Transaction printer

• US 6,293,469 B1
• Filed: 10/04/1996
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pertech Resources, Inc. (Pertech Industries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: DH Technology, Inc. (ATSI Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stoutenburg, Earney, Yraceburu, Robert M., Vogt, Paul J., Marvin, Russel H., Brice, Robert J., Walson, David J., Carrington, Dan R., Masson, Bernard V., Fell, Michael V.
• Primary Examiner(s): TREMBLAY, MARK STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US08/727,853
• Time in Patent Office: 1,817 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/475, 235/476
• US Class Current: 235/476
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/103 for the sheet feeding section
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 1/00 Machines for printing and issuing tickets printing mechanisms per se B41; output mechanisms of digital computers G06C11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

A system for issuing printed documents exchangeable for value having interconnected printer and feeder modules. The printer module includes a printing station having a printhead supported for reciprocal movement in a direction transverse to the path of movement of the print medium. A sensor carried by the printhead is operative to sense and read preprinted indicia on the print medium. The feeder module includes a receptacle for storing the print medium as a continuous form. A slot is provided for enabling the insertion of print media external to the feeder module. A gate mechanism blocks the feed slot under predetermined operating conditions. A first drive mechanism is operative to feed the print medium from the receptacle towards the printing station. A severing mechanism is operative to sever the lead document from the supply. A severing sensor detects failure of the severing mechanism. A second drive mechanism in the printer advances the severed print medium through the printer to a location at which the printhead prints indicia on at least a portion of the print medium. Several security features are also provided to inhibit or prevent the unauthorized removal of print medium from the feeder module and to control access to the interior of the modules.

Claims

1. Apparatus for issuing payment instruments to a purchaser comprising:

a) a printing member located at a printing station and mounted for translation motion in a direction transverse to a path of movement for print media, said print media comprising a chain of interconnected payment instruments;

b) a sensor carried by said printing member and operative to sense preprinted identifying indicia on said print media, said sensor located a predetermined distance from a printing region of said printing member and aligned therewith along a direction parallel to said path of movement such that said sensor is located a predetermined distance upstream of said printing region of said printing member with respect to said path of movement of said print media;

c) a print media feeder including a compartment for holding a supply of print media to be printed on by said printing member;

d) a first drive mechanism associated with said feeder and operative to feed print media from said compartment towards said printing station;

e) a burster mechanism operative to sever a leading one of said chain of interconnected payment instruments; and

f) means for advancing said severed payment instrument through said printing station whereby indicia is printed on at least a portion of said one payment instrument by said printing member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a locking mechanism for resisting movement of said print media from said compartment upon the application of an external force.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further including means for inserting alternate print medium external to said compartment into said printing station.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said printing station forms part of a printing module and said print media feeder forms part of a feeder module and said apparatus further includes a locking mechanism for securing said feeder module to said printing module whereby separation of said feeder module from said printing module by an unauthorized person is inhibited.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said locking mechanism comprises a solenoid operated lock which can only be energized under predetermined operating conditions.

38. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a locking mechanism engaging the sheet proximate the printhead and operable to resist movement of the print media from said compartment upon the application of an external force on the interconnected sheets of print media.

39. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a guide surface and alternate pathway for inserting alternate print medium external to said compartment into said printing station.

41. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a burst sensor for determining that said leading one of said chain of interconnected payment instruments was not severed by said burster mechanism.

42. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising gate means for rendering said means for inserting alternate print medium ineffective under predetermined operating conditions.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein said predetermined operating conditions comprise the advancing of said leading one of said chain of interconnected payment instruments.

6. Apparatus for issuing printed documents exchangeable for value, comprising:

a) a printer defining a printing station and a path of movement through said printing station for a document to be printed, said printer including a printhead supported for reciprocal movement in a direction transverse to the path of movement of said document;

b) a sensor operative to read preprinted document identifying indicia on said document prior to printing additional indicia on said document;

c) a feeder releasably attached to said printer including a receptacle compartment for storing a plurality of documents to be printed;

d) a first drive mechanism in said feeder operative to feed a lead document from said receptacle to a second drive mechanism, said second drive mechanism operative to advance the lead document to a location at which said printhead prints said additional indicia on at least a portion of the lead document;

e) said feeder including means for receiving external print media while said feeder is attached to said printer, said second drive mechanism further operative to advance said external print media.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said plurality of documents is a series of interconnected documents and said system further includes a severing mechanism intermediate said first and second drive mechanisms that is operative to sever the lead document from said plurality of documents.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said sensor is carried by said printhead.

9. The system of claim 6 further including a locking mechanism for resisting removal of said documents from said receptacle upon the application of an external force to said lead document.

10. The system of claim 6 further including a slot for inserting a print medium external to said compartment to said printing station.

11. The system of claim 6 including means for securing said feeder to said printer to inhibit separation of said feeder from said printer and to restrict access to said receptacle compartment by an unauthorized person.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said securing means comprises a solenoid operated lock which can only be energized under predetermined operating conditions.

13. The system of claim 6 further including means for communicating said indicia read by said sensor to a remotely located host.

30. The apparatus of claim 6 further including means for detecting that the feeder is coupled to said printer.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said means comprises a connector assembly having one portion forming part of said printer and a complementally shaped portion forming part of said feeder, such that said portions engage when said feeder is attached to said printer.

33. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising means for releasing said feeder from said printer under predetermined operating conditions.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said releasing means comprises a single use, insertable tool which is operative to release a locking mechanism within said apparatus whereby said feeder compartment is released from said printer.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said tool comprises an elongate channel-like insertion portion which is adapted to be received by a complementally shaped slot in said printer and which includes a projection portion which is operative to disengage a locking mechanism when said tool is fully inserted into said printer.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said insertion tool includes withdrawal inhibiting members which inhibit the retraction of said tool from said printer.

40. The apparatus of claim 35, further including a frangible cover portion that overlies said complementally shaped tool receiving slot.

44. The system of claim 7, further comprising a severing sensor operative to detect a failure of said severing mechanism to sever said lead document from said plurality of documents.

45. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a gate means pivotally located at a base of said slot and movable between opened and closed positions.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein said gate mechanism includes ribs receivable in aligned openings formed in a support plate, said openings being blocked by print media when said print media is being fed towards said printing station.

14. A printer for printing indicia on a print medium, said printer comprising:

a) a printing station through which the print medium is guided along a path;

b) a printhead mounted for translation motion in a direction transverse to the path of the print medium;

c) a sensor carried by said printhead and operative to sense the presence of the print medium and to read identifying indicia on said print medium, said sensor located a predetermined distance from a printing region of said printhead and aligned therewith along a direction parallel to said path of the print medium such that said sensor is located a predetermined distance upstream of said Printing region of said printhead with respect to said print medium path; and

d) a feed mechanism for advancing the print medium through said printing station whereby value adding indicia is printed on at least a portion of said print medium by said printhead.

15. The printer of claim 14 further including guide structure by which print medium external to said printer is inserted into said printing station.

16. The printer of claim 14 further including a severing mechanism operative to sever a portion of the print medium from a supply of print medium.

47. The printer of claim 15, further comprising means for rendering said guide structure inoperative under predetermined operating conditions.

48. The printer of claim 16, further comprising a severing sensor operative to detect failure of said severing mechanism to sever said portion of the print medium from a supply of print media.

49. The printer of claim 48, wherein said severing sensor comprises a reflective-type sensor located in the path of said print medium downstream of said severing mechanism.

17. A feeder for directing a blank payment instrument to a printer, said feeder comprising:

a) an enclosed receptacle compartment for holding a supply of serially connected blank payment instruments to be printed on by said printer;

b) a cover for providing access to said compartment;

c) interlocking structure on said cover engageable with complementally formed structure on said printer operative to inhibit opening of said cover when said feeder is attached to said printer, such that said feeder must be detached from said printer in order to gain access to said receptacle compartment;

d) a releasable attachment mechanism for attaching said feeder to said printer;

e) a drive mechanism operative to feed a lead one of said interconnected blank payment instruments from said receptacle compartment to a printing station; and

f) a severing mechanism operative to sever said lead payment instrument.

18. The feeder of claim 17 further including locking means associated with said drive mechanism for resisting movement of said lead payment instrument upon the application of an external force to said lead payment instrument.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said locking mechanism comprises a solenoid operated lock which can only be energized under predetermined operating conditions.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said attachment mechanism includes means for securing said feeder to the printer whereby separation of said receptacle from the printer by an unauthorized person is inhibited.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said severing mechanism comprises a burster.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said severing mechanism comprises a cutter.

23. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a lever mechanism for facilitating the release of said attachment mechanism whereby said feeder is disengaged from the printer to which it is attached.

24. The feeder of claim 17 further comprising structure enabling the insertion of an external print medium into said feeder while said feeder is attached to said printer.

25. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a clutch mechanism operative to couple said drive mechanism to a drive motor forming part of said printer when said feeder is attached to said printer.

32. The feeder of claim 17 further including a locking arrangement comprising interlocking covers which can only be opened when said feeder is not attached to an associated printer.

50. The feeder of claim 17 further comprising a severing sensor for determining failure of said severing mechanism to sever said lead payment instrument.

26. A system for printing payment instruments that are exchangeable for products and/or services, said system comprising:

a) a printer including a printing station and an advancing mechanism for supporting and conveying a payment instrument through said printing station;

b) a printhead for printing indicia on said payment instrument as said payment instrument moves through said printing station;

c) a sensor operative to sense and read a bar code on said payment instrument prior to printing indicia on said payment instrument;

d) a detachable feeder assembly releasably attached to said printer;

e) a compartment in said feeder assembly for storing a supply of serially connected, blank payment instruments;

f) a first drive mechanism located in said detachable feeder assembly operative to feed a lead one of said supply of blank payment instruments from said compartment towards said printing station; and

g) a second drive mechanism in said printer for advancing the lead payment instrument through said printing station at which said printhead prints indicia on at least a portion of the payment instrument.

27. A system for issuing printed documents having monetary value, said system comprising:

a) a printer having a printing station and defining a path of movement for a document to be printed;

b) a printhead supported for reciprocal movement at said printing station in a direction transverse to the path of movement of the document;

c) a sensor operative to sense and read a first indicia on said document and further operative to determine that a leading edge of said document is at a predetermined position;

d) a detachable feeder releasably attached to said printer;

e) a compartment in said feeder for storing a plurality of interconnected documents;

f) a first drive mechanism located in said feeder operative to feed a lead document from said compartment towards said printing station; and

,

g) a second drive mechanism in said printer for advancing the document through said printing station at which said printhead prints indicia on at least a portion of the document.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said sensor determines the position of said leading edge of said lead document by sensing a top of form mark on said lead document.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said first indicia comprises a bar code.

37. In a printing apparatus having a printhead located at a printing station and mounted for translation motion in a direction transverse to a path of movement for print media, said print media comprising a chain of interconnected sheets, the printhead operable to print material on one of the sheets proximate the printhead, the improvement, comprising:

a) a sensor carried by the printhead and operative to sense preprinted identifying indicia on print media, said sensor located a predetermined distance from a printing region of said printhead and aligned therewith along a direction parallel to said path of movement for said print media such that said sensor is located a predetermined distance upstream of said printing region of said printhead with respect to said print media path;

b) a print media feeder including a compartment for holding a supply of print media to be printed on by the printhead;

c) a first drive mechanism associated with the feeder and operative to feed print media from the compartment towards the printing station;

d) a burster mechanism operative to sever a leading one of said chain of interconnected sheets; and

e) an instrument output mechanism for advancing the severed instrument through the printing station whereby material is printed on at least a portion of one instrument by the printhead.