Patent ID: 6715268
Filing Date: 2004-04-06
Classification: B43M,B65H

Abstract:
In a card package production system for producing finished card packages with printed paper carriers with matching cards attached to the carriers and having a system frame and a system housing overlying the system frame, the improvement being a stationary, finished card package stacker, comprising:a generally rectilinear stationary stacking frame having a front and a stationary back connected to a pair of opposite sides and extending between a generally open rectangular top and a relatively closed rectangular bottom generally conforming to the shape of a stack of card packages for providing snug lateral and vertical support of a plurality of finished card packages in a an upstanding stack, open top generally conforming to the dimension and shape of the card packages to enable vertical sliding removal the open top of the stack of card packages from within the stacking frame, and said front being located opposite the back wail and having a laterally facing-inlet opening for receipt of new card packages at the bottom of the stack; and means for successively, partially inserting card packages through the laterally facing inlet opening to a card package loading position in which the card package is located between the bottom and a stack of previously fully inserted card packages but in which the card package is not fully inserted into the stacking frame and not fully aligned with the stack and has a lagging edge outside of the stacking frame; means for successively moving the card packages to a pre-loading position in which the leading edges of card packages at the pre-loading position are beneath the lagging edges of card packages at the card package stacker loading position; and means for successively moving the card packages at the loading position that have had the leading edges inserted between the and the stack of fully inserted card packages on the bottom until the leading edge is abutted against the back and is fully inserted beneath and aligned with the stack.