(19)
(11) EP 0 448 383 A2

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43) Date of publication:
25.09.1991 Bulletin 1991/39

(21) Application number: 91302442.8

(22) Date of filing: 20.03.1991
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)5G07C 1/30
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH DE DK ES FR GB IT LI LU NL SE

(30) Priority: 20.03.1990 GB 9006233

(71) Applicants:
  • KENRICK & JEFFERSON LIMITED
    West Bromwich, West Midlands B70 8NB (GB)
  • LANGDALE SYSTEMS LIMITED
    Swindon, Wiltshire, SN3 5HY (GB)

(72) Inventors:
  • Sedgwick, Anthony
    Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 4LF (GB)
  • Hackwood, Roger
    Hales Owen, West Midlands B63 1DX (GB)
  • Peach, David
    Olney, Buckinghamshire, MK46 5PT (GB)
  • Hartill, Roger
    Hales Owen, West Midlands, B63 1HH (GB)

(74) Representative: Fry, Alan Valentine et al
FRY HEATH & SPENCE The Old College 53 High Street
Horley Surrey RH6 7BN
Horley Surrey RH6 7BN (GB)


(56) References cited: : 
   
       


    (54) Improvements in and relating to vouchers particulary for the control of parked vehicles


    (57) A prepaid parking voucher (1) printed with a plurality of discrete time-indicating areas, the voucher being printed on a self-manifolding material such that rubbing or other application of pressure to a time-indicating area produces within that area an irreversible colour change.




    Description


    [0001] This invention relates to forms for use, for example, as parking vouchers, although it will be understood that forms in accordance with the invention can be designed to suit many different applications.

    [0002] It has already been proposed to use as parking vouchers, forms which have been pre-printed with the days of the week, month names and various time indications. The user can buy packs of such vouchers in advance and use them one or more at a time to indicate the details of the current parking period. It is, however, important to ensure that use of a voucher defaces it in some way to prevent re-use on a subsequent occasion.

    [0003] One current system calls for the user to deface the voucher by making holes in the voucher at specific pre-printed locations indicative of the date and time. The printing at those locations is such that it is difficult (but not impossible) to repair the voucher for re-use. Where the face value of the voucher is relatively high, a user may regard it as worth the effort involved to repair the voucher.

    [0004] A more secure type of form has been proposed in which the form must be defaced by the user by rubbing off areas of a removable coating. These forms are, however, expensive to manufacture as they require basic printing, selective application of the removable coating material and then overprinting.

    [0005] The present invention resides in the appreciation by the applicants that all the requirements for vouchers which must be irreversibly defaced on use are met by simply printing the forms on the already known self-manifolding type of paper. Such self-manifolding papers are currently used in form sets where it is required to ensure that writing or typing on the top of the form of the set is transferred to further forms in the set without any interleaved carbon or like sheets. The paper is usually coated with a mixture of materials at least one of which is encapsulated so as to be released when sufficient pressure is applied locally to rupture the individual capsules and allow the intermingling of the materials to produce a colour or tone change. The essential feature of such papers is that all the materials required are contained in the paper coating.

    [0006] If forms are printed on such paper then the "highlighting" of a particular area of the form by rubbing its surface locally, is irreversible. The form, once used, therefore, cannot be restored to its original condition for re-use.

    [0007] Accordingly, the invention provides a form for use, inter alia as a parking voucher, comprising a sheet of self-manifolding type paper with printing thereon indicating predetermined areas for marking by rubbing or otherwise applying pressure thereto so as irreversibly to deface the form on first use thereof.

    [0008] More specifically, the invention provides a prepaid parking voucher printed with a plurality of discrete time-indicating areas, the voucher being printed on a self-manifolding material such that rubbing or other application of pressure to a time-indicating area produces within that area an irreversible colour change.

    [0009] The printing on said areas preferably includes security printing such as a pattern of fine lines so that the proper appearance cannot readily be restored to a used form by applying a simple coat of opaque material thereto. The security printing could be effected using special inks, such as fugitive inks, the appearance of which is difficult to restore after defacement.

    [0010] An example of the invention is shown diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 show a parking voucher in new and used condition respectively and Figure 3 shows a detail of a voucher.

    [0011] The parking voucher 1 is made of a self-manifolding paper such as that sold under the name "Action" paper by Wiggins Teape Limited. The voucher is imprinted with various areas denoting different weekday names 2, different month names 3, different dates 4 and different times, the latter including areas for hours 5 and minutes 6. Each such area may have a fine pattern of lines 8 printed on it as shown in Figure 3. Although straight lines are shown, zig-zag or wavy lines or repeated wording are preferable as they are more difficult to reproduce. The security printing may be in a light colour so as to ensure that the colour change brought about by rubbing a selected area is clearly visible. Special ink, for example a fugitive ink, which is difficult to restore after defacement, may be used.

    [0012] The vouchers are purchased by the user in books of, possibly, ten vouchers. When required a voucher is simply removed from the book and the user employs a suitable instrument to rub or otherwise apply pressure to the paper and bring out the self-contained dyestuffs included in the coating on the paper, so as to mark the appropriate day, month, date, hour and minute (to the next five) using, for example, a pen, coin or finger nail until the selected areas are clearly discoloured. The voucher is then folded along broken line 7 and hung over a side window of the vehicle for inspection purposes. time.

    [0013] By this action the form is defaced to such an extent that it cannot be readily restored to a condition in which it could be re-used.

    [0014] It will be understood that the foregoing is merely exemplary of vouchers in accordance with the invention and that modifications can readily be made thereto without departing from the true scope of the invention as set out in the Claims appended hereto.


    Claims

    1. A form for use, inter alia as a parking voucher, comprising a sheet of self-manifolding type paper with printing thereon indicating predetermined areas for marking by rubbing or otherwise applying pressure thereto so as irreversibly to deface the form on first use thereof.
     
    2. A prepaid parking voucher printed with a plurality of discrete time-indicating areas, the voucher being characterised in that it is printed on a self-manifolding paper such that rubbing or other application of pressure to a time-indicating area produces within that area an irreversible colour change.
     
    3. A voucher as claimed in Claim 2 characterised in that the printing on the time-indicating are as includes security printing comprising a pattern of fine lines.
     
    4. A voucher as claimed in Claim 2 characterised in that the printing on the time-indicating areas includes security printing using fugitive inks.
     




    Drawing