EP0066420B1

EP0066420B1 - Improvements in or relating to business forms

Info

Publication number: EP0066420B1
Application number: EP82302569A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Per Hektoen
Original assignee: Moore Business Forms Ltd
Current assignee: Moore Business Forms Ltd
Priority date: 1981-05-28
Filing date: 1982-05-20
Publication date: 1985-07-31
Also published as: EP0066420A1; NO154161B; IE821215L; IE52859B1; NO154161C; NO821810L; DE3265059D1; ATE14544T1

Abstract

The invention is concerned with a business forms assembly of the kind sometimes referred to as a "snap-out' set which may be of self manifolding paper (sometimes called self copy paper) or of record sheets (1) interleaved with transfer sheets (carbon paper sheets). The assembly comprises a plurality of interleaved sheets (1) secured together at or adjacent one edge by adhesive (2) to form a stub and with transfer material between the sheets and wherein an extension sheet part (5) extends beyond the secured stub edge to provide a means for feeding the interleaved sheets (1) into a print unit (11 to 15).

Description

This invention has reference to business forms assemblies and has particular reference to forms usually of self-manifolding paper but may be of record sheets interleaved with sheets of carbon paper and which sheets are secured together at one edge by adhesive between the individual sheets to form a stub. This stub is usually at the top end of the sheets and the form constitutes what is known as a "Snap-Out" set. Such assemblies may also include record sheets interleaved with sheets of transfer material and are for example described in British Specification No. 707072 and Swiss Specification No. 390958.
In the assembly described in Specification No. 707072 a plurality of interleaved record sheets are secured together adjacent one edge by adhesive to form a stub and have transfer material between the sheets. Two of the sheets of the assembly which extend beyond the stub edge do not have transfer material superimposed thereto because this is the part of the assembly which constitutes a letterhead and such part will not be printed upon.
It is known to provide units capable of receiving single sheets of paper to be printed. Such print units may form part for example of a word processing unit. However, when assemblies consisting of several sheets of interleaved paper and in particular when snap-out sets assemblies were fed into such print units, it was found that such assemblies contacted a micro switch contained within such print units to locate the presence of a sheet of paper within the unit tended to be fouled up.
It is known, from United States Patent Specification No. 3952122 (de Kermadec) to provide a single strip of record paper with a strip of carbon paper with a lead in end made of thin cardboard in which the lead in record paper is secured by adhesive to the thin cardboard.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved business forms sheet assembly.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved business forms sheet assembly consisting of a plurality of record sheets which is capable of being fed into and through a print unit, having a long feed distance between the infeed and feed mechanism within the print unit.
According to the present invention, a business form sheet assembly comprises a plurality of interleaved record sheets secured together at or adjacent one edge by a line of adhesive to form a stub and with transfer material between the sheets to enable information entered on the front sheet to be reproduced on succeeding sheets and wherein one of the outer sheets of the assembly extends freely beyond the stub edge characterised in that a separate extension sheet is secured to the other outer sheet of the assembly and extends beyond the stub edge, and the said one of the outer sheets and the separate extension sheet (but not the intermediate sheets) are secured together by an additional area of adhesive to enable the secured together sheets to provide the means for feeding the interleaved sheets through a print unit.
A business forms sheet assembly in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a business forms assembly in accordance with the present invention
Fig. 2 is a side view of the assembly, and
Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a printing unit.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown a business forms sheet assembly comprising a plurality of record sheets 1 each consisting of a sheet of self manifolding paper. This may be the kind sold under the Trade Mark MCP (Moore Clean Print) but may be of other kinds of self manifolding paper. As shown the assembly consists of four record sheets of paper secured together adjacent at their leading edges by a respective line of adhesive 2 extending across the form adjacent to the leading edge of the form thereby forming a stub. On the side of the line of adhesive away from the leading edge of the form a plurality of aligning holes 3 are provided in each sheet. These are for the purpose of registering the sheets together.
A line 4 of tear off perforations is also provided in each sheet on the side of the registration holes remote from the leading edge and this defines one side of a stub.
In a preferred form of the invention each of the four record sheets has a width of approximately 8 inches (20 centimetres) and a dept of approximately 12i inches (31 centimetres).
As shown in Fig. 2 the lowermost record sheet 5 of the assembly extends beyond the other record sheets of the assembly to provide a means for feeding and leading the sheets into a print unit.
In addition a separate extension sheet 7 separate from the four record sheets of the assembly is secured to the uppermost sheet of the assembly to extend away from the record sheets beyond the stub of the assembly. The near edge of the extension sheet 7 is aligned with lines of tear off perforations 4 on the record sheets and the sheet 7 is secured to the uppermost of the record sheets 1 by a line of adhesive 8 in line with the line 2 of adhesive securing the record sheets 2 together. The extension sheet 7 also has a line of aligning holes 3 in line with the holes in the record sheets 1. A line of adhesive 9 secures together the upper side of that part of the lowermost sheet of the assembly which extends beyond the other record sheets and the lower side of the extension sheet 7.
In the assembly in Fig. 2 the paper which forms the extension sheet part of the assembly is of 90 gsm (grams per square metre) paper and for MCP (self manifolding paper) each part is of 53 gsm paper whereas for bond paper with carbon transfer sheets the uppermost record sheet part of the assembly is of 60 gsm paper and the other sheets of the assembly are of 45 gsm paper.
The extension sheet part 7 may constitute a reply card and has provision to receive the name of a prospect printed on the card. Alternatively it can be used as a self adhesive label or an attachment for an envelope. In an alternative it can be produced from Davoc paper and serve as a basis for providing a label in which case the label would be printed in the print out unit. In a further arrangement the sheet part 7 would constitute an envelope.
Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings there is shown a diagrammatic view of a print unit which includes a hopper tray 11 for receiving a stack of forms assemblies 1a of the kind shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The hopper tray 11 has adjacent its lower end a resilient guide member 12 which serves to guide the uppermost form assembly of the stack towards a form feed means shown diagrammatically as a feed tractor mechanism 13. The feed tractor mechanism directs a single form assembly from the hopper tray to a throat between the platen 14 and a guide 15 arranged circumferentially around the platen and thence to a print position 16 represented by an arrow. At this print position 16 a percussion mechanism for example a print hammer of a series of wire print heads apply printed data to the form assembly. Roller mechanism represented by a pair of rollers 17 are positioned at the outfeed side of the platen 14 and these other rollers serve to guide the forms assembly to the tray 18 to receive the printed form assemblies. The print mechanism is retained in a casing shown at 19 to reduce the noise issuing from the print mechanism.
By virtue of having the extension sheet part 7 and the extended record sheet part at the leading end of each of the forms assemblies an assembly (as distinct from a single sheet) can be fed satisfactorily through a print unit.

Claims

1. A business forms sheet assembly comprising a plurality of interleaved record sheets secured together at or adjacent one edge by a line of adhesive to form a stub and with transfer material between the sheets to enable information entered on the front sheet to be reproduced on succeeding sheets and wherein one of the outer sheets of the assembly extends freely beyond the stub edge characterised in that a separate extension sheet is secured to the other outer sheet of the assembly and extends beyond the stub edge, and the said one of the outer sheets and the separate extension sheet (but not the intermediate sheets) are secured together by an additional area of adhesive to enable the secured together sheets to provide the means for feeding the interleaved sheets through a print unit.

2. A business forms sheet assembly according to claim 1 wherein each of the record sheets have lines of tear off perforations adjacent and parallel to the line of adhesive and the separate outer extension sheet has its rear edge aligned with the lines of the tear off perforations and its outer edge extends beyond the outer edge of the said one of said outer record sheets.

3. A business forms sheet assembly according to claims 1 or 2 characterised in that each record sheet but not the separate extension sheet is of self manifolding paper and has a line of transverse tear off perforations adjacent the adhesive securing the sheets together which line of tear perforations defines the stub.

4. A business forms sheet assembly according to claim 1 or 2 wherein at least one of the outer sheets and extension sheet are of a heavier weight of paper than the intermediate sheets of the assembly.