Abstract: A magnetic card reader for reading signals recorded on the magnetic track of a card. The magnetic reading head is mounted on a supporting body contained within a housing, and the card is inserted through a slot in the housing to engage a stop on the supporting body. The stop and the supporting body is moved against the force of a spiral spring until the supporting body reaches an end-position within the housing, whereat the stop engages a counterstop to lower the stop beneath the magnetic card. The supporting body thereby is released for return movement in response to the force of the spring, and the magnetic track on the card is read during this return movement. The spring in one embodiment is a spring band spiral spring wound on a support roller rotatably carried by the reading head supporting body, providing a uniform return velocity of the supporting body for a uniform scanning rate of the magnetic card.