Apparatus and method for applying heat bondable lamina to a substrate

An apparatus for automatically laminating two sides of a generally planar substrate, said apparatus comprising:

• a lamina supply route,
• a lamina supply member, said member capable of holding a webless supply of lamina material which can be cut into successive sheets of laminate;
• a lamina conveyor disposed along said lamina supply route for transporting said laminate sheets independently of said planar substrate;
• a substrate path having an entry and an exit, a substrate conveyor being disposed along said substrate path, said substrate conveyor capable of transporting the substrate from said entry to said exit;
• a convergence zone, said lamina supply route connecting to said substrate path in said convergence zone, a first side of the substrate being brought into registration with a first sheet of laminate in said convergence zone, a second side of the substrate being brought into registration with a second sheet of laminate in said convergence zone;
• said substrate path including a bonding station, the first cut sheet of laminate being bonded to the first side of the substrate and the second cut sheet of laminate being bonded to the second side of the substrate in said bonding station, said substrate path including said convergence zone following said entry, said bonding station following said convergence zone and said exit following
• said bonding station, whereby the first and second sides of the substrate can both be laminated during a single pass of the substrate along the substrate path.

A process of making a plurality of laminated cards, the cards laminated on first and second sides, said process comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a webless supply of lamina from which a successive plurality of laminated sheets is cut, said lamina having a current leading edge;
• (b) cutting through the lamina along a cutting line at a predetermined distance from a reference of the lamina to provide a first sheet of laminate wherein said cutting provides the laminate sheet with the trailing edge of the cutting line and wherein said cutting provides the lamina supply with the successive leading edge at the cutting line, and wherein there is no wasted lamina between the trailing edge of the laminate sheet and the successive leading edge of the lamina;
• (c) repeating step (b) to produce a second sheet of cut laminate;
• (d) bonding the first laminate sheet to a first side of a first card and bonding the second laminate sheet to a second side of the first card;
• and
• (e) following steps (b) through (d) a plurality of times to yield said plurality of cards laminated on first and second sides.

A process of making a plurality of laminated cards, the cards laminated on first and second sides, said process comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a webless supply of lamina from which a successive plurality of laminate sheets is cut, said lamina having a current leading edge;
• (b) cutting through the lamina along a cutting line at a predetermined distance from a reference of the lamina to provide a first sheet of laminate, wherein said cutting provides the laminate sheet with a trailing edge at the cutting line and wherein said cutting provides the lamina supply with a successive leading edge at the cutting line, and wherein there is no wasted lamina between the trailing edge of the laminate sheet and the successive leading edge of the lamina;
• (c) bonding the first laminate sheet to a first side of a first card;
• (d) repeating step (b) to provide a second sheet of laminate;
• (e) bonding the second laminate sheet to a second side of the first card;
• and
• (f) following steps (b) through (e) a plurality of times to yield said plurality of laminated cards.

A method of making a laminated substrate, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing first and second webless supplies of lamina from which successive sheets of laminate are cut;
• (b) conveying the lamina from the first supply along a lamina supply route until a sensor detects a reference on the lamina;
• (c) stopping the conveyance of the lamina along the supply route in response to detecting the reference on the lamina;
• (d) after the stopping of the lamina, cutting through the lamina along a cutting line at a predetermined distance from the reference of the lamina in order to provide a first cut laminate sheet;
• (e) repeating steps (b)-(d) for the second supply of lamina to provide a second cut laminate sheet;
• (f) providing a substrate having a leading edge;
• (g) bringing the first and second laminate sheets and the substrate together into registrable contact;
• and
• (h) bonding the first laminate sheets to one of a top and a bottom side of the substrate, and bonding the second laminate sheet to the other one of the top and the bottom side of the substrate.

A process of making a plurality of laminated cards, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing first and second webless supplies of lamina from which successive plurality of first and second laminate sheets are separated, wherein said lamina has a current leading edge;
• (b) providing a lamina supply route along which the first and second laminate sheets are conveyed;
• (c) providing a card path;
• (d) conveying a card along the substrate path to a convergence zone;
• (e) conveying the first laminate sheet from the lamina supply route to the convergence zone and bringing the first sheet into registration with a first side of the card;
• (f) conveying the second laminate sheet from the lamina supply route to the convergence zone and bringing the second sheet into registration with a second side of the card;
• (g) further conveying a card along the card path through a bonding station, the bonding station positioned along the card path, the bonding station laminating the first and second laminate sheets to the card;
• and
• (h) following steps (d) through (g) a plurality of times to yield said plurality of cards.