Abstract: A core includes a tubular body for supporting a wound sheet roll on a spindle. The body includes an annular outer surface for receiving the sheet roll, and an annular inner surface defining a bore for receiving the spindle. A plurality of ribs project inwardly from the body inner surface and extend axially between opposite first and second openings for nesting in the corresponding slots in the spindle. At least one of the ribs includes a bowed side surface in the exemplary form of a fork for frictionally engaging a corresponding one of the spindle slots to frictionally retain the core axially thereon.

Abstract: Thermal paper having a near infrared radiation scannable data image comprised of near infrared flourescent compounds provides scannable data invisible to the naked eye with little interference from printed text or images on the thermal paper. The near infrared fluorescent pigments are protected from contact with oxygen using a polymer resin. Thermal papers with overlapping bar codes can be prepared when using two or more near infrared radiation scannable bar codes that respond to different wavelengths. The overlapping bar codes provide more information in a given area.

Abstract: There is provided by the present invention a coating formulation and thermal transfer medium and printer which provide printed images in a range of colors by employing thermal dye systems in the thermal transfer layers that form the images. The thermal dye systems contain at least two reactive dyes which react at different temperatures, an activator for the reactive dyes and optionally, a sensitizer for the reactive dyes. The use of multiple reactive dyes enables a range of colors to be produced from one thermal transfer ribbon using either a multihead thermal printer or a single head thermal printer operating at different print head energies.

Abstract: Fluorescent security thermal transfer printing ribbons consisting of an elongated backing element having a printing media adhered to one side thereof. The printing media is capable of being transferred to paper, or some other print receiving medium, by conventional thermal transfer printing equipment. The thermally transferred printing media includes an interspersed distribution of fluorescent pigments, resulting in printed security characters and images which are transparent or invisible under broad spectrum light, but which fluoresce, and become visible, when exposed to black light.

Abstract: There is provided by the present invention, a thermal transfer ribbon for printing directly on cartons without the use of labels and a method for using the same.

Abstract: A printing ribbon for printing bar codes which appear visibly red and are scannable by conventional bar code scanning systems utilizing lasers emitting light having wavelengths in the visible red region and collectors which collect the light reflected from the bar codes. This is accomplished by the provision of a printing ribbon having a printing medium adhered to a backing element. The printing medium preferably includes an interspersed distribution of pigments which are retained in a binder. These pigments can include a combination of red coloring agents, such as visible red pigments which visibly appear red under broad spectrum light, fluorescent pigments which are inactive under light having wavelengths in the visible red region, but which fluoresce under broad spectrum light, and red absorbing agents, such as visible black or other dark colored pigments.

Abstract: Fluorescent security thermal transfer printing ribbons consisting of an elongated backing element having a printing media adhered to one side thereof. The printing media is preferably capable of being transferred to paper, or some other print receiving medium, by conventional thermal transfer printing equipment. If desired, the visible printed images can be made in one configuration, for example, conventional product identification bar codes, and the fluorescent security characters and indicia can be made in a different configuration, for example, the name of a particular store, or the store's logo. Thus, printing ribbons in accordance with this invention can be used to print visibly transparent printing, black printing, or other color printing as viewed under broad spectrum light, and independent fluorescent security characters and indicia which are invisible under broad spectrum light, but which fluoresce, and become visible, when exposed to black light.

Abstract: A facsimile security system includes a base sheet capable of having confidential information thereon and a cover sheet with imprinting thereon for obscuring the confidential information on the base sheet. The imprinting comprises lines in a repeated pattern over the cover sheet and the lines are separated by spaces without imprinting which spaces extend across the cover sheet or in an elongated direction of the cover sheet. The spaces may extend in a diagonal direction on the cover sheet or the spaces may extend only partially across the cover sheet in a repeated pattern. The cover sheet is preprinted in a preferred form of the invention.

Abstract: A smear resistant thermally reactive material for use in a one-coat system, the thermally reactive material being applied to a receiver stock and consisting essentially of: about 55-75% wax; a binder of about 0.5-11% ethylene vinyl acetate; a pigment of about 6-26% color pigment; a dye of about 0.5-14% color forming dye; and a reactant of about 5-15% epoxy resin. The smear resistant thermally reactive material has a cohesive strength that inhibits smearing of data that is thermally transferred from an ink ribbon to the receiver stock. A crosslinking polymer for use in a two-coat system is also disclosed. The crosslinking polymer has a first coating consisting of a catalyst of 100% organosilane and a second coating consisting essentially of: about 55-75% wax; a binder of about 0.5-11% ethylene vinyl acetate; a pigment of about 6-26% color pigment; a dye of about 0.5-14% color forming dye; and a reactant of about 5-15% organosiloxane.

Abstract: A thermal transfer ribbon includes a substrate and a layer thereon comprising a mixture of an emulsion essentially consisting of hydrocarbon, paraffin and carnauba waxes and an acetate copolymer, and a fluorescent color coating essentially containing a fluorescent pigment, a color toner and a filler.

Abstract: A reuseable ink ribbon cassette which is capable of accommodating ink ribbons having different widths. The ink ribbon cassette comprises a first cover member, a second cover member and a plurality of support shafts for adjustably and detachably securing the first and second cover members together. The first and second cover members each have a plurality of seats for rotatably supporting an ink ribbon supply spool and an ink ribbon take-up spool between the first and second cover members when the first cover member is detachably secured to the second cover member. The support shafts have a plurality of detents thereon which permit the first cover member to be adjustably and detachably secured a preselected distance away from the second cover member, thereby enabling the ribbon cassette to accommodate ink ribbons having different widths.