GB860125A - Improvements in or relating to sets of recording members - Google Patents

Abstract

860,125. Automatic character reading. INTERNATIONAL COMPUTERS & TABULATORS Ltd. May 3,1957 [June 7, 1956], No. 17613/56. Class 106 (1). [Also in Group XVI] Marks are formed on a record card by a printing member which prints a humanly legible character adapted to be sensed to generate representative signals in a predetermined code, the signals being produced by the sensing of a " start " portion and other horizontallyarranged portions of the character. The characters are shown in the Figure, each having a bottom start portion, a space in lines X and Y and two further transverse portions the spacing of which relative to the start portion is the characteristic feature. Where the two further portions occupy adjacent positions, as in numerals 0, 1, 4 and 7, the are formed as a single portion of double thickness. The start mark may not be part of the character but may be instead a separate bar printed underneath. The area sensed is indicated on each character by parallel dotted lines. Where the characters are in ordinary ink, sensing may be by photo-electric means. Alternatively the characters may be printed in a magnetic ink, a radio-active ink or a fluorescent ink. The printing member may be a single type slug used as in a typewriter or different characters may be formed on a printing bar or wheel. Alternatively the printing member may be embodied in a sheet-like printing surface, e.g. for use as an address plate.