High-speed magnetic encoding apparatus and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for magnetically encoding information onto plural objects comprising the steps of:
- providing a supply of objects to be magnetically encoded;
passing said objects proximate to a magnetic write head;
maintaining said write head a spaced distance from the surface of said objects by supporting said write head on a carriage and controlling a gap between the top surface of said objects to be encoded and said write head by mechanically constraining said moving objects from passing substantially through an imaginary plane;
while said objects pass proximate to said write head, writing magnetically within a track on said object;
thenseparating said objects into units or groups of units.
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Abstract
Apparatus for high speed bulk magnetic encoding of lottery tickets passes a web of tickets by an encoding apparatus which supports plural skates each having wheels or rollers which ride along the surface of the web to provide a controlled gap between the web and a magnetic write head. Also included on the skate are a magnetic read head and an inkjet print head. After encoding and printing, the perforations in the web are bursted, and the web is sliced into individual magnetically encoded lottery tickets.
73 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for magnetically encoding information onto plural objects comprising the steps of:
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providing a supply of objects to be magnetically encoded; passing said objects proximate to a magnetic write head; maintaining said write head a spaced distance from the surface of said objects by supporting said write head on a carriage and controlling a gap between the top surface of said objects to be encoded and said write head by mechanically constraining said moving objects from passing substantially through an imaginary plane; while said objects pass proximate to said write head, writing magnetically within a track on said object;
thenseparating said objects into units or groups of units. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of encoding a plurality of objects at high speed in bulk form comprising the steps of:
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providing a supply of objects to be encoded, including providing a web separable into a sequence of strips, each strip including material for one or more objects to be encoded; passing said web proximate to one or more magnetic write heads; maintaining each write head a spaced distance from said web as it passes thereunder by guiding said web under a set of rollers supported by a carriage to which a respective write head is coupled, the relationship of said roller periphery to said write head defining said spaced distance; writing magnetically within respective tracks corresponding to said magnetic write heads as said web passes under said write heads; and separating strips which have been magnetically encoded to form a plurality of separate magnetically encoded items. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. Apparatus for encoding a plurality of objects magnetically at a high speed comprising;
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means for passing a supply of material proximate to an encoding apparatus; an encoding apparatus including a magnetic write head and means coupled to said magnetic write head for spacing the surface of said material to be encoded from said write head including a set of rollers mounted in a spaced relationship from the surface of said write head, said rollers being positioned to engage the upper surface of said supply material and being comfigured to constrain said supply material from approaching said surface of said write head by more than a prescribed gap.
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15. In combination:
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a web of magnetically encodable material configured as a plurality of several elongated strips; means for moving said web along a predetermined route; an encoding apparatus positioned along said route and including a magnetic write head supported in a skate apparatus, said skate apparatus including a set of rollers mounted for rotation about an axis which is perpendicular to the direction of movement of said web past said encoding apparatus, whereby said web may engage said rollers as said web moves past said encoding apparatus and rotate said rollers, said write head being a controlled distance from the periphery of said rollers. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method for magnetically encoding information onto plural objects comprising the steps of:
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providing a supply of objects to be magnetically encoded; passing said objects proximate to a magnetic write head; maintaining said write head a spaced distance from the surface of said objects by passing said supply of objects to be encoded along one or more rollers supported by a carriage to which said write head is engaged, the circular perimeters of said one or more rollers preventing said objects to be encoded from approaching said write head by more than a controlled distance while said objects pass proximate to said write head, writing magnetically within a track on said object;
thenseparating said objects into units or groups of units.
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18. Apparatus for encoding a plurality of objects magnetically at a high speed comprising;
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means for passing a supply of material proximate to an encoding apparatus; an encoding apparatus including a magnetic write head and means coupled to said magnetic write head for spacing the surface of said material to be encoded from said write head including a skate apparatus having a set of rollers mounted for rotation about an axle, a carriage coupled to said axle, said carriage engaging said write head, said rollers being oriented to contact the top surface of said supply as it passes proximate to said encoding apparatus and to prevent said material from touching said write head. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification