Method and structure for properly aligning forms in a printer

Abstract

This invention achieves accurate registration of a web of forms such as preprinted checks in a printer controlled by a computer, wihtout requiring skill on the part of the operator or extra equipment for the printer. The method and apparatus of this invention uses specially marked forms in conjunction with a computer program. The computer program puts indicator information onto the marked form which has been inserted into the printer, receives input from an operator about the location of the indicator information, and moves the form in the printer to the proper location to receive printed information. The method of this invention is for the operator to insert forms into the printer, and then operate a set-up computer program. This program instructs the printer to put a mark on the form on the line to which it is currently set. The computer then instructs the operator to type into the computer the line number on which the mark was just printed. With this invention, the computer calculates the adjustment needed to properly align the form and makes the adjustment with no more assistance from the operator.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method for accurately registering forms to be printed at a print position in a printer controlled by a computer which is operated by an operator with instructions from said computer, each form having the same format as the other forms and having vertically spaced indicia defining lines on said form, comprising: inserting into said printer a series of said forms so that part of a selected one of said forms is adjacent said print position in said printer;   running a computer program to adjust said forms in said printer with assistance from said operator, said computer program: causing said printer to place an alignment mark on said selected form of said forms, and   displaying to said operator questions relating to alignment of said selected form;     inputting manually to said computer the indicia defining on which of said lines said alignment mark was placed;   said computer program calculating automatically from said information input to said computer a printer adjustment to cause said print position is said printer to coincide with a preselected starting position on said forms; and   moving automatically said forms in said printer without need for assistance from said operator so that said printing starts on said forms at said preselected position.   
     
     
       2. Method of claim 1 where said indicia are numbers corresponding to lines printed by said printer. 
     
     
       3. Method of claim 1 where said indicia are numbers corresponding to half-lines printed by said printer. 
     
     
       4. Method of claim 1 where said indicia are placed in a vertical margin along an edge of said selected form. 
     
     
       5. Method of claim 4 where said vertical margin is a tear-off portion having tractor-feed holes. 
     
     
       6. Method of claim 1 where said computer program sends commands to said printer to print said mark, displays questions to said operator relating to alignment of said selected form, receives responses from said operator related to alignment of said selected form, calculates a number of line feeds using said response from said operator, and sends commands to said printer to advance said number of line feeds. 
     
     
       7. Method of claim 1 where said alignment mark comprises sample information having a format similar to that to be printed on subsequent forms and having a pointer line for pointing to said indicia and thereby identifying the location of said mark. 
     
     
       8. Method of claim 4 where said alignment mark is placed in said vertical margin of said selected form. 
     
     
       9. Structure for accurately registering forms to be printed at a print position in a printer controlled by a computer which is operated by an operator with instructions from said computer, each form having the same format as the other forms and having vertically spaced indicia defining lines on said form, comprising: means for inserting into said printer a series of said forms so that part of a selected form of said forms is adjacent said print position in said printer;   means for running a computer program to adjust said forms in said printer with assistance from said operator such that said print position in said printer coincides with a preselected starting position on said forms, comprising:   means for causing said printer to place an alignment mark on said selected form;   means for displaying to said operator questions relating to alignment of said selected form;   means for inputting manually to said .[.compute.]. .Iadd.computer .Iaddend.the indicia defining on which of said lines of said selected form said alignment mark was placed;   means for calculating automatically from said information input to said computer a printer adjustment to cause the print position in said printer to coincide with a preselected starting position on said forms; and   means for moving automatically said forms in said printer without need for assistance from said operator so that said printing starts on said forms at said preselected starting position.   
     
     
       10. Structure of claim 9 where said indicia are comprised of numbers corresponding to lines printed by said printer. 
     
     
       11. Structure of claim 9 where said indicia are comprised of numbers corresponding to half-lines printed by said printer. 
     
     
       12. Structure of claim 9 where said indicia are placed in a vertical margin along an edge of said selected form. 
     
     
       13. Structure of claim 12 where said vertical margin is a tear-off portion having tractor-feed holes. 
     
     
       14. Structure of claim 9 where said computer program controls: means for sending commands to said printer to print said mark,   means for displaying questions to said operator,   means for receiving a response from said operator related to the location of said mark,   means for calculating a number of line feeds using said response from said operator, and   means for sending commands to said printer to advance said number of line feeds.   
     
     
       15. Structure of claim 9 where said alignment mark comprises sample information having a format similar to that to be printed on subsequent forms and having a pointer line for pointing to said indicia and thereby identifying the location of said mark. 
     
     
       16. Structure of claim 12 where said mark is placed in said vertical margin of said selected form. 
     
     
       17. A method for accurately registering forms to be printed at a print position in a printer controlled by a computer which is operated by an operator with instructions from said computer, each form having the same format as the other forms and having an identifiable pre-printed mark, comprising: inserting into said printer a series of said forms so that part of a selected one of said forms is adjacent said print position in said printer;   running a computer .[.porgram.]. .Iadd.program .Iaddend.to adjust said forms in said printer with assistance from said operator, said computer program:   causing said printer to place vertically spaced alignment indicia on said selected form of said forms; and   displaying to said operator questions related to alignment of said forms;   inputting manually to said computer information defining which of said vertically spaced alignment indicia was placed on said identifiable pre-printed mark;   said computer program calculating automatically from said information input to said computer a printer adjustment to cause said print position in said printer to coincide with a preselected starting position on said forms; and   moving automatically said forms in said printer without need for assistance from said operator so that printing starts on said forms at said preselected starting position.   
     
     
       18. Method of claim 17 where said computer program commands said printer to print said vertically spaced alignment indicia, displays questions to an operator related to the location of said vertically spaced alignment indicia on said selected form,   receives responses from said operator related to the location of said vertically spaced alignment indicia,   calculates a number of line feeds using said response from said operator, and   sends commands to said printer to advance said number of line feeds.   
     
     
       19. Structure for accurately registering forms to be printed at a print position in a printer controlled by a computer which is operated by an operator with instructions from said computer, each form having the same format as the other forms and having an identifiable pre-printed mark, comprising: means for inserting into said printer a series of said forms so that part of a selected one of said forms is adjacent said print position in said printer;   means for running a computer program to adjust said forms in said printer with assistance from said operator such that said print position in said printer coincides with a preselected starting position on said forms, comprising: means for causing said printer to place vertically spaced alignment indicia on said selected from of said forms;   means for displaying to said operator questions related to the alignment of said selected form;   means for inputting manually to said computer information defining which of said vertically spaced alignment indicia was placed on said identifiable pre-printed mark;   means for calculating automatically from said information input to said computer a printer adjustment to cause said print position in said printer to coincide with a preselected starting position on said forms; and   means for moving automatically said forms in said printer without need for assistance from said operator so that said printing starts on said forms at said preselected starting position.     
     
     
       20. Structure of claim 19 where said computer program controls: means for sending commands to said printer to print said vertically spaced alignment indicia,   means for displaying questions to said operator,   means for receiving responses from said operator related to the location of said vertically spaced alignment indicia,   means for calculating a number of line feeds using said response from said operator, and   means for sending commands to said printer to advance said number of line feeds. .Iadd.   
     
     
       21.  A method for aligning a preprinted form with a print position of a printer in a computerized printing system comprising: inserting the form into the printer; causing the printer to print an alignment mark on the form at a location of the form corresponding to the print position of the printer;     having a computer operator look at the location where the alignment mark was printed;   having the computer operator supply information indicating to the computerized system the location at which the alignment mark was observed; and   causing the computerized system to determine automatically, based on the information supplied by the computer operator, an amount of form movement needed to bring a preselected portion of the form into alignment with the print position of the printer when there is an alignment error. .Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       22.  The method of claim 21 further comprising: causing the printer to automatically move the form according to the determined amount of needed form movement so as to bring the preselected portion of the form into alignment with the print position of the printer. .Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       23.  A computerized system for automatically aligning a preprinted form having preprinted indicia with a print position of a printer in the computerized system, comprising: printing means for automatically moving the preprinted form and for printing marks on the preprinted form at one or more locations of the form corresponding to the print position of the printer;   alignment marking means for causing the printing means to print an alignment mark on the preprinted form;   information receiving means for receiving from a computer operator information indicating the location of the printed alignment mark relative to the preprinted indicia of the form; and   adjustment determining means for automatically determining, based on the information provided by the computer operator, an amount of form movement needed for bringing a preselected portion of the form into alignment with the print position when there is an alignment error and for supplying one or more movement commands to the printing means so as to move the form according to such amount of movement determination. .Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       24.  The computerized system of claim 23 wherein the information receiving means comprises a keyboard. .Iaddend.