Abstract: A check protector comprises a print head operating under microprocessor control to print on a medium two separate patterns of characters, each indicating the same amount, preselected by means of a keyboard, and for printing immediately before one of the patterns an intelligible message indicating that the predetermined amount is a maximum amount, thereby to produce a secure financial instrument which is difficult to alter or forge for the purpose of increasing the amount.

Abstract: The check protector comprises a print head with a plurality of parallel pins in a vertical line perpendicular to the direction of movement of the head. The ribbon in the check protector has at least two bands, one band being associated with half the print wires and the other band being associated with the rest of the print wires. In this manner, the amount on a check is imprinted in alternating bands of color to make alteration difficult.

Abstract: A document feeding apparatus sequentially feeding documents, including an automatic feeder for removing one document at a time from a stack and for delivering each document to a feed path. An endless conveyor moves each document along the path towards a document aligning gate means that temporarily interrupts the movement of the documents to effect desired alignment thereof. The automatic feeder and the document aligning gate are automatically controlled so that the documents are selectively removed from the stack as a function of the preceding document moving along the path. A pair of printing heads are positioned along the path and are respectively actuated in response to movement of the documents so that the documents can be printed at accurately positioned locations on a surface thereof.