GB2308455A - Method and apparatus for printing serial numbered stationery - Google Patents

Abstract

Method and apparatus for enabling the printing of serial numbered stationery on a photocopier. The serial numbering apparatus 100 comprises a number of photocopiable character displays such as electromechanical counters which are mounted on a counter plate 102. The counter plate is placed onto the platen of a photocopier (not shown), together with master artwork (see Figures 1, 2, not shown) which is placed between the photocopier platen and the counter plate. Apertures or windows are cut in the master artwork to reveal the counters during the photocopying. At least one photo-sensor is coupled to the counter plate to detect the light from a photocopying event and to increment the counters to a next character combination in a series of combinations upon stimulation of the photo-sensor by light radiated by the photocopier during the photocopying event.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING SERIAL NUMBERED STATIONERY The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for printing stationery in which each sheet includes a duplicated artwork portion and a serial number which increments from sheet to sheet.

Existing techniques of producing serial numbered stationery include methods which require expensive printing equipment and are therefore generally only available to commercial printing organizations, and not to the small office or domestic user. Such printing techniques are often required for the production of serial numbered stationery such as raffle tickets, questionnaires and documents requiring traceability for security reasons.

A typical example of prior art printing equipment suitable for preparing serial numbered stationery is a pressure sensitive mechanical counter integrated into or mounted adjacent to a printing plate, which counter increments each time the plate and counter are brought into pressurized contact with the paper or card product being printed.

Other techniques for producing such serial numbered stationery may require a two-pass operation, in which the common artwork is duplicated and then the printed sheets are passed through a further process in which they are serially stamped using similar pressure actuated techniques. This two-pass technique has an inherent disadvantage in being less efficient and more time consuming.

The recent availability of high speed laser printers and sophisticated word processing packages has, of course, provided another alternative in which the serial numbering on a piece of common artwork is incremented in software, and each sheet is then sent to the printer as a fresh image.

However, disadvantages of this technique are the relatively high costs of running laser and ink jet printers. Such a technique is therefore not suited, for example, to the printing of several thousand raffle tickets.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a low cost, efficient method and apparatus for the production of serial numbered stationery on a widely available, low cost duplicating device, ie. the photocopier.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for the production of books of serially numbered raffle tickets and the like, in which several books are simultaneously produced from a stack of sheets of paper.

According to one aspect, the present invention provides a serial numbering apparatus for enabling the printing of serial numbered stationery on a photocopier, said apparatus comprising at least one photocopiable character display adapted to increment through a series of different character combinations, and at least one photo-sensor coupled thereto adapted to increment said counter to a next character combination in said series upon stimulation of said photo-sensor by light radiated by said photocopier during a photocopying event.

According to another aspect, the present invention provides a method of printing serial numbered stationery on a photocopier comprising the steps of: placing onto a photocopier platen at least one photocopiable character display adapted to increment through a series of different character combinations each time light is radiated by said photocopier during a photocopying event; juxtaposing artwork to be copied with said photocopiable character display; initiating a repeating photocopy operation such that said artwork is repeatedly copied, each copy together with one of said series of different character combinations.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 and 2 show examples of serial numbered artwork produced in accordance with the present invention; Figures 3 and 4 show a typical positional layout of a template for producing three raffle tickets on each sheet of paper, including stubs, with corresponding serial number fields on each ticket and stub; Figure 5 shows a top perspective view of serial numbering apparatus for use in conjunction with a photocopier to produce serial numbered artwork such as that of figures 1 and 2; Figure 6 shows a bottom perspective view of the serial numbering apparatus of figure 5; Figures 7 is a plan internal view showing the counter and control system layout of the serial numbering apparatus of figures 5 and 6;; Figure 8 is a side perspective view of the lid of the serial numbering apparatus of figures 5 and 6; Figure 9 is a schematic view of the circuit of the serial numbering apparatus of figures 5 and 6; Figures 10 to 14 illustrate various stages in the production of raffle ticket books using the serial numbering apparatus of figures 5 and 6; and Figure 15 shows a top perspective view of a perforation device for use in the production of the raffle ticket books of figures 9 to 14.

With reference to figures 1 and 2, there is shown an example of serial numbered artwork produced by serial numbering apparatus according to the present invention. Lottery tickets 1 each include a photocopied artwork portion 2 and a pair of photocopied character display portions 3. The artwork comprises two parts: a ticket part 4 and a stub part 5. As is customary, the ticket and stub carry the same serial number, while different tickets and stubs carry different serial numbers, preferably consecutive.

Referring now to figures 3 and 4, the lottery tickets 1 may be produced on single sheets of paper 10 in a number of convenient formats, preferably as shown with three ticket-and-stub pairs 11 in a vertical column. Each ticket and stub portion 4, 5 may be delineated (figure 3) by a vertical dividing line 13 and each ticket-and-stub pair delineated from an adjacent pair by at least one horizontal dividing line 12. Each ticket part and stub part includes a photocopied character display portion 14.

Preferably the size of the paper sheet 10 is a standard photocopier paper size such as A4 or A3, although other sizes may be used.

Although the present invention is described in connection with the production of raffle tickets having a ticket portion and a stub portion, it will become clear that the present invention may be used to prepare any type of stationery requiring serial numbering at any position or positions thereon.

Referring now to figures 5 and 6 there is shown a preferred embodiment of the serial numbering apparatus 100 used to generate the photocopiable character displays. The apparatus 100 comprises a box or casing 101 of similar width and length dimensions to an appropriate field size of the photocopier platen on which it is to be placed. In the preferred embodiment, this field size corresponds to an A4 sheet of paper. It will be understood, however, that A3 paper size or imperial sizes may also be used. The depth of the box 101 is kept as shallow as practicable in order to avoid or minimize conflict with the lid of the photocopier, although it is not necessary that the box be sufficiently thin for the lid of a photocopier to be lowered thereover.

On the underside of the casing 101 is a flat counter plate 102 in which are provided six windows 115 to 120, each revealing an electromechanical counter 26 (figure 7). The layout of the windows and counters corresponds to that of the sheets 10 in figures 3 and 4. Also provided on the counter plate 102 on the underside of casing 101 are a pair of windows 122, 123 for revealing a pair of photo-sensors 29, 30 (figure 7).

On the front face 103 of the casing 101 is a control panel 104. The front face 103 is preferably bevelled as shown for ease of use of the control panel 104. The control panel 104 includes an on-off switch 40, a power-on indicator light 47, a selector switch 55, an indexing button 54 and a photocopy event indicator light 56. A panel-mounted fuse cover 112 may also be provided.

Preferably, the serial numbering apparatus 100 is designed to be powered from an internal battery supply, as this provides for maximum safety and ease of use and avoids the need to locate a second power outlet adjacent to the photocopier to be used. However, a mains power supply unit could be used. The casing 101 includes a cover plate 108, secured by access screws 109, for allowing access to the batteries which may be of the disposable or rechargeable type, and preferably comprise five "D" type alkaline manganese cells providing an off load voltage of approximately 7.8 V.

With reference to figure 7, internally the apparatus comprises six 6V DC electromechanical counters 26 which are mounted on the inside surface of the counter plate 102 in the casing 101 such that the numeric displays thereof are visible through the windows 115-120 in the counter plate. The counters are mounted in the box by use of metal brackets 28 or other suitable means. The pair of photo-sensors 29, 30 are also mounted on the inside surface of the counter plate 102 in the casing 101 such that the sensing element of each is visible through the respective window 122 and 123. Each electromechanical counter 26 and photosensor 29, 30 is connected by a flying lead 32 to a main control circuit board 31.

In the preferred embodiment, all of the other components including fuse, power supply devices and controls are mounted onto the printed circuit board 31. With reference to figure 8, a battery housing 33 located beneath cover plate 108 (figure 5) is attached to the lid 140 of the casing 101 by way of metal end brackets 34, and is electrically connected to the printed circuit board 31 by way of flying leads 36 and 37, each having 32 x 0.2 mm conductors. Such heavy duty cables are advantageous to minimize potential drop during operation of the counters when instantaneous currents of over 4 A may be drawn. A quiescent current of approximately 100 mA is otherwise drawn in the preferred embodiment.

It has been determined that one set of preferred aLkaline manganese batteries provides sufficient power to produce approximately 20000 books of raffle tickets.

With reference to figure 9, the schematic circuit diagram of the apparatus is now described.

The battery pack 38 is connected to the printed circuit board 31 by solder pads 39. On-off switch 40 isolates the batteries from the six counters 41 and control logic 42, 43 and 44. A 3.0 A anti-surge fuse is also fitted in the main supply line.

Upon switch on, power is connected to a counter power supply 45 and a logic power supply 46. Power-on indicator light 47 will be energised. The full battery terminal voltage is applied across an electrolytic capacitor (not shown) of value 22,000 yF. This voltage is applied to the counters' positive supply. The logic supply part of the power supply comprises two series diodes lN4001 (not shown) to drop the terminal voltage, plus an electrolytic capacitor of value 22,000,us. A gate array logic IC 43 has an absolute maximum voltage rating of 8.0 volts.

The two diodes bring the supply down to 6.0 volts when the batteries are new, which renders safe operation for IC 43.

The on-off switch 40 is of a double pole / double throw (DPDT) type, the second pole of which is connected in the lower voltage supply to the ICs, which assists in the prevention of spurious count pulses during switch on and switch off. IC 42 is a 4000 series 40106 Hex Schmitt Trigger CMOS IC. This is used to provide: a) An oscillator circuit for generating pulses to drive the counters.

This comprises an inverter plus a 100 kQ preset resistor 52 fed from output to input, and a 10 F electrolytic capacitor from input to ground.

The pulse time is set to 40 ms by the preset resistor 52. Across the 10 F timing capacitor is an NPN transistor. During operation of the counters 41, this is turned off allowing the oscillator to produce pulses and, more specifically, produce a first pulse of full length for reliable operation and counting. At all other times, the NPN transistor is held in the saturated "on" state. For setting up the oscillator frequency, operation of this NPN transistor and the oscillator output may be accessed via an 8-way test socket 53.

b) A 0.5 sec General Clear Pulse for all the registers contained within the GAL IC 43. This uses one inverter with an 18 kohm resistor connecting the input to positive supply and a 100 F electrolytic capacitor connecting the input to ground. A 68 kQ resistor is connected across the 100 F capacitor to assist in the discharge and improve the reset time.

c) One gate for each photo-sensor 29, 30 to improve the rise time of the slow rising edge generated by the photocopier lamp.

d) An internal circuit within the GAL IC 43 which, in conjunction with one Schmitt gate provides a 50 ms pulse for reliable operation of the counters when they are required to increment just one digit during operation. The remaining gate of the six is used as an anti-bounce circuit for reliable operation of the counters when used in a setting up mode to be described later, using the push button 54.

The GAL IC 43 contains all the control and steering logic for: a) Interlocking the first photo-sensor 29 signal with the second photosensor 30 signal, so as to ensure that once the second photo-sensor 30 has registered the photocopier lamp and triggered the counters, no further triggering may occur until the first photo-sensor 29 has indicated that the photocopier lamp has returned to its starting position. The lamps in some photocopiers travel far enough past the photocopying field (e.g. the A4 sheet) so as to produce a second signal during the return travel to the home position. This situation is overcome by the use of two photo-sensors 29, 30 as described. Photocopy event indicator light 56 is also controlled from the GAL IC and indicates detection of the photocopier lamp by the photo-sensors.

b) Steering of the indexing button 54 and selector switch 55 signals during a setting up phase.

c) Setting up, and indexing of +5 counts to the counters 26 in the centre positions (windows 117 and 118) and indexing of + 10 counts to the counters 26 in the bottom position (windows 119,120) during the setting up phase.

d) Generating a single index pulse for a first four photocopy events and generating a single index pulse for the fifth photocopy everit plus a further ten pulses so as to be ready for another batch of five sheets.

e) Providing output buffering for a driver circuit 44 darlingtons. The bases of the darlingtons are tied to ground with 100 kohm resistors to reduce the effect of noise creating spurious counts especially at switch on and switch off.

A programming socket 57 is used during manufacture to program the GAL IC. This also permits reprogramming of the GAL for updates or changes of use and functions.

The test socket 53 allows for monitoring of other parts of the circuit for testing during manufacture and fault finding.

Item 51 is a three way solder pad for connecting the photo-sensors 29, 30 and item 48 is a solder pad array for connecting the meters to the printed circuit board 31. Item 44 is an array of six darlington drivers which derive a signal of 4 mA per base from the output of the GAL IC 43 so as to produce some 600 mA in the collector circuit for driving each counter.

In use, the preferred embodiment provides a means of copying, onto plain paper from a master sheet of artwork, any quantity of sequentially numbered sheets up to the counters' 26 capacity, with three copies per A4 sheet format.

In the production of raffle tickets in the style as illustrated in figure 3, the apparatus allows the preparation and printing of raffle ticket booklets of predetermined numbers of tickets, eg. five per booklet, in a manner in which they can be readily collated followed by stapling and finally guillotining to size.

The sequential numbering of the individual tickets is achieved by the use of the electromechanical five- or sixaigit counters 26 and the numbering sequence controlled by the control circuit 31.

Firstly, the master artwork is prepared using known methods such as a word processor or computer-aided drawing software and printer.

Apertures are cut into the master artwork at window positions 115 to 120 and 122, 123 using, for example, a stencil to ensure that the apertures coincide with the windows 115-120, and 122, 123 in the counter plate 102 of serial numbering apparatus 100.

The stencil may also include marking positions for indicating guillotine lines 12 (figure 3) for subsequent cutting of the sheets 10 into individual raffle tickets 11, and for marking the position of the proposed perforation line 13 (figure 3) between raffle tickets and stubs.

The master artwork is then placed onto the underside of the counter plate 102 and may be temporarily adhered thereto using known methods such as double sided sticky tape or adhesive. Alternatively, the counter plate 102 could be provided with a retaining frame around two or three of its peripheral edges into which the artwork may be slid.

The serial numbering apparatus 100 is then placed in a set up mode which allows all the counters to be set to predetermined values. In the preferred embodiment, the selector switch 55 is turned to position 1 and indexing button 54 is pressed until the counter 26 in window 115 is set to a suitable starting number, preferably ending in zero. The selector switch 55 is then turned to position 2 and the procedure repeated to obtain the same number in window 116. The selector switch is then turned to position 3 and the procedure repeated for the counter in window 117, and so on for windows 118, 119, 120.Having achieved the state of all counters set to an initial starting value, the selector switch 55 is turned to position "P". Pressing indexing button 54 then causes the counters in windows 117 and 118 to automatically increment by 5 counts and the counters in windows 119 and 120 to automatically increment by ten counts. Thus appropriate counter offsets have thereby been set for commencing simultaneous printing of three five-ticket books.

Once the counters have been pre-set to these starting positions, the apparatus may be placed into a run mode by turning selector switch 55 to "RUN", in which the functioning of the unit is automatic. Until the unit is placed face down onto the platen of a photocopier, the unit remains inactive. A small micro switch (not shown) may be provided which is operated when the unit is face down, and this switch enables the photo sensor and the operating circuitry. From this point on, the photocopier operates the unit, hence if a paper jam or other fault occurs which stops the photocopier operation, the unit will operate no further until the fault is cleared.

Each time the photocopier lamp passes under the platen, the light will be sensed by the photo-sensors to indicate that the counters should be incremented. With certain types of photocopiers, it proves to be necessary to provide two photo-sensors, one at each end of the scan which must both be triggered in the correct sequence in order to properly detect a true photocopy event and increment the counters at the appropriate time between copies.

Where raffle ticket booklets of five tickets are being produced in threes, as described above, the control circuit increments the counters by a further ten counts after each five photocopy events.

The apparatus may include a test mode operated by selector switch 55 in which the photocopier may be actuated without incrementing the counters, for the purposes of running test sheets for contrast, lightness or darkness of copying etc. In the test mode, indicator light 56 is also actuated to show whether the photocopy event has been correctly detected.

After copying, the sheets will have emerged from the outlet of the copier ready for assembly into books of raffle tickets. For assembly into books of five, five sheets are taken in turn as shown in figures 10 and 11.

The booklet is stapled in three places (figure 12) and then perforated (figure 13) using the perforator as shown in figure 15 (to be described later) and then guillotined into three individual booklets (figure 14).

A number of variations are possible to the serial numbering apparatus described above. It will be recognized that on many photocopiers, the sheets will emerge printed face up with the lowest numbers at the bottom, as indicated in figure 10. If it is desired to have raffle ticket books or stationery numbered conventionally with lowest number at the top, the counters may be set initially to a high number and the increment may, in fact be negative.

The present invention has been described in the context of a series of electromechanical counters which typically comprise rotating wheels driven by a suitable electromagnetic actuator. The counters may be resettable or non-resettable. The electromechanical counters may be replaced with any visible display device which is photocopiable, such as a liquid crystal display panel. The counters may be preprogrammable with start values.

The LCD panels may be incorporated into a counter plate 102 in similar manner to that described above for the electromechanical counters.

Alternatively, the serial numbering apparatus may include a full sized LCD screen for placing onto the photocopier, which displays not only the serial numbering, but also the master artwork, the serial numbering being updated each time a photocopy event is sensed.

Where the master artwork copy transmits light sufficiently well, it may be possible to omit cutting out holes in the master artwork to coincide with windows 122 and 123, relying merely on the light transmitted through the master artwork paper.

It will also be understood that the serial numbering need not use numeric values alone. In general any series of alphanumeric or other character displays which are adapted to increment or index through a series of different character combinations may be used. Throughout the present specification, the expression "serial numbering apparatus" is intended to include apparatus which uses character displays which are not necessarily numeric, but encompasses any series of characters.

It will also be understood that the displays need not increment through the ranges described above. For example, in the three serial numbers per page configuration described, each counter could be initially set one digit apart and increment by three after each photocopy event. In this case, and the case described above, the displays are adapted to increment through different, but alphanumerically overlapping, series of character combinations. However, the three counter pairs could initially be set to the same number excepting the most significant digit (say, the ten thousand digit). Each counter pair could then increment by one, printing up to ten thousand sheets. In that scheme, the counters are adapted to increment through different, alphanumerically non-overlapping series of character combinations.

In another arrangement, the serial numbering apparatus could be adapted to produce multiple sheets of paper bearing the same serial number, ie. the serial numbers increment only after a predetermined number of photocopy events. This is achieved by providing the control circuit 31 with a means for intermittently inhibiting the incrementation of the counters 26, for example, every second sheet.

Where photocopiers with enlargement facilities are available, the size of the serial numbering apparatus could be made less than the standard photocopier platen field size, ie. less than the size of copy being produced and therefore more compact.

The serial numbering apparatus described above offers complete autonomy from the photocopier. That is to say, the apparatus is driven entirely optically by the operation of the photocopier lamp and no hardwired connection is required for control by the copier. This ensures that the apparatus is easy to set up and use, requires no interference with the operation of the photocopier and has no interface compatibility problems.

Finally, with reference to figure 15 there is shown a perforation device suitable for creating the perforations in the raffle tickets 11 along line 13 (figures 3 and 13, 14. The perforation device comprises a known type of circular rolling blade guillotine 200 which has a blade carrier 224 which runs along a shaft 221. The blade is a rotating disc which bears down on paper 225 positioned on a cutting platform 220, as the blade carrier 224 is driven along the shaft 221 with a handle 223. Paper is positioned on the cutting platform 220 by way of an adjustable edge stop 222.

In the present invention, however, the circular rolling blade is modified to have a crenellated cutting edge around its circumference such that the cutting action is intermittent as the blade rolls along the paper.

Claims (22)

1. Serial numbering apparatus for enabling the printing of serial numbered stationery on a photocopier, said apparatus comprising at least one photocopiable character display adapted to increment through a series of different character combinations, and at least one photo-sensor coupled thereto adapted to increment said counter to a next character combination in said series upon stimulation of said photo-sensor by light radiated by said photocopier during a photocopying event.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a plurality of photocopiable character displays each adapted to occupy a different predetermined position on the photocopier platen.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which different photocopiable character displays are each adapted to increment through different, but alphanumerically overlapping, series of character combinations.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which each said series is an alphanumeric sequence whose incrementation value is equal to the number of photocopiable character displays.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which different photocopiable character displays are each adapted to increment through different, alphanumerically non-overlapping series of character combinations.

6. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which said photocopiable character displays are arranged in corresponding pairs, each pair adapted to increment through the same series of character combinations in concert with one another.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which different pairs of photocopiable character displays are each adapted to increment through different, but alphanumerically overlapping, series of character combinations.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which different pairs of photocopiable character displays are each adapted to increment through different, alphanumerically non-overlapping series of character combinations.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7 in which each said series is an alphanumeric sequence whose incrementation value is equal to the number of pairs of photocopiable character displays.

10. Apparatus according to claim 3 or claim 7 in which two incremention values are provided, the apparatus incrementing the counters by a first interval, x, on y consecutive occasions, and then using a second interval z, which is an integer multiple of y, once before reverting to the first interval, x, again.

11. Apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the incrementatidn value of any series is a negative number.

12. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11 in which said photocopiable character display or displays are electromechanical counters.

13. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11 in which said photocopiable character display or displays are electronic displays.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 in which said photocopiable character display is a liquid crystal display.

15. Apparatus according to any preceding claim adapted to be placed on the platen of a photocopier and to substantially cover a standard field size of said photocopier platen, in which said photocopiable character displays are arranged on a flat undersurface thereof at predetermined places in the standard field.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15 including at least two photosensors, a first one of said photo-sensors mounted near a first edge and a second photo-sensor mounted near the opposite edge, and control circuitry adapted to increment said photocopiable character displays only when both first and second photo-sensors have been stimulated by a photocopy event.

17. Apparatus according to claim 3 or claim 5 further including means for adjusting said incrementation value.

18. Apparatus according to any preceding claim further including inhibit means for temporarily inhibiting incrementation of said photocopiable character display or displays.

19. Apparatus according to any preceding claim further including inhibit means for intermittently inhibiting incrementation of said photocopiable character display or displays.

20. Apparatus for perforating sheets of paper, comprising a rolling blade guillotine in which the rolling blade has a cutting edge which is crenellated along its circumference so as to provide an intermittent cutting action as the blade rolls along its circumference.

21. Apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

22. A method of printing serial numbered stationery on a photocopier comprising the steps of: placing onto a photocopier platen at least one photocopiable character display adapted to increment through a series of different character combinations each time light is radiated by said photocopier during a photocopying event; juxtaposing artwork to be copied with said photocopiable character display; initiating a repeating photocopy operation such that said artwork is repeatedly copied, each copy together with one of said series of different character combinations.