Information handling apparatus

Claim 1

IN A SYSTEM FOR READING A MAGNETIC RECORD HAVING A PLURALITY OF TRACKS AND BITS CONSITUTING CHARACTERS OF DIGITAL INFORMATION RECORDED SEPARATELY ON DIFFERENT ONES OF SAID TRACKS, CERTAIN OF SAID CHARACTERS BEING KEY CHARACTERS, SAID SYSTEM INCLUDING A REGISTER HAVING A PLURALITY OF SUCCESSIVE STAGES FOR SUCCESSIVELY STORING BITS READ FROM EACH OF SAID TRACKS, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING MEANS FOR READING THE BITS OF SUCCESSIVE ONES OF SAID CHARACTERS INTO SAID REGISTER, MEANS FOR RECOGNIZING THE ABSENCE AND PRESENCE OF EACH BIT CONSTITUTING A KEY CHARACTER OF SAID INFORMATION IN THE FINAL STAGE OF SAID REGISTER AND FOR STORING SIGNALS IN RESPONSE THERETO, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESENCE OF THE FIRST OF SAID BITS CONSTITUTING SAID KEY CHARACTER TO PROVIDE A SIGNAL FOR RESETTING ALL SAID STORING MEANS AFTER A GIVEN PERIOD OF TIME, WHEREBY TO PERMIT RECOGNITION OF SUBSEQUENTLY RECORDED ONES OF SAID KEY CHARACTERS, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE STORAGE OF ALL OF THE BITS CONSITUTING SAID KEY CHARACTER IN SAID STORING MEANS FOR INHIBITING THE OPERATION OF SAID RESETTING MEANS.