Continuous office form

Abstract

 A continous office form for the reception of arbitrary, recorded information, which form has been printed with spaced sets of parallel bars, such that each bar extends across the form and occurs in a repetitive pattern in the longitudinal direction of the form, and in which at least one bar forming part of a set is wider than the other bars of that set, which are of equal width.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a continuous office form for the reception of arbitrary, recorded information, which form has been printed with spaced sets of parallel bars such that each bar extends across the form and occurs in a repetitive pattern in the longitudinal direction of the form.

[0002] Such an office form is known from the Dutch patent no. 173,373. In this known office form transverse lines have been inserted between the sets of two or more printed bars, which lines divide the zone between the sets into a corres­ponding number of bars of the same width as the printed bars of a set. This repetitive pattern of a set of printed bars followed by interposed lines has the effect of interrupting the information provided in linear form in the bars and between the lines, respectively, when the reader's eyes move down while scanning the lines of recorded information. Such a layout will reduce the tendency to overlook information unintentionally.

[0003] Even though the use of sets of printed bars and interposed transverse lines facilitates the reading of recorded infor­mation, in actual practice it turns out that with visual scanning by the human eye some information is still liable to be inadvertently overlooked. Presumably, this is due to the fact that the sets of printed bars and the interposed transverse lines render the aspect of the known office form with the information recorded thereon visually uncomfortable.

[0004] It is the object of the present invention to provide a continuous office form which reduces the tendency inadver­tently to overlook information recorded on the form during visual scanning by the human eye. To achieve this object, an office form of the type mentioned in the introductory paragraph is characterized according to the invention in that at least one bar forming part of a set is wider than the other bars of that set, which are of equal width. Now this uneven pattern of each set of bars will by no means lead to fading of the recorded information when scanned with the human eye for some time. Also, the novel office form with the information recorded thereon presents a visually restful aspect. Because of these features, all of the recorded information will be absorbed.

[0005] An embodiment of an office form according to the invention is characterized in that the number of bars in a set is three and that the bar in the centre of the set is widest. This embodiment of the office form has proved to afford most satisfaction in practice.

[0006] A further embodiment of an office form according to the invention is characterized in that the bar in the centre of a set has a width of virtually two eighths of an inch and that the bars on both sides thereof have each a width of virtually one eighth of an inch. At present, it is becoming increasingly common practice to have computer data printed on an office form after each one eighth of an inch. In the configuration as here defined the upper, centre and lower bars of a set will then contain one, two and one line(s) of information, respectively. Up to now, however, it has been customary for a computer to print out its information after each one sixth of an inch. In that case, the three bars in a set on an office form according to the invention will each contain a line of information virtually in their respective centres. In consequence, the present office form can be used very advantageously for line spacings of both one eighth and one sixth of an inch.

[0007] A further embodiment of an office form according to the invention is characterized in that the form is provided with a printed line numbering, being continuous when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the form, in which
- at one end of the form, starting virtually in the centre of the upper bar of the uppermost set, a line numeral is printed after each one sixth of an inch, such that this one end of the form has a line numbering up to 63 or 66, when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the form,
- at the other end of the form, starting virtually in the centre of the upper bar of the uppermost set, a line numeral is printed after each one eighth of an inch, such that this other end of the form has a line numbering up to 84 or 88, when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the form.

[0008] The invention will now be further elucidated with reference to the accompanying drawing which represents an embodiment of an office form according to the invention.

[0009] The figure depicts an office form which is suitable for the reception of information from a computer. The office form 1 contains spaced sets 2 of three printed parallel bars 3, 4 and 5. Bar 4 has a width of two eighths of an inch, whilst bars 3 and 5 are each one eighth of an inch wide. This uneven pattern of each set 2 of bars 3, 4 and 5 will prevent fading of recorded information which is scanned with the human eye for some time. Also, the omission of lines between two or more printed bars ensures that the aspect of the office form 1 with the information recorded thereon is found comfortable to the eye. In this context it is to be observed that the relevant information is entered not only on the printed bars 3, 4 and 5 but also in the intervening spaces 6. Because of the aforesaid provisions, no part of the recorded information is inadvertently overlooked during reading. The bars 3, 4 and 5 of a set 2 are provided at one end with printed line numerals 1, 2 and 3, respectively, which numerals are located virtually in the centre of the respective bars. At their other end, the said bars bear the printed line numerals 1, 2 and 3, and 4, respectively. Of these, the line numerals 1 and 4 are located in the centre of their bar, whilst line numerals 2 and 3 are situated virtually in the centre of an imaginary half of bar 4. Now when a computer starts printing on the present office form 1 after each one sixth of an inch, bars 3, 4 and 5 will contain a line of data running down their respective centres (accor­ding to the left-hand line numerals 1, 2 and 3). If, however, a computer starts printing after each one eighth of an inch, bars 3, 4 and 5 will contain one, two and one line(s) of data (according to the right-hand line numerals 1, 2 and 3, and 4). The office form 1 provided with perforations 7 is therefore suitable for use with both printing spaces. The readability of the present office form 1 is further enhanced by executing the bars 3, 4 and 5 in blue, with the bars 3 and 5 being an identical light blue and bar 4 preferably a dark blue.

Claims

1. A continuous office form for the reception of arbi­trary, recorded information, which form has been printed with spaced sets of parallel bars, such that each bar extends across the form and occurs in a repetitive pattern in the longitudinal direction of the form, characterized in that at least one bar forming part of a set is wider than the other bars of that set, which are of equal width.

2. A continuous office form according to claim 1, characterized in that the number of bars in a set is three and the bar in the centre of the set is widest.

3. A continuous form according to claim 2, characterized in that the bar in the centre of a set has a width of virtually two eighths of an inch and that the bars on both sides thereof have each a width of virtually one eighth of an inch.

4. A continuous office form according to claim 3, characterized in that, when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the form, the upper, centre and lower bars of a set are provided at one end with printed line numerals 1, 2 and 3, respectively, which numerals are located virtually in the centre of the respective bars, and at the other end they bear the printed line numerals 1, 2 and 3, and 4, of which the line numerals 1 and 4 are located virtually in the centre of their bar, whilst the line numerals 2 and 3 are each situated virtually in the centre of an imaginary half of the central bar.

5. A continuous office form according to claim 3, characterized in that the form is provided with a printed line numbering, being continuous when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the form, in which
- at one end of the form, starting virtually in the centre of the upper bar of the uppermost set, a line numeral is printed after each sixth of an inch, such that this one end of the form has a line numbering 1 up to 63 or 66, when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the form,
- at the other end of the form, starting virtually in the centre of the upper bar of the uppermost set, a line numeral is printed after each one eighth of an inch, such that this other end of the form has a line numbering 1 up to 84 or 88, when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the form.

6. A continuous form according to any one of the prece­ding claims, characterized in that the bars are a blue colour, with the widest bar being the darkest blue.

Drawing