WO1989011976A1

WO1989011976A1 - An apparatus and a method for printing cheques

Info

Publication number: WO1989011976A1
Application number: PCT/DK1989/000143
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jørgen JOHANSEN; Preben KOBBERØ; Knud Schierbeck
Original assignee: Fondet Til Fremme Af Teknisk Og Industriel Udvikli
Priority date: 1988-06-09
Filing date: 1989-06-08
Publication date: 1989-12-14
Also published as: KR900701543A; DK315288D0; DK315288A; AU3841089A

Abstract

A method for printing forms, such as cheques, from a continuous web of forms with longitudinal guide margins (10) having equispaced guideholes, by means of a printer roller or platen (1), a tractor drive unit (2), two sets of rotating blades (3) for cutting off the guidehole margins (10), followed by a paper separating unit (4). In order to avoid wasted cheques between two print-outs, i.e. subsequent to the printing of the last form and an optional separating of the paper, the web of forms is retracted to the printer heads in the apparatus, whereafter the severed guidehole margins (10) are used for advancing the web. Thus blank cheques which can be misused are avoided.

Description

Title: An apparatus and a method for printing cheques

Technical Field

The invention relates to a method for printing forms, such as cheques, from a continuous web of forms with longitudinal guide margins having equispaced guideholes, by means of a printer roller or platen, a tractor drive unit, two sets of rotating blades for cutting off the guidehole margins, followed by a paper separating unit.

Disclosure of the Invention

According to the invention the web of forms is retracted to the printer heads in the apparatus subsequent to the printing of the last form and an optional separating of the paper, whereafter the severed guidehole margins are used for advancing the web.

Thus waste of paper and blank cheques, which can be misused, are avoided.

Moreover, the paper separating unit can, according to the invention, comprise a first set of rollers and a second set of rollers, the second set of rollers rotating at a higher peripheral speed than the first set of rollers.

Brief Description of the Drawing

The invention is described in greater detail below and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a cheque printing apparatus according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows the printer platen with several guide screens, and Fig. 3 shows the web of forms in question..

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Fig. 1 illustrates an apparatus for printing cheques from a web of forms with longitudinal guidehole margins 10, said apparatus comprising a printer roller or platen 1, a tractor drive unit 2, two sets of rotating blades 3 for cutting off the guidehole margins 10, followed by a paper separating unit 4. The platen 1 is surrounded by several screens, cf. Fig. 2, ensuring that the web is pressed against the platen 1, for instance when it moves towards the tractor guide unit 2. At the upper left-hand quadrant of the platen 1 the web is guided slightly away from the platen. A triangular member 11 with rounded corners is situated between the platen 1 and the web, thus first guiding the web away from the platen 1, whereupon said web is guided back again.

The web is fed via several guide screens (not shown), said web otherwise being unable to meet a friction roller 9 below the platen 1. These guide screens ensure that the web is inserted between the platen 1 and the friction roller 9 in such a way that the web is guided by said roller. Before the web reaches a type wheel head 5, it passes a further screen pressing the web against the platen 1, whereupon the web is guided past the type wheel head 5. The type wheel head 5 types one character, i.e. one letter, at a time, for instance in machine-readable form requiring special ink and type wheel. When a conventional ink and type wheel are used, the type wheel head 5 can be used as a conventional printer head. The use of a third type wheel, such as an E13B, together with metalcontaining ink results again in a machine-readable code, which is magnetically readable. The web is then guided past the type wheel head 5. When the web reaches the uppermost screen it is guided outwards between the triangular body 11 and the corresponding screen. When the web reaches a matrix head 6 and is guided on, it tends to rise instead of lying horizontally as desired. An extra screen ensures that the web being almost vertical at the type wheel head 5 is bent and pressed horizontally past the matrix head 6, a screen between the platen 1 and the web guiding said web in a horizontal position below the matrix head 6. Thereafter the web passes below the matrix head 6 for printing various types of matrix print known from general printers.

The type wheel head 5 types a machine - readable code at the bottom of the cheque in question. Such a code is usually printed separately at a printing shop. The type wheel head 5 is exclusively used to type the code line. The code line comprises the number of the cheque, the registration number, the account number and various other codes. The matrix head 6 adds the name of the account holder, the name of the branch or the like. The client number and the account number can also be printed by the matrix head 6. The web is then guided away from the platen 1. When the latter occurs between two print-outs the tractor guide unit 2 already has a grip on the web. If the web has not been fed into the apparatus, it has to be manually inserted in pins, whereupon the tractor guide unit 2 is closed. The guide system is of the caterpillarlike type with projecting points. Then the web is guided to the rotating blades 3 severing the guidehole margins 10, while the cheques still adhere to each other, cf. Fig. 3. The severed guidehole margins 10 passing below the cheques are in form of continuous strips. The guidehole margins 10 are fed below the separating unit 4 and out through a slot. The web of cheques is fed into the separating unit 4, a computer system determining whether or not the cheques are to be separated. The platen 1, the tractor guide unit 2 and the blades 3 are driven by one motor 7. The friction rollers 9 below the platen 1 can be lifted so that there is either friction or a slit. A guide unit controls the retraction movement.

Now the web is removed. The apparatus in question comprises the platen 1 and the tractor guide unit 2 and the two rotating blades 3 and a first set of separating rollers 4a. These separating rollers 4a are driven by the motor 7 at a predetermined speed. A second set of separating rollers 4b. is, on the other hand, driven at a speed 50% higher than the one of the first set of separating rollers. Thereafter the web passes below a finger indicated by an arrow. The web should be bent slightly downward and the finger is positioned at the bend of the web. In other words, the motor 7 drives four units. Another motor 8 only drives the last two outermost rollers 4b. Fig. 3 indicates in which way the guidehole margins 10 are held in the tractor guide unit 2 while the cheques are positioned slightly back in the apparatus.

Functioning of the retraction movement

When inserting the web a button labelled "forward" is pushed. Then the friction rollers 9 are activated such that the web can be guided forward, i.e. the web is pushed into the printer until it reaches the rollers 9 and the platen 1. At this moment the movement of the web is discontinued. Then the "forward" button is pushed and the friction rollers 9 are activated, said rollers ensuring that the platen 1, the tractor guide unit 2 and the blades 3 are driven by the same gearing system. Then the web is guided past the type wheel head 5, upwards between the screens and past the matrix head 6 towards the tractor guide unit 2. The "forward" function is thereafter deactivated and a function counter is cut off. The web is then inserted in the tractor guide unit 2 and a "load" button is pushed, said button ensuring an automatic posi tioning of the paper and separating of the two first cheques. However, this depends slightly on the thickness of the cheque such that in principle there is a web of paper as in Fig. 3, and it occurs by activating the "load" button, whereupon the web is guided towards the rotating blades, the guidehole margins 10 and the cheques moving together. When the web has reached the rotating blades 3 the guidehole margins 10 are cut off whereupon the web is guided into the separating unit 4, where the front edge of the web is detected. A position indicator is located at the finger. When the front edge is detected, it is known where the separating is to take place, i.e. the web is guided between the two first separating rollers 4a, underneath the finger and out between the last two separating rollers 4b. When it has been determined that the perforation line is exactly below the finger, the two outer rollers 4b. are brought into contact with each other. Usually the two outer rollers 4b rotate. When the perforation line between two cheques is underneath the finger, the rollers are brought into contact for a period of 100 msec. This is sufficient for the cheque to be separated so that the web appears as shown in Fig. 3. Then a retraction movement is initiated, i.e. the severed guidehole margins 10 are retracted and stopped such that the front edge of the first remaining cheque is positioned opposite the matrix head 6. This is the sequence of operations when a bank clerk inserts the web into the apparatus in the morning. Then the printer has to be made ready. The apparatus is now loaded in such a way that there are severed margins in the tractor guide unit 2, and the first cheque is positioned opposite the matrix head 6.

The web is now in the "load" position with free margins and loose web. The entire print sequence can be sent from a central computer to the printer, which then starts printing. Matrix letters as well as type wheel letters are printed, depending on the command. The web is advanced as it is printed and the guidehole margins 10 eventually reach the blades 3. In case of known cheques the first perforation line at substantially the third cheque reaches the bursting finger between the two sets of rollers. Sooner or later the perforation line is positioned opposite the bursting edge or bursting finger, and when the perforation line between two cheques is opposite the finger the last two rollers 4b. are activated. During printing the two last rollers 4b. rotate at a higher speed than the rollers 4a. closer to the tractor guide unit 2. When the perforation line between two cheques is opposite the finger, the two last rollers 4b. are compressed so that only now they move into contact with each other and pull at the web. This causes a separation of the perforation, when the finger is above the perforation line. During printing the rollers 4b. on the right-hand side are separated from each other. Then the cheques move on. When the last cheque has been printed, the web passes past the tractor guide unit 2, the blades 3 and the separating unit 4, where the last cheque is separated. Now the web has entirely left the separating unit 4 and the guidehole margins 10 are fed below the separating unit 4. usually there are blank cheques between the separating unit 4 and the printer heads, which are usually thrown away when the next cheque book is printed. The difference between previous printers and the present one is that the web is retracted into the apparatus so that the front edge of the first blank cheque is positioned at one of the heads. As a result there are no wasted cheques at the beginnning of the next print-out when the apparatus is again in the "load" position. The web is continously printed, and separated when the perforation line is below the finger. When the last cheque has been printed, the web is retracted so that there is no waste. Thus blank cheques in the dustbin are avoided.

Claims

1. A method for printing forms, such as cheques, from a continuous web of forms with longitudinal guide margins having equispaced guideholes by means of a printer roller or platen, a tractor drive unit, two sets of rotating blades for cutting off the guidehole margins, followed by a paper separating unit, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the web of forms being retracted to the printer heads in the apparatus subsequent to the printing of the last form and an optional separating of the paper, whereafter the severed guidehole margins (10) are used for advancing the web.

2. A method as in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by the paper separating unit comprising a first set of rollers (4a) and a second set of rollers (4b), the second set of rollers rotating at a higher peripheral speed than the first set.

3. A method as in claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the separating unit is activated by the the second set of rollers (4b) being brought into contact with each other.

4. An apparatus substantially as described above and with reference to the drawing.