Check strip attachment and removal apparatus

An apparatus for attaching a strip of a material to a document so as to form a strip modified document, comprising:

• (a) alignment means for properly aligning a document and a strip of a material;
• (b) document advance means for advancing the document to said alignment means;
• (c) material advance means for advancing the material to said alignment means and providing an appropriate amount of slack in the material;
• (d) cutting means for cutting said material to form the strip;
• (e) sealing means for securing the strip to the document;
• (f) aligned document advance means for advancing said document and the said strip placed in an aligned relationship to said sealing means and thereafter urging said document out of said apparatus;
• (g) a first sensor located adjacent to said document advance means;
• (h) a second sensor located adjacent to said material advance means;
• (i) a third sensor located adjacent to said alignment means;
• (j) a fourth sensor located along said document advance means between said first sensor and second sensor;
• (k) control logic means having said sensors, said alignment means, said document advance means, said material advance means, said cutting means and said aligned document advance means coupled thereto and operative such that when said first sensor senses said document said control logic means operably activating:
• said document advance means to advance said document to said alignment means;
• said material advance means to advance said material to said alignment means;
• and said aligned document advance means to urge any strip modified documents from said apparatus;
• (l) said control logic means operably stopping said material advance means when said second sensor senses the presence of a preselected amount of said material;
• (m) said control logic means activating said alignment means when said third sensor senses that said document has reached said alignment means;
• and
• (n) said control logic means activating said cutting means when said fourth sensor senses said document so as to cut said material to form said strip having a preselected length in relation to that of said document.

An apparatus for attaching a strip of a material having an adhesive bearing portion to a document so as to form a strip modified document, comprising:

• (a) frame;
• (b) supply means for retaining a continuous length of the material;
• (c) a pair of alignment rollers for aligning a leading edge of the material with a leading edge of a document;
• (d) a document guide defining a document path along which the document is advanced to said alignment rollers;
• (e) a material guide defining a material path along which the material is advanced to said alignment roller, said material guide and said document guide cooperating to place the adhesive bearing portion of the material in overlapping alignment with a longitudinal edge of the document;
• (f) at least one document advance roller for advancing the document along said document path;
• (g) a pair of material advance rollers for advancing the material from said supply means, along said material path to said alignment rollers;
• (h) cutting means for cutting the material to form a strip having a preselected length relative to that of the document;
• (i) a pair of sealing rollers for sealing the strip to the document, and for urging the strip modified document from the apparatus;
• (j) a modified document path for advancing the document, as a modified document, having a strip secured thereto to said sealing rollers;
• (k) a first position sensor located along said document path prior to said document guide roller for sensing the document inserted in said document guide path;
• (l) a second position sensor located along said material path for sensing presence of said material along said material path;
• (m) a third position sensor located adjacent said alignment rollers for sensing the leading edge and a trailing edge of the document;
• (n) a fourth position sensor located along said document path between said first sensor and said third sensor for sensing a trailing edge of the document;
• (o) control logic means having said sensors, said alignment rollers, said document advance roller, said material advance rollers, said sealing rollers and said cutting means operably coupled thereto and operative such that when said first sensor senses the document said control logic activates:
• said document advance roller to advance said document to said alignment rollers, said sealing rollers to urge any modified documents from said apparatus and said material advance rollers to advance the leading edge of the material to said alignment rollers so that when the leading edge of the material reaches said alignment rollers said material advance rollers continue to advance the material into said material path so as to form a slack section of the material;
• (p) said control logic means stopping said material advance roller when the slack portion is large enough such that said second sensor senses the material;
• (q) said control logic means activating the material advance roller whenever the slack portion is reduced enough that said second sensor does not sense the material;
• (r) said control logic means activating said alignment rollers when said third sensor senses the leading edge of the document thereby simultaneously advancing the leading edge of the document and the leading edge of the material in aligned relationship along said strip modified document path;
• (s) said control logic means operating said cutting means when said fourth sensor senses a trailing edge of said document so as to cut the material to form the strip having a preselected length relative to that of the document and to block the advancement of the material to the alignment means while the document and the strip are advanced through said alignment rollers into said strip modified document path;
• (t) said control logic means disengaging said cutting means and stopping said alignment rollers when said third sensor senses the trailing edge of said document so that said material may be advanced to said alignment rollers and said alignment rollers do not advance the material into said strip modified document path until the leading edge of another document reaches the alignment rollers.

An apparatus for removing a strip of material attached to a document by a heat activatable adhesive such that a portion of the attached strip overhangs an edge of the document, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) an assembly housing defining a slot aligned and sized to receive said document;
• (b) a document guide defining a first path in communication with said slot and positioned to guide said document therethrough;
• (c) a heater assembly adjacent to said first path, said heater assembly positioned so as to engage said document so as to heat said heat activatable adhesive;
• (d) engaging means for urging said strip whereat said adhesive is located against said heater assembly;
• and
• (e) diverting means for diverting the strip away from said document subsequent to said adhesive being heated such that said strip is separated from said document.