Abstract: An intermediate for a mailer type business form, and a mailer formed from the intermediate, have a fourth panel/ply of lesser width that the other three panels/plies, which forms a reply envelope flap. A cutout is formed in one of the panels/plies forming a reply envelope, through which cutout the outgoing and reply addresses are visible. The reply address is provided on a flap connected by a fold line to one of the panels/plies forming the reply envelope, and is aligned with the cutout when the reply address flap is folded into the interior of the reply envelope. Other reply address flaps, having different reply addresses, also may be provided.

Abstract: Tickets for concerts, conventions, sports, and like events, have a security feature to assist in preventing counterfeiting. A stretchable security thread is disposed in a piece of paper stock extending so that it intersects, with portions lying on either side of, a line of separation in the piece of paper stock (and/or is parallel to the length of the ticket). The line of separation typically is a perforation. The security thread is a stretchable material, such as polyester, and may have microprinting. When the ticket is detached at the line of separation, the security thread does not initially separate but rather stretches to provide a visual (and tactile) indication between the separated portions of the paper stock before it breaks. Such tickets are produced from a web of material having the security threads, which web is printed, and then cut into sheets for delivery to a customer who then can apply variable printing.

Abstract: A C-fold mailer having a return envelope, booklet insert or both is disclosed. The mailer is formed from a relatively large web sheet having two transverse fold lines that separate the sheet into three rectangular sections. Discrete strips of heat seal glue or other adhesive are applied along sections of the edges of one side of the web. In addition, the web is printed with mailing and promotional information and lines of weakness, e.g., perforations, are selectively scored across the web. Furthermore, inserts such as a booklet and return envelop may be included in the mailer.

Abstract: A business form intermediate and business form provide--from a single sheet of paper--a combined delivery receipt form/note for a supplier and a sealed document for a customer listing items delivered and an invoice. A sheet of paper is divided into three substantially equal panels by first and second fold lines extending between the top and bottom edges. The second fold line is preferably a perforation to aid easy detachment of the third panel which forms a delivery receipt note and which bears transfer material, e.g. in the form of a carbon patch, on its inner surface. The first and second panels carry adhesive around their free edges and are designed to be printed with details of items being delivered and an invoice, and then to be brought together and sealed around their edges to provide a sealed form/document. The customer is intended to sign the outside of the delivery note in an area corresponding to the transfer material so that the signature is transferred through to the sealed form.

Abstract: A multi-ply courier waybill comprises a plurality of data plies connected along et least one marginal edge to an underlying backing ply having a pressure sensitive adhesive applied to the undersurface thereof for attachment to a package to be shipped. The backing ply includes a plurality of die cut labels formed over a portion thereof spaced inwardly from the marginal edges of the backing ply, and the pressure sensitive adhesive is covered by a release liner. Removal of the release liner from the surface of the adhesive will result in removal of the die cut labels from the backing ply. At least some of the data plies and the die cut labels ere provided with common bar code indicia. The labels are applied to satellite packages so that only one waybill can accommodate a number of packages sent to the same addressee.

Abstract: During the feeding of offset continuous collated business form webs to the slow rollers of a burster, it is important to insure that the top web properly passes through the slow roll section. By providing a number of puller wheels having aluminum cores and sawtooth rubber coverings atop conveyor belts passing over crowned pulleys which are oversped relative to the web speed, proper feed to the burster is provided. Form deflecting fingers extending from the puller wheels to the burster also help. In order to prevent the conveyor belts from running off the crowned pulleys an aligner is provided which has a number of vertical dowel pins with plastic sleeves covering and rotatable with respect to the dowel pins, disposed on each side of a conveyor belt associated with a crowned pulley and puller wheel. The aligner is provided immediately upstream of a rubber covered drive roll for the conveyor belts.

Abstract: Linerless labels in a continuous web, in roll form, are dispensed. The roll is mounted for rotation by a vertical shaft, and periodically a drive roller with conveyor tapes wrapped around it is rotated to pull the web from the roll in an amount sufficient to unwind approximately one length of label from the roll. The adhesive face of the web engages the circumferential periphery of the drive roller and the conveyor tapes past the drive roller, the exit roller effecting separation of the leading label from the conveyor tapes. An idler roller engages and tensions the web between the roll and the drive roller, and a knife blade is mounted at about the point that the web leaves the drive roller. The components are disposed so that the web engages at least about 170 degrees of the circumferential periphery of the drive roller, with the adhesive face contacting the drive roller circumferential periphery and conveyor tapes.

Abstract: Documents printed by high speed laser printers are automatically handled to verify, track, handle, and deposit them in appropriate shipping containers. The system is modular so that it can be configured to suit the needs of a wide variety of users, and includes document transport conveyors, transfer conveyors, and container transport conveyors. A paper sheet having bar coding is associated with each group of documents and the bar coding is sensed to determine where to route the document (what shipping container it should be placed in), and also optionally other document handling procedures, such as plastic shrink wrapping and/or banding. Documents are conveyed to a number of different filling stations with containers passing underneath the filling stations. When the destination bar coding on a group of documents at a filling station matches the bar coding on the container underneath that filling station, dump paddles are activated to drop the group of documents into the container.

Abstract: An identification card assembly, made from an intermediate, comprises a carrier sheet with at least one ID card mounted on, and having smaller dimensions than, the carrier sheet. The ID card is connected to repositional adhesive, which in turn is connected through a tie coat to paper label stock, in turn connected by permanent adhesive to the paper carrier sheet. The assembly is constructed from an intermediate which includes a roll of release material on which are provided a number of spaced ID cards and associated adhesive. The carrier sheet is fed through a non-impact printer for variably imaging indicia on the top face of the ID card. A carrier sheet can be made into a mailer.

Abstract: Short multi-ply business forms, or other flexible planar articles, are stacked with a vertical orientation in a horizontally elongated stack. The forms are conveyed in a first horizontal direction, then deflected by a deflecting roller and conveyor belts to move toward a generally vertical orientation, and driven vertically into contact with a depth stop, so that they have a vertical orientation and the first form in a stack is against a backstop. The backstop is moved intermittently in the horizontal first direction to accommodate further forms in the stack. A conveyor for moving the forms vertically is mounted for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal axis, which movement is sensed by a sensor which in turn, through a controller and motor, effects intermittent movement of the backstop. The depth stop may be adjusted to accommodate forms of different depths, and the position of the horizontal axis about which the second conveyor pivots may also be adjusted.

Abstract: An intermediate for a mailer type business form is formed from a quadrate sheet of paper which is Z-folded to produce a mailer type business form with a reply envelope. A large amount of area is provided for printing yet the reply envelope produced accepts a conventional size personal check without folding. The outgoing address is visible through a window and a first ply of the mailer, the outgoing address printed on the second ply of the mailer. The second and third plies of the mailer have a first perforation line which allows separation into a reply envelope and coupons or stubs, at least one of which can be returned to the entity sending out the outgoing mailer, and the reply address for the return envelope is printed on the top face of the second, middle, ply of the mailer.

Abstract: A business form has a self-contained ID card which is mounted in such a way that the form has uniform thickness and can readily pass through an impact or non-impact printer, and indicia can be applied to both the top and bottom faces of the ID card by the printer. A first sheet has a first cutout and a first thickness, and an ID card of the same shape and slightly less dimensions, and about the same thickness, is disposed within the cutout. The card is held in the cutout by a backing overlapping at least part of the first cutout bottom face with readily releasable adhesive disposed on the top face of the backing overlapping the cutout and engaging the bottom of the card. The backing may be first and second parallel pieces of tape, or it may be second sheet with a second die cut out in substantial alignment with the first cut out but having lesser dimensions.

Abstract: Business forms are sealed by pressure with reduced tenting and pillowing. Each form has a strip of pressure sensitive adhesive of a predetermined width. In an automatic continuous, sequential manner, upper and lower rollers operatively biased together by spring pressure activate the pressure sensitive adhesive to affix one part of the form to another. The force applied by the rollers is applied only to the approximate area of the predetermined width of the adhesive, not over the whole form. Conveyor tapes are associated with the rollers to facilitate conveyance of the forms, and a pressure of about 120 lbs. per lineal inch is applied to the pressure sensitive adhesive. A buckle or insert folder can be used to fold the forms, and they are then fed to a first pressure sealing module. A 90.degree. transfer conveyor conveys the forms from the first pressure sealing module to a second module, and from the second module they are removed by a discharge conveyor.

Abstract: A method of facilitating marking of a document, and reading the markings on the marked document, utilizes conventional magnetic reading equipment. First indicia inviting marking of a first face of a document substrate is imaged on that face, while on the second, opposite face, in alignment with the first indicia, dense magnetic electronic imaging toner spaced elements are imaged. The toner is not heat fused. A second substrate portion is disposed in contact with the second face of the first substrate portion, and by rubbing on the first face (as with a pen or pencil) magnetic toner is transferred to the second substrate. The transferred magnetic toner is then sensed, through the paper forming the substrate, automatically. A business form is constructed typically by C-folding a single sheet of paper, imaged as described, about a fold line disposed between the first and second substrate portions.

Abstract: Continuous forms (e.g. computer paper with individual sheets separated by perforations) of one job are automatically folded and separated from the forms of the next job. Detectable marks are printed within a window onto the first form of one job, or the last of another, in a first mode, or the forms are counted in a second mode. The marks within the window are sensed by an LED sensor, which feeds information to a computer (microprocessor) control. The computer control effects operation of a cutting blade to sever the last form of one job from the first form of the next. The forms are automatically folded in a festooning action by a Bunch folder. Hall effect sensors are mounted for cooperation with notched discs on the same shaft as beaters of the Bunch folder, and function as end of travel limit switches for the folder swing chute, to provide relevant data to the microprocessor for proper operation of the cutting blade.

Abstract: A cardboard carton is constructed that is particularly useful for holding a stack of paper so that individual cut sheets from the stack may be readily removed. The carton bottom has an open top and substantially open ends and closed sides, while the carton top has a Z-fold top panel, and one or more tear strips between adhesive connecting the carton top to the carton bottom and the main part of the carton top. The carton bottom, with its open top facing downwardly, is either moved over a stack of paper, or formed over the stack of paper. Then it is rotated 180.degree. about a horizontal axis (as by pivoting a U-shaped continuous conveyor about a horizontal axis), and conveyed to a station where it is moved with respect to a carton top so that the open bottom of the carton top goes over the carton bottom, and then is glued in place. Two opposite flaps on the carton lid may be glued to the bottom surface of the carton bottom panel to provide a lifting space beneath the carton.

Abstract: A dispenser dispenses linerless labels in a web from a roll. The dispenser includes a housing with a shaft in the housing for receipt of the core of a roll of labels mounting them for rotation about an axis. First and second substantially planar guide surfaces guide movement of the labels away from the shaft in a plane substantially parallel to a plane containing the axis of rotation, and first and second rollers are mounted at the end of the guide surfaces for rotation about axes parallel to the axis of rotation of the roll. Each roller may comprise a stationary rod with a freewheeling tube over the rod. The labels are maintained taut during dispensing to assist the process of one label being stripped from another. The dispenser is used in a method of dispensing linerless quadrate pressure sensitive adhesive labels by pulling the labels between the rollers and alternately breaking them over the first roller, and then the second roller, to strip each label from its trailing label.

Abstract: A machine allows the production of pressure sealed business forms either by a "steam roller" effect for two ply forms, or by using a number of dual roller cassettes spaced from each other along axis of rotation when forms with inserts are handled. The first roller in each cassette, after sealing a portion of the leading edge of the form that it engages, will rock out of the way when engaged by the form at the insert, and then will drop back down and seal the trailing edge. The narrow width rollers of end cassettes will seal the longitudinal edges of the form. The stationary axis rollers that are common to both the "steam roller" and cassette embodiments have a dead-shaft construction, and are driven by a motor. Side frame plates mount all of the components, except the motor, within a housing, on rails, so that they can be easily moved out of the housing for changeover from one roller system to the other.

Abstract: Linerless labels are manually dispensed by mounting a roll of the labels for take-off from a stationary shaft. A polygon-cross-section foam core is provided between the shaft and the label roll to provide a brake drag effect to prevent excess label unwind. The non-adhesive face of the labels passes from the roll around a freely rotating guide roller with a non-stick surface which ensures consistent wrap of the labels and no scuffing of the non-adhesive face as the labels are dispensed. The labels pass from the guide roller to a tear surface having a first smooth, coarse, ribbed or grooved pattern metal portion which has low adhesion to the adhesive of the labels, but will stick to the labels sufficiently to provide an anchoring force to a label greater than the force necessary to tear along a perforation of the label, and a second non-stick surface portion.