CA1102605A - Data card and mailer data match/inserter system - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
An automated system fox inserting data cards, e.g., charge, credit, identification and similar type cards, into preprinted and addressed mailing forms. A computer, with suitable operator intervention, controls the automatic asynchronous operation of the overall system. Each mailing form bears the account number and mailing address of the intended card recipient, and a designation of the number of cards to be inserted.
The cards are pre-embossed and encoded, and supplied in number and sequence corresponding to the requirements of the succession of forms. The forms advance in succession from a fan-fold continuous strip supply through a read station and into an insert station. Cards are picked from the supply in individual succession and transported past a read station at which account number data is read from the card for compari-son with the data of the form currently positioned in the insert station. The insert station includes a number of bins corresponding to the card insert positions on the form and is controlled to receive the proper number of correctly matched cards in the appropriate bins for the form. Should a no-match condition occur or if the corresponding number of proper cards is not satisfied, the card transport terminates to permit a visual operator check. Operator controls permit selectively rejecting cards and forms where matching require-ments are not met and manual overrides for correction of same and for re-initiating automated operation. Forms with the proper inserted cards are automatically burst from the strip and proceed through a folder to an output transport for stacking in sequence into an output hopper. Sensors monitor various critical functions to assure accuracy in the automated operations.

Description

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BACKGROUND oE~rHE INVENTION
Fie'd of the Invention This invention xel~tes generally to systems for ~ttaching data cards to pre-addressed mailing forms and~ more par-ticu larly, t~ such a system wherein da ta read ~rom the cards and forms, respectively, is compared to assure attachment of the card to the proper form, such attachment ~eing performed automatically and in an improved matter assuring secure a~tachment while affording ease v removal o~ the card rom the form by the intended recipient.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
_ . _ ; Prior art patents which may be pertinen~ to this invention are as follows:
.. Sherman U.S. Patent 2,440,302v : i5 Jory U.S. Patent 3,484,097-~
Blow, Jr. . U S~ Patent 3,537,703 Rupp U.S. Patent 3,804,39g-Zaccogino~ Jr. U.S. Patent 3,951,241c Funk U.S. Patent 3,961,241.
Stocker U.S. Patent 3,965,644 Goldman U7S. Patent 3,982,102-~` TorQk ~S. Patent 4,004~135.
. The patent to Stocker, No~ 3~965,644 shows an apparatus for stuffing envelopes and specifically for stuffing a car~
ints a pocket formed on a particular type of mailiny for~l designed for use with the apparatus. Howe~er, there is no automated matching of credit card information with similar information on the formsn ;~ 30 The patent to Jory, No. 3,484,097, teaches the machine :~ attachment of cards onto a oarrier webh wherein slots 18 a~d ~2 are provided in the webb structure for reception of an insert card.

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The patents to Shermant No. 2,440,302 and Blow, Jr., No. 3,537,703, show ~orm bursting and separating machines.
The patents to Torok, No~ 4,004,136 and Goldman, No.
3,98~,103, disclose matchin~ credit information on a credit S card with in~ormation of a ~imilar nature stored in the apparatus The patent to Funk, No. 3,961,781 shows a system for performing a plurality of functions including sheet recognition, markin~ folding r sorting, discharging and stackin~, etc.
together with a programed control for the system; manual o~errides of automatic c~ntrols are also^provided.
The patent to Zaccagninot ~r., No. 3,951,251, teaches the use of a plurality o~ light emitting diodes tLED's~
together with photosensors fox scanning the LED's in a document positioning apparatus.
None of the known prior art devices including those xepresented by the ahove prior art patents ~ffers the unique features and advantages of the system of the invention dis-closed herein.
~ Despite the massive volume of mailing o credit, identi-fication and like type cards in today's economy, there has yet to have been provided an ef~ective and efficient means for attaching such cards to mailing forms. The mechanical unction of attaching the cards to the form frequently is performeQ manually, a slow and laborious process. The structure of the mailing forms themselves frequently does not assure secure attachment, with the risk that cards can become detached during subsequent handling r either pre-liminary to or du~ing mailing or upon opening of the mailirls .

~orm by the recipient, in every case increasing the possibility of loss o the cards. Forms which assure secure at-tachment frequently use an adhesive surface to which the card is attached, increasing the cost of the mailing forms as well as introducing handliny problems in processing cards and forms. Moreover, s~bsequent~ intended removal o~ cards from forms is made dif~icult and ~requently the surface of the - card; after removal, is contaminated, wi~h adhesive xesiduè. -This i~ both objectionable to the cardholder and detrimental to ~ubsequent intended use o the card. -Mailing forms in common use are of various different configurations; for example, one part forms simply have the card attached thereto and are inserted into an envelope whereas two-part and three-part forms are folded into reduced size before insertion into an envelope, these ~orms wrapping about the card and affording greater security against a ~ard detached from the form being los~. One type of folded form includes a window aligned with the window in the mailing envelope, in those cases where the credit card itself bears the mailing address of the recipient and serves as the address visible from the outside envelope. This form is efficient, but increases the likelihood of theft, since it re~eals that the envelope contains credit cards. Other such ~ forms ~ay be pre-addressed such that the addres5 on the form : ~ 3 25 is visible throush an envelope window, concealing thereby more effectively the contents.
The u~e of pre-addressed mailing forms, while desirable, has introduced additional problems of assuring proper matching of the pre-embossed and pre-encode~ cards with t~.e ccrrect mailing form, wi-th the undesired result that the addressee receives the wrong cards if a mis~match has been made.
The manual assembly of cards with pre-addressed mailing ~orms is f~aught with human error bo~h as to assembly o-f the correct cards with the proper pre-acldressed form and, .
moreover, of the correct number of c:ards intended $o be sent to the aadressee of the form -- i.e., especially where the account holder may designate the nun~er of cards which he is ~o receive.
Prior automated systems have been i~sufficient or inadequate in satisfying the many necessary functions indicated above. For example, they have failed to provide adequate means to match the correct credit cards, as to addressee and required number thereof, with the proper form in a fully reliable and suf~iciently rapid manner. Typically, prior art systems cannot acco~odate different types of mailing forms - e.g., one-, two- or three-part forms. Many require precut and presized forms and hence lack the reliabllity, 20 - speed and efficiency achieved by use of forms of a continuous fan-fold strip variety. The latter assure that the proper sequence of successive forms is maintained and avoids feed pro~lems, e.g., feeding two sheets at one time, which occur with precut indiviaual forms. In general,~prior art mailing systems lack the necessary control and automated handling functions as are essential to overall effective and efficient oper~tions.
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SU~l~RY OF THE II~Vl~ ~ 5i Accordingly, it is an object of an aspect of the present invention to overcome these and other defects and deficiencies of the prior art systems.
More particularly, it is an object of an aspect of the present invention to provide an effec-tive and efficient system for automatica1ly inserting cards into mailing forms whereby the cards are securely retained for transmittal, yet easily and quickly removed by the recipient. F`urther, it is an object of an aspect of the invention t~ afford such secure attachment without the use of adhesives, thus avoiding problems of adhesive handling in the assembly operation and contamination of the card surface by the adhesive when subsequently removed.
An object of an aspect of the invention is to provide fast, yet accurate matching of information pre-printed on mailing forms with the respective data card or cards to be attached thereto and to afford immediate termination of system operation when the required matching conditions are not met, while further affording convenient operator inter-action and intervention to correct the ~efect.
An object of an aspect of the invention is to permit ~ use of mailing forms variously o one-, two-, or three-part -~ types and particularly to provide handling apparatus of sufficient flexibility to accommodate any of these types.
An object of an aspect of the invention is to afford an automated system wherein the number of cards to be inserted in a given mailing form may be preselected -- e.g~, from one (1) to four (4) thereof -- which number may vary from form to form, yet wherein automated matching and inserting functions are performed in a continuous and uninterrupted manner, regardless of variations in the number of cards required for successive forms.
An object of an aspect of the invention is to permit use of a double, or side-by-side form supply, the combined width being convenient from the standpoint of conventional printing equipment used in printing such forms as to the width of paper handled thereby, and with regard to effectively doubling the throughput rate for any given operating speed of the system of the invention.
An object of an aspect of the invention is to provide automated bursting of individual forms from a continuous supply thereof and automated trimming of transport ~oarders from the forms, after insertion of the cards and prior -to folding.
An object of an aspect of the invention is to provide for selective folding of forms of two or more parts and transport thereof to an output stacker in folded form for convenient, subsequent insertion into mailing envelopes.
~;~ An object of an aspect of the invention is to provide error sensing and detecting apparatus for all cri-tical ~ 20 system functions with automated controls upon detection of ; error, to assure accurate operation at all times.
An object of an aspect of the invention is to provide ~ visual inspection stations for operator intervention and ; inspection when errors are detected, and manual overrides for operator intervention to correct such errors as occur and are detected.
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An objec-t of an aspect of the invention is to provide automated reading of data from pre-addressed forms and from credit cards, whether encoded or embossed thereon, for supply to the computer control for the da-ta matching functions.
An object of an aspect of the inven-tion is to provide computer control for the entire system to permit asynchronous ~r; ) ~i operation maximizing sys-tem speed and eEficiency and enabling proper shut down of the equipmen-t upon detection of errors or at completion of a given run.
An object of an aspect of the invention is to provide a fully au-tomated operation of attachment of cards to mailing forms and; where such forms are pre-addressed, of matching the card and form data to assure supply and attachment of the correct cards of the number required to the respective forms.
An object of an aspect of the in~ention is to provide computer control structure for the entire system which appropriately will coordinate the proper activities of the various subcomponent ~tructures in -their overall inter-relationship with the entire sys-tem. An ob~ect o~ an aspect of the invention is to provide continuous overall operation of the system while permitting certain of the subsystems r to be in a state of hold, or temporarily suspended from operation because of errors or other operations, without affecting the continuous function of other portions of tne overall system.
The above and other objects and advantages of the system of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description thereof~
;~ To summarize, the system of an aspect of the invention provides for fully automatic, rapid and effective attachment of data cards, i.e., credit or identification cards, or elements of like sort, to mailing forms. While the term "credit card'l is used predominately throughout, it is to be understood that any type card (preferably of plas-tic, though of any type flexible, resilient material) may be used with this automated system. In a preferred embodiment, the mailing forms are pre-prin-ted, typically with the address ~, of the intended recipientt the credit card account number, and the number of cards to be attached to the given form.
The invention will be described in a preferred embodiment wherein cards are to be attached to such pre-addressed forms, necessitating proper matching o~ data read from each card with its respective form and the supply of the requisite.
number of cards for the given, respecti~e form. It should be appreciated that the inserting apparatus may be employed solely for the mechanical function of automatically attaching cards to forms, i.e., where data matching requirements are not present and, as will later become apparent, many other of the individual structures and operating controlsof the system are useful in many different environments and applications apart from the speci~ic, preferred embodiment to be described.
. 15 In accordance with one aspect of this invention there . ~
is provided an inserter system for attaching a card of ~ generally planar, rectangular configuration to a form at a .~ predetermined card attachment location thereon by inserting ", ~
:~ : first and second diagonally opposite corners of the card into corresponding first and second card-corner recei~ing aper-tures provided in the form and defining the said card attach-.; ing location thereof, said apertures beiny spaced apart by :
a distance less than the diagonal dimension o the card between said first and second diagonally opposite corners thereof, comprising: a card.inserter mechanism including ... means for receiving and releasably retaining a card in a -. first position, means for positioning a mailer form with the said card attachment location thereof aligned with and substantially parallel to and displaced from said first position of the releasably retained card to be inserted : therein, said inserter mechanism ~urther including means for supporting said card in a central portion thereof and means ~-10-for engaging saicl carcl ad.jacen-t said firs-t and second diagonally opposi-te corners ~or de~lectin~ said corners beyond said first position and towards said form, and means for actuating said receiving and supporting means to release said card and for actuating said deflection means to deElect said diagonall~ opposite corners of said card about said central support means to enable insertion of said first and second diagonally opposite corners of said card into ; the said corresponding aper-tures of the card at~achment location of said mailer form aligned therewith, and for thereafter displacing said central support to permit said card to flex to its original planar configuration with the : said diayonally opposite corners thereof projectiny through : the said corresponding apertures and underlying the form, thereby attaching the card to the form.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention there is provided an inserter system for automatically attaching pre~coded cards of generally planar, rectangular configuration to respectively corresponding, pre-coded mailer forms at predetermined card attachment locations on each said mailer form, by inserting first and second diagonally opposite corners of each card associated with the form into corresponding first and second card-corner receiving apertures provided in the associated form and defining the said card ~ 25 attaching location of said form, said apertures being spaced : apart by a distance less than the diagonal dimension of the card between the said first and second diagonally opposite corners thereof, said mailer forms being supplied in a con-tinuous fan-fold strip with each said mailer form pre-coded in accordance with the code of cards to be received therein and the number of such common-coded cards to be attached to said form, and said cards bein~ provided in succession lOa-as to code and number thereof, in accordance with the succession of maile.r forms, comprising: a card inserter mechanism including means for receiving and releasably retaining in a first position, at least one card, means for advancing said fan-fold strip supply of mailer forms for sslectively positioning each said mailer form in succession, with the card at~achment loca-tion thereof aliyned with and substantiall.y parallel to and displaced from said irst position of the releasably retained, at least one card to be inserted therein, means for reading the pre-printed code of said mailer form for identifying the card code and the number of cards to be attached to : each said mailer form, prior to said mailer form being advanced to said aligned position, means for picking cards, in individual succession, from said supply thereof, means . . .
- for transporting said picked cards, means for reading each individual card, in succession as picked from said supply, said transporting means transporting each successively picked card past said reading means, control means for comparin~
the code read from each card and the number of cards bearing ;~ a common code picked in sequence from said supply thereof with the pre-printed code and card number read from a corres-ponding mailer form, to determine compliance of the picked cards as to code and the number of cards of a common code with the card code and number of card requirements of each said form, in individual succession for each of the plurality of forms and each of the successively picked cards, said transporting means transporting and supplying to said receiviny means of said card inserter mechanism each successive said card which satisfies the requirements of a corresponding mailer form, said inserter mechanism further includiny means fox supporting each said card received therein in a central ,, ~P ~ -lOb-portion of the card and means for engacJing said cards adjacent said first and second d.iagonally opposite corners for deflecting said corners beyond said flrst posi-tion and towards said form, and means for actuating said receiving and releasably retaining means to release said card and for actuating said deflection means to deflec-t said diagonally op~osite corners of said card about said central support means to enable insertion of said first and second diagonally opposite corners of said card into said corresponding apertures of the card attachment location of the mailer form aligned there~ith, and for thereafter displacing said central support means to permit said card to flex to its original planar configuration with the said diagonally opposite corners thereof projec-ting through the said corresponding apertures and underlying the form, thereby attaching t~e card to the : form, said control means controlling said actuating means in accordance w.ith the codes read from said cards and the nu~ber ; ~ of cards bearing that code complying with the preprinted card code and number of card requirements o the associated form.
In accordance ~ith another aspect of this invention there is provided a method for attaching a card of generally planar, rectangular configuration to a mailer form at a pre-determined card attachment location thereon by inserting first and second diagonally opposite corners of the card into corresponding first and second card-corner receiving apertures pro~ided in the form and defining the said card attaching location thereof, said apertures being spaced apart by a distance less than the diagonal dimension oE the card be-tween said first and second diagonally opposite corners thereof/
comprising: receiving and releasably retaining a card in a first position, posi-tioning a mailer form ~ith the said card ::, ~-lOc-attachment location thereof aligned with and substantially parallel to and displaced from said first position of the releasably retained card to be inserted therein, supporting said card in a central portion -thereof and engaging said card adjacent said first and second diagonally opposite corners for deflecting said corners byond said first position and towards said form, thereby to insert said first and second diagonally opposite corners o~ said card into the said corresponding apertures of the card attachment location of said mailer form aligned therewith, and thereafter termina~ing .~ the support of said card in said central portion thereof to ~ permit said card to flex to its original planar configuration - -with the said diagonally opposite corners thereof projecting through the said corresponding apertures and underlying the form, thereby attaching the card to the form. .
In accordance with another aspect of this invention there is provided a method for automatically attaching pre-~: coded cards o~ generally planar, rectangular configuration to respectively corresponding, pre-coded mailer forms at pre-~. 20 determined card attachment locations on each said mailer ; form, by inserting first and second diagonally opposite corners of each card associated with the form into corres-ponding first and second card-corner receiving apertures provided in the associated form and defining the said card 25: attaching location of said form, said apertures being spaced apart by a distance lsss than the diagonal dimension of the : card between the said first and second diagonally opposite ; corners thereof, said mailer forms being supplied in a con-tinuous fan-fold strip with each said mailer form pre~coded 30 in accordance with thecode of cards to be received therein and the number of such common-coded cards to be attached to said foxm and said cards being provided in succession as to "
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code and number thereof, in accordance with -the succession of mailer forms, comprising: receiving and releasably retaining a first position, at least one card, advancing said fan-fold strip supply of mailer forms fo:r selectively position-ing each said mailer form, in succession, with -the card attachment location thereof aligned with and subs-tantially parallel to and displaced from said firs~ position of the releasably retained, at least one card to be inserted therein, reading the pre-printed code of said mailer form for identify-ing the card code and the number of cards to be attached toeach said mailer form, prior to said mailer form being advanced to said aligned position, picking cards, in individual suc-cession, from said supply thereof, reading each individual card, in succession as picked ~rom said suppl.y, comparing the code read from each card and the number of cards bearing a common code picked in se~uence from said supply thereof with the pre-printed code and card number read from a correspond-ing mailer foxm to determine compliance of the picked cards ; as to code and the number of cards of a common code with the card code and number of card requirements of each said form, in individual succession for the plurality of forms and picked cards, placing each successive said card which satisfies the requirements of a corresponding mailer form in alignment with a selected~ card attachment location of the corresponding form, supporting each said selected and placed card in a central portion and engaging same adjacent said first and second diagonally opposite corners for deflecting said corners beyond said first position and towards said form, and releasing said card while maintaining sai.d central support thereof and deflecting said di.agonally opposite corners of said card about said central support position to enable insertion of said first and second diagonally opposite ~ -lOe-$~ii corners o:E said card into said corresponding apertures of the caxd attachment location of the mailer form aligned therewith, and thereafter terminating said central support thereof to permit said card to 1ex to its origin~l planar configuration with the said diagonally opposite corners thereof projecting through the said corresponding apertures and underlying the form, thereby attaching the card to the form.
The system of the invention in its preferred : 10 embodiment herein described includes a number of different .. z "stations", so-characterized to correspond to certain basic functions performed by -the system. The system operates in . an asynchronous manner in that each 1I station" and its related function is optimized as to speed, efficiency and effective-. 15 ness, while maintaining proper general coordination between - the various successive individual stations/functions.
The pre-printed forms are supplied in a fan-fold or .~ , -lOf-~ '-na~iEold continuous strip configuration, successive forms being delineated by perforations afforded to facilita-te subsequent bursting of the strip into individual forms. The supply strips, moreover, include ed~e or marginal portions ha~ing sprocket holes for transpoxt of the forms in a positive, precision manner into the various successive operating s~ations. Preferably, the forms are double-width and thus contain two separate mailing forms in side-by-side relationship Each form preferably contains two separa~e credit cara ~ attachment positions for at~aching, selectively, either one or two credit cards each. The forms fea~ure a uni~ue attach-ment structure wherein apertures of specific configuration - and location are formed adjacent the two, preselected, diagonally opposite corners of a card of the s;ze to be attached to a given form, at each of the card at-tachment positions. The inserting unction, to be described, provides for bending ~he card about a diagonal axis of the card to a flexed, configuration, concave rela-tively to the form surface.

The card then is lowered to insert the corners into th~se corresponding apertur s. Finally, while maintaining the corners in their insertea positions, the card is permitted to xeturn to its normal flat or planar conEiguration wh~reby the corners project fully into the respective apertures and thus lock the card to the form.
The continuous form supply strip is advanced by timing sprocket chains initially to a read station at which tran$port terminates while an optical character reader (OCR) reads the necessary information from each of the side-by-side forms --typically, the information read being the accoun~ number and ~ r~

the number of cards for t~at account number to be inserted on the given form. This information is transmitted to the computer.
After reading, the form then is advanced into the insert station. This assumes, o course~ that any prior form there-S tofoxe positioned in the insert station has received the re~uisite number of caras and has been transported out of the insert station.
~he cards are pre-~bossed and/or pre-encoded and provided in edge-stacked relationship in the same sequence of account num~ers and with the requisite number of cards per account, corresponding to the respect'ive forms an~ the sequence thereo presented in the continuous fan-fold strip supply of those forms. Two such trays of cards are accommodated in the card input stacker station; this system automatically ~5 selects a given one of those trays as the first tray for feed supply of cards. Sensors determine an empty condition o~ each tray and thus upon depletion of-the card supply in ~ one tray, the feed will automatically begin from the other L ; tray. Thus, continuous operation can be achieved ~y replacing each tray as it becom~s empty. Alternatively, either tray may be selected first by manual override.
A picker mechanism picks a card from the selected tray ~ and feeds it into a card transport, implemented by a belt ,i~ engagement system which grasps the card longitudinally therealong and moves it from the input stacker station to a card read station. Either embossed characters on the card, magnetic encoding or other types of encoding or combinations of one or more of the above ma~ he read at the card read station and the information transmitted to the computer.
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The cara is transported continuously to and thro~lgh t:he read station and progresses into an inspection stationr the transport conveniently re-orienting the card rom a vertical - to an inclined horizontal position. Should the data rea~
from t~e card not correspond, or "match", the data read from the form intended to receive that card, the card transport termina~es and the card remains in the inspec~ion station for observation by the operator. This error condition ca~
arise fox various reasons. For example~ if the re~uired number of cards fox a g.iven form are not prese~t, bu~ other-wise the sequence of cards i5 correct, the card which staps at the inspection station due to a data match error will actually be a card bearing an account number corresponding to the next form to be supplied. If that is the case, the operator intervention will involve indica-tlng to the system by the control panel "skip card" switch that a card i.s missing The operator may also designate that the incorrect form be routed to form reject hopper. The system completes the card insertion function and resumes automatic operation. Assuming ~ . that the sequence and required number of cards for. the form now advanced into the insert station are available, automatic operation will resume.
Other errors would include the more simple circumstance of a card simply being out of sequence or containing some other error~ Error of embossed character reaaing itself ma~
occur in which case if the operator determines that the account number is correct for the form, manual override of the error condition can be accomplished and the card advancea into the inserter ~tation. If the card is in error, alternatively, . -13-a manual control provides for passing the card directly through the insert station ~nd into a card rej~ct hopper.
The insert mechanism oE the insert station incluaes movable ~ingers defining a number of bins corresponding to the numb~r of card positions on the forms. As before ~pecified, double wid~h forms are employed, each having two attachment positions for a total of four card positions and hence four- bins. T~e insert mechanism moves in a vertical reciprocating manner so as to receive the cards from the card transport in an upper position and to per~orm the car~
insertion into the foxms in a lower position dixectly super-posed on the forms~ The insert ~echanism includes a card transport path extending along the top o the bins. A
deflecting element associated with each bin is selectively controlled either to a normal "up" position to transport the cara over, and beyond its associated bin, or to an activated, I'down" position to deflect the card into the bin. The card re~ect hopper is positioned at the exit from the card transpor~
mechanism of the insert station; when an error occurs requiring reject of a card, the deflecting elements remain in the up position so that the card is transported fully through the insert station into the reject ~in, Wh2re a data match is satisfied, the card is transported through the insert station and, undex computer control, the appropriate deflecting element is actuated to deflect the card into the proper bin~ with regard to the total cards pex form required. After the bins have received the necessary ! cards for tne associated forms then at the insert station, the insert mechanlsm is actuated to perform the insertion function.
Specifically, the insert station includes a support finger which exten~s centrally underneath each card transverse to the greater longitudinal dimension thereof~ and ex-tendiny -from t~.e trailing longitudinal edge of the card as respects ~he eventual transpoxt path of the card and its associated form from the insert station~ Further, two pairs of fingers exten~ under the card at displaced positions along the opposite longitu~inal edges o~ the card, adjacent the card end edges. These "fingers" define the initial~ longitudinal sides of the normal bin configuration corresponding closely to the normal dimension of the card. Other structures define the ends of the bin. -When the bins have received the appropriate n~nber of cards, the insert function is performed. The bin defining fingers are pivoted away from the card, the underlying central support inger remains stationary and a pair of pins are lowered to engage the card adjacent -the diagonally opposite corners which are to be received in the apertures ~ of the form. The card is f~exed in this manner, the pins are lowered with the central support inger remaining up maintaining the flexed condition o~ the card and therebv inser~in~ the diagonally opposite card corners into the respective apertures in the form. The central support fins~r then is lowered into close proximity with the form, 3 permittins the card to ~lex to its normal flat or planar condition, the diagonally opposite corners projecting fully into the respective apertures and lockin~ the card into position. Thereafter, the paper transport mechanism is actuated to ~dvance the foxm with its attached, inserted car~s out of the insert station and into a burs-ting station.
Ater removal from the insert station and specifically when the trailing longi~udinal edges of the attached cards have passed beyond the central support fingers, the latter are raised, and the support fingers are pivoted back into their bin-defining positions, thus preparing the ~ins for receiving - the necessary cards for the next successive (double) mail}ng forms to be positioned in the insert station.
As the form exits from the insert station, it enters a bursting and trim~ing station wherein the side by-side forms are burst from the next suecessive form of the strip, which has now en~ered the insert station along a delineating perforation therebetween; the burst forms are separated into two forms and substantially simultaneously the margins with sprocket holes therein are sllt from their respective fonms. The transport mechanism of the folder station advances the burst forms for the slitting operations and directly into the folding station.
In the folding station, depending on the type of the form, a system of rollers and baffle plates directs the form so as to old it, where required, and a folded form then exits from the folder into an outfeed transport mechanism~
The outfeed transport mechanism o~ the output station receives the folded forms, transports same to an ou-tput stacker station and a further mechanism conveys the ~olded forms i~ separated relationship into a selected one of two adjacent output stacker trays.
At this juncture, the asynchronous operation of the system will be readily appreciated as neces~ry to its maxim~ speed and eficiency of operation. ~or example, since different numbers of cards ma~ be required Eor adjacent or successive ~o~ns, the time required for transporting cards into the insext station will vary. Conversely, the insert operation is performed at the same speed regardless of the number of cards to be inserted in the ad~acent orms. Moreover, the number of folds will affect the speed of throughput of the forms throu~h the olaer station and to the output hopper~
Hence, separate moni~oring of the stages o~ operation of the respective stations and thus asynchronous control of the respective stations permits maximizing the to~al system through-put rate while assuring maintenance of coordination of the respective stations' operations. ~urtherg where error conditions exist, whether it be the depletion of cards in the input stackers or an error in the reading oE a card or a data match operation, jam or other error conditions in the feeding of the forms, insert operations, or etc. r the vperation of the involved station should be suspended, but previously completed forms should be permitted to be trans-ported through to the output stacker. Again, asynchronous operation is essential to achieve this desirable mode of operation. The logic arrangement whereby this asynchronous operation of these multiple operating stations is achieved is a significant contribution to the efficiencsr and effective-ness of the system of the invention.

, BRIEF DESCP~IPTI0~1 OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a perspective of the entire credit card data match and inserter system of this invention;
Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the work station of the system of this invention;
~iy. 3 is a perspective view of a single input tray for holding a plurality of pre~mbossed credit cards;
~ig~ 4 is a perspective view of the pic~ mechanism for one card tray;
Cthl~J shee~ o~ J~aw~r~&s) 10 B Figs. 5A-5D~are diagrammatic views showing successive steps in the operation of the card pick mechanism;
~ig. 6 is a partial schematic, partial flow diagram of the card transport and rotate mechanism;
Fig~ 7 is a perspective diagrammatic ~iew of the mailer form supply ana transport mechanism, optical car~ reader foxm burster and slitter, foxm folaer, form receiver and outfeed flow path;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view oE the overall dri~e arrange-ment for the mailer form transport mechanism, the form burster and slitter rollers, and the folder rollers.
Fig. 9 is a front elevational view of the mailer form transpor~ mechanism.
Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the mai7er form transport mechanism.
Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the left side portion ~f the mailer form transfer mechanism.
Fig. 1~ is a perspective view of the mailer form transport motor together with the associated timing and control discs.
Fig. 13 is a front view of the OCR reader.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the OCR reader.
Fig~ 15 is a diagrammatic front elevational view o~ the inserter module;
Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic J r~ar elevational view o~ the inser~er module;
Figs. 17A and 17B are perspectiye views of a card support-ing finger and aeflector pins of the inserter moaule;
Fig. 18 is a perspective view, partly broken-away, of the basic components of the insert module;
Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the insert module~
partly broken-away to illustrate card deflecting elements includins rotary solenoids and deflecting rollers thereof;.
Fig. 20 is an exploded perspective view of ~he basic component part~ associated with one bin o the card insert apparatus o the insert module;
Fig. 21 is a perspective view of card support fingers, and associated drive elements therefore, of the insert module;
Figs. 22, 23, 24 and 25 are cross-sectional elevational views taken across the central portion of the structure of Yig. 18, showing successive stages of operation of the card insert apparatus for a single one of the bins;
. Fig. 26 is a perspective view of the bursting structure for separating serially connected, successive fan fold forms into individual forms~
Fig. 27 is a riyht side elevational view of the ~orm slitter, taken partly in cross sectinn generally along lines 27 27 of Fig. 26.
~ig, 28 i5 a top plan view of the slitter, taken partly in cross sec tion along line 28-28 of Fig. 27;

-1~

Q~ ~ .
~ig~ 29 is ~ s cle elev_t.ional view of the slitter;
Fig. 30 is a ~ront elevatiollal view taken ~enerally along line 30-30 of Fig. 29;
Fig. ~1 is a top plan view taken partly in cross section and generally along line 31-31 of Fig. 29;
~ig. 32 is a side ~levational view in schematic orm of ~he folder mechanism of this invention, illustrating pivotal d30rs which are selec~ively posi ~ioned ox accommodatin~
forms of differe~t fold-types;
Fig~ 33 is a side elevational ~iew in schematic fo.rm with the pivotal doors positioned for folding three-part forms at the two fold lines thereof;
~ig. 34 is a fragmentary portion of Pig. 33, showing the co~pletion of the first ~old;
~5 Fig. 35 is a fragmentary portion of Fig. 33 showing the first step in making the second fold;
~ig. 36 is a fragmentary portion of Fig~ 33, showing the comple~ed, folded forM bein~ fed to the output feed;
Fig. 37 is a right elevational view in schematic form, of -~ the reception.guide of the folder outfee~ in the "up" position, ready to receive folded forms from the folder station;
Fig. 38 is a view simila~ to Fig. 37, but with the reception guide in the down position ready to feed the folded formis to the outfeed transport;
Fig. 39 is a perspective view of the folder outfeed, I Fig. 40 is a top plan, schematic diagram of the folderoutfeea and the outfeed transport which carries Eolded forms to th~ output ejectors and stackers;
Fig. 41 is a rear elevational view of the e~ector feed ~v~
which receives folded forms from the outfeed transport and ejects same into the output stackers as viewed from ~he left of Fig. 44;
~ig. 42 is a perspective, exploded view of the actuating mechanism o the folded form ejector;
Fig. 43 is a schematic showing of the drive arrangemDnt for the fol~er outfeed and the outfeed transport;
Fig~ 44 is a side elevational view~ partly in cross section, of the ejeckor feed and output stacker as viewed from the right of Fi~. 41;
Fi~. 45 is an enlarged view of the photoPlectric sensor and window structure of Fig. 44;
Fig. 46 is a pexspective, schematic view of the drive arrangement for the ejector ~eed;
Fig. 47 is a pers~ective, ~roken-away view of the output stacker tray form advance mechanism.
Fig. 48 is a detailed, plan view of the c~ntrol panel 1500;
Fig. 49 is a chart of the maior modes or the system 20 . operations;
Fig. 50 is a detailed block diagr~m of the system electronics, computer, control, and sensor devices and su~systems;
~ Fig. 51 is a flow chart of the main system loop;
Fig. 52 is a logic flow chart of the PICK routine;
Figs. 53 and 54 are logic flow charts of the A~VANCE
and ~URST routines;
Fig~ 55 is a logic flow chart of the OCR routine;

C~ ~h s l~ ee~ w; r~ 5~
igs. 56A and 56B~ taken together, are a logic flow chart o:E
the OUTFEED routine;
Figs. 57A and 57B, taken toge-ther, are a logic flow chart 0f the INSERT routine;
Fig. 58 is a logic flow chart of the PLACE routine;
Figs. 59A and 59B, taken together, are a logic :Elow char'c o f the ECR routine; and Figs. 60A, 60BJ and 60C, taken together, are a logic-flow cbart of the RUN mode o~ the system.

DES~RIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With concurrent reEerence to Figures 1 and i, cabinet 10 houses the entirety of the mechanical and electrical apparatus and control computer of the data match inserter system of the invention. Commercial acceptability of equip-ment of this type re~uires th~t it be of dimensions to permit passage throuyh conventional office doorways, limiting depth to approximately 31 inches; this imposes stringent design re~uirements, with close in~errelationship of the various mechanical operating modules; this important design re~uirement has been achieved in accorda~ce with the teach- -ings of this invention.
The card input hopper, or station, 100 for the pre-embossed and encoded cards 102 accommodates two trays 110 and 112 in which the cards are stacked vertically on edge in a predetermined sequence corresponding to their intended matching, as to card account number and number of cards, with the sequence of forms into which the cards are to be inserted. Accordingly, the trays 11~ and 112 are necessarily positioned with that se~uencing function taken into account, and the system, as will be discussed, automatically selects a ~irst of the trays for initial supply of cards and when the tray is empty, automatically switches to the second tray. As a matter of convenience tray 110 is selected first, initially. The card input hopper 100 includes spring biased mechanisms 130 and 132 for urging the cards towara the frcnt end of the trays.
The automated selection, moreover, may be overridden by manual control. For example, it may for some reason be p~eferable to use a tra~ in position 112 and, accordingly, t~.a~ tray may be manually selected first~ Moreover, when the system automatically switches from a depleted tray 110 to tra~ and is shut down during operation on tray 112, ~he automatic selection would retuxn to tray 110 and this instead can be overridden by manual selection of tray 112.
~hotosensors 242 and 240 detect ~he presence or absence . of cards in the respective txays 110 and 112; the resulting . sensor ~utputs to the control system accordingly provide the autamated switching from a depleted tra~ to a full tray and as well to recognize the condition o~ bo~h ~rays being ~epleted so as to shut down the ~eed mechanisms and, even-~ually, the system operation.
~ cara pick stakion 200 receives the front ends of the trays and includes corresponding picking mechanisms, selec-ti~ely enabled into operation for the selected tray, as aforedescribed, for picking individual cards in succession ~rom the selected tray. The pick mechanisms direct-the picked card to a transport mechanism 300 which receives 0 - the picked car~ and transports it past a card read station 400 and a visual observation station 450 The card trans-port mechanism 300 rotates the cards durin~ transport a~out a longitudinal axis ali~ned with the direction of transpart to a rearwardly inclined, substantially horizontal position,

2~ to facilitate viewing thereof at the observation station 450, and alignment with the insert station.
For continuity of nomenclature, each individual mailer form is referred to by reference numeral 502, each individual --~d-- .

. ~

plastic card is reerred to by reEexence numeral 102 and once c~mbined, i.e., the plastic card~s) has (ha~e) been inserted into the form, reference n~exal S22 is wsed.
~igure 3 shows a single input tray 110 for holding a plurality ~e.g., minimum 350 caxds eachj of pre-encoded and/or pre-embossed credit cards. Th~e overall -tray 110 is of generally rectangular configuration and sized according to the particular size and type of credit cards to be processed (e.g., typical types CR80, 50 and ~0, each of diferent aimensions requiring coxresponding, different traysJ.
In~ardly ex~ending guide lips lll restraln the cards from ~ertical displacement. A longitudinal recess or channel 120 receives a conventional clip spring bias mechanisrn shown in outl.ine form at 122 maintaining a forward hias on the cards. Retention lips 116 and 118 preven-t the cards from being pushed out of the front of the tray inadvertently.
Recesses 114 and 115 permit enga~e~ent of the front-most card by the pick mechanism.
A form transport station 500 receives a supply of ~ successiver dou~le-width forms 502 in a continuous, fan-fold strip 510~ it incxemently advances the strip 510 to position a gi~en pair of double-wid-th forms 502 at a form reader station 600 and the next preceding pair of forms 502 at the insert station 7000O An optical character reader ~5 (OCR) 602 scans a selected line of data on the forms 502 at station 600 ~or supply of form data to the computer for comparison with data read from the plastic cards. As seen in ~igure 7, the spacing of the stations 600 and 700 p~ri.lits simultaneous card insertion and scanning opera-tions, respectivel~ on the successive pairs of forms 502.
A burster/slitter module 800 provides or ~urs-ting the ..
perforation line between successive forms 502 and is position-ed to engage the perfoxated line delineating between the bottom eage of the form already advanced partly into the folder ~odule 900, and at the top of the nex-t succe~sive form currently in the insert module 700, thereby to release the former f~om the latter. The slitter mechanism is struc~uxally common, in~part, to input portions of the folder moduie, and functions to slit the ~ou~le-width, burs~ forms into two separate forms, and to slit away the longitudinal margins which engage the tractor . dri~e o~ the for~ transport.
Folder module 900 folds the burst and slit, card-filled individual forms 522 and deposits the folded forms into a folder outfeed module, or receiver, 1000. The folder module 900 is selectively adjustable to accommodate the - diffexent lengths and fold requirements of one- or two-ox three-part forms, in the first case merely transporting same and in the second and third caaes selectively folding the forms once or twice, respectively. A folder output feea transport 2000 transports the foldea forms to a stacker outfeed module 2100 at which output ejector mechanisms eject the folded forms in sequence into the output stacker station 1100. The ~5 station 1100 includes a pair of trays 1101 and 1102 and a corresponding pair of output ejec~ors 2100 which are select-ively enabled for ejecting the i~olded forms, in sequence, into a selected one of the trays 1101 and 1102 and, when ! that selected tray is full, automatically switches to the other thereof. This permits continuous operation, the f~

tra~ being xemoved ~d replaced ~hen the second tr2y is selected.
Retaining arms 1111 and 1112 are associated wi-th trays 1101 and 1102, respectively, and carry at their rear mount-ing portion a plate as seen at 1150 ~or arm 1111. When tra~
1101 is properly po~itionedj ar~ 1111 is moYed to a down position co~tiguous with the top edge o the ~ertically stacked, folded fonms therein. Arm 1111 is sp~ing biased to - - the down position shown and as well to an up position for remo~al of the tray. Arm 1111 actuates a microswitch, later shown, t~ indicate its down or up position. The tray 1101 or 1102 pushes the associated plate 1150 to the rear of the machine when the tray is positioned properly. Arms 1111 and 1112 are independent of each oE the pivo-tally mounted plates 1150. Each plate 1150 has a window aperture 1152 therein.
With a tray ln position, the aperture 1152 exposes a photosensor 1154 which receives reflected lisht from a form adjacent the rear of the tray 1111 suc~ that reflected light from that form will ~e detected and the 2hotosensor thereupon provides 2~ an output indicating that the tray is full. When the tray is removed, the plate 1150 swings up and the back surface thereof having a reflective surface thereon is exposed to the photosensor providing a alse indication of a full output tray, serving, along with the microswitch output, to indicate that the associated tray 1111 of the output stacker 1100 is not available for recei~ing forms.
The block diagram of Fi~ure 2 provides an ~verview of the system operation. A computer 1600 having an associated display~control panel 1500 provides for a general au-tomated system control and receives inputs from various detectors, ty~ically photo5ensor outputs, for both timing and error che~king functions; the significant functions of ma-tching data read from a fonm and from cards being picked ~or trans-port to clnd insertion into that form is indicated. Cards 102 are supplied in hopper 100 by one or two trays 110, 112 which are selectively employed as the supply by manual/auto-matic select of the pic~ing mechanism ~00, the latter trans-porting the sele~tively pic~ed cards, taken in sequence from the selected tray, to a card transport 300. The latter transpoxts ~he cards to the card reader 400, the output of which is supplied to the computer 1600. Various error con-ditions produce an automatic operation or manual controls may be employeà for terminating card transport with a car~
. positioned at the caxd inspection station 450 or operator inspection.
Forms 502 supplied as a fan-fold strip 510 are trans-portea by form transport mechanism 500 to a form (OCR~ reader .station 600 which supplies the account number ana number of cards required for that form, as read therefrom, to the computer 1600. I the data matches, the form 502 is advanced to the insert station 700 and the caxds, as tra~sported and . rea~, if satisfying the required data (account number) and number thereof defined by the form, advance to the insext station 700 for insertion into the associated form.. If the match is not satisfled, the card is s-topp2d at inspection ~tation 450 and if in error following operator inspect;on is transported to the card reject hopper 280. That trans-port function actually occurs through the inserter structure of station 700 thus.functionally bypassing the insertion . 30 operation o~ the insert mechanism of station 700. The error match condition as ~ell results in the form being advanced -~8-to a form inspection ~tation 720. The :inspectiorl station 720 is physically beyond insert station 700 in the path of travel o~ the forms; hence, i~ the form is usable for ~.he given card sequence (i.e., the error is not ~hat. o in-correct card account numbers or required number of cards for the given form) the form is retracted to the insert station for receiving the cards~ Errors in the form or failure of ~ata matching between the available cards fox the given form result in the form being transported to the fvrm reject (error) bin 1200 a~ter passing through ~he Colder 900/outfeed 1000 and outfeed form transport 2000. Proper forms, on the other hand, are transported by the outfeed form transport 2000 to the stacker feed ejectors 2100 and ~rom thence into the selected one of the trays 1101 and 1102 of the output stacker 1100. Forms which are in error or ~or which the required number of cards i5 not present, or the account of the card is in erxor, result in the form proceeding by the . outfeed form transport 2000 to the form reject (error~ bin - 12~0.
If desired, a printer interf~ce as seen in Figure 2 may directly print the mailing forms and provide thexeby a continuous in-line operation of supply of forms to the system. Similarly, an in-line interface may be provided whereby automated card embossing/encodlng equipmen~ may directly emboss and encode cards for direct supply to the inserter of the invention~
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the pick mechanism and Figures 5~ to SD, inclusive, show successive stages of its operation~ The mechanism of the card pick sta-tion 200 -2~-se~ves to pick an individual card,from a selected one of the two trays 110 and 112; since the pick mechanisms are substantially the same for the two, only a single one there-of is shown. A rotary solenoid 202 is mounted on a bxacket S 2~0 secured to a structural support 230 o~ the main housing 10 (Figure 1). Rota,ry sQ,lenoid 202 has a rotatable out-put shaft 2~4 to which lever arm 206 i5 rigidly securea.
Lever arm 206 is pivo~ally co~nected to link chain 210 engaging gear 212 secured to shaft 214 suitably mounted in support 230, and the chain 210'is secured by spring 215 to stud 216 secured in bracket 220. Energization of solenoid 202 rotates shaft 204 i~ the direction of arrow A
against the bias of sprin~ 215 and upon de-energization thereof, spring 215 withdraws the chain 210 and in turn causes rotation OL shaft 214 and solenoid shaft 204 in the directlon of arrow B to the normal position indicated.
There results a partial rotation of the shaft 214 in the rot2ry direction A upon energization of solenoid 20~ and B u?on its de-energization.
Credit card guides 231 and 234 are received within the recesses 114 and 115, respectively, of the input tray 110 (Figure 3). The guides 231 and 234 Are adjustably mounted on support 230 and hence are movable to accommodate different widths of cards, thereupon secured in position by screws 232 and 235~ Suitable designed recesses are provlded in the lower surfaces of the guides (not shown) to accommodate the adjustment while maintaining alignment and secure position once adjusted.
Guide 231 includes an inwardly inclined surface 236 ~Fig~ 5A) for urgincJ the left-mos~ vertical edges of the cards to the ali~ned position indicated with the foremost card resting on the inclined surface 237 of tip 238.
Bracket 234 includes a recess 240 ha~ing a convex surface ~41 joining inclined surfaces 242 and 244.
The operation of the pick mechani.sm will be clear rrom the successive stages thereof shown in Figure 5A through 5D.
~he pick cam 260 includes a pick edge 262 define~ by the . spiral circumfer~ntial configuration of the cam 260, which edge 2~2 is slightly less than the thickness of a single car~ fxom guide 231. The cam 262 projects, along with guide 231, through the opening 114 in the left edge o~ the card tray 110. Cam 260 is urge~ to rest position seen în Figure 5A by spring 215 (Figure 4). Upon energization o~ solenoid 202, cam ~60 is rotated in the direction A, causing the pick edge 262 to engage the left edye of card 102-1 and urge same to the right, the righk edge of the card moving along inclined surface 242 and engaging the corner defined by convex surface ~41 of the guide 234. Surface 241 serves as an ahutment, such that continued rotation o~ cam 26~ flexes card 102-1 into an increasingly con~ex configuration. The card 102~1 acts as an vver-center spring func~ion to snap free of the ~am 262 when the latter has rotated approximately to the . position shown in ~igure 5C~ At that time, the solenoîd 202 is de-enexgized and the spring 215 rotates the cam 260 in the airection of arrow B back to the rest position. The picked card 102-1 thereby is deposited on ~ouble transport belts 330 oE the card transport mechanism, to be described.
Roller 1260 is freely rotatable on shaft 214 to kee~ the picked c~rd against the double belts.
As already mentionedl each s-tation is provided with detectors such as photosensors H, shown in ~ig. 5 ~ 2~0~1 and 242H. Sensors 2~0H and 242H are mounted on plate 244 adjustably suppor-ted on the main support by means of slot 246 engageable with a reduced poxt-}on on support pin 243 and locked into pQSitiOn by means o~ screw 248~ This adjustment permits plate 244 and thus sensors 240H to be moved traversely of .. the input trays and cards, for alignment purposes. Sensors ~ 240H senses the presence o~ cards in the associated input tray.. A slot 247 provides clearance for'a photosensor flag Ino~ shown) which is engaged by a successfully picked card, as it is moved by transport belts 330 out of the pick area, to block sensor 242 and provide an output to the computer indicative thexeof.

Re~erring concurrently to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the card transport 300 includes ~elts 330 carried by support pulleys 312 mounted on axles 310. The pulleys 312 may be merely idler or positively driven; preferably, belts 330 are driven by pulley 372 from motor 370. In the diagramatic view of Fig. 6, other pinch rollers, or pulleys 316 are spaced apart at less than the longitudinal card length, and engage the cards against the transport belt 330. Also at least one support pulley 3~2 is pivotally mounted and spring biased to provide tensioning of the belts 330. Fig. 4 shows a pivotal support block 370 whi.ch may pivot around pin 372, and is spring biased by the spring 374 against the fixed stop 376.

The card transport mechanism 300, including the belts 330 previously noted, txansports the cards from the pick mechanism to the read station 400 and the observation station 450 and ultimately to the insert station 700.
Card transpor-t 300 includes a portion 350 for xotating each card in turn from the substantia]Lly ver~ical position as ~ransported from the pick mechanism to a rearwardly inclinea position, at about 75 fronl the vertical beore - -- proceeaing into the embcssed character reader 40~ Thus, ~he axles of drive pulleys 372, at the card output end of portion 350 of the transport mechanism, are inclined rear-wardly at substantially a 75 angle from the vertical, and the intermediate pulleys are progressivel~ inclined between the vertical and 75 to properly support the belts 330 thereon and provide a smooth transition, or rotation, o the cards from the vertical to the 75 rearwardly inclined, substantially horizontal, orientation. In Fig. 6, card 102-1 is fully rotated to, rearwardly inclined position, re~dy to be fed into the embossed character reaaer 400~ A
second card 102-2 is at the mid-portiQn of the path, while third card 102-3 has just left the pick mechanism area. In an ac~ual device~ up to five (5~ cards m~y be accommodated in the transport mechanism.

Preferably the cards are transported past the e~bossed ~haracter reader 400 by means of a separate drive motor and rollers which can adequately control speed, especially for Mag stripe and OCR card readers. Photosensors H are positioned to monitor card transport progress, as indicated schematically in Fig. 6. The photosensor outputs are fed to the computer.

Also while only a single pick mechanism is shown in Fig.
4, the actual machine has two such mechanisms for associa-tion with the two input trays as best seen in the perspective view of Fig. 1 and schematically shown in Fig. 6.
The embossed character reader 400 may be of conven-tional type and has its own internal card engagement and driving structure. A further transport mechanism, which may be substantially of the type shown in Figure 6, is employed to recei~e the card emerging from the reader 400 for transport to the insert station 700. Motor 490 drives the segment 450a of the card transport mechanism which passes through the inspection area 450 between the ECR reader 400 and the insert station 700. As a card leaves the ECR the data comparison is done and if an error condition exists, card transport 300 is stopped, preventing the ne~t card from entering the E~R. Transport 450a moves the card away from the ECR 400 past photocell H(l) to the inspection station area 450 where the card OCR account number is ~isible to the operator.
The apparatus employed in the embossed character reader 400 may be of the type commercially available for reading the OCR characters embossed on the card. Addition-ally, or alternatively, OCR encoded and/or magnetically encoded data as is provided on some cards may be read for the purpose of determining the account number assigned to the card.
Photocells or other detectors are provided in the card transport mechanism at the output from the pick station and both intermediately of and at the outpu~ of the transport pathO The typical operation of such photo-cells is to switch from a non-block to a block state when a card passes and a predetermined time thereafter switch bac~c to an unblock state to indicate that the card hoth has been successfully picked and transported away from the pick station, with subsequent photocells detecting the successful continued transport of the card and success-ful entry into and exit fxom the embossed character reader station 400. Outputs from the sensors are supplied to the computer which monitors the state of those outputs and determines whether the involved operations have been performed successfully, based on the timing significance of the photosensor outputs.
As noted, only a single pick mechanism is shown in Fig. 4 whereas in reality a pair of pick mechanisms is provided so as to accommodate the two input trays of cards (Fig. 1).
Manual override of the card pick and transport mechanisms is afforded as later detailed; when operator inspection of a card at the inspection station 450 is necessary, the manual override necessarily terminates further picking and card transport operations so as to prevent a jam from occurring.
Fig. 8 shows the basic mechanical interrelationship of the mailing form transport feed mechanism 500, the insert module 700, the burster/slitter 800, and the rorm folder 900. The highly integrated and compact relationship of parts herein is essential to the cor~nercial objective of acceptable depth of the equipment in consideration of its transportability, while accommodating forms of differing lengths and yet achieving the general objectives of the invention. Although more detailed discussion of Fig. 8 follows as to its various portions in relation to the respective stations, or rnodules which are illustrated therein, certain salient features are noted at the outset.

- Motor 5Ql is t~e drive motor for the transport- ~00 and serves to advance the fan-fold strip S10 of the serially connected fo~ms 502 past ~he read station 600 and into the insert station 700. The mo~or 501 carries a timing disc 1510 tFig. 12) which with associated pho~osensor structure 1510~ es~ablishes a basic timing cycle or the system. Disc 1560 ~ri~en by a suitable gear reduction arrangement establishes a second basic timing function related to ~he time for transport-ing one length of the type form currently in use. For example, a three part (two ~old) form re~uires six basic ~chine cycles and hence a six to one gear reduction arrange-ment is used to drive disc 1560 so that upon six re~olutions of motor 501, a second output pulse will be produced by the structure associated with disc 1560. The time between the two outputs from disc 1560 thus will correspond to the time for aa~ancing the strip 510 by one form length. More detailed discussion of the timing functions follows.
. Output drive shaft 1501 o motor 501 ~rives pulley 503.
. A belt 505 connects the drive pulley 503 to a driven pulley 507 which in turn drives shaft 50g for-the form transport mechanism, Another pulley 511 is affixed to shaft S09 or driving a belt 513 which in turn arives pulley 515 connected to the drive rollers 516, and idler ro~lers 518 for moving the ~ailer forms to the ~urster station ~00. Belt 513 aiso.provides ~5 a drive input to pulley 553 of a one ~ay clutch structu~e 953.
The one way clutch 953 can be driven in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fiy~ 8 from the left by driving either of pulley 553 associated with the form transport - mechanism 500 or the pulley 954 associated Wi Lh the ~echanism of the folder station ~00, to be discussed later. As will be-come more apparent, the orm transport s~stem 500 controls the progress of the form past the inserk station 700 as well as the burster station 800~and must serve to advance the form into the folder station 900~ Due to asynchronous operation of the s~stem and in light of need for compacting the relation-ship of the various operating modules, a form exiting ~rom the insert station will partially enter the ~older mechanism prior to being burst from the new form entering the inserter station, 1~ nevertheless, after the burst operation, the drive mechanism for the foxm remaining in the insert station 700 namely the paper transport feed mechanism 500 - must remain motlonless while permitting the buxst form to proceed through the folder mechanism of station 900. Accoraingly, separate driving of lS pulley 954 by motor 901 of the folder mec~anism through the one way clutch 953 permits the form to be advanced throuyh the folder stati.on while the transport mechanism 500 is stationary, maintaining a form at -the insert sta-tion 700.
Pxeferably, the diamet~rs of the pulley 515 for the ~ rollers 516 and 518 is selected so as to maintain a taut condition between -the form which present~y has advanced into the folder station 900 and that still within the insert station 700, so as to facilitate operation of the burster 820 of the burster s-tation 800.
25 Figs. 9, 10 and 11 illustrate basic details of the orm txansport mechanism. Support panels 510 of the ~asic housing 10 support the various components of the form transport mechanism 500. 1nwardly of hoth of thP panels 510 are adjusta~le (ADJ) L-shaped suhpanels 565 having a rotatable bearing 1565 for rotatably supporting square shaft 509 and sprocket 519.
This main shaft 509 drives at each end just outside -the subpanels 565, sprockets 519 which in turn drive tractor chains 569. Idler pulleys 529, at the respective ends of the L-shaped subpanel 565, support each chain 569 in a triangular shaped, free chain action manner. The idler pulleys 529 are rotatably mounted by shafts 531 to the plate 565. The chains 569 have finger members 571 with outwardly extending tractor pins 5i3. These pins 573 cooperate with the tractor holes 25 of removable edge strips 24 of the mailer forms 502. These mailer forms 502 have credit card holding and retention apertures 514 of special configuration as elaborated ~n and descri~ed in detail in applicantls copending Canadian Application Serial No. 318,929, filed on January 3, 1979.
Fig. 11 illustrates the openable retention structure of the transport mechanism to permit attachmen-t of a new form of the fan-fold strip by the operator. A Z-shaped member 560 is attached to subpanel 5Z5 by securing means through the respective, aligned holes 561, 563. A further Z-shaped member 540 is pivotally mounted at its extensions 544 to corresponding extensions 564 of member 560, to permit pivoting the member 540 open and thereby expose the underlying tractor pins 573. Spring 545 normally maintains member 540 in a closed position with the tractor edge strip of a form engaged on the chain, tractors pins 573 projecting through the holes 25 and the elongated slot 1540, assuring firm retention of the drive strip 24 at its apertures 25 on the tractor pins 573. The angled extension 1545 facilitates the operator's opening the element 540.
In Fig. ~, the align~ent guideline 1502 is seen at which the operator places the leading, or top edg~ of a orm 502 when loading a new supply of the fan-fold strip 510 of forms 50~ into the transport station 500~ PropPr alignment is critical to initialization and actual operation.of the system.
Fig~ 9 also shows the chain guard panels 589 which are appropriately used at all exposed points of the chain with which the operator might inadvertently come in contact.

Guide baf~les 1508 with guide fingers 1510 also are provided over the top of this form transport mechanism to positively prevent the double.wide form from coming up in the middle portion thereof between the chain tractor drive at the respective ends.

~ig. 12 shows the transport motor driv~ 501 toget~er with the two photocell discs 1510 and 156OJ as previously noted. The disc 1510 has a reduced portion or slot therein which exposes the photocell to the activating light, indicated as 1510H, once for each revolution of the motor, to form a basic system cycle timing output. The second timing disc 1560 also is provided with a slot or reduced portion and is geared down by gears lS61 and 1566 to a ratio of six to one from the motor 501. The timing disc 1560 proviaes a unique form indicating signal such that when its slot 1560S uncovers the light source of its associated photocell sensor 1560~I it indicates the circumstance in which the leading edge of the paper form is in its proper aligned position, or initialization position, in the transport mechanisrn. Hence for each six 2~
revolutions of the drive motor 501, anew mailer form nas advanced to position its leading edge at the alignment, or initialization position, and the OCR data line on the form is positioned for reading by the OCR reader 600;
moreover, the next preceding form will have advanced properly into the insert station and a new orm will be automatically aligned. Where forms of different length, e.g., two or one part forms, axe employea, the ~earing is changed to accommodate the different length of the form.
Motor 501 is secured to the machine structure 510, and blocks 1572 and 1576 are dependenk on 501^fox their mounting.
Support block 510B carr~ing threaded screw 1570 as well is secured to the basic structure support 510 and is rotatably mounted within block 1574 which carries the photosensor 1510H. Rotating screw 1570 permits movement of block 1574 and hence the photosensor structure 1510H relatively to the timing wheel 1510 and this pexmits advancing or re-tarding the electrical timing signal derived with respect to the rot~tion o the motor 5~1 and thus to properly phase electrical controls with the actual mechanical operations of -the system.
Returning to Fig. 8, the rest of the drive arrangement for the feed rollers will be described. The motor 901 is for the folder portion 900 of the machine, and by means of a pulley 903 affii:ed to its QUtpUt shaft drives flexible belt 913. This belt 913 in turn engages with and drives the rollers 907 connected to the respective folder drive rollexs 912. Adjustably mounted idler rollers 517 and 917 provide proper dri~ing tension on the helts 513 and 913 respectively.
As before noted, the one way clutch 9S3, which may itself --~0--be conventional, affords a convenient inter-rel~tionship of the drivincJ o the roller 1874. Specifically, motor 901 m~y drive pulley 954 in conjunction with advancing a ~orm from the burster station 800 into the folder station 900 while the transport mec`nanism 500 remains stationary during insertion of cards into a form still ~ithin the insert s~ation 700. Conversely, the folder mechanism 900 may be stationary while the transport mechanism 500 advances a new form in~o the insert sta~ion 700 and a prior, completed form is advanced beyond the inserter st~tion and into the folder station 900, preparatory to bursting ana folding operations~ This clu~ching arrangement is also important to other conditions of the system such as where operator intervention is required such as in inspecting a form or a card prior to completion of insertion but wherein prior, successfully completed orms shoul~ be burst and folded and thus removea from the system.
~igures 13 and 14 show the OCR scan head and the arrangement of its drive mechanism. The overall structure is mounted on a frame 1612 by a pivot mount 660 on the le~t basic support structure 510 while a latch mechanism 670, generally indicated, is connected to basic support panel 610 on the right, to permit opening same and a~ord access to the form transport mechanism 500 described above. In the closed, operative position, the structure of Figs. 13 and 14 ~5 is positioned directly in front of the form tra~sport mechanism to position the 05R head for reading the formt as seen in the simplified view of Fig. 7.
The OCR head 611 is mounted on a traverse moveable carriaae 613 by bracket 615. Carxiage 613 is sliclably supported by a lowex guide rod 622 by means of low friction-bearings (not shown) and by upper guide rod 612 and cooperating rollers 614 in a conventionA1 manner.
The carriage 613 moves in a back and forth manner as indicated by the arrows A and B in Figs. 13 and 14. The motor 638 dri~es a pulley 632 which recei~es several turns of a drive line 63Q therearound, drive line 630 extending o~er idler pulleys 634 and 636 and is secured at its free ends ~o the carriage 613. A resilient spring 631 main~ains proper tension. Photosensor unit 610H includes a top photo-lU sensor T and a lower photosensor B mounted on carria~e 613 to be in aligNment with the blocking flags 642 and 643 mounted on the panel 640 at the éxtremities o~ travel of carriage 61~. Normally, the OCR read head is in its "home"
position at the right 2S viewed from the front of the machine, at which the top photocell TH is exposed and the bottom pho~ocell BH i5 blocked by the flag 642. Conversely, when the OCR read head is at the extreme left, the top photocell TH is blocked by flag 643 and the bo-ttom photocell BH is exposed. The photocell outputs thus indicate to the system the extreme left and right positions o the OCR read head and the computer zppropriately controls the selective enexgization and direction of rotation of reversible motor ~38.
In actual operation, the OCR head reads the OCR data on 2~ forms 502 while traveling from the right to the left. The apertures 644 and 654 in the panel 2612 permit an operator ~isual observation of the OCR data on forms 502 when in the read station~ This panel 2612 also functions as a mask to prevent unwanted reflections, data, etc. from interfering with the OCR read function.

~ 2~5 ~.igures 15 to 25 sho~ the apparcltus of the insext station 700. ~igures 15 and 16 (cross section) afford a schematic view of the card transport elements and the drive therefor, and Figures 17A and 17B are schematic views of the card insertion process, to which reference is first made.
The insert module 1700 of the insert statian 700 includes a number o bins corresponding to the number of card in-sertion or attachment positions on the forms being processea;
in the preferred embodiment, the forms are of double width an~ each form includes two card attachmen~ positions in side-by-side forms and thu~ four bins i~ the inser-t module 1700. In figure 15, cards enter from the right and are ensagea by a succession of pinch roller drive assemblies including driven rollers 701 and associated idler rollers IR, generally positioned within each bin just adjacent the input and output, respectively of the bin. The rear view o~
Pigure 16 illustrates a drive motor 799 with associated pulleys and driving belt 4799 engaging ~ plurality of drive pulleys 1701 rotatàbly m.ounted on axles secured to the drive rollers 701 of Figure 15. Appropriat.e idler rollers IR

serve for proper direction of the belt and tension rollers T
are typically adjustably mounted to maintain proper tenslon in the belt and sufficient engagement of the belt 479g with the drive rollers 1701 io assure positive drive conditions~
2S Rotary solenoids C, shown by hidden lines in Figure 15J

carry on their respective shafts corresponding deflection idler rollers B which are selectively movable from the normal, "up" position indica-ted, out of the path of the card passin~ through the bin, to a down position for selectively -~3-deflecting a card engaged b~ -the input rollers of that bin into the bin. Photocells indiczted a-t N are located at the entrance to each bin to detect whether the car~ has passed into the bin, upon the photocell beins bloc~ed and unblocked, in succession, during the passage o~ the card past the photocell. This output permits the cc~puter to monitor the passage o~ the card through the insert module and as well to ~etexmine, by the absence of the blocked/unblccked outputs --- of a next sucessi~e photocell H, that the card was deposited in the respectively next preceding bin.
In Figure 15, the four bins are designated by Ll and L~
to correspond to the two card attachment positions of the left form of a double width form and by Rl ancl R2 to indicate the right two card attachment positions of the right form of a double width form. Up to two cards may be attached.in each position and thus up to four cards per orm.
If, in operation, t~o successi~e credit cards have provided a proper match with the left~hand form as to their respectively encoded account numbers and assuming the ~orm aesignates a requirements of two cards, these two cards will progress through the insert station in the following manner.
By appropriate timing controlsp the rotary solenoid for bin L' will be actuated to lower its deflection roller B while the solenoids for bins L2, Rl and R2 remain de-activated;
thereby, the first card passes through the first three bins and then is deflected into bin Ll. In appropriate timed sequence, the solenoid for bin L2 is selectively activated, lowerin~ its roller for deflecting the second card into bin L2. Although any desired sequence of deposit of cards into bins can be established by appropriate procJramming, a prepared -44- ..

.

se~uence is as follows. The left-hand form ~bins Ll, L2) is illed first and the right hand form ~bins Rl, R~, second.
For each form, e.~., the left form~ if only one card is required, it is deposited in the righ-t, or first bin ~2; if S two cards are required~ they are deposited in sequence in bins Ll and L2 -- a third card in bin Ll and a fourth card~
in bin L2. Thus, for example, if only a single card is required for the second, right form, the defl~ction roller B

for bin ~2 will remain in its normal r raised position and defiection roller B for bin Rl will be lowered to deflect that single card into bin Rl.
Figure 15 also indicates schematically the output for xejected cards; in this instance, all deflection rollers B

remain in the raised position causing the entering card to progxess entirely through the insert module 1700 and exit to t~e left as seen in ~igure 15, a photocell H as well detecting the passage of the rejected card out of the insert module and confirming this circumstance to the computer.

Fig. 17A and 17B illustrate two basic conditions of the insert operation of the insert module 1700. ~ig. 17A corresponds to the card upon being receivea in the bin. A pair of opposed arms G are disposed along the lon~itudinal edges of the card 102 adjacent the leadin~ and trailing ed~es thereof ~i.e~ as respects the card movement into the bin). The inward extensions GBL of the opposed pairs of arms G define a lower support for the card 102 wi-thin the bin and in essence serve to define the dimensions ana s-tructural support of-th~ bin itself. Additional end structure also is provided as will be seen in later detailed views. A support fin~er 703 extends transversel~ of the longitudi.nal dimension of the card, substantially along the middle of the caxd length and it is in a position substantially contiguous the lower surace of the card 102. Deflection pins 732 are located to correspnnd substzntially to the diagonally opposite corners o the card which are to be recei~ea in apextures 514 o~ the form 502 in that card receiving portion thereof underlying the associated bin.
The insert procedure involves pivoting the support arms 1~ G to the outward pOsitiQn as indicated in Fig. 17b and simultaneously lowering the de~lec~ion pins 732 to enga~e and depress the corresponding diagonally opposite corners of the card 102 while retain.ing support fingex 703 essentially in its original, or normal, up position, displaced from form 502. With the card thus urged into a deflected or distorted configuration, it follows that the diagonal distance between the diasonally opposite corners is decreased, inserting the deflected corners o~ the card 102 into the respective apertures 514. Deflection pins 732 are at the bottom of their stroke 20 and stationary, then finger 703 is lowered~ substantially into contact with the surface of ~orm 502, permitting the caxd to resume its ~ormal, planar configuration whereupon the diagonal corners inserted into the aper~ures 514 extend outwardly and securely engage the card within the form 502.
~5 Pins 732 are then retracted (moved up). The form then is advar,ced from the insert station 700 into the burster station 800, that direction of form advance b~ing shown by arrow FA
in Fig. 17b. The form 502 and attached card 102 thus slide away from finger 703 and when clear of ~he finger 70~, timing controls provide for finger 703 to move upw~rdly to the original position shown in Fig~ 17A. Preferably, by proper design, pins 732 need only move between the uppe~
position and the car~ deflection positions since, upon lowering of finger 7U3, when the card resumes its planar configuration locked into the form 502, its upper surface - then is below the bottoms~ of the deflection pins 732.
Alternatively, pins 732 would be required to he raised vertically prior to transport of the form and attached card ~ out of the insert module.
With this understanding of the general insert station structure and operation, reerence is now had to Figs. 18 through 25 which show structural details thereof. Figs~ 18, 19, 20 and 21 are perspective views, substantially broken away, which illustrate the basic structural arrangement of parts-whereas ~igs. 2~ through 25 illustrate successive stages in the card insertion operation. The structure of the module for the insert station 700 is generally designated by numeral 1700.
In Fig. 18, motor 799 drives pullèy 1799 and through it the drive belt 47~9 which passes over tension pulley 2799 and direction changing pulleys 3799 before proceediny to the various drive pulleys 1701 and associated tension pull~ys T and idler pulleys IR previously seen irl Fig. 16. ~ch end of the insert head has a main support plate 747 w;ith two aper tures therein. The lower apertures 1747 are in alignment with the card feed-through channel The upper central apertures 2747 are for the guide and rec~pxoca-ti.ng plates 2704. These plates 2704 are provided ~ith suitable guide ro:Llers 7704 for , engagement with the inner v~rtical edges o~ the ape~tures. It sho~ld he noted in Fig. 18 that the card guide channel apertures 1747 may be provded with adjustable gu:ide elements 3747 for changing the relati~e width of the card channels whenever a dif~erent size card is to be used with the machine.
The card feed throuyh rollers 701 may ~e clearly seen in ~he pe~spective of ~ig. 19. Also clearly shown in this view is one of the pho-tosensor~devices H as associated with each of the card bins ~1, L2, Rl J and R2. Each bin also is 10 pro~ided with bin defining plates 781 and 782 with respective recess channels 783 and 784 cut from the Mpper e~ge thereo.
Support bars 79 and 80 extend the entire width of the insert station head and support the plurality of bin separating plates 781 and 782 alternately therefrom. That is, the eading edges or sides OL all o~ the bins are defined by plates 781 supported from the bar 79, while the trailing - edge~ or siaes of all the bins are defined by the pluxality of bin defining plates 782 whi¢h extend toward the front of the machine from the supporting bar 80 tra~ersely of the ~ rear of the inserter head. The front and back sides of each bin are enclosed by front and back channel plates 774 and 775, best seen in the cross sectional ~iew of ~ig~ 22 ana the perspecti~e of Fig. 18. The front card guide plate 775 is suitably provided with an inwardly extending upper lip ~5 779 to prevent cards from jumping out of the card channel while suitable apertures 777 are spaced along the bottom edge of the card channels, with at least two of ~hese recesses for each bin. The rear card channel guide 774 also is provided with an in~7ardly extending upper lip 778 and 30 appropriately spaced recesses 776, as ~st seen in ~ig. 22.

-~8-Card supporting arms G, ~t least two per bin on both sides, thereof, axe secured to pivotally mounted support bars 704. The lower tips GBL of these arms G will extend through appropria~e recesses 777 of the front card channel guide and recesses 776 of the rear channel guide when the support rods 704 arë moved in the direo~ion to close the arms G. As may be seen in Fi~. 17A; four of these fingexs G appropriately support a credit card when in a gi~en bin and the arms G are positioned inwardly or together.
In Fig. 18, several of the projecting pins 732 may be seen as mounted on the reciprocating bar 1733. ~he reciproca-ting bar 1733 is appropriately fastened between the reciprocal plates 2704 at each end of the insert head. Thus, as each end plate 2704 is moved up and down the traversely extending lS bar 1733 will likewise move up and down and cause the attached deflecting pins 732 to likewise mov~ up and down, Adjusting plates X support a parallel bar 1734 for mounting corresponding deflecting pins 732 therefrom. Thus a pair o~
deflecting pins 732 are provided for each card bin. The adjusting plates X permit appropriate adjustment of the deflecting pins 732 relative to each other for variation from one credit card size to another. This is most important since each pair o pins 732 must engage a credit card correctly near the diametrically opposite corners thereof in or~er to effec~ the proper bending and bowing, or flexing, action of the cards during the insertion process.
Fig. 19 shows idler rollers IR which are under the bias of a spring 715 for resilient er.gagement thereof with respective card feed rollers 701. A pair of these associa~ed i-ller and _~9_ ~ard feed rollers 701 are pxovided at each bin. The card deflection roller B is mounted to a pivot bar PB o~ the end of the rotary solenoid C shaft CS, ancL thereby positioned between these pairs of rollers. This structure, as described S above, will deflect a card into the associated card bin when the rollex is lowered from its nonmal position shown~ When the solenoid C is deenergized, the roller returns by spring bias of its energizing solenoid to its card feed-through -position as shown in solid lines of Fig. 19 to permit the 1~ credit cards to pass beyond the roller-associated bin. Nith reference to Figs. 18 and 20, tne arms G ~re secured to rotatable bars 704 pivotally mou~ted in support plates 712 amd 713 at each end, the respective rotary shafts 704P
thereof being securely engaged by corresponding clamps 77 by means of thelr respecti~e slotted apertures 2770 and tightening screws (not shown). Note that clamps 770 a~e oriented 180 apart; théir respective actuating pins 1770 are received in corresponding apertures 277~ of a link 739.
Link 739 is adjustable in length at its connection 1739 to accommodate adjustment of ~in size for different card sizesO
Attached to the pin end 704P o~ the frontmost bar is a le~ver arm 1771. A clamping structure ~771 similar to 770 penmits ad~ustable securing o~ this lever 1771 to the pin 704P~ A bias sprin~ 7110 is appropriately mounted on one end to a support . 25 struc~ure and at the other end to a pin extending from the lower end 1776 of this lever arm. Cam follower 771 is ~ecured to the arm 1771 through the aligned apertures shown by nut 71480 Cam follower 771 ~ngages oam F which is secured to the main actuating shaft 734, the latter having pulley 762 secured there-to for being driven in rotation by belt 760 by a drive motor ~50-~L~6~ 5 798. The opposite end of shaft 734 has secured thereoll a couplin~ member 770 which, in similar fashion as befoxe, is adapted for rotatable connection to a link and eccentric structure 1704. This structur~ include pin 1770, link 3704 with aper~ures 6704 at each end, and pin 4704 on slide plate 2704. A
corresponaing eccentric and link structure is provided at the opposite end of the inserter head for engaging the res-pective~ corresponding slide plate 2704~
~ig. 21 shows the actuating structure for the card support lo inger 703. The latter are secured to~ or integral with, a support bar 1703 which is dr.iven in a vertical, reciprocating manner. Par~icularly, guide follower 714 and guide 713, the latter secured to support structure of the insert station 1700 by means not sho~n, restrict bar 1703 to ~ertical reciprocatory motion. DC motor 763 operates through reduction g~ar 729, 731 and 766 which will rotate sha~t 1766 and ~y it the rotary-to-reciprocating motion linkage 1768 to achieve the vertical reciprocatory motion of the bar 1703 and, with it, the support fingers 703. Illustratively, panel 748 is part of the support structure of the insert module 700.
Motor 763 furthermore drives timing disc 736 which interacts with the light source/photosensor device 792-1, the latter detecting the radial projection of the disc 736 to a~ford an output electrical timing signal indicative of the rotary position of the disc 736 and thus the motor 763. 792-1 detects 703 in the up position. 792-2 detects 703 in ~he ~own position.
Motor 763 rotates slightly more than 180 - it rotates slightly over top dead center to provide a locking function for 1703 in the up position. Motor 763 reverses direction to go down.
In Figs. 22 - 25, inclusive, a credit card 102 is shown as having been deflected into the respectiYe bin for insextion onto the form 502, under the further assumption that the proper data matching has occurred as between data read from the card and the form there presented. Figs. 22 ~ 25 comprise a common sight elevation of the insert station :L700 taken effectively through one of the bins and thus centrally of the structu~e as seen in ~ig. 1~, looking to the left. The pivotal mounting o the arms G by the finger suppo~t bar 704 is now readily seen, as well as the slide elements 713 and 714 associated with the central supporting finger 703. Note moreover that the linkage 1768 which operates the fingers 703 is just abutting the side support wall structure 748 in an above-center type position. This reduces the load on the DC drive motor 763 by having a direct mechanical stop function when the fingers are in ~he raised position~ This also serves to precisely position the fingers 703 at the desired height relative to the form 502. In similar ashion, when driven to the lower position, in which fingers 703 are contiguous the surface of form 502 as seen in Fig. 25, the linkage I768 has now s~ng down to abut the wall support 748 in the opposite, undex-center position, again affording precise positioning of the ` ingers 703.
Each of Figs. 22 through 25 as well illustrates the operative relationship of the main drive shaft 734 and cam F
carried thereby, with the cam follower 771 and link 1771 which controls the pivoting motion of.the support bars 70~ for the arms G. The vertically reciprocable plate 2704 is also seen in its various stages of movemen~ within the rectangular guide aperture 747, being driven by the eccentric crank arm s-tructure 1704 as acutated b~ ~he ~nd of shaf-t 734, as seen in Fig. 20.
Examining the successi.ve stages specifically illustrated in Figs. 22 - 25, ~ig. 22 illustrates the normal, bin-defining positions of the ingers G with the central suppo.rt finger 703 in its upperm.ost position and with the deflection pins 732 as well raised to the upp~rmos~ position by their support bars 1733 and 1734 which are carried by the plates 2704 The deflection rollers B and the associated rotary drive solenoid C and other relate~ structures are removed in Figs. 22 - 25 for clarity of illustra~ion of the deflecti~n and card insertion elements. However, Fig. 22 shows in phantom lines a card being deflected into the bin and, in solia lines7 the rest position of the card in the bin, supported on the tips GBL of the fingers G.
In progressing from Fig. ?2 to Fig~ 23, shaft ?34 has rotated cam F, but follower 771 has followed along a constant xa~ius of cam F and thus lever arm 1771 has remained stationary.
Plates 2704 have descended, lowering the deflection pins 732 through their associated support bars 1733 and 1734, respectively.
~ingers 703 remain stat.ionary, directly su~porting the central portion o~ card 102 along with the tips GB~ of arms G. The tips LT of the derlection pin 732 at this position are almost engaging the caxd 102 at the corresponding, diagonally opposite corners~ .
Progressing to Fig. 24, rotation of cam F has caused maximum deflection of follower 771 and lever arm 1771, pivoting the support bax 704 and roiating arms G to remove the tips GBL from the card 102. ~lhe continued downward mo-tion o~ plates 270~ and support b~rs 1733 and 1734 has c~used ~eflection pins 732 to mo~e downwardly, their respec-tive tips LT now engaying and depressincJ the diagonally o~posite corners of card 102, the central portion thereof xemaining supported on the finger 703. The card corners project into the ~orm apertures, as shown, corresponding holes in the underlying support structure (not shown~ accom~odating the projecting corners~ Linkage 1768 remains in its abutted position, bearing the load imparted on fingers 703 during this card deflection step.
~ Progressing to Fig. 25, c&m follower~771 continues on a c~nstant radius of cam ~ and thu~ arms G remain in the outwardly pivoted position. Motor 763 is now energi~ed, link 1768 is driven to its opposite position abu~ting the wall 748, and simultaneously the fingers 703 are lowered, permitting each of the deflected cards 102 ~o assume its normal planar sXapeg the two diagonally opposite corners extending along the opposite side of, and securely engaging the card to the form.
- As can readily be visualized, continued rotation of the 2D shaft 734 and the cam F will permit follower 771 through bi~s spring 7110 to return to the shorter radius portion of i~
the cam F, and thus pivoting lever arm 1771 back towara a more vertical position whereupon the arms G will rotate back into the bin-de~ining position of Fig~ 22. .r~oreover~
the eccentric crank axm structure 170~ ~see ~ig. 20) will raise plates 2704 and the associated bars 1733 and 1734 with their associated derlection pins 732 back to ~he upper position. Fingers 703 remain in the lowes-t position as shown in Fig. 25 until form 502 is advanced out of the insert

3~ station, followinc~ which the drive moLor 763 is energized to -5~- .

6~
rotate link 176~ and raise fingers 703 to the initial position shown in Fig. 22.
The position of the deflection pi.ns 732 is important t~
proper ~lexing of the card and accordingly for di.fferent size cards, they must be adjusted. Fig. 18 illustrates at X the bracket which permits adjusting the sE~acing between the pins 732. These pins are shown fixed in position on their respective arms 1733 and 1734; the variations in card dimensions as to-the longi-tu~inal. length are not so great as typically to require movement o~ pins 732; however, additional holes can be provided in the bars 1733 and 1734 to pexmit adjusting the longitudinal separation of the pins 732 if desired~ Other . elements ~efining.the bins correspondingly are adjustable as generally indicated in the YieWS, for example, the supports 704 or the arms G can be adjusted with the support plates 712 and 713,and the like so'as to establish the proper bin size for a different size card to be handled. Photosensor detectors are employed for monitoring and timing functions~
as earlier referenced. Fig. 18 illustrates timing disc TD
a~d detector,H for monitoring the position of the mai~ shaft ~734. The detector H output therefore indicates to the computer the current state of operation of the insert module 1700. ~igure 21 shows two additional detectors 792-1 and 792-2, the outputs of ~lhich indicate th~ position o the central support fingers 703. As oefore noted~ photo detectors ~ are positio~ed in each bin to detect whether a card has passed through that bin or stopped within it. In this re~ard; a further detector H adjacent the entrance to the card reject hopper as well indicates whether the card has advanced into the reject hopperO treating the latter ef~
fectively as a fifth ~in.

-55- .
-~;26~ _ Next to be described i~ the burs-ter struc-ture 800 o Figs. 26~ 27 and 28. A pad ~02 o~ a resilient, firm material, such as hard sponge rubber is received in a support surface (not shown) so as to present a flush suriace therewith, over which the forms are transported. A form 502-1 is shown in part, which has advanced into the insert sta~ion and in fact the leading edge thereof has already advanced into the folde~ station 900 as noted in rela~ion ~o Fig. 8. Form -502-1 remains attached at this juncture to form 502-2 which 1~ currently is positioned in the insert station 700. The burst line 502A is centrally disposed on the pad 802, delineating between the forms 502-1 and 502-2. As will be recalled from ~ig. 8, drive rollers 516, 518 and 1874, 1875 engage the respective forms 502-1 and 502~2, maintaining the same -taut at the burster sta-tion 800 to facilitate the burst operation.
Carriage 820 supports the burst rollers seen in Fig. 26 and discussed in more detail in relation to subsequent figures, the latter rollers directly engaging the surface of the forms 502-1 and 5~2-2 to perform the burst operation.
These rollers as well support the weight of and guide carriage B20. Guide rollers 862 ride on the undersurface of guide bar 812 of square cross section to maintain alignment, bar 812 being supported at its opposite ends in brackets 810~
An additional guide roller or two (not shownj may also be provided above bar 812 to provide additional gui~arlce and to partly support the carriage weisht if desired~
With concurrent reference to Figs. 26 and 27, ~racket 822 is mounted by slide elements 8~8, 850 in a slot 860 in the ~racket 820 and is clamped to drive belt 831 as mounted on pulleys 840 and 842 having respective shafts 834 and 836, pulley B40 being driven b~ a unidirectional motor 832. ~he motor drives the belt in the direction indicated at B in Fig. 26.
Looking at F~g. 27, the at~achable connection between the drive belt 831 and the traverse ca:criage 820 is shown~
A plate 822 has provided on the inner sur~ace thereof a smaller mernber having a plurality of teeth or extendin~
projections 824 for gripping engagement with the face of ~
be~t 831. At the top of plate B22, another guide plate 832 is suitably secured thereto by means of screws 825. Similarly at the bottom of the plate 82~ another guide and drive connecting plate 84& is ad~ustab;y and tightenably secured by similar screws 825. An upwardly extending projection 844 on the gripping plate 846 is also provided with teeth on the belt side thereof so that when the plates 8~2 and 844 are drawn toge-ther ~y means of the lower screws 825 the drive belt 831 rnay be securely fastened between the teeth 824 and 834. The drive pulley 840 has a recessed portion 1840 to receive plate 844 as it passes around the pulley. Idler pulley 842 has a si~ilar xecess ~not shown)~
; Fig. Z7 shows the detail of pin 850 received in slot 860 with spacer 848 supporting plate 846 slidably on the carriage 820.
With concurren~ reference to Figs. 27 and 28, shat mount 871 supports the f'anged rollers 874 and shaf-t ~ount 872 supports the crown roller 876; another shat mount 863 supports the guide rollers 862 which en~ages the guide bar 812. I~he crown roller 876 is of larger diameter than the flanged rollers 874 such tnat its extrerni~ies are received slightly within tne space defin~d between the-spaced flanges ~57- .

875 of the two channel rollers 874. Guide rollers $62 also are similarly spaced.
The flanges 875 of the two channel rollers 87~ slightl~
depress the paper into the pad 802 and maintain the adjacent forms 502~1 and 502-2 taut along the perforation line 502a.
As the carriage tra~erses the form in the direction B
indicated in ~ig. 28 r the crown roller 876 depresses the adjacent forms along burst line 502a into the pad :in cooperation -- with the channel rollers B74 and bursts the form along the peroration 502a, the burst condition being indicated by a solid line 502b in Fig. 28. This techniqûe of bursting pPrmits a tolerance of c~t least 1/16 of an inch and even greater in the alignment requirements of the perforation line 502a with the burster structure, minimizing the precision of posi~ioning of the burst line as contrasted with prior art bursting techni~ues and provides burst without moving or pulling the form at the insert station. Most burst techniques rip forms apart by pulling them apart at high speed.
As noted, motor 832 is unidirectional, and thus relati~ely inexpensive. After traversing the forms in the direction B, of course, the carriage 820 must returnO This is accomplished by the sliding engagement of bracket 822 at the far end travel of the belt 831 around the respect;ve pulleys 84~ and 842 which, in each case, permits the hracket 822 to ollo~
~ith the belt and the carriage 820 to remain in its posit~on on guide rail 812, brac~et 82~ sliding along slot 860 from one extreme to the o-ther as it passes around the pulley.
Photosensors 830~lR and 830HL at the right and left extremes of travel of the carriage 8Z0 and respecti~e adjacent pulley~ 842 and 840 de.tect a flay element 821 carried by the bracket 822 at its extr~mes of travel. Their respective output signals indicate to a computer the current position of the carriage.
In ~peration, when the orms are positioned for burs-ting, the computer energizes motor 832 to dri.ve the c~rriage in its transverse, bursting operation in t~e direction B. The output signal from detector 830HR termina~es the motor driye and the carriage comes t~ rest. The computer then signals the folder mechanism to withdraw the burst form, after which the computer energizes motor 832 to cause the carri~ge return to the let. Detection of the flag 821 by detector 830HL then signals the computer to terminate energization of motor 83~, leaving the carriage at the left initial position, pxeparatoxy to a subsequent burst operation. The carriage goes in one direction ~or the first form and the opposite direction for the second, etc.
The burster station 800 further includes longitudinal slitters 870 as shown in Figs. 29, 30 and 31. Support rod 181~ as seen in Fig. 7 extends transversely of the advancing forms ~.nd carries edge slitters LS and RS ~or removing the left and right sprocket marginal portions o~ the forms and a central slitter CS which separates the side-by side forms.

Each of the struetures RS, LS, and CS is substantially identical as illustrate~ in Fi~s. 29 - 31. As in~icated in - Fig. 7 and better seen in Fig. 29~ the slitter structures are directly associated with the form feed rollers 1874, 1875~ ~or this purpose, at each of the LS, RS and CS slit-ters, the rollers incluae double flanges 2875 spaced apart so as to include in the spacing the longltudinal perforation to be slit. Figure 31 illustrates this perforation line SEP adjacent a marginal portion 24 bearing the sprocket holes 25, disposed in a space between the flanges 2875.
In Fig. 29, bracket 1820 is adjustably mounted on support rod 1812 by clamp 1822 and screws 1824. The slitter knife 1850 is adjustably secured to bracket 1820 by screws 1862 received in slots 1860, the latter permitting height adjustment of the knife 1850. The cutting edge of the knife 1850 includes a leading portion 1852 and a trailing portion 1854 which may be relatively blunt but which serves very e-Efectively to perform the slitting due to the taut condition of the form in the region of the perforation, as maintained by the double, spaced flanges ~`
2875 and 2874 of the respectively associated rollers 1875 and 1874.
A guide element 1890 shown in phantom lines in Fig. 29 may be attached to the support rod 1812 to prevent the paper form from lifting for enhancing the slitting operation. Such a structure is particularly desirable for -the slitter CS which separate -the side-by-side forms.
Element 1892 may be of 1/4 to 3/4 inches in width and formed of a suitable resilient material such as a spring metal.
Figs. 32 - 38 comprise schematic views of the folder mechanism of folder station 900. A form 502, burst by burster station 800 from any prior form still engaged by rollers 516 and 518 and remaining in the insert station 700 is advanced by rollers 1874 and 1875 through the double clutch mechanism 953 by motor 901 as shown and discussed in relation to Fig. 8. The slitter station 1870 is associated with these rollers 6C~

1874, 1875. The remaining rollexs 912 and 914 o~ the folder are driven by the ~elt system discussed in relation to Fig.
The folder mechanism 910 includes, in addition to these rollers which may be of li~e 50rt to those previously described, first and second doors 920 and 930 which are movable be-tween the solid and dotted lines positions to accommodate selectively 3-, 2~ and l-part forms~ The solid lines positions a-re for folding a 3-part fo~m which wi~l be descri~ed. Numerals 9~5 and 935 designate the pivotable mounts for ~oors 920 and 930, respectively. With door 920 in the aotted line position i~ Fig. 32/ a single fold for a 2-part form is accomplished and if door 930 is moved to its dotted line posit.ion, the older merely transports a single orm directly to the folaer outeed station 1000, with no folds being required and accordingly none being per~ormed.
In performing two folas in a 3-part form, with the doors g20 and 930 in the solid line positions, Fig. 32 illustrates the form advancing into the folder structure 910 with the leading edge having engaged baf1e 926 and being directed thereby into a pocket 927 formed by a transverse bar 924 and a smaller baf1e 923. With the leading edge thus retained, the rollers 912M and 914M advance the form, ca~sing it t~ fold along a preformed fold line Z which i~
directed by the bent surface 928 of baffle 926 into engagement by rollers 912N and 914N. The latter advance the once-olded pol-tion of the form to direct the fold line Z against baffle 946 and into the pocket 947 formed therewith by transverse bar 944. Continued driving of the form by rollers .

~1-0Z6~

912N and 91~N produces a second fold along pre-Xo~ed fold line Y of the form, with that fold liné being directed into engagement by rollers 91~0 and 9140, the lattex then withdrawing the completely folded form from the folder 910 ~nd advancing same ~o the folder outfeed station 1000. It is believed apparent that movement of the baffle plates will accommoaate a single Eold or no fold at all as ~efore described. It is also believed apparent that the folder mechanism 910 transpoxts therethrough and ~ccordingly folds as required a pair of side-by-side forms as separately received,from the burster slitter station.
The ou~reed station 1000 is shown in various stages of operation in Figs. 36 through 38 and in a detailed perspective view of its structure in Fig. 39. The folded form 502 exiting from the folder structure 910 advances into a xeceiver 1001 defined by a straight frvn~ plate 1005 and a curved back plate 1010. In Fig. 39, windows 1014 permit monitoring for the presence of forms by photocells H. These photocell outputs as well provide an indication of the success~
ful completion of the folding function; since the presence of Orm5 should be detec-ted within a predetermined tim~ period (200 ms~ after the start of the fold cycle. For this purpose, the output of photocell H of ~ig. 32 which indicates the departure of the trailing edge of the orm into the folder 910 in ~ig. 32 identifies the initiativn of the time cycle oE fvlding and the outputs of photocells H in Fig. 39 identify the completion of folding within the predetermined time period.
The plates 1005 and 1010 are normally in the up position as shown by solid lines in Fig. 36 Eor receiving the forms from the fclder mechanism 910 and after receipt of forms, are moved to the retracted or down position shown in dotted lines for advancing same to the output feed transport. Fig. 37 shows these structures in somewhat more detail in the up position and Fig. 38, in the down position. The structural configuration is now discussed with concurrent reference to Figs. 37 to 39. In Fig.
39 and for purposes of the following description, only the portion of the folder outfeed mechanism lOd for receiv-ing the right hand form as viewed from the front of the machine, is shown and discussed. The left hand portion for receiving the left form is of like sort.
The front plate 1006 has a depending extension 1007 to which is secured a spring steel element 1013 for supporting idler rollers 1015 at associated axles 1017 at its opposite ends. In the down position of the plates -1005 and 1010, the idler rollers resiliently engage the drive rollers 1026 with the form therebetween to cause the form to be driven out of the receiver.
With reference to Fig. 36, the receiver 1001 actually is defined by the back plate 1010 which includes a back wall panel 1012, a bottcm edge support panel 1016 and a forward panel 1018 which dEfine a channel into which the form is deposited. The front plate 1005 principally assures that the form is directed into and remains within that channel where the two plates 1005 and 1010 are moved together. As previously noted, the form received in the channel formed by elements 1012, 1016 and 1018 thus is driven out of the folder outeed mechanism.

~ixed shaft 1024 c~rries rotat~ble supports 1035 to ~hich the back plate 1010 is secured. Actuating element 1019 is also rotatably mounted on shaf t 1024 through its aper~ure 1023. Plate 1005 is attachea through its depending 1ange 1009 at apertures 1011 with the bracket 1019 a~ its .. . . . . .
mating holes 1021. Plate 1005 thus may rotate relatively to pla~e 1010 about shat 1024. Member 1019 fur~her includes an aperture 1053 and a resîlient shock pad ~058 associated with ~he actuated mechanism, to be discussed. A block 1020 secured to the back o~ plate 1010 carries a pin 1022 ana a mating pin 1027 as provided on the extension 1009 of the fxont plate 1005, spring 1025 coupling the pins 1022 and 1027 to urge the corresponding plates 1010 and 1005 into engagement~ .
Figs. 37 and 38 illustrate a link mechanism attached by pi~ot shaft. 1055 received in aperture 1053 of the element 1019. A rotary solenoid C mounted to the frame 1710 carries on its rotary shaft 1060 link arms 1059 and 1057 pivotally . con~ec~ed at 1061. Spring 1056 is connected to pin 1058 attached to bracket 1720 at one end an~ at the other end to the shat 1055. Solenoid C, when energized, rotates in the clockwise ~irection to actuate the linkage 1057, 105~, rotating the element 1~19 upwardly about shaft 10~4 and xotating front plate 1005 in the counter-clockwise direction to its forward, open position, spring 1025 pulling the ~ackplate 1010 to move in a counter-clockwise direction similarly and into an upright position as seen in Fig. 37.

When de-energized, spring 1056 returns the back plate 1010 to its down position~ engaging stop 1064, as seen in ~ig.
38.

--6~-~26~5 - -In moving to the up position, whereas front plate 1005 is positively driven, plate 1010 follows only by the action of spring 1025 and thus the stop encJaged by the back plate 1010 prevents its further forward motion to open and thus define ~he receiver 1001 as seen in Figs. 3b and 37 for receipt of a folded formO The stop 1043 attached to the support 1710 engages the back plate 1010 to prevent its further forwara motion under influence of spring 1025 as the front plate 1005 moves fon~ara. Cushion pad 1033 in Fig. 37 serves as a stop for plate 1005 when engaging panel 1042.
(c.f. Fig. 39) Now looking at Figs~ 36 - 38, the overall operation of this outeed receiver structure will be described. The rotary solenoid C when energi~ed from the computer, rotates shaft 1060 in the clockwise direction and through linXages 1059, 1061, 1057, 1019, and 1009 effects movement of the short front plate 1005 towards the left. ~hrough the connecting spring 1025 the curved backplate 1010 is caused to move upwardly and to the left until the stop 1043 engagec with panel portion 1042 to prevent any furt~er movement thereof.
The front plate 1005 continues movement to the left until L
membex 1019 and resilient ~u~per pad 1058 thereon engage with the block 1020 to limit further movement of the front plate. However, the front plate has moved fur~her than the 2~ rear one, opening up a wide mouth for reception of the forms. Because of the relative position of the structure in relationship to stop 1043, the front plate 1005 will be ~uch nearer the back of the folder than the curvecl backplate 1010 will be. Thus, when the forms 522 are fed out of the final folder rollers 9120 and 2140 the forms will be fed into the wide mouth receptacle 1001 of the receiver. Upon the rotary solenoid being deenergized, the sprincJ 1056 whic~ is presently under tension, will effect a mo~ement of all of the a~ove linkages so that t~e plates 1005 and 1010 move toward the right, see Fig. 3B. A fixed stop 1064 prevents further movement o~ curved backplate 1010, while the L member 1019 .
pxo~ided with a cushion pad ~033 functions as a stop for plate 1005 when pad 1033 engages with panel 1042.
When the receiver is in the down or right most position 1~ as seen in Fig. 3~, the folded ~orms will be engaged between the driven rollers 1026 ana the idler rollers 1015. These rollers then cause the folded forms to be mo~ed out of the outleed xeceiver, towards the left thereof in Fig. 39.

Fig. 40 depicts in schematic form this operation.
Numerous photocell sensors H are spa~ed adiacent the various rollers as indicated, and send information to the computer to indica~e the presence of folded forms, or the lack thereof.
- Also, a photocell in this transport path detects the leaaing edge of the second form to zssure tha~ both have left the receiver and are on their way to the output stacker. Additional driving rollers, in pairs 1090 and 10~2~ are provided closely adjacent to the outfeed receiver output as shown in Fig. ~0, to assure positive move~ent of ~he folded ~orrns from the out~ed recei~er 1000. These pairs of rollers also perform anothe~ function and that is to assure that the forms are properly creased along the fold lines. Fach of these pairs of rollers are spaced and aligned so that they engage the folded forms directly along the crease lines thereof to positively assure that each crease is completed satisfactorily.

.

-6~-They also pro~ide for a positi~e feed o the forms into olded fo~ txansport 2000.
The olded form transport mechanism 2000 is shown in a top schematic vie~ in Fig. 40 and in a bottom schematic view S in Fig. 43~ ~rom the positi~e outfeed rollexs lQ90 and 1092, the folded forms are transported by a ~igh fric~ion belt 206C which is supported by the plurality o rollers 2004. The left end roller 2016 is driven by its associated pulley ~014 from belt 2013 which in turn i5 ~riven by pulley 1~ . 2012 on the mo-tor 2010. The forms are maintained in engagement with the belt 2060, idler xollers 2006. The righ-t most roller 2017 is mounted on a common shaf~ with a smaller pulley 201~ which in turn drives the drive belt 2030. This drive belt Z030 in conjunction with pulley 2021 positively lS drives the creasing rollers 1090 and 1092 while simultaneously : driving pulleys 2026 which are drivingly connectea with the outfeed receiver rollers 1026. Thus, the motor 2010 operates - all of the ~olded form transporting system from the folder output to the stacker tray inpu~.
~ Fig. 40 shows a top view of the folded form ejec-tor me~hanism for receiving the folded forms from the form transport belt 2060 and for positively moving or ejecting these forms into output stacker trays 1111. Photo-electric sensors EH for the ejectors 100 sense the presence of ~5 folded forms. The syste~. does not au-tomatically reject forms with cards in them but typically will automatically reject a form that does not ha~e cards in it -- e.g., where there is no account number on the form, such as at the 4nd of a run or the like, and therefore the machine is just discarding needless forms. Forms with cards are rejected only under operator control as a resu~t ~f some error mode h~ing been initiated by the computer system, ox by direct operator intervention.
S When forms with cards in them are sensed by either o~
the two ejector photoelectric sensors EH in Fig. 40, the correct one of the pair oX ejectors 2100 corresponding to the selected output tray is selected will be properly actuated.
~or~s are advanced on the belt 2060 from the folder outfeed and creasing rollers 1090, 1092 toward the pair of ejectors 2100~ There the output of the photocell for the selected one of the two output stackers 1100 is monitored to detect that a form has entered into its respective area. When the form is detected, the rotary solenoid of the selected ejector lifts the eject mechanism to align the form track with the corresponding output stacker tray. The form is then fed from the ejector mechanism into this selected output stacker tray. Photocells HH ~Fig. 44) are presen-t in the e~ect station to sense the transfer of forms to the output stacker.
If a form detected as entering the ejector mechanism by photocell EH is not detected as entering the corresponding stacker tray by its associated photocell HH the system will indicate outfeed error and go into the outeed error mode.
The outputs of those same ejector photocells HH also ~5 cause an advance mechanism in the output stacker trays to be advanced anothex step in order to move the previous forms to~ards the front of the tray, as ~Jell as moving the immediately ejected form forwaxd in the tray. This struc-ture is of the -6~-~ Z6~

?'walking beam" type in order to pro~ide proper positive form stac~ing. After whichever tray is currently being filled reaches the full point, it then can be removed by an oper~tor after switching the output eed to the other tra~ automatically or by operator li~ting stacking arm 1111 which will indicate to the computer that said tra~ is not a~ailable, and then the full tray replaced with another empty one~
~igs. 41 - 44 and ~ig. 46 show the ejector mechanism .
and dri~e therefore. The dri~e motor 2010 for the ~olded form transport as well as the outfeed feed rollers is also used to dri~e the ejector mechanism. Pu;ley ~012 drives belt 2013, which in turn drives pulley 2014, shaft 2015, and driven pulley 2016 for in turn driving the xound belt 2060 which directly engages with the folded forms ana transports them in conjunction with the idler pulleys 2006. Secured adjacent to pulley 2012 and affixed to the same motor shaft, or even integral with pulley 2012 is another drive_belt pulley 2112. This pulley drives round belt 2177 which in turn drives pulley 2176 affixed to rotatable shaft 2175. ~uitable-idler and tensioning pulleys 2178 on a support 2179 keep belt 2177 under suitable tension. Rotatable shaft 2175 has affixed thereto ejector outfeed belt drive pulleys 2174. These pulleys 217~ in turn drive belts 2170 and idlers 2172. Each eiector m~ves the forms ~rom the folded form transport belt 2060 up into contact with belts 2170 where ~ley are in turn eiected into the respective stacking trays.
The portion of the ejector mechanism which moves the respective folder forms from transport belt 2060 up to engagement with ejector belts 2170 is best seen in Fiqs. ~1 . . ..

and 42. Two inverted U shaped members 2150 have pivot pins 2152 extendincJ from the closed portions thereof, while the open end .~151 of each member is connected by plate member 2153. Supported upon this plate member are two idler rollers 2006. From the opposite open legs 2156 of the inverted U members is supportea a shaf~ 2158. This shaft 2158 is provided with form engaging i~ler rollers 2168 at_ each end thereof. In order to be able to pivot the double U
shaped mechanism just described about the pivot pins 21S2, another rod 2130 is provided a short distance from the pivot points for actuation by 2 link member 2120 r suitably pivotally ~ounted on shaft 2130 by means of an aperture 2152. ~he other end of this linkage has a pin 2116 extending laterally therefrom for engagement with the aperture 2106 of actua~ing link 2101. Actuating link is in turn affixed by means of aperture 2104 and suitable lock and set screw structure to the output shat of the rotary solenoid C. This rotary solenoid when energized actuakes link 2101, and when de-energized returns same by use of a suitable return spring .. . .
2110. Spring 2110 is connected at one end to a suitable pin fro.m the extension ~108 on member 2101 and the other end thereof is fixed.
Fig. 41 shows how this mechanism of Fig. 42 is supported from the basic support structure 2110. The pivot pins 2152 ~5 are suitably mounted in pivot support bearings 3152 on the support frame 3110. Fig. 41 is the view fxom the back of the ejector mechanism as taken along 41-41 o.f ~ic3, 44.
When a properly folded form reaches a position on the transpor~

belt 2060 between pulleys 2004 and idler pulleys 2006, the photoelectric sensor H for that station and pos.ition of the form will proviae a signal to energize xo~ary solenoicl C to pivot the ejector mechanism of Fig. 42 about the pivot pins 2152. Rollers 2168 then will engage the respecti~e enc~s of the folded form and lift same quickl~ up into engagement with the ejector outfeed belts 2170~ As ~est seen in Fig~
44, in the dotted line showing vf the rollers 2168, when the . folded form reaches this upward ejector position, and because of the rapiclly rotating pulleys ~172 and 2174 with the .
ejector outfeed belts 2170, the form will be ejected into the stacker tray 1101. Dash pot ~190 is connected to the xotary solenoid linkage mechanism 2101 and 2120 to damp (shock absorb) the movement thereof.
-Fig~ 44 also shows the switch SW for actuation by the tray rod 1111 as described earlier. In conjunction with this electric switch SW is the photosensor device 1154 mounted on support 1156, which senses reflection of light from the forms at the back of tray 1101 as indicated by 2~ dotted lines A in Fig. 44, and also reflection of li~ht ~rom the back side of the movable plate 1150 attached for pi~Jotable movement at 3153. Spring 1158 biases plate upward when the rear oE tray 1101 is not in the position shown~ i.e. t the t~ay is removed. This plate 1150 is provicled with a window 1152 as ~est seen in the enlarged view of Fig. 45. Thus, the photosensor device 115~ will sense when a tray is ull of stackecl forms, as well as sensing when the tray 1101 has been removed.
The end of lift rod 1111 closest to the ejector-mechanism i5 connectecd to a spring 1113 which in turn is connected to a pivot block 1115. This pivot block 1115 is pivotally mounted at a pivot point 1117. A stationa~y pivot point 1119 for the lift rod 1111 com~letes this over~center type control for the lift rod. Thus, with this mechanism, the li~t rod 1111 will stay in either its closed position just above the tray as shown in s~l-~d lines i~ Fig.-44~ or the dotted line position to permit tray removal and also to properly actuate the switch SW. With the tray removed the li~ht reflecting ~ plate 1150 will lift, and a light-reflecting surface on the back of plate 1150 will be placed in the line of sight of the LED 1154, producing an apparent tray-full output indication.
As before noted, the outputs of the LED 1154 znd the switch are logically related to provide a tray-unavailable indication, whether due to tray-full, -missing, or other condition.
lS In order to ensure that the folded forms as e~ected into the end of the tray at the rear of the machine will be moved toward the front of the tray in a positi~e manner, mechanism as best seen in Figs. 44 and 47 is provided. This mechanism consists of saw tooth like projections 1104 pravided in the ~ray bottom itself which function in conjunction with walking beam struc.ure 1121. This walking beam structure, at lea~t two per tray, but more may be provided if deslred, is actuated so as to alternately lift and then drop the hottom edges of the ~olded forms 522. A high friction surface 1120 is provided on the top of each wal~ing beam 1121 Members 1122 extending from the bottom of each member 1121 throu~h suitable holes 1123~ eccentric members 1125 having pins 1124 to complement with holes 1123, and driven shafts 1126, alternately lift ar~d move forward each of the walking beam members 1121, 1120. A belt 1128 and rollers 1127 suitably connected to drive motor 1130 effect the walkin~ heam action. As can be visualized b~ looking at Fig. ~, as the bot~om ~ t;le ~orms 522 are lifted, moved forward, and then droppea, the saw tooth edges 1104 in the tray bottom will prevent the backward regression of the forms and maintaiIl same in position as moved toward the front of the tray. Thus the tray can be completely filled and stacked with ~he folded forms in a positive secure manner. ~ig. 44 also shows that tlle window plate llS0 has associated therewith a spring 1158 to assure operation of this part of the mechanism.
... .
As noted in Fig. 40 and atso as indicated schematically in ~iys~ 41 and 43, appropriate photoelectric sensors H are - provided at numerous points along the ~olded form transport path, in order to deteck the presence and absence of forms at these various points and provide outputs to the computer for monitoring and control purposes.
Figure 48 shows the control panel 1500 in greater detail. Power switch 1502 is depressable -to provide on/off power control, its indicator illuminating when power is "on". All of the pushbutton switches 1510 through 1530 are momentary pushbutton switch/indicator devices which typically illuminate when the button is pushed or as well may be illuminated by automatic computer-controlled operations typically in a situation re~uiring some operator intervention, The various pushbuttons place the system into various modes, which, generally, may ~lso be entered automatially by the system during operation as a result of ~arious conditions to be discussed. Accordingly, re~erence will ~e made concurren~ly to Fig, 48 and to the mode chart of Fig. 49 in the following CARD COUNTER display 1504 indicates the n~ber of c~rds which pass thro-!gh the ECR reader 400 and enter the insert module 700. Switch 1506 permits manual reset of the card count. Display 1508 provides a 32 position single line alphanumeric display oE various messages hereinafter discussed.
INPUT HOPPE~ SELECT switch 1510 includ.es dual indicators 1511 and 1512 which a..re illumin.ated selectivel~ in accordance with the selection of one o the left and right lnput trays 110 and 112 as se~n in Figure .; the pushbutton switch 1510, upon entering permits manual o~erride of the automatic selection of the left hopper by the system0 as above descri~ed.
A horn or othex audible sound producing device is - . caused to sound as a warnins for various error conditions.
In addition, a messaye îs provided in display 1508. For e~ample, if the input trays 110 and 112 are empty, the horn will sound and the display will indicate the message "HOPPER
ERRORI-.
The ERROR CLEA~ pushbutton switch 1514 includes an indicator which illuminates to indicate detection o~ an error or an input/ouput condition requiring operator attention;
such a condition causes the horn to sound and the display t~
provide a message to the operator for assisting and correct-ing the condition. Depressing pushbutton 1514 once deactivates the horn~ permitting the operator to clear the error.
A minor error is correctable by opera~or intervention without either the error or the correction thereof by operator intervention so disrupting the system tha-t re-initialization is necessary. For example, empty/full conditions of card input/
stacker output trays can be remedied readily by the operator;
as well, data-match errors typically are correctable ~y operator .

intervention, the operator by manual con-trols, to be des-cribed, re-establishing the proper, m~tching ~orm/card sequence. The inserting opera-tion then is resumed by depressing ERROR CLEAR pushbutton 1514 a second time.
A major error, discussed more fully hereinafter, t~pically .. . . . . . . . .
arises due to ja~ming of forms or cards, and typically re~uires, after operator interventiQn to clear the error, that the system be re-initialized as in an initial master clçar mode of operation. Herein, the operator depresses khe ERROR CLEAR pushbutton 151~ a second time which master clears the system, and then depresses the R~N button 1516.
For the special case of a data-match error, depressing ERROR CLEAR button 1514 deacti~ates the horn and puts the system in the inspection stop mode. The ~isplay 1508 in-dicates the account number of the last card read. The operator must resynchroni~e the cards and forms, af~er which the inserting operation is resumed by depressing the RUN
button 1516.
The MASTER CLEAR pushbutton 1518,.when depressed, initializes the system logic, rejects all forms in the burster~
fo~der s-tations 800 and 900 and all cards in the card trans-port 300, and repositions the fan-fold paper 510 at the load point in the transport station 500. Any cards remainin~ in the insert module 700 must be removed manually.
Holding the MASTER CLEAR pushbutton 1518 depressed freezes all system functions until it is released; its indicator is illuminated by the system being in the master clear mode. Mas~er clear (~lCL) is ac~nowledged in a~l system modes.

The S~IP CARD button 1520, when depressed, enters a "phan-tom" card into the next available position in the insert module. All cards in the card transport 300 remain in place, Its actu,ation is acknowledged in the inspection stop mode;
S its function is for resynchronizing the cards with the forms, and it works only until all necessary cards have been placed in the insert module.
REJECT pushbutton switch 1522 is used in conjunction with eithex the CARD ADVANCE button 1524 to xeject a card currently at the card inspection station 4~0, at the output side o~ the card reader 400, or with the ~ORM ADVANCE button 1526 to reject the double width form under the inspection window 720. The forms are rejected into the forms reject bin 120Q either after RUN or FOR~ ADVANCE buttons 1516 and 1526 is depressed. The REJECT indicator 1522 illuminates when the selec-ted one of the second switches, 1516 or 1526, is actuated. Reject is acknowledged in the inspection stop mode.
RUN pushbutton 1516, when depressed, starts or resumes the inserting operation and pu-ts the system in the run mode.
Run is acknowledged in the ready mode in which the display 1508 indicates "READY~..HOPPER SE~ECTED" and in the inspection stop mode. Depressing RUN button 1516 while the system is in the run mode with cards beiny fed into the insert module and 2S releasing same as soon as the insert pins 732 move down toward the cards, interrupts the insert cycle just before the in-sertion operation and allows inspection and adjustment of the irsert mechanism. Depressing RUN button 1516 again resumes the cycle.
INSPECTION STOP but~on 1528, when depressed, halts - - .

the inserting operation and positions the double width forms under the inspection window 720 to ~llow the operator to visuall~ vexify that the information on the pre-addressed form matches the information on the cards inserted in the form. When a data-match error occurs, the system goes into the inspection mode-~a~tomatically whe'n the ERROR CLEAR pus~-button 1514 i~ depressed. The inserting operation is rcsumea by depressing RUN. Both upon depressin~ butt~n 1528, and ~ upon the automatic entxy into the inspection stop mode, the ' indicatox of the button 1528 is illuminated.

SYSTEM SEIUTDOWN button 1530, when actuated, terminates the inserting operation and clears all completed forms ~rom the system. Pic~ing of cards 102 ceases, and any cards remaining in the transport 300 are inserted into the proper , 15 forms; if necessary, additional cards are picked to satisfy the ~equirements of the forms in the insert module~ All completed forms~ including those in the insert module at the time o depressing the SYSTEM SHUTDOI~ button 1530, are burst, folded, and fed into the selected,output tray and the fan-fold forms 510 are advanced to the load point. The inAicator illuminates while the system is in the system shutdown mode and extinguishes when the above operativns of that mode have been completed. System shutdown is acknowledged in the run mode and the input hopper empty condition (wherein displz~ 1508 indicates HOPPER ERROR) of the error mode.

CARD ADVANCE button 1524 advances each card by a prescribed distance to a next successive position in the card transport 300. The card at the cara inspection station 450, at the output side of the card reader ~00, is moved forward and ' .

either placed in the insert moclule 700 or rejecte~ Clf REJECT button 1522 was previously depressea~ ancl ano~her card is fed through the card reader 400. Actuation of the C~RD ~DVANCE button 1524 is acknowledged in the inspection stop mode. I~s function works only until all necessary cards have been placed in the insert module for the associated ~rm .
The actuation ~f the FO~I ADVANCE button 15~6 is acknowledged in the ready mode ~display in~icates ~EADY...HOPPER
SE~ECTED?) and in the inspection stop mode. ~epressing the FOP~ ADVANCE button 1526 with the system in the ready mode moves the forms (one form length) to the next top-of-form position, and bursts, folds and feeds one set of forms into the forms reiect bin 1200. In the ready mode, the function lS may be used as many times as desired. Depressing FO~1 - ADVANCE button 1526 with the system in the inspection stop mode moves the forms tha'~ are visible through the inspection window 720 either into an output tray 1101 or 1102 or into the forms reject bin 1200 (if P~JECT 1522 and FQRMS ADVANCE
~ 1526 we~e previously depressed) and advanc~s the next double-width form by a predetermined amount (one-third of the form length) ~o the inspection windowO This form must be comple tecl by using the CARD ADVANCE and SKIP CARD functions.

In the inspection stop mode, FORM ADVANCE may be used only once.

The display 1508 provides indications of various normal and/or error conditions occurring durin~ operations, and instructions to the operator. The previously noted messac3e, "R~DY,..~OPPER SELECTED?", indicates -the system is in the ready mode, read~ to begin or resume the inse~ting operation.
Depressing RUN button 1516 causes the system -to start, or to resume, operations~ Other operator actions may be performed by depressing of appropriate buttons, such as selecting the input ~opper for overriding the automatic ~election, advancing and thereby rejecting one set of forms, ini~ializing the system logic ~y ~epressing ~STER CLEAR thereby to rejec~
forms in the burster~folder, to reject all cards in the card transport, and to reposition the paper at the load point. In the run mode, the display indica-tes the number of cards to be in~erted in each half of the double-width form in the insert module 700.
Various minor error conditions are displayed. t'~IO
PAPER" may indicate the lack of forms or improper loading or jamming of forms. "HOPPER ERROR" indicates, ~ariously, empty card input trays 110, 112~ card jamming, or improper positioning or operation of the input hoppers. "STACKER
FUIJL ERROR" generally indicates that neither of the output tra~s 1101, 1102 is ready to receive forms, which may result either because the trays are full or due to improper positioning or the trays, jamming or similar circumstances. "PICK
ERROR" may indicate that a card is stuck in the tray 110 or 11 or jammed in the picker throat area 231-234 of the card transport 300. "OU~FEED ERROR" indicates that a form did not exit all three areas of the outfeed mechanism and thus that a form may be ja.~med variously in the folder 900, the folder outfeed mechanism 1000, or the e~ector mechanism 2100 to the output trays 1101, 1102. "TR~N~PORT ERROR" indicates there are more than five cards in the card transport 300 between the card pick 200 and the insert module 700, usually a resul~ of jammed cards.
"D~TA-MATCH ERROR" signifies that the data read from A
yiven card does not match the data read from the intended, associated form. In this error mode, the form is advanced to the inspection station, the card just read remains at the card inspection station, and the display displays the account number of the last card read. A question mark in the account number shown on display 1508 indicates that the reader was unable to read the number in that position. This is one source of a data-match error. The card reader 400 as well may have misread the data on the card~ Likewise, the OCR
form reader 611 may have misread data on the form. A card may be missing from the sequence, or an e~tra card present~
!. 15 In general, the operator compares the account numbers of the forms under the inspection window 720, the card at the inspection station 450, and that shown by display 1508 to determine the action required. If a card is missing, SKIP

CARD 15~0 button is depressed -to electxonically insert a phantom card into the next available posi-tion ln the insert ~odule, and CARD ADVANCE 1524 is depressed once for each card required to complete the double-width form under the ; inspectivn window. If an extra card is present in the sequence, it is rejected and then the CARD ADVANCE button 1524 depressed once for each card required to complete the double-width form under the inspection window. Here, the extra card may be one out of sequence or an ext.ra card for the prior, already completed form now already be~ond.the burster and into the older. Since the error occurred as a s result of that extra card not matching the form currently in the inserter, the operator control essentially manually completes that present form by overriding the system exror mode which had terminated inserting ac-tivities.
S An extra form causing the error, i.e., one ~or which no cards are available, is rejected by depressing ~EJ~CT 1522 and then FORM ADVANCE 1526 ~- this attaches a t'xeject status"
to both double-wi~th forms at the inspection wi~dow, and ~hey are rejected into the reject hin 1200 after the run mode is resumed. The reading of data from a card or a form as well can be overridden where the account numbers in fact match, b~
- m~nually depressing CARD ADVANCE button 1524 once for each card required to complete the form. Following these operator override controls, by depressillg RVN 1516, the system may resume the run mode~
~n OCR data error display indicates an error in the data for~at or an invalid character as actually reaa, and the operator restarts the system for re~reading the forms. If the error occurs again, the operator inspection procedures are followed.
If the match is satisried, the operator manually supplies the necess~ry actual or phantom cards under controls as ab~ve dis-cussed; if not, the error and reject operations are ollowed.
An "OCR ERROR" display indicates that t~e OCR reader 400 did not complete reading a fGrm, which can arise due to jamming of the forms or the OCR reader itself.
All of the ~ore~oing errors are chaxacteri~ed as "minor errors". With the majority of these errors, -~he operator underta~es the necessary steps to supply cards or ~orms, or correct whatever other conditions exist which caused the error.

"FO~M ADVANCE ER~OR" and " INsERrr~BuRsT ERROR" are designated major errors; in the firs~, the p~per transport was unable to complete a ~orm advance because oE fonm jam~in~
at a location between the load point and the folder whereas the tatter error arises due to j~mming o cards i~ the .. . . . . . .
insert module or of a form in the burstexa The operator ; ta~es the necessary corrective steps, and then must re- ~
initialize the system before system operation can be resumed.
Figure 50 îs a general block diagram of the system o ; 10 the invention; by way of comparison to Figure 2, ~igure 50 ~mpnasizes the structural organization and interrelationship of the various subcomponents of the system. The la~els in the various blocks and the identifying numerals correspond to those elements and subcomponents of the system previously discussed~ ~igure 50 illustrates the interconnections and communication paths between the central processing unit ~CPU~ 1602 o~ the computer, previously generally referenced by the numeral 1600 and the variQus subcomponents of the system, particularly by means Or an input~output (I~O) driver ~oard 1604 which in turn communicates through a solid state relay board 1606 with various specific subcomponents~
Program select switch 1603 permits selection of any o~
various programs, which afford differing types of system operation~ As later sho~n, when se-t, e.g., to =0, the data-match function is selected for govexning inserting operations.
If set to =1, inserting without data-match re~uirements is selected. Other programs may be provided for maintenance purposes, such as for selectively and independently ~operating any of the modules in accordance with their respective operatin~ routines (to be discussed) but withou-t oper~ting the other modules. ~iguxe 50 specifically shows the horn 1608 mentioned in reference to Figure 48 and additi.onally a jam relay 1610, which cuts off A.C. power to drive motoxs when a jam is de-tected, and a form counter 1612. The eight safety-interlock switches 1614 (e.g., for power~down upon opening cabinet doors) supply their outputs to the I/O
driver board 1604.
The ~ead gate servo board 1616 for controlling the la ener~ization of the drive motor 638 for ~he OCR wand 611 is seen to include a servo loop lhl7 and a tachometer 1618 for controlling through the servo board 1616 the energization of the OCR wand drive motor and hence the wand position.
The card counter 1505 associated with the counter dis-lS pla~ 15~ of Figure 48 is driven by the card counter driver 1620 of the I/O driver board 1604 for pro~iding the card count display as before referencea.
A suitable power supply 130 supplies necessary levels of AC and DC power to the v~rious operating components of the system.
The OCR wand 611 provides its output to the OCR elec-tronics 1630, ir. turn, to the OCR buffer 1532 for supply.
to the CPU 1602.
Figure 49, the basic mode interaction chart, defines ~5 t~e major operational modes of the system and as well the -manner or sequence of proceeding from one mode to another, and illustrates certain of the basic conditions which cause the system to go from one mode to another mode.
Master clear ~MLC~, performed automaticall~ upon power up or when selected manually, causes the system to perform certain initialize functions, generally to cl~ar the entire system and to prepare it for normal operation. The microprocessor ~CPU 1602) pexforms various inherent initiali~e operations which i`nclu~e, for example, initializin~ its input~output ports, presetting certain software timers and performing other, generally internal, ~icroprocessor functions. The system--fu~the~ performs essentially all operatin~ subroutinesf with certain exceptions not here per~inent.
A ~irst initialize operation is -~o ~rive the OCR wand readex 611 to its home position, and to clear the OCR buffer 163~.
The inserter head deflection pins 732 are checked for bein~
in their "up" position and, if not, are driven to -that position;
this function as well closes the ~in arms G to their normal ~in-definin~ positions. Likewise, the inserter support fingers 703 are checked as to position and if not in the normal ~up" position, are driven there.
The drive motor 501 for the paper form transport system 500 also is driven to a "home" position. With xeference to ~igure 12, paper transport motor 501 is driven through its servo 1640 (Figure 50) so as to position the disc 1510 at its rererence position with regard to sensing photocells.
The paper sensor microswitch 500SW (Figs. 7 and 9? -- in the form transport station 500 is monitored to determine if any paper is present and, if so~ the drive motor 501 i5 driven through a complete form drive cycle, i.e~, sufficient to reverse transport the form strip 510 by one complete form length, until such time as no form 50~ rem~ins in the inser-ter head and the -8~--z~

paper transport dxive syster~ returns to the top of ~orm con-dition. If a supply of forms 510 in fact is in the system, this initialize opexation results in the top of the first form 502 moving to the load, or alignment position 1502 seen in Figure 9~
The CPU/microprocessor 1602 also operates all remaining paper ~ransport mec~anisms, e.g., the burster 800, older 900, outfeed lOCO and output transport 2000 mechanisms, as well as the card transport mechanism 300, to clear any ~orms or cards from 1~ the system. Certain components as before described, e.g., t~e burster 800, if not at the home and instead at some intermediate position, at power~up, inherently will cause energization of the respective drive motor and driv-ng of that component to a home position. Similarly,-the drive motor fox the support fingers of the insert head inherently will be energized if at an intermediate position at power-up, driving the fingers to one extreme or the other and if that extreme is not the "up" position, will be driven to the "up" position. Any forms or cards, whether separate or already assembled, if within the system at power-up~ will be passed inherently to the respective output reject hoppers, since the system as yet is not capable of providiny a positive indica-tion that correct data-match operations occurred as to those forms or cards.

As a final function in the initialization mode, the CPU lhO~
2S checks the state of the form sensor microswitch 500SW in the form transport system 500; if forms are present, the microswitch 500SW is closed and provides an appropriate indication. If none is present, the system displays "NO ~APER" and remains in the initialization mode until fO~lS ~re loacled This ., _~5~

display is not accompanied by the usual alarmferror conditions, since it is merely an inaication of the conaition at power-Upf when typically the operator is s~ill prep~ring the system~
The automati~ selection of the le~t input card hopper tra~
110 also is made during initialization; however, the CPU 1602 does check the status of the INPUT HOPPER SELECTION switch 1510 for responding to manual selection of a hopper tray by the operator. Likewise, the prefexential selection of the right output stacker tray is made and that stacker tray tested for readiness to receive, or availability for receiving, completed forms. If the normally first-selected card tleft) tray or (right) stacker tray is not ready for use (essentially an error check) the system automatically selects the alternate one~ and tests for readiness~ I error results from the latter tests, meaning neither of the card hopper/output stacker trays is available, an error condition indication is displayed.
These latter initialization functions result in erro.r indication displays and not errors in t~e normal operational sense since the system is only in the initializ~tion mode, and hence once the tests are made a~d the necessary displays provided, the systern passes to the ready mode.
The last function of master clear and the initialization .mode will be to turn off the master clear light, and the system will exit the initialization moae and enter the ready mode.
In the ready m~de, the microprocessor checks for the presellce of paper in the tractor of the paper dr:ive by monitoring switch 500SW (Figs. 7 and 9~; if no paper e~ists ~z~ --the syste~ will display ~O PAPER on the control panel displa~
1508 and remain in the ready mode until paper (forms~ are loadecl.
I~ paper is present, the ready mode automatically selects the left input card hopper txay 1.10 and the hopper is tested for the presence of cards -- if none, the system will then a~tomatically select the ri.ght input card hopper ~ray 112. This switching ability is, in essence, the . . performance of the hopper error test on the left hopper 1~ which, if not satisfied, causes selection of the right hopper. I no cards are present in the ri~ht hopper either, the "hopper error'l display is made; this displa~t however, is not accompanied by the usual alarm conditions but is merely an indication of the condition. In a similar fashion, the right output stacker is preferentially selected first and tested for its readiness ~o receive or its aYailability . .
for receiving forms, and if the error test conditions are not satisfied, the system will switch to the left output stacker; if the left output stacker is as well not available this again will constitute an error cond.ition and a "stacker error" indication will be made. The system, nevertheless, will remain in the ready mode~
Thereafter, the system loops through furthex tests, checkin~ the FORM ADVANCE switch 1526 and the RU~ switch 1516. The FO~M ADVA~CE switch 1526 permits the operator to advance the forms if desired, such as to accommodate a leader or blank form at the heginning of a suppl~ of fan fold forms being fed into the machine. It woulcl also permit the operator to b~pass forms printed with account numbers . -87-~3~

which the operator kno~-s do not match the first account numbers on the cards available in the hopper.
With the system thus prepared, the RUN switch 1516 is depressed to place the system in the run mode, signified by the run indicator being illuminated.
In the run modet the display 1508 is cleaxed te~g. J it - previously having been displaying "R~ADY"~ and the message "HOPPER SELECTED? " is displayed as a reminder to the opera~or to make a manual hopper selection, if aesired, other than the automatic left hoppex select of the system. The la-tter display thereafter is cleared in the xun mode, in the a~sence . of any exrox mode occurring, and the display 1508 displays the number of cards to be inserted into each o~ the double-width forms currently positioned in the insert module ~00.
. The first activity in the run mode is to activate the OCR

wand reader 611 to read~the first form 502, and thereafter to advance that form 502 into the insert module 700 and then return the OCR head 611 to home position.

~t this juncture, the system is ready to enter the main system loop of Fig. 51 in which the system remains during successful operation. The system and thus the main loop, has a basic ~0 millisecond (ms~ cycle; this is much slower than the operating cycle requirements of the microprocessor (CPU~ 1602 and other control electronics o the system (typically in the range of a few" e.g., 2~-3, milliseconds) but is selected to avoid potential problems, such as responding to erroneous~ apparent. signals proauced by contact bounce ~
i.e., this cycle time assures stablization of system~elec-tro-nics prior to signal process.ing and gcneration of con-trols in each cycle, t~hile being compatible as well with mechanical operations of the system.
The PICK request therefore is set in each 50 ms. c~cle ~epeat of the main loop.
In every 50 ms. therefore, the system enters the PICK
module driver routine, automatically setting a PICK request.
A PIC~ operation then will be performed, ii other conditions are s~tisied. Each of the successi~e six module drivPr routines is en-tered from the preceding one, as indicated, with the "outfeed" routine finally retur~ing to the insert condition question, i.e., ~I~SERT?". In essence, the module dri~e routines operate independently, but only if a suitable request is made. The module driver routine, once entered, can perform its operation or control the operation of its ~ssociated apparatus, under the assumption that the request is pxesent. As later seen, certain sensed conditlons can inhibit the perEormance of that operation, in which case the system passes i~mediately ou. of the routine without per-~orming the usual mechanical function of its associated apparatus.
Recall that in the main systern loop, the PICK re~uest is set e~ery 50 milliseconds. Xntry into this loop~ however, ollows the initialization mode in which the first form w~s advanced into the insert module. As a result, when entering the main system loop, the ECP~ reques-' is issued for that first forml only t which form as noted was already advanced into the insert module. Accordingly, for this initial operation, the PIC~ request already exists. The PICK modu'e driver routine is performed, but there is no form A WANCE

_~9_ ~Z6~ -request, consistent with the fact that the form i.s already in the insert module.
The system next proceeds to the OCR module drive routine, wherein it reads the account number from the next form. The system then enters the ECR routine, which is the system "bookkeeper" and determines which card 102 belongs with which form 502. The ECR routine, therefore, receives the OCR d~ta and compares it with the ECR data to determine satisact~on of the match condi,ion as well as determining how many cards are to be supplied to each of the two, i.e~
double-width, forms currently in the insert head Assuming all the necessary conditions are satisfied, the system transfers ~he information to the "PLACE" routi.ne which will then control the de1ection rollers B in the insert module 700 for deflecting the required number of cards into their i proper bins Ll, L2, Rl, R2 of the head aligned with the appro-priate apertures on the forms. Since the system is still re-lating to the first form, the PLACE routine passes directly through the OUTFEED routine (which J since ~here is no O~TFEED
. request, has no unction at this time) to the insert condition question "INSERT?" which is satisfied based on a number o~
conditions to be discussed. Assuming that the insert condition has been satisfied, the inserter is actuated, as indicated by the INSERT block, and sets both the ~DVANCE request and the ECR
re~uest~
The module driver routines are rather complex xoutînes and include many subroutines of their own. An important factor is that an~ of thece mo~ule driver routines can be called, assuming necessary conditions are satisfied, in any of the ~P3Z~

yarious modes and the~ do not have to be called in an~
particula~ sequence.
The INSE~T module driver routine has been broken out for the reason that it is a serial, real time routine an~
its entire function must be performed before the system can return to any other routine. However, throughout the INSERT
xoutine, the OUTFEE~ routine is called continuously to ta~
cale o~ any doc~ments which are in the out~eed por~ion of .. . . .
the system - this incluaes the receiver 1000 from the folder 900 as well as the transport mechanisms 2000 and the ejectoxs 2100. If the OUTFEED routine were no-t calle~
con~inuously while doing the INSERT routine, the system would have to complete outfeeding of any document before it could begin a new INSERT cycle; this would introduce unnecessary and substantial reduction in overall feedthrough rates of the s-ystem. It is in this context that the system is characterized as asynchronous, since the various operating components perform at their own rates somewhat independently of the others but are constantly checked by calling the necessary routines -- in this instance, between the INSERT
routine and the OUTFEED routine.
Returning to the diagram of Fig. 51, the INSERT routine is shown performing the continuous funct:ion o~ calling the OUTFEED routine for the purposes above discussed; in ~he detailed view is shown a three segment breakdow~ in which, in a first portion, the insert module head deflection pins 732 are brought down ~simultaneously the bin arms G are opened~, in a second portion the card support fingers 703 are brough~ down (this permits the card 102 now to flatten 2~

out and complete its insertion into the form~ and in the third sec-tion the insert head deflecting pins 732 are brought back up again (likew.ise returning the bin arms G to a close~
position). After the filled orm is moved towards the bursting station, the fingers 703 are again raised to the nul?" position.
In the first two segments of the insert routine is shown the condition that the folder is on -- i.e., a "folder on" co~nand is pxoduced, subject to the condition that when entering the insert routine the photocel-l in the form inspection area is checked to see whether a foxm currently is extending beyond the bursting station 800 'and into the folaer 900 such that it should be folded and therefore requires actuation of the folder -- if this condition exists the older i5 turned on. Thus, that previously-inserted form proceeds i - .
through the folder during the insert operation for the present form~ INSERT also sets the ~UTFEE~ REQUEST. The timing relations appear as follows -- the insert heaa down operation (I/H DWN) takes 4/10 of a second and the finger do~n (F~GR ~WN) operation following it takes 2/10 of a second for a total o~ 6/10 of a second. The folder operation is timed such that if the form was present ana has passea through the folder 900, it has been folded and dispensed into ~he recei~er portion 1000 of the outfeed system.~000 by the conclusion of 6/10 ~ a second.

~ he set OUTFEED request thus is produced at a time determined insert routine or a given form when the preceding, now folded, form has been deposited into the folder outfeed receiver 1000. The OUTEEED routine deactivates the solenoid C on the receiver 1000 causing its spri~g biased lo~Aing to _9~_ shift the receiver guide panels 1005, 1010 in line wi-th the outfeed transport track. At this time the photocells H
associatea with the receiver 1000 will check to see i~ the two xelated forms are present in the receiver 1000.
For convenience, in the-following discussion, "form"
shall designate the double-width (dual) forms, unless o'her-wise noted. The ADVANCE routine simultaneously aclvances ~he form that received cards in the just-completed INSERT routine and as the next successive form which has just been read in the OCR routine~ respective~y, to the burster and inserter stations, the top portion of the form in the burster ~tation . moreover moving into the older station 900; the BURST
routine severs the latter form at its trailing edge from the top of the new, or next successive, form which i5 now in lS the insert station. At this ~uncture the routines~ and thus i .
their operations, repeat.
Certain principle functions of the PICK routine are to monitor the mechanics of the card pick operation to a`scextain that a card is picked successfully, to monitor the number of-cards actually picked and supplied to the card transport . track (for transport to the ECR card reader and ultimately to the inserter), and to time each next successive pick .
operation tPICK O~). The latter two functions limit the .num~er of cards in the card transport to less than five (5) to avoid card jams which could result from supply of new, successive cards at a faster rate than can be used by subsec~uent modules.
In the flow of Fig. 52, the card transport ls normally on and thus the question XPORT ON? normally is answerecl yes -~3-''' ~ 26i!;3~5; . , and the question PICK ON? will determine whether the pick mechanism currentl~ is operating. I~ not, the flow proceeds to de~ rmine if the pick should be turned on. Particularly, the question o~ whether ~he card is at the pick photocell S (CARD AT PICX P.C.?) is asked and, if so, the ~low returns.
If not, the 10w proceeds to decrement the pick off timer (DCR POF~M) and then check to see if that timer has timed out; if not, the flow returns and if yes, the flow pro~eeds to chec~ if there is a hopper change delay (HOPCH DELAY~ ~
which, if so, causes decrementing of that hopper change delay counter (DCR HOPCH DL~) and the flow returns. The hopper change delay is an automatic function resulting from the fiys~em sensing a full output hopper or an empty input card tray circumstance, requiring the automatic swi~ching ~o the respective, other thereof and imposing a delay which the system automatically accommodates in this hopper change delay function. If there is no hopper change delay, the flow then proceeds to question if there is a pick request (PIC~ REQ?~;

if not, the flow returns but if yes, ~he flow proceeds to turn the pick on (PICK ON) and then returns. The turning on of the pic~ also turns on the pick on counter which sets the timing for the monitoring function to determine if a card was success-fully picked.

Particularly, xeturning in ~he ~low to the PICK ON?
determination, the flow checks for an output ~rom the card pick photocell ~CARD AT PICY~ P.C.) which~ if no, causes decrementiny of the pick on counter and then checking if that counter has coun-ted out ~CTD OUT?) which, if not, causes a return. ~his circumstance would co~er the card having been ~2~iQ~

picked but not yet having moved far enough from the pick mechanism to be detected by the pick photocell, If the counter has counted out, this is an indication of either failure to pick or jamming of the picked card~ ~with fai~ure thereof to enter the txansport mechanism, the ~lo~ then presettin~ the pick timer to its normal pick off time count ~alue (which will be utilized in the pick routine in a subsequent pick cycle), and setti-ng the ' pick alanm for the present cycle to indicate this error condition. The flow then turns o~f the pick (PICK OFF~, and clears any pending pick request ~CLR PICK~EQ) and returns, the system going into an error mode.
Convexsely, if the card is d'etected at the pick photocell, the flow sets a card in transport bit ~SET "CARD IN XPOP~T" BIT) and proceeds to increment the card in -transport counter (INR
CARD IN XPORT CTR) and then checks if that counter indicates ,greater than five (5) cards are present in the card transport.
As will later be seen, in another routine, that counter is decremented by each card supplied tD the inserter. If the coun~
is less than five (5~, the pick is turned of, the pick off timer is preset (PRESET POFTM), any pending pick request is cleared (CLR PIC REQ) and the flow returns. The pick off timer, thus se~ upon each occasion of turnins the pick off, establishes the time before the pick can ~e turned on again.
This assures that the proper timing is maintained be-tween the successive picking of cards. As above noted, that timer is decremented on each cycle for the dual conditions that the pick is not on and that a card has not been detected at the pick photocell; only when that counter' has timed out, and the further conditions are satisfied that there is no hopper .~

delay and that there is a pick request, will the pick be tulr,2d on to pi~k a next successive card. If the counter has not timed out, the ~low loops through the first branch discussed abo~e and on each return decrements the counter until it has timed out thereby to permit turning the pick on to pick a next successi~e card.
The flow charts ~or the form advance routine, which also includes the burst routine and some othér functions to be described, are shown in Figs. 53 and 54.
~n the main system loo~, or any other loops which should desire ~o call the form advance routine -- if there is no ~dvance re~uest you immediately ~eturn from the routine. When there is a form advance re~uest, a check is made to see if the burster is on. Upon first initiating this routine, the burster will be of~ since the burst operation is the second half of this routin~ requiring that paper advance be compieted.
Thus, the flow falls through that question with a no. Next, a check is made to see if a move command is present -- ~here will not ~e because the system has not initiated move yet, so then a move command is sent (SEND MOVE COMM~ND) to move the form strip 510 by one complete form's len~th and return to the routine.
On the next time the routine is called, 50 milliseconds later, the flow comes down and detects that a move command was ; 25 sent, thereupon to clear the command out, and also set a 200 millisecond counter ~delay counter) and then return. Then -on the next time of calling the routine, 50 milliseconds later, the delay counter is decremented and checked to see if has timed out. If it has timed outr the system will ala~m; i e., set an exror. If it has not timed out, it will check to see if 6~S
the form is still at top of form. If it is at top of form, the flow returns. This continues until either one of two things happens; either 200 milliseconds of time have elapsed ana corresponAingly an alarm is set, or the paper has left "top o~ form" and is advancing to the next top of form.
This timer makes sure that the paper starts to move within the specified period of time.
Tnis top o form just described is really the unique top of form timer disc 1560 of Fig. 12 which is correlated with tne paper drive tractors. Upon detecting the form leaving the unique top of form, a 3 second delay is se-t and the flow returns. Now, the next ~ime the advance routine is called r the 3 second dela~ is decrementea and then checked to see i~ has timed out, Of course, it will not have timed out yet so a check is made for top of orm ancl if there is no to~ of form, the flow returns. the flow goes through this leg on subsequent callings of the advance routine until one of two things has happened; either the next top o~ form is reached or 3 seconds of time has elapsed. If time ~ elapses, the alarm is set: FORM ~D~ANCE E~ROR. Under nor~al operation the paper will reach unique top of form in approximately 700 milliseconds so ~hat when coming through this ley the 3 second delay will not have timed out; "top of form~" will be "YES", with the flow proceeding to call the burst half of the advance routine which is shown in Fig. 54 of the flow charts.
When the burst half of this routine is callea, there are three ways to return from it; either a burst complete return; the jam return, or a burst incomplete return. I

-g7-~z~l~s the return is on an incomple-te status, the ~low simply returns to the main s~stem loop and continues to call the burst half of this sec-tion every 50 milliseconds whereupon sooner or later, at a subsequent call, either a burst complete return or a jam return will be made.
In ~ig. 54, which shows the buxst portion of this ro~tine~
the fixst test made is to see if the finger motor 763 is -on. Upon the first entry into this routine, the finger mo~or will normally not be on, so the flow proceeds through the "no" leg lQ of that question. The next thing tested ls whether the burster is on; it woula normally not be on during the first pass through this routine. The next question asked is, is there a finger down command. During normal machine cycle operation - and on the f irst pass through the burst routine -- there would be a finger down command. The flow therefore goes t~rough the yes leg which in turn sets the finger up command and takes a burst incomplete return. 50 milliseconds later the flow proceeds again to ask is there a finger down command. This time the answer would be no, so the finger motor is turned on, the burs-ter is turned on, the OCR re~uest is set and the finger up command is set. 50 milliseconds later on the next pass through the burst routine, the Einger motor will be on 50 the flow proceeds down the leg to turn the finger motor off, set the ~urst time to 3 seconds and take a hurst incomplete return. 50 milliseconds later on the next pass throll~h the ~urst routine the finger motor will he off, the burster will be on an~ so the flow proceeds to tes-t if the burster is home. At this ~ point in time the burster will probably not have left its home : , .
.' g~_ .~
,, ~

-position on its way to the other home position so that ques~ion is answered yes.
The next thing is to test to see if t~e burster is on;
for this se~uence, it is on ("YÆS") and the flow takes a burst incomplete return. On the next ~0 ms.~ pass through, the burster will be of* home~ and the answer is "no." The command is gi~en to turn the burster motor off, but by virtue o the electronics it is kept on until it reaches the home position and covers the homP photocell that it is destined for.
The burster time is decremented and checked to see if it is timed out yet. This leg of the burst routine is repeated on subsequent passes until one of two things has occurred.
Either the burster time is timed out, in which case the flow sets an alarm or the burster will have reached the home photo-cell that it was destined for. Normally, the latter occurs - and therefore the flow proceeds to test to see i the burster is on; if it is not, that question is answered "no" because it was turned on in a subsequent pass. The finger is tested for being in the up position, where it should b~ by now. If it is not, an alarm is set.
The last test in this portion of the advance routine is to see if the burster/folder alarm was set. If it was set, the flow takes a jam return and if it was not set, a burst com~lete return. Then the flow returns to the advance portion of this routine, to xeset the àdvance re~uest which signifies that both a paper advance and a burst operation have been completed. If during any of this operation an alarm was set, it would have been recognized upon returning from this routine to the main s~stem loop and processed in the error mode.
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_99_ .. .

The logic flow chart Xor the OC~ module driver routine is shown in ~ig. 55, and operates as follows. Whenever it is ~alled either in the main system loop or any other mode~ the first tes~ is whether there is an OCR request. If there is not an OCR xequest, the routine takes care of automatically assuring that the OCR wand is in the home position; if it is not in the home position, it will send a xeverse command tSEND RE~ C~MD) and will continue to try to return it to the home position upon subsequent passes through the routine without an OCR request.
The flow proceeds to decrement an OCR timer (DCR OCRTM)o Upon subse~ue~t passes, it will either xeach the home-position or the OCR timer will time out and an alarm will be flagged or set.
Upon calling the OCR routine with an OCR request for the first time, the flow proceeds to tesk if there is paper, i.e., a form, at the OCR module. The absence of "paper" at the OCR module will set a "no paper bit" flag which wi~l be aetected at the proper time in the machine cycle and an alarm will be set. Normally, since there is paper at the OC~ module that question is answered "yes," and the flow proceeds to check if the OCR wand has begun m.oving in the forward direction. Since this is the first pass through with an OCR request~ the question is answered "no." Assuming that the OCR is at the home position, the reverse command is reset and t~e OCR FIFO
~OCR buffex 1532 in Fig. 50~ is cleared; a delay of approximately ~ 2Q0 milliseconds, or four passes through this particular leg of ,` the flow chart, is then performed until the data wait countex (DAWT) is counted out. ~t that time the DAWT counter again .~ .

~3i;Z6~5 is preset to a count o 200 milliseconds~ The OCR timer then is preset (PRESET OCR~I~ for timing the travel of the OCR
wand. The FIFO is cleared one more time to make sure that there is no unwanted data within the receiver FIFO on the CPU
board and then th~ forward ~ommand is sent to the OCR ser~o electronics. On the next pass, after sending that commandr the-flow proceeds to test if the OCR want is at the end position yet. If not at the end position yet, and approximately a second remains to arxive there, the OCR timer is deremented and the flow returns from the routine. This particular leg of the routine is repeated until one of two things happens:
either the timer times out and sets an alarm, or the OCR wana reaches the end position. Upon reaching the end position, the forward command is reset, which is being held or gi~en to the OCR electronics and the flow proceeds thxough another 200 ! ' ` .
millisecond data wait (DAWT) leg. Thus, the flow proceeds ~or four more subsequent passes through the OCR routine and returns because the data wait counter (DAWT) has not counted out.
;~ Upon the pass through this routine where the data ~ait counter does count out, the OCR data is transferred from the FIFO into memory. At that time a check is made for a data error. If there is an error, a retry bit is set and through the same controlling method, or logic flow, sends the OCR wand to the home position and then forward again to try reading the form a second time. If upon the second time an OCR
data error is again detected, an aIarm is set~ During normal operation the OCR data is accepted -- i.e., has no error, causing reset of the OCR request which signifies completion of successful OCR read. The retry bit is also reset to enabl~
:' .

the retr~ function when reading the next form, the OC~ FIFO is cleared, the OCR timer is rese-t, and the data wait is preset, in preparation for the next operation of the OCR routine.
The~outeed module driver routine shown in Figs. 56A and 56B can be thought ~f in two halves. The first half controls the older out~ed mechanism. The second half controls the transport of forms ~o, and ejection into, the orms output stacker. Upon enterin~J or callin~ the outfeed routine, if there is no outfeed request, the logic f;ow yoes directly to the question is there an eject bit? If there is an eject bit, this signifies that the system curren-tly is in the process of ejecting a form, and the flow enters the second half of the routine. If there is no eject bit, the flow proceeds to asX the question, are there any forms in the outfeed?.
(FO~lS IN OU~FD?) If there are, the out timer is decremented (DC~ OUTM) and the flow returns if it is not timed out. If it does tîme out the outfeed alarm is set. The flow continues through this leg until s~ch time as the eject bi-t is set, ~ signifying that the form in the outfeed track has reached the eject axea, or the outfeed timer times out signi~ying that too much ti~e has elapsed and sets the alarm.
In a nor~al operation, ~he eject bit would he set by ~-~ the eject interrupt routine t~ be covered later and the flow would enter the second half o the routine.
The basic function of the first half of the outfeed routine is to process the receiving of forms into the outfeed module. The first time this half of the routine is -102~

entered, the flow proceeds to test whether the forms have been received properly, and i~ so the receiving zone solenoia is turned of. On the next pass through this half o the routine, and on subsequent passes, the outputs of the photocells be-tween the folder outfeed and the stacker outfee~ are monitored to count the two forms-coming out, and when the system detects that the second form has cleared the receiving area fram the fol~er outfeed, the outfeed re~uest is cleared~ signifying that the receiver is ready to receive another pair of forms, w~ere-upon the recei~er zone is turned back on~ bxinying it up to its receiving position behind the folder mechanism The second half of this routine's basic responsibility is ~o keep track of forms being ejected into the output stacker trays and to turn off the ejector mechanism when the form ~as lS cleared the e~ect mechanism. Again, a timer times the amoun~
` of time the form is taking to clear the eject mechanism. If it t2kes longer than approximately one secona, an alarm is set.
The eject solenold i5 energized in the eject interrupt routine This routine is entered via a hardware interrupt generated by the e]ect photocells. This routine can be entered while in any othex part of the program at any time.
This eject interrupt routine determines whether th~ -form to be ejected is the left form or the right form and subsequently tests to see if that form is to ~e rejected o~ ejecte~ into the output stacke~. If it is to be rejected, the eject solenoid is not eneraized. If it is to be accepted, the eject solenoid is energized and the form be~ins its travel into the output stacker.

The logic flow chart for the insert head mod~le driver routine is shown in Figs. 57A and 57B. This routine is entered as shown in the diagram of the basic system loop of ~ig. 51, after certain insert conditions are satisfied. It is considerea a serial routine in which only one other major xoutine is called and that is-the outfeed routine.
Upon entering the insert routine, a test is made to see if there is a form to be folded. If there is, the folder is - ~urned on and this status is desi~natea in memory. At this time, the logic shifts form accept data along so that when a form enters the eject area, the system can determine whether or not to eject it or reject it. Upon energizing the insert drive motor, a time delay register is set to 8/10 of a s~cond, allowing that much time for the head $o perform its downward movement. A loop is continuously performed, instructing the head to start moving down and checking to see if t~e head is still up. The up status remains registered until ~; just before the head reaches the down position~ at which time the down status is registered. If the head does not -~ 20 reach the down position within 8/10 of a second, the flow proceeds to set an error flag which is checked upon exiting the routine.
Assuming a no error condition exîsts, the insert head i5 turned off upon reachlng the down position, and the ~inger down command is set. After a delay of 50 milliseconds, the turn finger on command lS given, and the finger time regis~er is set to ~/10 o a second; a loop is then performed, checking to see if the finger(s3 is not "up". When the finger photocell registers detect that the fin~er~s~ is not "up"~ the finger : . .

~10~--~f~5 motor is turned off, but by virtue of its electronics it will remain on until the finger(s) reaches the down position. A loop is then en-tered where the routine waits -for the finger(s) to reach the down position. If it does not reach the down position within 4/10 of a second, an error status is set. Assuming the finyer is up, a test is made whether the folder folded a form. If so, the folder is turned off. An outfeed request is set for the outfeed routine, The insert head then is turned on, to bring it up in a similar manner as when brought down and a check is run to see if it comes up within 8/10 of a second. If it does not, an error status is set. If it does come up, the head motor is turned off and the flow returns to the start of the routine ending that cycle of the insert routine.
The logic flow for the place routine, which controls placement of cards within the insert head module, is shown in Fig. 58. This routine takes data handed off to it from the ECR routine and uses it in conjunction with the photocell detector outputs for the cards progressing through the insert module, as each card covers and uncovers the photocell associated with each card bin, to place prcperly data-matched cards into the proper bins. When the photocell for the bin in which the card is intended is covered by that card, the deflector solenoid for that bin is energized and when that same photocell goes uncovered the deflector solenoid is de-energized; by that time, the card will have been deflected into the bin. Which card is placed in which bin is determined by the data from the ECR routine.
One other responsibility of the place routine is to sample the reject bin photocell at the left-hand side of the ir.sert mo~ule to check if that photocell is co~ered, siynif~ing that ~ card has passed through the entirety of the insert module and into the eject bin -- an illegal state in the normal, run S mode~ When this occurs, the inspect stop request bit is set, essentially requestlng an inspection stop mode o operation~ having much the same e~fect as actuation of the inspect stop request button 1528 on thè control panel 150~.
In the basic logic flow of the place routine, set forth in the upper portion of Figure 58, the routine initially obtains information regarding the presence of a card from t~e monitoring photocells associ~ted with the bins and the .. ~tatus of the solenoids for the deflection rollers assoGiated with the bins. The step "call bin four times" corresponds S to per~orming the bin subroutine shown in the lower portion of Figure 58 four times, corresponding to the provision of four bins in the insert module. The bin subroutine initially inquires whether the card is at a given bin, in accordance ~ with the photocell outputs above mentioned. A track bit is ; 20 set to correspond to each card entering the insert module, .
~or tracking that card through the four bins of the module.
The bin subroutine initially questions whether the card entering the insert module is or is not at the bin for which ~; the bin routine was called and in either instance further ;~ 25 questions whether the tracX bit has been set and, if not, will set the track bit if the card is at the bin or will reset the bin track bit if the card is not at the bin.
If the car~ is at the bin, its trac~ bit is set, and, further, if the card is intended to be deflected into that bin, the right portion of the bin subroutine turns the bin solenoid on for deflecting the card into the appropriate bin and then shifts the bin track bits and returns. Con-versely, if the card is not at the bin but the track bit has been set~ the bin track bit is reset and the bin track bits then are shifted. A test is made whether the corres-ponding solenoid for the bin for which the card is destined is turned on and if so the logic proceeds to the next step to question whether the card is in the insert bin (as confirmed by the absence of a photocell output for the photocell associated with the next bin). If the latter question is answered yes, the solenoid is turned off and the subroutine returns. If the answer is no, the logic flow resets the cards in insert bit, turns off the solenoid and returns.
Returning to the place routine, the general functions of turning on the proper solenoids and shifting the bin track bits for the four bins is more generally shown, corresponding to these more detailed steps of the bin subroutine. The place routine also shows the above dis-cussed function of detecting if a card is at the rejectbin; if not, the place routine completes and returns whereas if yes, and the system is in the run mode, the inspect stop request is set and the inspect stop indicator is turned on and the place routine returns. The inspect stop mode has been discussed previous]y.
The logic flow for ECR module driver routine is shown in Fig. 59. The ECR routine's primary responsibilit-ies are: the control of cards going through the ECR track;
the proper placement of cards, by handing off data to the place routine; and the data match function which matches the ~ata from the card with the data from the form.

Certain status bit definitions are pertinent to the ECR routine flow chax-t of ~igures 59A and 59B~ A track hit designated TRK 1 designates that a card has been matched and a place bit has been set. A track bit TRK 2 designates tha~
a card has covered'the ECR JAM photocell (P.C.). CARD
WAITING designates tha~ ~he first card of a next form to be pxocessed ha~ covered the ECR P.C. A further track bit LAST
CARD T~K designates that the last card for the current form has passe~ the ECR P.C. ECR REQ is set when insertion is completed and the main loop is started for a new form. This bit is reset when -the last card track bit is set. ~inally, the NEN FORM STATUS bit is set with the ECR REQ to denote a new form. This bit is reset on passage through the start-up .
leg of the ECR routine.
l 1'5 Upon enkry into the ECR routine, a first check is made ',~ whether a new form,is being processed by the "new form status?" inquiry. If ~Iyes~ the logic proceeds to xeset the new form status bit, reset the status form accept bits (to designate that none of the cards i5 currently accepted as satisfying the form until proven to be soS and ' to reset the cards in inserter counter. The logic then acquires the cards per form data (i.e, the number of caxds ~ per form) and inquires whether a card is waiting ~- in this ; instance, signifying whether the irst c~rd for this new - 25 form has covered the ECR photocell.
At this juncture, it is pertinent to note that the ECR
transpoxt includes three separate card tra~spoxts and associated drive controllers, the first (Ml) transporting car~s from the'pick to the reader~ the second (M2) 6~
transporting cards through the reader, and a third (M3) transporting cards from the reader into the inserter.
Controllers Ml and M3 are under control of the ECR routine whereas M2 is under control of the ready mode. Also, the ECR photoceIl is located at the output of the reader and the ECR jam photocell at the input to the inserter.
Returning now to Figure S9A, the logic proceeds to ~uestion whether a card is waiting and if not, turns on Ml and M3 and returns~
If a card is waiting r the logic then inquires whether the system is in the inspect stop mode and if not, ECR TRK 1 is set and the flow returns. If TRK 1 is not set, it is set or if in the inspect stop mode, r the TRK 1 bit is set and the flow proceeds to inquire which form is to receive the card -- i.e., the left or right form of the double-width forms in the inserter.
Depending on that decision, the data match routine of Figure 59B is called.
,.,~
In Figure 59B, the match subroutine passes through the questions of whether there is an inspection stop mode re~uest and is the program select switch set =0. The ; flow will return if there is an inspection stop mode request, and if the program select switch is not set =0. If the latter is set =0, the system is in the data-match mode, and the flow proceeds to the matching step in which, for the appropriate form, the ECR characters read from the card are matched one character at a time with the OCR
data read from the appropriate form. If a match is produced, the logic returns, but if not, the transport Ml controller ; 30 is turned off and the logic proceeds to a mismatch data error condition.

.

Returning to the ECR routine, if the form is not a new form but one currently being processed, the alternate branch of the initial decision is followed, leading to the initial inquiry of the right branch of the logic flow, of whether the ECR photocell is covered. If so, the question last card track is asked which, if yes, means that the last card for the current form has passed the ECR photocell in which case drive Ml is turned off an~ the card waiting status bit is setO If the last card track bit is not set, the flow proceeds to the left through the common branch previously discussed in which the match subroutine is entered for matching the data from the card with the appropriate form.
Thus, for either new or old forms, following the match function, the logic proceeds to the inquiry of card waiting which, if answered yes, results in transpor-t con-trollers M1 and M3 being turned on there~y to-clear the card waiting status.
Returning to the top of the flow in Figure 59A, if the ECR photocell is not covered, the question is asked - whether the last card track (TRK) is set and if not, the inquiry is made whether the card track l(TRK 1) is set, designating that a card has been matched and a place bit has been set for that card. If the answer is no, the flow proceeds to loop in at position A in the main routine to be discussed. If the answer is yes, the TRK 1 bit is reset and the flow proce~ds to inquire which form is to receive the card. Depending on that decisionS the card count for the appropriate left or right form is decre-mented and the flow proceeds to the question of whetherthe given card is the last card for that form. If not, the flow proceeds in a manner to be discussed directly, and if yes, the last card track bit is set and the ECR

26~
re~uest is reset.
The inal branch of this flow shown at the bottom portion of Figure 59A then proceeds through the inquiries regarding covering of the ECR jam photocell by a card and setting the TRK 2 bit or inquiring whether it has been set whlch, if not, causes the flow to return. If TRK 2 bit is set, the flow proceeds to reset the TRK 2 bit and to decrement the cards in transport counter. The flow then proceeds to inquire if cards are in the transport and if not, resets the cards in transport counter; if yes, the flow then increments the cards in inserter counter and sets the cards in inserter bit, and then returns.
Thus, the ECR routine provides not only for control of the card transport, with the exception of the ready mode but also control of the transport of cards through the reader itself, acquires the necessary data to branch into the data match subroutine for matching the card with the appropriate one of the two forms in the insert head, ;~ and, further, monitors the transport of cards through the transport station so as to determine the number of cards therein in any given time and as well the number o cards supplied to the inserter.
As can be seen, the ECR routine includes many conventional data handling functions and particularly that of the data match operation; accordingly, detailed explanation thereof is not deemed necessary.
Of particular interest to the overall system opera-tion is the logic 1OW chart of Figure 60~ through 60C.
These flows illustrate the interrelationship of the main operational routines in the normal. run mode operation of the system.

The syste~ necessarily includes numerous additional routines such as for testing the input card hopper cartridges and the output stacker trays to determine their condition and ability to supply cards ox recei~e folded forms, as is appropriate, a display routine, form advance ana fold routines and numerous other routines for the various functions before discussed. As well, initialization and ready modes, ~stem shut ~own, inspection stop and error moaes all have their corresponding routines which are performed in those respective modes. Those of s~ill in the art can readily visualize the rou~ines performed.therein, taken in liyht of the detailed desc~iption hereinabove o:E the basic routines of the main system loop and system structure and operations.
NeYertheless, for completeness, salient aspects o~ the routines in ~i. 15 . the system shut-down, inspection-stop and error modes ~re ;: commented on brie ly in the following.
The system s;-ut-down mode can only be entered from the . run mode, and is done by depressing the system.shut down . switch 1530 on the control panel 1500, thereby initiating a : 20 system shut down request within the program. The system - shut~down request is sampled every insertion cycle. If it is .
true/ the run ind~cator is extinguished and the process necessary to complete the syste~ shut-down is begun. System shut down produces system operations similar to those followed in the run mode, ~ith the notable exception that the pick request is not se~ continuously. The reason for this, and : the main purpose for the sys-tem shut-down moae, is to reach a po.int in time when there are no cards left in the ECR card transport 300 and there are no cards needed on a form under-neath the inser-t head. When this point is reached~ the system may be sh~t down, having fully completed any forms currently in process and not leaving any cards in the machine~
S Thus, the shut-down routine calls each of the PICK, ADVAN~E OCR, ECR, P~ACE and OUT~EED routines and tests to see if there are insert conditions~ In between the calliRg ~f each one o~ these module driver routines, the shut aown --- mode also checks ox calls the error mode to see if any errors have occurred, ana the flow returns to continue the sys~em operations for completin~ shu-~-down.
If the test for insext conditions determines that inserter requirements for a form are not ~atisfied, the . .
system further checks to see if the card transport track and the in~ert module card transport are cleared~ If not, the various module driver routines are again called. If the txacks are cleared, the pick is tested; if the pick is on/
the module driver routines are resumed. If the pick is not on, a test is made to see if the ECR bit is set; if set, the current form at the insert module req~;ires one or more cards and thus th~ pick request is set to generate the picking ~f another card. The pick request is set only once in each cycle of this mode, since the pick routine itself resets the pick request ever~ -time a card is successfully pickedv Thi~
allows a pick one-card-at-a-time function so that only the cards necessary to complete the form are picked.
When the insert conditions are met, the insert routine is called in a similar manner as in the run mode. Wher.
that is completed, a test again is made to see if the card trans-port tracks, including those oE the ECR module and the insert head module, are cleared. Xf they are still not cleared, a check is made whether there is still a form at the OCR module. I so, the loop repeats, to set up conditions necessary to fill that form. The routine then returns to the main system shut-down loop, calli~g all the differen~
module driYer routines. EYentually the last insertion is completed and all the tracks are cleared. The form advance, burst, fold, and outfeed routines ~oreover are called until all completed orms are stacked in the output stackers At this point the system ma~ be shut down, havin~ completed every orm and operation ana leaviny no completed forms, or extraneous cards or forms within the system~
. . One other way to enter the system shut-down mode is when the machine is in the run mode and a natural end of run occursO ~ natural end of run is defined as exhausting the supply of cards at the same time as the supply of forms, : with the last pocket on the last form corresponding with the last card in the input hopper. This stage produces a ~ .natural hopper error. Since the cards advance through the system a little bit ahead of their respective form, corres-pondingly the last card will be picked out of the input hopper before a "no paper" error occurs. This produces a . hopper error in the error mode, and the run mode exits into the error mode. The operator then instructs the machine that this is a natural end of run by depressing the system shut-down switch. This calls the shut-down rou-tine for completing the last form under the natural end o run circum-stance. .

~1~2&~:~

As a result, the end of run bit is set, the error light and horn (alarm) are turned off, the system shut-down indicato~ 1530 is turned on, and the no paper bit is cleared, if it has been set. A test is made to see if the ECR bit i5 set r to determine whether or not the requirements of the form at -the insert module have been met. If the ECR bit is set, the card transport is ~urned ~ack on again, the error routine having turned that transport off, to feed a few more cards to finish the ~orm, and then xe-enter the main system shut-down loop, perform the insert conditions test and perform the system shut-down routine as previously descri~ed.
The main purpose of the inspection stop mode is to enable ~; the operator manually to in pect the foxms to insure that lS the cards are in sync with the forms. The inspect stop mode .... .
also pro~ides the option for the operator to operate the machine in a manual mode. Operating the card inserter in a manual mode permits supplying one card at a time into the ~ insert module, and gives the operator the opportunity to re-sync the supply of cards with the particular ~orm that is positioned for card insertion. This is done by either rejecting an extra card that is in the card track so it is inserted în-to the form or, if a card is missing, insertiny a phancom card into the machine so that the subsequent cards will be in line with the subsequent forms, as previously discussed. There are three basic ~Jays to enter the inspect stop mode: a manual requesti a data match error entry;
- or a manual request from an OCR data errox. A manu~l request typically is used while the system is xunning, to 6~

enable the operator to see that the cards are still in sync with the forms. By actuating the inspection stop button 1528 to request the inspection stop mode, and upon comple-tion of the card insert following the inspection stop request, the machine will advance the completed form to the form inspection station, as previously descri~ed. If the cards are out of sequence, the operatox would manually re-sync the cards. --~; The same operations occur ~n a data match erxor, except that the system automatically requires the operator manually to 1~ complete the form currently in the insert module. The third way to enter inspection stop is a manual request from an OCR
;~ data error. This is required if a form is in the OCR station and cannot be read by the OCR reader, which places the system in an error mode. The operator again may press the inspection stop switch 1528, requesting the inspect stop mode and the above-discussed operations again occur. A detailed discussion of this mode was presented earlier in relation to Figure 4g.
The error mo~e performs a test for any errors existing within the system at the very beginning of its routines, and if no errors exist, the system returns directly back from the error mode. This permits call;ng the error mode at vir~ually any time during the system operation; in fact, it is generally called after every module driver routine has been called. This means that im~ediately after calling any one of those main system module driver routines, if an error has been flagged, the system will immediately exit into the error mode and process that particular error.
Errors in the inserter machine are classified as major or minor, as previously discussed, a major error generally in~olves jammed forms or cards, which must be physicall~
cleared. The particular type of error is displayed on dis-play 1508 of the control panel 1500 and the alarm is sounded.
The operator acknowledges the alarm by depressing the error clear switch 1574 onceJ which merely turns off the alarm.
Then the operator clears any mechanical jams ! presses the_ errQr clear switch 1574 for a second time, and the system performs essentially the same functions as in response to ma~ster clear, entering the initialization mode and initializ~
ing the system.
Minor errors can be cleared and machine operation there-after co~tinued, without having to reinitialize. These errors are acknowledged in a similar manner. The exror is displayed on display 1504 of the control panel 1500 and the alarm is turned on. The operator acknowledges the error by depres-sing the error clear switch 1514 to turn the alarm off, and then clears or remedies the source of the problem, presses the error clear switch 1514 for a second time and the machine recovers from the error and continues on. However, an outfee~ error requires one additional depression of the erxor clear switch 1514. After correcting the problem, depressing the error clear switch 1514 for a second time - turns on only the outfeed transport, to acilitate clearing the outfeed track of all forms; depressing the error clear switch 151~ a third time restarts operation. In recovering rom all minor errors, the system returns to whatever particular mode of operation it previously was in.

z~

C O N C L U S I O N
~n conclusionf the detailed specification set forth hereinabove has taught the basic structural arrangernent o the data match inserter of the invention including significant Eeatures of its many components and subcomponen ts . As well, $he various aperational modes have been specif ied and signif icant routines of the dri~7er modules have been disclosed in flow chart form, sufficient to permit one of ordinary skill in the art to reduce to practice the present invention.
As beforenoted, the card inserter operations may be employed independently of any data match ~equirement, or these functions, as in the preferred ernbodiment, may be combined in a single system. Further, the data match inserter of the invention may be an integral portion of a total au-tomated system wherein 1~5 cards are automatially ernbossed and suppiied directly to the data match inserter which at the same time receives pre-addressed mailer forms, the card embossing and the mailer form address printing heing controlled ~y a cormnon computer - controller using, for exarnple, a comrnon master store contain-ing the necessary account nurnber and card recipient name and address information and the like. ~he data match inserter of the invention affords high reliability and speed, yet f~exibility in its operations, while affording simpli~ied operator controls both for normal operations and for correcting errors in the handling, i.e. ~ transporting, of the physical forrns and cards or in the readirg of data frorn each, for performing the data match unction.
The ob jects o~ this inven-ti on as set forth in the intro-duction to this detailed specification have pointed out the . - -s many features and advantages of the invention; other such features and advanta~es will now ~e apparen-t from the detailed specification and thus it is intended ~y the appended claims to cover all such features and advanta~es of the system which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

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,., ~119-

Claims (17)

1. An inserter system for attaching a card of generally planar, rectangular configuration to a form at a predetermined card attachment location thereon by inserting first and second diagonally opposite corners of the card into corresponding first and second card-corner receiving apertures provided in the form and defining the said card attaching location thereof, said apertures being spaced apart by a distance less than the diagonal dimension of the card between said first and second diagonally opposite corners thereof, comprising:
a card inserter mechanism including means for receiving and releasably retaining a card in a first position, means for positioning a mailer form with the said card attachment location thereof aligned with and substantially parallel to and displaced from said first position of the releasably retained card to be inserted therein, said inserter mechanism further including means for supporting said card in a central portion thereof and means for engaging said card adjacent said first and second diagonally opposite corners for deflecting said corners beyond said first position and towards said form, and means for actuating said receiving and supporting means to release said card and for actuating said deflection means to deflect said diagonally opposite corners of said card about said central support means to enable insertion of said first and second diagonally opposite corners of said card into the said corresponding apertures of the card attachment location of said mailer form aligned therewith, and for thereafter displacing said central support to permit said card to flex to its original planar configuration with the said diagonally opposite corners thereof projecting through the said corresponding apertures and underlying the form, thereby attaching the card to the form.

2. An inserter system as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for receiving and releasably supporting a card comprises.
a plurality of arms, at least a first and a second arm being in opposed relationship to receive therebetween opposite edges of a card, said arms each having a first end including an inwardly directed projection for retaining thereon a card received between said first and second arms, and first and second support elements, said second ends of said first and second arms being joined to said first and second support elements, respectively, for supporting said arms, and said actuating means actuates said first and second support elements to move said arms and withdraw said projections thereof for releasing a card retained thereon.

3. An inserter system as recited in claim 2 wherein:
said first and second support elements comprise elongated elements mounted for rotation at the ends thereof, said at least first and second arms being joined at said second ends thereof to respective ones of said first and second support elements intermediate said ends thereof and extending radially therefrom, and said actuating means rotates said elongated support elements thereby to rotate said arms to an inward, closely opposed relationship to receive and releasably retain a card on the inward projections of said arms, and rotates said support elements in an opposite direction to rotate said arms to an outward, displaced relationship thereby to release a card theretofore retained on the projections of said arms.

4. An inserter system as recited in claim 2 wherein said means of said inserter mechanism for supporting a card in a central portion thereof comprises:
a finger element disposed to extend parallel to the plane of a card received in said inserter mechanism, generally centrally of the card and transversely of the greater longitudinal dimension of the card, and said actuating means for displacing said central support means comprises means for selectively maintaining said support finger to extend underneath said card at said first position thereof for supporting said central portion of said card during deflection of said card by said deflection means, and moving said support finger to a position closely adjacent the surface of a form to which the card is to be attached, to permit the card to flex to its original planar configuration.

5. An inserter system as recited in claim 4 wherein:
said form positioning means is operable to withdraw a form from said inserter mechanism in a first direction transverse to said greater longitudinal dimension of said card, the opposite longitudinal edges of said card thereby defining leading and trailing edges of said card during said withdrawal, and said central support finger extends underneath said card from the trailing longitudinal edge of said card as thus defined, thereby to permit withdrawal of the form and attached card when said central support finger is positioned closely adjacent the form.

6. An inserter system as recited in claim 5 wherein said means for engaging said card adjacent said first and second diagonally opposite corners comprises:
first and second elongated deflecting elements, support means for supporting said first and second elongated deflecting elements to extend in a direction generally normal to the plane of a card supported in said first position in said inserter mechanism and displaced from the surface of the card, and said actuating means actuates said support means for said elongated deflecting elements for moving same from said first position displaced from said card surface to a second position engaging and deflecting the corresponding said diagonally opposite corners of said card when said card is supported by said central support finger, thereby to project said card corners through said corresponding apertures of said card attachment location of said mailer form, and said actuating means actuates said elongated deflection elements to engage and deflect said corners of said card after actuating said arms to said outwardly displaced positions for releasing said card from said projections thereof and prior to moving said central support finger from supporting the central portion of a card at the first position thereof to the position closely adjacent the form, said elongated deflection elements in said second, card-deflecting position thereof being displaced slightly from the surface of the credit card when said credit card is flexed to its original planar configuration upon moving of said central support finger to said second position closely adjacent a form.

7. An inserter system as recited in claim 1 wherein each said mailer form is provided from a fan-fold strip supply of plural said mailer forms and each said card is provided from a supply of plural cards arranged in sequence for attachment to corresponding forms, wherein said form positioning means selectively positions said plural forms in individual succession in said aligned position in said inserter mechanism for insertion of respectively corresponding cards in the attachment location of each thereof, further comprising:
means for selecting a predetermined number of cards from said supply of plural cards for attachment to a given said form, and means for supplying said cards selected for attachment to said form to said card inserter mechanism, and said receiving means of said card inserter mechanism is supplied with and receives up to at least two selected cards for insertion in a corresponding, single card attachment location of said form.

8. An inserter system as recited in claim 7, wherein each said form includes at least two card attachment locations thereon, and wherein:

said card inserter mechanism includes first and second means, each for receiving and releasably retaining up to at least two cards, and said inserter mechanism further includes in corresponding, respective association with said first and second receiving and releasably retaining means, first and second said means for supporting a card in a central portion thereof, first and second said means for engaging each said card adjacent said first and second diagonally opposite corners thereof, and said actuating means actuates, in common, each of said first and second releasable retaining means, said first and second deflection means, and said first and second central support means, thereby simultaneously to attach cards received in each of said first and second receiving means to the respectively associated first and second attachment locations of the aligned form to which the cards are to be attached.

9. An inserter system as recited in claim 8 wherein:
said inserter mechanism further includes a transport means for receiving a card and transporting same along a transport path adjacent said first and second receiving and releasably retaining means, and first and second deflection means normally positioned adjacent to, but displaced from said transport path to enable each said card to be transported past said first and second receiving means, and selectively movable into said transport path to deflect a card from said transport path into the corresponding receiving means, thereby to provide for selective receipt of cards in the respectively associated, first and second receiving means of said inserter mechanism.

10. An inserter system for automatically attaching pre-coded cards of generally planar, rectangular configuration to respectively corresponding, pre-coded mailer forms at predetermined card attachment locations on each said mailer form, by inserting first and second diagonally opposite corners of each card associated with the form into corresponding first and second card-corner receiving apertures provided in the associated form and defining the said card attaching location of said form, said apertures being spaced apart by a distance less than the diagonal dimension of the card between the said first and second diagonally opposite corners thereof, said mailer forms being supplied in a continuous fan-fold strip with each said mailer form pre-coded in accordance with the code of cards to be received therein and the number of such common-coded cards to be attached to said form, and said cards being provided in succession as to code and number thereof, in accordance with the succession of mailer forms, comprising:
a card inserter mechanism including means for receiving and releasably retaining in a first position, at least one card, means for advancing said fan-fold strip supply of mailer forms for selectively positioning each said mailer form, in succession, with the card attachment location thereof aligned with and substantially parallel to and displaced from said first position of the releasably retained, at least one card to be inserted therein, means for reading the pre-printed code of said mailer form for identifying the card code and the number of cards to be attached to each said mailer form, prior to said mailer form being advanced to said aligned position, means for picking cards, in individual succession, from said supply thereof, means for transporting said picked cards, means for reading each individual card, in succession as picked from said supply, said transporting means transporting each successively picked card past said reading means, control means for comparing the code read from each card and the number of cards bearing a common code picked in sequence from said supply thereof with the pre-printed code and card number read from a corresponding mailer form, to determine compliance of the picked cards as to code and the number of cards of a common code with the card code and number of card requirements of each said form, in individual succession for each of the plurality of forms and each of the successively picked cards, said transporting means transporting and supplying to said receving means of said card inserter mechanism each successive said card which satisfies the requirements of a corresponding mailer form, said inserter mechanism further including means for supporting each said card received therein in a central portion of the card and means for engaging said cards adjacent said first and second diagonally opposite corners for deflecting said corners beyond said first position and towards said form, and means for actuating said receiving and releasably retaining means to release said card and for actuating said deflection means to deflect said diagonally opposite corners of said card about said central support means to enable insertion of said first and second diagonally opposite corners of said card into said corresponding apertures of the card attachment location of the mailer form aligned therewith, and for thereafter displacing said central support means to permit said card to flex to its original planar configuration with the said diagonally opposite corners thereof projecting through the said corresponding apertures and underlying the form, thereby attaching the card to the form, said control means controlling said actuating means in.
accordance with the codes read from said cards and the number of cards bearing that code complying with the pre-printed card code and number of card requirements of the associated form.

11. An inserter system as recited in claim 10 wherein said card transport means for transporting cards from said picking means to said inserter mechanism is capable of containing therewithin a predetermined maximum number of cards, and wherein there is further provided:
means for detecting each card picked from said supply thereof and provided to said transport means, and means for detecting each card transported into said inserter mechanism by said transport means, and said controlling means responds to the detection of each picked card and the detection of each card delivered into said inserter means to determine the number of cards in said transport means and thereby to enable said picking means to continue picking of cards from said supply so as not to exceed the predetermined number of cards permitted in said transport means, and to control said transport means to continue to deliver cards to said inserter mechanism only for cards having codes corresponding to the card code and number of card requirements of a given mailer form positioned at said inserter mechanism for attachment of cards thereto, and to control said reading means for said mailer forms, to read a successive mailer form while the next preceding mailer form is at said aligned position at said inserter mechanism.

12. An inserter system as recited in claim 10 wherein:
each said form includes at least two card attachment locations thereon, and wherein:
said card inserter mechanism includes first and second means, each for receiving and releasably retaining up to at least two cards, and said inserter mechanism further includes in corresponding, respective association with said first and second receiving and releasably retaining means, first and second said means for supporting a card in a central portion thereof, first and second said means for engaging each said card adjacent said first and second diagonally opposite corners thereof, and said actuating means actuates, in common, each of said first and second releasably retaining means, said first and second deflection means, and said first and second central support means, thereby simultaneously to attach cards received in each of said first and second receiving means to the respectively associated first and second attachment locations of the aligned form to which the cards are to be attached, and said controlling means controls said insert mechanism to selectively receive said corresponding cards in said first and second card receiving means thereof in a predetermined sequence in accordance with the total number of cards to be attached.

13. An inserter system as recited in claim 12 wherein said mailer forms are supplied in double-width of two side-by-side mailer forms, each mailer form having first and second card receiving locations thereon for attachment at each location of up to at least two cards, the fan-fold strip supply of mailer forms defining a predetermined sequence thereof in accordance with the said side-by-side relationship of two forms for each fan-fold section of said fan-fold strip, each said form being pre-printed in accordance with a code card and a number of cards to be attached to that form, and said cards being supplied in corresponding sequence as to code number and number of cards, wherein:
said inserter mechanism includes four card receiving means respectively corresponding to the two card attachment locations of each of the side-by-side forms, and said controlling means controls the said four receiving means of said inserter mechanism selectively to receive, in predetermined sequence and number, the total cards to be attached to the corresponding form.

14. An inserter system as recited in claim 13 wherein said inserter mechanism includes:
means defining a transport path for transporting each card received therein from said transport mechanism past each of said receiving means of said inserter mechanism, means for selectively deflecting a card from said inserter mechanism transport means into a selected receiving means, means associated with each said receiving means of said insert mechanism for detecting the transport of a card into the vicinity of the receiving means, and said controlling means selectively controls said deflecting means of said plural receiving means of said inserter mechanism for deflecting cards into the respect-ively associated receiving means in accordance with the said predetermined sequence and number of cards to be received in each said receiving means for the total number of cards satisfying the requirements of the form, and receives the outputs of said detecting means to confirm that a card has been deflected and received into the intended receiving means of the inserter mechanism.

15. A method for attaching a card of generally planar, rectangular configuration to a mailer form at a predeter-mined card attachment location thereon by inserting first and second diagonally opposite corners of the card into corresponding first and second card-corner receiving aper-tures provided in the form and defining the said card attaching location thereof, said apertures being spaced apart by a distance less than the diagonal dimension of the card between said first and second diagonally opposite corners thereof, comprising:
receiving and releasably retaining a card in a first position, positioning a mailer form with the said card attach-ment location thereof aligned with and substantially paral-lel to and displaced from said first position of the releasably retained card to be inserted therein, supporting said card in a central portion thereof and engaging said card adjacent said first and second diagonally opposite corners for deflecting said corners beyond said first position and towards said form, thereby to insert said first and second diagonally opposite corners of said card into the said corresponding apertures of the card attachment location of said mailer form aligned therewith, and thereafter terminating the support of said card in said central portion thereof to permit said card to flex to its original planar configuration with the said diagonally opposite corners thereof projecting through the said corresponding apertures and underlying the form, thereby attaching the card to the form.

16. A method for automatically attaching pre-coded cards of generally planar, rectangular configuration to respectively corresponding, pre-coded mailer forms at predetermined card attachment locations on each said mailer form, by inserting first and second diagonally opposite corners of each card associated with the form into corresponding first and second card-corner receiving apertures provided in the associated form and defining the said card attaching location of said form, said apertures being spaced apart by a distance less than the diagonal dimension of the card between the said first and second diagonally opposite corners thereof, said mailer forms being supplied in a continous fan-fold strip with each said mailer form pre-coded in accordance with the code of cards to be received therein and the number of such common-coded cards to be attached to said form and said cards being provided in succession as to code and number thereof, in accordance with the succession of mailer forms, comprising:
receiving and releasably retaining a first position, at least one card, advancing said fan-fold strip supply of mailer forms for selectively positioning each said mailer form, in suc-cession, with the card attachment location thereof aligned with and substantially parallel to and displaced from said first position of the releasably retained, at least one card to be inserted therein, reading the pre-printed code of said mailer form for identifying the card code and the number of cards to be attached to each said mailer form, prior to said mailer form being advanced to said aligned position, picking cards, in individual succession, from said supply thereof, reading each individual card, in succession as picked from said supply, comparing the code read from each card and the number of cards bearing a common code picked in sequence from said supply thereof with the pre-printed code and card number read from a corresponding mailer form to determine com-pliance of the picked cards as to code and the number of cards of a common code with the card code and number of card requirements of each said form, in individual succession for the plurality of forms and picked cards, placing each successive said card which satisifies the requirements of a corresponding mailer form in alignment with a selected, card attachment location of the corres-ponding form, supporting each said selected and placed card in a central portion and engaging same adjacent said first and second diagonally opposite corners for deflecting said corners beyond said first position and towards said form, and releasing said card while maintaining said central support thereof and deflecting said diagonally opposite corners of said card about said central support position to enable insertion of said first and second diagonally opposite corners of said card into said corresponding apertures of the card attachment location of the mailer form aligned therewith, and thereafter terminating said central support thereof to permit said card to flex to its original planar configuration with the said diagonally opposite corners thereof projecting through the said cor-responding apertures and underlying the form, thereby attaching the card to the form.

17. A method as recited in claim 16 further comprising:
detecting each card picked from said supply and incrementing a count for each thereof, detecting each card placed for insertion, and decrementing the count for each thereof, and controlling said picking so as to continue picking of cards from said supply only so long as said count does not exceed a predetermined value.