-D_ A S C R I P T I O N

"UNALTERABLE TYPEWRITING AND PRINTING THROUGH PAPER IMPRINTING AND PERFORATION ".

TECHNICAL FIELD

I he object of the present invention is a method and means of unalterable typewriting, stamping and printing through imprinting and perforation of the paper support of cheques, instruments of credit and documents in general. The method comprises a phase of imprinting (impression) of characters upon the paper support, and a phase of perforation of the same at points which are sufficient to uni vocally define the impressed maiks of the characters (types). The means comprise a plurality of perforating points ( 1), peφendicularly projecting from the impact's face (2) of the eye (3) of each character, and perforating points (T), each of them coaxially projecting from the free etid of small bars of needle heads (figure 1).

BACKGROUND ART

The present invention concerns a method and unalterable means of typewriting, stamping and printing by means of the imprinting and perforation of the paper support or similar of cheques, securities or instruments of credit and documents in general.

It is known that, through the means provided by modern technology, the fraudulent operation of erasing pen strokes or character marks of a typewriter, a stamp or a printer on the above cited documents, for the puφose of alterating them in order to draw an illicit profit, has become extremely easy. As an example of a document, in the course of the present description a cheque is taken, which as it is known, comprises a cheque which can be compiled by a drawer with the order to pay a given amount to a beneficiary.

After a cheque, or other instruments of credit are issued, they are subjected to the risk of being stolen and falsified by counterfeiters who alter their amount and/or the name of the beneficiary.

Often sophisticated techniques are employed in such operation which elude

verification. They include the utilization of chemical or mechanical means, as well as the more recent use of optical means, such as dye transfer or offset or laser devices.

The main object of the current invention is to permit the drawing up of cheques, securities and documents of every type, in such way that they are substantially less likely to being altered.

DISCLOSURE OF i VENTION

The invention, as characterized by the appended Claims, offers first an unalterable method of typewriting, stamping and printing through impression and perforation of the paper support or similar of cheques, securities, instruments of credit and also other documents by utilizing a two phase process: (1) the impression ( f alphanumeric characters (types) upon said documents in order to obtain the corresponding marks, and (2) of perforation of said documents at points which are sufficient to univocally define the character's impressed marks.

According to a second aspect, the invention solves, through a first embodiment, the problem of providing unalterable means of typewriting and stamping of alphanumeric characters, through impression and perforation of the paper support or similar of cheques, securities, instruments of credit and documents in general, with the interposition of an inking tape or previously inked up upon a pad or similar. The character is characterized by the fact that it comprises a number of perforating points, projecting peφendicularly from the impact's face of the relief representation or "eye" of every character, in order to univocally define, through a succession of through-holes formed in the paper support on the impression obtained by impact, the ink-printed character's mark on that paper support.

In a second form of its aforesaid second aspect, the invention solves the problem of providing unalterable printing means of alphanumeric characters through impression and perforation of the paper support or similar of cheques, instruments of credit and documents in general, of the type comprising a needle or small-bars mobile head. This small bars impact against said paper support with the interposition of an inking tape. The mobile head is characterized by the fact that a variety of above small bars carries a perforating point projecting coaxially from its

own free end, in order to univocally define, through a succession of through-holes formed in said paper support on the impression obtained by impact, the ink-printed character's mark on .sai support. further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description of the method of unalterable typewriting, stamping ad printing, and preferred shapes of corresponding implementation's means, in a merely indicative but non limitative way illustrated in the enclosed drawing, in which:

- Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of an example of character of typewriter or stamp for a first embodiment of the means according to the present invention.

- Figure 2 illustrates in a partial and schematic perspective view, according D an enlarged scale, an example of a printer's mobile needle head for a second embodiment of the means according to the present invention.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the method of unalterable typewriting, stamping and printing, comprises a phase of impression of alphanumeric characters upon the above mentioned paper support in order to obtain the corresponding marks, and a phase of perforation of said paper support at points which are sufficient to univocally define that imprinted marks of the characters.

The "impression's phase" is understood to be the phase which serves to transfer, in a way or other, alphanumeric character marks upon a paper support ( similar, (generally a sheet of paper o other thin plasticised, etalised o different laminar structure). For instance, the impression's phase may take place through the impact of characters upon said support, with the interposition of an inking tape, as in the conventional typewriters and in some types of printers. Alternatively, as in the case of stamps, the impression's phase is performed by impact, after inking upon a pad o similar. However, even if not taken in detail into consideration in the following description of the means for implementing the method, the impression's phase may take place without impact, for instance as in some types of known printers, as the laser, ink-jet, "non impact" electrostatic effect printers. The "perforation ^' s phase" is understood to be the creation, only on the mark obtained during the impression's phase, of a series of small holes in an amount at least sufficient to the univocal definition of the character's mark. In this way, the

erasing of the marks by mean of the ink's superficial abrasion, would be however denounced by the piesence of the holes which reveal the pre-existing mark.

According to the type of impression which is utilized by the method, the phase of impression does precede, or is simultaneous to, the phase of perforation, as it will appear more evidently in the following.

According to its second aspect, the present invention provides, in the only case ( f impact writing, a first embodiment for unalterable means of typewriting and stamping of alphanumeric characters and a second embodiment for unalterable printing means. 1 he means according to the first embodiment can be utilized in the drawing up

( f the above cited documents through impact upon their paper support with the interposition of an inking tape in the case of typewriting, or after inking upon a pad or similar in the case of stamping.

As in the case of tht "L" character (type) shown in Figure 1, each character of the above cited means comprises numerous perforating points 1 , which are sufficiently stiff, perpendicularly projecting from the impact face 2 of the relief representation 3, which typographically is called "eye", of the character (type) 4. By 4 is altogether designated the whole of eye 3 and block 5. Obviously the small block 5 shall have different shape and size according to the typewriting and stamping means to which it is associated or which it is part of, as it will be seen in the following with reference to examples of application of the character as realized.

For instance, in the case of the type-bar typewriter, each type-bar carries at least a character (type), whose eye is provided with the above said perforating points multiplicity. When the writing means comprise a type-carrying spheroidal body or writing ball, each type present on its external surface is provided in its own eye, of that multiplicity of perforating points. And similar is the situation in the case of type-carrying disc o daisy means, type-carrying drum means, chain means where the chain is composed of type-carrying links. Said multiplicity of perforating points projecting from the eye of said characters comprises a minimum amount of elements sufficient to define, and therefore identify, in the reading without ambiguity, the corresponding character through the

character mark which is ink-printed and perforated on said paper support.

It is important that the perforating points have a length which is sufficient to pass through said inking tape and said paper support, in such way that they will achieve in the said support the small through-holes. Types as the character 4, which is shown in Figure 1 , are associated or are part

(jf stamping means which may be various and different as a fixed stamp of the self- inking variety or not, or a stamp of a type which can be tailored upon the customer's request, comprising a frame or jib for the pre-ordained arrangement of the characters, or of a variety comprising an annular type-carrying support, provided with a gear displacement mechanism.

It is evident that in the case of stamping, the inking of the characters doesn't take place through a tape, and therefore almost simultaneously to the impression's and perforating phases which are substantially instantaneous in the (jperation of type-writing. In fact, the inking in the stamping (jperation takes place by means of a pressing action upon an inking pad.

The unalterable printing means of the second embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention comprise a known movable needle or small bar head, wherein the small bars impact upon said paper support with the interposition of an inking tape, in order to transfer a matrix of points which does create the mark of each character which is to be printed.

According to the invention, Figure 2 shows schematically, on an enlarged scale, the small bars (6) of a nine needle/bar head. Λ multiplicity of these small bars, three in Figure 2, carries a perforating point (1 ') coaxially projecting from its ( wn free end (6') in order to univocally define through a series of through-holes formed in a paper support (not represented) on the impression or imprint, obtained by impact, the ink-printed character's mark on said support. The character's mark will be obtained by pressing the surface of the free ends (6'), with the interposition ( f an inking tape (not represented as well) upon the paper support itself.

Also in this second embodiment, said multiplicity of perforating points projecting from the small bars (6) comprises a minimum amount of elements which will be sufficient to define, and therefore in the reading to identify without ambiguity, the ink-printed and perforated-on-said-paper-support character's mark.

The advantage of the writing method and means is evident. They discourage eveiy attempt by the part of counterfeiter, who should reconstruct, apart from the writing, stamp o print, also a part of the paper support which has been perforated by the points.

The so conceived mvention can be subjected to many modifications and variations, which are all with in the scope of the concept itself of the invention. In the practice, modifications and/or improvements are obviously feasible, which are anyway within the scope of the following Claims.