Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus for printing and laminating plastic cards consists of a thermal transfer printing station including ribbon and a thermal printhead for printing an image on a receptor surface of a receptor card, a laminating station including laminating film and a heated laminating roller mounted for engagement with said receptor surface of said receptor card during a laminating operation, and a guided carriage for transporting the receptor card beneath the printhead and the heated laminating roller. The carriage includes a resilient surface for receiving the receptor card with a receptor surface facing upwardly. The carriage is guided on a pair of rails to insure proper registration and tracking of the receptor card. The carriage is driven by a threaded rod which passes through a threaded bore in the carriage wherein rotation of the threaded rod by a motor causes movement of the carriage along the guide rails. The apparatus further includes a hopper for storing a plurality of cards for printing, a cleaning station for cleaning the receptor surface of the card prior to printing, and a pair of output nip rollers including a heated lower roller for engaging and heating a lower surface of the receptor card. The carriage enable the card to be transported by a single carrier from the hopper to the output nip rollers.

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First Claim