Apparatus for automatically attaching a patch to a commercial document

Abstract

The present invention relates to a magnetic patch attaching device wherein a continuous roll or reel of adhesively backed magnetic stripes are arranged so that introduction of a document into the machine by means of which the stripe is to be attached permits the reel of tape to be advanced in such manner that an individual stripe is peeled away from the backing tape and applied to the document while the latter is simultaneously withdrawn from the apparatus, the tape being pressure bonded to the surface of the document during withdrawal of the document, leaving the apparatus available for the introduction of the next document.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for applying .[.a magnetizable.]. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.overlay, e.g. stripe, to an item or document such as a savings bank passbook comprising: a supply of .[.magnetizable.]. tapes or patches,   a document receiving area adjacent said supply of tape including document support means forming a throat into which said document is inserted and advanced, and thereafter retracted and removed,   means adjacent said document receiving area for advancing an individual patch from said supply into contact with said document,   means over which said patches are caused to pass effective to detach a patch from said supply for application to said document, and   means for adhering said patch to said document while simultaneously removably retracting said document from said document receiving area.   
     
     
       2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said document receiving area includes oppositely disposed parallel channel guide members vertically oriented relative to the advancing path of movement of said patches for receiving said document and holding the same during the patch attaching and retracting operation. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus for applying .[.a magnetizable.]. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.overlay, e.g. .[.magnetic.]. stripe, to an item or document such as a savings bank passbook comprising, a supply roll of .[.magnetizable.]. tapes or patches, each patch being spaced a precise distance from an adjacent patch and demountably adhered to a continuous strip of release material,   means supporting said roll for free advancing movement,   a document receiving throat into which a document is introduced and from which it is subsequently withdrawn,   means for advancing said release material a precise incremental distance in synchronism with the spacing of said patches thereon,   oppositely disposed projecting members in said throat area over which said release material is moved for causing each patch to be peeled away therefrom for application to said document,   means in said throat area for adhering a released patch to said document and simultaneously withdrawing said document from said throat area, and   means engagable with said document for actuating said advancing means and said adhering means to apply said patch while withdrawing said document from said throat area.   
     
     
       4. The invention in accordance with claim 2 wherein said channel guide members are independently, adjustably, laterally positionable so as to accommodate documents of varying size. 
     
     
       5. The invention in accordance with claim 3 wherein said means for adhering said patch comprises a resilient roller having a flat surface portion providing a clearance for said document as it enters said throat and an edge portion for gripping said patch as it is peeled from said release material. 
     
     
       6. The invention in accordance with claim 3 wherein said actuating means includes detent means operably associated with said tape roll advancing means, cam means engagable by said actuating means and movable thereby to release said tape advancing means to permit said tape to be moved,   means engagable with said cam means for locking said advancing means in a fixed or home position at the end of an operational cycle.   
     
     
       7. Apparatus for applying a .[.magnetizable.]. stripe to an item such as a savings bank passbook comprising, means supporting a supply of continuous release material carrying a plurality of .[.magnetizable.]. patches thereon,   a document receiving throat area into which said item is received and from which it is automatically extracted,   parallel means in said throat area for peeling said patches from said release material one at a time,   .[.magnetizable.]. patch attaching means including a clearance portion for engaging said patch and a portion for extracting said item while attaching said .[.magnetic.]. patch thereto,   means in said throat area adjacent said attaching means for varying the gap of said throat area as desired,   means engagable with said release material for advancing the latter in synchronism with the positioning of said .[.magnetic.]. patches so as to accurately position each patch in a precise location on said item, and   actuating means in said throat area engagable by said item for releasing said advancing means permitting the latter to move a .[.magnetic.]. patch into contact with said item for application thereto by said attaching means as the item is withdrawn from said apparatus.   
     
     
       8. The invention in accordance with claim 7 wherein said gap varying means comprises a rotatable cam member forming a back-up anvil for said patch attaching means, said cam member being arranged in eccentric relation to said patch attaching means permitting said throat gap to be widened or narrowed thus to accommodate documents of varying thicknesses. 
     
     
       9. The invention in accordance with claim 7 wherein said release material advancing means further includes anti-back-up means preventing said advancing means from reversing direction. .Iadd. 10. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said patch has an adhesive backing on the surface to be bonded to said item and a stripe of magnetizable material on 
     
     
        the opposite surface thereof. .Iaddend..Iadd. 11.  An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said patch has an adhesive backing on the surface to be bonded to said item and a stripe of magnetizable material on the opposite surface thereof. .Iaddend..Iadd. 12. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said patch has an adhesive backing on the surface to be bonded to said item and a stripe of magnetizable material on the opposite surface thereof..Iaddend.