Card printer

A card printer for impressing a print on cards that each have a leading edge and a trailing edge, the card printer comprising:

• a printhead;
• a carrier table reciprocatively movable along a movement path in facing relation to the printhead;
• a drive mechanism for reciprocating the carrier table;
• a card transfer mechanism for successively feeding each cards on the carrier table;
• and
• positioning means for appropriately positioning said each card on the carrier table;
• wherein the positioning means comprises stopper means which is retractably projectable from the carrier table for stopping engagement with the leading edge of each card, and a cam mechanism for causing the stopper means to project from the carrier table when the carrier table assumes a standby position for receiving said each card;
• wherein the stopper means comprises a pair of stopper pins;
• and
• wherein the cam mechanism comprises a follower plunger connected to each of the stopper pins and spring means biasing the follower plunger in a retracting direction, and a cam track member for camming contact with the follower plunger.

A card printer for impressing a print on cards that have a leading edge and a trailing edge, the card printer comprising:

• a printhead;
• a carrier table reciprocatively movable along a movement path in facing relation to the printhead;
• a drive mechanism for reciprocating the carrier table;
• a card transfer mechanism for successively feeding cards onto the carrier table;
• and
• positioning means for appropriately positioning said cards on the carrier table;
• wherein the positioning means comprises front pressing roller means positioned ahead of the printhead for movement toward and away from the carrier table, rear pressing roller means positioned behind the printhead for movement toward and away from the carrier table but spaced from the front pressing roller means by a distance which is smaller than the length of said cards, and spring means for bringing each of the front and rear pressing roller means into pressing contact with said cards.

A card printer for impressing a print on cards that have a leading edge and a trailing edge, the card printer comprising:

• a printhead;
• a carrier table reciprocatively movable along a movement path in facing relation to the printhead;
• a drive mechanism for reciprocating the carrier table;
• a card transfer mechanism for successively feeding cards onto the carrier table;
• positioning means for appropriately positioning said cards on the carrier table;
• and
• a card stocker for receiving a stack of cards,
• wherein the card transfer mechanism comprises returning means for returning, to the card stocker, an additional card that is erroneously fed with said card while allowing said card to advance to the carrier table.

A card printer for impressing a print on cards that have a leading edge and a trailing edge, the card printer comprising:

• a printhead;
• a carrier table reciprocatively movable along a movement path in facing relation to the printhead;
• a drive mechanism for reciprocating the carrier table;
• a card transfer mechanism for successively feeding said cards onto the carrier table;
• positioning means for appropriately positioning said cards on the carrier table;
• a discharge mechanism for discharging said cards from the carrier table when the carrier table advances to a predetermined discharge position;
• and
• wherein the discharge mechanism comprises a pivotal lever carrying an engaging member, the pivotal lever being pivotable between an operative position and a non-operative position, the engaging member having a hooked tip end for engagement with the trailing edge of said cards when the lever is pivoted to the operative position after the carrier table advances to the discharge position.