US3704015A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus and method for mounting cards on a web
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1971-04-05
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Granted: 1972-11-28
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Expires: 1991-04-05
Abstract
Abstract Stiff flexible items, such as plastic credit cards, are inserted within four angled corner slits in respective mailer cards forming part of a burstable continuous form. A ram passes perpendicularly through a circular aperture in each mailer card and forces the credit card against a stationary anvil to bow the central section in a forward direction and concurrently cause the extended ends of the credit card to move rearward into contact with the mailer card to spread the slits. When the ram is retracted, the credit card, due to its inherent resiliency, snaps straight; as it does so, its four corners tuck into the slits around the aperture. Credit cards are mounted one or two to a mailer card automatically as they are advanced intermittently, first transversely of the continuous form to a merge position and then in the same direction as the continuous form to a mounting position.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles Holovka Jr
- 👤 Bohdan Demchyshyn
- 👤 John Francis Mchugh
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 07:50
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H39/00; B65H39/14; B65B; B65B15/00; B65B15/04; B65H2701/00; B65H2701/10; B65H2701/19; B65H2701/1914
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
174 words
A method of mounting relatively stiff flexible cards onto a web, comprising the steps of: providing in the web at longitudinally spaced intervals at least one set of slits, each for receiving the extremities of a flexible card, and also providing an aperture within the area bounded by each set of slits, advancing the web and flexible cards intermittently to bring successive flexible cards into juxtaposed position beside each longitudinally spaced set of the slits on the web, bowing each juxtaposed flexible card by inserting a ram through the aperture and driving the card adjacent its short edges into contact with respective fulcrum surfaces to flex the central portion of such card between said surfaces away from the web and concurrently drive the extremities of such card outboard of the surfaces toward the web to successively distend the juxtaposed slits, and withdrawing the ram to relieve the distending force on the web and permit each flexible card to straighten into retained relationship within the slits and tucked under the outer edges of the slits.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
174 words
A method of mounting relatively stiff flexible cards onto a web, comprising the steps of: providing in the web at longitudinally spaced intervals at least one set of slits, each for receiving the extremities of a flexible card, and also providing an aperture within the area bounded by each set of slits, advancing the web and flexible cards intermittently to bring successive flexible cards into juxtaposed position beside each longitudinally spaced set of the slits on the web, bowing each juxtaposed flexible card by inserting a ram through the aperture and driving the card adjacent its short edges into contact with respective fulcrum surfaces to flex the central portion of such card between said surfaces away from the web and concurrently drive the extremities of such card outboard of the surfaces toward the web to successively distend the juxtaposed slits, and withdrawing the ram to relieve the distending force on the web and permit each flexible card to straighten into retained relationship within the slits and tucked under the outer edges of the slits.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the web is a continuous card form burstable into a series of longitudinally spaced single-ply or multiple-ply mailer cards, and each set of slits comprises four angled corner slits provided on successive mailer cards.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein during the bowing operation at least some of the extremities of the card crease the web to permanently deform the area inboard of the tucking edges and provide a guiding ramp to facilitate entry of the card under said edges when the bowing force is relieved.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
146 words
Apparatus for mounting a relatively stiff flexible sheet within a plurality of slits on a larger sheet of less stiffness and having at least one aperture within the area bounded by the slits, comprising means providing spaced fulcrum points, means for positioning the sheets in juxtaposed relationship with the fulcrum points at one side of the flexible sheet and aforementioned area at its opposite side, means normally disposed at the side of each aperture remote from said flexible sheet, and means for actuating the last-introduced means through each aperture into contact with said flexible sheet to force the latter against said fulcrum points for bowing the central portion of the flexible sheet forwardly between the fulcrum points while concurrently driving the extremities, including the corners, of the flexible sheet rearwardly against the larger sheet to deform it to open the slits for receiving said flexible sheet.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
146 words
Apparatus for mounting a relatively stiff flexible sheet within a plurality of slits on a larger sheet of less stiffness and having at least one aperture within the area bounded by the slits, comprising means providing spaced fulcrum points, means for positioning the sheets in juxtaposed relationship with the fulcrum points at one side of the flexible sheet and aforementioned area at its opposite side, means normally disposed at the side of each aperture remote from said flexible sheet, and means for actuating the last-introduced means through each aperture into contact with said flexible sheet to force the latter against said fulcrum points for bowing the central portion of the flexible sheet forwardly between the fulcrum points while concurrently driving the extremities, including the corners, of the flexible sheet rearwardly against the larger sheet to deform it to open the slits for receiving said flexible sheet.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said actuating means is operative to retract said last-introduced means to cause said extremities of the flexible sheet to extend into said slits to detachably mount the flexible sheet to the larger sheet as the flexible sheet straightens under its inheRent resiliency and the larger sheet is released from deformation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
156 words
Apparatus for mounting a pair of relatively stiff flexible sheets into respective sets of slits arranged side by side on a larger sheet of less stiffness and having an aperture within the area bounded by each set of slits, comprising means for advancing flexible sheets serially in one direction relative to the larger sheet, means including a pair of members for moving a pair of flexible sheets concurrently in another direction generally at right angles to said one direction to position both flexible sheets flatwise immediately adjacent a respective set of said slits, and means including a pair of rams movable concurrently through the respective apertures to contact and bow the flexible sheets and concurrently cause the extremities of said flexible sheets to distend the respective slits of each set to position said extremities for entry into the distended slits as the flexible sheets tend to resume their normal flat condition upon retraction of the rams.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
156 words
Apparatus for mounting a pair of relatively stiff flexible sheets into respective sets of slits arranged side by side on a larger sheet of less stiffness and having an aperture within the area bounded by each set of slits, comprising means for advancing flexible sheets serially in one direction relative to the larger sheet, means including a pair of members for moving a pair of flexible sheets concurrently in another direction generally at right angles to said one direction to position both flexible sheets flatwise immediately adjacent a respective set of said slits, and means including a pair of rams movable concurrently through the respective apertures to contact and bow the flexible sheets and concurrently cause the extremities of said flexible sheets to distend the respective slits of each set to position said extremities for entry into the distended slits as the flexible sheets tend to resume their normal flat condition upon retraction of the rams.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
88 words
Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the larger sheet is a continuous web burstable into a series of sheets larger than a pair of flexible sheets, and including means for incrementing the web in said other direction to bring a pair of apertures into alignment with the pair of rams as the leading flexible sheet of each successive pair of flexible sheets is advanced in said one direction to a position in which both sheets of said pair are longitudinally aligned with a respective pair of the apertures.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
168 words
Apparatus for detachably mounting a series of relatively stiff flexible cards into sets of four angled corner slits provided in a web in surrounding relation to apertures spaced along the web, comprising means providing at least one pair of spaced fulcrum points, one pair for each set of cards to be concurrently mounted, means for advancing the web and cards intermittently to bring successive cards and sets of slits into juxtaposed position beside a corresponding pair of fulcrum points, means including at least one ram per set of slits, for moving when cards and web are in juxtaposed position, through each aperture into contact with each juxtaposed card to flex it against the associated fulcrum points to concurrently bow its central portion forward and drive its corners rearward for causing said corners to successively contact the web and distend the corresponding set of slits to position each juxtaposed card to enter the associated slits as it returns to its natural flat condition upon relaxation of the flexing force.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
168 words
Apparatus for detachably mounting a series of relatively stiff flexible cards into sets of four angled corner slits provided in a web in surrounding relation to apertures spaced along the web, comprising means providing at least one pair of spaced fulcrum points, one pair for each set of cards to be concurrently mounted, means for advancing the web and cards intermittently to bring successive cards and sets of slits into juxtaposed position beside a corresponding pair of fulcrum points, means including at least one ram per set of slits, for moving when cards and web are in juxtaposed position, through each aperture into contact with each juxtaposed card to flex it against the associated fulcrum points to concurrently bow its central portion forward and drive its corners rearward for causing said corners to successively contact the web and distend the corresponding set of slits to position each juxtaposed card to enter the associated slits as it returns to its natural flat condition upon relaxation of the flexing force.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said advancing means comprises separate means for advancing the web and cards through different distances commencing at different times and so interrelated that web and cards will move at substantially the same speed to, and arrive at the same time at, the juxtaposed position to prevent the cards from becoming snagged in the slits.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
205 words
Apparatus for tucking the extremities of a relatively stiff flexible sheet under a plurality of edges provided in a larger sheet by openings adjacent such edges, the larger sheet being of less stiffness and having at least one aperture within the area bounded by the openings, comprising means providing spaced fulcrum points, means for positioning the sheets in juxtaposed relationship with the fulcrum points at one side of the flexible sheet and aforementioned area at its opposite side, means normally disposed at the side of each aperture remote from said flexible sheet, and means for moving the last-introduced means through each aperture into contact with said flexible sheet to force the latter against said fulcrum points for bowing the central portion of the flexible sheet forwardly between the fulcrum points while concurrently driving the extremities, including all corners, of the flexible sheet rearwardly against the larger sheet to retract said extremities inwardly of all said edges concurrently and so position the flexible sheet relative to the larger sheet that upon relaxation of such force the flexible sheet can straighten under its inherent resiliency and cause its extremities to enter under said edges via said openings for detachably mounting the flexible sheet to the larger sheet.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
205 words
Apparatus for tucking the extremities of a relatively stiff flexible sheet under a plurality of edges provided in a larger sheet by openings adjacent such edges, the larger sheet being of less stiffness and having at least one aperture within the area bounded by the openings, comprising means providing spaced fulcrum points, means for positioning the sheets in juxtaposed relationship with the fulcrum points at one side of the flexible sheet and aforementioned area at its opposite side, means normally disposed at the side of each aperture remote from said flexible sheet, and means for moving the last-introduced means through each aperture into contact with said flexible sheet to force the latter against said fulcrum points for bowing the central portion of the flexible sheet forwardly between the fulcrum points while concurrently driving the extremities, including all corners, of the flexible sheet rearwardly against the larger sheet to retract said extremities inwardly of all said edges concurrently and so position the flexible sheet relative to the larger sheet that upon relaxation of such force the flexible sheet can straighten under its inherent resiliency and cause its extremities to enter under said edges via said openings for detachably mounting the flexible sheet to the larger sheet.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said positioning means includes means for advancing a series of said larger sheets sequentially and intermittently in one direction to the juxtapose position, and means for advancing a series of flexible sheets sequentially and intermittently initially in a direction transverse to said one direction and then in said one direction to the juxtapose position.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the respective means for advancing the larger sheet and flexible sheets in said one direction move such sheets at substantially the same speed to prevent the flexible sheets from becoming snagged in the openings during such advance.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
81 words
Apparatus according to claim 10, including means providing a recess adjacent the aforementioned area of the larger sheet when said sheets are juxtaposed, and further providing at least one edge for causing bending of the larger sheet as a function of the movement of at least one of said extremities thereacross to depress it between at least one pair of said openings to facilitate entry of said flexible sheet under said edges in the larger sheet upon relaxation of such force.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-11-28 | 1976-05-29 | 1976-11-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-11-28 | 1980-05-29 | 1980-11-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-11-28 | 1984-05-29 | 1984-11-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |