Travelling cylinder printer with the roller contacting the back of the embossed plate

Claim 1

Credit card imprinter apparatus for imprinting a plurality of right readable images on a document with an imaging medium from a corresponding plurality of right readable embossments projecting from one side of a unitary flat credit card printing member having a substantially smooth opposite side, said apparatus comprising a hard platen providing a flat back-up surface, means for positioning the printing member at an imprint station with its embossments disposed directly adjacent the document, means for positioning the imaging medium closely adjacent to and between the document and back-up surface, with an imaging side of said medium adjacent the document, means including at least one smooth-surfaced freely rotatable roll as a pressure element, means supporting each roll and adapted to be moved for moving such roll generally linearly, and cam track and follower means for guiding each roll during such linear movement for concurrently causing each roll to rotate and make rolling contact with the smooth side of the printing member and to also move relative to the platen in a controlled path generally parallel to lines of embossments to exert pressure on said smooth side along a moving line of contact for applying pressure to the smooth side of and through the printing member to cause the embossments to contact and exert compressive pressure on the document and press the document against the medium and cause the medium to be solidly backed up by contact with said back-up surface to effect image transfer from the medium to the document, thereby to imprint the document with the right-readable images.