GB2041889A

GB2041889A - Device for Registering and Copying Multiple Sheetlike Originals

Info

Publication number: GB2041889A
Application number: GB8002189A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Oce Nederland BV
Current assignee: Canon Production Printing Netherlands BV
Priority date: 1979-02-13
Filing date: 1980-01-23
Publication date: 1980-09-17
Also published as: DE8003807U1; JPS5652757U; IT8052929V0; NL7901117A; FR2449296A3; FR2449296B3; GB2041889B

Abstract

Two or more originals can be registered and then copied on to one sheet of receiving materials in one copying run. The side edges of originals to be copied, e.g. manually taken from trays 10, are positioned against registering lays (3,4,5,6) at a positioning station (2). The sheets are then simultaneously transported to an exposure plate and copied together. If required there may be provided on the exposure plate a mask which partly obscures the originals on copying and which may itself bear information to be copied. Sheet sensors associated with one or more of the registered positions defined by the lays, may initiate a copying cycle. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for Copying Sheetlike Originals The invention relates to a device for copying sheetlike originals.

The winners of games of chance, such as bingo or football pools, usually receive a credit note, on which must generally be given, in addition to the amount won, the name and the address of the winner, the kind of game, the form number and the week number. As in such games of chance a great number of participants win the same amount of money, these credit notes are often made as follows: Using a white sheet of paper a mask is made which is such that it covers certain parts of the original form but leaves free other parts of the original form, especially the address, the kind of the game of chance, the number of the form and the week number, at least when the form is laid in a certain way below the mask. Because of the dimensions of such forms a set of three forms can usually be combined on one A4 sheet.

Consequently in the mask three sets of holes are formed for three different forms. The date and the amount won is typed on the mask by means of a typing machine. The mask thus obtained is laid with its typed side downwards on the exposing plate of a copying apparatus and a glass plate is laid over the mask. On this glass plate three forms can be placed in the correct positions, after which the normal covering plate of the copying apparatus is closed. On copying, the information present on the mask and the information left free by the mask is together transferred from the forms to a sheet of receiving material. With good positioning of mask and forms all this can still be realised in such a way, that the relevant information is provided at predetermined places on the receiving sheet.As receiving material a preprinted sheet of paper is used, which sheet serves as the credit note, after it has been divided into a number of parts equal to the number of copied forms.

After a first set of forms has been copied in this way, the covering plate is opened, the forms already copied are removed and replaced by a new set of forms, from people who have won the same amount as one of the preceding forms. In this way all winners of the same amount receive a credit note which is obtained by simply laying a new set of forms repeatedly on the upper glass plate. When a group of other winners must be provided with credit notes, this can be done by modifying the mask. In the case of bingo forms this means in practice, that per week approximately some twenty masks must be made and must be replaced during the copying. The number of copying runs to be made is of course dependent on the number of senders of forms and the number of winners.

Disadvantages of the process are that the covering plate of the copying apparatus must be opened and closed repeatedly, and that the forms must be positioned on the mask by hand. This takes a lot of time, and moreover the risk is present that when closing the covering plate the positioned forms are displaced, as a result of the air stream caused by closing the covering plate, so that a faulty copy or a faulty credit note is obtained.

According to the present invention there is provided a device for copying sheetlike originals which device comprises an exposure plate, a positioning station at which the originals to be copied can be laid ready for copying and means for transporting the sheetlike originals from the positioning station to the exposure plate and from the exposure plate to a receiving tray, the positioning station being provided with at least two arrests against which the sides of originals to be copied can be positioned for transporting of the at least two positioned originals to the exposure plate and copying on to one sheet of receiving material in one copying run.

By means of this device the manufacture of the credit notes can be realised more quickly and with less chance of faulty copies, because after the forms have been laid ready, their positions cannot be changed suddenly, because it is no longer necessary to open and close the covering device.

Advantageously there may be used a device as described in Dutch Patent Appiication No.

7703835 (British Patent Application No.

13798/78) but of course with arrests as required according to the present invention.

In the case of bingo forms, three forms using the device according to the invention can be laid ready and introduced at the same time into the device.

In order to provide a practical embodiment, a special type of mask is preferably used, which mask is built up from a clear film of polyethylene terephthalate, against which the masking sheet is applied. The masking sheet is provided with the necessary holes and over it finally a protective sheet is applied which on its innerside, where the amount to be won and the date must be filled in, is provided with carbon or another pressuresensitive material. Due to the presence of the protective sheet, the composite thus formed can readily be put in a writing machine for typing in the date and the amount desired.After the amount and the date have been filled in, the protective sheet is removed and the rest of the composite is placed on the exposure plate of the copying apparatus and is positioned there in such a way, that a bingo form supplied via the abovementioned transport means arrives on the correct place on the mask.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the drawing accompanying the specification which is a plan view of the device for automatic feeding of forms.

With reference to the drawing, in the housing indicated with 1 the driving and the electronic control of the transport mechanisms for the forms are situated; in fact this transport mechanism comprises an endless belt, as described in the above-mentioned Dutch patent application. With 2 a flat plate is indicated, on which a number of forms can be laid ready. For that purpose an arrest 3 has been installed at the left side of this plate, against which arrest a first form can be laid ready.

At a distance equal to the width of a form a second arrest 4 has been installed and, with regard to this arrest 4, at a distance which is equal to the width of the form, a third arrest 5 has been installed. If so desired, even an arrest 6 may have been installed at the same distance. In this way three forms can be laid ready beside each other on the plate 2, in such a way that the leading edges of the forms lie in a nip formed between a roll and the belt of the transport mechanism as described in the above-mentioned Dutch patent application. For facilitating the operation, that part of the housing which lies above the just mentioned nip is provided with a system of three small trays 10, which have been placed beside each other, and of which the width is slightly greater than the width of the relevant forms and in which a number of forms can be laid ready.The operation of this improved system is as follows: After a mask has been made ready according to the above described procedure, and has been laid down on the exposing plate of the copying apparatus and the copying apparatus has been provided with a pile of receiving sheets on which the desired preprinting has been applied, a pile of forms is laid ready in the small trays 10.

The operator of the apparatus takes one form out of each small tray and immediately places it on plate 2 along the arrest corresponding to the relevant small tray. After the third form has been positioned, by means of the transport mechanism provided the three forms will be introduced simultaneously and arrive on the sheet of polyethylene terephthalate of the mask.

Subsequently the three forms are copied together with the mask on to a sheet of receiving material.

During the copying the operator of the apparatus has the time to lay ready a new set of the three forms after which the copying run is repeated as soon as either the apparatus has completed copying the first set of originals or the operator has completed laying three new forms ready.

In order that the copying run can be started automatically after three forms have been laid ready, various procedures are possible. In a first system a sensor is installed at the height of the form which is situated against the arrest 3, which sensor reacts on the presence or absence of the form. When the operator then starts placing the first form on the place belonging to the arrest 5, subsequently on the place belonging to the arrest 4, and finally on the place belonging to the arrest 3, the copying run will start automatically after the form has been laid ready against the arrest 3, as only at that moment the sensor is activated.

Another possibility requires the use of three sensors, each corresponding to one of the places reserved for laying the forms ready. When the three sensors are activated at the same time, the copying run can start automatically.

It should be remarked, that when the three new forms are introduced, the copied forms are automatically ejected and laid down in a receiving tray 12. In order to eject the last set of forms, an extra switch may be installed. It is also possible to realise the ejection of the last set of forms using a dummy form. However, this has as disadvantage, that an extra copy must be made.

It is also possible to remove the last set of forms by hand by lifting up the device for automatically feeding the originals, because as a rule at that moment also the mask must be removed or replaced.

Claims

1. A device for copying sheetlike originals which device comprises an exposure plate, a positioning station at which the originals to be copied can be laid ready for copying and means for transporting the sheetlike originals from the positioning station to the exposure plate and from the exposure plate to a receiving tray, the positioning station being provided with at least two arrests against which the sides of originals to be copied can be positioned for transporting of the at least two positioned originals to the exposure plate and copying on to one sheet of receiving material in one copying run.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein at the positioning station at least one sensor is provided which sensor causes the copying run to start on reaction to the presence of an original.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein at the positioning station at least one sensor is provided for each arrest which sensors cause the copying run to start when an original is present against each arrest.

4. A device for copying sheetlike originals substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A method of copying sheetlike originals using a device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at least two originals are placed against the arrests at the positioning station of the device, the originals are simultaneously transported by the transporting means to the exposure plate and at the exposure plate copied together on to one sheet of receiving material.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein there is provided on the exposure plate a mask, which partly obscures the originals on copying and which may itself bear information.