Abstract: Barcodes are assigned to respective receipt printers for identification thereof, and customized receipt rolls are also assigned barcodes for identification thereof. A receipt roll may then be associated with a corresponding one of the receipt printers for allowing scanning of the respective barcodes for identification thereof, followed by comparing the scanned barcodes for validating matches therebetween.

Abstract: A system and method using a label for tracking the distribution of products such as promotional receipt rolls which include customized, targeted information is provided.

Abstract: A device for the protection of cables laid in switch cabinets, other equipment or the like, in order to prevent bends below a minimum bending radius at the exits of cable ducts or similar equipment and that prevents corresponding damages. At the exit openings of cable ducts guiding devices are provided and configured such that they prevent falling below the critical bending radius and that they widen in the direction of exit and are rounded.

Abstract: A number of product feeders comprise a conveyor underlying a friction wheel operated by a pulsed drive. A continuously rotating drive shaft is coupled to a selected feeder by a controller coupling a drive wheel on the drive shaft with a drive transmission wheel associated with the conveyor of the feeder. This may be effected by an air cylinder of the feeder operating under control of the controller to move the drive transmission wheel into a position whereat it is driven by the drive wheel. Alternatively, the drive wheel may be clutched under control of the controller. The pulsed friction wheel rotates through an arc in order to drop a product from a stack of products partially supported by the friction wheel onto the now moving conveyor. A downstream product sensor, when sensing that a product has been delivered, signals the controller so that the controller decouples the conveyor from the drive shaft.

Abstract: A system reads a data record from a card and, based on this information, prints on a section of a travelling web of paper. The printed web section is tracked and the card providing the data record is affixed to the web section. The printed web section with card is then separated to form a letter sheet and inserts are selected for the letter sheet with card based on the previously read data record for the card. The letter sheet with card and selected inserts is then stuffed into an envelope and an indication of the weight of the envelope with enclosures, based on the known weight of the envelope, card and letter sheet and the known weights of the selected inserts, is provided to a franking machine.

Abstract: An on-the-fly envelope stuffing apparatus has an envelope feeder comprising a pair of parallel feed belts for underlying the back panel of the envelope and a laterally aligned medial feed belt for overlying the front panel of the envelope. The medial feed belt descends below the level of the parallel feed belts in the downstream direction. An envelope fed lengthwise through the belts is bent so that the envelope flap is partially opened. This allows interposition of a flap guide to fully open the envelope. The envelope feeder dispenses the envelopes serially to an envelope conveyor. An endless tray conveyor parallels the envelope conveyor. Each tray supports an insert stack against which arms on the tray rest. As the trays move downstream in synchronism with envelopes on the envelope conveyor, each tray is cammed toward an envelope so that the arms enter the opening of the envelope.

Abstract: A system reads a data record from a card and, based on this information, searches a database for additional letter data and prints on a section of a travelling web of paper the data record and letter data. The printed web section is tracked and the card providing the data record is affixed to the web section. The printed web section with card is then separated to form a letter sheet and inserts are selected for the letter sheet with card based on the previously read data record for the card. The letter sheet with card and selected inserts is then stuffed into an envelope and an indication of the weight of the envelope with enclosures, based on the known weight of the envelope, card and letter sheet and the known weights of the selected inserts, is provided to a franking machine.

Abstract: A continuous form has regularly longitudinal spaced transverse lines, each comprising a cut line or a line of perforation. The transverse lines extend from one edge of the form. The transverse lines are of uniform length of about one-third to one-half the width of the form. A scored line runs longitudinally along the inner end of the transverse lines.

Abstract: An on-the-fly envelope stuffing apparatus has an envelope conveyor and an endless tray conveyor running in synchronism. Each tray supports an insert stack. A web pivotally mounted to the tray has rigid members which rest against the stack of inserts. Fingers are pivotally mounted to the web and biased such that the free ends of the fingers are canted toward each other. A protuberance on the tray underlies the inserts and projects beyond the front edge of the tray. As a tray moves downstream in synchronism with an envelope, the tray is cammed towards the envelope so that the protuberance enters the opening of the envelope and passes over any window in the envelope. Additionally, the ends of the rigid members enter the envelope. A pusher on the tray then pushes the inserts towards the envelope and also presses against the fingers so that they move towards the side edges of the envelope.

Abstract: A reciprocating table has a cam follower in the nature of an elongate slot extending transversely of the reciprocating path of the table. This slot receives a cam which is eccentrically mounted on a cam support wheel. The angular position of the cam support wheel is monitored by a rotary encoder and the cam wheel is driven by a bi-directional motor under microprocessor control. The microprocessor controls the motion of the cam such that an angular quadrant centred about the position of the cam defining the most extended position of the table is not used since the table is relatively insensitive to the motion of the cam within this quadrant. In contrast, the opposite quadrant extending about the most retracted position of the table is utilized so that the cam may be moved quickly to retract the table and yet the table is naturally decelerated.

Abstract: A number of card feeders comprise a feed belt underlying a friction wheel operated by a pulsed drive. A continuously rotating drive shaft may be coupled to a selected feeder by an air cylinder which retracts under control of a controller to translate a guide wheel of the feed belt of the selected feeder so that the feed belt moves into contact with a drive wheel rotated by the continuously rotating drive shaft. The pulsed friction wheel rotates through an arc in order to drop a card from a stack of cards partially supported by the friction wheel onto the now moving feed belt. A downstream card sensor, when sensing that a card has been delivered, signals the controller so that the controller operates the air cylinder to extend it to decouple the feed belt from the drive shaft.

Abstract: A continuous form has regularly longitudinal spaced transverse lines, each comprising a cut line or a line of perforation. The transverse lines extend from one edge of the form. The transverse lines are of uniform length of about one-third to one-half the width of the form. A scored line runs longitudinally along the inner end of the transverse lines. In one embodiment where the transverse lines are cuts, a transverse light line of perforation extends from the inner edge of each cut to the other edge of the form.

Abstract: A machine for forming letter sheets from a paper web having regularly spaced transverse cut lines extending inwardly from pin hole edges and leaving a perforated but uncut middle portion has a tractor feed, a slitter for removing the pin hole edges of the web, an in-line Z-folder, pinch rollers and a burster. The Z-folder has a length which is one and half to two times the spacing between transverse perforation lines. The speed of the tractor feed drive and pinch roller drive are monitored and a sensor senses each transverse cut so that the speed of the pinch rollers may be synchronized with the tractor feed.

Abstract: A continuous form has regularly longitudinal spaced opposed pairs of transverse cuts extending from each edge of the form. The transverse cuts extending from any one edge are of uniform length. Each pair of transverse cuts is joined by a light line of perforation. A perforation or score line runs longitudinally along the inner end of the transverse cuts extending from each edge. This continuous form construction permits the form portion to be folded in the direction of motion of the form over the shortest known distance prior to cutting or separating the form at the opposed pairs of lines to form folded sheets.

Abstract: An on-the-fly smart card reader has a card conveyor for continuously conveying smart cards in a downstream direction at regular intervals. A support has a pair of read heads spaced at an interval equal to the interval between cards on the conveyor. The read heads have spring-loaded contact probes which overlie the card conveyor. The support is driven in synchronism with the card conveyor in a circulating path with a downstream path segment proximate the card conveyor. The support is positioned such that, while travelling downstream, its read heads are positioned for mating with the contacts of an adjacent pair of smart card travelling along the card conveyor.

Abstract: A machine for forming letter sheets from a paper web having regularly spaced transverse cut lines extending inwardly from pin hole edges and leaving a perforated but uncut middle portion has a tractor feed, a slitter for removing the pin hole edges of the web, an in-line Z-folder, pinch rollers and a burster. The Z-folder has a length which is one and half to two times the spacing between transverse perforation lines. The speed of the tractor feed drive and pinch roller drive are monitored and a sensor senses each transverse cut so that the speed of the pinch rollers may be synchronised with the tractor feed.

Abstract: A paper web comprises separable marginal web feed portions surrounding a continuous form. The continuous form has regularly longitudinal spaced opposed pairs of transverse cut lines extending from each marginal web portion. The pairs of transverse lines leave an uncut middle portion of the web and furthermore the lines extending from each marginal web portion are of uniform length. A perforation or score line runs longitudinally along the inner end of the transverse lines extending from each marginal portion. This web construction permits the continuous form portion of the web to be folded in the direction of motion of the web over the shortest known distance prior to cutting or separating the web at the opposed pairs of lines to form folded sheets. In another embodiment, the transverse cut lines may be replaced by transverse perforation lines in which case the web is burst at these lines prior to folding.

Abstract: A paper web comprises separable marginal tractor feed portions surrounding a continuous form. The continuous form has regularly longitudinal spaced opposed pairs of transverse cut lines extending from each marginal web portion. The pairs of transverse lines leave an uncut middle portion of the web and furthermore the lines extending from each marginal web portion are of uniform length. A perforation or score line runs longitudinally along the inner end of the transverse lines extending from each marginal portion. This web construction permits the continuous form portion of the web to be folded in the direction of motion of the web over the shortest known distance prior to cutting or separating the web at the opposed pairs of lines to form folded sheets. In another embodiment, the transverse cut lines may be replaced by transverse perforation lines in which case the web is burst at these lines prior to folding.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for delivering cards or like paper stock fed singly from a stack of the cards to a demand location for dispensing in sequence, in which each card fed from the stack is advanced through a plurality of stages of a conveyor, each stage being independently operable, each stage and all preceding stages and the stack feeder being actuable when no card is present at that stage, the leading stage being also operable to deliver a card on demand, the cards being feed at a higher rate than the dispensing rate.

Abstract: A patterned gluing apparatus and method. The apparatus comprises a rotatable shaft supporting a plurality of glue nozzles arrangeable in different configurations about its periphery. The shaft has a hollow portion and holes communicating with the glue nozzles so that glue may be fed to the nozzles. The shaft is supported above an article conveyor so that the glue nozzles contact articles under the shaft as they are rotated past. The glue nozzles have depressable ball bearings closing off their tips so that they dispense glue on contact with an article. A controller monitors the position of the articles on the conveyor and controls rotation of the shaft so that lines and dots of glue are dispensed to programmed locations on the articles.