Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating recyclable material from waste material in a material handling system. The material separator comprises a screw conveyor that separates waste material from recyclable material. The screw feeder also feeds the recyclable material into a crusher for pulverization. The waste material bypasses the crusher and is deposited onto a screen for removal into a waste bin. The crusher generally pulverizes the material received by the screw conveyor. However, if uncrushable material is dropped into the crusher assembly, a ballistic part ejector is provided for use with the crusher. The crusher apparatus has a housing and a rotary crusher member. The housing of the crusher apparatus includes convergent walls along one portion to direct ballistic or thrown uncrushable debris in a predetermined direction toward an ejector aperture formed in the housing. A closure member operably obstructs the ejector aperture in the housing.

Abstract: Particle separating apparatus includes a horizontally disposed rectangular screen or grid having openings adapted to pass smaller particles from a stream of particles of varying sizes while retaining larger particles upon the top of the screen. A conveying screw mounted in a trough below the screen conveys the smaller particles forwardly along the trough to a discharge opening. The screen is mounted above the screw for horizontal reciprocation along a path parallel to the longitudinal axis of the screw and is biassed by springs engaged between the front and rear ends of the screen and stationary surfaces to a normal rest position midway between the ends of the reciprocating path.

Abstract: Credit cards to be used with automated systems such as vending machines or the like have various identification and other data encoded on them for use with a particular system for which they are intended. To prevent persons familiar with the system operation and the manner of encoding data on such credit cards from developing unauthorized cards which will work in the system, a random number generator is used to produce a mask for relocating the bits of encoded data in a random manner to various locations on the credit card. This mask is stored in a microprocessor memory and is used both in encoding and decoding such cards.

Abstract: To reduce the number of different software packages required for document controlled systems of the type used in automated fueling systems, automated bank teller systems, and the like, a "format" character is encoded in a preestablished location on the card used to activate the system. Typically, the system activation cards include an identity section having a maximum number of characters in it which may be utilized to perform the identity function. Different system users, however, frequently divide this identity section into different formats of groups of characters separated by "space" characters. Insertion of space characters into the encoded indentification field on the card, however, uses valuable space which otherwise may be required for the full identification functions in the system. By employing a separate format identity character, a wide variety of formats may be possible while using all of the characters possible in the identity field for their chosen function.

Abstract: An electronic control system particularly suited for use with an automatic fuel dispensing system uses a centrally located computer to supply serial polling signals to various sub-stations. At the sub-stations, the polling signals are decoded into signals used to control the operation of specific system relays operated by the system. The status of the decoded polling signals as well as the operating status of the relays is supplied back to the computer for verification. A time-out control circuit continuously monitors the input polling signals applied to the relay terminal. If activity does not appear on the input signal line at the terminal after a pre-established time interval, all of the system relays at that terminal are turned off or rendered inoperative, irrespective of the status of the relay control signal obtained from the output of the polling signal decoding circuit.

Abstract: A punched card reader for use in systems such as bulk fuel terminal dispensing systems, automated unattended bank teller machines and the like includes security provisions to prevent operation of such systems by counterfeit cards. Specifically, the system operates with a punched card made of laminated plastic or the like having a rectangular plate made of magnetic material sandwiched between the card layers. This plate is located in an area of the card adjacent the portion encoded with the variable data uniquely identifying the card and the controlling its function, etc. The card entry throat of the tape reader is modified to have a pair of spaced-apart, magnetically actuated reed switches on one side of the card entry slot. On the opposite side of the card entry slot a pair of corresponding permanent magnets are located.

Abstract: A remotely controlled verification lockout of the verification memory used in conjunction with fuel dispensing systems, service dispensing systems (such as automatic bank tellers), and the like is provided. At each user location, a verification memory is provided in which a single binary data bit is stored at each different verification address location. Each document or credit card used with the system has unique identifying information encoded on it for addressing a specific location in the memory which corresponds to the verification check for that credit card. Provision is made for automatically initializing the status of all of the information stored in all of the verification memories in the system by the transmission of an initializing signal to those memories from a central processor by way of suitable communications lines.

Abstract: A card reader having a limited capacity for use with digitally encoded cards is used in conjunction with a system requiring a greater amount of information than is encoded on a single card. A multiple stage buffer storage memory is placed between the card reader and the utilization system. The memory has specific memory locations corresponding to locator data which is uniquely encoded on each of the different cards of a set of cards employed to supply the necessary information to the utilization system. A data locator is connected between the card reader and the buffer storage means and is responsive to locator data read from the cards by the reader to direct the information data on the cards to the proper location in the buffer storage memory. The cards may be inserted into the reader in any order; and when all of the areas of the buffer storage memory have the necessary data encoded in them, the information is transferred from the buffer storage memory to the utilization system.

Abstract: A power failure detection and restart system for use with a microprocessor (microcomputer) control system includes first and second cascaded voltage comparators, the first of which responds to a drop in the supply voltage supplied to the microprocessor to produce an output pulse causing a software freeze of the microprocessor. The microprocessor operates in response to the software freeze pulse to transfer the contents of certain registers thereof to a battery protected memory for temporary storage therein. A positive feed-back circuit is used on the first voltage comparator to insure its rapid and complete change of state; and this change of state signal is applied through a time delay circuit to the second voltage comparator, which produces an output signal a predetermined time after the software freeze pulse is obtained from the first voltage comparator to reset the microprocessor to an initial circuit condition.

Abstract: A radio communication system includes a polling central station and a number of remote stations. Each remote station is identified by a unique address transmitted from the central station preceding a message intended for such remote station. Each of the remote stations also may be programmed to respond to the address of a "partner" station in addition to responding to its own address. The "partner" station address is employed whenever one of the remote stations is located such that a transmission link problem exists between such station and the central station polling station. When this condition exists, the station which has difficulty communicating directly with the central station is provided with a new address and no longer is responsive to the address of messages transmitted to it from the central station.

Abstract: A system used to provide a verification check of a credit card or credit document includes a large capacity read/write memory having a single binary data bit stored at each address location. The credit card has unique identifying information encoded on it for addressing a specific location in the memory. A readout is provided in response to the insertion of the credit card to indicate whether the card is a valid one or not. To program the memory initially, a provision is made for individually addressing each of the different memory locations and to establish a "valid" or "non-valid" binary data bit storage at each location corresponding to a different credit card. In addition, manually operable addressing switches are provided to change the specific bit stored at any given address subsequent to the initial storage of data in the memory.

Abstract: An automatic fuel-dispensing system for dispensing fuel at unattended fueling sites includes a number of fuel pumps capable of dispensing different types of fuel. A common control console is used to control the operation of the fuel pumps and to record the data relative to the customer identification, site location and quantity of fuel used. The control console includes a card reader, and a customer inserts a card which uniquely identifies him into the reader, enters an odometer reading, and selects a pushbutton for the fuel pump from which he desires to obtain fuel. If a validity check of the card against preset validity check data fails, a red invalid panel indicator illuminates on the control console; and no product can be withdrawn from the selected dispenser. If the inserted card passes the validity checks, the odometer reading and customer identification data is stored in a RAM memory uniquely associated with the selected dispenser.

Abstract: An MOS RAM read/write memory system has thirty-two 1 .times. 512 bit RAM memory chips arranged in a matrix. The system pretests all data bit locations for each address prior to the entry of any data into that address, and automatically skips an address having a faulty data bit location in it. In addition, the system functions, upon reading out of data information from the memory chips, to uniquely identify any faulty MOS RAM memory chip; so that it may be removed and replaced if desired.

Abstract: A digital card reader is connected to supply input data to a random access memory corresponding to pre-coded information on cards inserted into the reader. The insertion of a card into the reader causes a binary counter to advance one binary count to address the next location in the memory for storing the data on the card. The outputs of the binary counter, which have encoded thereon the binary addresses, are further coupled to a digital-to-analog converter having an output lead on which an analog representation of the selected address appears. This output lead of the digital-to-analog converter is used to operate an analog meter, such as an ammeter, having a scale calibrated to indicate the degree of fullness of the memory as determined by the binary encoded address information.