Abstract: A transporting apparatus is disclosed. The transporting apparatus comprises a mounting plate; a assistant wheel assembly attached to the mounting plate, the assistant wheel assembly comprising an inner wheel, an outer wheel, and an elastic member; the elastic member is between the inner wheel and the outer wheel; a driving wheel movably attached to the mounting plate; a driving member secured to the driving wheel; and a belt connecting the outer wheel and the driving member; wherein the elastic member is generally deformed at a location where the belt warps on the outer wheel.

Abstract: An electrostatic marking system is provided having a power source(s) in each of its processing stations. A specialized power source is made up of two stepper motors in operative connection to a planetary gearset. This gearset is comprised of a sun gear, a set of planet gears supported by a carrier, and a ring gear. This power source provides a continuously variable gear ratio between each stepper motor and its load.

Abstract: A printing device is described, predominantly for printing labels on a tape. The printing device has a display and input means for inputting characters to be printed by the printing device. Using the input means, a cursor on the display can be controlled. The printing device has a label memory which comprises a storage portion having a plurality of storage sections. The display is operable to display a plurality of label access elements each of which represents a respective storage section in the storage portion of the memory. The cursor is used to access a selected storage section of the memory associated with the label access element identified by the cursor position. A method of storage label data in a label memory using this principle is also described.

Abstract: An indexing double planetary gear train forms a portion of a feed system for accurately advancing a print media sheet through a printer. The planetary gear train has primary and secondary rings coupled to a sun gear by a series of planet gear clusters. Each planet gear cluster has primary and secondary planet gears which engage the respective primary and secondary rings. By assembling at least two of the gear train components to be fully indexing, and through the use of the identical planet gear clusters formed in a single mold, imperfections in the planet clusters and the rings, such as tooth-to-tooth defects or eccentricity, are canceled and have no effect on the accuracy of the line feed increments. Thus, more accurate and uniform media advance is achieved using plastic molded gears which are also relatively low in cost to manufacture and easy to assemble.

Abstract: An apparatus for a scanning-head printer in which a single motor is used to provide movement to a print head carriage and to advance the paper along a paper path. The single motor is coupled to the print head carriage to provide movement of the carriage back and forth across the width of the paper. As the carriage is moved across the paper, the print head applies print to the paper. An advancement mechanism is located near the edge of the paper path. As the print head carriage reaches the edge of the paper, the carriage contacts the advancement mechanism which, in turn, causes the paper to be advanced along the paper path. Thus, a single motor advances the paper and moves the carriage across the paper.

Abstract: In a recording apparatus including a feed knob for manually feeding a recording sheet, a torque limiter is provided for preventing transmission of a torque more than a predetermined value from the feed knob to a recording sheet feeding portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a drive element of typewriters or similar office machines where the movement of the platen is derived from the movement of the carriage. In the past numerous drive elements have been required in devices of this type, which required a considerable assembly effort and bearing effort. In contrast hereto the drive element proposed is formed in one piece as a one-armed lever which is rotatably disposed coaxially with the platen and with the line space wheel disposed thereon and which has at least one ratchet which is in operative contact with the line space wheel. A displacement element disposed on the carriage of the machine comes into operative contact with the one-armed lever within a set movement range of the carriage and pivots it, so that the turning of the platen takes place by means of the ratchet.

Abstract: A printer such as a thermal printer includes a reversible motor, a paper feed driver angularly movable through a desired angle in response to operation of the motor, a paper feeder rotatable for feeding a sheet of paper, and an electromagnetic clutch operatively connected between the paper feed driver and the rotatable paper feeder. The electromagnetic clutch comprises a first yoke, a second yoke disposed in confronting relation to the first yoke normally in spaced relation thereto, and an exciting coil wound around one of the first and second yokes, the first yoke being coupled to the paper feed driver, the second yoke being coupled to the rotatable paper feeder, the arrangement being such that when the paper feed driver is turned in a direction to feed the sheet of paper, the exciting coil is energized to attract the first and second yokes magnetically to each other for thereby causing the paper feed driver to rotate the rotatable paper feeder to feed the sheet of paper through the electromagnetic clutch.

Abstract: In a printing device, including a drive means such as a stepping means and a driven shaft for advancing a form, a form aligning mechanism comprises a generally cylindrical hollow knob mounted concentrically with the driven shaft by a mounting means which converts a force of sufficient magnitude applied in almost any direction to the generally cylindrical hollow knob into a longitudinal displacement of the driven shaft so as to disengage the driven shaft from the drive means, thereby permitting fine adjustment of the vertical position of the form in the printing device.

Abstract: Apparatus for printing characters on at least one data carrier comprising a printing head movable along the data carrier, a line advance device for feeding the data carrier substantially perpendicular to the moving direction of the printing head, an ink ribbon feed mechanism for feeding an ink ribbon in relation to the data carrier, a cut-off mechanism for cutting off the data carrier, and a shaft rotatable less than 360.degree. in one direction by a reversible motor from a home position to an end position determined by the selected operation cycle and thereafter back to the home position by reversing the direction of rotation of the shaft. The reversal of the shaft is performed at different times during subsequent operation cycles to permit gears and cams on the shaft to move the printing head to positions determined by the number of characters to be printed on the data carrier, actuation of the line advance device, and actuation of the ink ribbon feed mechanism or cut-off mechanism.