US3943642A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Trim marks of equilateral triangular shape
Assignee: Scantron Corp
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Filing: 1974-10-09
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Granted: 1976-03-16
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Expires: 1994-10-09
Abstract
Abstract Trim marks of equilateral triangular shape are used to define a trim line for sheets containing machine-readable indicia. Each trim mark consists of an equilateral triangle with one corner situated along the trim line, an adjacent side extending perpendicular to that trim line, and an opposite side parallel to but spaced from the trim line. The length of the adjacent side corresponds to the acceptable severance tolerance for the trim line, so that if the sheet is cut away from the desired trim line, the visable width of the truncated triangular trim mark will equal the amount of offset. Advantageously, differently spaced pairs of such trim marks are employed on opposite sides of the desired trim line so that the separation distance between the truncated triangles provides a visual indication of the direction and possible skew of severance offset.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael Sokolski
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 16:25
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K19/00; G06K19/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
285 words
Trim marks for a page to be severed along a trim line to form a sheet containing indicia to be read automatically by sensors aligned a fixed distance from a severed edge of said sheet, said trim marks comprising: a first set of equilateral triangles printed on said page on one side of the desired trim line, each triangle in said first set being oriented with one corner along said trim line and one side adjacent said corner extending perpendicular to said trim line, so that the side opposite said one corner is parallel to said trim line but spaced therefrom, the length of said one adjacent side being equal to the maximum acceptable trim tolerance for severance offset in the direction of that first set, and a second set of equilateral triangles printed on said page on the opposite side of the desired trim line, each triangle in said second set being oriented with one corner along said trim line and one side adjacent said corner extending perpendicular to said trim line so that the side opposite said one corner is parallel to said trim line but spaced therefrom, the length of said one adjacent side being equal to the maximum acceptable trim tolerance for severance offset in the direction of said second set, whereby when said page is severed exactly on said trim line, only the corner points of said triangles are visible at the severed edge of said sheet, and whereby when said page is severed off said trim line but within tolerance, the width of the truncated triangle visible at the severed edge of said sheet corresponds exactly to the amount of offset of the severed edge from said trim line.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
285 words
Trim marks for a page to be severed along a trim line to form a sheet containing indicia to be read automatically by sensors aligned a fixed distance from a severed edge of said sheet, said trim marks comprising: a first set of equilateral triangles printed on said page on one side of the desired trim line, each triangle in said first set being oriented with one corner along said trim line and one side adjacent said corner extending perpendicular to said trim line, so that the side opposite said one corner is parallel to said trim line but spaced therefrom, the length of said one adjacent side being equal to the maximum acceptable trim tolerance for severance offset in the direction of that first set, and a second set of equilateral triangles printed on said page on the opposite side of the desired trim line, each triangle in said second set being oriented with one corner along said trim line and one side adjacent said corner extending perpendicular to said trim line so that the side opposite said one corner is parallel to said trim line but spaced therefrom, the length of said one adjacent side being equal to the maximum acceptable trim tolerance for severance offset in the direction of said second set, whereby when said page is severed exactly on said trim line, only the corner points of said triangles are visible at the severed edge of said sheet, and whereby when said page is severed off said trim line but within tolerance, the width of the truncated triangle visible at the severed edge of said sheet corresponds exactly to the amount of offset of the severed edge from said trim line.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
Trim marks according to claim 1 wherein said trim line is defined by the locii of said triangle one corners.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
Trim marks according to claim 1 wherein said first and second sets each contain at least one pair of triangles, and wherein the distance parallel to said trim line between the triangles of each pair in said first set is different from that between the triangles in each pair in said second set.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
66 words
Trim marks according to claim 3 wherein the distance between the triangles in each pair of said second set is less than that between the triangles in each pair of said first set, and wherein the trim-line defining one corners of the pair of triangles in said second set are situated between the trim-line defining one corners of the pair of triangles in said first set.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
Trim marks according to claim 4 wherein said page contains two sheets formed by severing said page along said trim line, said trim marks thereby being common to both sheets.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
Trim marks according to claim 4 wherein each set contains two pair of triangles, the pairs of triangles in said first set being relatively widely separated as compared to the separation distance between the triangles forming each pair in said first set.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-03-16 | 1979-09-15 | 1980-03-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-03-16 | 1983-09-15 | 1984-03-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-03-16 | 1987-09-15 | 1988-03-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |