Imprinter apparatus with document activated document and card carrier

Document activated imprinter apparatus for imprinting characters from a credit card or the like forming a thin character bearing imprint member onto a document, comprising a housing having entrance and exit openings ior introduction and discharge of a document onto which characters are to be imprinted, imprinting means in the housing including a printing station having an imprint roller and a drive roller between which the document and imprint member are to be advanced, a carrier member movable within the housing along a feed path between a document receiving start position and a document discharge end positron for advancing a document fed onto the carrier member through said entrance opening between said rollers, means on said carrier member for receiving and positioning the imprint member adjacent the document disposed on the carrier member to imprint characters on the document upon their passage between said rollers, means for gurding and reciprocating said carrier member and the document and imprint member thereon along said feed path, powered drive means including a document sensor to sense the presence of a document at a support position on the carrier member to drive said drive roller through a carrier member imprint stroke along said feed path, means for guiding the document through said exit opening upon the carrier member reaching said end position, and means for returning the carrier member to said start position, said carrier member being a rigid platen, and said platen including an abutment surtace extending upwardly form the substantially flat document supporting surface thereof to be abutted by a leading edge of the document upon insertion through said entrance opening to proper imprinting position on said platen, and sensor means positioned to be activated by a portion of the document upon reaching said abutment surface for activating said powered drive means to effect said imprinting stroke.

Document activated imprinter apparatus for imprinting characters from a credit card or the like forming a thin character bearing imprint member onto a document, comprising a housing having entrance and exit openings for introduction and discharge of a document onto which characters are to be imprinted, imprinting means in the housing including a printing station having an imprint roller and a drive roller between which the document and imprint member are to be advanced, a carrier member movable within the housing along a feed path between a document receiving start position and a document discharge end position for advancing a document fed onto the carrier member through said entrance opening between said rollers, means on said carrrer member for receiving and positioning the imprint member adjacent the document disposed on the carrier member to imprint characters on the document upon their passage between said rollers, means for guiding and reciprocating said carrier member and the document and imprint member thereon along said feed path, powered drive means including a document sensor to sense the presence of a document at a support position on the carrier member to drive said drive roller through a carrier member imprint stroke along said feed path, means tor guiding the document through said exit opening upon the carrier member reaching said end position, and means for returning the carrier member to said start position, said drive roller having a cylindrical periphery interrupted by a flat whereby cylindrical portions of the drive roller engage said carrier member to advance the same through said imprint stroke and said flat on the drive roller abutting the carrier member at the end of the imprint stroke for return of the carrier member to its start position, the apparatus including return means for returning the carrier member to said start position.