Patents Examined by Edgar Burr
  • Patent number: 5979324
    Abstract: A position controller comprising an adjusting rod having a first end having at least three flat sides and a second end and an adjustable part interacting with the second end and adjustable through rotation of the adjusting rod. A leaf spring set interacts with a first of the at least three flat sides to prevent unwanted movement within the position controller. A particular application is found in making printing press adjustments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: David Charles Burke, Frederick Elkins McCrillis
  • Patent number: 5979319
    Abstract: An ink feeder comprises a plurality of ink tanks for storing inks and wetting water, disposed in a transverse direction of an ink fountain roller, a vane wheel disposed at the bottom of an ink tank, an ink pump for feeding ink, an ink feed blade for adjusting the quantity of ink supplied from the ink pump to the ink fountain roller to a constant value, and a coupling for transmitting the driving force of a single motor to the vane wheel and the ink pump provided to each ink tank. The ink tanks, the ink pump, the ink feed nozzle, the ink feed pipe and the ink feed blade mechanism may be built into one unit, and this unit can be fitted to and removed from the main body of the printing press. The ink feeder may be equipped with an ink scraper comprising scraped ink separators arranged parallel in the axial direction of the scraping doctor support device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukio Hamaoka, Yoshihiro Oyama, Koji Mita, Mitsunao Miyake
  • Patent number: 5980141
    Abstract: The printer (10) has an ink jet printhead (12) suitable for printing single sheets (14) and a control device (40) adapted to delay expulsion of the same to a collection tray (16), with the purpose of extending the drying time of the ink ejected by the printhead (12) on each sheet, before a following sheet is stacked thereon. The device (40) is suitable for controlling means (17, 25) for feeding of the sheets (14) through the printer (10) so as to temporarily stop the feeding of a first sheet (14a) after it has been printed on, then to feed a second sheet (14b) until it comes to a predetermined minimum distance (D) from the first sheet (14a), and finally to simultaneously feed the first sheet (14a) and the second sheet (14b), so as to expel the first sheet (14a) to the collection tray (16) and to further feed the second sheet (14b) so that it can be printed on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Olivetti Lexikon S.p.A.
    Inventor: Gian Paolo Donnis
  • Patent number: 5980135
    Abstract: The present invention provides a keyboard which can take an optional metal support for strengthening its structure. It comprises a cover plate with a plurality of vertical housings, a base plate mounted on the cover plate with a plurality of protruding pads installed under the vertical housings of the cover plate, a plurality of keys that are vertically and movably installed within the vertical housings, a membrane installed between the cover plate and the base plate comprising a plurality of switches. When any key is depressed, the underlying switch is pressed between the plunger of the key and the underlying protruding pad, and generates a corresponding sensing signal. The keyboard may also comprise a metal support installed between the cover plate and the base plate for increasing structural strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Acer Peripherals, Inc.
    Inventor: Chao Shih-Hung
  • Patent number: 5979323
    Abstract: In order to supply a multiple number of inks at a desired geometry, a filling frame has filling ports of substantially vertical passage holes. A stamp piece has a continuous porous structure and is placed on a base plate with the filling framed laid thereover. Each ink is supplied from a corresponding filling port to a separated area and is impregnated into a stamp piece in substantially the same geometry as that of separated area so that each will not mix with the other. Thus, inks are filled keeping the separation, into the stamp piece having a continuous porous structure laid below the filling frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Pencil Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Hirano
  • Patent number: 5980136
    Abstract: A printing machine for printing on regular-stock type substrates and on card-stock type substrates includes a rotatable drum member having an outer surface for contacting regular-stock and card-stock type substrates; a first path for moving and printing on regular-stock type substrates, the first path including a curved portion defined by the outer surface of the rotatable drum member, and a first printing station; and a second path for moving and printing on card-stock type substrates, the second path being substantially straight and including a second printing station separate from the first printing station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Roger G. Teumer, George Wittman
  • Patent number: 5979318
    Abstract: A method for smear-free guidance of a printed sheet on a given sheet-guiding cylinder of a printing press includes taking over a leading edge of the sheet by a gripper device of the given sheet-guiding cylinder from a preceding or up-line sheet-guiding cylinder and, after the take-over of the leading edge of the sheet by the gripper device, fixing a first section of the underside of the sheet to the circumferential surface of the preceding or up-line sheet-guiding cylinder in a manner that the sheet, which has been pushed onwardly by the preceding or up-line sheet-guiding cylinder, is kept spaced from the circumferential surface of the given sheet-guiding cylinder, and the circumferential surface of the given sheet-guiding cylinder is located, as viewed in radial direction, within a circular path described by the gripper device during the rotation of the given cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Karl-Heinz Helmstadter
  • Patent number: 5979309
    Abstract: A device useable with a pellet-marking machine for inverting a multiplicity of pellets is disclosed. Pellets are transported in cavities on carrier bars mounted on a conveyor. The carrier bars move with relation to one or more rails disposed beneath the cavities and oriented transversely to the carrier bars. Each rail has a pellet supporting surface region arranged in tandem with a trough, followed by an inclined surface, followed in turn by a second pellet supporting surface region. Initially, each pellet is partially supported on a cavity bottom and partially on an associated pellet supporting surface region. As the carrier bars pass along the rails over the troughs, each pellet tips downwardly into a respective trough, flipping past the vertical. Each pellet next encounters the inclined surface following the trough, where each pellet is fully inverted while being moved upwardly out of the trough, to be supported on the second pellet supporting surface region following each inclined surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: R. W. Hartnett Company
    Inventor: Keith W. Boyce
  • Patent number: 5979308
    Abstract: A flat embossing machine for flat material (5) to be embossed has a flat press (2), an embossing table (3) and a tool plate (4). At least one foil web (6) passes through foil loop stores (10, 20) each with a differential pressure device (30) for shaping a foil loop (12) with an air pressure difference exerted on the foil web. A foil feed device (24) and a tensioning device (25) are on each side of the flat press and a foil feed control (52) operates in synchronism with the press cycle so that the foil web is stopped during the embossing phase (TP) on the embossing table (3) and is advanced to the next embossing position during the embossing-free phase. Speed differences between the feed speed (VV) at the embossing location and web speed (V7) at the unwinding roll or at the removal device (V8) are compensated for by corresponding increases and decreases in the size of the loops (L1, L2) in the foil stores. This allows high embossing speeds with optimum quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Geitz AG
    Inventors: Beat Kagi, Hanspeter Gietz, Manfred Rosli
  • Patent number: 5980134
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for driving and controlling a thermal head used in a printing device, such as a tape printer, in response to the temperature variations of the printing device environment and the thermal head. According to the present invention, in the printing operation of the tape printer, measurements are made of the initial temperature T1 immediately after the power is switched on, the temperature prior to printing T2, and the ambient temperature of the thermal head each time the thermal head prints T3(i). If the temperature difference between the initial temperature T1 and the temperature prior to printing T2 is small, the duration of the current signals provided to the thermal head is controlled in accordance with the temperature prior to printing T2, which is the most recently measured thermal head ambient temperature best reflecting the printing device environmental temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation, King Jim Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigekazu Yanagisawa, Susumu Takatsu, Kenji Watanabe, Takanobu Kameda, Chieko Aida, Tomoyuki Shimmura
  • Patent number: 5975780
    Abstract: A keyboard cover of the present invention includes a cover holder removably mounted to one side of a keyboard. A flat plate is mounted on the cover holder and selectively rotatable toward the top of the keyboard for covering it or toward the bottom of the keyboard for covering it. A connecting device is rotatably connected to the cover holder at one end and rotatably connected to the plate at the other end for connecting the cover holder and plate. With this configuration, the keyboard cover is capable of selectively playing the role of a cover, a keyboard angle adjusting device or, when the keyboard is not used, a bookrest or a mouse table, as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Hideo Fukami
  • Patent number: 5975916
    Abstract: A lowered profile electrical connector assembly is composed of a socket and a detachable plug. A flat dielectric socket base mounts a plurality of arrayed first terminals each having a first spring contact. A dielectric plug base mounts a plurality of arrayed second terminals each having a second spring contact. Each first terminal includes a first lead which extends outwardly from a bottom of the socket base for electrical connection with an external circuit. The first and second terminals are each provided with first and second leads for electrical connection with external circuits. Each first terminal is shaped to have a S-shaped section composed of inverted and upright U-shaped portions which are continuous with one leg of the upright U-shaped portion shared by the inverted U-shaped portion. The upright U-shaped portion includes a free spring leg which defines the first spring contact having a free contact end for engagement with the second spring contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Okura
  • Patent number: 5974964
    Abstract: An improved method of printing with a machine having at least one printing head and at least one platen registerable therewith. The method may include the steps of placing an article on the platen, bringing the platen and article into registerable contact with a printing screen supported at the printing head and transferring ink through the printing screen to the article after which the platen and article are separated from the printing screen. The method is improved by additional steps of extending a heating element into the space and directing heat toward the platen to cure the ink printed thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Inventor: Randy L. Adams
  • Patent number: 5978005
    Abstract: Thermal printer and method for detecting donor ribbon type and for precise alignment of color patches relative to a thermal resistive print head. The printer includes a thermal resistive print head for thermally activating each donor color patch in a series of donor patches belonging to a dye donor ribbon having a predetermined width. Separating adjacent ones of the patches is a space in which is formed a first stripe extending the entire width of the ribbon. The first stripe defines borders between the adjacent color patches. A second stripe of a predetermined width together with the first stripe are disposed in the space before a beginning one of the color patches to define a beginning sequence of color patches. The second stripe is adjacent to and spaced-apart from the first mark by a predetermined distance and also extends the width of the ribbon parallel to the first stripe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Keith A. Hadley
  • Patent number: 5974961
    Abstract: A multi-hopper embosser comprising a card processing apparatus (13, 14, 15) for performing encoding, embossing and tipping processings on a card, plural hoppers (11) which are connected to the card processing apparatus via a loader unit (12) and adapted to stock cards therein, and a control apparatus (18) for controlling the card processing apparatus and the loader unit (12) to take out the card from a selected one of the plural hoppers (11) and perform the encoding, embossing and tipping processings on the card taken out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignees: NEC Corporation, Dodwell BMS, Ltd
    Inventors: Osamu Kazo, Tsuyoshi Kokubo, Hirokazu Furuya
  • Patent number: 5974975
    Abstract: A cleaning device for cylinders of printing presses, having at least one wash roll engageable with and disengageable from the cylinders, the wash roll being formed as a brush roll and being sprayable with cleaning fluid, includes straight bristles and wavy bristles arrayed on the brush roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen
    Inventor: Karl-Heinz Seefried
  • Patent number: 5974976
    Abstract: A cleaning system for a printing press using pre-soaked, reduced volume of air in cleaning fabric and a method for making the system are disclosed. The system includes a cleaning fabric treated to reduce the amount of air volume the cleaning fabric contains. The cleaning fabric is saturated to functional equilibrium with a low volatility organic compound solvent. The cleaning fabric is wrapped around an elongated core to form a fabric roll. The saturated, wrapped fabric roll may be used to clean a cylinder of a printing press. The saturated, wrapped fabric roll may be inserted in a sealable sleeve, the sealable sleeve being in contact with the fabric roll and then sealed, thus permitting transporting and storage of the system until use without detrimentally affecting the cleaning ability of the fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Baldwin Graphic Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: C. Robert Gasparrini, Walter H. Cano
  • Patent number: 5974969
    Abstract: A stamp unit capable of opening an ink pack position between a grip member and a holder member for supplying ink to the stamp material easily in one step. To supply ink to the stamp material, the grip member is pressed downwardly with the ink pack located in the holder member. The ink pack in the holder member is pressed between a thick paper plate and a cutting rib to be opened. Ink from an ink pack flows downwardly through ink holes to be supplied to the stamp material. When the ink runs low, it can be replenished by the simple process of replacing the ink pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Okumura, Teruo Imamaki, Hiroshi Takami
  • Patent number: 5975777
    Abstract: A printing apparatus for printing on a substrate, including a base mounting a storage spool for printing ribbon, a ribbon take-up spool, and there being a ribbon path from the storage to the take-up spool through a printing station, a print head relative to which the substrate and the ribbon move during a printing operation. The apparatus further including a shuttle moveable relative to the base, the shuttle having a ribbon guide about which the ribbon is entrained, the arrangement being such that relative movement between the print head and the ribbon is achieved by movement of the shuttle relative to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Markem Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Michael Robert Nelson, Steven Carter
  • Patent number: 5975779
    Abstract: A character information processor for carrying out the processing for printing an input character string, includes: a contact-command receiving section for receiving a contact command which commands to print at a character pitch of 0 between the adjacent two characters; and a printing control section for causing to print two characters, which are defined by the contact command, at a character pitch of 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignees: King Jim Co., Ltd., Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Watanabe, Takanobu Kameda, Tomoyuki Shimmura, Hitoshi Hayama, Hiroyasu Kurashina, Takeshi Hosokawa