Coupon inserter

An apparatus for delivering coupons to a receiving product at a dispensing location, said coupons being provided in the form of a continuous web of coupons with a forwardmost coupon having a trailing edge connected by a weakened portion to a leading edge of a succeeding coupon, each succeeding coupon being similarly connected in said web, said apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• feed rollers rotatably mounted to the frame and forming a nip capable of engaging the continuous web of coupons;
• a feed roller drive connected to the feed rollers and capable of activating said feed rollers to rotate and deactivating said feed rollers from rotating;
• an activation sensor capable of sensing the presence of the receiving product approaching the dispensing location and thereupon sending a signal to activate the feed roller drive causing the feed rollers to rotate;
• delivery rollers rotatably mounted to the frame, spaced apart from the feed rollers and forming a nip positioned to receive the continuous web of coupons from the feed rollers, said delivery rollers being continuously rotated at substantially the same rotational speed as said feed rollers when sad feed rollers are rotating;
• and
• a deactivation sensor positioned at a sensing position downstream from the delivery rollers and capable of sensing the presence of a coupon and immediately thereupon sending a signal to deactivate the feed roller drive and in turn the feed rollers, resulting in the separation of the forwardmost coupon from the succeeding coupon generally along the weakened web portion.

An apparatus for delivering coupons, one at a time, to moving receiving products as said receiving products move past a dispensing location, said coupons being provided in a continuous web wherein a trailing edge of a forwardmost coupon is detachably connected to a leading edge of a successive coupon by a weakened separable portion disposed therebetween, each coupon following said successive coupon being similarly connected in said-web, said apparatus comprising:

• opposed delivery rollers rotatably mounted and defining a nip for receiving the leading edge of said forwardmost coupon;
• opposed feed rollers disposed upstream from said delivery rollers, said feed rollers rotatably mounted and oriented for directing the leading edge of said forwardmost coupon into said nip of said delivery rollers;
• a delivery drive mechanism coupled to at least one of said delivery rollers for driving said delivery rollers and moving said forwardmost coupon at a first speed;
• a feed drive mechanism coupled to at least one of said feed rollers for driving said feed rollers and moving the leading edge of said forwardmost coupon toward said nip of said delivery rollers at a speed substantially the same as said first speed, said feed drive mechanism operating in response to an activation signal and ceasing operation in response to a deactivation signal, whereby said delivery rollers, upon the ceasing of operation of said feed drive mechanism, separate the trailing edge of said forwardmost coupon from the leading edge of said successive coupon and deliver the separated forwardmost coupon to said dispensing location;
• a deactivation sensor disposed downstream from said delivery rollers for detecting the presence of the leading edge of said forwardmost coupon;
• an activation sensor for detecting the movement of said receiving products;
• and
• a controller for providing said activation signal after said activation sensor senses the movement of said receiving products and for providing said deactivation signal after said deactivation sensor senses the presence of the leading edge of said forwardmost coupon.

An apparatus for delivering coupons, one at a time, to a dispensing location, said coupons being provided in a continuous web wherein a trailing edge of a forwardmost coupon is detachably connected to a leading edge of a successive coupon by a weakened separable portion disposed therebetween, each coupon following said successive coupon being similarly connected in said web, said apparatus comprising:

• opposed delivery rollers rotatably mounted and defining a nip for receiving the leading edge of said forwardmost coupon;
• opposed feed rollers disposed upstream from said delivery rollers, said feed rollers rotatably mounted and oriented for directing the leading edge of said forwardmost coupon into said nip of said delivery rollers;
• a delivery drive mechanism coupled to at least one of said delivery rollers for driving said delivery rollers and moving said forwardmost coupon at a first speed;
• a feed drive mechanism coupled to at least one of said feed rollers for driving said feed rollers and moving the leading edge of said forwardmost coupon toward said nip of said delivery rollers at a speed substantially the same as said first speed, said feed drive mechanism operating in response to an activation signal and ceasing operation in response to a deactivation signal, whereby said delivery rollers, upon the ceasing of operation of said feed drive mechanism, separate the trailing edge of said forwardmost coupon from the leading edge of said successive coupon and deliver the separated forwardmost coupon to said dispensing location;
• a deactivation sensor disposed downstream from said delivery rollers for detecting the presence of the leading edge of said forwardmost coupon;
• an activation sensor for detecting a demand for a coupon at said dispensing location;
• and
• a controller for providing said activation signal after said activation sensor senses the demand for a coupon at said dispensing location, and for providing said deactivation signal after said deactivation sensor senses the presence of the leading edge of said forwardmost coupon.