Manufacturing lottery tickets and commercial coupons

A system for printing of instant lottery coupon tickets which provides improved security and prize structure integrity, comprising:

• (a) a series of printing stages for graphically printing a series of successive tickets on a continuous fast moving web of ticket stock,
• (b) a first computer controlled ink jet imager responsive to a pseudo random program, for placing different game play data on each successive ticket of the web at a speed which precludes personal observation of individual ticket numbers and for also placing a pseudo random validation number on each ticket which is correlated in a seemingly random fashion with the game plate data,
• (c) means for automatically identifying at high web speeds which preclude observation by an observer, those tickets that are not printed with game play data, and for placing a marking on the web to indicate whether such tickets are defective,
• (d) coating means for immediately covering the game play data applied by the first computer controlled ink jet imager to preclude personal observation of such data,
• (e) a second computer controlled in jet imager for placing book-ticket numbers (serial numbers) on each successive ticket, which are uncorrelated with respect to the prior applied imaged game play data and validation numbers,
• (f) sensing means physically positioned adjacent the web in line before the second computer controlled imager for scanning the web for markings indicating whether tickets are defective or valid and generating a signal indicative of the presence of these markings, and
• (g) control means connected to the sensing means and to the second computer controlled imager for receiving the signal from the sensing means and generating a control signal which controls operation of the second imager so as to preclude the imaging of a book-ticket (serial number) on a given ticket when markings on the web indicate that such tickets are defective.

A method for providing improved security and prize structure integrity in the printing of lottery and coupon tickets, comprising the steps of:

• (a) passing a continuous web of ticket stock suitable for printing of tickets through a graphic printing stage,
• (b) passing the continuous web through a first computer controlled ink jet imaging stage which places game play data and correlated validation numbers on each of the previously printed graphic tickets on the web at a rate too fast for an observer to comprehend the game play data,
• (c) sensing with a sensing means if the first computer controlled imager has correctly imaged each ticket,
• (d) immediately applying an overlay on the play game data to provide a tamper-proof removable covering,
• (e) numbering tickets with numbers which are uncorrelated with respect to play game data with a second independently controlled imaging means for imaging pseudo random shuffled book-ticket serial numbers on each of the tickets in accordance with an independent computer programmed tape,
• (f) controlling operation of the second computer controlled imager in placing serial numbers on the web in response to the sensing means, to prevent imaging of ticket serial numbers on defective tickets.

A method for printing of lottery and coupon tickets which provide improved security and prize structure integrity, comprising:

• (a) printing ticket graphics on a continuous web of ticket stock suitable for printing of tickets by passing it through a graphics printing stage.
• (b) imaging the web by subsequently passing it through a first computer controlled ink jet imaging stage which places game play data and also correlated validation numbers on each of the previously printed tickets at a rate too fast for an observer to comprehend the game play data,
• (c) sensing with a sensing means whether the imaged data of the first computer controlled imager has been correctly imaged on each ticket.
• (d) immediately applying an overlay on the play game data to provide a tamper-roof removable covering,
• (e) marking the web in response to the sensing means to indicate whether the imaged data has been correctly imaged,
• (f) rewinding the web of tickets which are complete except for application of book-ticket serial numbers and storing them as printed rolls for subsequent application of such numbers,
• (g) randomly selecting one of the printed rolls and placing it in a second line having a second imager for imaging book-ticket serial numbers which are uncorrelated with play game data,
• (h) passing the web of the selected roll through a sensing means for detecting markings indicating whether tickets are valid or defective and generating signals indicative thereof,
• (i) receiving the sensing signals and producing a control signal responsive to the markings for controlling the operation of the second imager such that it will apply book-ticket numbers only to valid tickets.