PRIORITY CLAIM

[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 61/342,177, filed April 9, 2010.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present disclosure relates in general to methodologies for placing imaging on the sides of stacks of printed documents— e.g., tickets, coupons, cards, books, etc. The proposed methodologies allow for enhanced appearance and security without an increase in cost.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Lottery scratch-off or instant games have become a time- honored method of raising revenue for state and federal governments the world over. Literally billions of scratch-off products are printed every year shipped in books or packs of tickets of varying quantities, The values of these books or packs of instant tickets can range from as little as $50 to as much as several hundred dollars. Thus, the integrity of packs of instant tickets from manufacturing through transit and sale at a retail location is essential to ensure that a game is secure.

[0004] Through the years, various security procedures have been developed to protect the integrity of instant ticket packs from manufacturing, through distribution, to the retail location. The packs are typically tagged with unique serial number barcodes, sealed in shrink-wrap, and logged on a central site server when received at the retail location. However, for logistical reasons, these security procedures are designed to track the pack as a whole and not the individual tickets that comprise the pack. Additionally, once the packs are placed on sale at a retail location, the integrity of the pack is broken as tickets are typically sold individually to the public.

[0005] By imaging designs on the sides of instant ticket packs, playing cards, books, etc., a visual indication that the complete stack of tickets, cards, pages, etc., is intact becomes obvious by casual inspection. Any tickets removed or replaced with altered tickets are quickly noticed as they fail to conform to the imaging associated with the pack of tickets.

Additionally, decorative designs imaged on the sides of stacked printed documents can enhance appearance or even act as advertising.

[0006] Thus, it is desirable to develop methodologies for ensuring the integrity of a pack of tickets or other stacked documents as well as enhancing the product's appearance by providing side imaging. With the ever-increasing ingenuity of counterfeit tickets and those seeking to bypass lottery ticket security measures, a low cost, effective method of confirming the integrity of stacked documents is needed. Accordingiy, side imaging on packs of tickets or stacked documents which is accomplished by placing a portion of an image on the sides of tickets or documents in the stack reveals if tickets or documents have been removed or new or replacement tickets or documents have been added. If alterations to the stack have been made, the image associated with the pack will be disturbed. This system is low cost and provides an easily noticeable way to confirm the integrity of the stack of documents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.

[0008] Described herein are a number of methods that provide practical details for reliably printing images on the sides of ticket, card, book, etc., document stacks. Printing images on the sides of document stacks can provide both aesthetic as well as security enhancements for a document stack. Plus, the images can be used to advertise or promote the type of document contained in the stack or advertise a completely different product. In a particular embodiment, a method is provided for enhancing the integrity of stacks of printed substrates.

[0009] While the above-described method has obvious benefits, it may also result in increased costs as the production line that manufactures the substrates, or at least a portion thereof, will need to be modified to provide side imaging directly onto the side of the substrates. [0010] Accordingly, in a desirable embodiment, the method includes forming a mark on a flat front or rear face of the substrates, such as lottery tickets. The marks are formed adjacent to an edge of the substrates such that the mark bleeds into the substrate. The length and relative position of the marks along the edge are defined so that the marks are a component of a recognizable predefined image. The substrates are compiled adjacent to one another to form a stack of substrates. The individual substrates are compiled into the stack such that the marks align to form the predefined image that is visible from a side of the stack.

[0011] The marks may be formed with an ink that penetrates the substrate. Suitable inks are known to those skilled in the art.

[0012] In a particular embodiment, the marks are placed on the front or rear face such that the marks are visible at the edges of the substrates upon initially forming the marks on the substrates, in an alternate

embodiment, the marks are initially spaced back from an initial edge of the substrates and are only visible after removing a portion of the substrate, for example by subsequently cutting the substrates along a cut line that defines the final edge of the substrates. The cut line runs through the marks such that the marks are visible along the final edge.

[0013] The visible pattern on the side of the stack can vary widely. For example, the marks may combine to form a visible line pattern along the side of the stack. In an alternative embodiment, multiple marks may be formed along the edges of the substrates at different varying positions between the substrates so as to form a visible complex graphic design along the side of the stack.

[0014] Multiple stacks of the substrates may be formed, with the marks formed on the substrates of the different stacks such that different visible side images are generated on the different stacks.

[0015] The invention also encompasses stacks of substrates, such as lottery tickets, that utilize the aspects of the invention described herein. The image can be a serial number which can be used to identify one pack of tickets from another, as well as track the individual tickets within the pack.

[0016] The above-described embodiment allows for side imaging while not requiring a redesign or addition to the substrate production assembly. Side imaging is achieved by treating the substrate as it passes through the production assembly instead of treating the ticket post-production. This results in increased efficiency and does away with increasing production cost and complexity.

[0017] in a further embodiment, the method includes the mark being formed using an ink that penetrates the substrate. Suitable inks are known to those skilled in the art.

[0018] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] A full and enabling disclosure of the present subject matter, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to various embodiments in the appended figures, in which:

[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lottery-type instant ticket;

[0021] FIG. 2 is a front plan view of a first representative example of a lottery-type instant ticket where a mark is made on the cut line with ink that penetrates the substrate of the ticket;

[0022] FIG. 3 is a side view of the first representative example of FIG. 2 where the mark made with the penetrating ink creates a line on the side of a pack of lottery tickets;

[0023] FIG. 4 is a side view of a second representative example where multiple varying marks are made on the cut line of tickets comprising a pack to produce a more complex image; and

[0024] FIG. 5 is a side view of multiple packs of lottery tickets displaying images that are unique from one another. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the figures. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0026] One method of ensuring lottery ticket pack integrity is to place imaging on the side of the pack, such that if the pack were split or if forged tickets were inserted into the pack, the visual effect on the side of the pack would be disturbed and it would be apparent to the casual observer that the lottery ticket pack was no longer a homogeneous whole. If the side of the pack imaging varies from pack-to-pack, then the degree of integrity protection becomes greater, since a would-be pack forger would need to accommodate dynamic side imagery.

[0027] A first embodiment would be to simply use a stencil to spray paint a pattern on the sides of lottery ticket packs. However, this embodiment is both labor intensive and time consuming. A second embodiment would be to arrange ink jet printer heads to apply a custom pattern on the sides of lottery ticket packs as they are assembled. This embodiment has the advantage of automation and hence low labor costs, as well as not adding significantly to the packaging process time.

[0028] While the second embodiment provides an automated pack side imaging system that is expandable to other medium, such as card decks and books, it does have the disadvantage of added capital costs required to purchase and maintain the side ink jet printing system. This method also requires additional processing of the ticket substrate in addition to the processing involved with forming the ticket background and play areas.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, substantially no extra equipment costs, labor, or production time is required to implement side imaging. This embodiment accomplishes this no-to-low cost impact by using a portion of the imaging on the flat portion of tickets in a pack to impart a side image via ink bleed through the printed substrate. In other words, this preferred

embodiment uses a portion of the printing process on the flat side (i.e., the top) of a ticket or document to impart a side image when the pack is cut through the portion of the image.

[0030] For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a simplistic lottery-type instant ticket. The ticket includes ticket substrate 00, which includes side edges 85, front ticket face 90, and rear ticket face 95. FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of FIG. 1 that includes a printed mark 1 10 on the top face 90 of the ticket substrate 100 that is positioned to be on a side edge 85 of the ticket (and thus the pack) after the ticket substrate 100 is cut at cut line 105 during the packaging process. By positioning printed mark 1 10, which is designed to influence pack side imaging, along the cut line 105, the simple line image 120 of FIG. 3 becomes apparent on the side of ticket pack 1 15, which is comprised of similarly printed ticket substrates 100. Thus, by utilizing the ink bleed that penetrates the ticket substrate 100 and strategically positioning and varying printed mark 10 and cut line 105, a wide variety of images can be created on the side of ticket pack 1 15, such as image 125 in FIG 4.

[0031] When the images with ink bleed are varied from ticket to ticket with cognizance of how the tickets will be stacked in a pack, varying complex images 125 can be created on the sides of different ticket packs 115, as illustrated in FIG. 4. FIG. 5, meanwhile, illustrates that the images printed on the side of ticket pack 1 15 can vary from pack to pack as shown by first ticket pack image 130 differing from second ticket pack image 135.

Accordingly, one ticket pack 115 can be differentiated from another by using different images. Further, the aesthetic appearance of ticket pack 115 can be improved by using designs or other pleasing images. Alternatively, the ticket packs 1 15 can carry advertising or other messages conveyed by the images. While FIG. 5 illustrates numeric images, it is understood that complex image 125, first ticket pack image 130 and second ticket pack image 135 can consist of numerals, letters, symbols, pictures or any other image. Further, while FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 illustrate cut line 105 and images 120, 125, 130, and 135 being placed on the longer of the sides of the ticket, it is understood that the cut line 105 and images may be placed on any side of the ticket substrate 100.

[0032] For documents like lottery tickets that are printed on both face sides of the ticket, bicolor side imaging can be created by placing a cut line 105 and printed mark 1 10 on both sides of the face of ticket substrate 100. If, on the other hand, it is not desirable for the printing on one side of the ticket substrate 00 to create a visible simple line image 120 on side edge 85, or complex image 125 on a side of ticket pack 115, printing on one side of the ticket substrate 00 can simply be pulled back from contacting cut line 105. Alternatively, the ticket substrate 100 can be comprised of Coated One Side (C1S) paper stock that includes a coating on the side of the substrate to prevent ink bleed through the substrate thereby inhibiting any pack side image effect.

[0033] In an alternative embodiment, printed products like lottery tickets that already utilize variable ink jet imaging on one or both sides of the ticket substrate 100, can utilize the ink jet imager to print variable simple line image 120 marks along the cut line 105 that can result in a complex image 25 that easily varies from pack-to-pack, such as unique ticket serial numbers as illustrated by first ticket pack image 130 and second ticket pack image 135 in FIG. 5.

[0034] Of course there are numerous other applications of these embodiments (e.g., side of book images, card decks, coupons, etc.) that are obvious to anyone skilled in the art and may under some circumstances be more desirable than the previously disclosed embodiment.

[0035] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended that the present invention include such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims.