Document backer

A document backer for supporting and carrying damaged checks, drafts and other financial documents through data processing machines. The document backer includes a translucent backing sheet with a vellum strip adhered to the lower edge thereof. The backing sheet includes an adhesive for affixing a check or other document thereto. The vellum strip is suitable for imprinting with magnetically readable characters. The document backer may also include a detachable cover sheet that is removed just prior to use. The document backer is particularly adapted to digital imaging systems, as the face of the check may be supported and presented as originally prepared, with no visual distortion or impairment, while the entire surface of the back of the check may also be photographed or microfilmed through the translucent backing sheet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The invention described and claimed herein is generally related to document 
backers, carriers and other repair devices for processing damaged checks 
and the like through automatic processing equipment which utilize 
magnetically readable characters. More specifically, the present invention 
is related to document backers suitable for use with contemporary digital 
imaging check processing systems. 
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 
1.97-1.99. 
For about thirty years checks and certain other financial documents have 
been routinely imprinted with magnetic ink characters, commonly known as 
MICR characters. MICR characters typically identify the bank on which the 
check is drawn, the account number of the drawer, and the serial number of 
the check. These characters are typically readable visually as well as 
magnetically through the use of special document reading equipment. The 
characters are typically imprinted along the lower edge of the face of the 
check or other document. The MICR characters are magnetically readable by 
"reader-sorter" data processing equipment, through which the checks are 
processed, read and sorted. 
Although various documents may be processed utilizing MICR characters and 
the associated data processing equipment, for purposes of simplicity the 
following discussion will refer simply to checks. It will be understood 
however that all references to checks in this specification are equally 
applicable to other documents that may be processed in a similar manner. 
Millions of checks are processed by the banking industry each day. 
Processing of each check typically involves several steps. For example, 
the amount of the check is typically imprinted on the face of the check in 
magnetically readable characters by clerical personnel. The faces and/or 
backs of the checks are typically photographed or microfilmed for record 
keeping purposes. Finally, the checks are passed through reader-sorter 
data processing equipment which automatically reads the magnetic 
characters and sorts the checks accordingly. Additionally, as discussed 
further below, digital imaging equipment is increasingly being used to 
read and record the information contained on the faces of checks. 
Checks may generally be damaged in two ways that impair their automated 
processing. First, they may be physically torn, mutilated, crumpled, 
water-damaged or otherwise physically damaged, necessitating that they be 
reconstructed as best as possible so that they can be read, subsequently 
photographed, microfilmed or digitally imaged, and also be mechanically 
processed through document handling equipment. 
Secondly, the magnetically readable characters on a check may be damaged or 
rendered inoperative, for example by exposure to magnetic objects. Checks 
damaged in this manner are typically repaired by attaching to the check a 
strip of paper, on which substitute magnetically readable characters are 
imprinted to replace the damaged MICR characters on the face of the check. 
A similar repair is typically performed to correct errors in the MICR 
characters. Since the amount of each check is typically imprinted on the 
face of the check in magnetically readable characters by clerical 
personnel prior to automated processing, there is the possibility of human 
error being introduced during this step, and in fact such errors occur 
with some regularity. Such an error results in a miscoded check which must 
be corrected in the same manner as a check on which the magnetically 
readable characters are damaged. 
Various document repair devices are known in the banking industry to repair 
damaged checks and to correct checks having altered, unreadable or 
erroneous magnetic characters. In some cases such devices are intended to 
only replace the magnetically readable characters. In other cases they are 
further intended to support and carry physically damaged or unreadable 
checks through the data processing machines which sort the documents by 
reading the magnetic characters imprinted on the documents. 
The simplest repair device is the repair strip, which is a strip of paper 
or vellum that is adhered to the lower edge of a check, so as to 
essentially form an extension of the lower edge of the check, and which 
can be imprinted with magnetically readable characters which substitute 
for the characters which have been rendered unreadable on the original 
check. Examples of repair strips are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 
3,770,943 to Sill and 4,586,975 to Derby. Although repair strips are 
suitable for replacing unreadable magnetic characters, they do not 
function to repair a check that is torn or otherwise damaged. 
Another class of repair devices consists of document carriers, which take 
the form of an envelope that supports and carries a torn or damaged check, 
and which typically also includes an integral repair strip that can accept 
magnetically readable characters. These devices serve the dual purposes of 
supporting a damaged check while it is carried through a data processing 
machine, while also replacing the magnetically readable characters on the 
check. Examples of such document carriers are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,576,972 to D. J. Wood and H. E. Wood; and in the U.S. Pat. No. 
4,927,071 to Wood. 
There are also devices known as document backers, which include a backing 
sheet that is adhered to the back of a damaged check, as disclosed for 
example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,363,917 to Gunderson et al. One problem with 
the document backer disclosed by Gunderson et al. is that the backing 
sheet is substantially opaque and thus covers the endorsements and other 
processing instructions typically imprinted on the back of the check, and 
which are important in establishing and audit trail in the event a check 
is returned for insufficient funds or is stolen. This problem was 
partially overcome by the document backer subsequently disclosed in U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,702,924 to D. J. Wood and H. E. Wood, which includes a C-shaped 
backing sheet that leaves a major portion of the back of the check exposed 
so that endorsements and other written or printed information can be read. 
The relatively recent advent of digital imaging systems has resulted in new 
requirements for document processing systems. Modern imaging systems now 
coming into use utilize digital images of checks for electronic record 
keeping, as opposed to the keeping of paper records or even photographic 
or microfiche records. Additionally, and more importantly, modern imaging 
systems are increasingly being used to automatically scan and read the 
dollar amount of a check, through the use of computer programs which 
enable the system to read handwritten as well as printed numerals. It will 
be appreciated that this automated capability eliminates the relatively 
time-consuming and labor-intensive step of manually reading and entering 
the amount of each check into a data processing system. 
It is this latter development which has resulted in the new requirements 
being imposed on document processing systems. In particular, the face of a 
check must be completely visible and unimpaired by any kind of cover 
sheet, even cover sheets which are quite translucent, as provided for 
example in the document carrier disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,071 to 
Wood. 18 Although the face of the check must be completely visible, there 
still remains the requirement that the check be adequately supported and 
carried in the event that it is physically damaged, so that it can be 
processed through automated document handling equipment. Further, a check 
that has been damaged, for example by tearing, must be supported so that 
the face of the check is reconstructed and supported in its original 
configuration, so that a digital image reader can accurately digitize and 
subsequently read the amount of the check. 
The document carriers and other repair devices known in the prior art do 
not meet these requirements. For example, the above-referenced U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,702,924 to Wood and Wood discloses a document carrier which is in 
the form of an envelope which is open along its top edge, and which has a 
translucent front sheet. Although the translucent front sheet allows a 
check contained in the carrier to be photographed or microfilmed, it is 
not considered sufficiently transparent to ensure accurate digital imaging 
of the face of a check through the translucent front sheet. 
Accordingly, it is the object and purpose of the present invention to 
provide an improved document carrier and repair device which is operable 
to support and carry a physically damaged check while also allowing the 
face of the check to be digitally imaged and the back of 18 the check to 
be photographed, microfilmed, or also digitally imaged. 
It is another object and purpose of the present invention to provide a 
document carrier and repair device which achieves the foregoing object of 
supporting the check while also leaving visible the entire front and back 
surfaces of the check. 
It is yet another object and purpose of the present invention to provide a 
document carrier and repair device which achieves the foregoing object and 
which also allows a torn or otherwise damaged check to be fully 
rehabilitated, supported and maintained in its original condition suitable 
for imaging or photographing. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention meets the foregoing objects and purposes by providing 
a document backer that includes a rectangular, translucent backing sheet 
having a vellum strip adhered along the lower edge thereof. The 
translucent backing sheet includes an adhesive, on the same side thereof 
as the attached vellum, by which the back of a check or other document can 
be affixed to the backing sheet, such that the check is positioned 
immediately above the vellum strip. The vellum strip accepts magnetically 
readable imprinting while the backing sheet supports the check so that its 
face can be digitally imaged free of any visual impairment. The backing 
sheet and vellum strip allow a damaged check to be both digitally imaged 
and magnetically transcribed in contemporary check processing equipment. 
Additionally, the back of the check can be microfilmed, photographed, or 
digitally imaged through the translucent backing sheet with sufficient 
resolution for record keeping purposes. 
A cover sheet may be provided for use particularly where the adhesive on 
the backing sheet is a pressure sensitive adhesive. The cover sheet is 
formed of a sheet material that does not permanently adhere to the 
adhesive on the backing sheet, thereby enabling its easy removal prior to 
use. 
The document backer may be manufactured in discrete rectangular sheets. 
Alternatively the backer may be manufactured in a continuous roll which is 
cut to form individual document backers of appropriate length when needed, 
either manually or by automated equipment. 
These and other aspects of the present invention will be more apparent upon 
consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, when 
taken with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
There is illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5 a document backer 10 which 
constitutes a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The document 
backer 10 includes a rectangular, translucent backing sheet 12 having a 
lower edge 12a, an upper edge 12b, and left and right end edges 12c and 
12d respectively. The backing sheet 12 also includes a front surface 12e 
(FIGS. 4 and 5), and a back surface 12f (FIG. 2). 
The document backer 10 further includes a vellum strip 14, which is 
approximately 5/8 of an inch wide, and which is adhered to the front 
surface 12e of the backing sheet 12 so that the lower edge of the vellum 
strip 14 is coincident with the lower edge 12a of the backing sheet 12. 
The vellum strip 14 is affixed to the backing sheet 12 with a suitable 
adhesive 16. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 4 the adhesive 16 is 
preferably applied in two spaced parallel strips so that it does not 
impair the quality of the imprinted MICR characters. The vellum strip 14 
is ordinarily permanently affixed and is not intended to be removable. The 
vellum strip 14 shown in FIG. 1 is imprinted with magnetically readable 
characters 14a. 
The backing sheet 12 further includes on its front face 12e a set of spaced 
adhesive glue patterns 18, which allow a damaged check 20 to be firmly 
retained for rehabilitation and during processing through data processing 
machines, while also allowing the check 20 to be easily removed if 
desired. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the damaged check 20 as having a tear 
20a passing through the numerical dollar amount on the face of the check. 
With contemporary digital imaging and reading machines, this numerical 
amount, which is frequently handwritten, constitutes the critical image on 
the face of the check 20. Consequently, it important that the check 20 can 
be rehabilitated by being physically positioned so that it appears as 
nearly as possible as originally written, and then firmly retained in that 
position by adhesion to the backing sheet 12. 
The adhesive 18 on the face of the backing sheet may be either pressure 
sensitive or heat sensitive (hot melt). A pressure sensitive adhesive is 
preferred where checks are to be manually affixed. Where automated systems 
are to be used the adhesive may either be pressure sensitive or heat 
sensitive. 
When the adhesive 18 is a pressure sensitive adhesive, the document backer 
10 is preferably manufactured and shipped with a removable cover sheet 22 
which covers the exposed portion of the front surface 12e. The cover sheet 
22 is preferably formed of a polymeric or coated paper which does not 
permanently adhere to the adhesive 18 and which can thus be easily and 
quickly removed so as to expose the adhesive 18. 
The document backer 10 may be manufactured and used manually in discrete 
rectangular sheets, as illustrated in the Figures. Alternatively, the 
backer 10 may be manufactured and shipped in a continuous roll, in which 
case the backer 10 is cut to a required length in an automated document 
repair processing machine. One advantage of using the backer automated 
equipment is that strips of the backer can be automatically cut in lengths 
which precisely match the check to be attached, thereby facilitating 
subsequent automated processing of the combined backer and check. 
It will be noted that one advantage of the present invention is that the 
damaged check 20 abuts the vellum strip 14, so that there is a nearly 
smooth continuum between the face of the check and the face of the vellum 
strip. This results no overlapping paper components, which in turn ensures 
fewer document misfeeds in automated data processing machines and a lower 
likelihood that the check will be dislodged from the backing sheet during 
handling or processing. 
Also, it will be noted (FIG. 2) that the back of the check 20 is entirely 
exposed through the translucent backing sheet 12, so that the back of the 
check 20 may be photographed, microfilmed or digitally imaged. In this 
regard, it should be noted that, whereas it is desirable that the front of 
the check be perfectly visible and unimpaired by any kind of translucent 
sheet to ensure the accurate digital reading of the monetary amount, the 
endorsements and instructions on the back of the check are normally only 
imaged for record keeping purposes, and for these purposes it is 
acceptable for the back of the check to be viewed through a translucent 
sheet. 
In use, the document backer 10 is prepared by first removing the optional 
cover sheet 22, if present, to expose the front surface 12e of the backing 
sheet and the adhesive patterns 18. The back of a damaged check 20 is then 
adhered to the front surface 12e of the backing sheet 12, with the lower 
edge of the check 20 abutting and aligned with the upper edge of the 
vellum strip 14. The check 20 is reconstructed as best as possible, with 
for example the tear 20a being positioned so that the numerical amount of 
the check is readable in substantially the same form as in the original 
undamaged check. It will be appreciated that the original face of the 
check 20 is presented for processing and digital imaging with no visual 
distortion or impairment, thus facilitating optimum digitization of the 
face of the check 20. 
Generally concurrently with attaching the damaged check 20 to the backing 
sheet 12, the vellum strip 14 is imprinted with magnetically readable 
characters 14a which reproduce the original characters 20b on the check 
20. Upon being so assembled and imprinted, the combined check 20 and 
backer 10 may be processed as a single document through standard document 
processing equipment. Upon completion of processing, the damaged check 20 
may be removed unaltered from the document backer 10, if desired. 
The present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to 
a preferred embodiment. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various 
modifications, alterations and substitutions may be apparent to one of 
ordinary skill in the art, and that such modifications, alterations and 
substitutions may be made without departing from the essential invention. 
Accordingly, the present invention is defined only by the following 
claims.