Abstract: A label applicator is disclosed for receiving pressure-sensitive labels which have been peeled from a backing strip and for applying the labels to a desired surface. The tendency of the labels to bunch or wrinkle as they are delivered to the applicator face is avoided by causing the labels to bow or curve outward slightly from the plane of the face plate, with the bowing or curvature occurring across the width of the label in a direction transverse to the feed direction. The bowing increases the longitudinal stiffness of the label in the feed direction, and allows the label to be pushed across the applicator face without bunching or wrinkling even when relatively long and narrow labels are employed.

Abstract: A pad transfer printing machine is disclosed in which the engraved printing plate is suspended face-down at an elevated position above the surface to be printed, and is horizontally movable between a retracted position and a pad contacting position. The plate is inked and scraped as it moves horizontally and, at the pad contacting position, presents an inked image to a deformable transfer pad. A movable printing member drives the transfer pad in alternating upward and downward strokes and inverts the pad during each upward and downward stroke, so that the transfer pad is alternately brought into contact with the printing plate at the top of its stroke and with the surface to be printed at the bottom of its stroke. The elevated position of the printing plate renders it easily accessable for removal and replacement. Excess ink is automatically removed from the printing plate by the scraping device as the plate is removed, and the excess ink is returned to the ink supply.

Abstract: A simple and inexpensive printing apparatus is provided for use with ink compositions of the type which are solid at normal room temperatures and are rendered liquid and flowable at elevated temperatures. The apparatus comprises a rotary printing member having one or more printing elements thereon, an inking roll for inking the printing elements with an ink composition of the type described, and a one-piece, wrap-around radiant heater block for maintaining the inking roll and printing elements at the necessary elevated temperatures. A method for printing with heated ink compositions is also described.

Abstract: A magnetic brush developing apparatus is described which comprises a vertically positioned magnetic supply roll, a similarly positioned magnetic developer roll, and supply means such as a hopper for supplying magnetically attractable developer particles to the lower portion of the supply roll. The supply roll is provided with a magnetization pattern in which the magnetic poles are arranged in helical bands with respect to the roll axis. The developer roll has a symmetric magnetization pattern in which the magnetic poles are arranged in straight linear bands parallel to the roll axis. Developer particles move circumferentially and vertically upward on the surface of the supply roll and are transferred to the surface of the developer roll across a narrow vertical gap separating the two rolls. A doctor blade associated with the supply roll returns excess developer from the supply roll to the hopper.

Abstract: A process for forming a permanent, abrasion and chemical resistant image on a fabric or plastic substrate is disclosed which comprises (a) providing a printing matrix having raised portions in the shape of the image to be printed on the substrate, (b) providing a carrier supported ink comprising (1) a uniform coating of an ink composition comprising a sublimable dye, (2) a carrier sheet for supporting said coating on one surface thereof, (c) disposing the carrier supported ink adjacent to the printing matrix such that the uncoated surface of the carrier sheet faces the printing matrix, (d) providing a fabric or plastic film substrate having a surface into which said sublimable dye can diffuse, (e) disposing the substrate such that the surface thereof faces the coated surface of the carrier sheet, (f) applying pressure between said printing matrix and said substrate to cause the printing matrix to contact the uncoated surface of the carrier sheet and the coated surface of the carrier sheet to contact the subst

Abstract: A radiation imageable composition in which an image can be produced upon exposure to intense radiation is disclosed which comprises (a) hollow, ceramic microspheres, and (b) a binder material which will not be destroyed during exposure of the composition to intense radiation and will not mask the image produced upon exposure to intense radiation, wherein the binder material has an index of refraction greater than the index of refraction of the microspheres in the absence of any other dye or pigment.

Abstract: A printing apparatus is disclosed wherein rocking motion of a movably mounted inking roll assembly is controlled by a cam and follower arrangement coupled to the drive system for a pivoting printing member. The cam and follower arrangement allows coordinated movement of the printing member and inking roll assembly to be obtained in a simple manner and without employing separate drive means for rocking the inking roll assembly. The cam contour is advantageously chosen so that the inking roll is moved gradually toward and then away from the pivot axis of the printing member as the line of contact between the printing element and the inking roll progresses from the leading edge of the printing element to the trailing edge. Such movement of the inking roll maintains uniform tangential contact between the inking roll and the entire surface of a flat printing element as the latter is moved in an arcuate path by the printing member.

Abstract: In the label printing system of the present invention, a strip of adhesive-backed label stock capable of receiving a latent charge image and having a releasable backing layer is drawn continuously from a supply reel and passed successively through an electrostatic print head, a developer, a pressure fixer, and a rotary die or butt cutter for separating the printed stock into individual labels on the uncut releasable backing layer. The latent imaging of each label at the electrostatic print head is carried out at defined discrete locations on the label stock. These locations may be defined in response to a synchronization signal produced by an angular position detector cooperating with the rotary cutter. The synchronization signal is indicative of a predetermined instantaneous rotational orientation of the cutting elements on the rotary cutting member, thereby insuring that the printed label indicia are properly centered within the label edges after die or butt cutting.

Abstract: An improved electrostatic print head is disclosed comprising a corona source, an aperture mask, a slotted focus plane, and a back plane electrode for supporting a moving dielectric print medium. The aperture mask includes two rows of staggered circular apertures which are surrounded by individual aperture electrodes on the side of the mask facing away from the corona source. The side of the aperture mask facing the corona source has a continuous conductive layer thereon which is biased at a fixed potential. The aperture electrodes are selectively pulsed with a control potential to control the flow of ions from the corona source through the two staggered rows of apertures and the slotted focus plane to form any desired dot-matrix latent image on the moving dielectric print medium.

Abstract: A printing system is disclosed which permits the printing of indicia on a continuously moving web at a fixed position offset from previously printed, evenly spaced web marks. The fixed position of the printed indicia relative to the web marks is independent of the velocity of the web. A web mark sensor, which may be part of the system to which the present invention is retrofitted, detects the passage of each previously printed web mark past a detection position. A registration circuit controls the timing of the printing of the indicia on the moving web and provides START signals for a servomotor-driven rotary print head which includes one or more peripherally mounted printing elements. A tachometer is mechanically coupled to a web transport mechanism to produce an output voltage which provides the velocity command for the servomotor drive of the rotary print head to match the rotational velocity of the print head to the linear velocity of the web during the printing interval.

Abstract: Stencil printing apparatus especially useful for printing on a curved or irregular underlying surface is described. It features a peripheral, elastically compressible and deformable stencil supporting wall and a flexible stencil screen having its outer peripheral edge sealingly mounted on the supporting wall, the stencil screen being deformable into continuous contact with the underlying surface with the supporting wall elastically compressed thereby for extrusion of printing fluid through the stencil screen onto the underlying surface to be printed.

Abstract: A strip of adhesive-backed label stock capable of receiving a latent charge image and having a releasable backing layer is drawn continuously from a supply reel and passed successively through an electrostatic print head, a developer, a pressure fixer, and a rotary die or butt cutter for separating the printed stock into individual labels on the uncut releasable backing layer. The latent imaging of each label at the electrostatic print head is commenced in response to a synchronization signal produced by an angular position detector cooperating with the rotary cutter. The synchronization signal is indicative of a predetermined instantaneous rotational orientation of the cutting elements on the rotary cutting member, thereby insuring that the printed label indicia are properly centered within the label edges after die or butt cutting. When die cutting is used, separate takeup reels are provided for the waste cuttings and for the finished labels on the uncut releasable backing layer.

Abstract: An article printing system is disclosed wherein successive strips of closely-spaced interconnected articles, such as electronic components, are fed in an intermittent manner by an endless conveyor belt to a printing nip located beneath a continuously rotating offset roll which is arranged for synchronized vertical reciprocation. Belt perforations corresponding in location to each individual article to be printed are sensed by a photoelectric detector to stop the article at a ready position located a predetermined distance from the printing nip. When a printed image on the offset roll rotates to a position of predicted registration with the motionless article surface below, the belt is restarted and the offset roll is lowered to its printing position in order to transfer the image to the article as it traverses the printing nip.

Abstract: Apparatus for manufacturing a continuous strip carrying individual pressure sensitive adhesive labels having permanently mounted pressure sensitive adhesive transparent hinged covers with release sheets thereon for protectively covering information subsequently added to the label.

Abstract: Printing apparatus especially useful for printing on the generally horizontal upper surface of the upper uninflated bag of a stack of generally flat, uninflated bags, while an inflated bag is positioned thereabove at the top of the stack for subsequently receiving a product therein.It includes a print head having a print face, preferably horizontally positioned, and print head carrier means for moving the print head from an inoperative position to a remote printing position along a curved path, its motion being initially away from the inoperative position, preferably in a generally horizontal direction, and finally toward the printing position in a generally perpendicular, preferably vertical, direction to the upper surface of the upper, uninflated bag for printing its upper surface.There may be included bag deflecting means for deflecting the inflated bag from the printing position to expose at least a portion of the upper surface of the upper, uninflated bag for printing thereon.