Abstract: There is disclosed a thermal printer for printing on webs of record members such as tags and labels. The printer has a wide print head which can print on either a wide web or on a narrow web. When printing on a narrow web, pressure contact is relieved or minimized between the portion of the platen roll and printing elements beyond the side edge of the web to minimize wear as the platen roll rotates. This is accomplished by inclining the print head and platen roll relative to each other. In order to promote uniform tension in the ink ribbon, an adjustable guide is provided along the ink ribbon path. The guide can be adjusted in a flat plane. The guide is maintained perpendicular to the direction of ink ribbon travel and promotes uniformity of tension across the width of the ink ribbon and consequently enables tracking to be optimized.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling ink supply amounts of individual zones by independently controlling gaps between an ink fountain roller and blades, the zones being obtained by dividing an axial length of a printing plate, includes a stepping motor arranged to correspond to each blade, a pulse generator directly coupled to the stepping motor, a waveshaper consisting of two AND gates and arranged in correspondence with the pulse generator, and a control unit including a CPU, an interface, and a memory. The stepping motor increases or decreases the gap between each blade and the ink fountain roller. The pulse generator generates two-phase pulse-like signals upon rotation of the stepping motor. The waveshaper waveshapes the pulse-like signals into two-phase pulse signals in accordance with hysteresis characteristics.

Abstract: There is disclosed a printer having a thermal print head which is biased towards a cooperable platen roll. The printer uses an ink ribbon cartridge, which is locked into place as the printhead is moved to the print position.

Abstract: There is disclosed a printer having a spindle which can hold a web roll installed either face side in or face side out. Spaced guides define the path from the roll to the printing mechanism; different guides are utilized depending on the orientation of the particular roll being used.

Abstract: Coupling device for an adjuster wheel to manually start up printing machine functions, including an adjuster wheel shaft adjustably displaceable axially in stages for bringing an adjuster wheel mounted on the shaft and into and out of operative connection with drive gearing of a printing machine, shift sense, in response to axuation of the adjuster wheel shaft, in a first stage, preventing switching-on of a drive motor for the printing machine, and a clutch device, in a second step of axial adjustment of the adjuster wheel shaft, forming the operative connection of the adjuster wheel with the drive gearing of the printing machine.

Abstract: An inpact dot printer has a ribbon cassette the casing of which is made of plastic. A leaf spring is mounted in the casing so as to be resilient contact with the inked ribbon in the cassette. An element protrudes from the spring to the outside of the casing, and is located at a position where it is in resilient contact with either a carriage of conductive material or a metal part secured to the carriage when the ribbon cassette is installed in position on the carriage. When the printer effects printing operation, static electricity generated on the ribbon is carried away to ground via the protruding element and other components.

Abstract: A type face striking system for striking a type face to produces an imprint on a record carrier in a writing machine, the system including; an electromagnetically actuatable printing hammer movable under the influence of an electrically generated magnetic field between a rest position and a striking position for striking the type face; an actuating device including a magnetic field producing means in the form of a conductor coil connected for receiving an operating voltage for producing the electrically generated magnetic field; and a control unit connected to the coil and operative for successively applying thereto: a voltage pulse of a first polarity for causing the actuating device to produce a magnetic field which effects movement of the hammer from its rest position to its striking position; and a voltage pulse of a second polarity, opposite to the first polarity, for causing the actuating device to produce a magnetic field which effects movement of the hammer from its striking position toward its rest p

Abstract: A ribbon cartridge comprises a housing including a main body with upper and lower substantially planar main surfaces and ribbon inlet and outlet apertures at one side of the main body and two ribbon guide arms extending upwardly and outwardly from the ribbon inlet and outlet apertures at the one side with the termini spaced apart to form a gap and such that the upper and lower surfaces of the ribbon guide arms at the termini thereof are higher than the upper and lower main surfaces respectively.