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 ( 214 , FIG.  7 ) mounted for movement between a stacking position (FIG.  26 ). In the stacker position, the card packages are inserted laterally through a laterally facing inlet ( 145 ) of a stacker ( 146 )in two stages with successive pairs of card packages ( 115. 115 ′) being kept in an interleaved state.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of PCT application PCT/US01/06126 filed Feb. 22, 2001 and entitled “Card Package Production System Having Multidirectional Card Package Distribution Module With Stacker and Reject Gate and Method” and claiming under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/184,443, filed Feb. 23, 2000, and entitled “Card Package Production System and Method”, and assigned to the assignee of the present application, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention generally relates to card package production systems of the type that automatically produce card packages composed of cards, such as credit cards, attached to matching carrier forms for mailing, and more particularly, to such a system with a card package output module and card package distribution methods  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    Card package production systems that produce card packages comprised of cards, such as plastic credit or debit cards, to matching paper carriers that bear printed information including the card owner&#39;s name and address in a location for viewing through a window envelope into which the carrier packages may be ultimately inserted, or “stuffed”, for mailing to the owner.  
           [0006]    Examples of such card package production systems in which the cards are mechanically attached to the carriers are shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/081,312, filed May 19, 1998, of Bretl et al. and entitled “Card Package Production System with a Multireader Card Track and Method”, and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,494,544 issued Feb. 27, 1996 to Hill et al. and entitled “Automatic Verified Embossed Card Package Production Methods”; 5,541,395 issued Jul. 30, 1996 to Hill et al. and entitled “Card Package Production System with Burster and Code Reader”; 5,388,815 issued Feb. 14, 1995 to Hill et al. and entitled, “Embossed Card Package Production System with Modular Inserters for Multiple Forms”; 5,509,886 issued Apr. 23, 1996 to Hill et al. for “Card Package Production System with Modular Carrier Folding Apparatus for Multiple Forms”; and 5,433,364 issued Jul. 18, 1995 to Hill et al. for “Card Package Production System with Burster and Carrier Verification Apparatus”, all assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and all of which together with the references cited therein are hereby incorporated by reference.  
           [0007]    In known card package production systems, the successfully completed card packages are output from the system at a single outlet slot from which they are fed to an envelope stuffing machine or a card package stacker, as may be joined to the single outlet slot. In order to switch from one to the other, the positions of the envelope stuffing machine and the card package stacker must be exchanged.  
           [0008]    Moreover, in known systems, the card package stackers extended in a substantially horizontal direction and thus required substantial amounts of floor space.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a card package production system having a multidirectional card package distribution module that provides multiple outlets for correctly prepared card packages for different purposes, or for rejection of incorrectly prepared purposes, and a method of selectively changing which outlet is used on a real-time basis during operation of the distributor.  
           [0010]    More particularly, it is an object to provide an alternative card package stacking apparatus to the one shown in the aforementioned PCT patent application and U.S. Provisional application, which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    The forgoing advantages and objectives will be described in detail and others will be made apparent in the detailed description of the best mode of practicing the present invention presently contemplated which is given below with reference to the several views of the drawing, in which:  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the card package production system of the present invention except for the stacker which is the stacker of the parent PCT application of which the present invention is an improvement;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the card package stacking apparatus, or stacker of the present invention that is substituted for the card stacker of the card package production system of FIG. 1;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a perspective of a card package of the type produced by the card package production system of FIG. 1 with the card attached to the carrier;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a an end view of the card package of FIG. 2 in a folded state ready for mailing;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is a perspective of the card package of FIG. 2 but with the card detached and showing the adhesive label remaining attached to carrier;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a plan view of the card package production system of FIG. 1 but with the stacker removed;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the card package distribution module with the stacking apparatus of the present invention that is substituted for the distribution module and stacker shown in the card package production system of FIG. 1;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the card package distribution module of which the card package stacker is a part with a side wall removed to enable a view of the interior;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 8 is another side elevational view of another side of the card distribution module;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 9 is a schematic side elevational view of the card package track during a last stage of folding one carrier around a card adhered to the carrier to make the card package and in which a stacker gate is in a stack position to guide the newly formed card package to the stacker beneath an previous card package being held at a stacker loading position;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 10 is a schematic side elevational view of the card package track similar to that of FIG. 9 but when in a stage of operation in which the newly folded carrier, or card package, is being moved through a card count detection stage for final verification of the correct number of cards contained in the card package before being passed to the inlet of card package distribution module;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 11 is a side elevation view similar to that of FIGS.  9 - 10  but in which the newly formed carrier package has been received within the distributor and guided by the stacker gate to a position in which its leading edge is abutting the underside of the previous carrier being held at the stacker loading position;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 12 is a schematic side elevation view similar to those of FIGS.  9 - 11  but in subsequent stage of operation in which the card package previously being held at the stacker loading station has been fully moved into the stacker and the subsequent card package has been moved to the stacker loading position previously occupied by the prior card package in which a leading edge is partly within the stacker and wedged underneath the fully loaded card package and the bottom support of the stacker;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 13 is another schematic side elevation view similar to those of FIGS.  9 - 12  but in a stage of operation in which the stacker gate has been lowered to a non-stacking position to guide a third card package to an inlet of a primary card package path of the card package distributor instead of to the stacker;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 14 is another schematic side elevation view similar to those of FIGS.  9 - 13  in which the third carrier package is being passed along the primary card package path shows the card package being directed away from the primary card package outlet by a reject gate and, instead, being re-directed to a card package reject bin;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 15 is another schematic side elevation view similar to those of FIGS.  9 - 14  but in which the third carrier has traversed the primary card package path and is being ejected out of the primary card package outlet; and  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 16 is another schematic side elevation view similar to those of FIGS.  9 - 15  in another stage of operation in which a reject gate has been moved to a reject position to pass a fourth card package to a reject bin; and  
         [0029]    [0029]FIGS. 17A and 17B are a composite logic flow chart of the software that is used to operate the computer  198 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0030]    Referring to FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of the card package production system printer  100  of the present invention is seen to include a free standing printer module  102  and a card attachment module  104 . Referring to FIG. 2, the printer module prints card holder name and address and other account information  106 , on one of three panels  108 ,  110  and  112  of a paper sheet carrier  113 , such as the middle panel  110 . The three panels are defined by two pre-weakened fold-lines  114  and  116 . The printer module also prints a bar code  120  representative of information concerning the account on another of the panels, such as the end panel  112 , such as the account number and the number of cards that are to be attached to the carrier  113 . The printer module is controlled by a computer (not shown) and controller, described below. The printer preferably prints carriers at a minimum speed of 32/minute and has a resolution of no less than 300 dpi×300 dpi. The normal speed of operation is approximately 2000 carriers per hour, or approximately thirty-three carriers per minute. The printer module  102  may be a model PLAY PLEX printer made by OLYMPUS, or equivalent. The details of the printer module form no part of the present invention but reference may be made to operator&#39;s guide for the above identified model MS32NSS published by OLYMPUS.  
         [0031]    The operation is described pursuant to the example of the card holder information  106  being located on panel  108  and the bar code  120  being mounted at the location shown on panel  112 . However, the printer is capable of printing both the card holder information  106  and the bar code information  120  at other selected locations on the carrier  113 . The card attachment module  104  is capable of reading the information at other informational locations on the carrier  113  than the example shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0032]    The printed carriers  113  from the printing module  102  are passed to the attachment module  104  by means of an inter-module carrier guide  122 . The inter-module carrier guide is better seen in FIG. 5. Referring to FIG. 5, the guide  122  passes carriers  113  from an outlet  124  of the carrier printer module  102  to a carrier inlet  126  of the attachment module  104 .  
         [0033]    Referring to FIGS.  1 - 4 , the attachment module takes cards from a stack of pre-embossed cards  128 ′ from a card picker assembly  140  and attaches the pre-embossed cards  128 , such as embossed and/or magnetically encoded credit cards, encoded chip cards, R/F cards, etc. to the carrier  113  at one or more locations  130  and  132  or on like locations on one or more or all of the three panels. It then folds the carrier, as shown in FIG. 3, to form a card package  115 .  
         [0034]    The details of the card picker assembly forms no part of the present invention, and preferably is substantially the same as the one shown in U.S. patent application of Bretl et al., Ser. No. 09/081,312, filed May 19, 1998, and entitled “Card package Production System With a Multireader Card Track and Method”, which is hereby incorporated by reference.  
         [0035]    The cards  128  generally have an account number and an account holder&#39;s name embossed on the card and the same information encoded on a magnetic stripe on the back of the card  128 . Additional information, such as the number of cards to be attached to the carrier may also be contained in the bar code. In addition, the back of the card has the account number and account name encoded in bar code printed on the back of the card. This information is checked for proper encoding and if the coding is not correct or if the coding does not match the encoded information of a carrier to which it is to be attached, the card  128  is passed through the attachment module  104  to a card reject bin  134 .  
         [0036]    Other wise the cards  128  are attached to the matching carrier  113  to form the card package  115 , and the card packages  115  are passed to a card package distribution module  136  for distribution in three different ways depending upon circumstances. In one case, if the card packages  115  are unacceptable due to having too many cards, not enough cards or cards in the wrong location, then they are passed to a card package reject bin  142 . If the card package is correctly prepared and is to be passed directly along a primary card package transport path to an envelope stuffing machine (not shown), such as a model SERIES 5 envelope stuffer made by PITNEY BOEWES, then the card packages are passed directly to the envelope stuffer through a primary card package outlet  144 . Otherwise, the card package  115  is passed to a FIFO card package stacker  146  to form a stack of card packages  115 ′. The card package stacker  146  illustrated in FIG. 1 is the one shown and described in detail in the parent application of this continuation-in-part application cited above.  
         [0037]    Reference should be made to the parent application for any details of the operation of the card package production system  100  other than the operation of the stacker  200  and distribution module  202  of which it is a part.  
         [0038]    Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the card  128  is attached to the carrier  113  by means of an adhesive label  148 . One side of the adhesive label  148  is attached to the card by a heat activated adhesive, such as releasable adhesive made by MAPLE ROLL, a division of ITW. The other side of the label is attached to the carrier by means of a permanent adhesive. The labels are adhered to a roll of backing paper tape by the permanent adhesive. Preferably, the adhesive labels  148  are those made by MAPLE ROLL note above, or the like.  
         [0039]    As illustrated in FIG. 4, when the card  128  is lifted off the carrier  113 , the adhesive label  148  remains attached to the carrier  113  and does not adhere to back  128 ′ of the card  128 . This is because the attraction of the permanent adhesive to the carrier  113  is stronger than the bond between the heat activated adhesive and the back of the card and, because in keeping with one aspect of the invention only a middle section of the label is heat activated to provide a “dead zone” of nonactivated adhesive at opposite ends of the label  148 . Advantageously, once the heat activated label  148  is removed from the back  128 ′ of the card  128 , the heat activated adhesive losses its adhesive qualities unless it is again heated to the necessary minimum activation temperature of approximately 160-degrees Fahrenheit.  
         [0040]    As seen in FIG. 1, the housing  104  has a flat top on which a computer display monitor  152  and a computer keyboard  154  of the computer (not shown) are supported. The computer is protectively contained within the housing section  161 . The computer housing section  161  has a hinged door to enable access to the computer. Preferably, the computer that is used to control the card package production system  100  including the attachment module  104  is a model PRESARIO computer made by COMPAQ having a minimum processor speed of 333 MHZ and a minimum hard drive memory capacity of 4 GB, or the like. The computer controls all of the automatic operations of the attachment module  104  and the printer module  102 , and operated the distribution module in accordance with the flow charts of FIGS. 17A and 17B.  
         [0041]    Referring to FIG. 5, the inter-module guide  122  is aligned with a carrier transport path  164  that extends straight from the carrier inlet  126  toward the card package distribution module  136 . However before the carrier reaches the card package distribution module  136 , it intersects at a right angle with the card transport path  166  that extends from the card tray  140  to an intersection  168  with the carrier transport path  164 . At the intersection  168 , the card attachment station attaches the card or cards  128  to the carriers. The carriers with attached cards are then folded at a folding station to form card packages  115 . The card packages  115  then move along a card package transport path  170  to the card package distribution module  136  and distributed according to the circumstances note above. The card transport path is elevated relative to the carrier transport path and the cards are dropped onto the carriers for attachment. If rejected and not attached, they proceed past the card attachment station along a card reject transport path  172  to the card reject bin  134 .  
         [0042]    Referring to FIGS. 6, 7 and  8 , particularly FIG. 7, as the carrier form  113  with one or more attached card  128  enters a second fold station  202  in the card package production module  104 , the carrier form  113  pushes down a lever  204 . A photo-sensor  206  is mounted beneath the lever  204 , and when the lever  204  is in the normal, or up, position as shown in solid line in FIG. 7, light to the sensor  206  is blocked by the lever  204 . However, when the lever  204  is pushed down by the carrier form  113 , the light is unblocked, and the sensor  206  detects light from its associated infrared light source. The computer  198  then responds to the sensor  206  to energize the second fold drive motor. If the particular card package  115  has been identified by the computer  198  as one to be stacked rather than to be passed along the primary card package path to primary card package outlet  144  and to the envelope stuffer  200 , FIG. 5, opposite the primary card package outlet  144 , then simultaneously with the card package  115  being sensed and the second fold motor being turned on, the computer  196  causes the stacker solenoid  210  to be energized to pivot upwardly a stacking platform  212  of a stacking gate assembly  214  to pass the folded card package  115  to the stacker assembly  146 . This position of the stacker gate assembly  214  is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. In FIG. 9, a first card package  115  is in a stacker loading position in which its leading edge is protruding outwardly from a lateral facing card package receiving slot  145  at the bottom of the stacker  144  and hanging over an edge of a horizontal section  240  of a card package support member  242  having an upwardly slanted ramp section  244  while the next card package  115 ′ is being moved into position.  
         [0043]    Once the carrier package  115  has passed through the second fold station  202 , the lever  204  is allowed to fall back down to a sensor light blocking position, and the computer  198  responds to this condition by energizing a transport motor  216  that drives the pinch rollers  218 , and the card package  115  starts being pulled through the pinch rollers  218 . As the card package  115  is pulled though the rollers  218 , the card package  115  blocks passage of infrared light to a stacker sensor  220 . When this occurs, the computer  198  responds to actuation of the sensor  220  to immediately turn on the stacker motor  222  that drives the pinch rollers  224 . As the card package is pulled through the pinch rollers  224 , the card package  115  passes by the stacker sensor  220 . In response to this event, the computer  198  causes both of the stacker motor  222  and the transport motor  216  to turn off to remove drive from the associated pinch rollers. The first card package  115  is then left in the position shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 in which it is only partially inserted into the stacker  146 .  
         [0044]    As seen in FIG. 11, when the next card package  115 ′ is driven up the ramp  242  it engages the underside of the first card package  115  adjacent the lagging edge. Then the card package  115 ′ is advance to the position previously held by the first card package  115 , and the first card package is moved entirely into the card stacker  146  and resting on the bottom  149  of the stacker  146 , as shown in FIG. 12, with the leading edge  244  of the second card package  115 ′ underlying the lagging edge  246  and being partly received within the inlet slot  145  and supported by the bottom  149  of the stacker  146 .  
         [0045]    This process is repeated for the insertion of subsequent card packages  115  with each one being interleaved with an earlier card package before being fully inserted into the card stacker, and with each earlier card package being moved fully into the card stacker at the same time a subsequent card package is being moved into the card stacker loading position, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.  
         [0046]    In FIG. 13, a third card package  115 ″ has not been selected for stacking and the stacking gate has been left in it lower non-stacking position to pass the third card package to the primary card package path on support platform  248 . If the card package  115 ″ is not rejected then it passes through the series of rollers  229 ,  234  and  238  to the outlet  144 , as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15.  
         [0047]    If the computer  196  senses that there is something wrong with the card package  115  such that it should be rejected and not stacked, then the stacker gate solenoid  210  is not energized in response to the lever  204  being pushed down by the card package. Consequently, the card package is not directed to the stacker assembly  146  by the guide platform  212  of the stacker gate  214  that remains in a lowered non-stacking position as shown in FIG. 7. Consequently, the card package  115  passes across the platform  212  straight through to pinch rollers  226 . As the card package is pulled trough the pinch rollers  226  it interrupts the light to a photo sensor  228 . This causes the computer  198  to energize the reject solenoid  210  that lifts the reject platform  230  of the reject gate to be pivoted to an elevated reject position. This causes the card package to be deflected downwardly into the reject hopper  142 . After a pre-selected time after the lagging edge of the card package passes the photo-sensor K, such as one-half second, the computer  198  turns off the transport motor  216 .  
         [0048]    This reject operation is illustrated in FIG. 16. It should be appreciated that if a card designated for stacking is to be rejected the stacker gate remains down so that it passes through the primary card package path to reach the reject gate and the reject bin.  
         [0049]    One of the reasons that a card package may be rejected is because the number of cards in the card package is less or more than the number of cards designated for the card package. This is determined by measuring the thickness of the card package with electronic thickness measuring gages  250 ,  252  and  254  that are mounted to a pivot arm  256 . Normally, the gages rest on the top surface of the card packages as they pass underneath. Referring to FIG. 8, in keeping with one aspect of the invention  
         [0050]    If an envelope inserter, or stuffer,  200 , FIG. 5, is employed and attached to receive card packages  115  from the primary card package outlet  144 , then when a card package  115  is intended for the envelope stuffer  200 , the stacking gate  214  is left in its non-stacking lowered position as shown in FIG. 7 and the card package  115 , if not being rejected, is passed over the reject platform  232  and passed through a series of rollers  234  and  236  to the outlet  144 . When the lagging edge of the card package  115  has cleared a sensor  238 , the transport motor  222  that drives the rollers  236  and  238  is turned off. This is illustrated in FIGS. 13, 14 and  15 .  
         [0051]    The controller, or computer,  198  can be any computer capable of controlling the card attachment and distribution functions of the card package production system.  
         [0052]    The control system preferably includes an OPTO 22 model controller system made by OPTO 22 of Temecula, Calif. and having a web site at www.optto22.com. The OPTOCONTROL system has two brain boards that interface an LCSX controller with a plurality of control modules. The control modules interface with the sensors and the control motors. The controller, in turn, operates in accordance with the OPTOCONTROL programming flow chart. Pursuant to the OPTOCONTROL, the OPTOCONTROL software automatically generates the code needed to effectuate the flow chart.  
         [0053]    Referring now to FIGS. 17A and 17B the operational routine flow charts for operation of the distribution module and the operation of the stacker in particular are shown. The flow charts are compiled and entered into a software designer program to generate a source code used to control mechanical devices such as the preferred embodiment. The software designer program is called “OPTOCONTROL” manufactured by OPTO 22. Instructions on the use of this software and the flow chart conventions and protocol can be found in the OPTOCONTROL USER&#39;S GUIDE, Form number 724-990831-August, 1999; the OPTODISPLAY USER&#39;S GUIDE, Form 23-990831-August, 1999; and the OPTOCONTROL COMMAND REFERENCE, Form number 725-990831-August 1999, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.  
         [0054]    If other details are desired concerning the control computer  198  and the control system of which it is a part, parent of this application and the above provisional patent application on which it is based.  
         [0055]    Referring to FIG. 8, a belt drive assembly  250  for driving the card packages  115  to the primary card package outlet is shown in a raised position to which it has been pivotally moved about pivot axis  249  for purpose of facilitating access to the carrier packages to clear a jam.  
         [0056]    While a particular embodiment has been shown and described above, it should be appreciated that there may be many variations within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.