Patents Examined by Edgar Burr
  • Patent number: 5967682
    Abstract: A recorder includes a housing and a key entry area, which is adjacent to the front end of the housing. The recorder also includes a recording unit for recording on a sheet of paper. The distance between the front end of the housing and the recording unit is equal to or longer than the length between the top of a cut sheet of letter size and the bottom of the print area in the cut sheet of letter size. The recorder further includes a tray fitted to the bottom of the housing to receive a sheet of paper fed from the recording unit. At least while the recorder is recording on a cut sheet of letter size being fed to the recording unit, the front end of the sheet does not protrude, through the space between the housing and the tray, from the front end of the housing. If the sheet end protruded, it would interfere with the operator's key entry operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naokazu Tanahashi
  • Patent number: 5967675
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a label printer that has a plurality of keys for defining a label to be printed. Such keys include keys for defining the format of the label. The label printer also includes a display for displaying an image of the label, a printing unit for printing the label and a control unit for controlling the label printer to operate in a layout mode. In the layout mode, the control unit causes the display to display an image of the label in a selected label format and a plurality of layout parameters for defining the label format. Each of the layout parameters is alterable. Thereby, the label image displayed on the display alters with each selection of one of the layout parameters by actuating the format keys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Esselte N.V.
    Inventors: Nicholas James Hastings, Graham Scott Gutsell, Ian Morgan George, Martin Christopher Edwards
  • Patent number: 5967037
    Abstract: A printing machine includes a machine base, a lower box mounted on the machine base, an upper box mounted on the lower box in a vertically movable and adjustable position, a conveyor passing horizontally between the upper and lower boxes, and an upper printing device mounted in the upper box for printing a workpiece carried by the conveyor. The lower box has an adjustable support for adjustably supporting the upper box. The adjustable support has two upright support tubes mounted to the lower box, and driven shafts received rotatably in the support tubes. Each of the driven shafts has an upper end, a lower end which extends outwardly of a respective one of the support tubes, a threaded hole which extends longitudinally in the upper end, and an upright connecting rod with an externally threaded lower end that engages the threaded hole and an upper end connected to the upper box. The lower box further has a driving mechanism to drive the driven shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Inventor: Chiung-Fen Su
  • Patent number: 5967679
    Abstract: A label printing apparatus having an input device for determining a predetermined label length and selecting one or more of plurality of characters for composing a label having one or more lines of characters in the length; a memory for storing font data defining the plurality of characters; a display for displaying the characters selected at the input device; a printer for printing the selected characters on an image receiving tape to produce a label; and a controller operable to determine an appropriate character size such that the number of characters selected by a user can be accommodated on the predetermined length of tape, wherein the controller is operable to apply a scaling factor to the font data according to the appropriate character size to optimize the size of the characters within the predetermined label length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Esselte N.V.
    Inventors: Michael A. Beadman, Paul Martin
  • Patent number: 5967045
    Abstract: For control of static ink delivery pressure, a system and method make use of an outer chamber having a first outlet for delivery of ink to an ink printing mechanism, an inner chamber having a second outlet for delivery of ink to the outer chamber, and a pressure source that applies negative pressure to the outer chamber. The inner chamber maintains an internal negative pressure that is selected to control a level of the ink within the outer chamber relative to a height of the second outlet within the outer chamber. In particular, inner chamber maintains the ink level at a substantially constant level by replenishing the volume of ink within the outer chamber upon consumption. When ink is consumed by the ink printing mechanism, the inner chamber delivers a proportional volume of ink to the outer chamber that is sufficient to restore the ink to the desired level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Staiger, Charles L. Rennolet, John R. Hofmann
  • Patent number: 5967040
    Abstract: The invention relates to a printer (1) for printing labels (10) detachably affixed to a carrier strip (5a, 5b, 5c), in particular goods labels, with a label feed unit (12a, 12b, 12c) comprising a wiping head (6a, 6b, 6c) with a support surface by which the label to be printed is supported, as well as a printing device (13) with a print head (8) for printing the label supported by the support surface, as well as with means (9) for conveying the label which has been separated from the carrier strip and printed, away to the goods. To be able to use different label styles with a single printer and a single printing device, it is provided that at least two separate label feed units (12a, 12b) are allocated to the printer (1), with the support surfaces, of which there are at least two, on the one hand, and the print head (8) on the other hand being movable relative to each other in such a way that one of the support surfaces is in the print position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Espera Werke GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Korthauer, Detlef Oldach
  • Patent number: 5967038
    Abstract: The invention provides a rotary printing machine having a form cylinder movable between an on and an off position mounted in a rotary printing machine. The form cylinder cooperates with a transfer cylinder or directly with a back-pressure cylinder (7) to print a printing material. In addition to driving gearwheels the printing machine has a positively power introducing drive band, for example a toothed belt, which transmits the drive power from the back-pressure cylinder or the transfer cylinder to the form cylinder. In the off position, the form cylinder is driven solely by the drive band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Bernhard Feller
  • Patent number: 5964610
    Abstract: A power supply assembly for supplying power to a modular wall panel includes a base module having a set of first mating ports and a plurality of first electrical conductors. Each first electrical conductor is electrically connected to a respective first mating port. The power supply assembly also includes a reversible coupler having a plurality of second electrical conductors therein. Each second electrical conductor is electrically connected to a respective second mating port and to a respective third mating port of the reversible coupler. The reversible coupler is selectively attached to the base module in one of two different orientations. Each second mating port is electrically connected to a respective first mating port in a first of the two orientations. Each third mating port is electrically connected to a respective first mating port in a second of the two orientations. Each second electrical conductor is electrically connected to a same first mating port in each of the two orientations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Dekko Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Phillip A. McCoy
  • Patent number: 5964538
    Abstract: Thermal transfer printing apparatus is provided with a driven impression roller movable into an operative position to urge a print receiving medium into engagement with an ink layer of an ink transfer ribbon and the ribbon into heat transfer engagement with a thermal print head. Rotation of the impression roller feeds the ribbon and print receiving medium past the print head. A drive roller for a ribbon take-up drive is located so as to be engaged directly by the impression roller or by the print receiving medium when the impression roller is in the operative position so as to impart drive to the ribbon take-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Neopost Limited
    Inventor: Raymond John Herbert
  • Patent number: 5964150
    Abstract: In a couple of axially engageable/disengageable gear wheels for driving a printing drum, in which each gear wheel has a duplicate construction including a primary gear for transmission of a power for driving the printing drum and an auxiliary gear for suppressing a backlash, the primary gear and the auxiliary gear are shifted relative to one another in the phase, except a predetermined meshing area, so that the two duplicate gear wheels are allowed to disengage from and re-engage with one another only when the two gear wheels are rotationally positioned at a predetermined rotational relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Kato, Yasushi Kuratani
  • Patent number: 5964155
    Abstract: For powdering printed products it is proposed that they be moved through a nip formed by a powder application roller (38) and a support roller (32). Those two rollers have axial circumferential recesses (52, 54) which are each able to receive at least part of a gripper rod (24) moving a printed product and which are synchronized with the movement of a gripper rods. At a location upstream of the nip in the direction of rotation, powder is applied to the circumferential surface of the application roller (38) by a nozzle strip (62), which powder is then transferred in the passage nip from the application roller to the printed products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Inventor: Hans Georg Platsch
  • Patent number: 5964152
    Abstract: A method for printing both sides of a paper in a printer includes the steps of (1) providing a paper supply portion for guiding the entry of paper into a printing unit, a paper output portion for guiding the paper from the printing unit to be output from the printer, and a reversing portion for reversing the orientation of the paper having passed through the printing unit to be resupplied to the inlet of the printing unit, (2) supplying a sheet of paper to the printing unit through the paper supply portion to print a front image on a front side of the paper, (3) guiding the paper on which the front image is printed to the reversing portion to reverse the orientation of the paper, (4) resupplying the reversed paper to the inlet of the printing unit, (5) printing a rear image on the other side of the paper resupplied to the printing unit, and (6) outputting the printed paper through the paper output portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yong-su Kim
  • Patent number: 5964151
    Abstract: In an apparatus for accurately imprinting print images onto sections of a edetermined length of a continuous unmarked foil, wherein a printer is disposed at a distance from a foil section delivery device which receives from the printer unprinted foil along a predetermined path, a foil sensor is arranged along the foil path which sensor has an output connected to the printer for supplying to the printer a printing signal when the length of the foil between the delivery device and a point on the foil corresponding to the beginning of a section to be imprinted is a predetermined multiple of the length of the foil sections to be imprinted so as to initiate printing of the printer accurately within a section of the foil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: CSAT Gesellschaft fur Computer Systeme und Automations-Technik mbH
    Inventor: Hans Mathea
  • Patent number: 5964541
    Abstract: A sheet to be printed on can be transported along a sheet feed path to a printing position. The sheet feed path extends along a first direction. A thermal print head is located on one side of the sheet feed path and is provided for printing onto a sheet which has been transported to the printing position along the sheet feed path. A print platen is located on an opposite side of the sheet feed path and is provided for printing onto a sheet which has been transported to the printing position along the sheet feed path. A spring mechanism is provided for biasing the head and the platen towards each other to contact the sides of a sheet in the printing position to allow printing on the sheet in the printing position. A drive mechanism is provided for moving the head and the platen in a second direction which is transverse to the first direction to allow printing on a sheet in the printing position to occur while the head and the platen are contacting the sheet in the printing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander S. Murison, Gary R. Marshall
  • Patent number: 5964158
    Abstract: An apparatus and control method therefor which compensates differences among individual media in detected signal amplitudes caused by imperfect magnetic ink character printing conditions without requiring an adjustment of amplitude of a received signal amplifier. Preferably, the magnetic ink character detection apparatus of the present invention includes a moving device that moves the magnetic head and/or the medium relative to each other at a predetermined speed; an amplitude detection unit for detecting the amplitude and/or saturation amount of the electrical signals output from the magnetic head; and a moving-speed determination unit for determining the relative moving speed caused by the moving device in accordance with the output from the amplitude detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eizo Takahashi
  • Patent number: 5964157
    Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for the automatically controlled the washing of a part of a printing unit of an offset printing machine as a function of the ink consumed by the unit. The control of at least one washing device, which is assigned to one of the parts of the printing unit, is performed, in particular with respect to the washing frequency, as a function of characteristic values which are derived from functions of the printing unit and/or are generated for controlling these functions. In order to optimize the frequency of the washing operation and/or the type of washing operation, the ink consumption of the printing unit occurring during machine running is determined in accordance with at least one characteristic value of the ink metering, the frequency and/or type of washing operation is then determined from the amount of ink consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Peter Hummel, Robert Ortner
  • Patent number: 5960716
    Abstract: The invention relates to an impression cylinder (1) intended for a sheet-fed machine and having at least one cylinder gap (3) in which sheet grippers (4) are arranged in such a manner that, when closed, they do not project over the envelope of the peripheral area of the impression cylinder (1). The cylinder gap (3) is provided with a cover (7) which can be adjusted by a controlling unit (9, 10, 11, 12) and is subsequently always in its closed position in which it completely covers the cylinder gap (3), when said gap (3) passes through the nip. Consequently, the impression cylinder rolls with a continuous, closed peripheral area on the cylinder printing the image. In the zones where the sheet is transferred to and from the impression cylinder (1), the cover (7) (preferably controlled by a fixed cam (11) while the cylinder is rotating) is opened to such an extent that the sheet grippers (4) can move into the open position thereof to pick up or release a sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: De La Rue Giori, S.A.
    Inventor: Johannes Schaede
  • Patent number: 5961229
    Abstract: A ribbon cassette includes a lid member that is not abruptly opened when a cassette is loaded into a printing apparatus and/or a facsimile apparatus using the ribbon cassette. Retained parts are provided on both side faces of a supplying part main body of a ribbon supplying part in a ribbon cassette and retaining parts which are detachably engaged with the retained parts to retain a lid member by the supplying part main body are provided on side faces of the lid member. While each of the retained parts is a protrusion projecting sideward, each of the retaining parts on the side faces of the lid member via a hinge part and has an engagement hole with which the protrusion is detachably engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshikatsu Kameyama
  • Patent number: 5961232
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a character information processor which can operate either in an ordinary state in which ordinary operations are performed or in a demonstration state in which demonstrating operations, including demonstration display and demonstration printing, are performed. The character information processor according to the present invention includes: a first operation state switch for switching the ordinary state to the demonstration state when receiving operation signals of a first number during the ordinary state; and a second operation state swtich for switching the demonstration state to the ordinary state when receiving operation signals of a second number during the demonstration state, the second number being smaller than the first number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignees: King Jim Co., Ltd., Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Watanabe, Tomoyuki Shimmura, Takanobu Kameda, Chieko Aida, Hiroyasu Kurashina, Takeshi Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 5961224
    Abstract: By moving the printing head of a printing unit to a position outside the printing area, a paper stop is pivoted into the paper transport path and, by lowering the printing head, a gap is opened both between the printing head and printing abutment and between the paper pressure rollers, the coupling of the printing head to the paper pressure rollers in relation to the lowering movement simultaneously effecting adjustment of the printing head gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme A
    Inventors: Gunter Baitz, Wolfgang Malke