Abstract: An impact hammer assembly for a high speed printer includes first and second permanent magnets having opposite poles disposed adjacent to each other and having a gap therebetween. The magnets create flux lines extending across the gap. A print hammer includes a hammer beam and a hammer head. The print hammer is movable between a rest position and a print position. The hammer beam is disposed in the gap between the first and second magnets. A coil is disposed on the hammer beam and perpendicular to the magnetic flux lines. Circuitry generates a current in the coil and controls the direction of current flow in the coil, such that when current flows in the coil in a first direction, the print hammer moves towards the print position and when current flows in the coil in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, the print hammer moves towards the rest position.

Abstract: A method and read head for reading MICR characters using magnetoresistive technology. First and second magnetoresistive sensors are printed on a substrate which is supported on a base. The first and second magnetoresistive sensors have a width W and a gap G therebetween, with W and G bearing a relationship to a font of MICR characters to be read. The first and second magnetoresistive sensors are coupled to a full bridge circuit to provide adequate sensitivity to read the MICR characters by the magnetoresistive technology.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recognizing MICR characters having positive peak values, negative peak values, and substantially zero values occurring at predetermined clock positions along the associated waveform. A first count derived from the speed of the MICR characters moving past the associated reader is used for deriving nominal clock pulses for clocking the peak and zero values into storage registers associated with the apparatus. The occurrences of positive and negative peak values are used to adjust the first count depending upon whether the MICR characters are moving faster or slower than a nominal rate, with the adjustment being used to provide an adjusted count which is used for determining subsequent clock pulses.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in reading magnetic waveforms, like E13B, which are printed on a carrier like financial documents or checks. The waveforms include positive and negative peak values and substantially zero values occurring at predetermined times for a predetermined character. A shaft encoder is used to develop a nominal count which is correlated to the velocity of the carrier. Teh nominal count is used to generate a timing clock which is used to clock the positive and negative peak values and substantially zero values into registers for subsequent character recognition. The occurrence of the timing clock is adjusted by utilizing the occurrence of a positive or negative peak itself.

Abstract: Ribbon feed control apparatus includes a rotatable supply roll on which a supply of ribbon to be dispensed is placed, a rotatable take-up roll on which the ribbon is collected after being used in printing, a mechanism for driving the take-up roll in one direction for pulling the ribbon from the supply roll, a device for determining the amount of ribbon required for a printing operation, a device for measuring the amount of ribbon used in such an operation, a device for comparing the amount of ribbon required with that actually used, and for terminating operation of the take-up roll driving mechanism when the amount required and the amount used are equal, tension sensing mechanism for determining when the ribbon becomes slack while it is being driven between the supply roll and the take-up roll, driving mechanism controlled by the tension sensing mechanism for driving the supply roll in a direction opposite to the direction in which the take-up roll is driven in order to take up the slack in the ribbon, and de

Abstract: An impact-type, printing apparatus which is readily adjusted to enable the impact face of the associated print hammer to be precisely located with reference to the plane of a character (or a typewheel) to be printed to enable printing in special fonts like E13-B. First and second eccentric members and a separate moveable member are used to provide the adjustments necessary for the precise location of the impact face.

Abstract: Feed control apparatus includes a rotatable supply roll on which a supply of sheet or ribbon to be dispensed may be placed, a brake for applying variable braking force to said supply roll to prevent overrunning of the sheet or ribbon from the roll due to inertial effects, a cam for controlling the brake to provide maximum braking force when the supply of sheet or ribbon on the roll is a maximum and for reducing the braking force as the supply of sheet or ribbon on the roll is reduced, cam operating mechanism driven by the rotation of the supply roll to move the cam incrementally for each revolution of the supply roll, and a reset mechanism for resetting the cam back to its initial position following each feeding operation.

Abstract: A circuit for controlling the firing of a print hammer so as to maintain constant intercharacter spacing during printing. The speed of a motor which moves a document in printing relationship with a printer is used to ascertain the instantaneous velocity of the document just prior to the firing of a hammer associated with the printer. An up/down counter is used in determining the delay, if any, in firing the hammer to compensate for instantaneous velocities which are slower than the fastest velocity of document travel expected.

Abstract: A trinary bar code and a device for reading and decoding said bar code are described. A predetermined number of bar code elements on a substrate makes up each character of data. Each bar code element is selected from a group comprising a first element in the form of a bar having a first length, a different sensibility than the substrate, and a given width; a second element in the form of a bar having a different length than said first element, a different sensibility than said substrate, and a width substantially the same as said given width; and a third element in the form of a space having a width substantially the same as said given width and having the sensible characteristic of said background.

Abstract: A plurality of vertically aligned sensing members scan a matrix type bar code on a document. During the scanning of the bar code, the time period between the detection of succeeding bars is determined. An average time period which occurs during the detection of a number of bars is then generated. Each succeeding time period generated as a result of detecting the next bar is divided by the average time period to determine the presence or absence of the bar in addition to the number of spaces preceding the detected bar. This information is used in decoding the bar code label.

Abstract: An impact hammer assembly, suitable for high speed MICR printing, is disclosed. The impact hammer assembly comprises an impact hammer having first and second flanged portions respectively positioned at first and second ends along a first longitudinal surface of the impact hammer and a hammer face positioned at the second end of the hammer on a second longitudinal surface opposite from the first longitudinal surface. The hammer is pivotally mounted at a pivot between the first and second flanged portions for movement between a rest position and a print position. A first electromagnetic coil positioned adjacent to the first flanged portion is energized by a first pulse from a control circuit to impel the hammer face toward the print position. A second electromagnetic coil positioned adjacent to the second flanged portion is energized by a second pulse from the control circuit to cause a fast return of the hammer to the rest position.

Abstract: There is disclosed a bar code processing system in which a plurality of vertically aligned sensing devices are positioned adjacent a moving document on which is located a plurality of dot matrix printed coded bars. Each of the sensing devices is positioned so as to sense one of the matrix dots which form the coded bar and output an analog signal whose signal level varies directly in accordance with the ink intensity of the sensed dot. Signals are then amplified, filtered and converted to digital signals which are then examined. If a predetermined number of dots in the bar have been sensed and of the dots sense, no more than two dots are found to be separated by more than one blank space where a dot would normally be located, a signal is generated indicating that a valid bar has been sensed. These signals are then used in decoding the bars sensed.

Abstract: A system for detecting the presence of more than one document along a path during the processing of the documents. A capacitance is introduced by the plural documents in contact with each other and wherein a delay signal is combined with an original signal to generate a multiple document detect signal for indicating the presence of the multiple documents.