Alternative-value paper refund form

• US 4,722,554 A
• Filed: 08/27/1986
• Issued: 02/02/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas G. Pettit
• Original Assignee: St. Ives Laboratories, Inc. (Unilever PLC)
• Inventors: Pettit, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Paul A.
• Application Number:
  US06/900,737
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 283/67, 283/56, 283/57, 283/58, 283/59, 283/102, 283/103, 283/104, 283/105, 283/106, 283/107, 273/139, 434/433
• US Class Current: 283/105
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/0053 Forms specially designed for commercial use, e.g. bills, receipts, offer or order sheets, coupons
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes

Abstract

A single sheet paper form contains upon a first side the complete face of a negotiable instrument, nominally a check. Upon the opposite second side are printed one or more coupons in an image area which is partially overlapping of the oppositely juxtaposed image area of the check upon the first side. Severence of the check from the entire form is required in order to negotiate it, simultaneously dividing the coupon(s) and rendering it (them) unredeemable. Alternatively, severance of the one or more coupons from the entire form is required in order to redeem such coupon(s), simultaneously dividing the check and rendering it non-negotiable. The benefits promised, amounts, conditions, exercise dates, and other parameters of the check and the coupon(s) are completely independent. Further elements including a contest entry blank may be incorporated upon either side of the form, and either in alternative or non-alternative relationship to existing form elements of check and coupon(s).

Claims

1. A single piece of paper comprising:

a first side bearing a first image of a form; and

a second reverse side including a portion bearing a second image of a form said images partially overlapping, and positioned such that detachment of the portion bearing the second image mutilates the first image.

2. A single piece of paper as described in claim 1, wherein the first image occupies a portion of the first side and the first image is positioned such that detachment of the portion bearing the first image mutilates the second image.

3. The single piece of paper described in claim 2, wherein the portion of the reverse side that bears the second image is separated from the remainder of the reverse side by a first dividing line.

4. The single piece of paper described in claim 3, wherein the first dividing line includes serrations adapted for easy separation of the first portion from the remainder of the paper.

5. The single piece of paper described in claim 4, wherein the portion bearing the first image is separated by serrations from the remainder of the first side.

6. A single piece of paper described in claim 1, wherein the first image is an image of a check and a portion of the second reversed side is suitable for endorsing a check.

7. The piece of paper described in claim 1, wherein the portion of the reverse side bearing the second image includes a third image of a form positioned such that detachment of either the second or third image mutilates the first image.

8. A single piece of paper exhibiting particularly juxtaposed image areas of particular images upon its two sides, said single piece of paper comprising:

a first side printed with the image of a check within a first image area, which first image area is smaller than the entire area of said piece of paper;

a second side printed with the image of coupon within a second image area, which second image area is smaller than the entire area of said piece of paper;

wherein said first image area upon said first side is partially, and only partially, juxtaposed with said second image area upon said second side, neither image area being entirely juxtaposed within the image area of the other.

9. A single piece of paper exhibiting particularly juxtaposed image areas of particular images upon its two sides, said single piece of paper comprising:

a first side printed with the image of a check within a first image area, which first image area is smaller than the entire area of said piece of paper;

a second side printed with the image of a contest entry from within a second image area, which second image area is smaller than the entire area of said piece of paper.

wherein said first image area upon said first side is partially, and only partially, juxtaposed with said second image area upon said second side, neither image area being entirely juxtaposed within the image area of the other.

10. A planar piece of material comprising:

a first side printed with a first image of a form; and

a reverse side printed with a second image of a second form within a portion of the reverse side, wherein the two images only partially overlap and the two images are selected from group consisting of images of negotiable instruments, coupons, tickets, tear-up windows, discount orders, merchant ticket orders, and entry forms.

11. The piece of material described in claim 10, wherein the reverse side bears a third image of a form positioned such that detachment of the third image does not mutilate the first image or the second image.

12. The piece of material described in claim 10, wherein the reverse side bears a third image positioned such that detachment of the third image mutilates the first image but does not mutilate the second image.

13. The planar piece of material described in claim 10, wherein directions are printed on the reverse side outside of the portion.