Patents Examined by Ernest T. Wright, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4775251
    Abstract: The present electronic typewriter executes a spelling check control and, more specifically, judges whether or not a word in a dictionary memory identical to an inputted word exists. If a word does not exists, the word printing operation or sweep display of this word is automatically interrupted by a central processing unit. The present invention further provides an electronic typewriter wherein the operator is freed of the spelling check task and high-speed key-in operation can be achieved by preventing misspelled words from being printed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1988
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Suzuki, Yasumichi Kojima, Hideo Ueno, Yasuhiro Hayashi, Satoshi Furukawa
  • Patent number: 4773779
    Abstract: A printer ribbon cartridge having flexible ribbon guides and an integral, resilient ribbon shield in pressure contact with paper to deaden noise from the printing operation. Also disclosed is a method of preparing paper which may have been folded or had corners bent from handling for printing and feeding through a printer in which the ribbon shield is pressed against the paper while the printer head carriage traverses across the paper to flatten the paper and urge the paper toward a nip of opposed paper feed rolls of a paper handling module associated with the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1988
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Amjad S. Wyne
  • Patent number: 4773783
    Abstract: A keyboard has an attitude adjusting mechanism with a shaft extending lengthwise along the rear inside of the case. The shaft allows the legs to be adjusted remotely from the adjusting mechanism. Two legs are mounted on the shaft and extend through holes in the bottom rear of the case to raise and lower the rear of the case as the shaft is rotated. The adjusting mechanism is indexed by rotatable flats on the shaft which mate with complementary flats in the case to lock the mechanism in its index positions. A holder for a flexible strip label on the keyboard has a finger slot for access to the label so that it can be removed from its holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1988
    Assignee: Northern Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventor: Robert G. Dickie
  • Patent number: 4773778
    Abstract: A fabric printer ribbon impregnated with a transfer medium comprised of a vehicle liquid and coloring agent dispersed in the vehicle liquid. The fabric printer ribbon may further contain property-improving additives. As the coloring agent, the ribbon contains a color reaction product in the form of a Lewis-acid/Lewis base color complex comprised of an organic chromogen and a color developer. The coloring agent is dissolved and/or dispersed as fine particles in the vehicle liquid. Such a fabric printer ribbon displays the advantage of correctability by means of an inhibitor of the color reaction. The corrected sheet can be typed over in customary fashion by means of the fabric printer ribbon in a second track of a fabric printer ribbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1988
    Assignee: Pelikan Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Guenter Pietsch, Hubertus Greschenz, Karl-Heinz Bohne
  • Patent number: 4772145
    Abstract: A document preparing apparatus capable of preparing a document in which small letters and capital letters are printed together, e.g. a document in English. The apparatus includes a decision circuit for deciding whether or not a character to be processed is at a head of a sentence, and a capitalizing circuit for capitalizing the character when the decision circuit decides that the character heads a sentence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1988
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiromi Takada
  • Patent number: 4762431
    Abstract: Roller 1 is heated to a temperature at which correctable thermal printing is caused to be better fixed to the paper and to be darker, while lift-off correction may be subsequently conducted. Roller 1 is spaced from printhead 3 a distance sufficient to permit reading of immediately prior typing. Both roller 1 and printhead 3 are mounted on carrier 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1988
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Clifford M. Denny, Hugh T. Findlay, Stephen A. Popyach, Deh C. Tao
  • Patent number: 4761087
    Abstract: A printer is provided with a controllable bail located between a print station and a downstream paper tear-off station. Upon occurrence of a first control signal, a printed portion of the paper is advanced to a desired tear-off position adjacent the tear-off station. Thereafter (after a predetermined time delay or after operator switch actuation), the paper is retracted to a new first print line position at the print station. The intermediately located bail is released at least after the leading edge of the paper is retracted thereunder and until sufficient paper is again advanced (e.g. during new printing operations) to ensure that paper is again located between the printing platen and the bail before the bail is re-engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1988
    Assignee: Genicom Corporation
    Inventors: David O. Ward, Theodore S. Zajac, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4761086
    Abstract: A device for supporting plural wire markers is disclosed. A support card supports members for insertion into a typewriter or computer printer. The support card includes a frictional engagement means for engaging the platen of the typewriter or computer printer to frictionally support the card therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1988
    Assignee: Thomas & Betts Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph Peterpaul
  • Patent number: 4758102
    Abstract: A recording device capable of writing a character on a sheet of paper with a writing ball-point pen according to a set of character pattern data which is stored in a pattern memory, and erasing a written character with an erasing ball-point pen with reliability, by means of (1) modifying the set of character pattern data into a corresponding set of erasing pattern data which permits each of the components of an erasing path of the erasing pen to be shifted from the written character in a selected one of a first and a second direction which are normal to a first and a second reference line intersecting with each other, the set of erasing pattern data causing the component of the erasing path to be shifted in the first direction if a segment of the written character corresponding to the component is positioned nearer to the first reference line than the second, or to be shifted in the second direction if the segment is positioned nearer to the second reference line, and (2) controlling movements of the erasing
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1988
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Onoda
  • Patent number: 4756633
    Abstract: An improved inking ribbon for color transfer under the influence of heat comprises the ribbon having a carrier layer and a colored layer with the heat-soluble release layer interposed therebetween, which release layer is composed of a sublimable material to avoid renewed adhesion of the released portion of the color layer to the inking ribbon after a color transfer to the printing medium has occured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1988
    Inventors: Friedrich-Wilhelm Drees, Hartmut Grethen, Friedrich Hagemeyer, Wolfgang Pekruhn
  • Patent number: 4755070
    Abstract: In an electronic typewriter having a printing device of the daisywheel type, the direct current electric motors which control the rotation of the character-carrying element, the movement of the carriage along the various printing positions and the rotation of the platen roller for line spacing are associated with corresponding transducers which detect the angular position thereof, and are actuated by a single integrated circuit connected to a microprocessor by an address and data bus (43). The microprocessor determines, for each of the motors, the angular amplitude of the rotary movement and the time required to cover each of the elementary angular distances, in accordance with a given speed law and addresses with data, including the said time, a plurality of circuit modules (B1, B2, B3) individual to the motors. The modules issue motor command signals (e.g. M11, M21, M31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1988
    Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.
    Inventor: Walter Cerutti
  • Patent number: 4747713
    Abstract: An ink ribbon cassette to be used in wire dot printer has an ink supply to lengthen a life cycle thereof. An ink ribbon is held between a drive gear and an idle gear and is delivered thereby. The ink supply contacts the idle gear so that ink is supplied from the idle gear to the ink ribbon. The teeth of the idle gear are specifically shaped such that the bottom of the teeth are formed in the shape of a circular arc so that the ink is uniformly supplied to the ink ribbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1988
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kikuchi, Takashi Itaya, Masakuni Anada
  • Patent number: 4747709
    Abstract: In a printing apparatus address data accesses an address of a time table to vary an impact pressure and supplementary data of each typeface (or character) of a printing type wheel. Thse data are stored in various memories. Data input/output and its processing are controlled by a plurality of microprocessors connected to each other through an interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1988
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ueda, Mitsuaki Seki
  • Patent number: 4741638
    Abstract: This application discloses an inked ribbon operation device in a printer in which a carriage having printing means is moved in parallel to the platen to perform printing, a reversible motor is supported on the carriage, a pair of spaced ribbon shafts are rotatably supported on the carriage for re-winding the ribbon from one ribbon shaft to the other ribbon shaft, a guide member is supported for holding the inked ribbon between the pair of ribbon shafts for moving the ribbon between the printing position and printed area viewing position, ribbon feed means is disposed between the motor and the ribbon shafts for rotating the ribbon shafts in response to the rotation of the motor in the forward direction, first connection means is disposed between the motor and guide member for moving the guide member to the raised position in response to the rotation of the motor in the forward direction, second connection means is disposed between the motor and guide member for moving the guide member to the lowered position i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1988
    Assignee: Tokyo Juki Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitumasa Okabayashi, Norio Shiga
  • Patent number: 4735515
    Abstract: A printing apparatus having two character generators, one which generates characters common to a plurality of countries, comprises a keyboard for entering character codes, a first character generator for producing certain character patterns representing certain character codes common to a plurality of countries, and a second character generator for producing other character patterns representing other character codes. A buffer stores the character codes entered by a keyboard and a selection signal generator generates a selection signal in dependence on each character code stored in the buffer. The selection signal indicates that the second character generator is to be utilized to produce the other character patterns represented by the other character codes. A processor controls the operation sequence ofthe apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1988
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ueda, Yasuaki Yamada, Toshiaki Ozawa, Hiroharu Nakajima, Hiroatsu Kondo
  • Patent number: 4732501
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for loading a web into a printer is disclosed. The apparatus has a normal mode for moving the web in normal operation and a load assist mode for operating at a slower than normal rate for loading the web into the printer. The printer comprises means for recording information on the web including a platen attached to the printer and a print head for generating characters. The print head is disposed in a predetermined spaced relationship from the platen to define a print station therebetween. A means for engaging and moving the web through the print station and signal means for generating normal and load assist mode signals are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1988
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Tim V. Angst, Joel G. Goodwin
  • Patent number: 4732500
    Abstract: An improved drive mechanism for an ink ribbon cassette for advancing an ink ribbon particularly well suited for use in a typewriter is provided. The drive mechanism includes a drive roller rotatably supported in the casing with a free floating pressure ring supported by a roller. The pressure ring is supported against the roller and against the drive roller so that there is an increase in pressure with an increase in the tension of the ribbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1988
    Assignee: Franz Buttner AG
    Inventor: Markus Burgin
  • Patent number: 4729683
    Abstract: A paper sheet feeding apparatus is constructed of paper feed rollers arranged in association with a respective paper tray and adapted to be driven by rotation of a printer platen in a forward paper feeding direction, with selection of the appropriate paper tray from which paper is to be fed, by a combination of forward and reverse rotations of the printer platen. The paper feed rollers, associated with each of the paper trays, are mounted on shafts which extend transversely of the apparatus. A plurality of driven gear assemblies are respectively arranged in operative association with the paper feed rolls and are adapted for lateral sliding movement between engaged and disengaged positions relative to a selector gear whose rotation is synchronized with that of the printer platen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1988
    Assignee: Ziyad Incorporated
    Inventor: Tadeusz Staniszewski
  • Patent number: 4728208
    Abstract: A ribbon lifting mechanism usable for a typewriter including a holder turnably supported in a frame, a motor driven ribbon lifting cam and at least a cam follower operatively connected to the holder. Printing ribbon and correction tape are accommodated in the holder and either of them is located at the printing position by means of the ribbon lifting cam which is formed with a plurality of cam sections. The cam follower is actuated in accordance with cam sections on the ribbon lifting cam. The mechanism further includes a stopper member which serves to locate the printing ribbon at the printing position while it is engaged to the holder. The stopper member also serves to locate the correction tape at the printing position while it is disengaged from the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1988
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Iwase, Yuuichi Harada
  • Patent number: 4728209
    Abstract: A printer has a memory for storing character information on printed characters; character information on a composite character consisting of at least two characters is stored in the memory to simplify the correction operation. Print form/print pitch information which is common to a plurality of characters is stored in a common area of the memory to improve the efficiency of usage of the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1988
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Michihisa Kumamoto, Hiroyuki Ueda