GB1559693A

GB1559693A - Serially numbered tickets

Info

Publication number: GB1559693A
Application number: GB47851/76A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Timsons Ltd
Current assignee: Timsons Ltd
Priority date: 1978-02-17
Filing date: 1978-02-17
Publication date: 1980-01-23

Description

(54) SERIALLY NUMBERED TICKETS (71) We, TIMSONS LIMITED, a British Company of, Perfecta Works, Bath Road, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN16 8NG, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to printing and particularly to the printing of a series of numbered tickets or the like in such a manner as to make fraudulent altering of the printed serial number of the ticket difficult.

The invention has been developed for the printing of lottery tickets but is applicable to the printing of any series of serially numbered items such as tickets and bank notes and the term "ticket" is to be construed broadly to cover such serially numbered items.

A particular problem has arisen in a lottery where prizes are paid out on tickets bearing a serial number which the last two or three digits are specified. For example, a lottery ticket may have a seven digit serial number and may be printed with two counterfoils, one at each end. Known random printing patterns of, e.g. wavy lines and spaced straight lines, may be printed over the perforations between the counterfoils and the tickets. A winning ticket, if compared with its counterfoil, has to have not only the serial number correct but also the random edge printing has to be correct. In the particular lottery in which the problem has arisen, the tickets for major prizes are compared with the relevant counterfoils and this makes fraud difficult. Minor prizes, however, are paid out on tickets having a specified combination of the last two or three digits of the serial number without comparing these tickets with the counterfoils. In these circumstances, forgery of winning tickets has been encountered. This forgery is effected by cleverly substituting one or two numbers from one ticket into another. Heretofore, the serial numbers of the tickets have been printed by number boxes (as herein defined) and have been quite small, e.g. 1/4 inch square on a ticket of about 4 3/4 inches long and 2 1/4 inches wide. To substitute a single digit, therefore, it is only necessary to substitute an area cf, say, 1/4 inch square from one ticket to another. While this is difficult it is not impossible and has been effected.

The object of the invention is to provide printed tickets, and a method of printing such tickets, which makes such fraudulent alteration more difficult.

According to one aspect of the invention we provide a series of tickets wherein: a. each ticket is printed with a serial number in numerals or a numerallword combination, b. each ticket is further printed with a selected lesser number of the digits of the serial number, c. the selected digits of the further printing i. include at least one in larger type face than the corresponding digit of the serial number and/or ii. partially overlap with said corresponding digits of the serial number.

According to another aspect of the invention we provide a method of printing a series of tickets with respective serial numbers comprising the steps of: a. printing on each ticket from a number box (as herein defined) digits of a respective serial number in numerals or a numeral/word combination, b. also printing (from fixed type as herein defined) on each ticket a further selected lesser number of the digits of the serial number, these digits being i. in a larger type face than that of the corresponding digits of the serial number and/or ii. overlapping partially with said corresponding digits of the serial number.

For the particular lottery described above, the two digits which would be printed in the larger type face would be the tens and units digits in respect of which the minor prizes would be paid out. It would be much more difficult fraudulently to alter either of the last two digits because a greater area of paper would have to be changed to effect the fraud and further difficulty would be encountered because of the overlapping arrangements. If the whole of the serial number is printed in the smaller type face then it may be arranged that the digits of that serial number which correspond to the two larger digits do overlap in a unique manner with one of the digits printed in the larger type face. This will further increase the difficulty of fraudulent number substitution.

If desired, the two digits which are printed in the larger type face may be printed in outline, and the smaller digits and/or the word may extend across or intersect with the outline. Where the two digits which are printed in the larger type face are in tens and units digits, a word digit, if used, would be the hundreds digit. Alternatively the minor prizes were given in respect of number combinations of the digits representing the three highest orders, e.g. at the left-hand end of the serial number when printed horizontally, the larger type face digits would be arranged to overlap with the two or three left-hand end digits of the serial number.

By a "number box" we mean a printing device which is programmed to step through a predetermined series of numbers or words as it prints on successive occasions. The box may be arranged to step on at each printing, or to step on only after it has printed a predetermined number of times without stepping. If the box is set to print numbers it will normally print a series of numbers decreasing in value and will skip some numbers between successive printings. A box might, for example, skip three numbers between successive printings and might print, for example, 97, 94, 91, 88 in successive printing, there being two other number boxes which print 96, 93, 90, 87 and 95, 92, 89, 86 respectively, the number boxes being equi-angularly spaced about the periphery of the printing roller so that between them they print a consecutive series of numbers. Where a number box is arranged to print a word denoting a digit then, at an appropriate point in the printing cycle, the number box will be stepped from printing "one" to printing "two". Assuming that the number box is printing the word denoting the hundreds digit, after a hundred tickets have been printed with "two" on them then the number box will step on and print "three".

On the other hand, by "fixed type" we mean that the type is set up in a permanent manner in a printing machine, e.g. on a plate or plates fitted to a printing cylinder or tympanum so that the plate prints the same series of numbers repeatedly during operation of the printing machine.

As will be described below, if the whole of the serial number is printed on each ticket, two or other selected lesser number of digits of the serial number may be printed in the smaller type face of the serial number by fixed l type as well as the same digits being printed in a larger type face. This facilitates checking of the ticket series after printing. The printing will also print the counterfoils for the tickets and the numbers on these may be printed either entirely from number boxes or two of the digits may be printed by fixed type, these two digits corresponding to the two digits which are printed by fixed type on the tickets.

The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a diagram illustrating one way in which the tickets may be printed; FIGURE 2 is a diagram illustrating another way in which the tickets may be printed; FIGURE 3 is a view of a ticket and counterfoils printed in another manner according to the invention; FIGURE 4 is a view of another ticket printed in a manner embodying the invention; FIGURE 5 is a diagram showing how the larger digits could be arranged on a printing plate; FIGURE 6 illustrates how books of tickets may be collated; and FIGURE 7 illustrates how a series of tickets printed by the invention could be checked.

The various arrangements of numbers on the tickets will first of all be described and then the method of producing these tickets.

Referring to Figure 1, the ticket is indicated at 10 and two counterfoils at the ends of the tickets at 11 and 12. There will be security printing indicated at 13 at the junction between the ticket and the counterfoils. This security printing may comprise a wavy line 14 and a number of inclined straight lines 15. The circumference of the rollers which print the wavy lines 14 and straight lines 15 will be different from the circumference of the rollers printing the ticket so that the arrangement of wavy and straight lines will be random.

Figure 1 shows a ticket which is intended to be sold in two halves which may be separated along a perforation 16. The serial number of the ticket is printed in full on each half as indicated at 17 and 18 and, in the example shown, is the seven digit number 1234567.

Two of the digits of the number, preferably the last two (lowest order digits) or the first two (highest order digits) are also printed on the ticket. Thus digits 6 and 7 are also printed as indicated at 19 and 20 and it will be seen that these numbers are of considerably larger type face than the type face used for the printing of the serial numbers 17 and 18.

Preferably, as shown, they have a height which is a plurality of times greater than (although not necessarily an exact multiple of) the height of the smaller type face in which the serial number is printed. It will also be seen that each of the serial numbers 17 and 18 partly overlaps one of the larger digits 19 and 20. Preferably the arrangement is such that each digit of the serial number 17 or 18 overlaps one of the larger digits 19 and 20 in a unique manner, that is to say that should there be two digits in a serial number which are the same, they will overlap one of the digits 19 and 20 in different arrangements. In particular, the last two digits 6 and 7 of each serial number will be partly overlapped by each of the large digits 6 and 7.

Anyone trying to falsify any of the last three digits will therefore be in difficulty because they will have not only to change at least one of the small digits of the serial number 17 and 18 but they will also have to replace part of one of the larger digits 19 and 20 which is overlapped by the serial number 17 or 18.

Figure 2 shows an arrangement which is similar to Figure 1 except that instead of printing the serial number twice, the serial number which was printed at 18 in Figure 1 is replaced by the word "five" indicated at 20 and this partly overlaps the larger digit 6. This ticket therefore gives protection to the last three digits of the serial number, the word "five" indicating the hundreds digit and the two larger digits 6 and 7 indicated at 19 and 20 protecting the tens and units digits.

Figure 3 illustrates an example of a ticket having a serial number 9931101. It will be seen that this serial number is printed in full at 22 at the top right-hand side of the ticket.

The last two digits of the number, i.e. 01, are printed in a large type face at 23 and 24 respectively and the word "one" is printed at 25 so that it partly overlaps the large digit 0 indicated at 23.

Figure 4 shows a still further arrangement of a ticket having a serial number 9931101 as before. In this example, only the first five digits of the serial number are printed in small type and are indicated at 26. The last two digits of the serial number are not incorporated in the printing thereof but are printed only in large type face at 27 and 28.

The word "one" which is the hundreds digit is printed at 29 and partly overlaps each of the larger type face digits 0 and 1 indicated at 27 and 28.

It will be seen that in each of the foregoing examples, in order to falsify one of the last two digits of the serial number, one has to falsify a large area of paper such as that occupied by the larger digits 19, 20, 23, 24, 27 and 28 and in addition one would have to ensure that where these digits were overlapped by a serial number or a word indicating a digit, the overlap was correct. This arrangement, therefore, very considerably increases the difficulty of forgery.

A number of the possible printing arrangements is described below: 1. In one printing step the whole of the serial number of the ticket is printed from a number box and this printed number overlaps at least one of the larger digits produced by the other printing step. If the ticket may have to be divided, as a lottery ticket may have to be if it is sold in halves, then the whole of the serial number could be printed twice (in one or more printing steps) from number boxes so that each of the serial numbers overlaps partially at least one of the larger sized digits in such a number that each half of the ticket when separated from the other half, usually along a perforation between the halves, will carry the serial number and part of each larger sized digit. As described the larger sized digits will usually be the tens and units digits of the serial number.

2. One or two printing steps would print the whole serial number on each ticket and (if desired) one word denoting, e.g. the hundreds digit of the number. Another printing step would print the two larger sized digits so that one larger sized digit partly overlaps the serial number and the other larger digit partly overlaps the word.

3. The ticket could be printed as in 2 above except that only the word would partly overlap at least one of the larger sized digits, the serial number being printed clear of the larger sized digit.

4. The printing could be carried out as described in any of arrangements 1 to 3 above except that the two digits of the serial number corresponding to the two larger sized digits (usually the tens and units digits) will be printed by fixed type rather than a number box.

Referring now to a specific method of effecting printing of the tickets, Figure 5 is a developed view of a printing plate,which may be a rubber printing plate, arranged to print all the numbers from 01 to 99. For figures of the size shown in Figures 3 and 4, the printing circumference would have to be 125 inches requiring a printing cylinder of 39.788 inches in diameter. The plate is set up to produce ten books, each containing ten sheets, i.e. a hundred serially printed tickets. The printing plate prints the digits in larger type face as has been described. The printing plate of Figure 5 is divided into twenty printing areas which are indicated at 30 to 49 respectively.

Each horizontally aligned pair of printing areas print simultaneously, for example the printing areas 30 and 31 print simultaneously as do, for example, the printing areas 42 and 43. During one revolution of the printing cylinder, the printing plate will print all the pages. If the pages of the left-hand vertical column in Figure 5 are collated, with the sheets printed by the space 48 at the bottom and the sheet printed by the space 30 at the top, it will be seen that one has five series of tickets printed with sequential numbers. One series will be numbered from 01 to 10, the next series from 21 to 30, the next series from 41 to 50, the next series from 61 to 70 and the next series from 81 to 90. If one similarly collates the sheets from the right-hand column one will have five series of tickets numbered from 11 to 20, 31 to 40, 51 to 60, 71 to 80 and 91 to 00. One therefore has two series of books with counterfoils containing tickets which have been printed with the numbers shown thereon in Figure 6.

The serial numbers will have been printed by number boxes in any convenient arrangement. In Figure 1, the serial numbers 17 and 18 will have been printed by number boxes. In Figure 2 the serial number 17 and the word "twenty-five" will also have been printed by number boxes. In Figure 3 the serial number 22 and the word "one" indicated at 25 will both have been printed by number boxes and in Figure 4 the part of the serial number indicated at 26 will have been printed by a number box as will the word "one" indicated at 29, If desired, the last two digits of the serial number, where the latter is to be printed in full in small type, may be printed by a fixed printed plate since these last two digits will be the same as the digits printed by the printing plate of Figure 5. The last two digits of the serial number on each counterfoil may also be printed by fixed type in this case. The remaining figures of the serial number will be printed by a number box as already mentioned.

Where the last two digits of the serial number and of the counterfoils are printed by fixed plates, this facilitates checking of the numbers after printing.

Figure 7 illustrates the check that would be required where the serial numbers are printed by number boxes. The first check would be to see that the figures 01 as printed by the printing plate of Figure 5 is on the front of the first book and agrees with the last two figures of the serial number printed by the number box. The second check is to check that all the number boxes are printing numbers ending in "one" and the third check is to check that the words indicated in the hundreds digit is the same in each set of books of a hundred tickets and agrees with the hundreds digit of the serial number.

It will be seen that the invention provides printed tickets which increase the difficulty of forgery and also a method of printing such tickets.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A series of tickets wherein: a. each ticket is printed with a serial number in numerals or a numeral/word combination, b. each ticket is further printed with a selected lesser number of the digits of the serial number, c. the selected digits of the further printing i. include at least one in larger type face than the corresponding digit of the serial number and/or ii. partially overlap with said corre sponding digits of the serial number' 2. A series of tickets according to claim 1 wherein the selected digit of the further printing comprise:- a. at least one numeral in type face larger than the corresponding digit of the serial number and overlapping partially with this latter digit, b. at least one word overlapping partially with said larger type face digit.

3. A series of tickets according to either of claims 1 and 2 wherein the larger type face has a height which is a plurality of times greater than the height of the type face in which the digits of the serial number are printed.

4. A series of tickets according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the serial number has at least six digits and the selected lesser number of digits is the first or last two or three of the serial number.

5. A series of tickets according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each ticket is attached through a division line at one or both of opposite lateral boundaries to a counterfoil bearing the serial number and at the junction of the ticket and counterfoil a random pattern is printed which is divided when the counterfoil is separated from the ticket along the division line.

6. A series of tickets according to any one of the preceding claims modified in that certain of the serial number digits corresponding to the selected digits are printed on the ticket only in said larger type face or as words.

7. A series of tickets according to any one of the preceding claims having the serial number which appears on each of respective portions of the ticket joined through a division line, and the selected digits or certain of them each have portions appearing respectively on the ticket at one side and at the other side of the division line.

8. A method of printing a series of tickets with respective serial numbers comprising the steps of: a. printing on each ticket from a number box (as herein defined) the digits of a respective serial number in numerals or a numeral/ word combination.

b. also printing (from fixed type as herein defined) on each ticket a further selected lesser number of the digits of the serial number, these digits being i. in a larger type face than that of the corresponding digits of the serial number and/or ii. overlapping partially with said corresponding digits of the serial number.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

41 to 50, the next series from 61 to 70 and the next series from 81 to 90. If one similarly collates the sheets from the right-hand column one will have five series of tickets numbered from 11 to 20, 31 to 40, 51 to 60, 71 to 80 and 91 to 00. One therefore has two series of books with counterfoils containing tickets which have been printed with the numbers shown thereon in Figure 6.

The serial numbers will have been printed by number boxes in any convenient arrangement. In Figure 1, the serial numbers 17 and 18 will have been printed by number boxes. In Figure
2 the serial number 17 and the word "twenty-five" will also have been printed by number boxes. In Figure 3 the serial number 22 and the word "one" indicated at 25 will both have been printed by number boxes and in Figure 4 the part of the serial number indicated at 26 will have been printed by a number box as will the word "one" indicated at 29, If desired, the last two digits of the serial number, where the latter is to be printed in full in small type, may be printed by a fixed printed plate since these last two digits will be the same as the digits printed by the printing plate of Figure 5. The last two digits of the serial number on each counterfoil may also be printed by fixed type in this case. The remaining figures of the serial number will be printed by a number box as already mentioned.

Where the last two digits of the serial number and of the counterfoils are printed by fixed plates, this facilitates checking of the numbers after printing.

Figure 7 illustrates the check that would be required where the serial numbers are printed by number boxes. The first check would be to see that the figures 01 as printed by the printing plate of Figure 5 is on the front of the first book and agrees with the last two figures of the serial number printed by the number box. The second check is to check that all the number boxes are printing numbers ending in "one" and the third check is to check that the words indicated in the hundreds digit is the same in each set of books of a hundred tickets and agrees with the hundreds digit of the serial number.

It will be seen that the invention provides printed tickets which increase the difficulty of forgery and also a method of printing such tickets.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A series of tickets wherein: a. each ticket is printed with a serial number in numerals or a numeral/word combination, b. each ticket is further printed with a selected lesser number of the digits of the serial number, c. the selected digits of the further printing i. include at least one in larger type face than the corresponding digit of the serial number and/or ii. partially overlap with said corre sponding digits of the serial number' 2. A series of tickets according to claim 1 wherein the selected digit of the further printing comprise:- a. at least one numeral in type face larger than the corresponding digit of the serial number and overlapping partially with this latter digit, b. at least one word overlapping partially with said larger type face digit.
3. A series of tickets according to either of claims 1 and 2 wherein the larger type face has a height which is a plurality of times greater than the height of the type face in which the digits of the serial number are printed.
4. A series of tickets according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the serial number has at least six digits and the selected lesser number of digits is the first or last two or three of the serial number.
5. A series of tickets according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each ticket is attached through a division line at one or both of opposite lateral boundaries to a counterfoil bearing the serial number and at the junction of the ticket and counterfoil a random pattern is printed which is divided when the counterfoil is separated from the ticket along the division line.
6. A series of tickets according to any one of the preceding claims modified in that certain of the serial number digits corresponding to the selected digits are printed on the ticket only in said larger type face or as words.
7. A series of tickets according to any one of the preceding claims having the serial number which appears on each of respective portions of the ticket joined through a division line, and the selected digits or certain of them each have portions appearing respectively on the ticket at one side and at the other side of the division line.
8. A method of printing a series of tickets with respective serial numbers comprising the steps of: a. printing on each ticket from a number box (as herein defined) the digits of a respective serial number in numerals or a numeral/ word combination.

b. also printing (from fixed type as herein defined) on each ticket a further selected lesser number of the digits of the serial number, these digits being i. in a larger type face than that of the corresponding digits of the serial number and/or ii. overlapping partially with said corresponding digits of the serial number.
9. A method according to claim 8

modified in that the digits or certain of the digits of the serial number corresponding to the selected digits are printed from fixed type (as herein defined).
10. A series of tickets substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
11. A series of tickets substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
12. A series of tickets substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 3 of the accompanying draw ings.
13. A series of tickets substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.
14. A method of printing a series of tickets substantially as herein described with referthe accompanying drawings.
15. A method according to claim 14 including the step of checking substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.