Stationery printing apparatus for continuous business forms stationery assemblies

Claim 1

Stationery printing apparatus for printing indicia at a predetermined position on each form length of continuous business forms stationery assemblies formed of at least one elongated web of stationery separated into said form lengths by transverse, equally spaced lines of weakening, said apparatus comprising: a rotary printing roll having N equally circumferentially spaced printing surfaces thereon, said surface or surfaces being radially spaced from the axis of rotation of the roll a distance equal to NL/2π, where L is the distance between two adjacent transverse lines of weakening, and N is an integer equal to 1 or greater, impression means associated with said roll to define a printing nip so that continuous business forms passing through said nip will be imprinted upon by said printing surface at said nip, means for conveying a continuous business forms assembly along a path of stationery travel extending through said nip including a drive mechanism forwardly of said nip for positively advancing stationery along said path to said nip at a desired linear velocity, means for rotating said roll such that said printing surface is rotated at an angular velocity equal to said linear velocity, at least one first lineup indicia located along said path and forwardly of said nip, a second lineup indicia operatively associated with said roll whereby said roll may be initially located at a predetermined angular position about its axis of rotation, said first indicia being spaced from said nip by a distance D 1 , and said second indicia being positioned such that when said roll is in said predetermined angular position said printing surface will be angularly spaced from said nip by a distance D 2 , and wherein D 1 is related to D 2 as follows: D.sub.1 = D.sub.2 ± nL - X where n is zero or an integer of 1 or greater, and X is the longitudinal distance, if any, between said predetermined position on a form length and an arbitrarily selected index point, if any, on the form length to be aligned with said first lineup indicia, whereby when said roll is located in said predetermined angular position using said second indicia and a continuous business forms assembly having forms with individual lengths equal to L is initially positioned with said predetermined position or the arbitrarily selected index point, if any, of one of the form lengths adjacent said first indicia, upon operation of said conveying means, the form lengths will be imprinted upon at said predetermined positions thereon.