GB2258459A - Card dispenser. - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispenser for cards 20, for example magnetic stripe cards, has two pairs of rotatable wheels 26 and 27 within an enclosure defined by the walls of a housing 22, 24, 23. The stack of cards may be free standing within the enclosure or it may be contained in a cassette 21 which has apertures in its base, and which is placed in the enclosure so that the four wheels protrude through the base. One pair of wheels 27 is driven and the other pair 26 free-wheeling, at least the driven pair having uneven surfaces formed with protrusions alternating with indentations so that the stack of cards is vibrated and the lowermost card of the stack is easily moved sideways from the stack by the driven wheels and passed through a slot 32, 33 of a size to permit passage of one card only at a time. <IMAGE>

Description

CARD DISPENSER The present invention relates to a card dispenser which is capable of use in dispensing cards of any kind from a stack of cards placed in the dispenser.

According to the present invention there is provided a card dispenser which comprises a housing including walls defining an enclosure for receiving a stack of cards, wheels mounted for rotation within the housing for supporting a stack of cards, means for driving at least one of the wheels to move a lowermost card in a stack of cards sideways from the stack and out of the enclosure, and means for vibrating the stack of cards to facilitate movement of the lowermost card away from the stack of cards.

The housing of a card dispenser according to the present invention may include a horizontal surface above the wheels and so located relative to the wheels that a portion of the circumferential surface of each wheel protrudes above the horizontal surface, one of the walls of the housing defining with the horizontal surface a slot of a height to permit passage of one card at a time from the stack of cards.

This embodiment of the present invention is conveniently used for dispensing a free-standing stack of cards inserted within the enclosure defined by the housing above the horizontal surface. However a card dispenser in accordance with the present invention may also be used for dispensing cards from a cassette placed within the enclosure defined by the housing.

In such a case there is no need for a horizontal surface within the housing. According to this embodiment of the present invention the walls of the housing include means for supporting a cassette containing a stack of cards, a cassette containing a stack of cards supported on the said means within the enclosure, the cassette having a lower surface containing apertures such that the lowermost card in the stack is in contact with and supported on the wheels, and the cassette having a slot in a side wall adjacent an opening to the enclosure, the slot in the side wall of the cassette being of a height to permit passage of one card at a time from the stack of cards.

For certain applications a card dispenser in accordance with the present invention may operate with only a single wheel which is arranged to be driven to move the bottom card from the stack. Preferably however a pair of driven wheels arranged side-by-side is used to advance the bottom card of the stack through an adjacent slot.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the card dispenser includes two pairs of wheels, a first pair of side-by-side wheels which are driven and a second pair of side-by-side wheels which are arranged to free wheel.

Preferably the means for vibrating the stack of cards comprises an uneven surface on the wheel or wheels which are driven. The vibration imparted by rotation of a wheel of uneven surface supporting a stack of cards is effective in agitating the cards in the stack and thereby enabling the bottom card which is in contact with the driven wheel or wheels to be moved easily from the stack without sticking to the card immediately above it.

The surfaces of the driven wheels may be ridged surfaces, and may for example be surfaces similar to the tread of tyres used on agricultural tractors, which have a regular ridged pattern. The surface of the wheels may have irregular protrusions and indentations.

When the driven wheels have surfaces similar to the tread of tyres used on agricultural tractors, improved agitation may be obtained by arranging the pair of driven wheels such that the protrusions on the wheel surfaces are out of phase with one another.

Although a card dispenser in accordance with the present invention may be used for dispensing cards of any kind, the preferred embodiment of the present invention has particular application in dispensing magnetic stripe cards or electronic "Smart" cards from a cassette.

The present invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof which is made, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view partly cut away of one embodiment of a card dispenser in accordance with the present invention Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of another embodiment of the present invention showing a card dispenser for dispensing cards from a stack of cards in a cassette Figure 3 is a view of the card dispenser of Figure 2 from the right-hand side of Figure 2 with the front wall of the housing and the motor both removed and without any cards positioned within the cassette, and Figure 4 is a plan view of the embodiment of Figures 2 and 3 shown with no cards in the cassette and with the connection between the motor and the driving wheels omitted for clarity.

Referring to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings there is shown a card dispenser comprising a housing having a lower part 1 and an upper part 2, the upper part 2 including walls 3 defining an enclosure for receiving a stack of cards which may be loaded into it as required via a slot in a back or side wall 3. Two pairs of wheels 4,4 and 5,5 are rotatably mounted for rotation within the lower part 1 of the housing, a portion of the circumference of each of the four wheels protruding through apertures in a horizontal surface 6 within the enclosure defined by the walls 3 of the upper part 2 of the housing. A motor 7 located within the lower part 1 of the housing and connected by drive means 8 to the shaft on which the wheels 4, 4 are mounted is provided for driving the wheels 4, 4 in a clockwise direction as seen in Figure 1. The wheels 5, 5 are arranged to free wheel.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 the drive means 8 is a toothed belt interconnecting the motor shaft and the shaft of the wheels 4, 4, the motor 7 being mounted below the shaft of the wheels 4, 4. However if width permits the motor 7 could be coupled in line with the shaft of the wheels 4, 4 thereby dispensing with the need for a belt or gear.

In another alternative the motor may be mounted above a plate which is an upper surface 10 of the lower part 1 of the housing in order to minimise the height of the lower part 1 of the housing.

The wheels 4, 4 have uneven surfaces for example similar to the surfaces on the tread of tyres used on agricultural tractors with the result that cards resting on the wheels 4, 4 are raised and lowered by a small amount during rotation of the wheels 4 when driven by the motor 7 thereby vibrating a stack of cards placed within the enclosure defined by the four walls 3 of the upper part 2 of the housing.

In operation of the card dispenser of Figure 1 a stack of cards (not shown) rests on the four wheels 4,4 and 5,5.

When the motor is signalled to start, the bottom card of the stack is propelled forward to emerge via a slot 9 at the foot of the wall 3 above an upper surface 10 of the lower part 1 of the housing.

The slot 9 is of a height to permit one card only to be advanced at a time from the stack of cards within the enclosure or box defined by the walls 3 of the upper part 2 of the housing, e.g. about 1.5 times the thickness of a card, with the top edge of the slot 9 lying only just above the top surface of the bottom card of the stack when resting on the wheels. Because the driven wheels have uneven surfaces similar to the tread pattern found on the wheels of a farm tractor, they both grip the card well and agitate the card stack while the driven wheels are rotating so that cards do not stick together.

As a card is moved forward the rear edge of that card falls off the free-wheeling wheels 5,5, the weight of the stack is transferred to the driven wheels 4,4, and at the same time the angle at which the card rests is altered and the stack tilts slightly so as positively to block the emergence of a second card from the slot 9. As soon as one card has travelled to a postion where it is no longer being pushed by the wheels, the stack falls under gravity and the next card is in contact with the driven wheels waiting to be propelled forward.

Conveniently, as the card emerges beyond the right hand edge of the upper surface 10 of the lower part 1 of the housing, it is gripped and removed either manually or by another machine (eg. a magnetic encoder or reader, a printing or stamping machine or other means) which awaits it, and the motor is switched off via an opto-sensor or like means. When the motor is started again the process is repeated with the next card in the stack. This apparatus will deliver every card in a stack individually and on command.

In another embodiment of card dispenser according to the present invention shown in Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings a stack of cards 20 (Figure 2) in a cassette 21 is loaded into an enclosure defined by a front wall 22, side walls 23 and a low rear wall 24 of the upper part of a housing.

A lower part 25 of the housing is essentially similar to the lower part 1 of the housing described with reference to Figure 1 and contains free-wheeling wheels 26, driven wheels 27 and means for driving the wheels 27 which comprises a small electric motor 28 and a suitable drive link 29 from the motor 28 to shaft 34 of the driven wheels 27.

As shown particularly in Figure 3 the cassette 21 is supported on members 30 secured to the side walls 23 of the upper part of the housing. The cassette 21 is supported in a position in which wheels 26 and 27 protrude through apertures 31 in the base of the cassette 21 so as to lift the bottom card of the stack 20 away from the bottom of the cassette so that the weight of the stack of cards is supported on the wheels 26 and 27.

The front wall of the cassette 21 which is placed adjacent front wall 22 of the enclosure includes a slot 32 of a size, for example 1.5 times the thickness of a card, sufficient to allow passage of one card only at a time through the slot 32. The slot 32 in the front wall of the cassette is adjacent a much larger slot 33 provided in the front wall 22 of the enclosure to permit easy passage of a card through the slot 32 and out of the enclosure.

As shown in Figure 4 the wheels 26 and 27 both have uneven surfaces formed with protrusions and indentations similarly to the treads of tyres of agricultural tractors. Optionally however smooth surfaces may be provided on the free-wheeling wheels 26.

It is preferred that the driven wheels 27 be mounted to their drive shaft 34 with the protrusions on the surfaces of the wheels 27 out of phase with one another in order to maximize vibration of the stack of cards by introducing an element of rocking to the stack of cards in addition to the vertical vibration resulting from the relatively high and low parts of the uneven surfaces of the driven wheels 27.

Reloading of the card dispenser of Figures 2 to 4 of the present invention with another cassette of cards is extremely easy. Indeed card dispensers in accordance with the present invention are simple structures in contrast to existing designs which are mostly very complex with racks of cards being propelled sideways like pieces of toast or have complicated linearly actuated "pushers" to propel a card.

The card dispenser in accordance with the present invention uses the force of gravity to bring fresh cards in contact with the driven wheel or wheels. This method is advantageous in comparison with methods which involve inverting the stack when more mechanism is required to propel the stack upwards towards the driven wheels, as in some photcopiers.

Claims (8)

CLAIMS:

1. A card dispenser which comprises a housing including walls defining an enclosure for receiving a stack of cards, wheels mounted for rotation within the housing for supporting a stack of cards, means for driving at least one of the wheels to move a lowermost card in a stack of cards sideways from the stack and out of the enclosure, and means for vibrating the stack of cards to facilitate movement of the lowermost card away from the stack of cards.

2. A card dispenser according to Claim 1 wherein the housing includes a horizontal surface above the wheels and so located relative to the wheels that a portion of the circumferential surface of each wheel protrudes above the horizontal surface, and one of the walls of the housing defining with the horizontal surface a slot of a height to permit passage of one card at a time from the stack of cards.

3. A card dispenser according to Claim 1 wherein the walls of the housing include means for supporting a cassette containing a stack of cards, a cassette containing a stack of cards is supported on the said means within the enclosure, the cassette having a lower surface containing apertures such that the lowermost card in the stack is in contact with and supported on the wheels, and the cassette having a slot in a side wall adjacent an opening to the enclosure, the slot in the side wall of the cassette being of a height to permit passage of one card at a time from the stack of cards.

4. A card dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims wherein there are two pairs of wheels within the housing, one pair of wheels being driven and the other pair of wheels being arranged to freewheel.

5. A card dispenser according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the means for vibrating the stack of cards comprises an uneven surface on the wheel or wheels which are driven.

6. A card dispenser according to Claim 5 wherein the said wheel or wheels which are driven have uneven surfaces similar to the tread pattern of the tyres on a farm tractor.

7. A card dispenser according to Claim 5 wherein the means for vibrating the stack of cards comprises a pair of driven wheels each having an uneven surface similar to the tread pattern of the tyres of a farm tractor, the wheels being mounted for rotation with the uneven surface on one driven wheel out of phase with the uneven surface on the other driven wheel of the pair.

8. A card dispenser constructed and designed to operate substantially as hereinbefore described.