Device for printing endorsements of documents

Device for printing endorsements on documents passing through a document processing apparatus. The device comprises a rotatable outer housing having a cylindrically shaped exterior surface and a ring gear having a toothed first part and a toothless second part. A stamp for printing endorsements and at least one band having digits or characters thereon form a substantially continuous surface with the exterior surface of the outer housing. When the endorsing device is rotated by a pinion meshing with the ring gear, the digits or characters, as well as the stamp, contact a document passing through the document processing apparatus. During the rotation of the outer housing, further rotation is prevented by an arm which engages a projection on the outer housing and biasing means which biases the arm into locked engagement with the projection. When the arm engages the projection, the pinion is unable to rotate the outer housing as the toothless part of the ring gear is now facing the pinion. To release the outer housing, the force biasing the arm into locked engagement is removed. A second biasing means rotationally biases the outer housing so that the pinion will be able to mesh with the toothed portion of the ring gear, thereby continuing the rotation of the endorsing device.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is related to a device for printing endorsements on 
documents. More specifically, this invention is related to a device for 
printing endorsements on documents passing through a document processing 
device such as a document reader and/or printer. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Many different devices for processing documents are known. Most commonly, 
such devices are capable of reading magnetic or other types of characters 
imprinted on a document and/or printing magnetic or other types of 
characters onto the document. While the various configurations of document 
processing devices which include reading and/or printing means are 
diverse, such devices generally include a guide through which the document 
passes during processing. The document is drawn through the guide by pull 
rollers, passing through read and/or print stations for reading characters 
from and/or printing characters onto the document. 
Endorsing devices, on the other hand, print a specific distinguishing mark 
on the back or reverse side of the document being endorsed. Document 
processing stations which read characters from or print characters onto a 
document may include an endorsing device as well. Such endorsing devices 
may either be an impact type endorsing device or a roller type endorsing 
device. An impact type endorsing device includes an impact member which 
strikes the document passing through the endorsing device, thereby 
producing an impact on the document which results in the printing of the 
character or characters provided on the impact member onto the document. A 
roller type endorsing device rotates a roller into contact with the 
document as the document passes through the endorsing station, thereby 
leaving an imprint of the character or characters on the roller on the 
document. 
Among the disadvantages of using an impact type endorsement device in a 
document processing system is that in order to print the endorsement on a 
document, the advancement of the document must be stopped, the endorsing 
device activated to print the endorsement on the document and the 
advancement of the document resumed. Such a procedure results in the loss 
of time. As a result, the processing of documents is slower. 
Another disadvantage of using an impact type endorsement device in a 
document processing system is that impact devices must be repeatedly 
inked. It is difficult to conceive of an inking system for an impact type 
endorsement device which will satisfactorily operate within the size and 
price constraints imposed upon document processing systems. 
While roller type endorsers do not require the stopping of the document 
typically required by impact type endorsers, a disadvantage often present 
in roller type endorsing devices is that the rotation of the roller which 
contacts the document continues the entire time that documents are passing 
through the roller type endorsing device. As a result, the roller will 
indiscriminately endorse all documents passing through the endorsing 
device unless the roller is stopped, usually by a manual operation. 
Another disadvantage of the roller type endorsing systems is that, apart 
from the date, the information printed on the document is always the same; 
i.e. it cannot be changed without performing the slow task of removing one 
stamp and installing another. 
Printing devices are well known that have the feature that the printing is 
accomplished by the rotation of an endorser and not by impact type 
process. Such devices include a generally cylindrical housing and a series 
of wheels arranged inside the housing. Bands provided with digits or 
characters are positioned between a peripheral area of the cylindrical 
housing and the wheels. By activating the wheels, the digits or characters 
on the bands may be changed. The device is capable, therefore, of printing 
dates and inscriptions of any type which can be configured by the digits 
or characters provided on the bands. 
The endorsing device proposed by the invention has been designed to 
completely solve these problems, offering for that purpose a structure 
that is extremely simple and which pertains to document processing 
apparatus such as reading and/or printing devices which process documents 
such as those issued by banking entities. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A device for printing endorsements on documents passing through a document 
processing devices such as a document reader and/or printer comprises a 
rotatable outer housing having an interior opening and a cylindrically 
shaped exterior surface. The exterior surface includes a notch which 
communicates with the interior opening. Mounted in the interior of the 
outer housing are at least one band having digits or characters thereon 
and a series of wheels. The bands project through the notch to form a 
substantially continuous surface with the exterior surface of the outer 
housing. Rotating the wheels will change the digits or characters on the 
part of the bands which form the substantially continuous surface with the 
exterior surface of the outer housing. A removable stamp for printing 
endorsements is also mounted on the exterior surface of the outer housing. 
When the endorsing device rotates, the digits or characters positioned on 
the portion of the band forming the substantially continuous surface with 
the exterior surface of the outer housing and the stamp sequentially 
contact an inking roller and, once inked, contact a document passing 
through a document processing apparatus which includes a guide through 
which documents pass during processing, the endorsing device, which may be 
mounted at the entry or exit area of the guide, a backing plate for the 
endorsing device, a drive system, and a pinion to be rotated by the drive 
system. 
The endorsing device is rotated by the pinion meshing with a ring gear 
attached to the outer housing. The ring gear has, however, a first part 
having teeth and a toothless second part. As a result, the pinion can mesh 
only with the toothed part of the ring gear. After the endorsing device 
has been rotated 360 degrees, the endorsing device is blocked from further 
rotation by an arm which engages a projection on the outer housing and 
biasing means such as a spring which biases the arm into locked engagement 
with the projection. When the arm engages the projection, the pinion is 
unable to rotate the outer housing as the toothless part of the ring gear 
is now facing the pinion. 
To release the outer housing, the force biasing the arm into locked 
engagement with the projection is removed. A second biasing means 
rotationally biases the outer housing so that the pinion will be able to 
mesh with the toothed portion of the ring gear, thereby continuing the 
rotation of the endorsing device so that printing of the endorsement on 
the document passing through the guide may be accomplished.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Turning first to FIG. 1, the device for endorsing documents of the present 
invention will now be described in greater detail. The device for 
endorsing documents is comprised of an outer housing 1 having an interior 
opening and a cylindrically shaped exterior surface 1a. Outer housing 1 is 
provided with notch 6' in communication with the interior opening. Outer 
housing 1 also includes a concentric neck 2 which extends downwardly from 
the lower portion of outer housing 1. Neck 2, which has a cylindrically 
shaped exterior surface and a diameter less than the diameter of housing 
1, is provided with an oblique projection 3 in the direction of one of its 
generatrices. 
Mounted in the interior of outer housing 1 is inner housing 4. Inner 
housing 4 is comprised of an interior opening, a generally cylindrical 
portion 4a concentric with the exterior surface 1a of outer housing 1 and 
flanges 7 integrally formed with cylindrical portion 4a. Flanges 7 extend 
into and are supported by notch 6', thereby retaining inner housing 4 
within outer housing 1. Mounted in the interior of housing 4 are bands 6 
having a plurality of digits and/or characters (not shown) thereon. Each 
band 6 projects into notch 6' such that a portion of each band 6, which 
would typically have a single digit or character thereon, forms a 
substantially continuous surface with exterior surface 1a corresponding to 
the location of notch 6'. Bands 6 may be moved such that a different 
portion of the bands form a substantially continuous surface with exterior 
surface 1a by rotatable wheels 5, also mounted in the interior of housing 
4. The rotation of wheels 5 will cause bands 6 to move between the 
respective collars (not shown) fixed to the wheels 5 and the periphery of 
housing 4a which corresponds to the substantially continuous surface with 
the exterior surface 1a of outer housing 1. 
In such a manner, inner housing 4 is positioned within outer housing 1 to 
form the device for printing endorsements. By rotating wheels 5, bands 6 
may be continuously rotated to position any digit or character provided on 
the bands such that the digits or characters will be positioned on the 
portion of the bands which form the substantially continuous surface with 
the exterior surface 1a. 
Turning next to FIGS. 2 and 3, the endorsing stamp carried by cylindrical 
housing 1 will now be described in greater detail. While only one 
embodiment of the configuration of the stamp is to be described herein, it 
is contemplated that numerous alternate embodiments of the stamp 
configuration will be satisfactory for the uses herein proposed. An indent 
8a is provided on the exterior surface 1a of outer housing 1. A piece of 
rubber 8 or a similar material, which preferably bears a stamp or other 
identifying or characterizing mark (not shown) to be printed on documents 
during their endorsement, is attached to plate support 9. Plate support 9, 
in turn, is embedded in indent 8a of exterior surface 1a such that stamp 
8, like the characters or digits of belt 6, form a substantially 
continuous surface with exterior surface 1a. To change the stamp or other 
identifying or characterizing mark to be printed on the document, a pull 
in the axial direction is exerted on stamp 8 to remove stamp 8 and plate 
support 9 from indent 8a. An axial pressure is then exerted on a second 
plate support 9 carrying a second stamp 8 to install the new stamp in 
indent 8a. 
Turning now to FIGS. 4 and 5, inking roller 10, which is also mounted on 
reading/printing station 25 of FIG. 5, will now be more fully described. 
Inking roller 10, which is to be mounted near to and parallel with housing 
assembly 1, is rotatably connected to semi-housing 11. A support arm 12 
extends from semi-housing 11 and terminates in a cylindrical portion 13. 
Cylindrical portion 13 is rotatably mounted on column 14 of 
reading/printing station 25. Screw 15 holds cylindrical portion 13 in 
place on reading/printing station 25. If desired, inking roller 10 and 
semi-housing 11 may be removed from reading/printing station 25 by 
removing screw 15 and lifting inking roller 10 and semi-housing 11 from 
column 14 of reading/printing station 25. 
Focussing now on FIG. 5, the relationship of the device for endorsing 
documents illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 and a document processing apparatus 
such as reading/printing apparatus 25 upon which the device for endorsing 
documents of FIGS. 1-3 is installed is now more fully described. 
Reading/printing apparatus 25 includes a conventional drive means (not 
shown) such as a motor and drive shaft. Pinion 24 is mounted on the drive 
shaft and is rotated by the rotation of the drive shaft. Neck 2 of outer 
housing 1 includes a toothed ring gear 2a. Toothed ring gear 2a, which is 
to be more fully described later, is rotatably mounted on a shaft (not 
shown) such that toothed ring gear 2a may or may not mesh with pinion 24. 
Consequently, when the motor rotates the drive shaft, outer housing 1 may 
or may not rotate. When outer housing 1 is rotated by pinion 24, stamp 8 
mounted on the exterior surface 1a of housing 1 and housing 4, as well as 
wheels 5 and bands 6 mounted in the interior of housing 4, are also 
rotated. 
The endorsement of documents by the endorsing device will now be described 
in detail. Inking roller 10 is mounted on column 14 of reading/printing 
apparatus 2. Arm or pawl 17 is rotatably mounted on column 14 such that 
the end of arm or pawl 17 may face projection 3 of cylindrical neck 2. 
Electromagnet 16, which is mounted on reading/printing apparatus 25, 
includes a core 16a which acts on arm or pawl 17. When electromagnet 16 is 
in a first or rest state, spring 18 exerts a biasing force on arm or pawl 
17 such that arm or pawl 17 is in locked engagement with projection 3. As 
a result of the locked engagement of arm or pawl 17 and projection 3, 
outer housing 1 is prevented from rotating. Furthermore, when arm or pawl 
17 is in locked engagement with projection 3, pinion 24 faces the 
toothless portion of ring gear 2a, thereby preventing pinion 24 from 
meshing with ring gear 2a to rotate outer housing 1. 
When electromagnet 16 is activated as a result of receiving a command, 
electromagnet 16 enters a second or active state. In this state, 
electromagnet 16 will act on arm or pawl 17 to release arm or pawl 17 from 
the locked engagement with projection 3, thereby permitting outer housing 
1 to rotate. In order to release arm or pawl 17 from projection 3, spring 
19 disposed beneath outer housing 1 will exert a small rotational biasing 
force on outer housing 1 at the moment the electromagnet is activated, 
thereby initiating rotational movement by outer housing 1 which will 
produce the release of arm or pawl 17 with respect to projection 3. The 
rotational movement of outer housing 1 produced by the rotational biasing 
force of spring 19 will rotate ring gear 2a sufficiently so that pinion 24 
will mesh with the toothed portion of ring gear 2a, thereby rotating outer 
housing 1. As the drive means is now connected to ring gear 2a, outer 
housing 1 will begin a single rotation. 
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 5, the outer housing 1 of the endorsing device 
is mounted near guide 20 through which documents to be endorsed pass such 
that outer housing 1 projects through opening 20a in guide 20. On the 
opposite side of guide 20, die roller 21, which acts as a backing plate 
for outer housing 1, is mounted on reading/printing apparatus 25 by spring 
22 such that die roller 21 projects through opening 20b in guide 20. 
Adjustment screws 23 are provided in order to increase or decrease the 
pressure of die roller 21 against outer housing 1. When a document passes 
through guide 20 and between outer housing 1 and die roller 21, then the 
rotation of outer housing 1 commenced by the activation of electromagnet 
16 and the release of the locking engagement of arm or pawl 17 and 
projection 3 and continued by the meshing of pinion 24 with the toothed 
portion of ring gear 2a, will cause stamp 8 and the digits or characters 
provided on bands 6 which form the substantially continuous surface with 
outer housing 1, to project through opening 20a in guide 20 and press 
against the document and die roller 21, thereby stamping the desired 
endorsement on the back of the document. 
When outer housing 1 has completed a full rotation, i.e. rotated 360 
degrees, outer housing 1 is again stopped by the locking of arm or pawl 17 
on projection 3 and the disengagement of pinion 24 from ring gear 2a due 
to the toothless portion. Outer housing 1 will not continue to rotate 
until electromagnet 16 receives another command and is again activated. 
It is not considered necessary to make this description more extensive for 
any expert on the subject to be able to understand the scope of the 
invention and the advantages deriving therefrom. The materials, shape, 
size and arrangement of the components may be varied, as long as this does 
not involve an alternation of the essence of the invention. Finally, the 
terms used in the description of this report must always be taken in the 
broader and not a limited sense. 
Thus, there has been described and illustrated herein, a device for 
printing endorsements on documents passing through a document processing 
device such as a document reader and/or printer. However, those skilled in 
the art will recognize that many modifications and variations besides 
those specifically mentioned may be made in the techniques described 
herein without departing substantially from the concept of the present 
invention. Accordingly, it should be clearly understood that the form of 
the invention described herein is exemplary only, and is not intended as a 
limitation on the scope of the present invention.