Abstract: Disclosed is an idler roller assembly for a printing apparatus. The idler rolling assembly includes a shaft, at least one idler rolling element connected to the shaft, the at least one idler rolling element having an inner surface and an outer surface and being connected to the shaft at a substantially center portion of the idler rolling element, the at least one idler rolling element being cylindrically shaped and having an axis substantially parallel to an axis of the shaft, and at least one radial control movement element connected to the shaft, the at least one radial control movement element having a radius selected to leave a predetermined gap between an outer edge of the at least one radial control movement element and the inner surface of the idler rolling element.

Abstract: A transaction printer includes the MICR encoding of indicia at a precise location called the amount field. In order to accomplish this, an optical sensor is provided in a transaction printer at a point-of-sale to detect the edge of the check and stage it at a known location from the thermal, MICR print head. A clutch mechanism is used to engage the print head with a platen, and to engage a read head with the check, so that indicia can be sequentially imprinted and read within the check processing machine in a single, sequential operation. During the MICR encoding operation, the main paper feed rolls are disengaged and moved away from the paper path to help provide a clear paper path.