Abstract: Labels or tags, are generally supplied in the form of a strip of a large number of consecutive, separable units, wherein the components of the labels or tags are essentially fed in a continuous stream to the strip as the strip moves along a path of travel. Under some circumstances however it has been found that it can be cost effective that all of the labels do not include all of the individual components, or that it might not be desirable that the various components are not always disposed at the exact same position in each label.

Abstract: A thermal printing device is capable of printing labels in a plurality of colours. When printing in a particular colour has been completed, further movement of image receiving tape is prevented so that an image transfer ribbon of a different colour can be exchanged for the first image transfer ribbon. In this way, multiple colour labels can be printed in a simple and efficient manner.

Abstract: A label printing apparatus receives a cassette holding printing tape on which an image is to be printed. The apparatus also has a printing mechanism which includes a thermal printhead having a group of printing elements to which pixel data defining the image to be printed is passed sequentially on a group-by-group basis. The groups are printed adjacent one another in the direction of movement of the printing tape. A drive system is provided for driving the printing tape through the printing mechanism end includes a dc motor which is provided with a shaft encoder for monitoring the speed of rotation of the motor. Sequential printing of the groups of pixel data is controlled in dependence on the monitors speed of rotation of the motor. There is also described a label printing apparatus which uses monitoring of the speed of rotation of the motor to detect an end of tape condition.

Abstract: A tape cutting apparatus which provides for cutting a multi-layered tape through only one layer of the tape. The apparatus includes a cutting device with a cutting blade wherein the cutting device is actuated by a drive mechanism and the position of the cutting device is controlled by a position controller. The apparatus further provides a braking mechanism to ensure that the cut is terminated at the proper position.

Abstract: An automatic tape detecting and tape width identifying printing apparatus or tape holder wherein the printing apparatus and tape holder include an optical sensing arrangement having at least first and second optical sensing assemblies. The first and second optical sensing assemblies each, preferably, include a photo transistor and a light emitting diode. The photo transistor is located to receive and detect light from the light emitting diode. The first and second optical sensing assemblies are located to automatically detect the presence or absence of tape within the tape holder. In a preferred embodiment, the first optical sensing assembly is located to automatically discriminate the presence of a particular width, w2, of tape within the tape holder. In addition, the second optical sensing assembly is located to automatically discriminate the presence of a different width, w1, of tape within the tape holder.

Abstract: A hand-held labelling or marking device can typically have a housing With a printing mechanism that provides a printed ink image, such as prices, etc. Such a housing can be formed by two housing parts. At least at one point, in particular on the upper portion of the housing, the housing parts can be securely held together by means of a clamp-type holder, thereby minimizing the size of the housing. The clamp-type holder can preferably include a window for displaying a row of symbols that will be printed, which symbols can be disposed on either a belt, or a wheel of a wheel printing mechanism. Each belt or wheel can be set individually by means of a control shaft. Adjacent the window, there can preferably be special symbols corresponding to the print belts or wheels, and on a control shaft for setting of the individual belts or wheels there can be corresponding symbols to make the setting process faster and easier process.

Abstract: A label printing device is disclosed in which font data for a plurality of characters is stored. Characters are derived from the font data for displaying and printing in sizes determined by appropriate scaling factors. In this way, characters derived for printing have the same proportion and appearance as characters derived for displaying. Moreover, a large variety of character sizes can be produced both for printing and displaying.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for printing characters that minimizes the information that needs storage for each character that can be printed. The apparatus according to the invention uses a storage device containing font data for the characters and identifiers which identify an algorithm to be used for recreating the character.

Abstract: A tag or marker is disclosed which comprises a substrate; an `active` magnetic material which is a soft magnetic material having a high magnetic permeability and a low coercive force; and a deactivating material which is a hard or semi-hard magnetic material having a moderate or high coercive force and a moderate magnetic permeability, whereby the deactivating material, when subjected to a sufficiently high magnetising force, is able to clamp the magnetic properties of the `active` material so as to deactivate the `active` material. The deactivating material in the tag or marker is electrodeposited nickel with a planar crystal grain structure.

Abstract: An article security element is provided which, regardless of its orientation in relation to a scanning field irradiated by a transmitter coil, can generate a response field which can be reliably detected by a receiver coil. The article security element preferably has a soft magnetic metal strip which is wound about an oblong, column-shaped base body at a winding angle which has a value between about 30 degrees and about 60 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the base body.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating tape at a cut edge is described in which a bend is formed in the tape and in which a wall portion acts against the cut edge of the tape so that as the tape is drawn to straighten it, there is resilience in an upper layer of the tape which overcomes the adhesive strength between upper and lower layers and causes them to separate at the cut edge of the tape.

Abstract: A price cassette with a back part which has panes to hold interchangeable item identification and/or price labels which are separated by vertical webs, whereby on the back part there are vertical guides, over which the at least partly transparent front part can be slid. The price cassette is thereby curved around an imaginary axis which is horizontal to the item identification and price signs, and the axis of which lies behind the price cassette. The item identification and price information displayed thereby appears more plastic and elegant. The only action required to change this item identification and price information is to open the price cassette partway up or down. The item identification and price signs thereby remain fixed in place.

Abstract: A display marking tag for marking an item has an adhesive fastening strip for fastening the tag to the item to be marked, and a second strip, which can be adhered to the fastening strip, and which has a surface for being printed upon. On the side of the second strip disposed in contact with the fastening strip there can preferably be a semitransparent coating for decreasing the translucency of the second strip.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a thermal printer, with a thermal print head having a series of electrically drivable heating elements, with a microprocessor transferring data to be printed into a register associated with the thermal print head. In order to increase the printing speed, a buffer storage connected to the microprocessor via a parallel data line as well as a separate load state monitoring circuit are proposed, the monitoring circuit being connected to the buffer storage and causing data to be transferred from the buffer storage into the register when the data written into the buffer storage from the microprocessor has reached a defined quantity. As an alternative or addition, it is recommended to insert a pulse generator and a stepping motor driver between the output of the microprocessor and the stepping motor for driving the platen roll.

Abstract: A reusable ribbon cassette can be provided for a printer for printing on labels by using an ink transferred from the ribbon to the label material, wherein the ribbon cassette provides the ribbon for the printing. Such a re-usable cassette for a ribbon which is used up rapidly, in particular an ink ribbon in a thermal transfer printing process, has two parallel housing halves, one of which has vertically projecting pins onto which the other housing half can be pushed, and then maintained in position by friction. When the cassette is open, the tape, which is conventionally wound on a tape core, can be pushed onto the cores or core pairs of the cassette, and thereby become simultaneously non-rotationally connected to the cores. The connecting pins for the two housing halves advantageously simultaneously form deflector elements for the tape.

Abstract: A label printer for printing labels can typically have a pressure roller and a corresponding print head, which print head can have a support, a spring base plate, and a spring disposed between the support and the spring base plate to bias the print head into engagement with the pressure roller. The spring base plate can be rotationally mounted on a bearing shaft which is preferably parallel to the pressure roller, and the free end of the bearing shaft can be flattened over a portion of its length to form two parallel key surfaces for engaging with a locking element that adjusts the biasing force of the spring by engaging and positioning the spring base plate.

Abstract: To conserve relatively expensive printing ribbon, in particular a thermal transfer ribbon, when a portion of the medium which is not to be printed, e.g.

Abstract: A printing device has a simple mechanism for ensuring that a cassette having tape of a proper width is inserted into it for printing and for advising a microprocessor of the width of the tape. This is achieved by providing a switch with an actuating part which can be accommodated by a cassette of one type but not by a cassette of a different type.