertures of said other card permitting said one contact within each said group to engage said corresponding conductor, for transmission of a current from one said group to the other.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said base provides contact spacing means for substantially preventing motion of said contacts parallel to said conductors while permitting flexion of said contacts to and from said conductors.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein said sequence of contact arrays includes two initial contact arrays and further contact arrays, and said conducting means further includes a bus, corresponding to said further contact arrays, said bus being insulated from said conductors, and said contacts being biased away from said bus, one of said contacts in each said further contact array being disposed for engagement with said bus, said one card being a said element card in said set, each said element card in said set having a protrusion array providing a protrusion directing said one contact toward said bus, said other card being said control card, said control card sequence including at least three said coded aperture arrays for determining the selection of a sequence of at least three coincidently coded said element cards, one of said coded aperture arrays being a final aperture array and providing an aperture permitting said one contact in the corresponding said contact array to engage said bus, said base further providing signal indicating means connected to said bus and responsive to the selection of a completed sequence of said element cards each coincidently coded with a said control card aperture array including said final aperture array.

7. Card slection system for selecting at least one coded element card from a seT of variously coded element cards, comprising a base having conducting means, and a plurality of resilient electrical contacts movably biased away from said conducting means, a set of element cards, and a control card, said control card having visible indicia and a sequence of coded arrays of apertures for selection of a sequence of said coded element cards, each said element card having visible indicia, and a coded array of cooperating protrusions, said conducting means comprising a plurality of conductors, said plurality of resilient electrical contacts being disposed in a sequence of contact arrays, each said contact array corresponding with a said conductor. each said contact array comprising two groups of connected contacts, said two groups being insulated from each other, each said contact array being connected to the next said contact array in said sequence, said base receiving said control card with its said sequence of coded arrays of apertures corresponding with said sequence of contact arrays, and receiving a said element card with its said coded array of protrusions directed toward said contacts, said protrusions of a coincidently coded said element card directing at least one said resilient contact within each said group of a said contact array toward said corresponding conductor, and said apertures of said control card permitting said one contact within each said group to engage said corresponding conductor, for transmission of a current from one said group to the other, said base providing contact spacing means for substantially preventing motion of said contacts parallel to said conductors while permitting flexion of said contacts to and from said conductors, said sequence of contact arrays including two initial contact arrays and further contact arrays, and said conducting means further including a bus, corresponding to said further contact arrays, said bus being insulated from said conductors, and said contacts being biased away from said bus, one of said contacts in each said further contact array being disposed for engagement with said bus, each said element card protrusion array providing a protrusion directing said one contact toward said bus, said control card sequence including at least three said coded aperture arrays for determining the selection of a sequence of at least three coincidently coded said element cards, one of said coded aperture arrays being a final aperture array and providing an aperture permitting said one contact in the corresponding said contact array to engage said bus, said base further providing signal indicating means connected to said bus and responsive to the selection of a completed sequence of said element cards each coincidently coded with a said control card aperture array including said final aperture array, whereby a current is transmitted through said conducting means to indicate the selection of a sequence of element cards having an array coincidently coded with a said control card coded array, said element card visible indicia and said control card visible indicia being spaced from one another for simultaneous display thereof.