Abstract: A thermal printer is equipped with apparatus for allowing the thermal printer to be quickly and easily adapted to the type of paper currently being used without the need for testing and adjusting to obtain an essentially optimum print quality. The printer can also be equipped with a temperature sensor, attached to the thermal print head and connected to the computer control to essentially also produce printed images of uniformly high quality regardless of temperature fluctuations of the thermal print head. The necessary information for providing the adjustment values for producing the high quality print can be stored in a read/write memory connected to the processor.

Abstract: A label for use as a price tag on products has a printable recording medium which can be attached by adhesive to a carrier foil. The adhesive attachment can be provided by means of a laminated material having an adhesive action. To create a label which, by means of its adhesive layer, properly adheres to the product to be labelled, and which, after removal from the product, leaves behind no adhesive residue, the laminated material can be made to have an intermediate layer coated on both sides with adhesive, and which intermediate layer is configured to exert a stronger adhesive force on adhesive than the products to be labelled will exert on the adhesive. Further, the adhesive deposited on the side of the intermediate layer facing the carrier foil preferably has a lower adhesive strength than the adhesive deposited on the side of the intermediate layer facing the recording medium.

Abstract: A method of modifying the magnetic properties of a thin film of a magnetically active material is provided which comprises forming surface modulations on the material in order to partition it into regions which display at least some degree of mutual magnetic independence. The resulting modified thin film may be used as a marker or tag in an anti-pilferage or article location system. The surface modulations formed on the material in the anti-pilferage or article location marker serve to enhance the response of the marker when used in an anti-pilferage or article location system.

Abstract: An electronic article surveillance system is provided that comprises a core-wound drive coil which produces an AC magnetic interrogation field, and a detection coil provided on one side with at least one element of a screening material, which detection coil detects an AC magnetic response field generated by a magnetically active tag or marker which is subjected to the interrogation field when the tag or marker comes in proximity with the detection coil. The screening material may take the form of an open-ended electrically conductive box having an insulating gap along its length, or a laminate consisting of a plurality of metal foils interleaved with an electrically insulating material. The invention provides well-defined flux control for the detection coil which preventsinterference from unwanted external magnetic fields.

Abstract: A portable printer is disclosed in which the printer comprises a housing; a printing unit; means for supplying to said printing unit a substrate onto which indicia are to be printed; and means for inputting data to control the nature of the indicia printed at said printing unit, characterized in that said housing includes a main frame which serves to support the functional components of the printer; and a protective housing which fits over said frame.

Abstract: A device suitable for printing bar codes is disclosed, this device comprising a housing, means for holding a label supply roll, printing means for applying indicia to a label, means for supplying data to determine the nature of the indicia printed on the label, and means for supplying electrical energy to operate the device, characterised in that said print unit is an ink jet printer.

Abstract: A manual, or hand-held labelling device has a printing apparatus and a pivoting lever on which pivoting lever there is a journal pivot pin on which an inking roller can be loosely mounted. For axially securing the inking roller on the journal pivot pin, within the housing of the manual labelling device, there can be at least one raised, guide track in the form of a circular arc, on the housing of the labelling device, and on the side opposite to the pivoting lever. This guide track essentially corresponds to the path of the inking roller on the pivoting lever as the pivoting lever is moved during a labelling operation, and thus supports the inking roller from moving axially off of the pivot pin during movement of the pivoting lever during the labelling operation.

Abstract: A method of bar code printing is disclosed. The bar code is printed directly onto packaging material associated with the product, and in that the ink used to produce the bar code is such that indicia constituting the bar code can be discriminated regardless of the background onto which the bar code is printed.

Abstract: The invention provides a number of improvements useful in printers which may be of the fixed, portable or hand-held types. In one aspect, the printer, which comprises a housing, a printing unit, means for feeding to said printing unit a substrate onto which indicia are to be printed, means for feeding a thermal transfer ribbon to said printing unit, and means for providing electrical power to operate the printer, is characterized by means permitting independent movement of said substrate and said thermal transfer ribbon within said printing unit. In another aspect, the printer includes means for supplying power to operate the printer, for example dynamo driven by a manual trigger. In a further aspect, the means for supplying power comprises a piezoelectric motor.

Abstract: A thermal printing head (10) is described which comprises a supporting frame (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) and a thermal printing plate (28). Several individually triggerable heating elements are provided along a line on the front side of the thermal printing plate (28). The thermal printing plte (28) is held in frictional contact with a counter-pressure roll (26) rotatably mounted in the supporting frame. The line of heating elements contacts the counter-pressure roll along a paraxial generating line. At least one locking hook (38, 40) being in engagement with a pin fixed on the supporting frame is provided on the thermal printing plate (28) to be spaced apart from the line of heating elements. At least one pressure spring (54, 56) is provided in the region situated between the at least one locking hook (38, 40) and the line of heating elements between a stop (62, 64) being in fixed connection with the supporting frame and the rear side of the thermal printing plate (28).

Abstract: A means is described with the aid of which a label strip can be introduced into a label printing and/or label dispensing apparatus (10). The label printing and/or label dispensing apparatus (10) includes a transport wheel (38) which is surrounded by a cover (35). The label strip (25) must be introduced into the gap between the periphery of the transport wheel (38) and the cover (35). The distance between the inner surface of the cover (35) and the transport wheel (38) is dimensioned in a first region so that only a frictional force is exerted on the strip when the transport wheel (38) moves so that frictional entrainment of the label strip (25) results.

Abstract: A thermal printing head (10) having a housing (12, 14, 16) is described wherein a support (42) carrying a thermal printing plate (26) is mounted to be pivotable about an axis (28) mounted on both of its ends. The thermal printing plate (26) comprises several selectively triggerable heating elements being arranged in a line (36). In the housing (12, 14, 16), a counter-pressure roll (22) is mounted to be rotatable about an axis (20) with respect to which the line (36) heating elements of the thermal printing plate (26) is held in frictional contact along a paraxial generating line. The mounting axis (28) of the support (42) extends to be parallel with respect to the axis of the counter-pressure roll (20) and to be spaced apart from this axis (20). One end of the axis (28) of the support (42) is mounted in the housing (12, 14, 16) to be adjustable in perpendicular direction with respect to the plane formed by the axis (28) and the line (36) of the heating elements.

Abstract: A labeling apparatus (10) is described with the aid of which labels can be imprinted and/or dispensed. The apparatus comprises a housing (12) in which a transport means for a label strip is disposed. The label strip runs in the apparatus (10) from a supply roll (26) round a deflection edge (32), then along a housing bottom (30) adapted to be pivoted out of the housing (12) to a transport roll carried by the housing bottom (30) and pivotal about an axis (52) to an exit slot, a drive connection existing between the transport roll (38) and an operating lever (16) pivotal between a rest position and a pulled position. The drive connection includes a rack (50) which is in engagement with a pinion (54) mounted on the shaft (52) of the transport roll (38) and is articulately connected to one arm (48) of a two-armed pivot lever (46) which is pivotal about an axis (44) stationary with respect to the axis ( 52) of the transport wheel (38).

Abstract: A mandrel for coiling tape-shaped material includes a core (10) which is adapted to be connected at one end to a drive (36). Disposed on the core (10) is a sleeve (44) having a length which corresponds to the length of the core (10) and comprising at least one longitudinal slot (46 to 56), the sleeve being displaceable in axial direction but secured against rotation relatively to the core (10).

Abstract: A hand labeling device is described with the aid of which in the course of an operating cycle self-adhering labels can be imprinted, dispensed and attached to articles. The operating cycle is controlled by means of an operating lever (26) pivotal out of a rest position into a pulled or squeezed position. In a device housing a printing mechanism (34) is arranged which comprises print types for producing an imprint on a self-adhering label disposed in a printing position. By a transport means (22) the self-adhering labels can be brought consecutively into the printing position and into the position for attachment to the articles. An inking device serves for inking the print types of the printing mechanism (34) before each printing operation; said device comprises an inking roll (46) which is held by a stirrup (51) pivotally mounted in the device housing and which on pivoting of the stirrup member (51) rolls on the print types of the printing mechanism (34).

Abstract: A hand labeling device is described with the aid of which self-adhering labels in the course of an operating cycle can be imprinted, dispensed and attached to articles. In a device housing a printing mechanism (34) is arranged for producing an imprint on a self-adhering label disposed in a printing position. A transport means (22) brings the self-adhering labels consecutively into the printing position and into the position for application to the articles. The printing types of the printing mechanism (34) are inked with the aid of an inking device before each printing operation, said device including an inking roll (46) which is adapted to roll on the print types and which is rotatably mounted in an inking roll holder (48) which during the rolling of the inking roll on the print types is guided in a guideway (54) in the housing by means of guide pins (52, 53) extending parallel to the inking roll.