Abstract: A postage metering apparatus including a postage meter having a housing, a printing device disposed in the housing, an aperture in the housing exposing the printing device, a shutter bar mounted to the postage meter housing for movement from a closed position in which the shutter bar is disposed to cover the aperture and an open position in which the shutter bar is disposed away from the aperture, the shutter bar preventing access to the printing device through the aperture when the shutter bar is in the closed position and permitting access to the printing device when the shutter bar is in the open position; a base into which the postage meter is removeably inserted, the base including engaging structure for engaging the shutter bar; and driving structure for driving the engaging structure to move the cover between the closed and open positions, the driving structure including a motor, a drive shaft coupled to and driven into rotation by the motor and having a worm gear at one end thereof, a first pinion gea

Abstract: A used stencil receptacle for facilitating the disposal of used stencils. The used stencil receptacle is in the shape of a box, and comprises a base, a pair of long straight sides, a short straight side, and an open side or a movable side which is freely opened and closed.

Abstract: The ribbon cartridge includes a re-inker assembly having a pair of idler rollers defining a nip therebetween through which the print ribbon is advanced. The idler rollers have teeth intermeshing one with the other and with the print ribbon therebetween such that the idler rollers are positively driven when the ribbon is advanced. One of the idler rollers lies in contact with a re-inker roller or wick for transferring ink from the re-inker roller or wick to the print ribbon as the ribbon passes through the nip of the idler rollers.

Abstract: Secure printing apparatus, for example printing apparatus of a postage meter, is disclosed in which an ink jet print head with integral ink supply is removable by a user of the apparatus. In order to maintain security of the apparatus, a parking station remote from a printing station is provided for the print head and removal of the print head can be effected only at the parking station through an aperture in a secure housing at the parking station. When the print head is moved to the parking station electrical connection to the print head are disengaged from the print head and means are provided to prevent access to those electrical connections at the parking station.

Abstract: A liquid jet recording head comprising discharge energy generating means for generating discharge energy in the recording liquid, and a liquid flow passage forming substrate for forming liquid flow passages through which the recording liquid is flowed toward the discharge ports, characterized in that the surface of said liquid flow passage forming substrate and the lateral faces of said liquid flow passages are constituted of a plane of single crystalline silicone and a pair of planes perpendicular thereto, respectively.

Abstract: The invention is an improved cage assembly for tending poultry. The cage assembly includes at least two horizontal cage rows formed by adjacent cage housings, a majority of the cage housings being formed by double cages, a dung receiver extending under each of the cage rows, fan flaps provided for drying collected dung, the fan flaps being distributed at longitudinal intervals along a dung receiver and above the dung receiver and mounted on transverse axes, pivot drives associated with the fan flaps to pivot the fan flaps, the pivot drives having push rods and pull rods extending in the lengthwise direction along the dung receiver through the cage assembly at a distance from the transverse axes of fan flaps and engaging the transverse axis, and with the fan flaps having force-transmitting part and a fan part.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet comprising a convey member for applying a conveying force to a sheet, a drive source for driving the convey member, and a drive transmitting means for transmitting a drive force from a first drive transmitting member attached to the drive source to a second drive transmitting member attached to the convey member through one or more speed reduction members stepwisely. Among the first drive transmitting member, second drive transmitting member and speed reduction members, manufacturing accuracy of the speed reduction member disposed at a front stage of the second drive transmitting member is greater than manufacturing accuracies of the other members.

Abstract: An ergonomic adaptation to a keyboard, including a plurality of pads, or key pillows, preferably formed together into a key pillow tablet. The key pillows either replace or fit over keys of a keyboard to advantageously alter the consistency, texture and/or shape of the traditional keys. In alternative embodiments, each of the key pillows may be formed individually to replace or fit over some or all of the keyboard keys. The key pillow tablet further includes raised pads at the front of the keyboard on which the palms may rest during typing to maintain a satisfactorily low angle of the fingers with respect to the elbow. The adaptation may either be an attachment to a keyboard or may be integrally formed to a keyboard during the keyboard's manufacture.

Abstract: Contact (10) including at least one latching arm (50,52) extending rearwardly from a forward end (26) of a socket contact section (12) to define a rearwardly facing latching surface (60) at a free end (56) thereof, for retention of the contact in a housing passageway (72). A single latching arm (108) may be oriented edgewise with respect to the contact-receiving channel and be deflected laterally during insertion, or a pair of such latching arms (50,52;206,208) coextend rearwardly for free ends thereof to be deflected toward each other during insertion. The socket contact (300) may include a spring arm (330) along a bottom wall (332) to press the mating contact (308) against embossments (310) of the top wall (312) for assured electrical connection.

Abstract: In a method of printing on individual self-supporting articles, for example CDs, telephone cards or the like, using multi-color printing, the relative positions of the individual print images which make up a total print image on the article are set by a procedure whereby, after at least one individual print image has been printed on the article, the print image is detected by a camera system. The representation of the actual position of the individual print image relative to the article bearing it is compared in a computer to a representation of the reference position stored therein. In dependence on the result of the comparison, if the actual position deviates from the reference position, the position of the printing mechanism and/or the position of a following article is altered for the printing operation in accordance with the result of the comparison.

Abstract: A stamp apparatus includes a supporting case which supports a printing sheet, an ink supply port through which ink is fed to the second surface of the printing sheet, and a dispersing device provided between the printing sheet and the supporting case. The dispersing device disperses ink supplied from the ink supply port uniformly over the surface of the printing sheet.

Abstract: The invention provides a recording apparatus capable of preventing deterioration of printing quality likely to be caused by ink ribbon creases. The recording apparatus uses a replaceable ink ribbon cartridge which has an ink ribbon wound on a take-up spindle and a feed spindle. A take-up spindle support section rotatably supports the take-up spindle when the ink ribbon cartridge is mounted in a specific position. The recording apparatus is further provided with a displaceable retaining member displaceable between a first position, for holding the take-up spindle between the take-up spindle support section and the retaining member to restrict the displacement of the take-up spindle, and a second position, for permitting movement of the take-up spindle into the take-up spindle support section.

Abstract: A register punch system for printing plates has several punch modules for an interior drum printing plate exposer in which the printing plate is arranged inside a cavity formed of a segment of a circle. The punch modules are arranged next to one another on a base plate at one end of the cavity outside an inside of the cavity in which the printing plate is located. The punch modules each have a guide block arranged on the base plate, a stamping punch guided inside the guide block, a connecting rod for actuating the stamping punch and a stripper plate arranged on the base plate at the end of the base plate facing the cavity and through which the stamping punch is furthermore guided. The stamping punch has a cutting finger at the end that reaches through the stripper plate, the cutting finger reaching over the end of the printing plate. The stamping punch is actuated through the connecting rod, so that a punching is carried out at the end of the printing plate during the drawing back of the stamping punch.

Abstract: A print job allocation system interlinks customers of a plurality of printing plants located throughout the world and a plurality of printing plants located throughout the world. The system includes a network for connecting the printing plant customers and a plurality of printing machine control devices controlling a plurality of printing machines in the plurality of printing plants. The system also includes a print job processor which receives print job data from the printing customers and printing machine data from the printing machine control devices. The print job processor processes the data received and allocates print jobs by matching desired print job requirements to available printing machine capacity and capabilities. Using various print job criteria, the print job processor selects one or more printing machines from one or more printing plants which provide for optimum use of the world-wide printing machines and optimum performance of the printing and distribution of the printed products.

Abstract: In a melt-type thermal transfer printing apparatus, an ink ribbon is brought into contact with a recording medium. A thermal head presses the ink ribbon. By controlling an electric power supplied to the thermal head, a melt or fusion area of ink is controlled so as to obtain a multi-gradational image on the recording medium. The recording medium is a porous surfaced medium having a multilayered porous layer containing numerous pores having a porous diameter in a range up to about 25 .mu.m.

Abstract: An apparatus for changing the text portion of logos for postage meters includes a printer module for a fully electronically produced postage meter imprint having an advertising logo, at least one input, a display unit, an input/output control module, a nonvolatile memory for at least unchanging parts of the postage meter imprint, a control device, and a printer control for producing a printed pattern having been formed by a microprocessor-controlled printing process immediately prior to printing of fixed data and current data and being available in buffer-stored form. A first memory region is provided for storing data for the unchanging parts of the postage meter imprint applying at least to a frame of an advertising logo, and an associated name identifying the logo frame. A second memory region is provided for storing data for variable parts of the postage meter imprint applying to at least one logo text portion, and an associated name identifying the logo text portion.

Abstract: A cushioning or damping layer is disposed between a flexographic printing plate and a printing cylinder or sleeve. The cushion layer is composed of an elastomeric material which has an open-cell relief surface which is sufficiently compressible to compensate for variations in printing materials and press conditions used during printing.

Abstract: A device for washing outer cylindrical surfaces of a rotary printing machine is disclosed. The device uses a washing cloth which is unwound from a supply roll and, via a pressing-on rail, supplied to a take-up roll. The washing cloth is pressable by the pressing-on rail against the outer cylindrical surface to be washed. To simplify operation only the two washing-cloth rolls with the washing cloth are changed and the other components of the washup device remain inside the machine.

Abstract: A stamp unit capable of preventing ink from leaking out of the stamp unit is disclosed. The stamp unit includes a skirt member attached to an ink impregnated body. The skirt member has a substrate formed with a through-hole at its center. A pair of first guides and a pair of second guides are provided on the substrate for guiding corresponding edge portions of a stencil sheet. The first guides extend in a lengthwise direction of the substrate, and the second guides extend in a widthwise direction of the substrate. A pair of third guides are provided on the substrate outside of the second guides. The third guides guide corner portions of the stencil sheet so as to position between the second guides and the third guides. The corner portions guided by the third guides have corners with sharp crease.

Abstract: A roller for an image forming apparatus comprises: a core body having a shaft positioned in the center thereof, the core body being formed by solidifying a fluid around an outer circumference of the shaft; and a surface layer formed on a surface of said core body, the surface layer being made of hard rubber and having a uniform thickness over the surface of the core body. A mold for the roller, comprises: an inner surface whose section is the same as a section of the core body; a pair of half-split bodies, one end wall of each half-split body having a recess for clamping the shaft, other end wall of each half-split body having a injecting hole for injecting a core body forming fluid therefrom; and a stopper body serving as an aligning member having a through hole in the middle thereof for inserting the shaft thereinto, the stopper body further projecting a stopper on an outer circumference thereof for fitting the stopper into the injecting hole.