Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining whether a newly-signed signature and a previously recorded signature were made by the same person. The method and apparatus include the steps of and apparatus for scanning a document containing the newly-signed signature to provide an electrical signal representative of the reflectivity of the newly-signed signature and the document and generating a signature envelope from the electrical signal with the envelope being formed of selected points on the signature. A plurality of characteristics of the newly-signed signature are then calculated based on the location and magnitude of the selected points forming the signature envelope with respect to a reference line. The calculated characteristics of the newly-signed signature are then compared with corresponding characteristics of a standard signature formed from a group of previously recorded signatures and a signature verification decision is generated based on the degree with which the compared characteristics match.

Abstract: An ink droplet catcher assembly for an ink jet printer includes a housing with an opening for ink droplets. In the housing, a sensor is directly impacted by the ink droplets. The sensor generates varying electrical signals to circuitry controlling ink droplet deflection for an ink jet printer in response to the impact position of the ink droplets on the sensor. A coating is applied to the sensor to retard sensor wear and to prevent short circuiting of the generated electrical signals in response to ink droplet impacts. The housing construction conducts captured ink droplets out of the housing to a reservoir when a lid, covering the housing, deflects air and ink droplets entering the housing.

Abstract: A zero clearance, backlash free, adjusting mechanism wherein a multithreaded helical member is constrained against movement within a movable support by means of oppositely disposed concentric threaded members separated by a concentric torsion spring. Opposite ends of the torsion spring are captivated by respective opposite concentric members. One of said members being fixidly, slidably mounted within said movable support. Rotation of the helical member forces the two concentric members apart along the helix forcing the members into a zero clearance position effective to prevent any wobble or yawing movement of the helix and thus eliminating any backlash along the helical member. A U-shaped clip surrounds the movable support so as to retain the assembly effective to prevent accidental dislodgement or movement of the concentric members.

Abstract: A flexible drive mechanism for positioning bank passbooks and similar objects is disclosed for use in conjunction with identification and entry posting apparatus. The functioning of the drive mechanism is made flexible by the use of eight rollers, four of which are power driven to serve as drive rollers and four of which are idle rollers. The idle rollers are enabled to move relative to each other and to the drive rollers and are spring biased to firmly engage bank passbooks and similar flat objects and press them against the power drive rollers. The rollers are enabled to accommodate the differences in thickness between parts of the passbooks caused by either the presence of ridges, where sewn seams bind the pages of a book together, or by the presence of difference amounts of paper.

Abstract: A system for use with a document processor enabling the detection of jamming at its inception, prevention of additional jamming and routing of documents in the processor to selected pockets. When jamming conditions are detected, the receipt of further documents through the machine feeder into the processor is stopped, documents already in the processor which are located upstream from the point where jamming has occurred are routed to their proper pockets if they belong in upstream pockets, documents downstream from the point where jamming has occurred are routed to their proper pockets, and the remaining documents are routed to a pocket designated to receive missorted documents. Displays are illuminated to indicate jamming and to identify pockets into which missorted documents have been routed.

Abstract: A unitary, demountable, insertable modular magnetic transducer transport assembly for use with accounting records such as magnetically encoded bank account passbooks, magnetic striped ledger sheets and credit cards including self contained magnetic transducer transport for timing track and data pick-up mechanisms capable of being operably coupled to and forming part of an automatic data print out apparatus for on line data processing of accounting information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for dynamically switching between fonts or groups of fonts in an automatic optical character reader. A switch character which is included between a first and second group of characters triggers the selection of the appropriate memory for the succeeding font.

Abstract: A document packing system for closely packing sorted documents into a pocket of a document sorting system having many pockets includes an auger. The auger is a hollow cylinder with multiple, discontinuous, raised helicies to initially engage documents sorted into the pocket. A stationary apparatus in the auger rotates the auger. Integral with the auger is a feature which aligns the sorted documents in the pocket while other portions of the auger secondarily engage and pack the sorted documents into the pocket. The sorted documents are supported in the pocket by a device which resiliently responds to the packing of documents into the pocket.

Abstract: A self configuring track controller for a diverter gate motor in a stacker area of a document sorting system having pockets in which documents are selectively directed includes identical devices for governing each diverter gate motor in the stacker area. Integral with each track controller is a data line using binary, serial signals to teach each track controller its sequential position in the stacker area relative to other track controllers.

Abstract: A silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) lamp supply trigger circuit, responsive to control circuitry, produces trigger currents for the SCR which transmits the required voltage to illumination lamps in a document image capturing system. The trigger circuit includes a single AC input supply voltage having a positive and negative portion and electronic components for accumulating the respective voltage portions and isolating them to avoid unwanted signal interference with the control circuitry regulating the lamp supply voltage. Devices discharge the voltage accumulating components in response to the control circuitry of the SCR lamp supply and feed the discharged voltage to an apparatus for conversion to a current for triggering the SCR. Residual voltages remaining on the voltage accumulating components are automatically discharged during that portion of the AC input supply voltage which is opposite to the polarity of the charges stored on the voltage accumulating components.

Abstract: A video clamp for removing a DC offset voltage component from a video signal to simplify video processing circuitry in an image capture data system includes an input signal having an AC data component on a DC offset voltage and a device for periodically accumulating the DC offset voltage. This offset voltage is maintained on the accumulator by a periodic switching device and an apparatus which also reproduces its input DC voltage at its output. The apparatus is electrically biased with a required supply voltage resulting from a constant difference between DC levels each having the AC data component of the input signal.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for recognizing a presented pattern such as a machine printed character. The apparatus includes a driving assembly for moving a character bearing medium into a scanning area. A pair of lamp sources illuminate the character in the scanning area. A monolithic photosensitive array responsive to the brightness of the reflective light from the illuminated character over a given time period is positioned opposite the scanning area. The photosensitive array or first storage circuit develops and stores an analog video signal which is subsequently converted into a digital representation of the analog signal by a signal processing circuit. A second storage circuit stores a multi-bit binary code representing the brightness of the present character.

Abstract: In a Foster-Seeley discriminator circuit having a discriminating resonance circuit, resonance circuits having series resonance characteristics are respectively connected between a signal source and both ends of the discriminating resonance circuit so as to raise the level of a composite output voltage of the frequency discriminator circuit, whereby the sensitivity of the output voltage versus the frequency can be enhanced.

Abstract: A plurality of pockets of a document sorter are controlled by a time-division multiplexed controller, in order to insure that the bottom and leading edges of documents within each pocket are aligned. The controller utilizes a programmed microcomputer in a time-division multiplexed arrangement in order to increase hardware efficiency.

Abstract: An auger jogger assembly for a high speed item sorter pocket receptacle wherein a fixed shaft carries the armature of an electric drive eddy current motor. The fixed nonmagnetic reluctance member of which is a thin cylindrical metallic sleeve-like member press fitted into the cylindrical opening of a rotatable cylinder which carries about its periphery two volute or helical augers of differing diameters and spacings. The drive shaft and armature of the motor are fixed against rotation while the cylindrical reluctance member is secured within and rotatable with the rotatable cylinder. Energization of the motor armature causes the external cylinder to rotate effective to move item/documents into the pocket receptacle while vibrating the document sufficiently so as to reduce receptacle floor friction and force the items into a closely stacked bunch or pack.

Abstract: Demountable, modular, apparatus permitting item/documents, such for example as checks, to be stacked at high speed on opposite sides of a linear main-line item feed-through pathway. Indicators are included for indicating in which direction, forward, right or left of the main-line pathway an item diverting gate is directed and item position sensing devices are located within and adjacent to the diverting gates. Each demountable module, if more than one is employed, is provided with right and left columnators including concentric roller members disposed between a resilient drive roller. Idler rollers are demountably, replaceably secured adjacent respective drive rollers by resilient flat spring members for ease and efficiency of replacement, repair and/or removal. Each diverting gate includes an LED and phototransistor combination for sensing the passage therethrough of an item.

Abstract: A silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) lamp supply circuit for controlling the amount of rectified voltage delivered to illumination lamps in a document image capturing system includes electronic components for linearizing the transfer function of the circuit to reduce complexity and promote operating stability. The circuit delivers an output voltage to the illumination lamps to within 0.1 volt of a chosen voltage for the lamps and quickly responds to changes in load voltage demand.

Abstract: Demountable, replaceable, printer ribbon cartridge transport apparatus comprising an elongated, flat, rigid, support member provided with oppositely disposed parallel recessed areas co-extensive with the longer dimension thereof and having means intermediate the ends for adjusting the length of the member and thereafter retaining the adjusted length. An endless inked ribbon is disposed within the recessed areas with each opposite end of the ribbon looped around the end of the support member and back upon itself so as to be moveable lengthwise in opposite directions along the long dimension of the support member. Demountable end caps are secured to each opposite end of the support member to protect the ribbon as it reverses direction about the end of the support and to enable the support member to be cammed into and out of engagement with ribbon drive means.

Abstract: An apparatus provides a measurement of the running torque of a bearing under a radial load, by utilizing a balanced radial load on the bearing and a pendulum weight. The steady state running torque of the bearing is proportional to the sine of the deflection angle of the pendulum weight.

Abstract: A low friction bearing starting torque apparatus applies a known acceleration to a stationary bearing having a known radial load, to measure the starting torque of the bearing.