Methods of producing collectible cards

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019366388-A1
Application number	US-201916539627-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 13, 2019
Priority date	Feb 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 5, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and apparatus of producing collectible cards are disclosed. An example method includes producing a first stack of cards including a first card type and a second card type from a single substrate sheet, separating the first stack of cards into a first sub-stack and a second sub-stack. The first sub-stack includes the first card type and the second sub-stack includes the second card type. The example method includes comparing a first top card of the first sub-stack to a first reference card and, based on the first top card being substantially similar to the first reference card, automatically transferring the first sub-stack to a first tray designated to receive the first card type.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method, comprising:
producing a first stack of cards including a first card type and a second card type from a single substrate sheet; separating the first stack of cards into a first sub-stack and a second sub-stack, the first sub-stack including the first card type and the second sub-stack including the second card type; comparing a first top card of the first sub-stack to a first reference card; and based on the first top card being substantially similar to the first reference card, automatically transferring the first sub-stack to a first tray designated to receive the first card type.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further including determining a first number of cards within the first tray.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further including producing a second stack of cards including the first card type and the second card type.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further including:
separating the second stack of cards into a third sub-stack and a fourth sub-stack, the third sub-stack including the first card type and the fourth sub-stack including the second card type; comparing a second top card of the third sub-stack to a second reference card; and based on the second top card not being substantially similar to the reference card, rejecting the third sub-stack and not transferring the third sub-stack to the first tray.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further including separating the second stack of cards into a third sub-stack including the first card type and a fourth sub-stack including the first card type if the first number exceeds a threshold value.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the number of cards within the second stack of cards is greater than the threshold value.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further including comparing a second top card of the third sub-stack to a second reference card and, based on the second top card being substantially similar to the second reference card, automatically transferring the third sub-stack to the first tray.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the third sub-stack includes a second number of cards equal to the threshold value.

9 . The method of claim 7 , further including generating an alert indicative of the first tray being full.

10 . The method of claim 5 , further including comparing a second top card of the fourth sub-stack to a second reference card and, based on the second top card being substantially similar to the second reference card, automatically transferring the fourth sub-stack to a second tray designated to receive the first card type.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the first top card of the first sub-stack to the first reference card includes comparing quality characteristics of the first top card to quality characteristics of the first reference card.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cards include collectible cards.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first card type is different than the second card type.

14 . The method of claim 1 further including:
producing a second stack of cards including a third card type and a fourth card type;
separating the second stack of cards into a third sub-stack and a fourth sub-stack, the third sub-stack including the third card type and the fourth sub-stack including the fourth card type;
comparing a second top card of the third sub-stack to a second reference card; and
based on the second top card being substantially similar to the second reference card, automatically transferring the third sub-stack to a second tray designated to receive the third card type.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first card type is different than the third card type.

Assignees

• Donnelley & Sons Co

Inventors

• Eastwood David
• Benson Harold Aldridge
• Cholewinski Joe

Classifications

• B65H2701/1914

  Cards, e.g. telephone, credit and identity cards · CPC title

• B65H2301/4228

  Dividing piles · CPC title

• B65H2701/18265

  Ordered set of batches of articles · CPC title

• B65H2301/431

  Features with regard to the collection, nature, sequence and/or the making thereof · CPC title

• B65H43/04

  detecting, or responding to, presence of faulty articles (B65H43/08 takes precedence; diverting faulty articles from main streams B65H29/62) · CPC title