A bidirectional imprinter having a print roll carriage with sidewalls and two pairs of inclined slots disposed in the sidewalls where the first pair is oppositely inclined with respect to the second pair. First and second print rolls are respectively associated with the first and second pairs of slots so that movement of the carriage over the print bed causes the first print roll to move down its associated slot pair to effect imprinting while the second print roll is moved up its associated slot pair in a non-imprinting relation with respect to the print bed. The functions of the print rolls are interchanged during the reverse stroke. The imprinter may comprise a unitary, extruded base with an elongated receptacle extending along the upper length thereof and a molded plastic print bed inserted within the receptacle. An elongated recess in the print bed may also be provided so that a portion of a credit card or the like overlying the recess can be depressed therein to raise the remainder of the card and permit easy removal thereof.
An imprinter includes a base having a flatbed for receiving a credit card and merchant plate having characters to be imprinted on a formset, and a carriage supported for motion in first and second opposed directions along the flatbed. The carriage has platen holder supports and first and second rolling platen units attached to the platen holder supports. Each of the first and second rolling platen units include a platen holder having opposed sidewalls, the sidewalls having opposed openings therein, and a rolling platen having an axle supported in the opposed openings of the sidewalls. The openings have at least two lobe shaped portions, each having a closed end and an open end, joined together at their open ends to form a substantially L-shaped opening. The first rolling platen unit has opposed openings having closed ends of the respective, opposed first lobes facing the first direction and the closed ends of the respective, opposed second lobes facing the flatbed. The second rolling platen unit has opposed openings which are the mirror image of the openings for the first unit.
An imprinter (10) for imprinting a formset (12) with embossed data from a card (14) and a plate (16) in accordance with the invention includes a flatbed (20) having a top surface (22) on which the card and the plate are held below the formset during imprinting; a movable carriage (24) having at least one rolling platen (48 and 50) with the at least one rolling platen imprinting the embossed data during movement along the flatbed; and a single piece skirt (26) having a periphery (28) which extends peripherally outside the flatbed and which is attached to the flatbed to from a unitary structure of the flatbed and the skirt with the skirt having a plurality of projections (30 and 32) extending inward onto the top surface of the flatbed with the projections defining a card receiving surface area (34) on the top surface of the flatbed for holding the card during imprinting and a formset receiving area (36) on the top surface of the flatbed for holding the formset during imprinting.
An imprinter having a roller platen assembly movably mounted on a head member for imprinting data from a printing plate such as a credit card onto a form positioned over the plate. The roller platen assembly has a reciprocally driven carriage means containing at least one removably mounted cartridge containing at least one row of roller platens mounted therein in parallel, spaced apart relationship to each other. A plurality of backup rollers are rotatably mounted within said roller platen assembly, each in contact and vertical alignment with each of the platen rollers when the cartridge means is in position within the carriage means. At least one of the roller platens is in contact with the raised printing elements of the printing plate at all times during each printing cycle of the imprinter to thereby lessen any tendency for smudging of the form to occur.
An imprinter in accordance with the invention includes a base (31) having a flatbed (32) for receiving a station plate (33) and a credit card (34) to be imprinted on a print receiving element and a carriage 29 movable in first and second directions to cause imprinting, respectively, by first and second rolling platens 42 and 44 each having an axle 50 rotatably supported in the carriage in opposed downwardly extending members (52) of the carriage. First and second pairs of openings (54) retain the axles (50) of the first and second rolling platens and have a length (58) and height (60) greater than the diameter of the axle which permits the axles of the rolling platens to move in the direction of motion during imprinting to provide alignment with first, second, third and fourth stops (70, 72, 74, 76) in the imprinting direction at one end (63) of the openings and further to permit orthogonal movement upward from the flatbed when an outside periphery (65) of one of the rolling platens has insufficient clearance to clear the station plate or credit card. The stops limit travel of the axle of the rolling platens orthogonally away from the base during imprinting to establish a position of the first and second rolling platens during imprinting relative to the flatbed.
An imprinter apparatus selectively raises and lowers a print roll (100 or 102) over a print bed (12) for receiving a station plate and conventional credit card to produce a receipt for a credit transaction. The print rolls are freely suspended from a cross member (60) of the carriage (14) for independent pendulous movement that is restricted in one direction to provide pressure for printing and less restricted in the return direction to avoid ghosting. The trolley for the carriage includes a nylon slipper (130) which has on one surface axles for wheels (50-52) that run on the lower side of the print bed (12) and a slider (144) on the upper print bed side; on the other side of slipper (130), pins (140, 142) are provided that protrude through the steel carriage wall (62 or 64) for preventing relative movement between the trolley and the carriage (12). The various parts are designed to fit together with a minimum of secondary operations to reduce manufacturing costs.
