Abstract: A service station (10) for use in an ink-jet printer comprises(a) pump means (12) for priming the printhead (18) of a cartridge (20),(b) a sled (14) to actuate the service station and seal the printhead, and(c) wiping means (58) for cleaning the printhead.The service station is fixed at one end of travel of a carriage (22) supporting the cartridge. The carriage is adapted to move bidirectionally by means of a controlled motor.The service station performs a number of functions, including clearing clogged nozzles in the printhead and removing bubbles therefrom, covering the nozzles with a protective cap (50) when the printhead is not in use to prevent contamination thereof, preventing ink from drying out in the nozzles, wiping contaminants picked up during printing off the nozzles, and providing a location (60) for firing the nozzles for clearing out thereof prior to printing.

Abstract: A compact printer of the kind having a sheet media print path to and through a print zone and an assembly for printing on media at the print zone includes a sheet cassette that is coupled to the bottom of the printer housing and rotatable on an axis generally normal to the bottom of the printer between: (i) a position with cassette edges generally flush with the side walls of the printer and (ii) a position wherein the length dimension of a supported sheet media stack is operatively aligned with the print path.

Abstract: A pen plotter employs a cable-driven carriage which carries the writing pen and includes a pen-lift mechanism. A shifting idler pulley system located at one side of the plotter returns a pair of drive cables from the opposite side of the carriage to a rotatable drive drum located on the opposite side. The idler pulleys are shiftable equally and in opposite directions toward and away from the pen carriage. One cable is connected to the carriage by being tensively trained about a pen-lift mechanism drive wheel on the carriage. Shifting the idler pulleys causes said drive wheel to rotate without affecting the lateral position of the pen carriage and, therefore, the shifter mechanism independently controls the up/down motion of the writing pen. One drive cable, therefore, accomplishes the functions of both pen carriage movement and writing pen up/down motion control.

Abstract: A limiting-current type contactor apparatus for providing stable current-limiting breaking properties with less reduction of the breaking speed due to magnetic repulsion force is provided with a movable contactor arm supported by a contactor support fixed to a switching shaft and a fixed contactor. The fixed contactor has a first conductor portion and a shaft for pivotally mounting the movable contactor. The movable contactor has a second conductor portion spaced opposite and apart from the first conductor portion, thereby forming an arcuate gap of uniform and small width between the first and second conductor portions and concentric with the shaft. A flexible conductor is connected between the first and second conductor portions for reversing the direction of current flow between first conductor portion and the movable contactor arm.

Abstract: Apparatus for the feeding of transverse wires from a feed position to the welding line of a grid welding machine has at least one nozzle (9) which is directed towards the welding line, and which can be supplied with compressed air in time with the welding cycle. Parallel guides (5, 6) lead out from the nozzle, bounding either side of the transverse wire feed path, but ending ahead of the region of the welding electrodes. There are provided, in the region of the welding electrodes (1, 2), devices (11) preferably designed as magnets, for the catching and holding of the respectively fed transverse wire at the welding line. Conveyance with compressed air means that mechanical parts engaging in the welding area and susceptible to faults are avoided and at the same time changing of the longitudinal pitch of the transverse wires is facilitated.

Abstract: A heat-generating resistor, having a functional thin film comprising an amorphous material containing hydrogen atoms in a matrix of carbon atoms formed on a substrate.

Abstract: An ink jet printer in which a plurality of ink jet generators are moved in unison with one another and relative to a record medium for recording.

Abstract: An overhead projector having scanning device for scanning an original image thereby generating electric signals corresponding to the original image, selecting device for selecting one of a thermochromic film and a thermographic paper, a first heating device for heating the film thereby erasing an image formed formerly in the film, a second heating device for heating the film in accordance with the electric signals transmitted from the scanning device to form an image corresponding to the original image in the film when the film is selected by the selecting device and for jheating the thermographic paper in accordance with the electric signals transmitted from the scanning device to print an image corresponding to the original image in the thermographic paper when the thermographic paper is selected by the selecting device, andprojecting device for projecting the image formed in the film on a given screen.

Abstract: A manual sweeping apparatus having a housing, an image sensor, a printer, and a memory. As the housing is manually swept across an original, while keeping the housing in contact with the original, information read by the image sensor is written into the memory. Thereafter, as the housing is manually moved across a piece of recording paper, while keeping the housing in contact with the paper, the information is read out from the memory and subsequently printed on the paper. During the data-reading operation, the apparatus detects and indicates whether or not any unwritten memory area exists in the memory. During the data-printing operation, the apparatus detects said indicates whether or not any items of data to be printed are stored in the memory.

Abstract: An electrophotographic recording apparatus for a facsimile device in which an exposure unit and a developing unit are disposed on the opposite sides of a photosensitive body to thereby perform simultaneous exposure and development at the same position. The respective processes of the electrophotographic recording operation, i.e., exposure, development and transfer processes, rotation of the photosensitive body, and paper conveyance are performed synchronously with the timing at which image data for each line is received.

Abstract: A force detecting device includes an insulative strain element, strain sensors, and leads. The insulative strain element is electrically insulative at least at its surface. The strain sensors are formed of a piezoresistive thin film and deposited as a piezoresistive thin film pattern on the surface of the insulative strain element integrally therewith. The leads are formed of a highly conductive thin film and deposited as a highly conductive thin film pattern on the surface of the insulative strain element integrally therewith.

Abstract: Novel electrical heater which are self-regulating as a result of appropriate combination of a constant current or constant voltage power source with a resistive heating component and a temperature-sensitive component. Preferred heaters comprise a plurality of heating units, each of which heating units comprises a reactive component, a resistive heating component, and a temperature-responsive component. Self-regulation of the heater may be achieved in a number of different ways, including the use of employing a reactive component and a temperature-responsive component which form a combination exhibiting an impedance which changes with temperature. The temperature-responsive component can for example change in dielectric constant, or in permeability or in shape, or can effect changes in the frequencies inputted to the reactive component.

Abstract: A terminal pin is provided with a widened connecting section defining shoulders on the terminal so that the terminal serves as a standoff to support a device such as a coil remote from a circuit board. The terminal preferably is provided with ridges and grooves. The ridges have sloping surfaces which guide a wire into the grooves during assembly of a wire to the terminal. The surfaces bordering the grooves are adapted for frictional locking engagement with the wire. The wire can be fused to the terminal by a solderless fusing process. The ridges protect the wire from damage by the fusing electrodes, and deformation of the ridges preferably serves to lock the wire into the grooves. Preferably, the wire-receiving grooves are formed in the widened connecting section.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning foreign particles from an ink jet orifice plate assembly having a plurality of orifices and an ink stream input passage includes a liquid reservoir containing a quantity of cleaning liquid in which the ink jet orifice plate/dye cavity assembly is disposed, ultrasonic agitation means for imparting ultrasonic vibrations in the liquid to dislodge foreign particles from the orifice plate assembly, and means for simultaneously propelling a stream of the cleaning fluid inwardly (in a reverse-flow manner) through the plurality of outlet orifices to carry off dislodged foreign particles. The solid particulates are thereby removed from the assembled structure before it is placed in operation in the fluid jet printer. The method for ultrasonic cleaning is also disclosed.

Abstract: A heating device for mounting on an air inlet manifold of a compression ignition engine to heat the air flowing to the engine comprises a thin walled tubular element closed at one end and having a fuel inlet at the other end. A ceramic plug is located in the element to direct fuel flow against the interior surface of the element. A heating element is wound about the tubular element to heat and vaporize the fuel which flows out through an opening adjacent the one end. The fuel vapor forms an air/fuel mixture which is ignited by an ignition element.

Abstract: An ink jet printer having an ink jet printing device for printing characters in a printing region on a surface of a substrate, the device being constructed to effect optimum printing at a predetermined distance from the device, and a device for holding a substrate having a surface which is to be printed upon in printing position relative to the printing device, the holding device including a referencing plate having a reference surface which lies in a plane which extends past the printing device at the predetermined distance therefrom, and the holding device further including a leaf spring mounted to bear against the side of the substrate opposite the surface to be printed upon for pressing the surface to be printed upon against the reference surface of the referencing plate.

Abstract: A method for electronic page montage for reproduction technology with recording of the pages on a recording medium by means of a recorder which comprises a multi-track recording element whose resolution is finer than the resolution of the image information, whereby, before the recording, the entire end page is divided into sub-areas within which the image information are to be recorded with the recorder in accord with a layout.

Abstract: An improvement to graphics pen plotters including a pen gripping mechanism for gripping a cylindrical bodied pen in a generally vertical orientation for sensing the presence and type of a pen in the gripping mechanism with a single sensor. There is a multi-channel sensor adapted for producing and sensing a plurality, "n+1", of parallel light beams disposed one above the other to produce a binary number at an output thereof indicating the ones of the light beams sensed by the sensor. The sensor is disposed to shine the light beams at a position past which the pen is moved by the gripping mechanism. There is also a cylindrical reflective surface disposed about a portion of the body of the pen so as to be struck by the light beams when the pen is being gripped by the gripping mechanism at the position and reflect the light beams back towards the sensor to be sensed thereby.

Abstract: A multipolar circuit breaker having a lower case portion with side frame plates and a central frame plate facing the side frame plates on its two major sides, the central frame plate having a deep central groove which forms two flexible central frame plate arms each facing one of the side frame plates to form a nacelle sized to receive one of the switching mechanisms, each of the side frame plates and the arms of the central frame plate having, proximate to its free end, at-least-one inwardly facing protrusion, each of which is in a position opposed to the corresponding protrusion on the companion plate forming the nacelle and, after the respective switching mechanisms are installed, overlapping the side plates of each of the switching mechanisms, the arms of the central frame plate having been deflected to permit insertion of each switching mechanism, deflection in testing or use being prevented by inserting a high dielectric strength plastic stiffener in the groove separating the arms in the central frame p

Abstract: We describe an integrated thermal ink jet printhead and manufacturing process therefor which includes the successive build-up of an orifice plate, a first barrier layer, heater resistors, a second barrier layer, and an ink reservoir-defining layer on top of a reusable or "dummy" substrate. Lead-in conductors are formed integral with the heater resistors by controlling the cross-sectional areas of these components, and openings (passageways) are formed between ink reservoirs and the orifice plate to provide for ink flow under control of the heater resistors. The dummy substrate is stripped away from the adjacent orifice plate, and the ink reservoir defining layer may be secured to an ink supply tank which supplies ink to the individual ink reservoirs. Thus, the orifice plate, heater resistors and ink flow paths of the printhead are self aligned, and the heater resistors are removed from direct cavitational forces from ink ejected from the orifice plate.