Abstract: A refillable cartridge for inkjet printing devices having an ink cartridge carrier is characterized in that it is filled with an ink supply and tested prior to shipment, is open to ambient pressure during shipment and storage, requires no handling of the ink supply line during installation on, or removal from, a cartridge carrier, and permits simultaneous fluid and electrical connections to the cartridge as it is installed. Partitions divide the interior of the cartridge into a free ink reservoir, a foam-filled ink reservoir and an air buffer region. An ink passage permits ink flow in either direction between the ink reservoir and the foam-filled ink reservoir. A tab circuit is secured to one side wall of the cartridge and this wall is provided with an opening through which a hollow ink supply needle, mounted on the cartridge carrier, may extend so as to supply replenishment ink to the free ink reservoir during printing.

Abstract: A print head having an ink reservoir therein is made by forming, in a one-shot plastic injection molding step, a rigid monolithic frame including high melt temperature material having an opening therein extending from a first side to a second side, and first and second bonding surfaces surrounding the opening and facing the first and second sides, respectively. First and second thin flexible films are adhesively secured to the first and second bonding surfaces, respectively. The adhesive material may be a hot melt adhesive or dry adhesive films pre-formed to the shape of the bonding surfaces. By securing the flexible films to the bonding surfaces adhesively, rather than by heat staking, it is not necessary to form the frame of different materials during two separate molding steps.

Abstract: A print head having an ink reservoir therein is made by forming, in a one-shot plastic injection molding step, a rigid monolithic frame comprising high melt temperature material having an opening therein extending from a first side to a second side, and first and second bonding surfaces surrounding the opening and facing the first and second sides, respectively. First and second thin flexible films are adhesively secured to the first and second bonding surfaces, respectively. The adhesive material may be a hot melt adhesive or dry adhesive films pre-formed to the shape of the bonding surfaces. By securing the flexible films to the bonding surfaces adhesively, rather than by heat staking, it is not necessary to form the frame of different materials during two separate molding steps.

Abstract: A system for intermittently refilling the cartridge reservoir in an ink jet printer from an off-board ink supply tests the ink flow path prior to initiating a refill operation. Air at a pressure greater than the ink feed pressure is applied to the ink flow path to check the integrity of the system. After venting the system to the atmosphere, a slow leak check is made by closing the system, pressurizing it at the feed pressure, turning off the pressure source and, after a short interval, checking the pressure to see if the feed pressure is being maintained. If the integrity check or the slow leak test should fail, the refill operation is aborted and an indicator is set to alert an operator that intervention is required. During the interval the system is being raised from atmospheric to feed pressure, the air displacement is measured and saved as an indication of whether the amount of ink in the off-board supply exceeds a given level.

Abstract: A color ink jet printing device has an off-board ink reservoir for each color being printed. Each reservoir comprises at least two separately replaceable cartridges from which ink is supplied under positive pressure to refill replaceable printhead cartridges. A visual indicator is provided for each off-board cartridge to indicate when the cartridge is empty and this indicator is turned on if the ink supply in the cartridge is exhausted during a refill operation. Printing is not stopped until all off-board cartridges holding one color of ink are empty. At this time the empty cartridges that held any color ink, are replaced. After each operator intervention to replace empty cartridges, the volume of each color ink will be (N−1)/N of maximum reservoir capacity where N is an integer greater than one and represents the number of cartridges in the reservoir.

Abstract: A container having a fixed volume sealed from the atmosphere by an elastic septum is filled with liquid via a needle inserted through the septum, the needle providing a path for liquid flow into the fixed volume from an external source through the septum and a path for air flow from the fixed volume to atmosphere through the septum. The needle includes a stem having a hollow tube with a non-cylindrical section and a cover element cooperating with the non-cylindrical section of the tube to form an air passage and give the stem a cylindrical configuration even in the region of the non-cylindrical section of the tube. The configuration of the stem minimizes damage to the septum as the stem is inserted through or withdrawn from a septum, while the air passage permits air to exit from the container through the stem as liquid enters the container through the tube.

Abstract: A refillable cartridge for inkjet printing devices having an ink supply off-board the cartridge carrier is characterized in that it is filled with an ink supply prior to shipment and the refill opening through which replenishment ink is supplied during printing is left open during shipment and storage. The interior of the cartridge is partitioned into a free ink reservoir, a foam-filled ink reservoir and an air buffer region. The foam-filled ink reservoir is filled with a foam material saturated with ink prior to shipment. A portion of the foam material extends into the air buffer region and is left dry. As long as the refill opening is not closed, ambient pressure is applied to the ink supply in the cartridge via the refill opening and the air buffer region. An ink passage permits ink flow in either direction between the free ink reservoir and the foam-filled ink reservoir. Either reservoir may be connected to ink capillaries in a conventional heater chip.

Abstract: The invention relates to a spreader for use on a delivery tube of a seeding tool. The spreader is mounted for adjustable positioning in the product stream providing a selectable width of product scatter. The invention preferably includes a tapered deflecting surface with a convex laterally angled surfaces for achieving an even scatter pattern, especially over the varying scatter widths. The deflecting surface is pivoted or advanced into the product stream to change the breadth of surface struck by the product as a result causing different scatter patterns. In a preferred embodiment the spreader includes a channel for mounting onto the delivery tube with a pivot pin pivotally securing it adjacent the outlet and selectively adjustable securing points for angular adjustment. The spreading deflecting surface is separated from the outlet in the direction of product stream so that deflected product is not shielded by the delivery tube.

Abstract: A cartridge for an ink-jet printer includes a nozzle plate having nozzles therein. A region around the nozzles is sealed when a maintenance cap is moved into contact with a surface of the cartridge surrounding the nozzle plate. Vent passages are provided in the cartridge body for venting the sealed region to the atmosphere. The vent passages are formed as grooves in a surface of the cartridge body, the open sides of the grooves being closed by an adhesive preform which attaches a tab circuit to the surface. One end of each passage vents to the atmosphere at a second surface of the cartridge body underneath a portion of the tab circuit which is not adhesively attached to the second surface. A second end of each vent passage extends into a region of the first surface that is not covered by the adhesive preform and tab circuit so that the vent passages communicate with the sealed region formed when the cap is moved into contact with the cartridge.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer is provided with a printhead maintenance system which is capable of providing optimum maintenance for different types of color or monochrome printheads. Dummy heaters are provided in each printhead as a way of identifying the different types of printheads. A maintenance controller is provided in the printer for executing a maintenance program comprising first and second maintenance algorithms for controlling maintenance of monochrome and color type printheads. The controller includes an E.sup.2 PROM memory into which descriptor records are downloaded from a data processor to which the printer is connected. Each descriptor record contains a head detection pattern and various parameters specifying the number and time of wipes, the number of nozzle fires, etc. necessary to maintain a head of the type corresponding to the head detection pattern.

Abstract: A lockset suitable for use on doors of different thicknesses comprises inside and outside knobs mounted on inside and outside spindles which are in turn rotatably supported in inside and outside chassis. Rotation of either knob causes rotation of a rectangular driver spindle to drive a latch operating assembly which retracts a latchbolt. Locking may be accomplished only by pressing a push button located in the inside knob. In one embodiment the push button drives a caliper spring to engage and axially move a plunger bar and in a second embodiment a hook spring carried on the push button engages teeth on the plunger bar. Axial movement of the plunger bar actuates a clutch mechanism to disconnect the outside knob from the driver spindle and lock the outside knob to the outside chassis to prevent rotation of the knob. In the first embodiment unlocking is accomplished by rotating the plunger bar relative to a coupler having a spring thereon for engaging notches on the plunger bar.

Abstract: A maintenance station for an ink jet printer comprises two modules supported from the printer middle frame by a tongue and groove arrangement and secured in place only by retaining elements integrally formed with the middle frame. The first module includes a wiper element and a cap to provide an air seal around the nozzles. The wiper and cap are mounted on a pivoted rocker element so that as the wiper is moved toward the printhead the cap is moved away therefrom and visa-versa. The second module carries a small DC motor, a nut with a pair of forked arms, and gearing for converting bidirectional rotation of the motor into linear reciprocal motion of the forked arms. The forked arms engage projections on the rocker element so that the wiper or cap is moved toward or away from the printhead depending on the direction of rotation of the motor. In a first position of the rocker element the wiper is positioned in the path of the printhead so as to wipe the nozzles as the printhead is moved back and forth.

Abstract: The printhead of an ink jet printer is mounted on a printhead carrier for reciprocal movement on a carrier guide rod above a record feed path. A bi-directional motor drives a drive belt attached to the carrier to thereby pull the printhead back and forth. The belt is attached to the carrier at two points which are spaced from the axis of the carrier guide rod, one point being above the axis and the other point being below the axis. The arrangement is such that any tilt of the printhead carrier in a vertical plane, resulting from a pulling force of the drive belt, is always in the same direction regardless of the direction in which the printhead carrier is pulled. This improves the accuracy of ink dot placement thereby giving better print quality. The drive belt is mounted on pulleys which are positioned such that there is an upward incline from each attachment point to a pulley. The carrier is provided with feet which ride in a groove in a carrier guide.

Abstract: In a printer having P+X printing elements for printing pixels with a vertical center-to-center spacing R.sub.1 during a plurality of line scans, and a stepper motor for moving a record medium in increments R.sub.2 where R.sub.2 is greater than R.sub.1, all points addressable printing is obtained by a combination of movement of the record medium orthogonal to the line scan direction and shifting address signals applied to the print elements. The stepper motor moves the record medium a distance k.sub.2 R.sub.2 between successive line scans and address signals are applied to (n+k.sub.1)th . . . (n+k.sub.1 +P-1)th print elements to cause a shift k.sub.1 R.sub.1 such that the sum of the distance the record medium is moved before a line scan and the shift caused by the address signals during a scan is equal to PR.sub.1 where P is the number of print elements active during the preceding line scan, or equal to any desired integral multiple of R.sub.1 in other print modes.

Abstract: A single manually operated mode selector lever controls selection of a push, pull or park mode of operation of a form feed tractor in a printer. The lever controls a cam which moves a spring-biased tractor drive shaft axially so that a gear on the drive shaft selectively engages a first gear which drives the shaft in a first direction, a second gear which drives the shaft in a second direction, or engages no gear so that the drive shaft is not driven. The form feed tractors are mounted on the drive shaft so that the shaft may move along its axis relative to the tractors or the tractors may be pivoted relative to the shaft. The mode selector lever also controls a mechanism which applies a force to a tractor plate so as to pivot the tractors about the drive shaft, thereby changing the orientation of the tractors relative to the platen. The force applied to the tractor plate is also transmitted to pressure or pinch rolls in the pull mode to relieve constraint on movement of the forms.

Abstract: First and second membranes carrying contacts located on opposing faces are separated by a third or spacer membrane having holes therein so that a circuit may be completed between the contacts when a force is applied to the first membrane. The first and second membranes and the peripheries of the holes define substantially enclosed switch regions. The first, second and third membrane layers are mechanically held together, without the use of adhesives, in the regions other than the switch regions. Spacer elements are provided between the spacer membrane and one of the first and second membranes. The spacer elements form air pockets such that air may flow between the switch region and the air pockets as the first membrane is depressed and then released. The arrangement provides two advantages. First, it reduces pressure buildup, such as would occur if the membranes were sealed together, when force is applied to the first layer.

Abstract: There is disclosed a closely arranged file of flexible rotating disk memory elements in which a disk may be randomly accessed with minimum error and relatively rapid access time. This disk system utilizes different diameter disks which are arranged in an ascending order in a sub-stack, are rotated at a relatively slow speed. A plurality of the sub-stacks, wherein there is a correspondence between the same diameter disk of each stack, are utilized to provide for a large memory capacity. Microprocessing techniques are utilized for sub-stack and disk selection.

Abstract: An interface which connects input/output (I/O) controllers to a data channel in a data processing system. A bidirectional priority bus is provided interconnecting the channel with the controllers. Each controller is assigned a priority level. When a controller requires service, it signals the channel over a common request line and the channel responds with a channel select signal. Each requesting controller gates a binary number corresponding to its priority level onto the common priority bus. Contending controllers resolve priority among themselves by monitoring the priority bus. If a controller detects a higher priority level than its own level on the bus it removes its priority number from the bus. The highest priority controller then activates an acknowledge signal and places its device address on a bidirectional data bus in response to a ready signal from the channel.