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Card laminating apparatus

  • US 6,283,188 B1
  • Filed: 09/25/1998
  • Issued: 09/04/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1998
  • Status: Expired
First Claim
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1. A laminating apparatus for applying a laminate overlay sheet to a face of a substrate, said apparatus comprising:

  • a web of lamina;

    a cutter configured to cut sheets of laminate from said web of lamina;

    a pair of nip rollers disposed between the web of lamina and the cutter, said pair of nip rollers including a drive roller and an idle roller, said web of lamina passing between the pair of nip rollers, said nip rollers configured to selectively advance the web of lamina in an upstream direction through the cutter so that a leading edge of the web of lamina is downstream of the cutter;

    a convergence zone at which a cut sheet of laminate and a substrate are brought into overlying registration;

    a transfer roller disposed between the cutter and the convergence zone, said transfer roller having an outer surface which passes through the convergence zone;

    a spring metal laminate guide member extending between the cutter and the convergence zone, said laminate guide member having a portion thereof formed in an arc corresponding to said outer surface of said transfer roller wherein the laminate guide member and the outer surface of the transfer roller cooperate to form a laminate supply path extending between the cutter and the convergence zone, said outer surface of said transfer roller having an elastomeric member disposed thereon, said elastomeric member frictionally capturing said web of lamina, said transfer roller being selectively rotated to pull the leading edge of said web of lamina in an upstream direction along the laminate supply path from the cutter toward the convergence zone, said cutter selectively cutting a sheet of laminate from the web of lamina while said web of lamina is captured on said transfer roller;

    a transfer member disposed in the convergence zone, said transfer member configured to cooperate with the outer surface of the transfer roller during further rotation of the transfer roller to remove a leading edge of the sheet of laminate from the outer surface of the transfer roller and to transfer the sheet of laminate into overlying registration with the substrate;

    a substrate transport device configured to selectively transport the substrate through the convergence zone beneath the transfer member;

    a heater disposed downstream of the convergence zone, said substrate transport device transporting said substrate through said heater; and

    a control configured to control the substrate transport device, the nip rollers, the cutter and the transfer roller.

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