DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PRINTING ON ONE OR BOTH SIDES OF A PLURALITY OF FLAT OBJECTS

Abstract

An apparatus for printing on one or both sides of flat objects. The apparatus includes a loop-shaped conveying path for the flat objects; a feed conveyor configured to feed the objects to be printed into a first section of the conveying path; a printer configured to print the objects one at a time; a first discharge conveyor configured to discharge the objects to be printed one at a time downstream of the printer from the first section towards a second section; a first collector configured to collect the objects downstream of the first discharge conveyor at the second section discharged from the first discharge conveyor in a stack; a stack conveyor configured to convey a (partial) stack of the objects along the second section; and a second collector configured to receive at least one (partial) stack and feed the objects upstream to the printer into the first section.

Claims

1. An apparatus for printing on one or both sides of flat objects, said apparatus comprising: a loop-shaped conveying path for the flat objects, said conveying path being configured to convey the objects individually along a first section of the conveying path, and to convey (partial) stacks including a plurality of objects along a second section of the conveying path; an infeed conveyor for the objects, said infeed conveyor being configured to individually feed the objects to be printed upstream to a printer in the first section of the conveying path; a printer arranged along the first section of the conveying path and being configured to print the objects fed individually to the printer by the first section of the conveying path; a first discharge conveyor for the objects, said first discharge conveyor being configured and controlled to discharge the objects to be printed on both sides downstream to the printer from the first section of the conveying path toward the second section thereof one by one; a first collector for said objects, said first collector being arranged downstream to said first discharge conveyor at said second section of said conveying path and being configured to collect objects discharged from said first discharge conveyor in a stack; a stack conveyor fora (partial) stack of the objects from the first collector, said stack conveyor being configured to convey the (partial) stack of the objects along the second section of the conveying path; and a second collector for the objects, said second collector being arranged at the second section of the conveying path and being adapted to receive at least one (partial) stack conveyed by the stack conveyor along the second section of the conveying path and to introduce its objects individually upstream of the printer into the first section of the conveying path.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first collector is configured to deliver a (partial) stack in each case for reception by the stack conveyor as soon as a height of the first stack or of the (partial) stack to be defined is reached, such (partial) stack comprising at least two or more of the flat objects.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stack conveyor is configured to turn the (partial) stack of objects between the first and the second collector in such a way that in each case the unprinted side of the object conveyed to the printer faces the printer for printing after leaving the second collector.

4. The apparatus according to any one of claim 1, wherein a second discharge conveyor for the objects is provided and is configured to discharge the objects individually from the loop-shaped conveying path on the downstream side to the printer, or a magazine adjacent to the first collector is provided and is arranged to receive finished printed objects on the downstream side to the printer.

5. The apparatus according to any one of claim 1, wherein the first section of the conveying path is configured to continuously convey the objects at a number of pieces per unit time that is at least twice as great as a number of pieces per unit time at which the entry conveyor continuously or intermittently conveys the objects, and/or wherein a buffer store is arranged between the entry conveyor and the first section of the conveying path and is set up to enter objects entered by the entry conveyor into the first section of the conveying path as a coherent group of a plurality of objects into the first section, and wherein successive groups are spaced apart from one another, or as objects individually spaced apart from one another, and/or are to be entered inverted into the first section.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claim 1, wherein the first section of the conveyor path is configured to feed the objects upstream to the printer, to a cleaning and/or to an input inspection, and/or downstream to the printer, to a drying and/or an output inspection, and/or wherein the stack conveyor includes a gripper that is set up and arranged to grip and remove the (partial) stack of objects in the first collector and to deposit and release it in the second collector, and/or wherein a circulating or belt conveyor is configured to receive objects from the second collector and to transfer them to a downstream transport section, and/or wherein the printer is a single-pass inkjet printer including a plurality of print heads for ultraviolet (UV)-curable ink arranged in series in the conveying direction of the objects to be printed and includes one or more reservoirs with an ultraviolet (UV)-curable ink of different color, and/or wherein along the conveying path on the downstream side to the printer there is provided a station for predrying the ink by (UV) light irradiation, a station for applying a covering varnish and/or a station for curing the covering varnish by (UV) light irradiation.

7. The apparatus according to any one of claim 1, wherein the first collector is configured as a lifting lift corresponding to the dimensions of the objects, which is arranged to collect objects discharged individually from the first section of the conveying path in a stack spaced apart from one another, and wherein a pusher is configured to push out said objects one by one transversely to the conveying direction of said conveying path and to push them in between two toothed belts of said lifting lift, and wherein respective driven rollers are arranged and adapted to move said toothed belts.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claim 1, wherein the first collector includes a plunger that is configured to deliver an intended number of the objects in the lifting lift of the first collector to the stack conveyor, and/or wherein the stacking conveyor is configured as a container, in the side walls of which recesses are provided for receiving the objects that are spaced apart from one another and which a pusher located in the first collector pushes into the container.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claim 1, wherein a second collector is arranged to receive a (partial) stack removed from the first collector by the stack conveyor, transported along the second section of the conveying path and conveyed to the second collector, and/or wherein the second collector and the stack conveyor are configured to position themselves relative to one another in such a way that the objects are pushed out as a complete stack by a pusher arranged in the stack conveyor and are pushed in between two toothed belts of the second collector, and/or wherein the second collector is configured to move the two toothed belts by a tooth pitch by driven rollers in order to discharge an object from a lowermost position of the two toothed belts of the second collector onto the first section of the conveyor path for discharging the objects.

10. A method for printing on one or both sides of flat objects, said method comprising: individually conveying the objects on a first section of a loop-shaped conveying path and on a second section of the conveying path as a (partial) stack of several objects; individually conveying the objects to be printed by an entry conveyor into the first section of the conveying path on the upstream side towards a printer; individually printing the objects conveyed by the printer arranged along the first section of the conveying path on a side facing the printer; individually discharging the objects to be printed on both sides by a first discharge conveyor, downstream of the printer, from the first section of the conveying path in the direction of the second section; collecting objects in a stack discharged from the first discharge conveyor by a first collector arranged downstream of the first discharge conveyor at the second section of the conveying path; conveying a (partial) stack of the objects from the first collector along the second section of the conveying path by a stack conveyor; and picking up at least one (partial) stack conveyed by the stack conveyor along the second section of the conveying path by a second collector arranged at the second section of the conveying path and individually feeding the objects upstream to the printer into the first section of the conveying path.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein as soon as a height to be defined of the first stack or the (partial) stack is reached, the (partial) stack is removed from the first collector by the stack conveyor and conveyed along the second section of the conveyor path to the second collector arranged at the second section of the conveyor path and deposited therein, as soon as a height to be defined of the first stack or of the (partial) stack is reached, which at least partially comprises the first stack and is at least two or more of the flat objects high, the (partial) stack is entered as a whole onto the second stack in the second collector at the end of the second section of the loop-shaped conveyor path, while the (partial) stack passes the second section of the loop-shaped conveyor path, a turning of the (partial) stack is effected, and the items for printing their second side are fed from the second pile one by one into the first section, fed to the printer, and finally discharged from the loop-shaped conveyor path at the end of the first section.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second collector discharges the individual objects of the (partial) stack and turns them in the process, so that in each case the unprinted side of the object fed to the printer faces the printer for printing after leaving the second collector.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first section of the conveying path continuously conveys the objects at a number of pieces per unit time that is at least twice a number of pieces per unit time at which the entry conveyor continuously or intermittently conveys the objects, and a buffer store between the entry conveyor and the first section of the conveying path enters objects entered into the first section of the conveying path by the entry conveyor as a coherent group of a plurality of objects, successive groups being spaced apart from one another, or the buffer store enters the objects into the first section as individually spaced-apart objects, and/or inverted.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first section of the conveying path feeds the objects upstream to the printer, cleaning and/or input inspection, and/or feeds them downstream to the printer, drying and/or output inspection.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein a gripper of the stacking conveyor grips and removes the (partial) stack of objects in the first collector, and deposits and releases them in the second collector, and/or wherein along the conveying path, a read/write device writes information into a magnetic stripe arranged on the object, into an integrated circuit embedded in the object, and wherein the read/write device performs the writing of the information for each object individually or as a collective entry.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Further objectives, features, advantages and possible applications result from the following description of non-restrictive examples of variants and the associated drawings. In this context, all the features described and/or illustrated constitute the object disclosed here, either individually or in any combination, also irrespective of their grouping in the claims or their back-relationships. Possible variations will also become clear to a person skilled in the art on the basis of the following description, in which reference is made to the enclosed drawing. Thereby, the Figs. schematically show the device discussed herein.

[0042] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a variant of a device for printing on one or both sides of a plurality of flat objects.

[0043] FIGS. 2a-2d illustrate variants of the first and second collectors and the stack conveyor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a device 10 for printing on one or both sides of flat objects K. In the variant shown, the objects K are realized as identification (ID) cards made of plastic. The device 10 has a loop-shaped conveying path FW for the flat objects K. The conveying path FW serves to convey the objects K on a first section 1A of the conveying path FW as individual objects K, and on a second section 2A of the conveying path FW as (partial) stacks of a plurality of objects K. The objects K are then conveyed along the conveying path FW.

[0045] In the variant illustrated here, the first section 1A of the conveyor path FW is a circulating or belt conveyor in which one or more endless conveyor belts 12 are guided over one or more driven and non-driven rollers. In the variant illustrated here, the second section 2A of the conveyor path FW comprises a rail conveyor carrying a gripper for a (partial) stack of the objects K, which gripper is movable along a transport rail TS in a controlled manner and is to be actuated in a controlled manner. In one variant, this gripper can also be rotated so that the orientation of the objects K in the (partial) stack is rotated by 180°.

[0046] The conveyor path FW has an infeed conveyor EF for the items K on one inflow side (on the left in FIG. 1). The infeed conveyor EF is used to feed the items K to be printed individually upstream to a printer D in the first section 1A of the conveyor path FW. The printer D is arranged along the first section 1A and is used to print on the objects K fed individually to the printer D. A first discharge conveyor 1AF is arranged downstream of the printer D and serves to individually discharge the items K to be printed on both sides from the first section 1A of the conveying path FW toward the second section 2A of the conveying path FW. In a variant not illustrated, the first discharge conveyor 1AF comprises one or more synchronously driven conveying sections arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction of the objects K. The conveying sections are arranged one after the other.

[0047] The first discharge conveyor 1AF cooperates with a first collector 1S to bring the objects K on their way as (partial) stacks S in the direction of the second section 2A of the conveying path FW. In this regard, in one variant, the first collector 15 is configured as a chute corresponding to the dimensions of the objects K, into which the first discharge conveyor 1AF introduces the objects K one by one. The first collector 1S is arranged downstream of the first discharge conveyor 1AF at the second section 2A of the conveying path FW. It serves to collect in a stack S the objects K discharged individually by the first discharge conveyor 1AF from the first section 1A of the conveying path FW.

[0048] The first collector 1S is also arranged to discharge one (partial) stack S at a time for pick-up by the stack conveyor SF as soon as a height of the first stack or the (partial) stack to be defined is reached, such (partial) stack comprising at least two or more—for example 5, 10, 20, 40, 50 or 100, etc. objects K—of the flat objects K is high.

[0049] A stack conveyor SF cooperating with the first collector 1S serves to remove one (partial) stack S of the objects K at a time from the first collector 1S and to send it on its way along the second section 2A of the conveying path FW. The stack conveyor SF conveys the (partial) stack S of objects K along the second section 2A of the conveying path FW to a second collector 2S for the objects K. In FIG. 1, the stack conveyor SF is illustrated in dashed lines at a middle and a right position along the conveying rail TS.

[0050] The second collector 2S is also arranged at the second section 2A of the conveying path FW. The second collector 2S serves to receive a (partial) stack S removed by the stack conveyor SF from the first collector 1S along the second section 2A of the conveying path FW and conveyed to the second collector 2S.

[0051] The stack conveyor SF also serves to turn the (partial) stack S between the first and second collectors 1S, 2S during the transport of the (partial) stack S along the second section 2A in such a way that in each case the unprinted side of the item K conveyed to the printer D faces the printer for printing after leaving the second collector 2S. In the variant shown in FIG. 1, this is achieved by the stack conveyor SF as a gripper traveling a path in the shape of an inverted U from the first to the second collector 1S, 2S with the (partial) stack S located between its arms. Obviously, the orientation of the objects K is rotated by 180° in the process, without any active rotation of the gripper being required.

[0052] If an object K to be printed on both sides has been printed twice, or if an object K to be printed on one side has been printed once and printing again or on the reverse side is not required, it is discharged from the conveying path FW by means of a second discharge conveyor 2AF. In the variant shown, the second discharge conveyor 2AF is designed as a belt conveyor that discharges the objects K downstream of the printer D individually from the loop-shaped conveyor path FW. The first section 1A of the conveying path FW serves to continuously transport the objects K at a number of pieces per unit of time (for example 4000 uph) which is at least twice as large as a number of pieces per unit of time at which the entry conveyor EF—continuously or cyclically conveys the objects K (for example 2000 uph). A buffer store PS may be provided between the entry conveyor EF and the first section 1A of the conveying path FW, which serves to temporally delay/synchronize an entry of objects and to enter objects K entered by the entry conveyor EF into the first section 1A of the conveying path FW as a contiguous group of a plurality of objects K.

[0053] Furthermore, the second collector 2S serves to make the objects K conveyed as (partial) stacks S along the second section 2A available for individual entry into the first section 1A of the conveying path FW on the upstream side to the printer D. The second collector 2S is used for the individual objects K to be fed into the first section 1A of the conveying path FW on the downstream side to the (optional) buffer store PS. The second collector 2S brings the separated items K to the (optional) buffer store PS on the downstream side, onto a cyclically conveying conveyor belt TB of the conveying path FW, which feeds the items K onto the conveyor belt of the first section 1A of the conveying path FW, which runs continuously at approximately twice the upm—units per hour.

[0054] Here, successive groups of a plurality of objects K may be spaced apart from each other in the manner K-K-L-L-K-L-L . . . or K-K-L-L-L-K-K-L-L . . . , etc., where L stands for an empty space and K stands for a space to which an object K can be deposited in a controlled manner out of the second collector 2S on the downstream side from the buffer store PS. Alternatively, and as illustrated in FIG. 1, individually spaced apart objects K may be entered in the manner K-L-K-L-K-L-L . . . . Further, the buffer store PS may enter the objects K inverted into the first section 1A as illustrated in FIG. 1. Before or after the buffer store PS, in a variant not illustrated, another station for turning the objects K is arranged. Thus, even in variants of the one buffer store PS turning the fed objects, the original orientation can be maintained if necessary by turning the objects K twice.

[0055] Along the first section 1A of the conveying path FW, on the upstream side to the printer D, several stations are provided for preparing the objects K for printing. In the illustrated variant, these are a station for increasing the adhesion V1 of the ink by means of plasma or corona treatment, a station for cleaning V2 the surface of the objects K to be printed, for example by means of cleaning rollers. Before being introduced into the printer D, each of the objects K is subjected to an input inspection El by means of an imaging camera. Along the first section 1A of the conveying path FW, on the downstream side to the printer D, a plurality of stations are provided for printing post-processing of the objects K. After the printing of the objects K by the printer D, the objects K are fed downstream of the printer D successively to a station for pre-drying N1 (pinning) of the ink by means of (UV) light irradiation, to a station for applying N2 a covering varnish at least to a section of the objects, which can overlap with the printed image printed by the printer D, a station for curing N3 the cover coating and, if necessary, the ink by means of (UV) light irradiation, and a station for output inspection AI and checking of the printed data/contents by means of an imaging camera.

[0056] In the variant shown, the printer D is a single-pass inkjet printer having a plurality of ultraviolet (UV) curable ink print heads arranged in series in the direction of conveyance of the objects K to be printed, and including one or more reservoirs of an ultraviolet (UV) curable ink of different colors. Each printhead, associated with an ink reservoir, has a plurality of print nozzles to print a particular color (cyan, magenta, white, black, etc.). Each print head extends across the entire width of the flat objects transverse to the direction of conveyance.

[0057] Along the conveying path FW, in FIG. 1 on the second section 2A, a read/write device LSE is arranged. It is used to write information into an IC embedded on the object K. In the illustrated variant, the read/write device LSE is arranged to perform the writing of information as a collective entry while the stack is conveyed past the read/write device LSE. In other variants such a read/write device LSE is missing.

[0058] Along the conveying path FW, in a variant not further illustrated, a device for laminating, punching and/or embossing the objects K is provided on the upstream or downstream side of the printer D.

[0059] It should be understood that, depending on the required equipment of the device, not all or other stations may be provided upstream and downstream to the printer D.

[0060] In a single-sided printing process, objects K in the form of cards are continuously fed to the device with upm2000. The buffer store PS receives the items K and transfers them to the independently driven input conveyor EF. At a speed adapted to the printing process, for example, two objects K are placed close behind each other with 4000 upm on the continuously running input conveyor EF. The above-mentioned pattern with gaps between the objects K is created. FIG. 1 illustrates how the objects K are discharged from the buffer store PS individually with a gap, whereby a turned object K from the second collector 2S is inserted into each gap in a controlled manner, as explained further below.

[0061] The next steps are cleaning and incoming inspection of the objects K, followed by printing of the objects K with UV ink by the printer D (here a single-pass printer). After the printing of the objects K by the printer D, the objects K are fed—downstream of the printer D successively to a station for pre-drying N1 (pinning) of the ink by means of (UV) light irradiation, to a station for application N2 of a covering varnish, to a station for curing N3 of the covering varnish and, if necessary, of the ink by means of (UV) light irradiation, and to a station for output inspection AI and checking of the printed data/contents by means of an imaging camera. The masking varnish is applied to at least a section of the objects that can overlap with the printed image.

[0062] Cards detected as NOK (bad) by the output inspection AI are ejected into a separate bad tray at the end of the device, not illustrated further.

[0063] For double-sided or multi-sided printing, the item K is stacked in the first collector 1S after printing and inspecting one side. Once a stack height dependent on the job size has been reached, it is picked up by the stack conveyor SF. The stacking conveyor SF conveys the (partial) stack S of cards along the second section 2A of the conveying path FW to the second collector 2S. During the transport, the items K are turned as a (partial) stack S and are entered into the second collector 2S at the end. From this second collector 2S, the turned cards K are conveyed one by one upstream to the printer D on the first section1 A of the conveyor path FW. Subsequently, the above steps are carried out for single-sided printing on the other side of each of the items K. If, instead of the items K having two pages to be printed, a document with more than two pages, for example a passport book, is to be printed, a page-turning station can also be arranged in the first section 1A of the conveying path FW upstream of the printer D. The page-turning station is located in the first section 1A of the conveying path FW.

[0064] The first collector 1S and, in some variants, also the second collector 2S have spacers AH that may be adjustable in their spacing in order to form partial stacks of predefined height/umber of items that are spaced apart from one another in the height direction. Thus, a collection of objects K discharged by the first discharge conveyor in the first collector 1S and a delivery of a (partial) stack S to the stack conveyor SF can overlap in time. Analogously, this applies to the delivery of individual items of the (partial) stack S and a pick-up of the (partial) stack S conveyed up by the stack conveyor SF by the second collector 2S.

[0065] FIGS. 2a-2d illustrate a variant of the first discharge conveyor 1AF′ that cooperates with a variant of the first collector 1S′ to move the objects K in the direction of the second section 2A of the conveying path FW as a (partial) stack S on the path. Thereby, in this variant, the first collector 1S′ is designed as a lifting lift corresponding to the dimensions of the objects K. In one variant, this lifting lift is arranged laterally next to the conveyor belt of the first section 1A of the conveyor path FW at the point where the first collector 1S is arranged in FIG. 1 in order to bring the objects K onto the second section 2A of the conveyor path FW. This lifting lift is used to collect the objects K discharged individually from the first section 1A of the conveying path FW by the first discharge conveyor 1AF′ in a stack S spaced apart from each other so that the objects K do not touch each other. After the objects K have been printed on one side, this is intended to prevent a printed image on one of the objects K which has not yet fully cured from rubbing off onto a surface of an adjacent object K. To bring this about, the objects K are pushed out individually transversely to the conveying direction of the conveying path FW by means of a pusher not illustrated in detail and are inserted between two toothed belts ZR1, ZR2 in a lowermost position of the lift. Subsequently, the two toothed belts ZR1, ZR2 of the lifting lift are moved by one tooth pitch by means of their driven rollers AR1 and AR2. Thus, the lowest position of the lifting lift is again free to receive the following object K from the first section 1A of the conveyor path FW. As soon as the intended number of objects K is picked up in the lifting lift of the first collector 1S′, this number of objects K is delivered in the lifting lift to the variant of the stack conveyor SF′ shown in FIGS. 2b, 2c, 2d, without the objects K touching each other during the transfer. This prevents the adjacent items K from inking each other or blurring their printed image, or the printed side of an item K from staining the unprinted side of an adjacent item K with ink.

[0066] The first collector 1S′ is also set up to discharge one (partial) stack S at a time for pick-up by the stack conveyor SF′ as soon as a height of the first stack or the (partial) stack to be defined is reached, such a (partial) stack being at least two or more - for example 5, 10, 20, 40, 50 or 100, etc. objects K - of the flat objects K is high.

[0067] The stack conveyor SF′ cooperating with the first collector 1S′ is used to pick up one (partial) stack S of each of the items K pushed out of the first collector 1S′ and to send them on their way along the second section 2A of the conveying path FW.

[0068] In the variant shown in FIGS. 2a-2d, this is achieved by designing the stack conveyor SF′ as a container in whose side walls recesses are provided corresponding to the tooth pitch of the two toothed belts ZR1, ZR2 of the first collector 1S′. The objects K are pushed out of the first collector 1S′ as a stack by means of a pusher P located in the first collector 1S′ and into the recesses of the stack conveyor SF′.

[0069] The stack conveyor SF′ then conveys (see FIG. 1) at the transport rail TS the (partial) stack S of items K along the second section 2A of the conveying path FW to a second collector 2S′ for the items K.

[0070] The second collector 2S′ is also arranged on the second section 2A of the conveying path FW. The second collector 2S′ serves to receive a (partial) stack S removed by the stack conveyor SF′ from the first collector 1S′ along the second section 2A of the conveying path FW and conveyed to the second collector 2S′.

[0071] The stack conveyor SF′ also serves to turn the (partial) stack S between the first and second collectors 1S′, 2S′ during the transport of the (partial) stack S along the second section 2A in such a way (from the orientation according to FIG. 2b to the orientation according to FIG. 2c) that in each case the unprinted side of the item K conveyed to the printer D faces the printer D for printing after leaving the second collector 2S′.

[0072] In this case, the orientation of the objects K is rotated by 180° (from the orientation according to FIG. 2b to the orientation according to FIG. 2c) without the need for active rotation of the stack conveyor SF′.

[0073] A second collector 2S′, similar to the first collector 1S′ of FIG. 2a (except for the slide P), is also arranged along the second section 2A of the conveying path FW. The second collector 2S′ serves to receive a (partial) stack S removed by the stack conveyor SF′ from the first collector 1S′ along the second section 2A of the conveying path FW and conveyed to the second collector 2S′.

[0074] The second collector 2S′ also serves to make the items K conveyed as (partial) stacks S along the second section 2A available for individual entry into the first section 1A of the conveying path FW on the upstream side to the printer D. The second collector 2S′ also serves to make the items K available for individual entry into the first section 1A of the conveying path FW on the downstream side to the (optional) buffer store PS. The second collector 2S′ brings the separated objects K to the (optional) buffer store PS on the downstream side, onto a cyclically conveying conveyor belt TB of the conveyor path FW, which conveys the objects K onto the conveyor belt of the first section 1A, which runs continuously at approximately twice the upm (units per hour).of the first section 1A of the conveyor FW. The objects K can befrom the second collector 2S′ and the objects K from the buffer store PS, as described in connection with FIG. 1, can be discharged onto the conveyor TB in a defined sequence.conveyor TB in a defined sequence.

[0075] For this purpose, the second collector 2S′ and the stacking conveyor SF′ are positioned in such a way that the objects K are pushed out as a complete stack by means of a pusher arranged in the stacking conveyor SF′ and pushed in between two toothed belts ZR1, ZR2 of the lowering lift of the second collector 2S′. To discharge the separated items K, the two toothed belts ZR1, ZR2 are then moved downward by one tooth pitch by means of their driven rollers AR1 and AR2. Thus, from the lowest position of the lowering lift of the second collector 2S′, an object K is delivered onto the first section 1A of the conveyor path FW. Overall, this effectively prevents the printed objects from touching each other during handling. This prevents the adjacent objects K from inking each other or blurring their printed image, or the printed side of an object K from staining the unprinted side of an adjacent object K with ink.

[0076] A read/write device LSE is arranged along the conveying path FW and is used to write information into an IC embedded on the object K. In the illustrated variant, the read/write device LSE is set up to write the information as a collective entry while the stack is conveyed past the read/write device LSE. In other variants such a read/write device LSE is missing. Upstream of the second collector 2S′, for example associated with the entry conveyor EF, the read/write device LSE can be mounted. In one variant, the read/write device LSE comprises a receptacle, for example in the form of a turntable rotating (vertically) about an axis of rotation, with receptacle locations arranged in the circumferential direction of the turntable for receiving a plurality of objects K during the writing-in of the information. In other variants, the read/write device LSE is associated with or downstream of the second discharge conveyor 2AF, which discharges the objects K individually from the loop-shaped conveyor path FW on the downstream side to the printer D.By means of an electronic control ECU, the individual stations and functions of the device are coordinated and controlled.

[0077] The variants of the device described above, as well as its construction and operating aspects, are merely intended to provide a better understanding of the structure, operation and features; they do not limit the disclosure to the variants, for example. The Figs. are partially schematic, with significant features and effects shown, in some cases significantly enlarged, to illustrate the functions, operating principles, technical variants and features. In this regard, each mode of operation, principle, technical variant and feature disclosed in the Figs. or in the text can be freely and arbitrarily combined with all claims, each feature in the text and in the other Figs., other modes of operation, principles, technical variants and features contained in or resulting from the present disclosure, so that all conceivable combinations can be assigned to the described approach. Combinations between all individual variants in the text, that is, in each section of the description, in the claims, and also combinations between different variants in the text, in the claims, and in the Figs. are included. Also, the claims do not limit the disclosure and thus the possible combinations of all disclosed features with each other. All disclosed features are also explicitly disclosed herein individually and in combination with all other features.