Claims
- 1. A card stacker method for issuing one of a plurality of cards, the card stacker method comprising the steps of:supporting a first card edge of a first card on a card separator in a top card stacker section of a card stacker while a second card edge, opposite to the first card edge, is supported at a predetermined position in the card stacker; providing a force to the cards in the top card stacker section, the force being provided by way of a rolling means; issuing a second card from a bottom card stacker section of the card stacker in a direction such that the second card passes under the first card edge of the first card; and releasing the first card edge of the first card in the top card stacker section from the card separator when the second card edge of the first card is supported below the predetermined position in the card stacker.
- 2. The card stacker method according to claim 1 wherein the bottom card stacker section can hold up to a predetermined number of cards below the predetermined position in the card stacker.
- 3. The card stacker method according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined number is in the range of 20 to 30.
- 4. The card stacker method according to claim 1 wherein the card separator comprises a wedge shape.
- 5. The card stacker method according to claim 1 wherein the issuing step comprises frictionably moving a card from the bottom card stacker section.
- 6. The card stacker method according to claim 1 wherein the first edge of the first card is supported on the card separator such that the first edge is higher than the second edge of the first card.
- 7. A card stacker method for issuing one of a plurality of cards, the card stacker method comprising the steps of:supporting a first card edge of a card on a card separator in a top card stacker section when a second card edge of the card is supported at a predetermined position in the card stacker; providing a force to the cards in the top card stacker section wherein the force is applied by way of a rolling means; and, releasing a first card edge of the card from the card separator in the top card stacker section when the second card edge of the card is supported below the predetermined position in the card stacker.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/855,909, filed May 15, 2001, entitled “Card Issuer, Card Processor and Card Stacker Method and Apparatus”, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (7)