Abstract: A label printer having a stepping motor and the ability to dynamically accurately control longitudinal label registration as a function of steps of the stepping motor. The effective length of the steps moving the labels between a known point prior to the printhead and the printhead are monitored and the number of steps actually used to move the labels between the known point and the printhead are adjusted as a function of changes in the effective step length. In one embodiment, a sensor counts the steps between consecutive labels or averages a number of labels to determine the effective step length. In another embodiment, a sensor detects the start of label and start of printing on the label and the step distance between the two is used to determine the effective step length.

Abstract: A surface portion (104, 204) is accessible to a small animal within the confines of the animal's habitat. The surface portion (104, 204) may be an integral part of the animal's habitat, such as a tubular member (100) of an animal run. Alternatively, the surface portion (204) may be a part of a stand alone waste depository (200) that is added to the animal's habitat. The container (110, 210) is preferably removably mounted under an opening (106, 206) in the surface portion (104, 204) such that an opening (114, 214) in the container and the opening (106, 206) in the surface portion (104, 204) form a channel for receiving bodily excrement from the small animal when the small animal is on the surface portion (104, 204). The channel directs the bodily excrement to the container (110, 210) below the surface portion (104, 204). Ventilation (112, 212) is provided to dry the waste and divert odors from the waste from the small animal's general living area.

Abstract: A printing system is disclosed in which a host computer 1 sends print data to a printer 2, and the printer 2 prints an image on a paper in accordance with the print data received. The printer 2 includes a printing mechanism 19 for performing a printing operation and a control unit 18 with a stand-by function. In the host computer 1, a printer driver 4 receives a print command from an application 3, and outputs removal data to the control unit 18 and then generates print data. Upon receipt of the removal data, the control unit 18 removes a stand-by status of the printer and places the printer in a wake-up status. The signal format of the removal data is the same as of the print data. Accordingly, a conventional interface may be used for the transmission of the removal data. Further, the data format of the removal data is the same as of the print data. Accordingly, the wake-up status of the printer may be removed by utilizing commands provided for some other purposes.

Abstract: A double gear wheel of a turning device on printing presses comprises an adjustment gear wheel (4). On the adjustment gear wheel a conical seat (7) is formed, which conical seat (7) is engaged in a conical recess (9) formed on the corresponding stationary gear wheel (2), when the two gear wheels (2, 4) are clamped to one another by means of a clamping body (5). The double gear wheel described above has a compact construction, is easy to manufacture with a high degree of precision, and without the requirement for any additional elements essentially guarantees a frictional engagement which reliably prevents the mutual rotation of the two gear wheels (2, 4) during operation of the printing press, even on printing presses which consist of a large number of printing mechanisms.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for setting intercharacter spacing for display, rendering or other output of strings of adjacent characters utilize character shapes to set final spacing amounts. The invention stores specifications of characters to be rendered adjacently along an axis, the specifications including a font associated with each of the characters, each character having an associated interior portion defined by a contour portion, and adjacent characters having opposed contour segments separated along the axis by at least one intercharacter contour distance at an initial (e.g., default) intercharacter spacing; and sets a final intercharacter spacing between pairs of adjacent characters along the axis based on a portion of the intercharacter contour distances; the invention may further utilize statistical analysis of these distances in setting spacing.

Abstract: A printing apparatus which enables the operator to immediately discriminate a position of a check objective paper from results of printing has a printing mechanism for printing in at least one color on predetermined papers, a control unit for controlling a printing operation of the printing mechanism, and a detecting unit for detecting an opportunity of printing and outputting the check objective paper during the printing operation of the printing mechanism. When the detecting unit detects said opportunity, the control unit controls the printing mechanism to implement a color printing on the check objective paper in order to discriminate the check objective paper from another printed output papers. The printing apparatus is applicable to a printer which is connected to an upper apparatus such as a host computer to print data fed from the upper apparatus.

Abstract: A combined animal confinement and bark inhibitor system includes a confinement circuit which receives a confinement transmitter signal and outputs a confinement control signal, a sensor which detects the vibration of an animal's vocal cords and outputs a sensor control signal in response to that vibration, a stimulation device which provides a stimulus to the animal, and a controller associated with the confinement circuit, sensor, and the stimulation device, to selectively enable the stimulation device in response to a confinement control signal, a sensor control signal, or both.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a separable keyboard and computers having this separable keyboard which can be separated into two parts. This invention is particularly directed towards notebook or lap top computers. An essential feature of this invention is that the user can control the amount and degree to which the two keyboard halves are separated. Additional features include designs that allow the user to sense whether the keyboards are separating or locking into one of several possible discrete positions, and designs that prevent the keyboard halves from swerving or wobbling.

Abstract: A sheet is fed to a printing zone of a printhead by a feed roller and a pressure roller. An elastic sheet guide plate is joined to a lever supporting the pressure roller. The guide plate comes into contact with the feed roller upstream from a nip defined by the feed roller and the pressure roller. A nip between the conveying roller and the guide plate allows to register the sheet. The sheet, after having passed through the nip formed between the conveying roller and the guide plate, is directed to the printing zone of the printhead by the guide plate. As the guide plate extends from the printhead side end portion of the lever to a position just before the printhead, the sheet trailing edge is prevented from interfering with the printhead. Ink will not soil the sheet trailing edge, and, it is possible to achieve a high quality printing to a position extremely nearby the sheet trailing edge by using the guide plate.

Abstract: A mandrel/spindle disc for a continuous motion can decorator includes a plurality of relatively lightweight mandrel assemblies mounted on a rotating carrier with equal angular spacings between adjacent assemblies. The assemblies reciprocate radially with respect to the carrier axis as a center. Each assembly includes a base and two guide rods that extend radially inward from the base and are received by sleeve bushings that are disposed in radial holes extending inward from the carrier periphery. A plurality of relatively small grease pools are formed by small transverse holes, each of which extend forward from the rear of the carrier disc to engage the inner ends of four bushing holes. Vacuum and air pressure are fed to each mandrel assembly through a flexible hose having a large loop therein.

Abstract: The web of fabric (9) passes over an input roll (10) arranged substantially at the level of the upper portion of the heating drum (1), around at least half the circumference of which it winds after coming into contact with a web of transfer paper (14). The drum and the pressing roll (2) between which the webs pass are received inside one and the same closed housing (3) swept by air that becomes laden with the vapors of the transport agent, the laden air being delivered to a tank of cold water (22). The apparatus finds use in the printing of fabrics made of vegetable fibers, in particular cotton.

Abstract: A printing machine including a turntable causes object supports to pass at least one printing station. According to the invention, a guard is mounted mobile with respect to the printing station, and under the control of a control device driven by a control unit accessible to the operator, can move from a retracted position, in which it leaves the turntable readily accessible, to an extended position, in which it overlaps the turntable. Application, in particular, to printing machines with screen print heads.

Abstract: Endless printing belts with plural types of printing areas arranged on outer surfaces thereof are wound around printing support shafts and printing rotation members. Display rotation mechanisms have, arranged on outer surfaces thereof, display characters corresponding to printing characters in the printing areas arranged on the outer surfaces of the printing belts. A control member applies a torque to each printing rotation member or display rotation mechanism whereby the printing rotation member and display rotation mechanism rotate synchronously. As a result, printing surfaces of the printing areas are successively set to a printing position adjacent the printing support shaft, and display characters corresponding to the printing characters in the printing areas set to the printing position are successively set to a display position. The user may observe the display characters successively appearing in the display position to set display characters corresponding to desired printing characters.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus for correcting heating data for a thermal head to eliminate influence of heat accumulation in the thermal head on recording density. The apparatus is comprised of a correction circuit having a subtracter for subtracting first correction data from original heating data of a subject line to print, in pixel-to-pixel correspondence; and first to Nth operation circuits provided in correspondence with first to Nth heat accumulating layers of the thermal head respectively.

Abstract: A controller receives a signal indicating the temperature of a print head from a head temperature detection thermistor. The controller sets a cooling time for the print head based on a time in which the temperature of the print head increase from a first temperature to a second temperature and an environment temperature detected by an environment temperature detection thermistor. When the temperature of the print head exceeds the second temperature due to excessive heat accumulation therein, printing and movement of the print head are suspended for the cooling time immediately after completion of printing of one or a plurality of bands at a position where the print head is located at that time. Thus, the temperature of the print head is decreased.

Abstract: Memory fragmentation in a page printer is avoided by assessing the current extent of memory fragmentation and memory utilization before allocating memory for describing a portion of a next page to be printed. In one embodiment, the assessment includes a weighted average of a normalized standard deviation of current free memory block sizes (indicating fragmentation) and the current percent utilization of memory. A page printer in one embodiment has insufficient memory for bit for bit images of entire pages to be printed. However, a high page printing rate is nonetheless maintained by avoiding interruptions in interface communications and data processing that result when there is insufficient memory to support an allocation request for a contiguous block size. Memory allocation for a new page to be printed is deferred until an assessment of memory fragmentation and utilization is favorably compared to a limit.

Abstract: There is provided a plastic object for attracting a cat formed by impregnating particulate matter, such as particles of catnip, into the object during the molding process. Preferably, the plastic is a soft, pliable thermoplastic, such as styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, a polyethylene homopolymer or a flexible polyvinyl chloride compound. The plastic object is structurally sound to avoid excessive wear and tear and, yet, soft and pliable to permit a cat to enjoy the object and provide consumers with the perception that the object will not hurt the cat. Furthermore, the molded object has the aroma of the catnip emitting therefrom.

Abstract: Disclosed is a guide device for one or more character punches wherein one or more punch guide blocks are slidably mounted on a rod mounted on a base, wherein each block has a surface which slidably contacts the base and each has a punch guide slot or aperture, and wherein a series of position or ruler markings are provided on a portion of the base, and a cooperating alignment edge is provided on each block or on each punch mounted therethrough and lies contiguous the series of ruler markings, whereby each block can be precisely positioned on the base with respectively to any particular one of the markings.

Abstract: A filter change station is provided having a base board. A first guide support and a second guide support are mounted on the base board in facing relationship. A separator is mounted on at least the first guide support along a slide path of a cage top for separating a filter retainer from the cage top as the cage top moves along the guide support within the slide path.

Abstract: In the case of a printing cylinder for a printing plate made of a magnetizable material, a roller-shaped basic body is provided which, on its circumference, has an axial slot for the hanging-in of a bent edge of the start of the printing plate and several holding magnets distributed along the circumference, one wall of the slot being formed of a strip made of a magnetizable material which, inside the slot, is provided with holding magnets used for holding the bent edge of the printing plate.