Apparatus for applying heat bondable lamina to a substrate

An apparatus for making a plurality of laminated substrates by cutting a plurality of protective, transparent laminate sheets from a webless supply of lamina and applying said sheets to a corresponding plurality of planar substrates, each said substrate having information on one face thereof, each said laminate sheet applied over a said one face and substantially completely covering said one face, said apparatus comprising:

• a lamina supply member capable of holding a webless supply of lamina material which can be cut into successive sheets of laminate;
• a cutter, said cutter capable of cutting said lamina into successive sheets of laminate;
• a convergence zone at which successive sheets of laminate and corresponding planar substrates are registrably brought into contact such that each said laminate sheet substantially completely covers a said one face of said substrate;
• a lamina supply path extending from said lamina supply member to said convergence zone, said cutter disposed on said lamina supply path;
• a lamina sensor disposed on the lamina supply path between the cutter and the convergence zone, said lamina sensor capable of detecting a predetermined reference of the lamina;
• a laminate transport means for conveying a laminate sheet along the lamina supply path in a direction from the cutter towards the convergence zone;
• a substrate entry zone at which the substrates enter the apparatus;
• a substrate supply path extending from the substrate entry zone to the convergence zone;
• a substrate sensor disposed on the substrate supply path, said substrate sensor capable of detecting a predetermined reference of the substrate;
• a control responsive to the lamina sensor for actuating the cutter to sever a sheet of laminate from the lamina supply when said lamina sensor detects the lamina reference, for actuating said laminate transport means, and for retaining said laminate sheet on said lamina supply path, said control further responsive to said substrate sensor to activate said laminate transport means to cause said laminate sheet and substrate to be registrably brought together at the convergence zone whereby said laminate sheet substantially completely covers said one face of said substrate;
• and
• a heater for bonding each successive sheet of laminate to a corresponding substrate to form a laminated substrate.