Abstract: A ribbon cassette incorporates a locking mechanism which acts to prevent both rotational spool movement and axial displacement or "treeing" of the coils of ribbon wound on a single flange supply spool prior to mounting for use in a typewriter. The locking mechanism is automatically released when the cassette is mounted for use in a typewriter or like machine.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for perfecting printing on paper sheets, one side being printed by the offset method and the other side being printed by direct planography, is provided for a five-cylinder sheet-fed offset press having an impression cylinder, first and second plate cylinders and first and second blanket cylinders, the latter being disposed respectively between the plate cylinders and the impression cylinder, wherein one or more printing plates suitable for direct planography are clamped on the impression cylinder in accordance with the size relationship between the impression cylinder and the blanket cylinders, the first plate cylinder and first blanket cylinder are arranged so as not to transfer indicia although the blanket cylinder is engaged with the impression cylinder, the effective diameter (d) of the first blanket cylinder is made slightly less than the dimension that corresponds to an integral multiple (or reciprocal thereof) of the effective diameter (D) of the impression cylinder, and the pr

Abstract: A line printer including a paper feeder channel disposed in the housing for the acceptance and feed of a recording medium to be printed is provided with an auxiliary paper feeder positionable on the paper feeder channel, whereby the auxiliary paper feeder is pivotally secured to the printer via a pivot pin. The pivot pin attachment contains a height adjustment device which lowers the auxiliary paper feeder over the paper feeder channel in its pivoted-in condition such that the feeder is aligned with respect to the channel and is supported on the printer.

Abstract: A postage meter has a print drum with print wheels which are shiftable to select the value of the postage. The print wheels are adjusted by displacing respective rack gears through an annular drive member and a pinion, and the print drum is rotated for printing the selected value on a workpiece. A shutter bar locks the print drum against rotation during value selection and locks the annular member against rotation during print drum rotation.

Abstract: A casing structure which includes a first casing unit having a first compartment and a second compartment, and a second casing unit having a third compartment. The second casing unit is pivotably connected to the first casing unit so as to open or close with respect thereto. The three compartments have respective inlets and outlets which are connected in series through connecting passages including these outlets and inlets to define an air flow passage. A heat source and sound source, i.e., an electrical and mechanical unit, is arranged in the intermediate second compartment and an air cooling fan is provided in the air flow passage in the vicinity of the heat unit.

Abstract: A hammer timing control system for the print hammers of a line printer uses a plurality of read/write RAMs in place of individual fire control circuits for controlling the firing periods of the hammers. A delay value RAM stores individual delay values to be interposed before each hammer is fired, and a terminate fire RAM stores a delay value to be interposed before the firing of a hammer is terminated. The hammers are turned on and turned off by signals incrementally clocked out from two pairs of RAMs which store each hammer address at memory locations corresponding to the hammer's assigned delay values.

Abstract: A print head (15) on a carriage (16) slides on a carriage guide bar (17) in front of a platen bar (18). A receipt slip (25) is fed from a roll (26) over part of the width of the platen bar (18) to a knife (40) for cutting off individual receipts. A daybook slip (45) is fed from a roll (46) over the bar (18) to a take-up roll (50). Other documents may be fed in for printing either downwardly between upper guides (37 and 38) or upwardly between lower guides (35 and 55). In either event the inserted document is engaged by a drive roller (60) and pressure roller (70) to be positioned at a predetermined height, under control of photodetectors (80 and 81). The pressure roller (70) is mounted between levers and can move away from the drive roller (60) to accommodate the thickness of the inserted document. The levers also support the carriage guide (17), whereby the head (15) is positioned a constant distance from the surface on which printing is effected.

Abstract: There is disclosed a printing band print head having a one-piece, dimensionally accurate, mounting block with integral end plates, the mounting block having a cradle for rotatably supporting drive wheels, printing bands with long printing characters and short human readable characters, a selector cooperable with any selected drive wheel, the selector being easy to assemble and including a knob connected to a selector shaft, an indicator axially shiftable as a unit with the selector, the selector shaft being rotatable with respect to the indicator, a sleeve on the shaft, and the sleeve having detent means and driver means. Printing bands coupled to the drive wheels pass about direction changing means and a support.

Abstract: A copysheet incremental feeder apparatus (10) comprising a drive unit (11) operatively connected to a rotor actuating unit (12) which drives a "floating" roller unit (13) rotatably disposed in a roller housing unit (14), whereby the floating roller element (27) produces a positive friction drive on the copysheet (100), regardless of the vertical disposition of the roller unit (13) within the housing (14).

Abstract: A drive system in which a rack having orthogonal teeth is driven off a helically threaded drive gear through a pinion. In order to compensate for the angle between the helical thread of the drive gear and the teeth of the driven rack, the drive gear and the rack engage the pinion at diametrically opposed positions and the axis of rotation of the pinion is skewed relative to the teeth of the rack by half the angle and the teeth themselves are also skewed relative to the axis of the pinion by half the angle. This has the effect that the teeth of the pinion are parallel at one side to the helical thread and are also parallel at the opposite side to the teeth of the rack. The drive system may be used in a postage meter for adjusting the print value wheels.

Abstract: A circuit and related method are provided for maintaining a desired spacing between an ink-jet printing means and a receiving surface along a line scanned by the printing means. An ultrasonic transducer transmits signals at timed intervals to the receiving surface from the printing means. A reflected signal from the receiving surface is sensed by the transducer during a receiving time window after the signal is transmitted. A reference position signal representative of the head to surface spacing at a printing location is compared to the desired head to surface spacing to produce a position error signal. A servomotor responds to the position error signal to move the printing means toward and away from the receiving surface to maintain the desired spacing.

Abstract: An improved ink stamp (10) includes an upper housing (12) receiving a stationary stamper element holder (14) and a translatable shield (16) biased downwardly by means of a spring (104) such that the lip (80) extends past the printing surface of the stamp element (20). A cover (18) having side arms (32, 34) joined by a cover face (36) rotates from a first position over the stamp element (20) to a second position over the curved, top surface (24) of the housing (12). The cover may also include means for locking the cover in both positions such as a set of protuberances (62, 64) provided on the side walls (50, 52) of the housing which are received in corresponding detents (66, 68) provided on the inner surface of each side arm (32, 34).

Abstract: Individual ink disk or roller elements (4) are located, axially positioned next to each other on a roller transfer structure; to provide for smooth operation of the ink train rollers (5'), the disks or roller elements of the ink roller structure are in continuous surface engagement with an ink-receiving roller (5) forming part of the roller train, and driven at machine speed, and selectively shiftable about its circumference, by deflection of individual angled levers (6) for selective engagement with the next upstream ink transfer roller, receiving ink from an ink supply roller, operating at a speed slow with respect to machine speed and the ink transfer roller (3).

Abstract: Individual ink disk or roller elements (4) are located, axially positioned next to each other on a roller transfer structure; to provide for smooth operation of the ink train rollers, the disks or roller elements of the ink roller structure are in continuous surface engagement with an ink-receiving roller (5) forming part of the roller train, and driven at machine speed, and selectively shiftable about its circumference, by deflection of individual angled levers (6) for selective engagement with a ductor roller of an ink supply, leaving, however, a gap or nip (x) for ink transfer from the ductor roller. The stroke of the deflection of the individual angled levers is adjustable by adjustable stop elements (7; 12, 13, 17', 22) to control the width of the gap or nip between the ink disks or roller elements (4) and the ductor roller, when the disks or roller elements are moved toward the ductor roller.

Abstract: A locking assembly is disclosed for mounting a print wheel of the daisy type to a rotary drive mechanism. The locking assembly is constructed of a print wheel stop rotatable with the shaft of the drive mechanism, a print wheel retainer slidable along the shaft between a print wheel connecting and attaching position and biasing means for biasing the print wheel retainer into the connecting and attaching positions. The print wheel is provided with attaching members for engaging a portion of the print wheel retainer while being supported by the print wheel stop for detachably connecting the print wheel thereto and for permitting detachment of the print wheel therefrom when the print wheel retainer is arranged by the biasing means into the detaching position. Further in accordance with the present invention there is provided a carriage assembly adapted for tilting the print wheel to facilitate replacement and/or removal thereof wherein the carriage assembly is provided with a bias plate.

Abstract: The typewriter comprises a character carrying daisywheel having flexible petals which is carried by a carriage that is movable transversely with respect to the platen roller. Mounted on the carriage are a motor for moving the carriage, a motor for character selection, a print hammer, a cartridge for the typing ribbon, a correction ribbon and a drive unit for advancing the typing ribbon and raising and advancing the correction ribbon. The structure of the hammer and the arrangement of the typing ribbon and the character carrying daisywheel are such that typing and reading of the line of print are possible without it being necessary for the typing ribbon to be raised. The carriage is displaced in the two directions from the current position to an intermediate position to the left of the desired position. The carriage is then positioned precisely by a tooth-type setting means after a undirectional displacement of the displacement motor.

Abstract: Improved apparatus for servicing the inking assembly of a printing press. The apparatus minimizes the likelihood that supplies of different colored inks will be contaminated during the servicing of the inking assembly of a printing press and permits a pressman to completely service the inking assembly without having to leave the site of the printing press.

Abstract: A ribbon lift device for selectively positioning a print ribbon and a correction ribbon to a print position for printing or correction of a character includes a first cam having a cam groove formed therein for lifting the print ribbon to the print position and a second cam having a cam profile for lifting the correction ribbon to the print position. Means are provided for coupling the first and second cams such that forward rotation of the first cam will not rotate the second cam but reverse rotation of the first cam will rotate the second cam in the same direction, and a bidirectional electric motor is coupled to the first cam whereby rotation of the motor will lift the print ribbon or the correction ribbon, depending upon the direction of rotation.

Abstract: A printer includes a head and a platen mounted in a chassis. A paper tractor may be mounted on the chassis in either of two rotary positions either to pull or to push the paper, respectively, past the platen. The difference between the two positions is a rotary angle at which the tractor sits relative to the parts of the printing machine.

Abstract: The document transport system includes improved document drive and guide means to permit the optional feeding of a continuous web document or the feeding of individual cut form documents through the printer. A continuous web document can be fed through the printer in two feeding modes and cut form documents can also be fed through the printer in two feeding modes. Document guide means is provided for feeding documents inwardly from the top or front of the printer and both pin wheel and friction type drive means are provided.