U.S. patent number 3,704,015 [Application Number 05/131,196] was granted by the patent office on 1972-11-28 for apparatus and method for mounting cards on a web.
This patent grant is currently assigned to International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to Bohdan Demchyshyn, Charles Holovka, Jr., John Francis McHugh.
United States Patent |
3,704,015 |
Holovka, Jr. , et
al. |
November 28, 1972 |
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MOUNTING CARDS ON A WEB
Abstract
Stiff flexible items, such as plastic credit cards, are inserted
within four angled corner slits in respective mailer cards forming
part of a burstable continuous form. A ram passes perpendicularly
through a circular aperture in each mailer card and forces the
credit card against a stationary anvil to bow the central section
in a forward direction and concurrently cause the extended ends of
the credit card to move rearward into contact with the mailer card
to spread the slits. When the ram is retracted, the credit card,
due to its inherent resiliency, snaps straight; as it does so, its
four corners tuck into the slits around the aperture. Credit cards
are mounted one or two to a mailer card automatically as they are
advanced intermittently, first transversely of the continuous form
to a merge position and then in the same direction as the
continuous form to a mounting position.
Inventors: |
Holovka, Jr.; Charles
(Hightstown, NJ), Demchyshyn; Bohdan (Levittown, PA),
McHugh; John Francis (Fords, NJ) |
Assignee: |
International Business Machines
Corporation (Armonk, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
22448340 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/131,196 |
Filed: |
April 5, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
270/52.13 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H
39/14 (20130101); B65B 15/04 (20130101); B65H
2701/1914 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65B
15/04 (20060101); B65B 15/00 (20060101); B65H
39/14 (20060101); B65H 39/00 (20060101); B65h
039/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;270/52,57
;40/104.12,104.13 ;282/3,11.5A,22 ;93/1R,1.1,1E,37 ;53/50
;29/453,210,235 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Mancene; Louis G.
Assistant Examiner: Oliff; J. A.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of mounting relatively stiff flexible cards onto a web,
comprising the steps of:
providing in the web at longitudinally spaced intervals at least
one set of slits, each for receiving the extremities of a flexible
card, and also providing an aperture within the area bounded by
each set of slits,
advancing the web and flexible cards intermittently to bring
successive flexible cards into juxtaposed position beside each
longitudinally spaced set of the slits on the web,
bowing each juxtaposed flexible card by inserting a ram through the
aperture and driving the card adjacent its short edges into contact
with respective fulcrum surfaces to flex the central portion of
such card between said surfaces away from the web and concurrently
drive the extremities of such card outboard of the surfaces toward
the web to successively distend the juxtaposed slits, and
withdrawing the ram to relieve the distending force on the web and
permit each flexible card to straighten into retained relationship
within the slits and tucked under the outer edges of the slits.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein
the web is a continuous card form burstable into a series of
longitudinally spaced single-ply or multiple-ply mailer cards,
and
each set of slits comprises four angled corner slits provided on
successive mailer cards.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein during the bowing
operation at least some of the extremities of the card crease the
web to permanently deform the area inboard of the tucking edges and
provide a guiding ramp to facilitate entry of the card under said
edges when the bowing force is relieved.
4. Apparatus for mounting a relatively stiff flexible sheet within
a plurality of slits on a larger sheet of less stiffness and having
at least one aperture within the area bounded by the slits,
comprising
means providing spaced fulcrum points,
means for positioning the sheets in juxtaposed relationship with
the fulcrum points at one side of the flexible sheet and
aforementioned area at its opposite side,
means normally disposed at the side of each aperture remote from
said flexible sheet, and
means for actuating the last-introduced means through each aperture
into contact with said flexible sheet to force the latter against
said fulcrum points for bowing the central portion of the flexible
sheet forwardly between the fulcrum points while concurrently
driving the extremities, including the corners, of the flexible
sheet rearwardly against the larger sheet to deform it to open the
slits for receiving said flexible sheet.
5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
said actuating means is operative to retract said last-introduced
means to cause said extremities of the flexible sheet to extend
into said slits to detachably mount the flexible sheet to the
larger sheet as the flexible sheet straightens under its inherent
resiliency and the larger sheet is released from deformation.
6. Apparatus for mounting a pair of relatively stiff flexible
sheets into respective sets of slits arranged side by side on a
larger sheet of less stiffness and having an aperture within the
area bounded by each set of slits, comprising
means for advancing flexible sheets serially in one direction
relative to the larger sheet,
means including a pair of members for moving a pair of flexible
sheets concurrently in another direction generally at right angles
to said one direction to position both flexible sheets flatwise
immediately adjacent a respective set of said slits, and
means including a pair of rams movable concurrently through the
respective apertures to contact and bow the flexible sheets and
concurrently cause the extremities of said flexible sheets to
distend the respective slits of each set to position said
extremities for entry into the distended slits as the flexible
sheets tend to resume their normal flat condition upon retraction
of the rams.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
the larger sheet is a continuous web burstable into a series of
sheets larger than a pair of flexible sheets, and including
means for incrementing the web in said other direction to bring a
pair of apertures into alignment with the pair of rams as the
leading flexible sheet of each successive pair of flexible sheets
is advanced in said one direction to a position in which both
sheets of said pair are longitudinally aligned with a respective
pair of the apertures.
8. Apparatus for detachably mounting a series of relatively stiff
flexible cards into sets of four angled corner slits provided in a
web in surrounding relation to apertures spaced along the web,
comprising
means providing at least one pair of spaced fulcrum points, one
pair for each set of cards to be concurrently mounted,
means for advancing the web and cards intermittently to bring
successive cards and sets of slits into juxtaposed position beside
a corresponding pair of fulcrum points,
means including at least one ram per set of slits, for moving when
cards and web are in juxtaposed position, through each aperture
into contact with each juxtaposed card to flex it against the
associated fulcrum points to concurrently bow its central portion
forward and drive its corners rearward for causing said corners to
successively contact the web and distend the corresponding set of
slits to position each juxtaposed card to enter the associated
slits as it returns to its natural flat condition upon relaxation
of the flexing force.
9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein
said advancing means comprises separate means for advancing the web
and cards through different distances commencing at different times
and so interrelated that web and cards will move at substantially
the same speed to, and arrive at the same time at, the juxtaposed
position to prevent the cards from becoming snagged in the
slits.
10. Apparatus for tucking the extremities of a relatively stiff
flexible sheet under a plurality of edges provided in a larger
sheet by openings adjacent such edges, the larger sheet being of
less stiffness and having at least one aperture within the area
bounded by the openings, comprising
means providing spaced fulcrum points,
means for positioning the sheets in juxtaposed relationship with
the fulcrum points at one side of the flexible sheet and
aforementioned area at its opposite side,
means normally disposed at the side of each aperture remote from
said flexible sheet, and
means for moving the last-introduced means through each aperture
into contact with said flexible sheet to force the latter against
said fulcrum points for bowing the central portion of the flexible
sheet forwardly between the fulcrum points while concurrently
driving the extremities, including all corners, of the flexible
sheet rearwardly against the larger sheet to retract said
extremities inwardly of all said edges concurrently and so position
the flexible sheet relative to the larger sheet that upon
relaxation of such force the flexible sheet can straighten under
its inherent resiliency and cause its extremities to enter under
said edges via said openings for detachably mounting the flexible
sheet to the larger sheet.
11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein
said positioning means includes
means for advancing a series of said larger sheets sequentially and
intermittently in one direction to the juxtapose position, and
means for advancing a series of flexible sheets sequentially and
intermittently initially in a direction transverse to said one
direction and then in said one direction to the juxtapose
position.
12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein
the respective means for advancing the larger sheet and flexible
sheets in said one direction move such sheets at substantially the
same speed to prevent the flexible sheets from becoming snagged in
the openings during such advance.
13. Apparatus according to claim 10, including
means providing a recess adjacent the aforementioned area of the
larger sheet when said sheets are juxtaposed, and further providing
at least one edge for causing bending of the larger sheet as a
function of the movement of at least one of said extremities
thereacross to depress it between at least one pair of said
openings to facilitate entry of said flexible sheet under said
edges in the larger sheet upon relaxation of such force.
Description
This invention relates to apparatus and methods for mounting small
flexible sheets onto larger sheets for mailing or the like, and
relates more particularly to an improved apparatus and method
wherein stiff plastic credit cards or the like are mounted without
adhesive to successive mailer cards on a burstable continuous
form.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It has heretofore been proposed to adhere credit cards to mailer
cards burstable from a continuous form. This is undesirable because
when the credit card is detached some of the adhesive will
generally remain and cause the card to stick to whatever object it
is placed against. Apparatus has been disclosed to insert items,
such as watch crystals and film chips in bezels or laminated
aperture cards, respectively; but such apparatus required that the
insertion be accomplished solely by deforming the item to be
inserted. For example, the film chip was deformed into a cavity in
a punch by suction, then straightened by fluid under pressure to
enter a peripheral groove around the aperture; but it required an
undesirably expensive three-ply laminated aperture card to provide
this groove, and so it was never commercially practical.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,484,097 discloses several embodiments of an
apparatus to automatically insert tabulating cards successively
into a series of four angled slits arranged longitudinally along a
continuous form. The card to be inserted into the web is forced
into an M-like shape (see FIGS. 5,6) while resilient fingers spread
one set of slits in the web to catch the trailing corners of the
sheet as the web moves forward. Then, further downstream other
fingers push down on the leading corners of the sheet to tuck them
into the other set of slits while the trailing end of the sheet is
clamped by a plate and its midsection is pushed up by pins raised
through a set of transversely spaced apertures in the web. It is
readily apparent that this apparatus is exceedingly complex, even
if it could operate satisfactorily to mount relatively stiff
plastic credit cards.
In another embodiment (FIGS. 15,19) a pair of vacuum cups initially
move down and suck the sheet from the web, and deform it into a
concave anvil; then the anvil and cups move down together as a unit
causing the corners of the sheet to spread and enter the slits
while the sheet is still held by the cups; and finally the cups are
disconnected from the vacuum source so the inherent resiliency of
the sheet permits it to resume its normal flat shape and causes its
corners to become fully tucked under the slits. Although this is
considerably simpler than the first embodiment, it is nevertheless
complex in that the anvil and cups must be movable both together
and independently, and the operation requires four stages per
cycle: viz, lower cups relative to anvil, then raise cups relative
to anvil, then lower anvil and cups in unison, then raise anvil and
cups in unison. Also note that the corners of the sheet are not
forced toward the web and into the slits until the anvil and cups
move down in unison and push the entire sheet toward the web.
There is a need for a relatively inexpensive and simple apparatus
and method for mounting relatively stiff flexible items, like
credit cards, to a mailer card or the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Toward this end, and according to the invention, applicants have
provided a continuous form web burstable into a series of
single-ply mailer cards each with one or more sets of four angled
corner slits that are inexpensively cut in the web around a single
aperture centrally disposed within each set of slits. As a ram
passes through each aperture, it forces a relatively stiff flexible
card adjacent the aperture against spaced fulcrum points of a
stationary anvil. The fulcrum points are closer than the end-to-end
dimension of the card, so the corners of the flexible card will be
driven backward (i.e., counter to the applied force) against the
mailer card and spread open the slits. Upon retraction of the ram,
the corners enter the slits as the flexible card restores to its
flat condition flush against the mailer card. A plurality of
flexible cards can be mounted concurrently by providing a plurality
of slit sets per mailer card and a corresponding plurality of rams;
in such case flexible cards are serially advanced transversely of
the mailer card to a merge position, whereupon the plurality are
concurrently advanced longitudinally of the mailer card to mounting
position and then simultaneously mounted.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the
following more detailed description of the invention and from the
following drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view, with the anvil
portion removed, of a credit card mounting apparatus embodying the
invention;
FIG. 2 is a left end view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of said apparatus;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view, to enlarged scale and partially in
section, of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view, also to enlarged scale, of the
apparatus with the anvil portion removed.
DESCRIPTION
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the card mounting apparatus embodying the
invention comprises a card advancing unit 10 for incrementally
advancing a series of cards 11, such as plastic credit cards, long
edge down in a horizontal path into juxtaposition with a continuous
card form 12 of burstable single-ply mailer cards 13 that are
incrementally advanced in a vertical path adjacent said horizontal
path by suitable means including forms feed tractor pins 14.
More specifically, unit 10 comprises upper and lower guide rails
15,16 providing facing U-shaped channels for receiving the upper
and lower edges of successive cards 11. These cards are fed
serially into the channels 15, 16 by suitable means (not shown).
Each time the leading edge of a card 11 strikes a microswitch 17, a
single revolution clutch (not shown) is actuated to drive sprocket
20 to move an endless chain 21 a preselected incremental distance x
leftward as viewed in FIG. 1. Chain 21 is entrained around an idler
sprocket 22 and has a plurality of pushers 23 which contact the
rear edges of respective cards 11 to increment them leftward said
distance x. The pushers 23 project laterally into a suitable
horizontally extending groove 24 provided in a backplate 25 that
carries the rails 15, 16.
All cards 11 will have been inspected and found satisfactory prior
to delivery to advancing unit 10. Hence, there will be no breaks in
the sequence of cards 11. As the leading edge of a card 11 strikes
a stop 26, it will activate a microswitch 27 to energize a clutch
(not shown). This will activate a forms feed tractor 28 (see FIG.
2) to cause the tractor pins 14 which are entrained around tractor
28 and an idler 29 to drive the form 12 and hence mailer cards 13
upward.
As illustrated, form 12 comprises a series of single-ply mailer
cards 13 each having two identical horizontally spaced sets of four
angled corner slits 30 and a circular aperture 31 centrally
disposed within the area bounded by each set of slits. This
configuration permits two cards 11 (e.g., so-called Mr. and Mrs.
credit cards) to be mounted side by side on each mailer card 13
defined between adjacent fold scores 32 and the conventional
detachable marginal strips 33 that receive the tractor pins 14.
It should here be noted that two elongated slots 40 are provided
through lower rail 16 to accommodate respective vertically movable
card lifters 41. The upper flat edges of the lifters are narrower
than the length of the respective cards 11, but normally aligned
with rail 16. This is to support the cards 11 and maintain their
lower edges horizontal because two slots 42 are provided through
upper rail 15 directly above slots 40 to enable the lifters to push
the cards 11 upward from the merge position (shown by solid lines
in FIG. 1) to the mounting position (denoted by broken lines). The
slots 42 are only long and wide enough to permit upward passage of
the cards 11 and lifters 41 so that the cards will be guided and
retained by the walls of the slots as they are moved up to the
mounting position.
Meanwhile, as continuous form 12 is moved upward by tractor 28,
cards 13 will move past a microswitch 45. When switch 45 senses an
aperture 31, a single shot half-revolution clutch (not shown) will
be activated to rock a shaft 46 180.degree. (see FIG. 2). As shaft
46 rotates, it will act through an eccentric 47, a link 48 and a
shaft 49 pinned thereto, and a sector gear 50 to raise a rack 51
that is positively connected to the left-hand lifter 41 (as viewed
in FIG. 1). When the apparatus is being operated to insert two
cards 11 concurrently, as illustrated, an electromagnetic clutch 52
(FIG. 1) is maintained energized to connect the rotated shaft 49 to
the corresponding shaft 49 for the right-hand lifter 41 to cause
its associated sector gear 50 and rack 51 (not shown) to raise said
right-hand lifter in unison with the left-hand lifter.
As lifters 41 are concurrently raised by their respective racks 51,
they will move respective cards 11 upward from their previously
defined merge positions to their mounting positions. Meanwhile,
form 12 will continue to move upward at substantially the same rate
as the lifters 41 but behind backplate 25 to assure that the cards
11 cannot become snagged in the mailer slits 30. As the eccentric
47 rotates to a position where it operatively drives the left-hand
lifter 41 to the upper end of its stroke, it will operate a
microswitch 53 to deenergize the aforementioned forms feed tractor
clutch for stopping the tractor 28. This, in turn, will cause the
form 12 to be stopped at its mounting position, defined by the
apertures 31 in a mailer card 13 being coaxially aligned with
respective rams 60 each forming part of a respective insertion
unit, designated generally 61.
As best shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, each unit 61 comprises a
negator-type constant force flat spring 62 that extends between
spools 63, 64 and around a follower housing 65 to bias a roller
follower 66 with a constant force against a cylindrical cam 67
eccentrically mounted on a shaft 68. Since each ram 60 is coaxially
connected to an associated housing 65, each spring 62 also biases
the corresponding ram to a normal or retracted position, in which
it is shown in FIG. 2. Each ram 60 comprises a curved end face 60a
formed as a constant-width flat on a cylindrical portion that joins
a square shank portion 60b. Intermediate its ends, portion 60b is
coaxially connected to housing 65 journaled in a square bearing
provided in a bearing block 69 to preclude rotation or twisting as
it is moved axially.
With apertured mailer card 13 and the cards 11 in mounting
position, the cards 13,11 are now above the separating backplate 25
and in intimate adjacent relation; but their non-adjacent faces are
disposed with slight clearance between a mailer support plate 70
and an anvil member 71, respectively.
As best shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, plate 70 has a shallow recess 72
approximately the same size as card 11 but slightly deeper than the
combined thickness of the cards 11,13. Recess 72 is directly
adjacent the area of the mailer card 13 bounded by the slits 30,
when the mailer card is in mounting position.
Each anvil member 71 has a concavely curved cylindrical surface 73,
the direction of curvature of which corresponds to that of the
curved flat end face 60a on the associated ram 60. Outboard of each
end of recess 73 the anvil member is preferably relieved to provide
two stepped shoulders 74, 75. The shoulders 74, 75 control the
flexure of the card during its initial bowing and provide fulcrum
points 76 where the shoulders 75 join the recess 73. These points
76 are preferably located so as to be contacted by portions of the
cards outboard of any embossed or other indicia.
When eccentric 47 has rotated far enough to operatively drive
lifter 41 and hence card 11 to mounting position, a microswitch 80
(FIG. 2) will be operated to cause a single revolution clutch (not
shown) to rotate shaft 68 and hence each eccentric cam 67 one
complete revolution. As the rising part of each cam moves past the
associated follower 66, the corresponding ram 60 will be moved
rightward, as viewed in FIG. 2, slidably guided within its bearing
block 69. Each curved end face 60a initially will move from an
encircling hole 81 in plate 70 through the then-aligned aperture 31
in the mailer card 13 and into contact with the corresponding card
11 at substantially the geometric center thereof. As each ram 60
continues to move inward following initial contact with the card
11, it will force the card against the stationary fulcrum points 76
for progressively bowing the central portion of the card forward,
as shown in FIG. 4, while concurrently causing the extended end
portions 11a of the card (i.e., those lying outside the recess 73)
to pivot elliptically at the fulcrum points and be deflected
rearward toward the mailer card 13. As end portions 11a are thus
driven rearward, they will deflect and deform the mailer card 13
into the recess 72 in support plate 70 and, in so doing, cause the
four angled corner slits 30 to be spread open.
As the high point of cam 67 (FIG. 2) contacts follower 66, ram 60
will achieve its innermost limit position, in which it is shown in
solid lines in FIG. 4, and in which the card 11 has been bowed a
preselected amount. By actual test, bowing of the order of 0.750
inch, as measured from the plane of fulcrum points 76 has provided
excellent results when mounting plastic credit cards. As cam 67
continues to rotate toward its home position, at which follower 66
contacts the low point of the cam, ram 60 will be retracted through
hole 81.
Meanwhile, as the bowing force on card 11 is relieved, the inherent
resiliency of the card will cause it to snap to a normal flat
condition. This will cause the card end portions 11a to again pivot
at fulcrum points 76, but in a reverse arc, and drive the four
corners of the card 11 into the opened slits 30, thus completing
attachment of the card 11 to the mailer card 13.
The lifters 41 are lowered to normal position by any suitable means
as soon as the cards 11 are mounted on card 13. As illustrated,
this is accomplished by the forward end of follower housing 65
striking and opening a microswitch 82 as the housing and ram 60
reach their rightmost positions as viewed in FIG. 2. Switch 82,
after a slight time delay, operates the aforementioned single shot
half-revolution clutch to rock shaft 46 a half revolution back to
its normal position to operatively lower lifters 41 via gears 50
and racks 51. This completes a full cycle of operation of the card
mounting apparatus.
It will be understood that the distance between the fulcrum points
76 and extent of penetration of each ram 60 will depend upon the
dimensions of the card 11 to be mounted and its stiffness relative
to that of the receptor 13 on which it is to be mounted. For
example, for a card 11 of the size illustrated but not as stiff,
the fulcrum points should be spaced farther apart but somewhat
closer to the mailer card to reduce the width of the extended end
portions and thus increase their stiffness so the slits may be
spread open more readily. In any event, the card 11 to be mounted
must be sufficiently stiffer than the receptor 13 on which it is to
be mounted so that the end portions 11a will have the strength to
deform the receptor and open the slits. The cards 11 must also have
sufficient resistance to flexing to store adequate energy to snap
quickly back to flat condition when the bowing force is relieved.
To facilitate mounting of various types or sizes of cards 11,
interchangeable or adjustable anvil members 71 may be used.
It will be noted that after two cards 11 have been concurrently
mounted by the respective rams 60 and both lifters 41 are restored
to their lower positions, switch 17 will be operated twice to
advance the leading card 11 of the next pair into contact with the
switch 27 that initiates a mounting operation. Cards 11 are
delivered to rails 15, 16 at a rate slow enough to permit
completion of a mounting operation between operations of switch
17.
It should be noted that in the embodiment illustrated, as the ram
60 moves in and pivots the extended portions 11a of card 11
rearward, the corners of the card will initially contact the web at
points outboard of the slits 30. Then the card corners will move
with a wiping action successively toward and then across and
inboard of the tucking edges defined by the outboard edges of said
slits. As the corners cross the tucking edges to the positions
shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the corners will push down on the web
causing it to bend or crease along edges 72a (FIG. 5) of recess 72
and deform downward. The inboard edges of slits 30 are permanently
deformed downward to open the slits and assure that the card will
enter under the outboard edges of the slits when the bowing force
is relieved. As the latter occurs, the portion of the web just
inboard of the crease or bend acts as a cam surface or ramp guiding
the short edges of the card as its corners tuck under the outboard
edges of the slits.
While the apparatus, as illustrated comprises a pair of fulcrum
points 76 defined by two parallel edges of concavely curved surface
73, it will be understood that, if preferred, there may be more
fulcrum points; e.g., in the form of four protuberances inboard of
the four corners of a rectangular card, in which case the card
would be flexed or curled in both long and short directions by one
or more rams having suitable end surfaces. Also, if preferred, the
edges under which the extremities of the card are tucked may be
defined by openings other than those provided by the four angled
corner slits illustrated. But, as in the embodiment illustrated,
the corners of the card when bowed must be forced inboard of the
tucking edges so they can later expand via the openings and become
tucked under the edges as the card resumes its normal flat
condition.
It will also be understood that while the apparatus as illustrated
is capable of mounting two cards 11 side by side, electromagnetic
clutch 52 is deenergized when only one card 11 is to be mounted on
each mailer card 13. Also since switch 45 does not initiate a
mounting operation until it senses an aperture 31, the apparatus
can without modification be used to mount cards 11 at any desired
longitudinal interval; e.g., every other fold or every third fold
to provide a two-ply or three-ply mailer card instead of the
single-ply mailer card 13 illustrated.
It will be apparent that the foregoing and other variations may be
made without departing from the spirit, scope and teaching of the
present invention. Accordingly, the apparatus herein disclosed is
to be considered merely as illustrative, and the scope of the
invention is to be limited only as specified in the claims.
* * * * *