Card-feeding apparatus

Claim 2

A card-feeding apparatus comprising a card supply hopper, first and second card position detecting means provided along a first path of cards for detecting whether cards are present thereat or not, means for releasing a successive card from said supply hopper in response to a signal representative of absence of a card at said first card position detecting means given thereto from said first detecting means; first card-conveying means for conveying a card released from said supply hopper along the first card path and being capable of immovably holding the card at the position of said second card position detecting means in response to a signal representative of the presence of a card at said second card position detecting means given to the first card-conveying means from said second detecting means, and second card-conveying means successive to said first card-conveying means for receiving the card from the first card-conveying means and further conveying the same thereon.

Claim 3

A card-feeding apparatus comprising a card supply hopper, first and second card position detecting means provided along a first path of cards for detecting whether cards are present thereat or not, means for releasing a successive card from said supply hopper in response to a signal representative of absence of a card at said first card position detecting means given thereto from said first card position detecting means, first card-conveying means for conveying a card released from said supply hopper along the first card path and being capable of immovably holding the card at the position of said second card position detecting means in response to a signal representative of the presence of a card at said second card position detecting means given thereto from said second card position detecting means, said first card-conveying means being again operated by a feed signal given thereto for further conveying said card, and second card-conveying means successive to said first card-conveying means for receiving the card from the first card-conveying means and further conveying the same thereon.

Claim 4

A card-feeding apparatus comprising a card supply hopper, first and second card position detecting means provided along a first path of cards for detecting whether cards are present thereat or not, means for releasing a successive card from said supply hopper in response to a signal representative of absence of a card at said first card position detecting means given thereto from said first card position detecting means, first card-conveying means for conveying a card released from said supply hopper along the first card path and being capable of immovably holding the card at the position of said second card position detecting means in response to a signal representative of the presence of a card at said second card position detecting means given thereto from said second card position detecting means, said first card-conveying means being again operated by a feed signal given thereto for further conveying said card, and second card-conveying means successive to said first card-conveying means for receiving the card from the first card-conveying means and further conveying the same thereon.

Claim 5

A card-feeding apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which third card position detecting means is provided along a second path of cards carried by said second card-conveying means, said third detecting means holding said first card-conveying means inoperative so long as a card is passing the third detecting means so that the successive card is immovably held at the position of said second card position detecting means.

Claim 6

A card-feeding apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which fourth card position detecting means is provided intermediate of said first and second card position detecting means along the first card path, said fourth card position detecting means controlling said releasing means when it detects that the trailing edge of a preceding card has passed the position of said fourth card position detecting means to release the successive card from said supply hopper and when said fourth detecting means detects that the leading edge of the preceding card is still passing said fourth card position detecting means to stop release of the successive card.

Claim 7

A card-feeding apparatus comprising: a card supply hopper retaining cards therein; a first card conveyor for operatively conveying the cards thereon released from the card hopper along a first path one after another; a second card conveyor disposed in succession to said first conveyor for receiving the cards therefrom and further conveying the same thereon along a second path; a first detector disposed at a position along the first path for detecting presence and absence of cards thereat; and means for generating a stop command signal, said first card conveyor being rendered inoperative when presence of cards is detected under generation of the stop command signal, whereby the first card conveyor holds in the first path a card in a standby state at the position where the first detector is located so long as the stop command signal continues.

Claim 8

A card-feeding apparatus comprising: a card supply hopper retaining cards therein; a first card conveyor for operatively conveying the cards thereon released from the card hopper along a first path one after another; a second card conveyor disposed in succession to said first conveyor for receiving the cards therefrom and further conveying the same thereon along a second path; a first detector disposed at a position along the first path for detecting presence and absence of cards thereat; and means for generating a stop command signal, said first card conveyor being rendered inoperative when presence of cards is detected under generation of the stop command signal, whereby the first card conveyor holds in the first path a card in a standby state at the position where the first detector is located so long as the stop command signal continues.

Claim 9

A card-feeding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said stop command signal generating means normally is adapted to generate both the stop command signal and a card-feed command signal which is reversal of the stop command signal, whereby the apparatus is operated in an on-demand operation.

Claim 10

A card-feeding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said stop command signal generating means comprises a second detector disposed at a position along the second path for detecting presence and absence of cards thereat, said stop command signal representing the detection of the presence of the card by the second detector, whereby the apparatus is operated in a continuous feed operation.

Claim 11

A card-feeding apparatus comprising: a card supply hopper for retaining cards therein; first card-conveying means for conveying thereon the cards released from said hopper along a first card path one after another; first card position detecting means provided at a position along the first card path with a distance from said hopper for detecting a card arriving thereat; second card position detecting means provided at a position successive to said first card position detecting means along the first card path; card-feed control means for releasing a card from said card supply hopper to said first card-conveying means in response to detection by said first card position detecting means of no card arrival thereat; and second card-conveying means provided in succession to said first card-conveying means for receiving a card therefrom and further conveying the same thereon; said first card-conveying means being rendered inoperative when said second card position detecting means detects arrival of card thereat under generation of a stop command signal.

Claim 12

A card-feeding apparatus comprising: a card supply hopper for retaining cards therein; first card-conveying means for conveying thereon the cards released from said hopper along a first card path one after another; first card position detecting means provided at a position along the first card path with a distance from said hopper for detecting a card arriving thereat; second card position detecting means provided at a position successive to said first card position detecting means along the first card path; card-feed control means for releasing a card from said card supply hopper to said first card-conveying means in response to detection by said first card position detecting means of no card arrival thereat; and second card-conveying means provided in succession to said first card-conveying means for receiving a card therefrom and further conveying the same thereon; said first card-conveying means being rendered inoperative when said second card position detecting means detects arrival of card thereat under generation of a stop command signal.

Claim 13

A card-feeding apparatus accorDing to claim 8, wherein the distance between the first card position detecting means and said hopper is substantially equal to the length of a card to be conveyed.