Abstract: A ring binder is disclosed as being adapted to be secured to a cover by at least one rivet, the ring binder comprising a substantially rigid curved upper plate supporting a pair of pivotable elongate plates to which a plurality of ring members are mounted, and the rivet is engageable directly with the cover and the curved upper plate, and the rivet includes a cylindrical body with an inwardly bent upper end.

Abstract: An assembly for mailing an article requiring special services and a method for mailing same are provided. The assembly includes a single sheet constructed in such a way that one portion of the sheet provides a label and the other portion provides a return postcard or other special service form for attachment to an envelope in its assembled position. The sheet includes a backing to which the portions are attached. The backing may include a section that is cut out to expose one or more of the portions. The return postcard is integrally formed, but removably attached, such that the return postcard remains attached to the envelope until received by the addressee, at which time the return postcard may be removed.

Abstract: An apparatus for solid state shear extrusion pulverization of a polymeric material comprising an elongated hollow barrel having a feed zone, a heating zone adjacent to the feed zone, a powder formation zone adjacent to the heating zone, and a powder discharge zone adjacent to the powder formation zone. At least one screw is housed within the elongated hollow barrel. A hopper is provided for feeding the polymeric material into the feed zone of the elongated hollow barrel. Barrel heaters and coolers are provided for heating the polymeric material to a temperature less than its decomposition temperature in the heating zone and for maintaining the polymeric material below its melting point in the powder formation zone. The screw comprises a high shear screw section for applying normal and shear forces within the powder formation zone to form a powder of the solid state polymeric material.

Abstract: A page turning device is provided that can be mounted on the end of a cylindrical writing instrument, such as a pencil. The page turning device has a substantially spherical body which has a plurality of deformable protuberances spaced about the outer surface of the body. The protuberances have an adhesive quality sufficient to grip a page of paper and are sized and spaced so that the body of the page turning device is prevented from contacting the page of paper to be turned. The page turning device has a hollow base connected to the outer surface of the body so that the page turning device can be mounted on the end of a cylindrical writing instrument.

Abstract: A bookbinding apparatus includes pasting means for pasting a bookbinding spine cover sheet on a sheet set; printing means for printing an image on the bookbinding spine sheet; and inputting means for inputting data to be used for printing the image by the printing means; wherein when the data are inputted through the inputting means, the sizes of the image to be printed on the bookbinding spine cover sheet by the printing means can be optionally selected.

Abstract: A secure transaction card (C) accepted for transactions by a customer has usable customer identifying information (I). The card (C) has a card body (16) with an upper surface (18). The upper surface (18) has an indicator area (20) indicating that the secure transaction card (C) should not be accepted for a transaction by the customer. A layer (22) removable from the card body (16) is adapted to be superimposed over the indicator area (20) such that the secured transaction card (C) is in an acceptable state (24) when the removable layer (22) covers the indicator area (20) and in an unacceptable state (26) when the removable layer (22) is absent or damaged.

Abstract: Several techniques to acquire a counterfeit proof security document. The invention includes improvements for use with non-replicable image line frequency techniques, as well as stand-along printing techniques, that exhibit electro-optical copy and photographic copy frustration characteristics such as experiences with use of color-graduated (tonally graded) substrates, blooming or flaring print patterns, pixel differentiation of discrete indicia and combinations of these with certain printing ink (or) varnish under/overcoat.

Abstract: A device and a process for delumping pasty masses in waste materials from paper manufacture. The delumping means employs at least one rotating cylindrical drum having a plurality of flexible fingers mounted on the drum. Pasty masses are supplied to the delumper preferably by a chute mounted to the top of the delumper, and are struck by the flexible fingers of the rotating drum. Annular recesses are formed at the base of the flexible fingers which mates with a plurality of bores in the drum housings. Preferably, the fingers are rubber.

Abstract: A group of measured fields (as well as a process for providing them and using them) is provided for determining color data of a printed product, especially for collecting quality data in the rotary offset printing of single editions, with a plurality of measured fields, which are printed on a printed product to be checked or on a primary print in such a way that they can be optically scanned, the group of measured fields includes a superprinted, at their nominal degrees of surface coverage (F.sub.c1, F.sub.m1, F.sub.y1), first combination measured field (1), including the fundamental colors, especially the three colors cyan, magenta and yellow, and printed additional single-color half-tone fields, in the fundamental colors, wherein the single-color half-tone fields have, in their corresponding fundamental color, a degree of surface coverage F.sub.c1, F.sub.m1, F.sub.y1 that corresponds to that of the same color in the first combination measured field (1).

Abstract: A labeling system and kit therefor that includes a writing surface for dry-erase markers wherein the writing surface has a transparent protective covering to prevent inadvertent erasure of indicia applied thereto using such a dry-erase marker and wherein the protective covering may be lifted to erase or apply indicia to the writing surface. Alternative embodiments include self-adhesive labels and magnetic labels as well as a kit that includes an erasing tool and/or dry-erase marker. The self-adhesive labels find their use in labeling packages containing reusable magnetic media such as video tape cassettes and computer floppy disks, folders and stationery, storage shelves and bins, and the like. The magnetic labels might find application as labels on metal shelves, bins, equipment and the like.

Abstract: An identification system involves the labeling then tracking of grouped items such as logs, shipping containers, or packets of mail and reporting the current location of identified items during transport, processing, and storage. Machine-readable labels are provided, adapted for recognition and reading from within a cluttered scene. These labels have bordering indicia--used for locating purposes--distinguishable from inner informative indicia. Bordering indicia include either a series of small substantially similar marks like filled or hollow ovals, or one circle, or part of a circle, or a sequence of locating symbols or characters. Informative indicia include dots, bars, rings, or regional text characters. Multiple coding methods and spatial (e.g. Latin Square) replication of indicia are used to minimize errors.

Abstract: A clipboard for retaining a writing instrument and loose papers. The inventive device includes a planar member with a clip member pivotally mounted thereto by a spring-loaded hinge. An engaging aperture is formed in the clip member for partially surrounding and capturing a writing instrument between the clip member and the planar member.

Abstract: A book having concertina folded sheets which are detachably connected to one another. The opposed edges of the sheets are connected by removable fasteners or an adhesive permitting the adjacent sheets to be readily separated.

Abstract: A collapsible and portable page holder device for holding the pages of a book, including a back support member for supporting a book thereon having a hinge about which two equally sized sections are foldable, a channel opening formed in each of the back support sections of the back support member, and an adjustable holding clip having upper and lower clip members mounted within the channel opening in each of the back support sections. The adjustable holding clip has means for biasing the clips to a closed gripping position for gripping and holding the pages of a book. Each adjustable holding clip has a guide member having a guide shaft attached to each of the lower clip members for slidably moving each holding clip within each of the channel openings and relative to the back support member to adjust the spacing of the holding clips for receiving different size books.

Abstract: An envelope includes a transparent sleeve for holding an overhead projector transparency. The envelope further includes at least one transparent flap which is hingedly connected to the sleeve along a long edge thereof. The flap defines a pocket, and a transparent supplemental information sheet or an opaque blocking sheet is inserted into the pocket of the flap for selectively juxtaposing the sheet with the transparency, thereby altering the display.

Abstract: An anti-pilferage ring display system consists of a tag assembly which is attached to the shank of the ring and a display assembly for receiving the rings with the attached tag assemblies. The tag assembly includes an elongated, rigid card and a flexible, tear resistant strap for securing the card to the ring shank. A first end of the card includes an arcuate seat for receiving the ring shank in abutting relation. The strap is received through the shank of the ring wherein the first and second ends of the strap are secured to opposing surfaces of the card by means of pressure sensitive adhesive applied to the surfaces of the strap. The display assembly includes a pad having a plurality of slots for receiving the ring shanks and further includes a stand for supporting the slotted pad above a supporting surface. In use, the elongated card is passed through the slot so that the shank is received in the slot in a conventional manner.

Abstract: This binder (10) includes a front cover (12), a rear cover (14) and a spine (16) and is provided with a transparent label holder (50) which extends across the spine (16) and is attached to at least one of the covers (12,14). The label holder (50) provides an open upper margin (52) and is attached at the side margins (60, 62) and at least partially attached at the lower margin (54) to retain the label (100) which thereby has an increased area for label information.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fastener for the resilent fillets or strips which are used to hold fast various kinds of papers in a folder or file. The fastener (10) has the shape of a bar (12) of plastics or sheet metal, at each end provided with a first notch (14) in one side of the bar and, closer to the end of the bar, a second notch (18) narrower than the first notch (14) and extending from the opposite side of the bar to form a cantilevered end portion or first tongue (15) substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bar, whereas a longitudinal groove (22) extends from the inner end of said second notch (18) in a direction away from the end of the bar, to form a second cantilevered tongue (25). The strips (20) are inserted into the first notches (14), bent down and clamped between the tongues (15 and 25) at the ends of the bar (12) by being pushed underneath the first tongues (15) and above the second tongues (25).

Abstract: Optical machine readable code symbols for marking objects, preferably recyclable plastic bottles, are so constructed that they possess an axis of symmetry. The code symbols can additionally be rotated by predetermined angles from a basic configuration in order to be able to represent a plurality of information pieces. The symmetric code symbols are easily recognized and evaluated under difficult conditions such as exist, for example, in a bottle filling operation.

Abstract: A method for verifying the authenticity of a sales record, including the steps of: 1) providing a printer ribbon with an ink applied thereto, said ink having a first color and being capable of changing to a second color when acted upon by a reagent; 2) utilizing said printer ribbon to print sales records at the point of sale; and 3) verifying the authenticity of said sales records by exposing said sales records to a reagent capable of causing said ink to change to a second color identifiably distinct from said first color to identify as unauthentic any printing on said sales record not accomplished by said ink. Optionally, the ink used may be oil-based.