Apparatus and a method for merging vertically oriented documents with horizontally oriented documents. The apparatus includes: a document assembler for receiving vertically oriented documents, the document assembler having a pair of parallel paper paths, wherein each of the paper paths includes a device for transporting the vertically oriented documents and a device for stopping and a device for aligning the vertically oriented documents; a device located beneath the document assembler for re-or...

A method and apparatus for processing documents having both pre-printed information adapted to be identified by an automatic recognition device and handwritten information adapted to be identified by the human eye. Each document is subjected to an operation involving the reading of the information contained thereon in two recurrent operating phases and an operation involving the recording of fresh data thereon. In the first phase, the pre-printed information is read by an automatic recognition d...

An invalidating marking appears on photoreproductions of security documents such as checks, bonds, stock certificates, lottery tickets, and currency. The invalidating marking is disguised on the original by use of disguising markings and printing the invalidating mark and the background with different line screen frequencies.

A machine that quadrates documents comprising a stationary plate having along one edge a plurality of transversely-spaced cutting edges defining a cutting area, a rotor having axially thereof and radially-spaced from its axis a plurality of complementary cutting edges supported for rotation with the rotor about an axis parallel to the edge of the stationary plate for movement of the cutting edges in shearing relation to the cutting edges on the stationary plate and sheet-feeding rolls for advanc...

The method of the present invention, in its broadest aspect, comprises the steps of generating a character mask or template of each of the printed characters to be machine read from the printed document which is to be machine read; providing with the template, in a machine readable format, labels in association with and identifying each of the character masks or templates; interrogating one line at a time of the printed document with the respective ones of the character masks or templates, to id...

An electronoptical apparatus consisting essentially in optical and mechanical devices enabling a document 1 to be telecopied to be kept in a fixed position during its dot-by-dot analysis effected along a line by scanning by means of a rotating mirror 3 associated with an electronoptical unit 7, both mounted on a carriage 4 to which a step-by-step movement is imparted with each change of line.

A method and device for identifying documents. A multiplicity of machine-readable markings which characteristically modify incident light by diffraction or refraction are applied to the documents, and selected markings are then cancelled out, the remaining markings representing coded information. The markings are of at least two different kinds causing different modification of incident light, and are arranged in a characteristic configuration on the documents. Information about said configurati...

A system to protect documents such as negotiable instruments, title instruments and identification documents from illegal copying by color copiers and alteration such as amount or signature particularly computer printout documents comprising preprinting a "VOID" pattern over the amount and/or signature area of the document in solvent insoluble or color change ink. The VOID is printed with a camouflage pattern overcoating. The camouflage pattern overcoating may be a pattern or solid coating. It m...

In a high-speed sorter, single documents such as banknotes are successively withdrawn from a stack and tested according to various criteria. Banknotes which are authentic but no longer fit for circulation are fed to a cutting means (a shredder) and destroyed therein. The shredder, which has a simple construction and is designed for a high banknote throughput, consists of two cutter blocks including overlapping cutter disks which work into one another with little play in spaced relationship and a...

Apparatus for identifying and storing documents of two different types according to those types, each document including indicia corresponding to the document type, comprising: a receiver for receiving documents to be identified and stored; an identifying mechanism for identifying the type of document received by the receiver as one of the two types; a conveyor responsive to the identifying mechanism for conveying documents to be stored to one of two loading positions corresponding to each of th...