Abstract: Today, options are mainly used for speculation and hedging against losses in investment portfolios. There is limited use of options in the general economy because options which can only be exercised once are impractical for fulfilling everyday purchases of products, commodities, and/or services. Another reason options aren't used in the general economy, is that they are not fulfilled at the point of purchase. Currently, options are mainly fulfilled by the Options Clearing Corporation. The call options described herein are for use in the general economy by permitting exercise and/or fulfillment one or more times, at point-of-sale systems, e-commerce sites, seller's selling software, and/or by government software. Call options described herein may be used to control costs and/or taxes for a specified period. Because these call options can be exercised more than once, they can be divided and/or shared among participants in a co-op call option offering.

Abstract: An improved high speed in-line inserting method and apparatus which allows a modular construction and greater simplicity due to reliance on mechanical supporting and gripping procedures. Folded newspapers or other signatures are carried rectilinearly along an endless belt and supported within a pivotable frame and affixed frame. The pivotable frame and the fixed frame are provided on their distal ends with mechanical cam actuated gripping means to positively open a newspaper which includes a folded lap on its top half so that an insert may be impelled into a forwarded and upwardly opening pocket. The thusly formed composite newspaper is then advantageously discharged onto a self shingling endless belt below the first endless carrier belt. Inserts for impelling into the signature or folded newspaper are advantageously disclosed to be fed from a feeder hopper which includes a vibrating end plate and a bottommost feed through a suction pick-up and nipper rolling procedure.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for high speed in-line paper inserting, primarily for insertion of supplements and the like into newspapers, wherein newspaper jackets and inserts are advanced and manipulated in a straight line motion. The system includes means for rectilinearly conveying a folded newspaper jacket and placement thereof in a pocket, where the jacket is opened by an edge gripping mechanism, and an insert is impelled into the so opened jacket at a higher speed than that of the advancing jacket, the jacket then being released by the gripping mechanism to close with the insert therein, and the assembled newspaper, including insert, is then removed from the jacket for further conveying and processing. The insert pick-up station being of an improved advanced design to so improve pick-up and advancement of the insert.