Abstract: A recording apparatus having a paper feeding device for feeding a printing sheet, a detent mechanism capable of engaging the feed roller so as to determine the feeding pitch at which the paper feeding device feeds the sheet, a ribbon feeding mechanism for feeding an ink ribbon, a driving power source for generating a driving force, a transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force from the driving power source to one of the paper feeding device and the ribbon feeding mechanism to operate the paper feeding device or the ribbon feeding mechanism, and a changeover mechanism for changing over the transmission effected by the transmission mechanism and also changing over the engagement between the detent mechanism and the paper feeding device in a linked relationship with the changeover of the transmission of the driving force.

Abstract: There is an output apparatus which prints and outputs onto an ink ribbon in an electronic typewriter or the like. This output apparatus comprises: an output head to output a desired character through an ink ribbon; a cassette in which the ink ribbon is enclosed; a guide device to move the ink ribbon pulled out of the cassette in the direction having an angle of inclination with respect to the vertical direction; and a control unit to control the ink ribbon feed mechanism so as to stop the advance of the ink ribbon such that the length of ink ribbon pulled out of the cassette is made almost constant before and after the movement of the ink ribbon by the guide device. One motor is commonly used for print paper feed, ribbon feed, and ribbon lift up/down operations. The type wheel having a plurality of type elements is bilaterally rotated and its rotation amount is properly controlled to detect the home position of the wheel.

Abstract: A symmetrical keyboard for computers, including computer terminals, word processors, typewriters, and similar equipment, and simulators of such equipment, wherein five rows of transverse keys are positioned and oriented in order to allow a user to move his or her left hand in a natural way that does not require unnatural "crabbing" (i.e. upward to the left and downward to the right) motions from the user's left hand. Further, the keyboard includes keys which are specifically positioned and configured so that equal numbers of letter keys are struck by each hand and opposing punctuation marks and symbols are struck by the opposing fingers of the user's left and right hands.

Abstract: An impact printer having a print head, the print head having a movable armature, a printing wire fixed to the armature, and sensor for detecting movement of the armature. The position of the armature is monitored based on an output of the sensor. A home sensor detects whether the print head is at a home position. A paper end sensor detect whether a printing medium is between the platen and the print head. A gap motor means adjusts a gap between the printing wire and the platen. A gap controller is responsive to detection signals output by said home sensor and said paper end sensor, for controlling the print head to swing the armature so as to cause the tip of said printing wire to strike the platen, determining a time of impact of the tip with the platen based on the monitored position of the armature, performing a comparison of the time of impact with a predetermined impact time, and outputting a drive signal to the gap motor for adjusting the gap according to a result of the comparison.

Abstract: In a printer, a carrier having a print head and an indicator mounted thereon is moved toward and away from the platen, so that the carrier is at one of a retracted position at which a distance between the print head and the platen is at a maximum, a contact position at which a switch member mounted on the indicator is in contact with a surface of a printing sheet, and a printing position at which the carrier is slightly retracted from the contact position to define a predetermined gap between the print head and the printing sheet. A switch member for detecting a printing sheet, i.e., a thickness of the sheet, is mounted on a flat portion of the indicator.

Abstract: A printer is disclosed for printing on plastic film which comprises a pivotal printer carriage carried by a printer frame of the printer. The printer carriage includes a thermal transfer print head and at least one driven ribbon roll for drawing an ink ribbon across the print head. The print frame includes a plurality of directional rollers which direct the plastic film to a driven platen roller and to a downstream driven film roller. The drives of the film and ribbon rollers are synchronized so that the film and ribbon are advanced in a superposed relation across the print head. The printer carriage is pivoted to a printing position from a non printing position by a rotary actuator. In the printing position, the platen roller which consists of an neoprene roller having a durometer of 45, is spring biased against the print head with a controlled spring rate, and with the film and ribbon sandwiched therebetween.

Abstract: A ribbon cassette of which the type of ink ribbon accommodated in the ribbon cassette may be identified by detection switches arranged on the carriage of a thermal transfer printer, without using a plurality of types of ribbon cassette case which are different in shape. A ribbon cassette in which a simple construction is used to prevent sticking to each other of the ink ribbon and the guide roller immediately after printing. A ribbon cassette by which a stain on the recording sheet due to contact between the sheet and the ink ribbon at the time of printing operation may be prevented and the stability of running of the ink ribbon is improved. A thermal transfer printer in which: the stability of running of the ink ribbon may be improved; both hot peeling printing and cold peeling printing are possible in an excellent condition; and the consumption of the ink ribbon may be reduced.

Abstract: An ink ribbon cassette which is adapted to be demountably loaded on a recording apparatus having a recording head capable of recording information on a recording medium supported by a platen, the ink ribbon cassette has the following parts: a substantially box-shaped casing constituted by an upper case and a lower case which are connected to each other at their vertical walls, the casing having a first side wall facing the platen and a second side wall opposing the first side wall, a recessed portion formed in one end of the first side wall and capable of receiving the recording head, engaging portion provided on the second side wall and adapted for engagement with retaining member on the recording apparatus, a pair of through holes constituted by pairs of apertures formed in the portions of the upper and lower cases adjacent to the first side wall, the through holes being adapted for receiving locating members on the recording apparatus so as to locate the ink ribbon cassette, and a path of an ink ribbon ext

Abstract: An adjustable one-piece platform is constructed or molded with a plastic living hinge at a front edge to which is integrally attached an elevating projection. The front edge elevating projection can be rotated about the living hinge into one of several positions. This permits the bottom surface of the keyboard alignment device of the present invention to remain in a horizontal plane on a desktop or a computer work surface platform. Further, the keyboard alignment device is able to have the angle of inclination of the bottom surface changed with respect to a horizontal work surface. A traditional flat/rectangular keyboard is placed on an upper rear surface of the keyboard alignment device. The traditional keyboard maintains its front to rear taper when an elevating projection of the keyboard alignment device is at right angles to the desktop or work surface.

Abstract: A tape printing device is described which has cutting means capable of providing a tab cut and a multiple strip of labels. The printing device also enables label lengths to be controlled and to control the cutting process in response to these label lengths.

Abstract: A printer has dual opposing printheads which can print in tandem on two sides of paper fed along a printing plane. The dual opposing printheads can print the same information on each side of two paper sheets fed in back-to-back (two-ply) fashion, thereby providing a document and copy simultaneously. The printer can also print different information on two sides of the same paper sheet or on each side of two paper sheets, thereby doubling the printing speed as compared to a single printhead. In a preferred embodiment, the dual opposing printheads are mounted in carriages driven reciprocatingly in tandem by one drive belt. Tandem paper feed mechanisms are arranged at one side of the printer and have respective clutch spring devices which are actuated alternately by cam surfaces on the printhead carriages so as to drive a pair of paper feed rollers with the paper fed in between them.

Abstract: A backlash control system for a printer medium drive system having a motor-driven gear train for driving medium-engaging rollers. Pinion gears mounted on the motor drive shaft mesh with a main gear and a tension gear, mounted in turn on a main drive and a tension roller. An anti-backlash spring device includes pinch fingers which exert a pinch force on the main and tension gears. The pinch fingers are mounted at ends of a horizontal spring beam secured at an intermediate pivot point. As the motor turns to drive the print medium forward, the pinch force results in bowing of the horizontal beam, tending to exert a restoring force on the main and tension gears. As the motor direction is reversed and stopped, the restoring force results in the main and tension gears being pulled backwards to keep the gear teeth meshed tightly to the pinion gear teeth. The pinch fingers also exert a thrust load axially against the main drive and tension gears.

Abstract: Methogology and apparatus are described which employ an improved modular service station design wherein a printhead-servicing sled is selectively vertically driven to effect execution of servicing tasks. In keeping with its desired modularity, the sled is made readily removable using an improved clamp and sled arrangement. The sled is driven by a unique drive system such drive system being capable of effectively selectively stalling or locking instrumentality such as the sled in various positions defined along its path of vertical movement. To save time and space, both the printhead and the servicing mechanism such as the wipers and the caps are moved so as to place them in proper relative positions for execution of a task.

Abstract: A printer controller is for controlling a serial dot printer. The printer prints a dot picture on a paper by reciprocally scanning a recording head in horizontal forward and backward directions. The printer controller includes a buffer memory for storing print data in a dot pattern, a print starting address register for transferring the print data from the buffer memory to the recording head, a print end address register, an address counter, a print timing register for drive controlling the recording head, and a print timing pulse generator. The printer controller corrects vertical misregistration of print in the forward and backward printing by adjusting a set value of the print starting address of the print starting address register or a set value of the print timing register.

Abstract: A wire printhead comprising a plurality of electromagnets and a corresponding plurality of armatures, each provided with an actuator arm forming, with the juxtaposed armature to an electromagnet, a lever of first order for actuating an impression wire attached to a free end of the actuator arm, said lever being biased to the rest position by a flexurally pre-loaded leaf spring acting on the lever in a predetermined position with respect to the lever fulcrum, through a resilient element which defines the point of application to the lever of the force from the leaf spring.

Abstract: The invention provides an drive coil protection apparatus and method and a printer incorporating the apparatus. A rank memory stores a preset rank value associated with a reference drive coil in the print head of a printer. The preset rank value characterizes inherent deviations associated with the reference drive coil. The deviations result from manufacturing process, etc. A judgment value memory stores a plurality of sets of mode judgment values. Each set of mode judgment values corresponds to a particular rank value. Each mode judgment value represents a threshold value for determining the thermal condition of the print head and for selecting an appropriate operating mode for the print head. A head information detector detects the voltage drop across the reference drive coil to measure the change in the resistance of the reference drive coil. The voltage drop is digitized for accuracy measurement. The change in temperature of the reference drive coil can thus be determined.

Abstract: A storage media (magneto-optical disc, for example) stores material data of a page, layout data of the page and an output control file having a preset name. The output control file contains designating data describing the location of the material data and the location of the layout data in the storage media. When the storage media is detected being set in the media drive, the output control file with the preset name is searched. When the output control file is found, the designating data is read out, and the material data and the layout data are retrieved from the storage media using the designating data. Based on the material data and the layout data, the image of the page is outputted onto a sheet.

Abstract: Disclosed is an impact dot head and an impact dot printer provided as not causing wire breakage by supporting a wire performing a printing operation so as to be resiliently oscillatable in a printing digit direction even if the impact dot head starts printing from a position outside a printing sheet due to erroneous setting of a printing area and therefore passes an end of the printing sheet while performing the printing operation.

Abstract: In order to reduce the power requirement of the recording device (1) and thereby to achieve long operating readiness, the recording device (1) is placed in a stand-by state (Z3) during phases when recording is inactive, in which state its control electronics (22) function in power-saving mode. When a charger (3) is connected, the accumulator (2) is charged. The recording device (1) is placed into an operative state (Z4), if the accumulator (4) has a sufficient charge. To further reduce the power requirement, the recording device (1), from the stand-by state (Z3, is separated from the accumulator (2) by opening an electric switch (12), if it has remained in the stand-by state for a certain period of time. The state of charge of the accumulator (2) is monitored, and if it falls below a certain level and the charger (3) is disconnected, the recording device (1) is placed into the electrically shut off state (2), and if the charger (3) is connected, it is placed into the stand-by state (Z3).

Abstract: A tape printing apparatus having a detection member which detects movement of a tape cutter to its tape cutting direction. A control system is provided for stopping tape feeding and tape printing operation when the detection member detects the movement of the tape cutter for preventing the print tape from being entangled with an internal mechanical component. Printing operation for one train of dots read from a print buffer is performed when a print key is operated and the count value of a tape feed counter is incremented by 1 dot. Such steps are repeatedly performed if no cutting operation is made by means of a cutting control button and If tape feed count value is not coincident with cut position data, and if a sequence of printing processes have not yet been completed. On the other hand, if the cutting control button is operated while a printing operation is being performed, the printing operation and tape feeding operation are stopped.