US 4,384,196 AGranted

Apparatus and system for preparing data cards and mailer forms and for attaching data cards to respectively associated mailer forms

AssigneeData Card Corporation

InventorsRoger D. McCumber, LeRoy E. Gerlach

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Abstract

A system for attaching data cards to mailer forms including apparatus having a supply of serially connected mailer forms, a paper drive for the forms and a printer therefore, a card holding station for holding up to two data cards in position for pickup by a printed mailer form having divergent slots for receiving opposite end portions of the data cards, a burster for separating an individual card carrying printed mailer form from the serially connected forms, a folder, an output stacker and a form reject area. Electronic control circuitry is included for controlling the operation of the various stations in a cooperative manner and for assuring that the mailer forms are printed with information corresponding to the data cards which will be inserted therein.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A system for automatically attaching data cards authorized to be issued for predetermined accounts and coded with predetermined card account information, to respectively associated carrier forms having printed thereon corresponding, predetermined form account information, said system including means for operative connection to a common data base containing the account information for both the cards and the forms for a plurality of accounts, and comprising:

means for deriving the associated, predetermined card account information and predetermined form account information from the common data base in predetermined timed relationship for each account, and in individual succession for plural said accounts;
means for attaching data cards having card account information coded thereon to carrier forms having corresponding form account information printed thereon;
means for coding blank data cards in accordance with predetermined card account information supplied thereto;
means for printing predetermined account information on blank carrier forms, in individual succession corresponding to a succession of plural accounts for which data cards are authorized to be issued;
means for supplying coded data cards to said attaching means, in individual succession as to the data cards authorized to be issued for each of a succession of plural accounts;
said deriving means including means for supplying the predetermined card account information to said coding means in accordance with the number of data cards authorized to be issued for a given account, and for supplying, in timed relationship, synchronized with the supply of the predetermined card account information to said coding means, the predetermined form account information for the given account to said printing means;
and
said printing means including means for supplying successive printed carrier forms to said attaching means in timed relationship synchronized with the successive supply of coded data cards for the respectively corresponding accounts, to said attaching means by said means for supplying coded data cards;
said attaching means including means for attaching the correct number of coded data cards to the respectively corresponding printed carrier form, in individual succession for the successive plural accounts.

6 more elements

A system for attaching data cards authorized to be issued for predetermined accounts and coded with predetermined card account information, to respectively associated carrier forms having corresponding predetermined form account information printed thereon, said system including means for operative connection to a common data base containing the account information for both the cards and the forms for a plurality of accounts, and comprising:

coding means for supplying predetermined card account information and predetermined form account information, said coding means including means for deriving the predetermined card account information and the predetermined form account information from the common data base and means for coding the predetermined card account information, for a given account, on first and second blank data cards;
means for supplying blank carrier forms in individual succession;
printing means, operatively connected to said coding means, for receiving the predetermined form account information for the given account and for printing the predetermined form account information for the given account on one of the blank carrier forms in timed relationship synchronized with the coding of the predetermined card account information for the given account on the first and second blank data cards;
a card attachment station;
means for transporting the coded first and second data cards from said coding means to said card attachment station;
and
means for transporting the printed one of the carrier forms to said card attachment station in timed relationship synchronized with the transport of the coded first and second data cards to said card attachment station;
said card attachment station including means for receiving and releasably holding the first and second coded data cards in a desired pickup position, and means for attaching the first and second coded data cards for the given account to the corresponding printed one of the carrier forms.

5 more elements

means for supplying identifying information in synchronized timed relationship for each of a plurality of accounts, said identifying information including predetermined card account information and a print signal including number of cards per form data and predetermined form account information, said number of cards per form data indicating the required number of data cards to be attached to a respectively associated carrier form for a given account;
coding means for receiving the predetermined card account information from said means for supplying identifying information and for coding the predetermined card account information on the data cards;
a card attachment station;
means for transporting, in succession, the coded data cards to said card attachment station;
electronic control means, operatively connected to said means for supplying identifying information, for receiving the print signal, for providing, as an output, the predetermined form account information, and for sending a second card request signal to said coding means, in dependence upon the number of cards per form data, after a first of the coded data cards for a given account is received at said transporting means;
means for supplying blank carrier forms in individual succession;
means, operatively connected to said electronic control means, for receiving the predetermined form account information from said electronic control means and for printing, on one of the blank carrier forms, the predetermined form account information corresponding to the predetermined card account information coded on the data cards for the given account, said printing occurring in timed relationship synchronized with the coding of the predetermined card account information on the data cards by said coding means;
and
means for transporting the printed one of the carrier forms past said card attachment station after the transport of the coded data cards for the given account to said card attachment station;
said card attachment station comprising means for receiving and releasably holding the coded data cards for the given account and means for attaching the coded data cards to the respectively associated printed carrier form for the given account;
said coding means including means for generating an error signal if the print signal is being generated when the second card request signal is received by said coding means.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.