Automatic embossing system with document transfer

• US 4,180,338 A
• Filed: 09/21/1977
• Issued: 12/25/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Data Card Corp.
• Original Assignee: Data Card Corp.
• Inventors: LaManna, Richard J., Polad, Michael D., Drillick, Jacob H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eickholt, E. H.
• Application Number:
  US05/835,406
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 400/129-130, 400/131, 400/132, 400/134.2, 400/134.3, 400/5, 400/6, 400/582, 400/605, 400/612, 400/616, 400/623, 400/61, 400/76, 400/162, 400/162.1, 400/48, 101/2, 101/18, 101/93.18, 271/DIG. 2, 271/8 R, 271/18.3, 271/129, 271/130, 271/272, 271/273
• US Class Current: 400/582
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/387 with automatic plate transport systems, e.g. for credit cards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 271/90 Stripper

Abstract

Automatic card embossing apparatus includes a rotatable embossing wheel carrying about its periphery punch and die pairs for all characters available for embossing. Each character position of the wheel defines an address and the wheel is controlled for rotation to a desired address for embossing the character there-located. Data identifying all embossable characters is processed to derive three control numbers for each character, the first control number identifying the corresponding wheel address for the corresponding punch and die pair, the second number identifying the horizontal position on the card where the character is to be embossed, and the third control number identifying the line number on the card. The data is sorted into ascending order of wheel addresses. In operation, a card is transported to a reference position relative to the embossing wheel and the embossing wheel is rotated to the address of the first control number. The distance to move the card based on the second and third control numbers is computed, and the card is transported to each successive position for that first character to be embossed. The embossing wheel then is rotated to the next address in accordance with the next first control number and the embossing and card transport functions are performed. Following embossing, the card is returned to its reference position, then to an output stacker where it is deflected into "accept" or "reject" portions as a function of error checks performed during data processing and embossing.

Claims

1. A document transfer mechanism for transporting a document from an input means to an output means and to selected positions with respect to a reference position intermediate said input and output means, comprising

a main support,

a horizontal support rail,

first and second support arms each with two pivotally connected first and second portions, said arms being pivotally connected at first ends thereof to corresponding, opposite ends of said horizontal support rail and pivotally connected at the opposite, second ends thereof to said main support, said pivotal connections of said second ends to said main support being vertically aligned with, and spaced apart by the distance of the spacing of, the pivotal connections of said first ends to said horizontal support rail,

vertical transport means for selectively raising and lowering said horizontal support rail, and

horizontal transport means including a carriage mounted on said horizontal support rail for selective movement therealong, first and second pulleys connected to said horizontal support rail, at respective ones of said pivotal connections thereto, to respective ones of said pivotal connections of said first and second portions of each of said arms, and fifth and sixth pulleys connected to respective ones of said pivotal connections of said arms to said main support, a cable of fixed length engaging said pulleys, and means for engaging and selectively driving said cable thereby to move said carriage to selected positions along said horizontal support rail,

said carriage includes resilient engagement means, normally disposed to an engaged position,

means adjacent said input means for actuating said resilient engagement means to an opened disengaged position to receive a document therein from said input means and thereafter deactuating same to said engaged position for engaging said document received therein, and

means adjacent said output means to actuate said resilient engagement means to said disengaged position to release said engaged document, and

control means for controlling selective driving means of said horizontal and vertical transport means for lowering said horizontal support rail and moving said carriage to said input means to receive and engage a document, to transport said document to said reference position thereafter and to desired predetermined positions with respect to said reference position, and to transport said document from said reference position to said output means.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein:

said input means comprises an input hopper for receiving a supply of documents,

said actuation means adjacent said input means is disposed in a first position for contacting and actuating said resilient engagement means of said carriage when said carriage is transported to said input hopper thereby to open said carriage for receiving a document presented at said input hopper, said actuation means being selectively energized to be displaced from said resilient engagement means of said carriage, said resilient engagement means thereby resiliently engaging said document, and

said output means comprises an output stacker having a fixed actuating means for engaging said resilient engaging means of said carriage when the latter is transported to said output stacker thereby to open said resilient engagement means of said carriage and deposit a document being transported thereby in said output stacker.

3. A system as recited in claim 2 wherein there is further provided:

said input hopper for receiving a supply of documents including feeder means for feeding an individual said document,

said control means issuing a control to said feeder means to feed a single document from said supply thereof and controlling said vertical and horizontal selective driving means to dispose said carriage to engage and transport said individual, fed documents from said input hopper to said reference position.

4. A system as recited in claim 3 wherein there is further provided:

said output stacker for receiving cards from said carriage means having accept and reject portions, said output stacker including;

means for resiliently engaging a card received in said output stacker from said carriage means at a position intermediate said accept and reject portions,

deflection means selectively positionable initially at one of first and second opposite sides of said resilient engaging means corresponding to said accept and reject portions thereof and selectively movable in corresponding first and second opposite directions to the respectively opposite said side, and

said controlling means further includes;

means for detecting an error condition in a document and producing an error condition indication,

means for normally positioning said deflection means at said first side of said resilient engaging means prior to said carriage depositing a document in said output stacker and thereafter moving said deflection means in said first direction to deflect a document received by said engaging means in said first direction, beyond said resilient engaging means and into said accept portion of said output stacker and, in response to receipt of an error condition indication, positioning said deflection means at said second side prior to said carriage depositing a document in said output stacker and thereafter moving said deflection means to deflect said document received in said resilient engaging means of said output stacker in said second direction beyond said resilient engaging means and into said reject stacker, and resilient engaging means thereby assisting in separating correct documents from incorrect documents.

5. A system as recited in claim 4 wherein:

said resilient engaging means comprises a pair of arms resiliently mounted for receiving therebetween opposite parallel edges of a document, and deflecting means deflecting a card from said resilient engagement thereof.

6. A card transport system comprising:

a carriage including a first plate, a second plate pivotally connected to said first plate, and resilient means for urging said second plate to pivot in a first direction relative to said first plate, one of said first and second plates including engagement pins for penetrating slightly into the surface of a card disposed between said plates in response to said resilient urging means pivoting said second plate in said first direction, thereby to securely engage said card by said carriage, the other of said plates having stripper means affixed thereto and disposed to be positioned on the opposite side of a card from that engaged by said pins, and said second plate being movable in a second direction opposite to said first direction and said stripper means thereupon engaging said opposite surface of said card thereby to strip said card from said pins and release said card, and

transport means for supporting and selectively moving said carriage in desired directions of motion thereby to transport a card engaged by said carriage to any of plural desired positions.

7. A card transport system as recited in claim 6 wherein:

said transport means includes a support rail for supporting said carriage, and

said first plate of said carriage includes rollers mounted thereon and disposed to engage said support rail therebetween to permit movement of said carriage selectively along the length of said support rail.

8. A card transport mechanism as recited in claim 6 wherein:

said support rail is generally disposed in a horizontal plane,

said first plate is disposed in a generally vertical plane,

said second plate is of substantially the same dimension as said first plate in said horizontal direction and is pivotally connected to said first plate at opposite extremes of said horizontal dimension and at positions intermediate the vertical dimension of said second plate,

said second plate being engageable at said upper portion thereof above said pivotal interconnecting points so as to pivot said second plate against said resilient urging for releasing an engaged card.

9. A card transport mechanism as recited in claim 7 wherein:

said second plate includes downwardly depending arms carrying said engagement pins, and

said first plate includes said stripper means, said stripper means comprising elements extending generally horizontally in the direction of said second plate and extending vertically downwardly so as to engage the upper portion of a card carried by said second plate when pivoted for releasing said card thereby to strip said card from said engagement pins.

10. A document transfer mechanism for selectively transporting a document in horizontal and vertical directions, comprising

a main support,

a horizontal support rail,

first and second support arms each of two pivotally connected portions, said arms being pivotally connected at first ends thereof to corresponding, opposite ends of said horizontal support rail and pivotally connected at the opposite, second ends thereof to said main support, said pivotal connections of said second ends to said main support being vertically aligned with, and spaced apart by the distance of the spacing of, the pivotal connections of said first ends to said horizontal support rail,

vertical transport means for selectively raising and lowering said horizontal support rail, and

horizontal transport means including a carriage mounted on said horizontal support rail for selective movement therealong, first and second pulleys connected to said horizontal support rail, at respective ones of said pivotal connections thereto, to respective ones of said pivotal connections of said first and second portions of each of said arms, and fifth and sixth pulleys connected to respective ones of said pivotal connections of said arms to said main support, a cable of fixed length engaging said pulleys, and means for engaging and selectively driving said cable thereby to move said carriage to selected positions along said horizontal support rail.