Embossed card package production system with modular inserters for multiple forms

• US 5,388,815 A
• Filed: 03/24/1993
• Issued: 02/14/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dynetics Engineering Corp.
• Original Assignee: Dynetics Engineering Corp.
• Inventors: Hill, Gregory S., Bretl, Robert J., Kassabian, Fred J., Hill, Jeffery L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwon, John T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US08/036,664
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 270/32, 270/45, 270/58, 235/375, 235/380, 229/92.1, 229/92.3, 229/92.8, 53/201, 53/580, 53/155, 53/157, 53/397, 53/445, 53/284.3, 40/405, 40/537, 283/116, 283/904, 462/6, 462/64, 462/65
• US Class Current: 270/32
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/369 Magnetised or magnetisable materials
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/425 by deformation, e.g. embossing
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/48 Controlling the manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/485 by electronic processing means
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 5/027 Sheets or cards attached to a carrier strip or web shipping forms B42D15/006
• CPC Class Codes: B43M 3/045 for envelopes with only one flap
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1914 Cards, e.g. telephone, credit and identity cards
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 39/14 Associating sheets with webs
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 498/10 Spiro-condensed systems
• CPC Class Codes: C07F 7/21 Cyclic compounds having at least one ring containing silicon, but no carbon in the ring
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 77/388 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 183/08 containing silicon bound to organic groups containing atoms other than carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/23 Photochromic filters
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 5/00 Methods or arrangements for verifying the correctness of markings on a record carrier; Column detection devices

Abstract

A card package production system (10) with interchangeable inserters (24A, 24B) and carrier folders (86A, 86B) to enable use of forms (26A, 26B) of different types verifies the carriers (30) if they are properly produced and rejects them if they are not prior to the attachment to a carrier. A card carrier (26A) has a pair of corner pockets (31) and a flap (33) in which a card (30) is inserted. The corner pockets (31) are opened by bending the carrier form over an arcuate member (170).

Claims

1. In an card production system having an insertion station, means for delivering cards to the insertion station for insertion into carrier forms delivered to the insertion station and means for delivering the forms in a preselected orientation to a loaded carrier outlet, the improvement being an interchangeable card insertion system, comprising:

a first type of insertion apparatus to insert cards into a first type of carrier form;

means for releasably mounting the first type of insertion apparatus at the insertion station to mount cards to the first type of carrier form;

a second type of insertion apparatus for mounting cards to a second type of carrier form; and

means for releasably inserting the second type of insertion apparatus at the insertion station in lieu of the first type of insertion apparatus for inserting the cards into a second type of carrier form.

2. The card production system of claim 1 in which

the first type of carrier form has a pair of corner pockets for receipt of a pair of corners of the card at opposite ends of an edge of the card, and

a flap for holding the corners of the card in the corner pockets.

3. The card production system of claim 2 in which the first type of insertion system includes

means for opening the pair of corner pockets,

means for inserting the pair of corners of the card into the opened corner pockets, and

means for moving the flap into an operative position to hold the corners of the card in the corner pockets.

4. The card production system of claim 1 in which the second type of carrier form has

a body with a pair of elongate corner pockets formed in a part of the body, and

another part of the body foldable against the one part of the body to hold the card within the corner pockets.

5. The card production system of claim 4 in which the second type of insertion system includes

means for opening the pair of corner pockets, and

means for moving the second type of form into mounting engagement with the card.

6. The card production system of claim 5 including means for folding the other part of the body of the second type of carrier to hold the card within the pair of corner pockets.

7. The card production system of claim 1 in which

one of said insertion apparatus has means for flipping the carrier over after the card is mounted to the carrier and before it is delivered to the carrier outlet, and

the other of said first and second types of insertion apparatus has means for presenting the carrier form to the carrier outlet instead of flipping the carrier.

8. In an embossed card package production system for mechanically mounting rectangular cards with four edges to carrier forms, the improvement being an inserter for mounting cards to the carrier forms, comprising:

means for opening a pair of corner pockets in the carrier for receipt of a pair of corners of the card at opposite ends of only one of the edges;

means for inserting the pair of corners of the card into the corner pockets; and

means for moving a flap of the carrier over another one of the edges of the card opposite the one edge to releasably hold the pair of corners of the card in the corner pockets of the carrier.

9. The embossed card package production system of claim 8 including

means for inserting multiple cards into one pair of corner pockets of the carrier, and

means for moving the flap over the other edges of each of the multiple cards mounted into the one pair of pockets only after all of the multiple cards have been inserted into the corner pockets.

10. The embossed card package production system of claim 8 including means for moving the carrier with the card inserted in the corner pockets away from the inserting means after the pair of corners have been inserted into the carrier pockets and before the flap is moved over the other one of the edges.

11. The embossed card package production system of claim 8 in which said mounting means includes means for pushing the cards in a single direction into the pockets while the pockets are held in an open position.

12. The embossed card package production system of claim 8 in which the inserter includes means for simultaneously inserting a pair of cards into two pairs of corner pockets, respectively, of one carrier.

13. The embossed card package production system of claim 12 in which said flap moving means includes means for simultaneously moving two flaps over the edges of two separate cards, respectively.

14. The embossed card package production system of claim 12 in which the corner pockets opening means includes means for simultaneously opening two pair of pockets for receipt of two cards.

15. In an embossed card package production system for mechanically mounting rectangular cards with four edges to carrier forms, the improvement being an inserter for mounting cards to the carrier forms, comprising:

means for opening a pair of corner pockets in the carrier for receipt of a pair of corners of the card at opposite ends of one of the edges including means for bending the carrier to open the corner pockets;

means for inserting the pair of corners into the card into the corner pockets; and

means for moving a flap of the carrier over another one of the edges of the card opposite the one edge to releasibly hold the pair of corners of the card in the corner pockets of the carrier.

16. The embossed card package production system of claim 15 in which said bending means includes an arcuate member with an arcuate surface mounted for rolling of the carrier over the arcuate surface.

17. The embossed card package production system of claim 16 in which said arcuate member is a cylindrical roller with a cylindrical surface in rolling contact with the carrier to roll the carrier over a portion of the cylindrical surface.

18. In an embossed card package production system for mechanically mounting rectangular cards with four edges to carrier forms, the improvement being an inserter for mounting cards to the carrier forms, comprising:

means for opening a pair of corner pockets in the carrier for receipt of a pair of corners of the card at opposite ends of one of the edges;

means for inserting the pair of corners of the card into the corner pockets with means for moving the cards into the corner pockets while the corner pockets are moving away from the inserting means; and

means for moving a flap of the carrier over another one of the edges of the card opposite the one edge to releasibly hold the pair of corners of the card in the corner pockets of the carrier.

19. In an embossed card package production system for mechanically mounting rectangular cards with four edges to carrier forms, the improvement being an inserter for mounting cards to the carrier forms, comprising:

means for opening a pair of corner pockets in the carrier for receipt of a pair of corners of the card at opposite ends of one of the edges;

means for inserting the pair of corners of the card into the corner pockets; and

a roller and rolling contact with the carrier for moving a flap of the carrier over another one of the edges of the card opposite the one edge to releasibly hold the pair of corners of the card in the corner pockets of the carrier.

20. In an embossed card package production system for mechanically mounting rectangular cards with four edges to carrier forms, the improvement being an inserter for mounting cards to the carrier forms, comprising:

means for opening a pair of corner pockets in the carrier for receipt of a pair of corners of the card at opposite ends of one of the edges;

means for inserting the pair of corners of the card into the corner pockets; and

means for moving a flap of the carrier over another one of the edges of the card opposite the one edge to releasibly hold the pair of corners of the card in the corner pockets of the carrier in which the flap moving means moves the flap over the other edge while the carrier moving means is moving the card away from the mounting means.

21. In an embossed card package production system for mechanically mounting rectangular cards with four edges to carrier forms, the improvement being an inserter for mounting cards to the carrier forms, comprising:

means for opening a pair of corner pockets in the carrier for receipt of a pair of corners of the card at opposite ends of one of the edges;

means for bending the carrier form relative to the cards being carried in the corner pocket until the flap rides out from beneath the cards and over the other edge;

means for inserting the pair of corners of the card into the corner pockets; and

means for moving a flap of the carrier over another one of the edges of the card opposite the one edge to releasibly hold the pair of corners of the card in the corner pockets of the carrier.

22. In an embossed card package production system for mechanically mounting rectangular cards with four edges to carrier forms, the improvement being an inserter for mounting cards to the carrier forms, comprising:

means for opening a pair of corner pockets in the carrier for receipt of a pair of corners of the card at opposite ends of one of the edges;

means for inserting the pair of corners of the card into the corner pockets; and

means for moving a flap of the carrier over another one of the edges of the card opposite the one edge to releasibly hold the pair of corners of the card in the corner pockets of the carrier including means for bending the carrier to an arcuate shape.

23. In an embossed card package production system for mechanically mounting cards to carrier forms, the improvement being an inserter for mounting cards to the carrier forms, comprising:

means for opening a pair of corner pockets formed in part by elongate parallel side slots in the carrier form for receipt of opposing side edges at a pair of opposing corners of the card including a roller with an edge aligned adjacent at least one of the elongate parallel side slots while in contact with the body of the carrier; and

means for inserting the pair of opposing side edges at the opposing corners of the card into the corner pockets of the carrier.

24. The embossed card package production system of claim 23 including means for folding the carrier form adjacent an edge of the card spaced from the corner pockets to hold the card within the corner pockets against removal from the pair of parallel side slots.

25. The embossed card package production system of claim 23 including rollers with opposite edges in rolling contact with the carrier form adjacent the pair of parallel side slots, respectively.

26. The embossed card package production system of claim 23 including means for inserting multiple cards into the pair of parallel spaced slots.

27. The embossed card package production system of claim 26 in which the inserting means includes means for inserting the cards into the parallel spaced slots of the carrier forms while the carrier form is moving away from the opening means.

28. The embossed card package production system of claim 23 in which the inserting means includes

means for holding the cards in a preselected insertion position, and

means for moving the carrier form into inserted engagement with the card.

29. The embossed card package production system of claim 23 including means for simultaneously inserting multiple cards between the parallel side slots.

30. A method of mounting cards to a plurality of different mailing forms, comprising the steps of:

automatically mounting cards to a first type of mailing form with an automatic card mounting apparatus having

an insertion station at which cards are mounted to forms,

a card feeder for feeding cards to the insertion station, and

a forms feeder adapted to feed different types of mailing forms to the insertion station;

releasably mounting a first type of insertion apparatus at the insertion station to insert cards into a first type of carrier;

automatically mounting cards to the first type of carrier forms with the first type of insertion apparatus;

removing the first type of inserter from insertion station and mounting in its place a second type of insertion apparatus for inserting cards into a second type of carrier form; and

automatically mounting cards to the second type of mailing forms by using the second type of insertion apparatus.

31. The method of claim 30 in which the first type of form has

a pair of parallel ear shaped slots for receipt of the sides of the card and one of the top and bottom of the card, and

a bottom slot for receipt of the other of the top and bottom of the card.

32. The method of claim 30 in which the second type of form has

a pair of parallel side slots, and

a fold to hold a card within the side slots.