Reading machine with large tolerance to accommodate print misregistration

Claim 1

IN A OPTICAL CHARACTER READING MACHINE FOR CHARACTERS ON AN AREA, A CHARACTER EXAMINATION MEANS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION SIGNALS, MEANS FOR IMAGING A SAID CHARACTER ON SAID EXAMINATION MEANS, M EANS TO CAUSE RELATIVE MOTION IN A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION BETWEEN THE IMAGE AND SAID EXAMINATION MEANS, AND MEANS TO VERTICALLY SWEEP THE HINGE SO THAT SAID EXAMINATION MEANS EXPERIENCES A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL EXCURSIONS OF THE IMAGE, MEANS PROVIDING A CONTROL SIGNAL IN CONJUNCTION WITH A SAID EXCURSION, A TEMPORARY STORAGE REGISTER OF A CAPACITY NOT SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER VERTICALLY THAN THAT REQUIRED TO STORE INFORMATION SIGNALS CORRESPONDING TO THE VERTICAL HEIGHT OF THE CHARACTER, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID CONTROL SIGNAL TO GATE AND INFORMATION SIGNALS INTO SAID REGISTER AT LEAST DURING A FRACTION OF EXCURSIONS OF THE IMAGE, AND DECISION MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID REGISTER TO IDENTIFY THE CHARACTER ON THE BASIS OF THE INFORMATION WHICH IS IN SAID REGISTER DURING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID EXCURSIONS.