Abstract: A high solids content, aqueous, color developer-containing printing inks having as it main ingredients water, a non-volatile diluent and an acidic color developer such as zinc salicylate or a phenolic resin. The high CF printing ink preferably has a 50-70% by weight solids content and may be used as a low-coat-weight CF coating for preparing carbonless copy paper by coating the high solids CF printing ink on a support sheet at a coat weight of less than 3 gm/m.sup.2.

Abstract: An international financial instrument has a multi-letter international monetary code printed on the face thereof in a first area and an amount printed on the face thereof in a second area. The letters making up the monetary code are printed in a negative pattern and formed by a series of rows of printed dots which define the outlines for the letters. The name of the currency denomination corresponding to the multi-letter international monetary code may be printed in at least one line overlapping the multi-letter international monetary code. Each of the letters may be printed in a negative pattern that includes an open area in which a smaller version of the letter is printed in a positive pattern.

Abstract: An initially colorless, chemically sensitive protective ink which can be readily printed or applied onto a document substrate and which reacts upon contact with an oxidizing agent to form a noticeable color change is provided. The protective ink, when printed onto a document, resists leaching by water for an extended period of time, both before and after contact with oxidizing agents, and provides visible evidence of any attempted tampering. The leach-resistant ink includes a colorless material which becomes colored upon contact with an oxidizing agent and a complexing agent which reacts to form a complex with the colorless material. A fixing agent which promotes insolubilization and fixing of the complex to the document substrate is also provided.

Abstract: A coated cellulosic web product and coating composition which provides enhanced toner adhesion for documents printed using noncontact printing devices such as laser printers is provided. The toner adhesion enhancing coated cellulosic product includes a cellulosic web having first and second major surfaces with at least one of the major surfaces having coated thereon a polymeric toner adhesion-enhancing composition comprising a generally transparent copolymer of styrene and acrylic acid having a glass transition temperature of between about -16 and 22 degrees C and from about 1 to about 5% by weight zinc as a cross-linking agent for said copolymer. The web may be either continuous or in sheet form. The toner adhesion-enhancing composition may also optionally include a coloring agent and a plasticizing agent.

Abstract: A postal card or mailer construction comprising a cover sheet adhered to a base sheet is provided which is simple to manufacture and print by automated systems and which is capable of providing hidden confidential information to an addressee. Upon receipt, the addressee can readily peel back the cover sheet and read the confidential information. Through the use of a releasable adhesive, once delaminated, all surfaces of the postal card construction have nontacky surfaces, permitting easy handling and storage by the recipient. The construction includes a base sheet, a cover sheet overlying the base sheet, and a releasable adhesive securing a first surface of the cover sheet to a first surface of the base sheet such that the cover sheet and base sheet are readily separable. The releasable adhesive contains therein a first color former composition which, when exposed to a second color developer composition, forms a distinctive color.

Abstract: In a quantity of label-price tag composite forms, each composite form includes two shipping labels and a plurality of price tags associated with each of the shipping labels. The form includes a pair of shipping labels, each shipping label having a top edge, a bottom edge, and a pair of side edges. Each shipping label has one side edge abutting the other shipping label. Each of a pair of price tag sheets has a top edge, a bottom edge, and a pair of side edges. Each price tag sheet is secured at its top edge to the bottom edge of an associated shipping label. The width of each price sheet is less than the width of the shipping label associated therewith. A strip of discard material bridges the space between adjacent side edges of the pair of price tag sheets. The pair of price tag sheets are spaced apart such that the non-adjacent side edges thereof are inwardly of the non-abutting side edges of the pair of shipping labels.

Abstract: A confidential information bearing article comprising a cover sheet adhered to a base sheet is provided which is capable of providing hidden confidential information to a recipient. Through the use of camouflage, obscuring, and opacifying and reflectivity increasing coatings, the paper used for the mailer becomes effectively opaque, and information printed on the inside of the article is substantially unreadable from the outside. The article includes an adhesive for securing the base sheet and cover sheet and perforations along the edges to assist the recipient in opening the article.

Abstract: Microencapsulated load bearers to prevent the premature rupture of dye precursor-containing microcapsules are formed concurrently in the same microencapsulation process in which oil/dye precursor-containing microcapsules are formed by emulsifying an oily mixture, containing therein a dye-precursor solution and non-rupturable core particles, as droplets into an aqueous solution. The core particle and oil/dye precursor droplets are then microencapsulated to form a binary microcapsule mixture consisting of microencapsulated load bearers and oil/dye precursor-containing microcapsules, respectively. This binary microcapsule mixture in an appropriate solvent vehicle may be used as a coating for the preparation of carbonless copy paper.

Abstract: A high solids content, aqueous, microcapsule-containing printing ink is prepared by forming microcapsules in situ in a printing ink vehicle. The microcapsules are preferably prepared by interfacial polymerization or interfacial crosslinking between a reactant, such as a polyisocyanate dissolved in an oily solution and a coreactant such as a polysalt of casein and diethylene triamine present in an aqueous solution into which the oily solution is dispensed. The aqueous solution contains water and a non-volatile diluent such as a non-reducing sugar, for example methyl glucoside. The printing ink preferably has a 60-70% by weight solids content and may be used as a low-coat-weight CB coating for preparing carbonless copy paper.

Abstract: The present invention provides a laminate construction including a backing sheet, which may be in the form of a continuous web, and a face sheet covering at least a portion of the backing sheet. A releasable adhesive secures a first or lower surface of the face sheet to a first or upper surface of the backing sheet such that the face sheet and backing sheet are readily separable. The releasable adhesive contains therein a first composition which, when subjected to an imaging force, forms a latent image on both of the first surfaces of the face and backing sheets. This latent image may be developed at a later time by contacting the image with a second composition which, when exposed to the first composition, forms a visible image. In the laminate, the face sheet may be imprinted with legible and/or covert information. The covert information may be duplicated on the underside of the face sheet or on one or more intermediate sheets as well as a backing sheet.

Abstract: A high solids content, aqueous, microcapsule-containing printing ink is prepared by forming microcapsules in situ in a printing ink vehicle. The microcapsules are preferably prepared by interfacial polymerization or interfacial crosslinking between a reactant, such as a polyisocyanate dissolved in an oily solution and a coreactant such as a polysalt of casein and diethylene triamine present in an aqueous solution into which the oily solution is dispensed. The aqueous solution contains water and a non-volatile diluent such as a non-reducing sugar, for example methyl glucoside. The printing ink preferably has a 60-70% by weight solids content and may be used as a low-coat-weight CB coating for preparing carbonless copy paper.

Abstract: Microcapsules having hard, thick walls are formed by dispersing an oily solution containing a crosslinking agent in an aqueous solution, and forming a polysalt in the aqueous solution, the polysalt including a high molecular weight polyanion and a low molecular weight polycationic polyamine having a functionality of at least three. The polyanion is preferably casein. The microcapsules may be used in a CB ink for preparing carbonless copy paper.

Abstract: A high solids content, aqueous, microcapsule-containing printing ink is prepared by forming microcapsules in situ in a printing ink vehicle. The microcapsules are preferably prepared by interfacial polymerization or interfacial crosslinking between a reactant, such as a polyisocyanate dissolved in an oily solution and a coreactant such as a polysalt of casein and diethylene triamine present in an aqueous solution into which the oily solution is dispensed. The aqueous solution contains water and a non-volatile diluent such as a non-reducing sugar, for example methyl glucoside. The printing ink preferably has a 60-70% by weight solids content and may be used as a low-coat-weight CB coating for preparing carbonless copy paper.

Abstract: A shippable quantity of sheet products includes a shipping pallet, a bottom cap member, positioned on the pallet, and a plurality of supplies of the sheet products stacked in one or more layers on the bottom cap member. Each of the plurality of supplies of the sheet products including a stack of the sheet products, a stack cover, having a top and four sides, with the stack cover positioned on top of the stack of sheet products, and a stack tray, having a bottom and four sides. The stack tray, receiving the stack of sheet products, has a pair of generally vertical perforation lines on each of two opposing ones of its four sides. Each pair of the generally vertical perforation lines defines an access tab therebetween which may be at least partially separated from the side of the tray by tearing along the perforation lines. This exposes the side of the stack of sheet products in the tray. A shim in the bottom of the tray supports the stack of sheet products.

Abstract: A laminate construction is provided which includes a backing sheet, a face sheet covering at least a portion of the backing sheet, and a releasable adhesive securing the face sheet to the backing sheet. The construction also includes first and second compositions which, when combined, form a distinctive color. The compositions are so arranged in the construction so that the application of an imaging force to the face sheet causes the compositions to combine and produce a color in the area beneath the imaging force. The face sheet can be peeled away to provide a nontacky label or the like, while a duplicate copy of the information printed onto the face sheet remains on the backing sheet. The construction may also include one or more intermediate plied which provide additional copies of the information.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved serial impact printer which both prints and serrates a document. The printer includes a print wheel which is rotated to position a selected character in front of an anvil. The print wheel includes a wheel-like circular member having print characters at the end of fingers which extend from the top of the print wheel's perimeter. An impact mechanism pressures the selected print character against the anvil, the document being positioned between the selected print character and impact mechanism. The impact mechanism includes a d.c. motor which turns a threaded shaft which is engaged with a threaded hole in the end of a hammer. Counterclockwise motion of the d.c. motor advances the hammer's head to pressure the back of the print character against the anvil, thereby printing and serrating the document with the selected character. Thereafter, clockwise motion of the d.c. motor restores the impact mechanism to its original position.

Abstract: A financial instrument has an amount printed on its face in which the digits making up the amount are printed in a negative pattern. The digits are formed by a series of rows of printed dots which define the outlines of the digits. To make alteration of the amount more difficult, each of the digits includes a boundary portion formed by a single row of dots which makes up a portion of the outline of each of the adjoining digits.

Abstract: Microcapsules having hard, thick walls are formed by dispersing an oily solution containing a crosslinking agent in an aqueous solution, and forming a polysalt in the aqueous solution, the polysalt including a high molecular weight polyanion and a polycationic polyamine having a functionality of at least three. The polyanion is preferably casein. If the surface of the microcapsules formed in the aqueous solution is lipophilized, the microcapsules easily separate from the solution by filtration. By use of a suitable wetting agent, the filter cake can be used in place of the pigment in any conventional printing ink. The microcapsules may be used in carbonless copy paper technology.

Abstract: A guard is used to close the gap between the print ribbon and a check supported by the platen in a check writing machine. The guard inhibits paper or metal shims from entering the gap to receive the check amount and payee data thereby protecting the printer from issuing blank checks which could later be filled out to create a counterfeit document.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for protecting a document against unauthorized alteration comprising providing, on localized areas of a substrate, a self-contained chemical system which can produce an authorized visible message when subjected to impact pressure, and the same chemical system produces an unauthorized warning indication when any attempt is made to mechanically alter the authorized visible message.