Patent ID: 8028911

Claim:
A hand-operated device for reading a document including data in the form of magnetic characters that are discernable by electronics while also being readable by a human eye, comprising: a base including a document support surface; a document reader/imager connected to the base, wherein the document reader/imager is positioned proximate to and spaced apart from the document support surface of the base, wherein the document reader/imager is movably-disposed relative to the base, wherein the document reader/imager is movably-disposed upon a linear guide shaft; a semi-automatic driving mechanism including a biasing spring connected to the base; and a belt-and-pulley system including at least one pair of pulleys, and at least one belt supported by the at least one pair of pulleys, wherein the belt-and-pulley system connects the biasing spring to the document reader/imager, and wherein the at least one belt and the at least one pair of pulleys of the belt-and-pulley system includes a first belt supported by a pair of pulleys, a second belt supported by a second pair of pulleys, and a third belt connecting a pulley of the first pair of pulleys to a pulley of the second pair of pulleys, wherein the first belt is connected to the biasing spring, wherein the second belt is connected to the document reader/imager.