Abstract: A web guiding device for directing sheet material from a supply roll into a processing machine along a predetermined track in a manner that corrects for tracking errors caused by side edge-to-side edge variations in the force needed to draw the sheet material from the supply roll. The web guiding device includes a support frame that retains the supply roll in a manner that enables the supply roll to freely rotate about its mid-axis as the sheet material is drawn from the supply roll. The support structure is pivotably mounted to a bracket structure that couples the support structure to the processing machine. At least one guide element is provided on the bracket structure for orienting the sheet material onto the predetermined track prior to the sheet material being received by the processing machine. The support frame and the supply roll are canted when a side edge-to-side edge variation is experienced in the force needed to draw the sheet material from the supply roll.

Abstract: A multi-color thermal transfer printer for printing multi-color license plate images on a web of retroflective sheeting material, the printer having a plurality of printing stations. The printer, at each of the printing stations, has a thermal transfer printing head, a printing ribbon having an ink of a pre-selected color, a pivotally-mounted roller platen assembly for pressing a respective one of the printing ribbons and a web of material to be printed upon, against a respective one of the printing heads at a variably selectable pressure to transfer the ink from the ribbon to the web of material. A cylinder device is provided at each of the stations. Each cylinder device is adjustably pressurized by a fluid medium and engaged with a respective one of the roller platen assemblies for the purpose of applying a variably selectable pressure to the pivotally-mounted roller platen assembly in order to control roller platen pressure.