Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A business form having a surface adapted to be imprinted with
characters of a predetermined size by the printing means of a business machine,
said form having a row of feed holes extending along at least one side margin
thereof and arranged to engage the feed means of said business machine so that
the business form is thereby advanced into and past a position in which said
surface can be engaged by said printing means, a plurality of continuous
parallel bars of at least three different and unlike colors, one of which is
lighter than the other two colors, said bars occupying a substantial part of
the area of said surface and extending conterminously longitudinally of said
form with individual ones of said bars extending transversely across said
form in a direction generally perpendicular to said row of feed holes for
the optional printing of characters across substantially all of the width of
said bars in random manner with regard to their transverse position on said
bars, said bars being uninterrupted by lines or other individual markings at
locations that would substantially interfere with such random transverse
positioning of characters, said bars having a height dimension of at least
equal to but less than twice the height of said characters so that only a
single line of characters can be printed on any bar, said bars being spaced
repetitively along said form in such manner that said lighter color bars are
spaced from each other alternately by a single bar of one of said other colors
and any sequence of four adjoining bars includes bars of at least three
different colors, whereby a line of characters printed on one bar will be
clearly distinguishable from lines of characters printed on adjoining bars on
said surface of said form.
2. The business form as defined in Claim 1, wherein said other two
colors are complementary colors.
3. The business form as defined in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said
other two colors are halftone in character formed by dots printed on said
surface.
4. A business form having a surface adapted to be imprinted with
characters of a predetermined size by the printing means of a business machine,
said form having a row of feed holes extending along at least one side margin
thereof and arranged to engage the feed means of said business machine so that
the business form is thereby advanced into and past a position in which said
surface can be engaged by said printing means, a plurality of continuous
parallel bars of at least two colors different and unlike each other and the
color of said surface and overlying portions but not all of said surface, so
that said surface also forms bars where it is not overlaid by said color bars,
said color bars and said surface bars extending conterminously longitudinally
of said form and individual bars extending transversely across said form
generally perpendicualr to said row of feed holes for the optional printing of
characters across substantially all of the width of said color and surface bars
in random manner with regard to their transverse position on said bars, said
bars being uninterrupted by lines or other divisional markings at locations
that would substantially interfere with such random transverse positioning of
characters, said bars having a height dimension at least equal to but less than
twice the height of said characters so that only a single line of characters
can be printed on any bar, said color and surface bars being spaced repetitively
along said form in such manner that said color bars are alternately disposed
on said surface and each said color bar adjoins a surface bar on either side
thereof, and any sequence of four adjoining bars includes at least one surface
bar and two different color bars, whereby a line of characters printed on one
bar will be clearly distinguishable from lines of characters printed on
adjoining bars on said surface of said form.
5. The business form as claimed in Claim 4, in which said color bars
are of complementary colors.
6. The business form as claimed in Claim 4, in which the color of
said surface is lighter than the colors of said color bars, and said color bars
are printed on said surface.
7. The business form as claimed in Claim 6, in which said color bars
are halftone in character.
8. The business form as claimed in Claims 4, 6 or 7, wherein said
surface bars are substantially white in color and said color bars are halftones
of green and reddish-yellow.
9. The business form as claimed in Claim 4, Claim 6 or Claim 7,
wherein said color bars have color designations of PANTONE(R)474 and PANTONE(R)
571.
10. A business form having characters of a predetermined size printed
on its surface by the printing means of a business machine, said form having a
row of feed holes extending along at least one side margin thereof and
arranged to engage the feed means of said business machine so that the business
form is thereby advanced into and past a position in which said surface can be
engaged by said printing means, plurality of continuous parallel bars of at
least three different and unlike colors, one of which is lighter than the other
two colors, said bars occupying a substantial part of the area of said surface
and extending conterminously longitudinally of said form and individual
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ones of said bars extending transversely across said form generally
perpendicular to said row of feed holes, said characters having been printed
at randomly selected locations that extend across substantially all of the
width of said bars, said bars being uninterrupted by lines or other divisional
markings at locations that would substantially interfere with such random
positioning of characters, said bars having a height dimension at least equal
to but less than twice the height of said characters so that only a single line
of characters is printed on any bar, said bars being spaced repetitively along
said form in such manner that said lighter color bars are spaced from each
other alternately by a single bar of one of said colors and any sequence of
four adjoining bars includes bars of at least three different colors, whereby
a line of characters printed on one bar is clearly distinguishable from lines of
characters printed on adjoining bars on said surface of said form.
11. The business form as claimed in Claim 10, in which said
characters are printed on at least one bar of each of said colors.
12. The business form as claimed in Claim 10, wherein said three
different and unlike colors include a white color and two mutually different
colors of halftonal character formed by dots printed on said surface.
13. The business form as claimed in Claim 10, Claim 11 or Claim 12
wherein said two different colors are tones of green and reddish-yellow.
14. The business form as claimed in Claim 10, Claim 11 or Claim 12,
wherein said two different colors are selected from the group of color
designations consisting of PANTONE(R)474 and PANTONE(R)571.
15. A business form having a surface adapted to be imprinted with
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characters of a predetermined size by the printing means of a business
machine; said form being substantially rectangular in shape and having upper,
lower and side margins; said form having a plurality of adjacent parallel bars
of at least three different and unlike colors, one of which colors is lighter
than the other colors, with individual ones of said bars extending contermin-
ously across said form in a direction generally perpendicular to the side
margins thereof for the optional printing of characters along substantially all
of the length of said bars in a random manner with regard to their lengthwise
position on said bars; said bars being uninterrupted by lines or other individ-
ual markings at locations that would substantially interfere with such random
lengthwise positioning of characters; said bars having a height dimension of at
least equal to but less than twice the height of said characters so that only a
single line of characters can be printed on any bar; said bars being spaced
repetitively along said form in such manner that said lighter color bars are
spaced from each other alternately by a single bar of one of said other colors
and any sequence of four adjoining bars includes bars of at least three differ-
ent colors, whereby a line of characters imprinted on one bar will be clearly
distinguishable from lines of characters printed on adjoining bars on said
surface of said form.
16. A business form as defined in claim 15, wherein the bars are of three
different and unlike colors, the two darkest of which are complementary
colors.
17. A business form as defined in claim 15 wherein a row of feed holes
extends along at least one side margin thereof and is arranged to engage the
feed means of said business machine so that the business form is thereby
advanced into and past a position in which said surface can be engaged by said
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printing means.
18. A business form having a surface adapted to be imprinted with charac-
ters of a predetermined size by the printing means of a business machine; said
form being substantially rectangular in shape and having upper, lower and side
margins; said form having a plurality of adjacent parallel bars of at least two
colors different and unlike each other and the color of said surface and over-
lying portions but not all of said surface, so that said surface also forms
bars where it it not overlaid by said color bars; individual ones of said color
bars and said surface bars extending conterminously across said form in a
direction generally perpendicular to the side margins thereof for the optional
printing of characters along substantially all of the length of said color and
surface bars in a random manner with regard to their lengthwise position on
said bars; said bars being uninterrupted by lines or other individual markings
at locations that would substantially interfere with such random lengthwise
positioning of characters; said bars having a height dimension of at least
equal to but less than twice the height of said characters so that only a
single line of characters can be printed on any bar; said color and surface
bars being spaced repetitively along said form in such manner that said color
bars are alternately disposed on said surface and each said color bar adjoins a
surface bar on either side thereof, and any sequence of four adjoining bars
includes at least one surface bar and two different color bars, whereby a line
of characters printed on one bar will be clearly distinguishable from lines of
characters printed on adjoining bars on said surface of said form.
19. A business form as defined in claim 18, wherein said color bars are
of complementary colors.
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20. A business form as defined in claim 18, wherein a row of feed holes
extends along at least one side margin thereof and is arranged to engage the
feed means of said business machine so that the business form is thereby
advanced into and past a position in which said surface can be engaged by said
printing means.
21. A business form as defined in claim 18, 19 or 20 wherein said surface
bars are substantially white in color.
22. A business form having characters of a predetermined size printed on
its surface by the printing means of a business machine; said form being sub-
stantially rectangular in shape and having upper, lower and side margins; said
form having a plurality of adjacent parallel bars of at least three different
and unlike colors, one of which colors is lighter than the other colors, indiv-
idual ones of said bars extending conterminously across said form in a direc-
tion generally perpendicular to the side margins thereof, said characters hav-
ing been printed at randomly selected locations that extend along substantially
all of the length of said bars; said bars being uninterrupted by lines or other
individual markings at locations that would substantially interfere with such
random lengthwise positioning of characters; said bars having a height dimen-
sion at least equal to but less than twice the height of said characters so
that only a single line of characters is printed on any bar; said bars being
spaced repetitively along said form in such manner that the lighter color bars
are spaced from each other alternately by a single bar of one of said other
colors and any sequence of four adjoining bars includes bars of at least three
different colors, whereby a line of characters printed on one bar is clearly
distinguishable from lines of characters printed on adjoining bars on said
surface of said form.
23. A business form as defined in claim 22, in which said characters are
printed on at least one bar of each of said colors.
24. A business form as defined in claim 22, wherein said bars are of
three different colors, which colors include a white color and two complement-
ary colors.
25. A business form as defined in claim 22, wherein the bars are of three
different colors, the two darkest of which are complementary colors.
26. A business form as defined in claim 22, wherein a row of feed holes
extends along at least one side margin thereof and is arranged to engage the
feed means of said business machine so that the business form is thereby
advanced into and past a position in which said surface can be engaged by said
printing means, and the bars are of three different colors, the two darkest of
which are complementary colors.
27. A business form having a surface adapted to be imprinted with charac-
ters of a predetermined size by the printing means of a business machine; said
form being substantially rectangular in shape and having a plurality of
adjacent parallel bars of at least three different and unlike colors, one of
which colors is lighter than the other colors, with individual ones of said
bars extending conterminously across said form generally perpendicularly to an
edge thereof for the optional printing of characters along substantially all
the length of said bars in a random manner with regard to their lengthwise
positioning on said bars; said bars being uninterrupted by lines or other
individual markings at locations that would substantially interfere with such
random lengthwise positioning of characters; said bars having a height dimen-
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sion of at least equal to but less than twice the height of said characters so
that only a single line of characters can be printed on any bar; said bars
being spaced repetitively along said form in such manner that said lighter
color bars are spaced from each other alternately by a single bar of one of
said other colors and any sequence of four adjoining bars includes bars of at
least three different colors, whereby a line of characters printed on one bar
will be clearly distinguishable from lines of characters printed on adjoining
bars on said surface of said form.
28. A business form having a surface adapted to be imprinted with charac-
ters of a predetermined size by the printing means of a business machine; said
form being substantially rectangular in shape and having a plurality of adja-
cent parallel bars of at least two colors different and unlike each other and
the color of the surface, so that the surface also forms bars where it is not
overlaid by the color bars, with individual ones of said bars extending conter-
minously across said form generally perpendicularly to an edge thereof for the
optional printing of characters along substantially all the length of said
color and surface bars in a random manner with regard to their lengthwise posi-
tioning on said bars; said bars being uninterrupted by lines or other individ-
ual markings at locations that would substantially interfere with such random
lengthwise positioning of characters; said bars having a height dimension of at
least equal to but less than twice the height of said characters so that only a
single line of characters can be printed on any bars said color and surface
bars being spaced repetitively along said form in such manner that said color
bars are alternately disposed on the surface and each color bar adjoins a sur-
face bar on either side thereof, and any sequence of four adjoining bars
includes at least one surface bar and two different color bars, whereby a line
of characters imprinted on one bar will be clearly distinguishable from lines
of characters printed on adjoining bars on said surface of said form.
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29. A business form as defined in claim 1, 4 or 10 wherein a measurement
of one inch along the direction of feed of said form into and past said print-
ing means includes at least eight bars, whereby at least eight characters per
inch may be printed on said form.
30. A business form as defined in claim 15, 18 or 22 wherein a measurement
of one inch taken in a direction perpendicular to the long axes of the bars
includes at least eight bars, whereby at least eight characters per inch may be
printed on said form.
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