Transaction printer

Apparatus for issuing printed documents exchangeable for value, comprising:

• a) a printer defining a printing station and a path of movement through said printing station for a document to be printed, said printer including a printhead supported for reciprocal movement in a direction transverse to the path of movement of said document;
• b) a sensor operative to read preprinted document identifying indicia on said document prior to printing additional indicia on said document;
• c) a feeder releasably attached to said printer including a receptacle compartment for storing a plurality of documents to be printed;
• d) a first drive mechanism in said feeder operative to feed a lead document from said receptacle to a second drive mechanism, said second drive mechanism operative to advance the lead document to a location at which said printhead prints said additional indicia on at least a portion of the lead document:
• e) said feeder including means for receiving external print media while said feeder is attached to said printer, said second drive mechanism further operative to advance said external print media.

A printer for printing indicia on a print medium, said printer comprising:

• a) a printing station through which the print medium is guided along a path;
• b) a printhead mounted for translation motion in a direction transverse to the path of the print medium;
• c) a sensor carried by said printhead and operative to sense the presence of the print medium and to read identifying indicia on said print medium, said sensor located a predetermined distance from a printing region of said printhead and aligned therewith along a direction parallel to said path of the print medium such that said sensor is located a predetermined distance upstream of said Printing region of said printhead with respect to said print medium path;
• and
• d) a feed mechanism for advancing the print medium through said printing station whereby value adding indicia is printed on at least a portion of said print medium by said printhead.

A feeder for directing a blank payment instrument to a printer, said feeder comprising:

• a) an enclosed receptacle compartment for holding a supply of serially connected blank payment instruments to be printed on by said printer;
• b) a cover for providing access to said compartment;
• c) interlocking structure on said cover engageable with complementally formed structure on said printer operative to inhibit opening of said cover when said feeder is attached to said printer, such that said feeder must be detached from said printer in order to gain access to said receptacle compartment;
• d) a releasable attachment mechanism for attaching said feeder to said printer;
• e) a drive mechanism operative to feed a lead one of said interconnected blank payment instruments from said receptacle compartment to a printing station;
• and
• f) a severing mechanism operative to sever said lead payment instrument.

A system for printing payment instruments that are exchangeable for products and/or services, said system comprising:

• a) a printer including a printing station and an advancing mechanism for supporting and conveying a payment instrument through said printing station;
• b) a printhead for printing indicia on said payment instrument as said payment instrument moves through said printing station;
• c) a sensor operative to sense and read a bar code on said payment instrument prior to printing indicia on said payment instrument;
• d) a detachable feeder assembly releasably attached to said printer;
• e) a compartment in said feeder assembly for storing a supply of serially connected, blank payment instruments;
• f) a first drive mechanism located in said detachable feeder assembly operative to feed a lead one of said supply of blank payment instruments from said compartment towards said printing station;
• and
• g) a second drive mechanism in said printer for advancing the lead payment instrument through said printing station at which said printhead prints indicia on at least a portion of the payment instrument.

A system for issuing printed documents having monetary value, said system comprising:

• a) a printer having a printing station and defining a path of movement for a document to be printed;
• b) a printhead supported for reciprocal movement at said printing station in a direction transverse to the path of movement of the document;
• c) a sensor operative to sense and read a first indicia on said document and further operative to determine that a leading edge of said document is at a predetermined position;
• d) a detachable feeder releasably attached to said printer;
• e) a compartment in said feeder for storing a plurality of interconnected documents;
• f) a first drive mechanism located in said feeder operative to feed a lead document from said compartment towards said printing station;
• and,
• g) a second drive mechanism in said printer for advancing the document through said printing station at which said printhead prints indicia on at least a portion of the document.

In a printing apparatus having a printhead located at a printing station and mounted for translation motion in a direction transverse to a path of movement for print media, said print media comprising a chain of interconnected sheets, the printhead operable to print material on one of the sheets proximate the printhead, the improvement, comprising:

• a) a sensor carried by the printhead and operative to sense preprinted identifying indicia on print media, said sensor located a predetermined distance from a printing region of said printhead and aligned therewith along a direction parallel to said path of movement for said print media such that said sensor is located a predetermined distance upstream of said printing region of said printhead with respect to said print media path;
• b) a print media feeder including a compartment for holding a supply of print media to be printed on by the printhead;
• c) a first drive mechanism associated with the feeder and operative to feed print media from the compartment towards the printing station;
• d) a burster mechanism operative to sever a leading one of said chain of interconnected sheets;
• and
• e) an instrument output mechanism for advancing the severed instrument through the printing station whereby material is printed on at least a portion of one instrument by the printhead.