of the present invention in perspective view the equipment includes a housing in which are provided among other things an illuminated keyboard 2 for entering various information and a light panel 3 for indicating various information the general nature of such equipment is explained in somewhat more detail in co pending application ser no 807 729 now abandoned filed on even date herewith and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention the device disclosed in this co pending application serves the same general purpose but is one which utilizes a transport drive for the card rather than for the magnetic head in the base of the equipment 4 is an input opening 5 for insertion of the card 6 which is to be read or recorded upon this opening is shown in cross section in fig4 the card 6 contains a magnetic track 7 on which information is to be read or recorded the track runs in the transverse direction of the card i e in and out of the plane of the paper when the card 6 is inserted a reading gap cover 8 which covers the opening 5 is moved in the direction of the arrow 9 to the extent that the magnetic track 7 comes to lie directly above the track of a magnetic head 10 suitably stop means are provided for the reading gap cover 8 so as to ensure proper positioning this is illustrated schematically as a stop switch 50 when the stop switch 50 is activated a signal is provided to a driving device 51 such as a solonoid which is mechanically coupled to a card depressor or a hold down 11 it is then caused to.