Abstract: There is disclosed a composite label web having feed apertures in its carrier web which enable the composite label web to be advanced in a labeler. The feed apertures are preferably arranged in pairs, and each pair has two equally and oppositely transversely and longitudinally inclined feed faces. The feed faces are engageable by a toothed driver. The feed apertures are spaced from the side edges of the carrier web and are spaced apart to avoid tearing out between the feed apertures. Flap portions of the carrier web resulting from making the feed apertures extend in other than the leading direction. The feed faces assist in keeping the carrier web transversely centered in the labeler.

Abstract: There is disclosed a hand-held labeler for printing and applying labels and for printing tags. The labeler has a keyboard, a display, a scanner, and a battery-containing handle. The labeler is user-friendly and compact. The labeler can be easily loaded with label and tag webs of different widths. The labeler has a discharge chute for the carrier web which can be slid to a position outside the labeler for easy cleaning.

Abstract: There is disclosed a pressure sensitive label roll comprised of a composite label web having a carrier web and labels releasably adhered by pressure sensitive adhesive to the carrier web. The outer wrap of the label roll is adhesively secured to the inner wrap to bold the outer wrap in place until the label roll is ready to be used, and this adhesive holds the labels of the inner wrap to the carrier web of the outer wrap more weakly than the pressure sensitive adhesive holds the labels of the inner wrap to the carrier web of the inner wrap. This prevents labels from being delaminated from the inner wrap when the outer wrap is unwound by the user.

Abstract: There is disclosed a composite web roll of pressure sensitive labels. The composite web comprises a composite label web including a carrier web and labels releasably adhered to the carrier web by pressure sensitive adhesive. By adhesively securing the underside of the carrier web of an end portion of the composite web to adjacent labels along the end portion, when the outer free end portion is unwound, the labels to which the adhesive is adhered are stripped from the carrier web. The disclosure also relates to method of making and using composite webs according to the invention.

Abstract: There is disclosed a printer having a thermal print head and a cooperable platen roll. The platen roll is driven to advance a web of record medium and an ink ribbon into cooperation with the print head. The printer can use an ink ribbon cartridge. The printer has a compact arrangement for the record medium supply roll, the ink ribbon cartridge, the printing mechanism, the drive mechanism, the keyboard, and the cutting mechanism for cutting tags from the web.

Abstract: There is disclosed a portable thermal printer having a printer housing, a printing mechanism and an ink ribbon cartridge containing a reloadable ink ribbon cartridge containing an ink ribbon. The cartridge has a cartridge housing and an improved brake for applying a slight braking force on a core of an ink ribbon supply roll in the housing. The cartridge is easy to load onto the printer. The cartridge forms part of the printer housing and is latched thereto. The cartridge is slid onto the printer and the cartridge housing detents into position.

Abstract: A hand held labeler is programmable to operate in accordance with a sequence of commands forming an application program that is downloaded to the labeler and stored in a random access memory. Each command is associated with a command routine selected from a set of command routines that is stored in a read only memory. The commands of the application program and associated command routines are executed by a microprocessor of the labeler to perform flexible data collection, data manipulation and label printing operations.

Abstract: There is disclosed a portable thermal printer having a printer housing, a printing mechanism and an ink ribbon cartridge containing an ink ribbon. The cartridge has a cartridge housing and an improved brake for applying a slight braking force on a core of an ink ribbon supply roll in the housing. The cartridge is easy to load onto the printer. The cartridge forms part of the printer housing and is latched thereto. The cartridge is slid onto the printer and the cartridge housing detents into position.

Abstract: There is disclosed a thermal printer having a print head and a pressure roller cooperable with a platen roll, with one manually operable member for substantially simultaneously separating the print head and the pressure roll for threading the printer and another member for separating the print head widely from the platen roll for cleaning purposes.

Abstract: A host communication message manager of a local bar code data processing and printing system allows one or more host processing systems to communicate with the local system to control the maintenance of data including bar code data stored in the local processing system. The host communication message manager also allows one or more host processing systems to communicate with the local system to control the printing of data including bar code data stored in the local system on a bar code printer coupled thereto. The host communication message manager allows both a host processing system in the form of a main frame computer as well as a host processing system in the form of a hand held labeler with data collection capabilities to communicate with the local bar code data processing and printing system to provide an integrated system for data collection, bar code printing and labeling.

Abstract: A barcode printer system is shown having a host processing system in communication with a barcode printer. The host processing system converts multi-level user input printer commands into a data stream in the printer control language of the barcode printer for transmission to the printer. The host processing system stores a number of printer command function routines, each of which is associated with a number of multi-level user input printer commands. Each user input printer command includes format and data information in a single command. A low level user input printer command, however, may include only a user readable word and data, the host processing system automatically utilizing stored default values for the format information when converting the command. A higher level user input printer command may include an abbreviation designating the command and values for one or more format variables as well as data.

Abstract: A bar code identification system format editor is shown which allows a single format to automatically be created for multiple, incompatible printers. The system includes a number of bar code printers of various types, each bar code printer type having an associated set of printer function options selectable by a user to define a format, i.e., the layout of fields for a tag, label or the like. When a user selects various printer types for which a format is to be generated, the format editor automatically determines the intersection of the sets of printer function options for each of the selected printer types to create a common set of printer function options. Thereafter, the format editor prompts the user to select only those printer function options supported by the selected printer types for the format as indicated in the common printer function option set. The format editor also allows a format to be created designated a nonfixed graphic so that one format can be used with a number of different graphics.

Abstract: A label dispenser in the form of a hand held labeler is shown that is selectively operable in a number of dispense modes. The dispense modes include an on-demand mode in which labels are automatically printed and dispensed as previously printed labels are removed from the labeler. In a manual mode, the labeler is responsive to the manual actuation of a trigger switch to print and dispense a label. The labeler is also responsive to an on line trigger command received from a host device to print and dispense a label. Further, a strip mode allows strips of labels to be automatically printed on demand or in response to the actuation of the trigger switch. An on-demand sensor is employed to detect the presence or absence of a label dispensed from the labeler in the on-demand modes. Further, the quantity of labels or strips of labels automatically dispensed in the on-demand modes may be limited to a specified quantity.

Abstract: An automatic print speed control for a barcode printer is shown, the printer includes a printhead to which power is applied during a strobe time to cause the printhead to print. The printer also includes a stepper motor that is responsive to a periodic drive signal for advancing a web of labels or the like past the printhead for printing thereon. The control is responsive to a number of measured operating variables of the barcode printer to adjust the printhead strobe time. The adjusted strobe time is compared to the period of the stepper motor drive signal in order to adjust the speed of the stepper motor if necessary.

Abstract: An on-line barcode printer is shown for communicating with one of a number of host computers having various communication parameters. The barcode printer automatically determines the communication parameters of the host computer coupled thereto in order to initialize an UART of the printer so as to eliminate the need for manual initialization thereof. The communication parameters automatically determined include baud rate, parity, the number of data bits and the number of stop bits.

Abstract: There is disclosed a thermal printer for printing on webs of record members such as tags and labels. The printer has a wide print head which can print on either a wide web or on a narrow web. When printing on a narrow web, pressure contact is relieved or minimized between the portion of the platen roll and printing elements beyond the side edge of the web to minimize wear as the platen roll rotates. This is accomplished by inclining the print head and platen roll relative to each other. In order to promote uniform tension in the ink ribbon, an adjustable guide is provided along the ink ribbon path. The guide can be adjusted in a flat plane. The guide is maintained perpendicular to the direction of ink ribbon travel and promotes uniformity of tension across the width of the ink ribbon and consequently enables tracking to be optimized.

Abstract: A printer for printing serial bar codes on a web of record members with a thermal print head is shown. The thermal print head is driven by a series of pulses having a constant duty cycle for each row of information printed. However, the number of pulses in the series is varied from row to row, in accordance with the status of the current row being printed as a bar row or a space row; with the status of at least one row immediately preceding the current row and at least one row immediately succeeding the current row; and with the number of bar rows previously printed. By varying the number of pulses applied to the thermal print head and thus the amount of energy applied thereto, discontinuities in the serial bar code and any information, such as a human readable character, printed adjacent thereto are minimized.

Abstract: A universal controller interface for use in a number of different barcode printers is disposed between the printer's microprocessor and a number of the printer's input and output devices including the printhead. The controller includes a microprocessor interface that allows the controller to be used with various types of printer microprocessors. The controller also includes a printhead control circuit that allows the controller to be used with various types of printheads such as an intelligent thermal printhead or a non-intelligent thermal printhead. The controller also includes a programmable serial input/output port and a programmable baud rate generator so as to further increase its flexibility and use with various types of barcode printer input and output devices. A memory protection circuit of the controller allows various portions of the printer's random access memory to be protected if desired.

Abstract: There is disclosed a hand-held labeler for printing and applying labels and for printing tags. The labeler has a keyboard, a display, a scanner, and a battery-containing handle. The labeler is user-friendly and compact. The labeler can be easily loaded with label and tag webs of different widths. The labeler has a discharge chute for the carrier web which can be slid to a position outside the labeler for easy cleaning.