Encoded magnetic strip cards are fed into apparatus which reads encoded data on the card. The card is fed into and out of the apparatus through a passageway defined by a guide which also serves as a mount for mechanical and electronic components. The guide is precisely constructed so that the thickness and width of the passageway are slightly greater than the corresponding dimensions of the card and the card does not jam in the passageway. In one form of the invention the guide is formed of two generally T-shaped, overlapping, interfitting members. In a second form of the invention the guide is formed of two opposed T-shaped side members and two plates relieved at their edges to receive the legs of the side members.

In fabricating very-high-resolution devices with a lithographic tool such as an EBES machine, it is crucial that the planar mask or wafer members utilized therein be loaded into and maintained in the work chamber of the machine in a way that minimally affects their planarity. In accordance with the present invention this is accomplished by loading each member into a three-point-suspension cassette unit by means of a fixture that performs the loading in a precise and essentially stress-free manner.

An on the fly optical card reader is provided for reading a card or badge bearing a predetermined number of digits of identifying data spaced in one direction along the card or badge. A guide mechanism guides the displacement of the card past an essentially slot-shaped optical sensing arrangement extending transversely relative to the path of the card and consisting of a light source on one side of the card and a plurality of light detectors on the other side of the card. A correspondingly slotted spring member biases portions of the card on opposite sides of said optical sensing arrangement in the direction of said light detectors. The device is adapted for temporary storage of the output of he optical sensing arrangement and transmission thereof upon detection of the proper passage of the card past the sensor. One aspect of such detection is a bottom detection member selectively displaceable along the length of the path of the card or badge to accommodate cards and badges of different lengths and positioned to only provide a bottom indication if in registration with a cut-away portion of the card representative of proper orientation of the card.

An improved card reader for sensing and readout of Hollerith punched-hole cards. The reader senses the manual entry of a Hollerith card to turn on driving rollers which grasp and press the card inward into the mechanism. The leading edge of the punched card then comes into contact with a flange-head which is part of a strobe bar carriage. The pressure of the inwardly driven Hollerith card causes the front edge of the Hollerith card to press against the head and to initiate forward motion of the strobe bar carriage. The strobe bar carriage carries a linear bar with a series of precisionly spaced apertures in its base which are used to trigger a strobing signal as each column of the punched card passes over the read station. The read station puts out a set of signals indicative of the pattern of each column of the Hollerith card. When the last column of the Hollerith card is read, a reverse sensing photocell is triggered which drives the card backward out of the entry slot. A return spring retracts the strobe bar carriage back to its initial position adjacent the entry slot of the card reader. The strobe bar flange and carriage is made to contain a heavier mass than that of the Hollerith card and is at least of equal width to that of the width of the Hollerith card so that any "skewness" of the Hollerith card in the entry slot will be rectified when the edge of the Hollerith card is flatted against the strobe bar head. Further, the thrust of the Hollerith card will not cause bounce or jerk of the strobe bar carriage (which might lead to reading errors) but will merely accelerate the strobe bar carriage in a smooth fashion.

A tray acceptor apparatus contains a housing with a tray mounted on the housing. A top plate is mounted on the housing parallel to the tray and a bottom plate is also mounted in the housing parallel to the tray with the alignment of the top and bottom plates being very accurate. Additionally, a unique way or ball bearing tray guide is utilized so that the tray slides accurately with very little if any free play such as skew or pitch. The tray acceptor apparatus very readily accomodates magnetic sensing mechanisms due to the accurate alignment of the tray and the accomanying plates. The apparatus also includes a mechanical engagement of the tray to a timing shaft with either the tray or shaft having trip switches or the like so that a precise sequence of operation is obtained with every insertion of the tray into the housing. Moreover, a locking mechanism is employed during the valdiation of currency or checks and a pair of acceptance pressure rollers provides a secure frictional grip on the currency or check.