Abstract:
A card insertion system (38) for automatically producing card packages of cards (32) attached to folded card carrier forms (30) having a top (81), a bottom (83), a leading edge (85), a lagging edge (87), a pair of intermediate leading and lagging fold lines (80A, 80B) dividing the carrier form into a leading end section (82), a middle section (84) and a lagging end section (86), the improvement being a carrier form folding apparatus (64), having a first folding station (98) with a folding wall (90) engageable by the leading edge (85) for folding the leading end section (82) along the leading fold line (80A) and up and over the top (81) of the middle section (84) as the carrier form (30) is moved through the first folding station (98) to form a partially folded carrier form (30). A second folding station (116) with a folding wall (12) engageable by the folded edge (80A) of the partially folded carrier form (30) at the leading fold line (80A) for folding the lagging end section (86) along the lagging fold line (80B) over the bottom of the middle section (84) as the partially folded carrier form (30) is moving through the second folding station (116) to form a fully fold carrier form (30).
Abstract:
A single sheet printer (21) is adapted to receive continuous carrier forms for printing by a burster module (16) for separating continuous printable stock (24) into separate bursted sheets which are fed to the printer transport mechanism (12) in lieu of the single sheet storage module.
Abstract:
Methods of operating embossed card package production system (10) by verifying by reading and comparing information obtained by reading embossed (32) and magnetically encoded information (35) and coded information (27) on a carrier (26A, 26B) stored card and carrier information in a forms data memory (44) and a card data memory (40) to make new cards appropriately prepared and are correctly matched to the carriers (26A, 26B). Incorrect cards (30) are sent to a reject location (90) to prevent formation of incorrect packages. Only cards (30) which are determined to be correctly prepared have activation labels (21) applied which also serve to distinguish them from incorrectly prepared cards (30) and inventory reports are automatically kept of rejected carriers, rejected cards and the number of labels as well as the number of correct carriers produced which are printed on the very type of carrier to which the accounting information relates with a carrier printer (48). Multiple types of bar codes (22) are identified and decoded automatically.
Abstract:
An embossed card pack production system (10) having a microprocessor based computer (12) for controlling an embosser (20) for embossing characters on a credit card (30) and magnetically encoding information on a magnetic stripe (35) of the card (30), a card labeler (60) for placing releasable informational labels on the embossed cards (30), a forms reader (38) for reading printed code information from a card carrier form (26), a card inserter (24) connected with the card embosser (20) for mounting cards (30) having card information matching with the coded carrier information to corresponding carrier forms (26), a carrier form folder (86), an envelope stuffer (34) for placing the folded carrier into envelopes and a postage metering machine (18) connected to the envelope stuffer (34).
Abstract:
A card counter (10) prints card inventory information locally and communicates with a remote computer (43) for permanent storage and retrieval of inventory information. A microprocessor controller detects a counting error in response to the actual count failing to match a preset count, failing to match a precount information machine read from a machine readable precount label (130) attached to the cards (18), in the event of a phase error from a pair of parallel scanning card sensor circuits (58, 59) or if the final counts of the two card sensor circuits (58, 59) do not match. In the event of detection of a counting error, an error indication is provided and entry of the count into an accumulator memory is inhibited. The preset number is entered into memory by selectively entering an actual count into the preset memory. A pair of separate accumulators are provided for concurrently accumulating totals of two different groups of cards (18). The card sensor circuits (58, 59) are digitally filtered by the microprocessor (44) which also automatically performs self diagnostics to reduce countin errors due to malfunction. Malfunction of a scan drive motor (61) is reduced through provision of a slip clutch (Figs. 10A and 10B). Alphanumeric display units are both electrically connected to the control circuit (Fig. 2) and releasibly, mechanically attached to a printed circuit board (112) of said control circuit (Fig. 2) by means of a multiline electrical connector (120) attached to the edge of the printed circuit board (112).