Abstract: A document imprinter, especially for labels, tickets, tags, and the like, having an elastomeric platen with an outermost thin sleeve which is harder than the underlying platen material thereby resulting in sharper printing. The sleeve is preferably of a material which is smooth and glossy and non-adherent to adhesives, thus minimizing undesired transfer to the platen of adhesive from the web to be imprinted.

Abstract: An analog to digital wave shaping system comprising, a source of analog signals, adaptive threshold circuitry coupled to said source, said adaptive threshold circuitry having an output selected as a function of the intensity of said analog signal compared to a fixed intensity signal, and, comparator circuitry coupled to said source and to the output of said adaptive threshold circuitry.

Abstract: A printing device for printing characters onto a record medium comprising: a printing station; a carrier provided with a plurality of character segments, the character segments being adapted to collectively define an entire font of characters; a moving mechanism for intermittently moving the carrier to thereby move a particular one of the character segments through the printing station during each such intermittent movement of the carrier; a record feeding mechanism for intermittently feeding the record medium through a predetermined amount through the printing station; a hammer for striking the record medium against the carrier; and a control device for controlling the moving mechanism and the record feeding mechanism in a predetermined sequence of steps; the moving mechanism moving the carrier under control of the control device during particular steps in the predetermined sequence of steps; the record feeding mechanism feeding the record medium through the predetermined amount under control of the control

Abstract: A baud or repetition rate generator for providing required clock rates from a oscillator utilizing a commonly available crystal by counting to an integer, N, a number of times, m, and then counting to N+1 the remaining number of times, n, within a cycle having (m+n) parts, and providing an output pulse after each count of N and N+1.

Abstract: A symbol decoding system for decoding symbols comprised of plurality of bars some of which representing characters, comprising, means for providing a series of pulses representative of said bars, means for counting the interval between positive transitions between adjacent pulses, means for counting the interval between negative transitions between adjacent pulses, means for storing said counted intervals, means for testing for certain predetermined relationships among said counted intervals, and means identifying particular characters whenever said predetermined relationships are satisfied.

Abstract: An article of seating comprises a shell member and a skin member in contact with the shell member, the skin member being attached to the shell member throughout substantially the entire surface area of mutual contact between the skin member and the shell member.

Abstract: A digital circuit and method for measuring magnetic tape skew of magnetic tape units by recording on two channels of a reference tape a digital bit pattern of alternate pairs of zeros and ones.Digital logic circuitry, which detects this information on a reference tape when read from a magnetic tape unit to be tested, feeds the digital information on one channel to a shift register which is sampled by a clocking signal derived from the other channel. The digital bit pattern indicated at the output stages of the shift register will identify the existance of any excessive lag or lead skew.

Abstract: A manually actuable keyboard switch is provided having two opposite relieved openings in its base portion so that when it is inserted into an aperture in a keyboard switch retainer having two tabs outwardly extending and depending from opposite sidewalls of the aperture, the tabs spring into their original positions and within said relieved openings to hold said keyboard switch therein.

Abstract: A phase-locked loop circuit for use in a printer which automatically compensates for speed changes in the print head due to changes in line frequency to maintain consistent character width print impressions.

Abstract: A matrix printer and method for printing characters so as to reduce the likelihood of forgery by printing both the desired character and its complement on the same medium.

Abstract: A combined mechanism for impacting a print member and advancing a printing ribbon of a high speed printer wherein an electromagnet, located near and on a yoke mechanism containing the print stem shaft of the print head, operate together with a linkage mechanism which is attached to the yoke mechanism, to impact the print head upon a platen and advance a printing ribbon one increment, the linking mechanism including several linking members and a stop which allows free movement to a first linking member and a cable which during energization is drawn taut but goes slack during de-energization and remains slack after the print head impacts and rebounds to a neutral position.

Abstract: A heat and pressure consolidated laminate in which the back most sheet has fused thereto a surface film composition of polyvinyl alcohol, animal glue or starch which serves a glue line to which conventional glues adhere, the film being adhered to the back most sheet during heat pressure consolidation of the laminate by transferring the same from a release layer to the back most surface of the laminate and fusing the transferred film to the thermosetting resin impregnated in the back sheet.

Abstract: A document imprinter, especially for labels, tickets, tags, and the like, including a rotary printing unit having several banks of printing means and corresponding respective setting mechanisms therefor the latter including viewing windows arranged so that the various windows for the different banks of printing wheels are all readable by the operator in a single angular home position of the rotary printing unit.

Abstract: Hot printing of hard copy i.e., human readable, characters to meet the strict, high quality dimensional and other standards required for automatic optical or other means of reading such characters. The printing is effected by a heat responsive ink means. In the present embodiment, the ink means is heated by the printing members.Documents, especially tags or labels, marked with such hot printed automatically readable characters. The documents may also contain punched encoded information; and may further have printed thereon conventional, human but not automatically readable characters.

Abstract: A printing device including a printing station for printing on labels which may be in visually and machine readable formats, comprises rotatable typewheels and pressure rollers which can be brought into engagement for printing on the label while advancing it through the printing station. Drive means coupled to the typewheels and pressure rollers continually rotate the wheels and rollers at the same peripheral speed during and after engagement.

Abstract: Optical scanning apparatus for scanning and sensing information contained on a label-bearing article includes a light source, a rotatable member having a reflective surface, optical means for directing light from the source to the reflective surface and optical means for directing light reflected from the reflective surface to form a scanning pattern on a predetermined plane; the scanning pattern being comprised of a plurality of segments together forming at least one pair of overlapping X-shaped traces.