Abstract:
An automated card counter (20) with a housing (22) with an open front with a card deck assembly (24) having a front opening to a card counting location and an underlying support for a stack (29) of cards (30) such as credits cards, with an optical sensing system for detecting the edges of the cards (30) in the stack (29) to determine the number, or count, of cards (30) in the stack (29) includes a light source (64) composed of high intensity light emitting diodes directing red light rearward and downwardly away from the front card deck opening and along the entire length of the stack of cards through a window (96), a mirror (76) for simultaneous reflecting a complete image of the entire stack of cards downwardly and rearward to another mirror (100) that reflects the complete image rearward and horizontally to a lens system (108) with a relatively wide depth of field to focus the image on a photosensor (110) composed of charge coupled devices that convert signals to numbers by an A/D converter and processed by a microprocessor (116) to distinguish real cards from other objects
Abstract:
An automated card counter (20) with a housing (22) with an open front with a card deck assembly (24) having a front opening to a card counting location and an underlying support for a stack (29) of cards (30) such as credits cards, with an optical sensing system for detecting the edges of the cards (30) in the stack (29) to determine the number, or count, of cards (30) in the stack (29) includes a light source (64) composed of high intensity light emitting diodes directing red light rearward and downwardly away from the front card deck opening and along the entire length of the stack of cards through a window (96), a mirror (76) for simultaneous reflecting a complete image of the entire stack of cards downwardly and rearward to another mirror (100) that reflects the complete image rearward and horizontally to a lens system (108) with a relatively wide depth of field to focus the image on a photosensor (110) composed of charge coupled devices that convert signals to numbers by an A/D converter and processed by a microprocessor (116) to distinguish real cards from other objects
Abstract:
A card package production system (100) for producing card packages (115) composed of printed paper carriers (113) with matching cards (128) attached to the carriers (113) selectively outputs the card packages through a card package multi-directional distribution module (136) having a carrier transport with a primary carrier transport path extending between a package inlet (262) and a primary package outlet (144) for transporting the card packages along the primary carrier transport path. A movable stacker gate assembly (280) mounted for movement between a stacking position in which the card packages are guided by the stacker gate assembly (280) off the primary carrier transport path and into the stacker (164) and a nonstacking position in which the carriers are allowed to continue past the stacker input. The gate is selectively controlled to direct carriers preselected for mailing to the primary outlet (144) and carriers preselected for stacking to the stacker assembly (146).
Abstract:
A card package production system (100) for making card packages (115) of carriers (113) with attached cards (128) with a pair of rollers for passing a carrier in an upstream direction to a card attachment station for receipt of a card, a card drop mechanism for dropping a card with adhesive onto a carrier at the card attachment position; and a controller for controlling the operation of the pair of rollers to first reverse the rollers to pass the carrier with the card on the carrier in a downstream direction back past the pair of rollers to press the card with the adhesive against the carrier to adhere the card to the carrier, and to then reverse the at least one roller again to pass the carrier with the adhered card in the upstream direction.
Abstract:
A card package production system (100) for producing card packages (115) composed of printed paper carriers (113) with matching cards (128) attached to the carriers (113) selectively outputs the card packages through a card package multi-directional distribution module (136) having a carrier transpo rt with a primary carrier transport path extending between a package inlet (262 ) and a primary package outlet (144) for transporting the card packages along the primary carrier transport path. A movable stacker gate assembly (280) mounted for movement between a stacking position in which the card packages are guided by the stacker gate assembly (280) off the primary carrier transport path and into the stacker (164) and a nonstacking position in whic h the carriers are allowed to continue past the stacker input. The gate is selectively controlled to direct carriers preselected for mailing to the primary outlet (144) and carriers preselected for stacking to the stacker assembly (146).
Abstract:
A card package production system (100) for producing card packages (115) composed of cards (128) attached to carriers (113) has an adhesive label attachment station (358, Fig. 34) with a heating platen (361) having a width for heating at least two labels (148) simultaneously that are passed over th e platen (361) and a labeler downstream from the heating platen (361) with a pressing member (372) for pressing the heated adhesive label (128) against a card (128) at an attachment position. The heating platen (361) heats only an intermediate section of the adhesive to activate the adhesive and leaves end portions of the label relatively unheated and unactivated to facilitate subsequent removal of the label (148) from the card (128).
Abstract:
A card package production system (100) with a printer module (102) that prin ts and provides carriers (113) to an attachment module (104) for attaching card s (130) to matching carriers has a carrier transport mechanism (Figs. 11-14 an d 48) with carrier support members (224 and 226) with upstream ends that are elevated relative to the downstream ends of downstream carrier support membe rs (226 and 228), respectively, to enable an upstream carrier to pass over the top of a downstream carrier to prevent the upstream carrier from jamming int o the downstream carrier during a temporary halt in operation.