Abstract: A method for manufacturing improved paper office supplies comprises determining which critical areas or portions of the office supplies are prone to wear and tear, and applying reinforcement upon or adjacent to those critical areas or portions to increase the strength and resistance of the office supplies to such wear and tear. This invention also provides some examples of reinforced paper office supplies.

Abstract: A hanging folder has reinforcing strips along its top and bottom edges, and color contrasted easy-insert label slots. These strips and contrasting slots protect against wear to the folder and thus prolong the usefulness of the folder.

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: A cassette comprises a base part and a closure member (202). The base part and closure member each have mating guide members which, when they mate, form and enclosed guide for tape housed in the cassette. In this way, construction of the cassette is simplified.

Abstract: A hand scanner intended for optically reading a bar code on an item of goods and therewith produce an electric signal which corresponds to the read bar code. The invention is characterized in that the hand scanner (1) is provided with one or more permanent magnets (3, 4) in the vicinity of its optical bar-code reading device.

Abstract: Discontinuous transferable adhesive layers have been proposed for manufacture by printing or by coating and subsequent stripping of a matrix to leave a plurality of individual areas of adhesive. Such processes are slow and difficult to effect leading to increased cost. According to the invention, a coating composition is continuously coated on to a release substrate, the composition and drying thereof being selected that, at the end of drying, the adhesive composition is present as a plurality of discrete areas. This may be effected, e.g. by coating an emulsion and drying down appropriately.

Abstract: A device for deactivating price tags of the kind provided with a magnetic strip intended to form part of an anti-theft store security system, said device being intended for use together with a so-called scanner used to optically read a bar code on an item of goods.

Abstract: A printer comprises a cassette bay (8) having a lid (16), a printing mechanism comprising a thermal print head (26) and a platen (32) and a mechanism (38, 50) for moving the theremal print head between an inoperative and an operative position. The mechanism is also responsible for simultaneously moving a drive roller of the printer between an inoperative and operative position. In the operative position, the drive roller cooperates with an output roller of a cassette inserted into the printer to provide an outlet nip.

Abstract: Method for detecting marks (3) present on a paper web (1), which consists of successively producing and preferably recording light-intensity data in the form of intensity indications, using two alternate set-point values of light intensity representative of the presence of a mark or a non-mark. The method uses a process, deciding whether a certain light-intensity indication (V(new)j), shall be attributed to a mark, by selecting as a set-point value (V(old)j), one of the two alternate set points, either the nearest preceding indication (V(old)j) which has been adjudged as indicative of a non-mark and which essentially indicates light background of the paper web (1), or a preceding indication (V(old)j) which has been adjudged as indicative of a non-mark and which has been subjected to an intensity reduction of pre-determined magnitude (UP). There is also an apparatus for carrying out the method.

Abstract: An expandable folder is provided which includes a front panel member, a rear panel member, and a gusset member which connects peripheral portions of the bottoms of the front and rear panel members and at least a portion of the sides of the panel members to form the expandable folder. The gusset member includes a sheet having a plurality of accordion-like folds, with terminal folds of the sheet being wider than the other folds, and the terminal folds are connected to the front and rear panel members to enhance the connection therebetween. The expandable folder further comprises interior reinforcing strips positioned along at least part of the connection between the gusset member and panel members peripheral portion for preventing separation of the front and rear panel members from the gusset member when the folder is used. Reinforcing strips may also be provided along the top or corners of the gusset member or on outer peripheral portions of the panel members.

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: An apparatus for storing and dispensing unfolded files comprising a tray which has side walls, a bottom, and an open top is provided. The tray is adapted to store a stack of the unfolded files thereon. A plastic film is wrapped around the tray and unfolded files contained therein to retain the unfolded files in a tray and to form a package. Upon removal of the plastic film, the unfolded files may be removed from within the tray. Methods for storing and dispensing the unfolded files are also provided.

Abstract: Multi-colored images are built-up from thermoplastic, separation negatives obtained for example on a laser printer. Colored positive separations are obtained by applying a colored, transferable non-thermoplastic layer on a carrier over each thermoplastic negative separation, subjecting the assembly to heat and pressure, and peeling apart the assembly whereby colored non-thermoplastic positive images remain on the carrier sheet. Each colored non-thermoplastic positive separation in turn is then transferred to a receptor having a thermoplastic surface. Each colored, non-thermoplastic positive is applied over the receptor having a thermoplastic surface, the image being in contact with the thermoplastic surface, the assembly is subjected to heat and pressure and the carrier sheet removed to leave the positive image adhered to the thermoplastic surface of the receptor. This process is repeated for each color positive separation to build up the multi-colored image on the receptor surface.