Importance

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Abstract

A data terminal having a card reader assembly for reading a data card having at least a pair of magnetic stripes formed thereon at adjacent ones of at least three defined magnetic data track locations thereon. The terminal includes a read head having two magnetic pickup elements on a front face thereof, the pickup elements being separated by a distance corresponding generally to the distance between the separated magnetic data track locations on the data card. A housing assembly defines a card guide slot adapted to guide a data card during a manual swipe of the card through the card reader assembly. The card guide slot comprises first and second opposite side wall sections and a bottom wall section with one of the side wall sections defining an access aperture for admiting the read head into the card guide slot. A read head positioning arrengement is cooperatively associated with the card guide slot for mounting the read head in a preselected position relative to the bottom wall section of the card guide slot such that the magnetic pickup elements are positioned for detecting a prearranged set of magnetic data tracks located at one of the upper two data track locations and the lower two data track locations.

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First Claim