Patents Examined by Edgar Burr
  • Patent number: 5921790
    Abstract: An arrangement in connection with a current take-off device of a contact rail system, comprising an adapter portion arranged to be connected to be removable electrically and mechanically to a contact rail, and conductors arranged inside the adapter portion and connected by means of slit edge connectors to contacts providing an electric connection for the adapter portion and the contact rail, by means of which conductors the current is conveyed from the adapter portion to an electrical apparatus to be connected thereto. To ensure an electric contact, at least one wall portion is arranged inside the adapter portion, next to each slit edge connector, which wall portion is arranged to turn the conductor into an inclined position with respect to the plane of a slit of the slit edge connector when the conductor is being pressed into the slit edge connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Nordic Aluminium OY
    Inventors: Eero Nieminen, Esko Vaisanen, Risto Jaakkola
  • Patent number: 5921182
    Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning an outer cylindrical surface of an impression cylinder of a rotary printing machine includes a cleaning cloth pressed against the outer cylindrical surface by a beam. The beam is pivotally mounted to engage the cleaning cloth with the outer cylindrical surface upon pressurization of a pneumatic cylinder. A spring pivotally returns the beam to disengage the cleaning cloth with the outer cylindrical surface upon depressurization of the pneumatic cylinder. To assure radial clearance between the cleaning device and the gripper fingers of the impression cylinder, the pneumatic cylinder is depressurized at a first angular position of the impression cylinder and the pneumatic cylinder is subsequently pressurized at a second angular position of the impression cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Willi Becker, Jens Friedrichs, Frank Kropp
  • Patent number: 5921545
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically feeding sheets to an image forming device such as a copying machine is provided with a sheet register means formed of one or more outside rollers movable into and out of contact with one or more feed rollers in rotation and one or more inside rollers located side by side with the feed rollers, so that the outside rollers rotate when being in touch with the feed rollers to forward the sheet. The outside and inside rollers are rockingly moved by shifting means, so that, when the sheet is given from a sheet supply unit, the outside rollers is separated from the feed rollers to rest the outside and inside rollers so as to bring the sheet into collision with the resting outside and inside rollers to slightly bend the leading portion of the sheet, consequently fulfilling a registering function of correcting the orientation of the sheet with relation to a feeding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Misao Kobayashi, Norihiro Ohno
  • Patent number: 5921181
    Abstract: A pneumatic cartridge expressing device is shown for expressing cartridges containing viscous materials. The device has a holder that is axially longer than the cartridge, and a cap that is sealingly fitted over one axial end of the holder with a piston guided within the cap and forced by compressed air against either the one axial end of the holder or against one axial end of the cartridge. Compressed air is provided through an opening in the piston to pressurize the cartridge, and in the case where the piston seals against the one axial end of the holder, also passes into an annular gap between the cartridge and the holder to prevent bulging of the cartridge during expressing of the cartridge. Compressed air is provided through a separate opening in the cap to the annular gap in the case where the piston seals against one axial end of the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Inventor: Ralf Ritter
  • Patent number: 5921686
    Abstract: The invention provides a microprocessor controlled kiosk printer with a communication interface to a remote host for printing documents, such as receipts and tickets. The printer includes a printer mechanism and an idler roller and a drive roller in engagement for gripping the document. The drive roller is under the control of the microprocessor. Guide plates are provided which, together with the controlled drive roller, prevent access to the document during printing. The controlled drive roller also provides for retracting the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Telpar, Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Baird, Xianming Fang, Eric J. Peterson
  • Patent number: 5921179
    Abstract: A guard for contrarotatable cylinders of a printing press includes a finger protective element disposable adjacent cylindrical surfaces of the cylinder for guarding a nip between the cylinders in vicinity of a danger zone, the finger protective element being in fixed position and having at least one switch sensor disposed in the region of the cylinder nip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Manfred Gang, Erich Michael Zahn
  • Patent number: 5921180
    Abstract: An improved label stamper which is capable of stamping prices on labels attached on a tape so as to attach the stamped labels on commodities is disclosed. A tape loading mechanism of the label stamper is constituted such that a loading case goes in and out of the machine by functions of a pair of folding and extending legs, so that the label tape can be loaded in a convenient manner. A guide is constituted such that a front plate and a rear plate are fastened across a narrow gap, and this gap forms a guide channel. In a holding mechanism, a push plate is disposed facing toward a base plate, and the push plate interlocks a movable lever to the loading case. Thus, if the tape is inserted into the guide channel, the tape is automatically press-held to the base plate. In a stamping mechanism, a selecting hole of a selecting wheel for driving a stamping belt is provided with a recess and a triangular protuberance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Inventor: Duck Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 5921177
    Abstract: This invention is to improve cam structure that can maintain precise moving time between a printing plate and a printing pad in a pad printer. Cam disk moving horizontally during the printing process and other cam disk moving vertically along the printing pad were combined to the double side of one cam in this pad printer of the invention. Therefore, the structure was simplified and miniaturized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: John K. Shin
    Inventor: Kyu Il Shin
  • Patent number: 5918544
    Abstract: Web displacing apparatus selectively displaces a web between a first position engaging a fluid source and a second position spaced from the fluid source. A web drive is constructed and arranged to move the web in a direction from the fluid source toward a surface for engagement with the web for receiving fluid carried by the web from the fluid source. Web moving structure is constructed and arranged to selectively move the web between the first and second positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: MPM Corporation
    Inventor: Dennis G. Doyle
  • Patent number: 5918990
    Abstract: A thermal print head has thermal print elements located along an edge of a substrate between two faces thereof. An impression roller resiliently urges a print receiving medium, for example a mail item in a postage meter, into ink transfer engagement with an ink layer of a thermal transfer ink ribbon and urges the ink ribbon into heat transfer engagement with the thermal print elements. The print head is mounted to be adjustable as to location of the line of print elements relative to the impression roller and the angular disposition of the print head. The resiliently pressure exerted by the impression is adjustable. Adjustment of the print head and of the pressure may be effected automatically in response to sensing of compressibility of the print receiving medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Neopost Limited
    Inventor: Cyrus Abumehdi
  • Patent number: 5918541
    Abstract: There is described herein a method and apparatus for capturing the heat from the web in a web printing system, storing this heat, and then using it to warm the chill rolls to prevent condensation. Particularly, a heat storage tank is used in conjunction with a chill roll cooling system. During startup, the heat from the web is stored in this tank until the reservoir in the tank reaches a pre-set temperature, at which time the chilled water from the chill system is directed to the chill rolls. At each web stoppage, the water from this heat storage tank is flushed to the chill rolls to keep the chill roll temperature above the condensation temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Applied Web Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Ahnen
  • Patent number: 5918989
    Abstract: A hand held label printer receives spools containing print media of different sizes and types. Each spool contains a memory chip which stores information about its print media, and this information is conveyed to the printer through concentric electrical contacts on the end of the spool. The concentric electrical contacts engage stationary contacts on the printer, and this electrical connection is insensitive to incidental rotation of the spool when it is inserted into the printer and used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Brady Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Stout, Jr., Robert F. Behlmer
  • Patent number: 5918543
    Abstract: An adjusting device for a gripper opening cam in a chain delivery of a sheet-fed printing press, the gripper opening cam being pivotally guided in a bearing and being connected by a linkage to one of a pair of threaded nuts of a combination of a lefthand and righthand thread of an adjusting shaft screwable into a fixedly supported other threaded nut of the combination, includes an adjusting motor with an electrical program controller programmable for adapting to parameters which vary as the printing press rpm runs up to and runs down from operating speed for automatically tracking the gripper opening cam, and a coupling operative in the adjusting device, the coupling being disposed between the adjusting motor and the gripper opening cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Willi Becker, Jurgen Rautert, Ralf Wadlinger
  • Patent number: 5915305
    Abstract: A printed product transfer assembly for supporting and carrying printed product from one station in a printer apparatus to another station includes a transfer structure including a product conveying surface, a blanket including fiberglass having several outwardly protruding fiberglass fibers and being secured snugly over the conveying surface; a flexible resilient material secured snugly over the blanket and engaged against circumferential movement relative to the blanket by the fiberglass fibers, and having several ridges for engaging and conveying the printed products and for cushioning the printed products to prevent marring of printing ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Inventors: Donald A. Ward, Stephan D. Ward
  • Patent number: 5915298
    Abstract: In order to fashion a print head lifting device of a tampon printing machine with as simple components as possible which is without play and of low maintenance, a crank link 3, 4, 6 is provided for having a driven crank 3 and a link 5 borne on a machine frame 1, wherein the connecting rod 4 is connected to a lifting lever 11 via a connecting lever 15 pivotably hinged at both sides, the one end of which is disposed on the machine frame 1 and the other end of which is pivotably connected to the longitudinally displaceable print head lifting rod 8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Inventor: Georg Binnen
  • Patent number: 5915304
    Abstract: A device for guiding freshly coated sheets utilizes upper and lower air supply chambers which are both connected to a blower through supply conduits and a return conduit. An arrangement of throttle valves is used to connect one of the air supply conduits to either the discharge or the return side of the blower. This allows the device to operate in two modes, a support mode and a suction mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Koenig & Bauer-Albert Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Jurgen Alfred Stiel
  • Patent number: 5915303
    Abstract: One or more flexible printing plates are installed on a print cylinder through the use of one or more slots formed axially along the cylinder. A resilient spring clip is inserted into the slot, followed by a plate registration bracket with a registration pin which is secured in the slot by retaining screws. Each printing plate has a lead edge and a tail edge with a notch in each edge. A lead edge is inserted into the slot and is tensioned against a side wall of the slot by the spring clip. The notch on the lead edge engages the registration pin on the bracket. A tail edge is then inserted into the slot between the lead edge and the spring clip. The tail edge notch also engages the registration pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Goss Graphic Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick J. Whiting, Randy Juras
  • Patent number: 5913622
    Abstract: In a printer having multiple paper paths, each path is provided with a clutch and a tractor to advance paper between a printhead and a striker bar, the paper being selectively advanced along the paper paths. Each clutch has a timing pulley driven by a cog belt, in turn driven by a stepper motor. The input pulley and the output gear driving the tractor are synchronized during repeated engagement such that the clutch reengages the input and output elements at a rotational position corresponding to the rotational position of the input element when previously disengaged from the output element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Assignee: Genicom Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald A. Bradfield, James L. Harlow
  • Patent number: 5913266
    Abstract: A printing cylinder 20 has a length for mass printing and is used for an inking roller group for supplying printing ink, a plate cylinder having a printing plate, a blanket cylinder for printing with the ink transferred from the printing plate, etc. A ring groove 25 is dug at each end face of the printing cylinder 20 so as to open annularly and to have a depth of 1/4 to 1/3 of the length of the printing cylinder 20 in the axial direction of the printing cylinder. Deflection deformation caused on the outer circumference of the printing cylinder 20 can thereby be equalized at the central portion and both end portions of the printing cylinder 20. Axial directional changes in the pressing force caused by the deflection deformation can be reduced, and even with the elongated printing cylinder 20 of the same cylinder diameter as a conventional one, irregularities of inking in the axial direction of the printing cylinder 20 due to changes in the pressing force do not occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Nakaya, Takuji Tsugawa
  • Patent number: 5913628
    Abstract: A tray for use with printer, copier, facsimile machine or any other device from which sheets of paper are expelled and which is arranged to be located on a support surface, e.g., a table, desk, etc., having an edge. The tray may be formed so that it is collapsible and arranged to be stored in a collapsed state in a flat container. Whether collapsible or not the tray is arranged to be releasably mounted on the support surface adjacent and completely below the device to collect the sheets of paper expelled from the device. The tray has a basket section, an anchor section, and an intermediate support section. The anchor section is arranged to be located on the support surface under the device so that the weight of the device holds it in place. The intermediate support section is hingedly connected to the anchor section and overhangs the edge of the support surface when the tray is in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Inventor: William R. Sides, II