Document endorser apparatus

Document endorsing apparatus including:

• transport means for conveying documents in series along a path;
• first signaling means for generating a transport signal having a frequency varying linearly with a transport velocity of said documents;
• an endorser positioned for surface engagement with each of said documents as it is so conveyed;
• drive means for rotating said endorser;
• second signaling means for generating an endorser signal having a frequency varying linearly with a rotational surface velocity of said endorser;
• a phase/frequency comparator for generating, as an input to said drive means, a control signal response to the difference in frequency between said endorser and transport signals whereby said drive means, responsive to said control signal, varies said surface velocity toward equalization with said transport velocity;
• sensing means for generating an endorse command upon sensing the leading edge of each document at a point along said path upstream of the endorser, said drive means, upon receiving said command, accelerating the endorser to said surface velocity prior to surface engagement with each document sensed;
• delay means connected between said sensing means and drive means to interrupt said endorse command a selected amount of time whereby an endorsement is placed upon the document a selected distance from its leading edge;
• an alignment means for positioning said endorser in a select angular position before said drive means receives said endorse command, said alignment means including a transparent disc mounted for rotation with said endorser, a light source and an index photosensor on opposite sides of the disc, and an opaque index mark on the disc adapted to prevent light transmission from the source to said index photosensor to define peripherally a dark angular region and a light angular region wherein light transmission is permitted;
• and search means for actuating said drive means whereby the endorser is rotated at a search velocity substantially less than said surface velocity, said search means disabled to stop the endorser responsive to a transition from one of said angular regions to the other.