Abstract: A game board for providing entertainment has playing areas in the form of recesses 14 that receive uniquely formed tokens or playing pieces 20. The recesses may have an upwardly facing flat surface 16 located below the board upper surface 12 at a depth that allows the token upper surface 24 to be flush with the game board upper surface 12. For removal from a recess 14, the token 20 is tilted by finger pressure on the peripheral edge of the token followed by grasping. After being moved to an appropriate adjacent recess, the token is dropped in a recess whereby the token assumes a position where its upper surface is flush with the game board upper surface 12. An electronic timer 40 and switch 38 are provided to limit the time allowed for making the physical moves with the tokens, thereby testing the dexterity of the players.

Abstract: Medicine containers are provided with a sound capsule which aids those who are visually impaired to receive instructional information concerning the medicine. The medicine vial or pill bottle is fitted with a housing containing a chip (EEPROM) which is encoded with identifying information by the pharmacist after the bottle is filled. At home the patient has a playback unit with a loud speaker into which the chip housing which serves as a sound conveyor, is placed. Synthetic voice instruction based on the information recorded on the chip is supplied to the loud speaker to assist the reading impaired person.

Abstract: An imprinter apparatus selectively raises and lowers a print roll (100 or 102) over a print bed (12) for receiving a station plate and conventional credit card to produce a receipt for a credit transaction. The print rolls are freely suspended from a cross member (60) of the carriage (14) for independent pendulous movement that is restricted in one direction to provide pressure for printing and less restricted in the return direction to avoid ghosting. The trolley for the carriage includes a nylon slipper (130) which has on one surface axles for wheels (50-52) that run on the lower side of the print bed (12) and a slider (144) on the upper print bed side; on the other side of slipper (130), pins (140, 142) are provided that protrude through the steel carriage wall (62 or 64) for preventing relative movement between the trolley and the carriage (12). The various parts are designed to fit together with a minimum of secondary operations to reduce manufacturing costs.

Abstract: An imprinter apparatus which utilizes a print roller traveling within a carraige over a base plate is provided with a rolling assembly which engages channels in the base plate to minimize play between the carriage and the base plate. The rolling assembly includes a first set of rollers which are laterally constrained within the carriage, a second set of rollers which are free to move laterally, and means for retaining the rollers in the channels. The imprinter apparatus is further provided with means for selectively lifting and lowering the print roller at the end and beginning of the print stroke. The lifting and lowering means includes inclined planar regions on a plastic molded print roller axle and cam means for laterally sliding the location of support of the axle along the inclined planar surface to selectively lift and lower the print roller.

Abstract: A replaceable ink cartridge provides a means for replacing an ink roller on an imprinting device without soiling ones hands or clothes. The replaceable ink cartridge includes an ink roller which is received within and contained by a molded containment member prior to its insertion on an imprinting device. In addition, an imprinting device utilizing the replaceable ink cartridge and a method for replacing a replaceable ink cartridge without soiling ones hands or clothing are also provided.

Abstract: For periodic billing of merchandise, utilities, services or the like, the billing organization prepares and sends to the customer a unique bill (10) which has diecuts (18) and (20) located to position a personal check of conventional size on the bill in a position so that the dollar amounts on the bill and on the check are in juxtaposition. A preaddressed envelope of the same size as the bill is prepared with a window at the return address position so located that the address identification information on the check appears in the envelope window and is used as the return address.

Abstract: A specially designed envelope and a companion envelope opening mechanism are disclosed which operate in combination such that the envelope is automatically opened in a single motion to expose the contents of the envelope for high speed machine or manual extraction. The envelope includes longitudinally disposed slits which run from a rear side fold line to points disposed along the length of the envelope along top and bottom fold lines. Disposed on the front wall of the envelope perpendicularly to the fold line slits are connecting members, a plurality of addtional slits and a plurality of apertures. The plurality of apertures are disposed betweeen the additional slits. The apertures provide openings into which extracting "fingers" of the automatic opener enter the envelpe during the envelope opening process to free a flap in the return address portion of the envelope to thereby expose the envelope contents.

Abstract: A specially designed envelope and a companion envelope opening mechanism are disclosed which operate in combination such that the envelope is automatically opened in a single motion to expose the contents of the envelope for high speed machine or manual extraction. The envelope includes longitudinally disposed slits which run from a rear side fold line to points disposed along the length of the envelope along top and bottom fold lines. Disposed on the front wall of the envelope perpendicularly to the fold line slits are connecting members, a plurality of additional slits and a plurality of apertures. The plurality of apertures are disposed between the additional slits. The apertures provide openings into which extracting "fingers" of the automatic envelope opener enter the envelope during the envelope opening process to free a flap in the return address portion of the envelope to thereby expose the envelope contents.

Abstract: A whisk structure includes an elongated handle and having a counterbore defined by an internal wall surface formed at a first radius and a plurality of first-diameter bores located along a second radius, the second radius exceeding the first radius by a dimension no larger than the radius of the first-diameter bores. The end portions of the whisking loops are each received within respective first-diameter bores with a securing disc received with the counterbore to forcibly retain the whisking loop end portions in their respective bores and a fastener means for maintaining the securing disc in the counterbore. One or more whisking loops may be removed by removing the circular retainer and removing one or more the whisk loops.

Abstract: A data recorder is provided comprising an anvil for supporting an embossed card and a form to be imprinted, a print head supported on a pivot means for movement between an open position and a closed position, and a roller platen movable across the anvil to perform a printing stroke. The anvil is mounted on a resilient pad and the pivot means is mounted in resilient bushing. In response to printing pressure applied by the roller platen in its movement through a printing stroke, the resilient mountings allow for movement of the anvil and the roller platen to adjust the pressure and compensate for the combined variations in the thicknesses of the form and the embossed card.

Abstract: An electrically operated data recorder of generally upstanding configuration, bias hinged near the bottom, a gate or side section permitting swinging movement of the hinged section between an open and a closed position. The hinged section serves as a bed of the machine against which a roller platen is designed to act during imprinting of a form from an embossed credit card placed on the bed. The gate is manually moved to the closed position and latched, which energizes an electric motor, setting the roller platen in motion to effect an imprinting operation. When the roller platen reaches the end of the printing stroke, the gate opens, the motor shuts off and is disconnected from driving attachment with the platen moving means. The released roller platen and its moving means are rapidly returned to home position by a spring, and the driving attachment is then reestablished to ready the device for a subsequent operation.

Abstract: A data recorder for imprinting credit card data on to paper sales forms for credit card transactions. The recorder includes a printing bed and a platen mounted for movement across the bed, whereby, when the card and form are in position on the bed, a roller on the platen moves over indicia on the card so transferring the data to the form. A lever is pivotally mounted and has two fingers projecting through apertures in the bed. When a card is correctly positioned the lever is pivoted so that the fingers are retracted whereby a form can be correctly positioned without disturbance upon movement of the platen. When the card is not correctly positioned, the lever is biased so that the fingers stand proud of the bed whereby movement of the platen displaces the form.

Abstract: A varible data imprinting machine having an elongated flat printing bed section providing a document supporting surface and having a print wheel pack formed of closely adjacent peripherally notched print wheels, an imprinting carriage moveable through advance and return strokes longitudinally along the document support surface and an elongated rack section perpendicular to the printing bed section subadjacent the wheel pack having a number-indicating rack control panel projecting therefrom and including a plurality of toothed racks coarse manually adjusted longitudinally in the rack case to rotatably index the print wheels to number-printing positions. The rack case includes a pivoted centering blade activated by carriage movement to fine adjust the racks as the carriage leaves parked position and interlock means provided to latch the carriage at parked position following an imprinting cycle until one of the racks is readjusted.

Abstract: A variable data imprinting machine having an elongated flat printing bed section providing a document supporting surface and having a print wheel pack formed of closely adjacent peripherally notched print wheels, an imprinting carriage movable through advance and return strokes longitudinally along the document support surface and an elongated rack case section perpendicular to the printing bed section subjacent the wheel pack having a number-bearing rack control panel projecting therefrom and including a plurality of flexible band-like toothed racks coarse manually adjusted longitudinally in the rack case to rotatably index the print wheels to number-printing positions. The rack case includes serpentine elongated guide slot trackways sized to receive and guide the toothed racks for their longitudinal wheel-indexing movement.

Abstract: Disclosed is an anchor bolt and anchor fastener combination, a plug for filling the hole left by removal of the anchor bolt from the anchor fastener and for facilitating the refinishing of the surface, and a method employing the combination and the plug to conceal the anchor fastener after its useful purpose has been served. The combination includes a stepped washer which is used in the method to embed the head of the anchor fastener in an object such that the outer surface of the head of the anchor fastener is beneath the surface of the object, leaving a depression in the object. The plug comprises a shaft portion the diameter of which is sized to fit snugly into the hole in the head of the anchor fastener and a head portion sized and shaped to fit snugly into and substantially fill the depression.

Abstract: An imprinter with a lifting system for lowering the platen roller during the imprint stroke and raising the platen roller during the return stroke. The lifting system includes a lift cam lever and lifting cam associated with the front wheel and kept under constant bias. The lifting cam lever engages in slots arranged along a track of the imprinter bed, and the front axle is eccentrically mounted in the lifting cam such that when a carriage assembly having a platen roller is moved through the imprint stroke the platen roller applies pressure, and as the carriage assembly is ready to be returned, the lifting cam lever will be in registration with a slot on the track such that upon the return stroke the lifting cam lever will lift the carriage assembly.

Abstract: A roller platen imprinter is provided with means for selectively raising and lowering the roller platen for the imprinting and return strokes. The said means includes regions on the platen shaft of different sectional dimensions, together with cam means for axially shifting the support position of the shaft between the portion having the large sectional dimension and the portion having the smaller sectional dimension to selectively raise and lower the platen.