IE45379B1 - Improvements in or relating to continuous stationery assemblies - Google Patents

Abstract

The continuous paper arrangement has a plurality of recording layers (1, 2, 6), the outer layers (1, 2), which are connected to each other along their length by fixing lines (4), having tractor perforations (3) at the longitudinal edges for the tractor feeding of the arrangement by the printing unit of an office machine. In order that the leading length of stationery which, with each engagement of the tractor feed device, has already passed through the printing device should not be wasted each time the arrangement is used, the arrangement is so designed that, when the last length of stationery printed in each case is removed, at least the longitudinal edges with the tractor perforations remain on the arrangement so that, when the arrangement is used again, these can serve as a drive web for the tractor feed. To this end, in addition to transverse lines of weakening (15), two longitudinal lines of weakening (5, 5a) are provided within the fixing lines (4) on an outer layer (2) and make it possible to separate this layer, and intermediate layers (6) adhering thereto, of a length of stationery from the other external layer (1) remaining on the arrangement.

Description

Many kinds of Continuous Stationery Assemblies have been proposed for feeding to the print units of what are referred to asmini-computers. These have included plain paper record webs - perhaps bearing blocks of transverse lines spaced apart by distances of 1/6.

These webs are made up into packs, the individual record webs being interleaved with one time carbon, webs, More sophisticated continuous stationery assemblies have also been used and these include for example the tq continuous manifold form assemblies described in British Patent Specification No. 919496 snd the Business Forms Stationery as described in British Patent Specification Mo. 1376447. All these assemblies include marginal feed apertureso Many of the continuous stationery assemblies are used with business machines such as office computers and terminal printers and are used for relatively short runs. When such assemblies are positioned in the print unit of the computer the marginal feed apertures at opposite sides of the continuous stationery assembly are engaged on the feed pins of a pair of feed pin tractors at the outfeed side of the print unite When it is required to feed the stationery assembly the tractors ar® driven and the stationery is fed. The tractors have of necessity to be positioned several inches above tha printing position so that each time a fresh continuous stationery assembly is loaded into the print unit, one set (one form length) at the leading end of the assembly is lost. 48379 Although this constitutes a loss each time a new pack of forma is loaded into the print unit, greater losses are incurred when it is necessary to print a few form lengths at a time and especially if a single form length only is to be printed because at each printing operation a partly used pack is inserted and this entails losing one form length at each reloading.

It is an object of the present member to provide an improved stationery assembly.

It is another Object of the present invention to provide an improved continuous stationery assembly in which it is not necessary to lose a form length each time a web of continuous stationai-y assembly is loaded into the print unit or the like.

According to the present, invention continuous stationery assembly, adapted to be fed through the print unit of a business machine, comprises a continuous pair of superimposed outer record webs, said webs each having at least one margin containing a row of spaced feed apertures extending «.long as Sn&at one side edge thereof in superimposed relationship and being arranged to engage the feed means of the business machine so that the stationery assembly is thereby advanced into and past the print unit, said outer webs being secured together along one line of securement adjacent the or each row of superimposed apertures, at least one intermediate record web lying between said outer webs and having a marginal edge S3 7 9 thereof spaced inwardly of the said row of superimposed feed apertures of the outer webs, said outer webs and intermediate web having spaced transverse lines of weakening in superimposed relationship for separating the stationery assembly therealong into individual units, the adjacent webs being secured to each other along another longitudinal line of securement, and at least the outer web to receive the original imprinting in the print unit having a longitudinal line of weakening thereon spaced inwardly o.f said one line of securement in the or each margin containing said superimposed apertures and in line with the or each longitudinal edge of the intermediate webs whereby at least one margin may be separated along said longitudinal line of weakening and along the spaced transverse line of weakening from the intermediate web and at least the outer web to receive the original imprinting, whereafter said-outer web to receive the original imprinting and said intermediate web secured thereto of the last of said units may be removed from the assembly to leave the said margin available as a supporting web to enable the remaining units of the assembly to be fed through the print unit.

Continuous stationary assemblies 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 diagrammatic plan view, partly cut away, of the continuous stationery assembly.

FIG 2 is a cross sectional view of the assembly shown in Fig.l with the-.distances between the parts of the assembly exaggerated for the sake of clarity, and, - 4 45379 FIG 3 FIG 4 FlG 5 is a view of another embodiment similar to Fig. 1 is a view of a further embodiment similar to Fig.2, and, is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a still further embodiment.

Referring to Figs. 1 & 2 of the drawings there is shown a continuous stationery assembly comprising a back web 1 and a front web 2 having a width the same as that o±' the back web 1. Marginal feed apertures 3 are provided in the side margins of both thp back web 1 and the front web 2. Lines of adhesive 4 of hot melt glue are provided a short distance within each line of marginal feed apertures 3 to secure the front web and back web together IS and a longitudinal line 5 of tear off perforations is provided at one side of the front web 2 just within the respective line of adhesive 4. This line of perforations 5 is a line of weak perforations, that is to say, the line consists of a series of long cuts and short tabs between the webs to enable the line to be easily broken. A further weak perforation line 3® ic provided at the opposite side of the stationery to enable the front web 2 within the lines 5 - 5a to be detached frcm the back web 1 together with intermediate webs but not the marginal parts embodying the feed apertures to be hereinafter described. The perforation lines 5 & 5® are disposed inwardly from the side edge of the asseiflbly a sufficient distance to provide a spacing area to enable the lines 5 & 5a to be positioned inwardly of the guide plate of the tractor to be free of 3θ the tractor and enable the perforation lines to be broken • 4B379 and the assembly detached therealrag. We.have found that providing the lines a distance of 3θ millimetres from the edge of the outer webs is sufficient for this purpose.

A set of intermediate interleaved record webs 6 is 5 located between the front web 2 and the back web 1 with interleaved carbon transfer webs 7 between the front web 2 and the first web of the intermediate record webs, between, each respective intermediate , record webs and also between the last of the inter10 mediate webs and the back'web 1.

The side edges of each of the intermediate record webs 6 are in line with the respective lines 5 of tear J off perforations arranged longitudinally of the front ' web 2, whereas the side edges of the interleaved transfer IS webs 7 are located a short distance within the longitudinal side edges of the intermediate record webs.

I The intermediate webs are secured in position between the front web-and the hack web by lines of securement.

As shown in Fig,> 2 the lines of securement comprise lines of cold adhesive 8 joining the rear face of the front web 2 to the front face of the first carbon transfer web and another series cf lines of cold adhesive 9 joining the rear face of each carbon web to the record web undernedth it„ Alternatively the transfer webs may be secured to the rear of the respective record sheet next adjacent by lines of cold adhesive 9 and the record webs may be joined together by a line of cold adhesive between adjacent webs in the marginal stub part of the assembly, that is beyond the edge of the transfer webs 7 but between adjacent record webs.

A longitudinal line of snap-out perforations l4 is provided in the front web 2 and a corresponding line of snap out perforations is provided in the record webs 6 of the intermediate webs but not in the back web 1. Also lines 15 of cross perforations divide the front web 2 and each one of the intermediate webs into form lengt.ls. Lines of feed perforations are provided in the front web 2, back web and all the intermediate record webs to enable the record webs to be collated correctly.

In use of an assembly as lerebefore described a continuous stationery assembly is loaded into a print unit of a mini-computer, or other business machine, and thta is typed on the leading form length of the assembly as is required. The assembly is then fed by the tractors '>£ the minx-computer with the leading form length fed past the outfeed side of these tractors whereupon the type form length of all the webs of the assembly are detached by tearing the cross perforations 15· Further typing and tear off operations are repeated until the last required form length is printed and fed to the outfeed position when the front web 2 of the assembly together with corresponding form lengths of the intermediate webs is detached from the back web 1 by breaking the line of tear off perforations 5a, and the part of the line of tear off cross perforations between the lines 5 and 5a in all the webs except the back web 1. The back web together with the marginal parts of the front web remain and serve as a drive sheet for feeding the remaining part of the assembly through the mini-computer during a subsequent typing operation. The stationery assembly oan be removed from the mini-computer and when the assembly is reloaded the leading part of the assembly constitutes a means for being located on the feed pins of the tractors whereby the whole assembly can be fed through the mini-computer without losing the leading form length when re-loading.

It will be apparent that the front web receives the original imprinting in the print unit and the back web of the assembly constitutes a -file copy web. Furthermore, the several intermediate webs and the front web when divided into form lengths with the margins detached may constitute snap out sets or may constitute pairs of record sheets with interleaved carbon transfer sheets.

Another way of securing webs together is by having a series of paper staples formed in each of the record webs in a line as illustrated at 16 in Fig. 3 to constitute a line of securement and a continuous cut line 5b replaces the weak perforations 5a as shown in Fig. 1. The record webs are joined together by paper staples but each carbon transfer web ia secured to the respective record web immediately above it by a line of adhesive S. This method of fastening forms together is more clearly described in British Patent Specification No. 1376447. Alternatively ail the record - 8 45378 webs and carbon transfer webs may be joined by paper staples.

The assembly shown in Fig. 4 has on the left hand side the front and back webs joined together as shown in Fig. 1 whereas on the righthand side the two rear webs are joined by a line of adhesive. The rear web 1 has a width greeter than the other webs» and the last but one web 17 extends on the righthand side of the web beyond the front web and succeeding webs into line with the rear web 1. Qn the righthand side feed perforations 3 are formed in the margins of the webs 1 and 17, and the webs 1 and 17 are secured together by a line of glue 14.

A perforation line 5e is formed in the web 17 to permit detachment of the margin.

Referring to the further modified form of the invention, an assembly, as .ihown in Fig. 5» it provided with lines of longitudinal perforations adjacent the side edges of the front web corresponding to the lines of perforations 5 shown in Fig, ! . Furthermore further lines of longitudinal weak perforations are provided adjacent the side edges of the back web in alignment with tbs lines of perforations in the front web and tho lines 15 of cross perforations do not extern into the margins. In other respects the construction is similar to that of the assembly shown in Fig. 1 , In use the operation is similar to that already described except that the front web, back web and intermediate web or webs are detailed from the marginal side portions of 4537Θ the front and back webs and the continuous stationery is fed by having the marginal side portions driven by the feed tractors,, If desired the carbon transfer webs 7 can be removed and the record webs be of self«manifolding paper (carbonless paper) and preferably of paper of the kind described in British Patent Specification No. 10464Q9o Furthermore an assembly can comprise a plurality of record webs with interleaved carbon transfer webs co-operating with one or more webs of self-manifolding paper. This may apply particularly in the case where the webs of the assembly are all Interleaved with, carbon transfer webs with the exception of the last part which is itself self-manifolding paper. This entails that T.5 when the front and intermediate record webs are detached from the back web 1 there is no loose web of carbon transfer.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS:

1· A continuous stationery assembly adapted to be fed through the print unit of a business machine, comprising a continuous pair of superimposed outer record webs, said webs each having at least one margin containing a row of 5 spaced feed apertures extending along at least one side edge thereof in superimposed relationship and being arranged to engage the feed means of the business machine so that the stationery assembly is thereby advanced into and past the print unit, said outer webs being secured 10 together along one line of securement adjacent the or each row of superimposed apertures at least cue intermediate record web lying between said outer webs and having a marginal edge thereof spaced inwardly of the said row of superimposed .feed apertures of the outer webs, said outer webs and inter15 mediate web{s)having spaced transverse lines of weakening in superimposed relationship for separating the stationery assembly therealong into individual units, the adjacent webs being secured to each other - along another longitudinal line of securement, and at least the outer 20 web to receive the original imprinting in the print unit having a longitudinal line of weakening thereon spaced inwardly of said one line of securement in the or each margin containing said superimposed apertures and in line with the or each longitudinal edge of tee intermediate web(s) 25 whereby at least the one margin may be separated along said longitudinal line of weakening and along the spaced transverse line of weakening from the intermediate web and at least the outer web to receive the original imprinting, whereafter said outer web to receive the original imprinting and said intermediate web secured - 11 45373 thereto of the last of said units may be removed from the assemblyto leave the said margin available as a supporting web to enable the remaining units of the assembly to be fed through the print unit.

2. A continuous stationery assembly according to claim 1 wherein the longitudinal line of weakening is provided only in the original imprinting front web of the assembly so that the assembly may be fed by virtue of the back web of the assembly as well as the margin or margins.

3. A continuous stationery assembly according to claim 1 wherein longitudinal lines of weakening are provided in both the front and back webs of the assembly so that the assembly may be fed by virtue of the marginal parts of the front and back webs.

4. A continuous stationery assembly according to claim 1 wherein the outer record webs extend beyond the side edge of the intermediate web or webs at each side thereof to form margins and these margins each contain feed apertures and are secured together by a respective line of securement.

5. A continuous stationery assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a spacing area is provided between the row-ef feed apertures and the adjacent longitudinal line of weakening. - 12 ¢5379 5 7» 5 7»

6. 8.

7. 9.

8.

9. 15

10. 15 10. A continuous stationery assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the or each longitudinal line of weakening comprises a line of weak perforations. A continuous atationei-y assembly according to any one of the pre cedi.,.'- claims wherein a transfer web is interposed between each adjacent record web. A continuous stationery assembly according to any one of the claims 1 to 6 wherein each record web is of self«manifolding paper, A continuous stationery assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein. the intermediate webs each are associated with a web of transfer material and the back web being of self«manifolding material. A continuous stationery assembly constructed substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.