Abstract: An ink ribbon assembly is disclosed which includes an ink ribbon, a support for the ink ribbon and data retention means associated with the support. The support, for example, may be a supply spool, a take-up spool, and a rotatable ring. The data retention means may be a nonvolatile memory. Data indicating the ink ribbon characteristics is stored in the memory. Such data may relate to data correcting production variations of ink, the type of ink on the ribbon, and the amount of ribbon left. The ink ribbon assembly is used with a printer device which reads the data from the data retention means, corrects the image printing information in accordance with the read correction data and performs the printing in accordance with the corrected image printing information.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a color printer and its printing method for accurately printing different colors on a document. The printer comprises two roller wheels for clamping and carrying the document forward and backward, a stepping motor for driving the two roller wheels, a detector for detecting a front edge of the document, a printing head for printing the document, and a control circuit for controlling operations of the printer. The control circuit comprises a memory for recording the number of steps of the stepping motor as printing position of the document.

Abstract: A device for transporting a sheet (18) to be printed in a printer is described, with a carriage (14) which is designed for receiving the sheet and which can be displaced on a fixed stand (12) perpendicularly to the line direction between a starting position for inserting and removing the sheet and an end position moved into the printer. Mounted on the carriage (14) is a releasable clamping device (26) which comprises a bearing surface (22) for the sheet (18) and a clamping lever (35) spring-loaded in the clamping direction. The latter is provided with an actuating cam (48) which co-operates with a control bar (40) provided on the stand (12), in such a way that the clamping device (26) is opened in the starting position, closes after this starting position has been passed in the direction opposite to the end position and opens again when the carriage (14), coming from the end position, reaches the starting position.

Abstract: A thermal printing mechanism has a printer head for printing on a flat object transported in a transport direction through the thermal printing mechanism. A roll lever is pivotable about a pivot axis at its first end. A counterpressure roll is mounted to the second end of the roll lever and supports the flat object for printing by the printer head. A freely rotatable roll is positioned in the vicinity of the printer head and mounted in a fixed position relative to the pivot axis. A mechanism for adjusting a position of the counterpressure roll at the freely rotatable roll in accordance with a thickness of the flat object passing between the counterpressure roll and the freely rotatable roll is provided and the print head thus always applies the same pressure onto the object to be printed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for positioning a flexible printing plate in a desired position on a flexible carrier arranged on a table, the method comprising the steps of placing the printing plate at a first easily accessible position on the table and subsequently moving the printing plate from the first position to the desired position on the flexible carrier in accordance with a predetermined direction and distance; and wherein the device comprises a flat table, means for positioning the flexible carrier, means for determining the location of the carrier in a first easily accessible position, and transporting means for transferring the printing plate from the first position to the predetermined position on the flexible carrier.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for feeding a recordable paper in an ink jet printer. The device according to the present invention is designed such that a recordable paper stacking plate is upward shifted by a reciprocal movement of a carriage to be positioned at a paper feeding position at an initial printing so that a recordable paper is in close contact with a feed roller. Thus, the recordable paper is picked up by a rotation of the feed roller and moved to a base frame. As a result, it is possible to save a time for feeding the recordable paper and printing data on the recordable paper. Further, there is advantage in that a time for picking up the recordable paper can be reduced by using a CR motor having a large torque.

Abstract: Separate air curtains of low pressure, high flow volume air are discharged onto the leading inking form roller on the feeder side and onto the trailing inking form roller on the delivery side of the plate cylinder to evaporate water entrained with the ink and which has migrated from the printing plate to the inking form rollers as a result of uneven application of water to the plate cylinder. A pair of elongated distribution manifolds are mounted on the press in proximity to the inking form rollers, one manifold directing a curtain of air onto the inking form roller and adjacent vibrator roller on the feeder side, and the other manifold directing a curtain of air onto the inking form roller and adjacent vibrator roller on the delivery side of the plate cylinder.

Abstract: A method and device for automatically feeding a printing plate to a plate cylinder of a printing press, includes a draw-in shaft for inserting a printing plate, a leading-edge clamping device on the plate cylinder, the draw-in shaft being positionable on the plate cylinder so that a printing plate therein is insertable by a leading edge thereof into the leading-edge clamping device due to a backward rotation of the plate cylinder, and a control for stopping the backward rotation of the plate cylinder after the leading edge of the printing plate has been inserted into the leading-edge clamping device, for closing the leading-edge clamping device, and for then initiating a forward rotation of the plate cylinder so as to wind the printing plate on the plate cylinder.

Abstract: A device for reliably and economically moving two doors that are movably mounted on a side wall of a printing group in a rotary printing machine for closing openings in the side wall that are proximate printing group cylinders mounted in the printing group, includes a toggle lever articulately connected between each of the two doors and the side wall and is operated by a selectively actuatable working cylinder.

Abstract: Two typing units are disposed in a photographic printer, facing a back face of an exposed color paper. The typing unit comprises a typing head and an ink ribbon cassette which is endless type and is removable. As for 135-type photographic film, one-line typing mode is selected. In this case, one of the typing units is actuated to type information concerning a frame number of the photographic film, an exposure correction value and so forth for the back face of the color paper in one line. In this one-line typing mode, the typing unit being used is changed whenever the typing relative to one photographic film is over so that ink ribbons of the typing units are prevented from being unequally consumed. As for IX240-type photographic film, two-line typing mode is selected. In this mode, both of the typing units are actuated to type various information in two lines.

Abstract: An ink-refillable stamp includes a knob, fixed seat, a moving seat movably connected to the fixed seat, a stamping set securely inserted in the fixing seat and a bottom cover. The stamping set consists of an upper frame and a lower frame combined together. At least one ink-spongy pad and a stamping face are housed in the stamping set. At least one partition strip can be provided in the stamping set to separate the inner space into at least two rooms for filling with ink-spongy pads and inks of different colors therein. A plurality of apertures is defined in the upper frame to let ink to be supplied therefrom. When the ink stored in the stamp is exhausted, the stamp can be cleanly and conveniently refilled by a new ink cartridge wherefrom ink flows through the apertures into the stamping set.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting and for printing print media has an inclined guide plate and a transport mechanism orthogonal to this guide plate and an auxiliary device. An ink jet print head controlled by a control unit is rigidly arranged in a recess of the guide plate during printing. The recess is fashioned such that the print medium has a printed region lying free downstream. The print medium transported with the transport mechanism lies without any mechanical clamping against the auxiliary device, that has an ascending guide and allows a defined slippage perpendicular to the transport mechanism surface. Independently of the slope of the floor area of the machine, a non-contacting printing with the ink print head ensues with high print quality for print media transported standing or lying. A placement device precedes the guide plate for the adaptation of the inclination angle .alpha..

Abstract: An ergonomic keyboard having a mount and a plurality of keys arranged in a plurality of unbroken adjacent rows is provided. Each row is comprised of an arcuate portion, a left portion, and a right portion. The left and right portions extend tangentially from the left and right sides of the arcuate portion, respectively. The arcuate portion, of each row is convex to the user side of the keyboard, and at least two keys in each arcuate portion are elongated. Alphanumeric indicia on the keys can be arranged in the QWERTY pattern.

Abstract: A spiral gear 7G formed on an adjusting bolt 7 is engaged with a spiral gear 8G disposed around a shaft 8 for diagonal adjustment. The shaft 8 is rotatably supported in a block 16 which is fixed to the bottom of the tail edge side clamping base 3, and the shaft 8 is screwed into the hole of a block 18 provided to a plate cylinder 60 and passes therethrough. The block 18 is supported so as not to be moved in the directions shown by the arrows 92, 93 relative to the cylinder plate 60. Diagonal image adjustment is carried out by moving the tail edge side clamping base 3 in the directions shown by the arrows 92 or 93 as a result of rotating an adjusting knob 7H of the adjusting bolt 7.

Abstract: An airline ticket printer includes a magnetic reading and writing station that has a read/write head for recording information on, or reproducing information from, a magnetic stripe carried on the ticket. The ticket is driven past the read/write head by a drive mechanism that contacts the ticket at a substantial distance from the read/write head so that the magnetic stripe is free to flex independently of the portion of the ticket that is in contact with the drive mechanism. More satisfactory contact between the read/write head and the magnetic stripe is thereby achieved.The ticket printer also has a second reading/writing station in series with the first station along a ticket feed path, so that errors in reading or writing by the first station may be detected and/or corrected at the second station.A ticket feed path is constructed using feed modules that are mounted on pins extending from a vertical mounting plate.

Abstract: A curved surface screen-printing apparatus adapted to screen-print a to-be-printed object having a large radius of curvature. Concentric curved-surface guides having an equal radius of curvature are respectively provided on both side portions of a jig table on which a printing board to be bent and used as the to-be-printed object is placed. A squeegee head crossing over the jig table, and a screen plate mounting frame are provided in the apparatus. A pair of steel belts are used to connect a corresponding one of the guides to the frame. The belts of each pair are made to intersect each other. An end of each of the belts is fixed to a side end portion of a corresponding one of the curved surface guides as viewed from a side thereof. The other end thereof is fixed to a corner portion of the screen plate mounting frame. A reciprocating motion of the squeegee head causes the screen plate mounting frame to perform a rocking motion along the curved surface of the jig table.

Abstract: A robotic apparatus for a printing press transports components between the press and a staging or make-ready area so that components can be prepared for a new press run off-line from the press. The robotic apparatus includes a pair of lifting assemblies which are movable horizontally between the press and a support frame in the make-ready area. Each of the lifting assemblies includes a vertically movable lift mechanism, and each lift mechanism includes a plurality of lifting cups for engaging the ends of the components of the press which are to moved. The lifting cups can be operated independently, so that desired components can be moved from any printing deck to any position on the support frame. The press components which can be moved include a plate cylinder and a carriage assembly. The carriage assembly includes a frame, an anilox roll assembly mounted in the frame, and an ink container mounted on the frame.

Abstract: The present invention is a flexographic printing apparatus for printing single images on a continuous web of material using a belt-type printer and for easily and rapidly creating flexible packaging by bringing the printing operation in-line with the bag converting or packaging material machines. In a preferred embodiment, the printing apparatus includes a frame having an impression cylinder and a nip roller rotatably mounted to the frame in close proximity to the impression cylinder such that the nip roller bears on the impression cylinder, a printer mounting attached to the frame and movable laterally relative to the impression cylinder, a belt-type printer mounted on the printer mounting and means for transferring rotation of the impression cylinder to the printer. The frame may be fixed to a post-printing processing machine or may be free-standing for easily moving the invented apparatus to various locations.

Abstract: The present invention generally describes register control equipment for the cylinder of a printing machine. It specifically pertains to the printing plate of sheet-fed offset printing machine that has fitted register pins. The register pins are electrically insulated with respect to the cylinder and emit a signal when a printing plate is resting in register on one or more of the pins. The signal is communicated to a stationary evaluation unit by an electrical contact adapted to contact the printing plate. The evaluation unit uses the communicated signal to determine whether or not insertion was properly performed.

Abstract: Both a printing-medium support (such as a platen) and a printhead-carriage slide-rod are supported and located in common from a single chassis. Preferably a pair of positive stops is used to locate the slide-rod, and a biasing retainer forcibly abuts the rod against, selectively, either stop of the pair of positive stops. Alternatively the two positive stops are instead used to locate the print-medium support--or separate pairs of such stops are used to locate both the slide-rod and the print-medium support respectively. A respective biasing retainer forcibly engages each located support element against one or the other of its stops. In another facet of the invention, an accurate system establishes and adjustably controls printhead-to-print-medium spacing without an assembly fixture. An adjustable mechanism (such as the biasing retainer mentioned above), distinct from both support elements, locates one of the two supports relative to the other.