Abstract: A method and apparatus for preparing graphic products utilizes a printer to print on sheet material and a cutter to cut the sheet material with the printed material within the periphery of the cut edges. Both the printer and the cutter are controlled by machine readable data having a common data base so that the printed material and the cut material correspond positionally in the final graphic product. The printer is a thermal printer that places the printed material on a strip of sheet material generally before the sheet material is cut. The thermal printer utilizes a donor web bearing a transfer ink to create enhanced printed images on the sheet material with half tones, color and other attractive features. The printer is controlled to regulate a number of printing parameters through coding on a cassette in which the donor web is supported.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for preparing graphic products utilizes a printer to print on sheet material and a cutter to cut the sheet material with the printed material within the periphery of the cut edges. Both the printer and the cutter are controlled by machine readable data having a common data base so that the printed material and the cut material correspond positionally in the final graphic product. The printer is a thermal printer that places the printed material on a strip of sheet material generally before the sheet material is cut. The thermal printer utilizes a donor web bearing a transfer ink to create enhanced printed images on the sheet material with half tones, color and other attractive features. The printer is controlled to regulate a number of printing parameters through coding on a cassette in which the donor web is supported.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for defining a reference position of a tool with respect to at least one direction of movement is provided. The reference position is defined by comparing a position to which the tool has been commanded with the actual position of the tool with respect to the direction of movement. Lag data indicative of the difference is compared to a predetermined lag value, and advancement of the command position is terminated in response to lag data exceeding the predetermined data. The reference position is defined with respect to such lag data.

Abstract: A thermal printer carries out printing operations to produce images in multiple colors in response to a printing program. In order to eliminate distortions and to insure registration of colors in the printed image, a printer controller eliminates backlash in the drive mechanism at the beginning of each printing operation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for preparing a printing plate without the need for a photomask formed from a sheet of photographic film bearing the positive or negative of the image to be printed. According to the invention, an ink jet print head deposits ink onto a light-sensitive emulsion in a pattern which corresponds to either the positive or negative of the image to be printed. The printed pattern provides a photomask for subsequent exposure of the emulsion.

Abstract: A laminated web has a carrier sheet and a sign material sheet superimposed on it and a first layer of permanently tacky adhesive attaching the sign material sheet to the carrier. A second permanently tacky adhesive layer is provided on the side of the sign material sheet facing away from the base layer and is coated or is provided with a film which deadens the exposed tacky surface such that the web may be cut in an automated sign generated machine and the web weeded thereby leaving free standing characters on which the second permanently tacky adhesive can then be exposed for application onto a substrate surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically creating a simulated mosaic controllably discharges tile pieces onto plate material and secures the tile pieces in place such that the plates with the tile pieces are freestanding permitting the plates themselves to be an ordered arrangement of sections of the mosaic once cemented to the substrate. Many different forms may be had for the plate material, including ones that are pressure or heat activatable to bond with the tile pieces or ones that are mechanically connectable.

Abstract: An apparatus for printing images on sheet material has a housing, a roller platen mounted within the housing for supporting the sheet material, and a print head mounted adjacent to the platen for receiving the sheet material between the platen and the print head and printing images onto the sheet material passed between the platen and the print head. Two first wiper-blade assemblies are mounted on either side of the roller platen relative to each other, and each wiper-blade assembly has at least one wiper blade extending across the width of the :sheet material defining an edge portion contacting the sheet material, for continuously removing dust particles and other debris from the sheet material prior to passage between the print head and the roller platen. A donor web bearing printing ink is interposed between the print head and the sheet material for forming graphic images on the sheet material by transfer of ink from the donor web to the sheet material.

Abstract: A thermal printer has a printhead with a plurality of resistive heating elements selectively energized and de-energized to generate printed images on sheet material. In order to improve the quality of the printed image, a capacitor is provided to eliminate surges in the power supplied to the printhead. The capacitor means is mounted in close proximity to the printhead to minimize inductive impedance in the power supply system.

Abstract: A laminated web has a carrier sheet and a sign material sheet superimposed on it and a first layer of permanently tacky adhesive attaching the sign material sheet to the carrier. A second permanently tacky adhesive layer is provided on the side of the sign material sheet facing away from the base layer and is coated or is provided with a film which deadens the exposed tacky surface such that the web may be cut in an automated sign generated machine and the web weeded thereby leaving free standing characters on which the second permanently tacky adhesive can then be exposed for application onto a substrate surface.

Abstract: A method and associated apparatus for use in an automated sign generator to produce enhanced special effect graphics and single layer multi-color signs on a vinyl sheet material uses a paint pen carried by the tool head of the generator which in coordinated movement with the vinyl sheet traces the shape of the sign. In one embodiment, the sheet material is cut along a line falling within the painted stripe defining the graphic. The cut graphic having the desired visual special effect is removed from the sheet material along the cut line. The apparatus further includes a guide wheel assembly located between a material deflector and a feed roller for riding along the marginal portions of the sheet material causing it to move along a broken plane path to prevent buckling as it moves relative to the tool head and to prevent smudging of the painted graphic.

Abstract: A system uses information taken from a sensing device sensing the dimensions of an existing fingernail structure and inputs this sensed information into a controller in machine usable form. The data is used by the controller to drive a variety of peripheral devices to cut a desired nail pattern in a material so that at least a part of the material snugly fits over the existing nail structure. The system is further capable of cutting a sheet of decorative material to the shape of a natural nail or one that is artificially placed on a nail. The decorative sheet may be formed of vinyl or mylar and has an adhesive layer which binds it to the involved nail.

Abstract: A cutting cloth web having a multilayer construction comprises a generally elongate base layer of material having a first surface disposed on one side and having a second surface disposed on its side facing oppositely thereof and includes a generally elongate sheet of fabric material having a first surface disposed on one side thereof and a second surface disposed on its opposite side and facing the base layer second surface. The base layer and the fabric sheet are releasably attached to one another by holding means interposed between the second surface of the fabric material and the second surface of the base layer maintaining the two sheets in registry with one another such that a closed shape may be cut in the fabric material without disrupting the registration between the base layer and the sheet of fabric material as provided for by the holding means.

Abstract: A laminated web is used for supplying characters, symbols or other shapes, which are cut from a layer of sign material comprising one of the layers of the web, subsequently adhesively attached to a supporting surface to create a sign. In the web the layer of sign material is superimposed on a layer of paper or similar material with an intervening layer of pressure sensitive or permanently tacky adhesive. A layer of dry adhesive is carried by the otherwise exposed face of the layer of sign material and is activatable into a tacky condition for adhesively attaching the underlying portions of the layer of sign material to a supporting surface. The arrangement of the layers, the types of adhesives and the bonding strengths of the adhesives to their adherent surfaces allow the shapes cut from the layer of sign material to be transferred to and adhesively attached to a supporting surface, after cutting, by a simple and easy process.

Abstract: A system automatically weeds around graphics cut into a sheet of sign material having a backing and utilizes a tool moved relative to the sign material sheet along a path offset from the lines of cut defining the graphic in response to commands issued by a controller to selectively bond an overlay sheet to the weed portions of the sign material sheet. The overlay sheet is placed over the sign material sheet and is selectively bonded with portions of the cut sign material sheet for subsequent separation of the nongraphic or weed material from the cut graphic when the overlay sheet is pulled away from the backing.

Abstract: A method for printing a graphic having uniform ink density on selected pixel locations of a printing screen coated with a light sensitive emulsion is provided. According to one embodiment of the invention, only some of the pixel locations are printed as required to form a desired image during the first pass of a printhead across a strip of the emulsion coated screen. The remaining pixel locations are printed as required during a second pass of the printhead across the strip. According to a second embodiment of the invention, a portion of the pixel locations in each strip are re-printed on the next succeeding pass of the printhead across the screen.

Abstract: A laminated web is used for etching characters, symbols or other shapes initially scribed in a layer of stencil sheet material including one of the layers of the web and the scribed stencil sheet is subsequently separated from the remaining web and used in an electrochemical etching process. The web is adapted to be used in an automatic sign maker wherein it is scribed on automatically as a result of instructions issued from a controller and the scribed markings are then used as a negative image in the etching process of an article surface.

Abstract: A sheet material support system includes a floating box having upwardly extending leading edges defining a plane extending parallel to said base in which sheet material is caused to conform to by applying downward pressure to it and causing the sheet material to become tautly drawn over the box upper edges. The system includes a locating block and clamps which allow frames to be located uniformly along X and Y coordinate axes so that successive frames can be loaded in uniform registration in the system.

Abstract: A method for making a printing screen wherein a screen having an unexposed emulsion layer applied thereto is placed in a printing device, such as an ink jet printer, and a graphic is printed directly on the emulsion layer. The graphic is precisely and automatically positioned relative to the screen by orienting the screen with respect to the X, Y and Z printing axes of the printing device, alinging a selected location on the screen with a selected coordinate position on the X and Y printing axes and providing the printing device with data defining the graphic to be printed on the emulsion layer, data defining the dimensions of the screen, and data defining selected coordinates within the dimensions of the screen with which corresponding reference coordinates of the graphic are to register when the graphic is printed on the emulsion layer.