Plastic card transport apparatus and inspection system

A plastic card inspection system, comprising:

• a plurality of lower support wheel members positioned with their circumferential surfaces aligned to define a card transport path to support a plastic card by a lower edge thereof as the plastic card is transported along the card transport path, the card transport path having defined therealong a card input location, a card inspection location, a first card output location, and a second card output location;
• upper retaining means positioned above said plurality of lower support wheel members to engage an upper edge of the plastic card and cooperating with said plurality of lower support wheel members to retain the plastic card supported on said lower support wheel members as the plastic card is transported along the card transport path;
• a drive source for continuously driving a selected plurality of said lower support wheel members to move the plastic card along the card transport path;
• a plastic card input supply for supplying plastic cards to said card input location;
• a first card receiver for receiving plastic cards from the first card output location;
• a second card receiver for receiving plastic cards from the second card output location;
• a card inspection device for inspecting plastic cards at the card inspection location and providing an inspection signal indicative of results of the inspection;
• card input means adjacent the card input location and responsive to the inspection signal for inputting a plastic card from the card input location to an adjacent one of said continuously driven lower support wheel members, to transport the inputted plastic card to the card inspection location for inspection;
• first control means responsive to the inspection signal for driving a first selected one of said lower support wheel members, adjacent the card inspection location, to move the inspected plastic card along the card transport path from the card inspection location to an adjacent one of said continuously driven lower support wheel members, to transport the inspected plastic card to the first card output location;
• first card discharging means adjacent said first card output location and responsive to the inspected plastic card being transported to said first card output location following an inspection signal indicative of a first inspection result, for discharging the inspected plastic card from said card transport path to said first card receiver;
• second control means responsive to an inspection signal indicative of a second inspection result for driving a second selected one of said lower support wheel members, adjacent the first card output location, to move the inspected plastic card along the card transport path from the first card output location to an adjacent one of said continuously driven lower support wheel members, to transport the inspected plastic card to the second card output location;
• and
• second card discharging means adjacent said second card output location and responsive to the inspected plastic card being transported to said second card output location following an inspection signal indicative of the second inspection result, for discharging the inspected plastic card from said card transport path to said second card receiver.