Abstract: A keyboard spacer for inhibiting the depression of selected push buttons upon a keyboard is shown including a longitudinal trunk having a first resilient arm which engages a key stem of a keyboard switch between the switch and the push button. As the first resilient arm yields, a second latching arm snaps over the key stem for retaining the spacer in the position desired. The spacer, which inhibits the depression of the push button, may be easily removed if push button operation is desired.

Abstract: An electrical connector is shown including a sheet metal contact having longitudinal edges which are rolled to form two partially opened cylinders that engage tines formed within a conductive ground plane by cutting recesses into the plane to expose the tines. The tines are designed to present sharp edges to the inner surface of the partially open spring cylinders for assuring high electrical conductivity between the contact and the ground plane.

Abstract: Document stacking device for tags or other documents, which device may comprise counter-rotating helical stacker members, is provided with a gripper mounted thereon for removing the documents from the stacker members. The hopper in which the stacking device stacks the documents is provided with laterally adjustable side walls to accommodate documents of different widths.

Abstract: A batch reading system for automatically reading documents such as tags or tickets having data marked thereon in the form of human readable characters which are also automatically readable by suitable apparatus, the system being capable of feeding documents which are curled, wrinkled, bent, and otherwise deformed or mutilated. The documents are fed from an input hopper by first feed means, which may be a vacuum belt, from which they are fed to a second vacuum belt on whose underside the tags are held and fed past an underlying automatic reading device. The documents which are properly read are each stripped from the overlying vacuum belt by a flipper arm into a discharge chute, while other tickets are fed past the discharge chute to a reject stacker. To accurately laterally position the documents being fed, one of their longitudinal edges is pressed against a reference surface.

Abstract: System for printing particular information-bearing symbols corresponding to data emanating from a source comprising: source means capable of generating data in a particular sequence; memory means for storing information-bearing symbols; selection means for selecting particular symbols from said memory means corresponding to data emanating from said source; said selection means ordering said particular symbols in a predetermined sequence for printing; a medium adapted to bear printed information-bearing symbols; and transmitting means for transmitting each of said particular characters from said memory means to said medium.

Abstract: A matrix printer and method for printing characters so as to reduce the likelihood of forgery by printing both the desired character and its complement on the same medium.

Abstract: A combined mechanism for impacting a print member and advancing a printing ribbon of a high speed printer wherein an electromagnet, located near and on a yoke mechanism containing the print stem shaft of the print head, operate together with a linkage mechanism which is attached to the yoke mechanism, to impact the print head upon a platen and advance a printing ribbon one increment, the linking mechanism including several linking members and a stop which allows free movement to a first linking member and a cable which during energization is drawn taut but goes slack during de-energization and remains slack after the print head impacts and rebounds to a neutral position.

Abstract: Optical scanning apparatus for scanning and sensing information contained on a label-bearing article includes a light source, a rotatable member having a reflective surface, optical means for directing light from the source to the reflective surface and optical means for directing light reflected from the reflective surface to form a scanning pattern on a predetermined plane; the scanning pattern being comprised of a plurality of segments together forming at least one pair of overlapping X-shaped traces.