Card package production system having multidirectinal card package distribution module with stacker and reject gate and method
First Claim
1. In a card package production system for producing card packages with printed paper carriers with matching cards attached to the carriers and having a frame and a housing overlying the frame, the improvement being a card package multi-directional distribution module, comprising:
- a card package transport with a primary carrier transport path extending between a card package inlet and a primary card package outlet for transporting the card packages along the primary carrier transport path;
a stacker module for stacking the card packages having a stacker input intermediate the carrier inlet and the primary carrier outlet; and
a movable stacker gate mounted for movement between a stacking position in which the carriers are guided by the gate off the primary carrier transport path and into the stacker input, and a nonstacking position in which the card packages are allowed to continue past the stacker input and toward the primary carrier outlet.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A card package production system (100) for producing card packages (115) composed of printed paper carriers (113) with matching cards (128) attached to the carriers (113) selectively outputs the card packages through a card package multi directional distribution module (136) having a carrier transport with a primary carrier transport path extending between a package inlet (262) and a primary package outlet (144) for transporting the card packages along the primary carrier transport path. A movable stacker gate assembly (280) mounted for movement between a stacking position (FIG. 26) in which the card packages are guided by the stacker gate assembly (280) off the primary carrier transport path and into the stacker (164) and a nonstacking position in which the carriers are allowed to continue past the stacker input and toward the primary carrier outlet (144) is selectively automatically controlled to direct carriers preselected for mailing to the primary outlet (144) and carriers preselected for stacking to the stacker assembly (146). In addition, a movable reject gate (302) located along the primary carrier transport path intermediate the stacker gate assembly (280) and the primary package outlet (144) mounted for movement between a reject position in which the card packages are guided by the reject gate (302) off the primary carrier transport path and into an inlet to a reject bin (142), and a non reject position in which packages are allowed to continue past the reject bin (142) and continue out of the primary carrier outlet (144).
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Citations
65 Claims
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1. In a card package production system for producing card packages with printed paper carriers with matching cards attached to the carriers and having a frame and a housing overlying the frame, the improvement being a card package multi-directional distribution module, comprising:
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a card package transport with a primary carrier transport path extending between a card package inlet and a primary card package outlet for transporting the card packages along the primary carrier transport path;
a stacker module for stacking the card packages having a stacker input intermediate the carrier inlet and the primary carrier outlet; and
a movable stacker gate mounted for movement between a stacking position in which the carriers are guided by the gate off the primary carrier transport path and into the stacker input, and a nonstacking position in which the card packages are allowed to continue past the stacker input and toward the primary carrier outlet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. In a card package production system for producing card packages with printed paper carriers with matching cards attached to the card packages and having a frame and a housing overlying the frame, the improvement being a card package multi-directional distribution method, comprising the steps of:
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transporting with a card packages transport the card packages along a primary card package transport path extending between a carrier inlet and a primary card package outlet with a primary card package transport path;
selectively moving a movable stacker gate mounted for movement between a stacking position in which the card packages are guided by the gate off the primary carrier transport path and into a stacker input intermediate the carrier inlet and the primary card package outlet of a stacker module for stacking the card packages; and
selectively moving the movable stacker gate to nonstacking position in which the card packages are allowed to continue past the stacker input and toward the primary card packages outlet. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. In a card package production system for producing card packages with printed paper carriers with matching cards attached to the carriers overlying the frame, the improvement being a defective card package reject apparatus, comprising:
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a primary carrier transport path extending between a carrier inlet and a primary carrier outlet;
means for transporting the carriers along the primary carrier transport path;
a reject for receipt of defective carrier packages;
a movable reject gate mounted for movement between a reject position in which the carriers are guided by the gate off the primary carrier transport path and into the reject outlet, and a nonreject position in which the carriers are allowed to continue past the stacker input and toward the primary carrier outlet. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. In a card package production system for producing card packages with printed paper carriers with matching cards attached to the carriers overlying the frame, the improvement being a defective card package reject apparatus, comprising:
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a primary card transport mechanism for directing card packages from a card package inlet to a card package outlet; and
means for measuring the thickness of the card packages before they reach the card package outlet; and
means responsive the thickness measuring means for redirecting defective card packages to a reject package outlet. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. In a card package production system for producing card packages with printed paper carriers with matching cards attached to the carriers overlying the frame, the improvement being a method of rejecting defective card package, comprising the steps of:
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directing card packages from a card package inlet to a card package outlet with a primary card transport mechanism; and
measuring the thickness of the card packages before they reach the card package outlet; and
responding to the thickness measuring means for redirecting defective card packages to a reject package outlet in response to the thickness of the card pacakages. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. In a card package production system for producing card packages with printed paper carriers with matching cards attached to the carriers overlying the frame, the improvement being a method of rejecting defective card packages, comprising the steps of:
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transporting carrier packages along a primary carrier transport path extending between a carrier inlet and a primary carrier outlet;
moving a movable reject gate mounted for movement between a reject position in which the carriers are guided by the gate off the primary carrier transport path and into the reject outlet, and a nonreject position in which the carriers are allowed to continue past the stacker input and toward the primary carrier outlet. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. In a card package production system for producing card packages with printed paper carriers with matching cards attached to the carriers, the improvement being a card package stacking apparatus, comprising:
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a card package transport path along which card packages are moved seriatim;
a card package stacking frame with an open top, a bottom with an opening beneath the open top, and elongate members extending between the open top and the bottom opening for at least lateral support of a stack of card packages; and
a card package stacker inserter with a stacker inserter input relatively positioned to receive card packages from the card package transport path, and means for inserting card packages received at the stacker input into the bottom opening at the bottom of the stack of card packages, insertion of each successive card package pushing previously inserted card packages upwardly simultaneously as a stack of card packages toward the open top, said open top being reached by the card packages in whatever order they are inserted into the bottom opening. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. In a card package production system for producing card packages with printed paper carriers with matching cards attached to the carriers, a method of stacking card packages in a non-horizontal stack, comprising the steps of:
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transporting seriatim card packages along a card package transport path;
locating a card package stacking frame with an open top, a bottom with an opening beneath the open top, and elongate members extending between the open top and the bottom opening for at least lateral support of a stack of card packages for receipt of card packages on the card package transport path;
receiving card packages into a stacker inserter input of a card package stacker inserter relatively positioned to receive card packages from the card package transport path;
inserting card packages received at the stacker input into the bottom opening at the bottom of a stack of card packages; and
pushing previously inserted card packages upwardly simultaneously as a stack of card packages toward the open top with another card package being inserted into the bottom opening, said open top being reached by the card packages in whatever order they are inserted into the bottom opening. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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Specification