Sheet feeding or delivering – Delivering – With transfer means between conveyor and receiver
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-22
2001-03-13
Bollinger, David H. (Department: 3651)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Delivering
With transfer means between conveyor and receiver
C271S181000, C271S212000, C414S795300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199857
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a stacker for printed identification cards that receives printed cards from a printer and stacks them so that they are oriented in sequence, with the first printed for the particular batch being at the top of the stack in the stacker.
Various stackers of ticket and similar small dimension items have been advanced in the past, utilizing supports for a stack of items that are supported in a housing. The stack is pushed upwardly and retained in a raised position while other ones of the items are placed underneath. However, in the I.D. card printer art, the need has existed to rapidly, and precisely stack the printed cards so that in the stacking cards, the first printed is oriented at the top in order to keep adequate records and correlate the printed cards to information that relates to the party that is identified by the card. Thus, a very reliable stacker is needed and having the stack in order such that the first printed is at the top of the stack greatly simplifies the record keeping capabilities.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a high speed, reliable stacker for relatively rigid plastic identification cards that have been printed in a printer and when ejected from the printer will be received by the stacker and formed into a sequential stack with the first printed or the first received at the top of the stack and the last received at the bottom of the stack.
The stacker of the present invention utilizes a simplified drive and stack holding mechanism that is reliable and which operates fast. The cards are received on a card lift platform that includes a pair of narrow rails adjacent the edges of the card. The narrow support rails reduce the friction that is present between the cards and the card lift. After receiving a card a suitable signal is given for operating the card lift that, in the form shown, is a smooth acting rotating cam that operates directly on portions of the platform assembly, and which raises the card supported on the lift above a pair of pawls that extend in from the sides of a card hopper for holding the stack in a first position. The pawls are retracted as the card lift is raised. When the card that is being lifted engages the stack and supports it so that the card being lifted is above the level of the pawls. The pawls are released and will snap into place under a spring load and protrude sufficiently so that when the card lift is lowered, the card that had been raised above the pawls, and any cards in the stack above that card will be held by the pawls as part of the stack.
If there is a stack of cards supported on the top edges of the pawls when a new card is introduced, the card that is being raised will engage the lower card and the card lift will lift the entire stack within the confines of the hopper. The stack will then be held on the pawls when the card lift platform is lowered again.
The card hopper has one wall that it can be adjusted to accommodate different size I.D. cards very easily. The operation is simple, and because cams are used specifically that act directly against a surface forming a portion of the card lift platform assembly, the raising and lowering can be done very rapidly.
Thus, an output stacker for a high speed printer is available with reliable, simple operation, without parts that involve complex operations or lifting and lowering devices.
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Bollinger David H.
Fargo Electronics Inc.
Westman Champlin & Kelly P.A.
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