Abstract: A document sorting system employing a plurality of elongated flexible strips which form document transport channels therebetween and which terminate at a plurality of sorting areas. A magnetic apparatus is provided for selectively deflecting the ends of the flexible strips to form an appropriate channel entrance for the document to be sorted. A coil member is attached to the said end of each flexible strip and current is sent through the coil of the coil members. The coil members are disposed for movement on a piece of the magnetic apparatus and current through the coils of the coil members cooperate with the magnetic field produced by the magnetic apparatus to selectively deflect the coil members and the ends of the flexible strips. The coils of the coil members are connected in a circuit which determines the direction of the current flow in each of the coils.

Abstract: A system and method for character recognition in which each of a plurality of characters is recognized both magnetically and optically. If the magnetic reader fails to recognize a character while the optical reader is successful in recognizing it, a character identification signal corresponding to the character recognized by the optical reader is generated while if the optical reader fails to recognize a character and the magnetic reader is successful in recognizing it, an identification signal corresponding to the character recognized by the magnetic reader is generated. Where the magnetic and topical readers provide signals indicative of different characters while attempting to read the same character, depending on the parameters of the system an identification signal corresponding to one or the other recognition signals, or a reject signal is generated.