Check certifying apparatus

Claim 1

A SEQUENTIALLY OPERATING CHECK SEVERING AND INK DEPOSITING DEVICE COMPRISING BASE MEANS HAVING ON A PORTION THEREOF A FLAT SURFACE AREA DEFINED ON BOTH ONE AND ON AN ADJACENT SIDE BY PRECISELY DISPOSED PERPENDICULARLY ORIENTED CURB MEANS, SAID FLAT SURFACE AREA HAVING A PEREPENDICULARLY DISPOSED APERTURE THEREIN OF A PREDETERMINED SIZE AND SPACE A FIRST PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM SAID ONE END AND A SECOND PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM SAID ADJACENT SIDE, BEARING MEANS DISPOSED ON SAID BASE MEANS ADJACENT SAID ONE END OF SAID FLAT SURFACE AREA, SUPPORT MEANS PROJECTING FROM SAID BASE MEANS AND SPACED OVER SAID APERTURE, SAID SUPPORT MEANS HAVING SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN A BORE THEREOF FOR RECIPROCATION IN A PATH PERPENDICULAR TO SAID FLAT SURFACE AREA A MEMBER WHICH HAS A FIRST END IN REGISTER WITH SAID APERTURE, SAID FIRST END HAVING A SHAPE COMPLEMENTARY TO THE SHAPE OF SAID APERTURE AND A SIZE SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN THE SIZE THEREOF, SAID MEMBER HAVING A CONVEX END OPPOSITE SAID FIRST END AND AN OVERALL LENGTH SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE FROM THE TOP OF THE SUPPORT MEANS TO SAID APERTURE, RESILIENT MEANS BIASING SAID CONVEX END AWAY FROM THE SUPPORT MEANS BORE AND SAID FIRST END TOWARD SAID SUPPORT MEANS BORE TO PROVIDE A CLEARANCE BETWEEN SAID FIRST END AND SAID APERTURE, ARM MEANS CARRYING INKED RAISED CHARACTERS NORMALLY SPACED FROM SAID FLAT SURFACE AREA, SAID ARM MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID BEARING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD SAID AREA IN A PATH DEFINED BY AN ARC LYING IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO SAID FLAT SURFACE AREA AND APARALLEL TO THE PATH OF RECIPROCATION OF SAID SLIDABLY MOUNTED MEMBER INTO A POSITION OF ENGAGEMENT OF SAID CHARACTERS WITH SAID FLAT SURFACE AREA, CAMMING MEANS ON SAID ARM MEANS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CONVEX END OF SAID SLIDABLY MOUNTED MEMBER FOR SLIDING TANGENTIAL ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH DURING PIVOT MOVEMENT OF SAID ARM MEANS TOWARD SAID FLAT SURFACE AREA, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID CAMMING SURFACE AND SAID CHARACTERS BEING SUCH THAT SAID CAMMING SURFACE ADVANCES THE FIRST END OF SAID RECIPROCATING MEMBER INTO SAID APERTURE IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO ENGAGEMENT OF SAID CHARACTERS WITH SAID FLAT SURFACE AREA, WHEREBY A CHECK HAVING STANDARD MAGNETIC INK CHARACTER RECOGNITION NUMBERS PRINTED THEREON ADJACENT A STRAIGHT SIDE EDGE THEREOF MAY BE POSITIONED ON SAID FLAT SURFACE AREA WITH AN END ABUTTING SAID END CURB MEANS AND SAID STRAIGHT SIDE EDGE ENGAGING SAID ADJACENT SIDE CURB MEANS WITH A PREDETERMINED PORTION OF SAID STANDARD MAGNETIC INK CHARACTER RECOGNITION NUMBERS IN REGISTER WITH SAID APERTURE, AND SAID PIVOTED ARM MEANS MAY BE MOVED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CHECK IN SUCH A MANNER THAT SAID PREDETERMINED PORTION OF SAID MAGNETIC INK CHARACTER RECOGNITION NUMBERS WILL BE FIRST SEVERED FROM SAID CHECK AND SUBSEQUENTLY INK FROM SAID CHARACTERS WILL BE DEPOSITED ON SAID CHECK.