Card Technology Corporation

Nbs Card Technology

Keith R Ashley

Igor Pankiw

Philip M Roth

Richard J LaManna

Edward W Hague

Richard J Lamanna

David Joseph Haas

Wesley L Burrowes

Yook Chan

David K Giegerich

A system for processing cards including a magnetic medium extending along one side of the cards and printing on both sides of the cards is disclosed. The system is a plurality of card processing stations () spaced along a card transport (') extending between a card inputand a card output. A first drive motor () drives a transmission () coupling the motor to a card drive associated with each station to transport the cards at each station during processing thereof. A second drive motorrotates a combined magnetic encoding and card flipping station. A controllercontrols operation of the stations and the first and second motors so that the combined magnetic encoding and flipping station flips the cards to a reverse orientation to print a second side.

Card processing system with combined magnetic encoder and card flipper

The invention is a laminator and a method of lamination of a plastic card ( ). A laminator ( ) in accordance with the invention includes an infeed ( ) which supplies plastic cards which are to be laminated with a plastic laminating material on a first side ( ) of each card; a laminating station ( ) having a heated roller ( ) and a card support ( ), opposed to the heated roller, which supports a second side of each card and is separated from the heated roller to define a card opening ( ) through which each plastic card passes when being laminated; a laminate source ( ) which feeds plastic laminating material into the card opening between the heated roller and the first side of each plastic card with heat from the heated roller heating the plastic laminating material and each plastic card in the card opening to fuse the plastic laminating material to the first surface of each plastic card; and a card bowing the station ( ), which bows each card sufficiently in a portion thereof to cause each card when cooled to be substantially flat.

Card laminator and method of card lamination

A card guide for holding a stack of cards to be separated, and a card picker for separating a single card from a stack of cards at a first location and moving the separated card to a second location, where each card has substantially the same thickness and substantially the same periphery. The card guide is includes a frame having a periphery sufficiently larger than the card periphery to permit the cards to readily enter the frame while remaining substantially aligned. The card guide has an open front face and an open rear face. The card guide frame includes a bottom member having a card support area with a rear edge and includes a side member having a notch extending substantially the full height of the open rear face and extending from the card support area rear edge toward the front face by a distance at least as great as the thickness of the cards. The bottom member has at least one air hole through it. The center of the air hole is spaced from the card support area rear edge by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of cards, and the air hole diameter can be at least as great as the thickness of the cards. Preferably, a number of air holes is provided, extending in a line parallel to the card support area rear edge. Preferably, also, a second line of such holes is provided parallel to the first line and spaced from the first line by a distance substantially equal to twice the thickness of the cards. The card picker has a picker finger which engages an edge of the end card of the stack of cards and moves such card in the direction of the frame side member so that the card moves through the notch in the side member. An air source supplies air to the air hole, aiding in separating the end card from the stack of cards, while also blowing away debris and removing static electricity.

Card guide and card picker

The invention is an embossing system, embosser and indent imprinter and method of operation thereof. The invention includes a plurality of stations ( and ) including an embossing station ( ); a carriage ( ) for holding an item ( ) to be processed by the system at the plurality of stations including the embossing station; a carriage transport ( ) which moves the carriage while holding the item to be processed along a plurality of spaced apart transport paths; and wherein at least one station is disposed on each of the plurality of transport paths and the carriage transport moves the carriage holding the item along the plurality of transport paths to each of the plurality of processing stations at which processing is performed on the item.

Credit card embossing system, embosser and indent imprinter, and method of operation

The present invention is a card transport mechanism for transporting cards (114) along a transport path (108) and method of operation thereof. A card transport mechanism (180) in accordance with the invention includes a pair of spaced apart channels (186, 188), each channel engaging a different one of a pair of opposed edges of the cards; a carriage (196) for holding the cards at a fixed position relative to the carriage during motion along the transport path, the carriage having first (198) and second (120) card contacting elements spaced apart at different positions along the transport path and projecting into the transport path for contacting and holding a card in the fixed position during motion along the transport path, the first card contacting element being compliant to move orthogonally from within the transport path to permit movement of the card along the channels while the carriage is stationary prior to contact of the card by the second card contacting element and the second card contacting element being compliant along the transport path in response to contact with the card to produce contact and holding of the opposed edges of the card with the first and second card contacting elements in the fixed position; and a carriage support (120), connected to the carriage, for guiding the carriage along the transport path.

Card transport mechanism and method of operation

The present invention is a card transport mechanism for transporting cards (114) along a transport path (108) and method of operation thereof. A card transport mechanism (180) in accordance with the invention includes a pair of spaced apart channels (186, 188), each channel engaging a different one of a pair of opposed edges of the cards; a carriage (196) for holding the cards at a fixed position relative to the carriage during motion along the transport path, the carriage having first (198) and second (120) card contacting elements spaced apart at different positions along the transport path and projecting into the transport path for contacting and holding a card in the fixed position during motion along the transport path, the first card contacting element being compliant to move orthogonally from within the transport path to permit movement of the card along the channels while the carriage is stationary prior to contact of the card by the second card contacting element and the second card contacting element being compliant along the transport path in response to contact with the card to produce contact and holding of the opposed edges of the card with the first and second card contacting elements in the fixed position; and a carriage support (120), connected the carriage, for guiding the carriage along the transport path.

The present invention is a card transport mechanism for transporting cards along a transport path and method of operation thereof. A card transport mechanism in accordance with the invention includes a pair of spaced apart channels, each channel engaging a different one of a pair of opposed edges of the cards; a carriage for holding the cards at a fixed position relative to the carriage during motion along the transport path, the carriage having first and second card contacting elements spaced apart at different positions along the transport path and projecting into the transport path for contacting and holding a card in the fixed position during motion along the transport path, the first card contacting element being compliant to move orthogonally from within the transport path to permit movement of the card along the channels while the carriage is stationary prior to contact of the card by the second card contacting element and the second card contacting element being compliant along the transport path in response to contact with the card to produce contact and holding of the opposed edges of the card with the first and second card contacting elements in the fixed position; anda carriage support, connected to the carriage, for guiding the carriage along the transport path.

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Clark, NJ, United States of America

Keith R Ashley