Card feeding apparatus for an automatic embossing system

• US 4,384,711 A
• Filed: 10/20/1980
• Issued: 05/24/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Data Card Corp.
• Original Assignee: Data Card Corp.
• Inventors: Gabel, Edward R., Heiller, Glenn H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schacher, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US06/198,597
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 271/129, 271/138, 271/128, 271/130, 400/130
• US Class Current: 271/129
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/02 adapted to support articles on edge
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/24 by pushers engaging the edges of the articles

Abstract

An apparatus for feeding cards to an embossing apparatus in an automatic embossing system includes an adjustable input hopper and a card picking mechanism. The input hopper can be adjusted to receive cards of varying height, width and thickness. The card picking mechanism includes a card shelf for supporting a card substantially along the length of its bottom edge, a carriage upon which the card shelf is mounted and a cam and rocker arm drive arrangement for reciprocating the card shelf and carriage. The card feeding apparatus provides a large feeding force and is particularly suitable for feeding metal cards.

Claims

1. Apparatus for receiving a stack of cards to be embossed and for individually feeding cards to an embossing apparatus in an automatic embossing system, the stack of cards having a top, a bottom, first and second ends and first and second sides, said apparatus comprising:

an input hopper for receiving the stack of cards to be embossed, said input hopper comprising;

a hopper plate engaging the bottom of the card stack;

a guide rail mounted on said hopper plate and engaging the first side of the card stack;

an edge guide adjustably mounted on the hopper plate and engaging the second side of the card stack;

a hopper bracket adjustably mounted on said hopper plate and engaging the top of the card stack;

a backup block adjustably mounted to said hopper plate and engaging the first card of the card stack; and

a card stripper adjustably mounted to said hopper bracket and positioned adjacent the first end of the card stack so that the horizontal distance between said card stripper and said backup block is defined by one card thickness;

a shaft selectively driven in rotation;

a cam mounted on said shaft for rotation thereby;

a driver extending from said cam parallel to and displaced from said shaft;

a rocker arm mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot axis parallel to said shaft, said rocker arm having first and second ends and having a slot, adjacent said second end, through which said driver extends in sliding engagement, said pivot axis being positioned intermediate said first end and said slot, said rocker arm being oscillated about the pivot axis by the sliding motion of said driver in the slot during rotation of said cam; and

shelf means, positioned for sliding movement adjacent said input hopper and slidingly connected to said first end of said rocker arm, for raising an individual first card of the card stack from a rest position in said input hopper to a card feeding position in response to the oscillating motion of said rocker arm.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first end of said rocker arm has a forked end portion and wherein said shelf means comprises:

a carriage having a rocker shaft seated in the forked end of said rocker arm;

a card shelf mounted on said carriage, said card shelf having a card ledge for supporting a first of the stack of cards to be fed to said card feeding position, wherein said carriage, said card shelf and the card carried on the card ledge of said card shelf are raised to said card feeding position as said rocker arm oscillates said rocker shaft.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said driver comprises a shoulder screw.

4. Apparatus for receiving a stack of cards to be embossed and for individually feeding cards to an embossing apparatus of an automatic embossing system, comprising:

an input hopper for receiving the stack of cards to be embossed, the stack of cards having a top, a bottom, first and second sides, and first and second ends, said input hopper comprising;

a hopper plate engaging the bottom of the card stack;

a guide rail mounted on the hopper plate and engaging the first side of the card stack;

an edge guide adjustably mounted on said hopper plate and engaging the second side of the card stack;

a hopper bracket adjustably mounted to said hopper plate and engaging the top of the card stack;

a backup block adjustably mounted to the hopper plate and positioned against the first end of the card stack;

a card stripper adjustably mounted to the hopper bracket and positioned adjacent the first end of the card stack so that the horizontal distance between said card stripper and said backup block is defined by one card thickness; and

card picking means, positioned adjacent the first end of the card stack, for raising the card which is at the first end of the card stack to a card feeding position.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said input hopper further comprises:

compression means for applying pressure to the second end of the card stack wherein the cards in the card stack are compressed toward said backup block.

6. Apparatus for receiving a stack of cards to be embossed and for individually feeding cards to an embossing apparatus in an automatic embossing system, comprising:

an input hopper for receiving a stack of cards to be embossed;

a shaft selectively driven in rotation;

a cam mounted on said shaft for rotation thereby;

a driver extending from said cam parallel to and displaced from said shaft;

a rocker arm mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot axis parallel to said shaft, said rocker arm having a forked end and having a slot through which said driver extends in sliding engagement, said rocker arm being oscillated about the pivot axis by the sliding motion of said driver in the slot during rotation of said cam;

a carriage having a rocker shaft seated in the forked end of said rocker arm; and

a card shelf mounted on said carriage and positioned for sliding movement adjacent said input hopper, said card shelf having a card ledge for raising an individual first card of the stack of cards from a rest position in said input hopper to a card feeding position in response to the oscillating motion of said rocker arm, said card shelf and the card carried on the card ledge on said card shelf being raised to said card feeding position as said rocker arm oscillates said rocker shaft.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the card stack has a top, a bottom, first and second ends and first and second sides and wherein said input hopper comprises:

a hopper plate engaging the bottom of the card stack;

a guide rail mounted on said hopper plate and engaging the first side of the card stack;

an edge guide adjustably mounted on the hopper plate and engaging the second side of the card stack;

a hopper bracket adjustably mounted on said hopper plate and engaging the top of the card stack;

a backup block adjustably mounted to said hopper plate and engaging the first card of the card stack; and

a card stripper adjustably mounted to said hopper bracket and positioned adjacent the first end of the card stack so that the horizontal distance between said card stripper and said backup block is defined by one card thickness.

8. Apparatus for receiving a stack of cards to be embossed and for individually feeding cards to an embossing apparatus of an automatic embossing system, comprising:

an input hopper for receiving the stack of cards to be embossed, the stack of cards having a top and having first and second ends, said input hopper comprising;

a backup block positioned against the first end of the card stack;

a card stripper positioned above the top of the card stack adjacent the first end of the card stack, the horizontal distance between said card stripper and said backup block being defined by one card thickness; and

compression means for applying pressure to the second end of the card stack to compress the cards in the card stack towards said backup block; and

card picking means, positioned adjacent the first end of the stack, for raising the card which is at the first end of the card stack to a card feeding position.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said compression means comprises:

a compression arm positioned against the second end of the card stack;

a cable having a first end secured to said compression arm and having a second end;

a constant force spring unit to which the second end of said cable is secured;

an idler pulley having said cable wrapped around it; and

means for rotating said idler pulley to maintain a constant driving torque on said idler pulley, thereby urging said compression arm against the second end of the card stack.

10. Apparatus for receiving a stack of cards to be embossed and for individually feeding cards to an embossing apparatus in an automatic embossing system, comprising:

an input hopper for receiving the stack of cards to be embossed;

a shaft selectively driven in rotation;

a cam mounted on said shaft for rotation thereby;

a driver extending from said cam parallel to and displaced from said shaft;

a rocker arm mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot axis parallel to said shaft, said rocker arm having a first end including a forked end portion, having a second end and having a slot, adjacent said second end, through which said driver extends in sliding engagement, said pivot axis being positioned intermediate said first end and said slot, said rocker arm being oscillated about the pivot axis by the sliding motion of said driver in the slot during rotation of said cam; and

shelf means, positioned for sliding movement adjacent said input hopper and slidingly connected to said first end of said rocker arm, for raising an individual first card of the card stack from a rest position in said input hopper to a card feeding position in response to the oscillating motion of said rocker arm, said shelf means comprising;

a carriage having a rocker shaft seated in the forked end of said rocker arm; and

a card shelf mounted on said carriage, said card shelf having a card ledge for supporting a first of the stack of cards to be fed to said card feeding position, said carriage, said card shelf and the card carried on the card ledge of said card shelf being raised to said card feeding position as said rocker arm oscillates said rocker shaft.