Abstract: A print head is disclosed which includes a unitary armature assembly including a thin resilient spring, thick structural members and cores upon which a magnetic flux path can be electrically imposed, such that motion of the armatures is constrained to only the desirable back-and-forth axial movement of an ideal print stroke. Lateral movement of the armatures is prevented, so that armatures wires wear only very slowly, resulting in long and reliable service life. Improved performance for size is obtained by having the magnet plate positioned with the working air gap on the outside and the return pole on the inside, with the armature pivot at the outside periphery of the print head, so that the larger magnet area imparts greater magnetic force, an increased length of the lever arm for the print wire, and enhancement of the print stroke and the printing performance of the device. The wire guide pattern provides bidirectional and orthogonal printing capability. Heat transfer is obtained through a heat sink.

Abstract: A transaction printer includes the MICR encoding of indicia. A diagnostic test procedure reads a printed test document and determines whether the MICR indicia are within a certain specification. A test document found to be out of specification prompts the adjustment of the print parameters of the printing system of the transaction printer. The machine establishes and maintains a data base of each print transaction, and compares the printing parameters to determine the degree to which each parameter complies with the specification.

Abstract: A new paper loading system is featured with a convenient drop-in paper loading and a full slip path in a receipt printer. The paper is dropped into a paper receiving bucket disposed in the central portion of the printer. The paper is fed from the bucket; and thereafter, a receipt is printed. Then, the paper is cut to the appropriate receipt length. A slip path is also provided for insertion of a single or multi-part form used for credit or check validation. The relative position of the slip path would normally interfere with the drop-in loading of the paper supply roll into the bucket. The system allows the fixed blade assembly to support a slip path upon a rear surface thereof. The slip path is substantially parallel or adjacent to the paper receipt path, which passes between assemblies supporting a fixed blade and a movable, rotary blade. The fixed blade unlatches and pivots away from the rotary blade, thus opening the printer and exposing the paper loading bucket for access thereto.

Abstract: A receipt storage and presenting device is described. The device allows for the storage of various media, such as receipts, slips, forms, labels, tickets, tags, etc. The receipts are introduced into the device by an adjacently disposed printer. The web of the receipt enters the storage and presenting device and is stored within a rib-cage mandrel in an overflow bucket. The device is able to store various lengths of the media up to about twenty feet. The device is then caused to rotate through an angle transverse of the printer discharge direction, which angle is preferably ninety degrees.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided with a slide adjustment member that is mounted on a frame supporting a carriage assembly of a printer. The carriage assembly is pivotally mounted upon a support shaft carried by a frame. The slide adjustment member has indexing teeth that engage with a plurality of saw-tooth detents. The sawtooth detents are longitudinally disposed upon a surface that is at a slight angle in the range between 3 and 4 degrees, and preferably about 3.44 degrees with respect to the horizontal. Horizontal movement of the slide member over this angled surface causes the carriage assembly to pivot about the support shaft. In so pivoting, the printhead carried upon the carriage assembly is forced to move with respect to the platen, thus changing the paper thickness gap therebetween. Each indexed movement of the slide member past a detent tooth provides a change of 0.003 inches in the gap. This change is equivalent to the difference between single and double ply paper.

Abstract: The present invention features a method and a fixture for determining the asymmetrical character of a readhead prior to its installation in a check-validation machine. Such a machine that is used to validate checks uses a stepper motor drive to convey the check past the readhead. The magnetic field produced by the coil of the stepper motor interferes with the capability of the readhead to recognize the magnetic indicia on the check. Once determined, the asymmetrical sensitivity of the readhead towards the magnetic flux allows the manufacturer to mount the readhead with its sensitive side away from the stepping motor of the validating unit. The readhead asymmetry is determined by the method of this invention by measuring an output voltage pulse of the readhead, when it is excited by magnetic pulses both forward and rear of its read gap. The excitation is provided approximately one inch from the read gap.

Abstract: The present invention features an apparatus for a journal-receipt printing machine. The apparatus semi-automatically loads the journal paper onto the take-up spool. The machine also has a drop-in, loading capability for the journal-paper supply-roll. The journal-printing apparatus utilizes a duckbill, take-up core or spool that is bifurcated into stationary and movable sections. The bifurcated spool is spring-loaded, and is caused to bias-close through the movement on the cam surface. The leader of the journal paper is placed over the stationary section of the spool. The gear train causes the cam follower to turn over the cam surface and close. The gear train then forces the duckbill spool shut against its biasing, thus capturing the paper between the spool sections. In this fashion, the procedure of resupplying the machine with journal paper is accomplished without the user having to thread paper.

Abstract: The present invention features a cutting mechanism for a receipt-printing machine, which has paper dispensed from a paper-supply roll. The cutting mechanism has a "v"-shaped, guillotine blade that is held in a blade holder. The blade is driven via the blade holder against a stationary blade and into cutting contact with a paper web containing receipt indicia. The paper web is dispensed from a paper-supply roll located within the printer. A displaceable cover is provided to allow for convenient paper loading and, occasionally, paper jam clearing. There is a blade guide which has side mountings for guiding at least one end tab of the guillotine blade into perpendicular contact with the paper web. The guillotine blade is driven through the blade guide into cutting contact with the paper by a drive cam. The drive cam rotatively engages the blade holder, providing the blade with a forward thrust. The cam is driven by a motor-driven gear train that has a timing gear.

Abstract: The present invention features a photosensing mechanism for a receipt-printing machine which senses a low condition of a paper supply roll housed within a bucket of the receipt-printing machine. The paper-supply roll has a "floating" characteristic; that is, no fixed rotational mounts align the roll within its feed bucket. The photosensing mechanism adjusts to different supply-roll positions within the feed bucket, the different positions of which result from different mounting orientations of the receipt-printing machine.

Abstract: The present invention features a receipt printing and check validating machine. The machine is characterized by a drop-in loading for the receipt paper supply roll. A first drive roller for the receipt printer is pivotably mounted in a clamshell bucket. The first drive roller is swung into contact, when the clamshell bucket is closed, with an idler roller centrally mounted on a fixedly-mounted idler/drive combination shaft. The check validating drive features a second, slip drive roller pair that is in pivotable contact with a pair of slip drive rollers mounted on the aforementioned fixedly-mounted idler/drive combination shaft, one on either side of the receipt idler roller. Thus, the idler/drive combination roller shaft has a fixed position with respect to both drive rollers, and is used cooperatively by both drive rollers. Both the check and the receipt can emerge from the same slot in the housing of the machine.

Abstract: A journal printing apparatus is disclosed for a journal receipt printing machine. The apparatus semi-automatically loads the journal paper onto the take-up spool. The machine is also characterized by drop-in loading for the journal paper supply roll. The journal printing apparatus utilizes a duckbill take-up core or spool that is bifurcated into stationary and movable sections. The bifurcated spool is spring loaded, and is caused to bias closed by movement of a cam. The leader of the journal paper is placed over the stationary section of the spool and a gear train causes the cam to rotate again. The gear train then forces the duckbill spool shut against its biasing, thus capturing the paper between the spool sections. In this fashion, the procedure of journal paper resupply is accomplished without the user having to thread paper.

Abstract: A thermal printer for printing on paper (26), the printer comprising a thermal print head (2) that co-operates with a paper drive roll (15) by bearing thereagainst, in which the print head is carried resiliently by a fixed chassis portion (1) while the drive roll (15) is carried by a moving chassis portion (13) hinged to the fixed chassis (1) and forming a cover giving access to the compartment in the printer for containing the roll (12) of paper, characterized in that, when the cover is closed, the zone of contact between the paper drive roll (15) and the row (4) of heating points of the print head (2) is situated above the diameter (14) of said roll that passes through the hinge between the moving chassis (13) and the fixed chassis (1).

Abstract: A recording device for recording impressions made by a transfer thermal printer, the device comprising a transfer film paid out from a roll and taken up by a drum, the roll and the drum being disposed inside a cassette having a side wall including a setback defining a print zone, wherein the cassette includes a read window other than the print zone, guides designed to impose a path on the transfer film such that the transfer film passes the window between the roll and the drum, and a support for a contrast surface.

Abstract: A device for registering the printing performed by a thermal transfer printer, wherein it is constituted by the film carrying the transfer ink after it has passed over the heating points of the print head and onto a film take-up spool that includes means enabling it to be coupled to a drive member synchronized with a drive member for driving the print medium.

Abstract: Beneath its line of heater points, the print head includes a film of thermoresistive material which is used for sensing temperature in the proximity of the heater points, thereby making it possible to obtain a signal which can be used quickly in regulating the quantity of energy delivered to each heater point, thereby making it possible to operate the points at a higher rate because they are subjected to excitation which is regulated.