Patents Examined by James R. McDaniel
  • Patent number: 4813353
    Abstract: A sheet gripper for a rotary press is provided having a hooked gripper finger pivotably connected at its lower end to a clamping element, and a roller disposed upon the gripper finger is biased against the guiding surfaces of a finger support element to ensure smooth changes from open and closed gripper finger positions, substantially without any vibrational motion or displacement resulting in the plane of sheet motion. Preferably, a compression spring is mounted in the clamping element to bias the roller against the gripper support element, the element having a rectilinear guide surface disposed substantially perpendicularly to a retaining surface, and a cam surface which extends upwardly and inclined outwardly from the rectilinear guide surface. Upon oscillation of the gripper shaft, the roller is guided along the rectilinear guide surface and cam surface, thereby defining accurate gripper finger motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1989
    Inventors: Rudolf Raab, Manfred Herold, Peter Hummel
  • Patent number: 4812060
    Abstract: Apparatus for processing card tickets includes a printing and/or encoding module (1), having means for driving a ticket along a path internal to the module (1) in order to pass it through a ticket print station and, where appropriate, a ticket encoding station (160), and then to a ticket outlet between two wheels (150, 193). A second module (2) is provided, similar to the first, and coupling means (3) are provided between the respective outlets from the two modules (1, 2) and an outlet receptacle (370) in order to take tickets from one or other or both of the modules (1,2) and stack them in the receptacle (370).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1989
    Assignee: Electronique Serge Dassault
    Inventor: Alain L. Pailler
  • Patent number: 4810119
    Abstract: An improved thermal transfer resistive ribbon usable in high resolution printing comprising a dual resistive layer formed of a first layer of low resistivity and a second layer of high resistivity, method of production thereof, use thereof and apparatus including the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1989
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Ronald T. Cannavaro, Walter Crooks, Mukesh Desai, Keith S. Pennington, Jean-Piet Hoekstra, Eva E. Simonyi
  • Patent number: 4806031
    Abstract: Commencing with the first print hammer(s) "out", or actuated, on each print line the hammer drive current is boosted 10% for a period, ranging from 25%=650 microseconds for single part forms to 50% for multi-part forms, of the total print hammer flight time. Earlier striking hammers on each print line strike harder, alleviating displaced first-printed characters on single part forms and light characters on multipart forms due to hammer energy loss in forms compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1989
    Assignee: DataProducts Corporation
    Inventors: Paul O. Amdahl, John K. Ham, Doina Mazilu
  • Patent number: 4806032
    Abstract: A conical vent (14) for a cartridge (10) is located on an inner surface (20) of the cartridge. The conical vent includes a conical-shaped member (26) having a base (28) and an apex (30). An opening (32) extends through the center of the conical-shaped member (26) to provide an air passage for a cartridge (10). The opening (32) is adapted to create a capillary force on a small amount of liquid (59) that might enter the opening to prevent any remaining liquid from leaking through the opening. The vent also includes a groove or capillary trap (34) that encircles the base of the conical-shaped member. Also, a pair of upright walls (36) and (38) surround the conical-shaped member and cooperate with the capillary trap to divert liquid to the base of the conical-shaped member and away from its apex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1989
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Brian D. Gragg, Jon J. Fong, Arthur K. Wilson
  • Patent number: 4804281
    Abstract: In the conventional printing apparatuses wherein a type-wheel and a carriage are driven respectively by stepping motors, after turning on power supply, a original position of the carriage is initialized by a sensor method, and a original position of the type-wheel is initialized by a step-out method. In this case, a sensor is required to be mounted within a very narrow range equivalent to several steps, and a stopper for restraining rotation of the type-wheel is required to be mounted within a very narrow range in the vicinity of a frame side wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1989
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Yamakawa, Satoshi Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 4800812
    Abstract: An improved automatic tape cutter/sticker is composed of an outer housing, inner housing, side cover, plate spring, circular ring tube, printing equipment, rotating cutting equipment, compressing rod and tape. The device further includes a circular ring tube, in which two opposite plates of the four pieces of circular arc tube plates are smaller and shorter than the other plates for encasing tapes with smaller widths. Moreover printing equipment is installed on the left lower side of the inner housing, which is composed of character mold rolling cylinder, ink rolling cylinder, character mold rolling cylinder shaft and ink rolling cylinder shaft. The character mold rolling cylinder linked with character mold rolling cylinder shaft is driven by the tape, so that the ink rolling cylinder located around the ink rolling shaft is driven so that the ink adheres to the convex lines of the character mold rolling cylinder for printing it in the back side of the output tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1989
    Inventor: Shuh-Chin Lin
  • Patent number: 4798485
    Abstract: An electronic typewriter having a single detector switch for detecting whether a lid over a printing mechanism is open or closed and whether a carriage is in the original position or not. The detector switch is stimulated by two stimulators; one being provided on the lid for stimulating the detector switch when the lid is closed, and the other being provided on the carriage for stimulating the detector switch when the carriage is at the original position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1989
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Onoda, Kenji Sakakibara, Michitoshi Akao
  • Patent number: 4796530
    Abstract: In a drive for the fluid distributing roller of a printing press, the roller, in addition to rotating about its axis, is required to be axially reciprocated. The distributing roller is mounted upon a drive shaft with which it rotates but with respect to which it can be axially reciprocated. A cam is connected to the shaft and is gear-rotated therewith, and through a cam follower, the shaft of the cylinder, while being rotated, is caused to axially reciprocate by the presence of a cam follower operating in the rotating cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1989
    Assignee: Pathfinder Graphic Associates Inc.
    Inventor: Gordon Etchell
  • Patent number: 4793252
    Abstract: A carrier frame is provided for oscillation along a printing platen of the printer and is comprised of two integral, U-shaped sections facing each other at right angles. A plurality of electromagnetic actuators are arranged in one section and include a yoke, a coil, and a pivot armature in each instance. A free end of the pivot armature projects into the other small section. A relatively short print needle is guided in one wall portion of the second section and has its rear end abutment with the projecting end of the armature; an adjusting screw adjusts the relative disposition of the pin-like needle and the armature; the common pivot axis for all armatures is established by a resilient string in a cover plate across the larger U.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1988
    Assignee: Mannesmann Tally GmbH
    Inventor: Josef Pichler
  • Patent number: 4791867
    Abstract: The stubs at the ends of the printing cylinder in a rotary printing press can roll along the upper surfaces of two arms each of which carries a plate with two mutually inclined upwardly diverging grooves for a pair of reciprocable stops. The stops can be shifted by cams to assume operative positions in which they flank the respective stubs and maintain them in predetermined positions for attachment of bearings to or for removal of bearings from the stubs. The stops are retractible to levels below the upper surfaces of the respective arms so as to allow for rolling of the stubs along the arms, either to advance the cylinder to its operative position or to roll the cylinder to a position in which it can be lifted off the arms. Detents are provided to yieldably hold the stops in selected positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1988
    Assignee: Officine Meccaniche G. Cerutti S.p.A.
    Inventor: Antonio Deregibus
  • Patent number: 4786194
    Abstract: An electronic typewriter capable of being changed over in operating mode selectively between a non-print mode and a print mode, during text creating operation, for storing entered data in a text memory. An objective position, to which the print head is to be moved, is decided through calculation when operation mode is changed over again from non-print mode to print mode, after the operating mode has previously been changed from print mode to non-print mode. When the print head is moved toward the right margin on the basis of the calculated result, sheet feed operation is not executed, whereas, when the print head is moved toward the left margin on the basis of the calculated result, the sheet feed operation is executed prior to movement of the print head. Thus, duplicate printing on the recording paper is advantageously avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1988
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideo Ueno
  • Patent number: 4785559
    Abstract: The apparatus for making a substantially vertical slot in the ground in a step in making a sealing or supporting wall comprises a frame member, a supporting shield, at least two cutting wheels and a drive unit. The supporting shield is attached to the frame member and supports the cutting wheels and the drive unit. The cutting wheels are mounted on a common shaft and at least a portion of the drive unit is enclosed by at least one of the cutting wheels. A housing projecting pipe like on both of its opposing sides is attached to the supporting shield. Each of the cutting wheels have a hub which is mounted on a common shaft mounted in the housing. A hollow drive wheel is provided for the cutting wheels and is mounted advantageously on a stepped in seat on one of the hubs. It fits in the housing with play. The hollow drive wheel meshes with a plurality of drive gears each connected to a drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1988
    Assignee: Hochtief Aktiengesellschaft Vorm. Gebr. Helfmann
    Inventor: Volker Hentschel
  • Patent number: 4781480
    Abstract: A printer includes a first paper feed passage extending from the rear of a platen to a printing position through the lower part of the platen, and a second paper feed passage extending from substantially just under the printing position to the printing position. A first pinch roller is disposed on the way to the first paper feed passage for pressing a first paper against the platen. The first paper is fed by rotating the platen. A second pinch roller is disposed on the way to the second paper feed passage for pressing the second paper against the platen. Rotation of the platen causes the second paper to be fed. In addition, a paper insertion device includes a flat part for placing a paper thereon and a slit for converting the advance direction of a paper from horizontal to vertical. With the second paper placed on the flat part and inserted into the printer, the paper is directed upwardly by a curved surface defining the slit and is allowed to enter the second paper feed passage with ease for further advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kikuchi, Shyoichi Watanabe, Yukio Ota, Yoshinori Koshida, Takashi Itaya, Jiro Tanuma
  • Patent number: 4780011
    Abstract: A ribbon cartridge having a torsion spring having an improved noval contacting end for pressing the takeup spool against the drive roller, wherein the improved end holds the takeup reel against the roller in a substantially vertical position without any tilting of the takeup reel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1988
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuzo Hasegawa, Naokazu Shimoda
  • Patent number: 4780013
    Abstract: A web feed tractor which comprises a frame, a drive gear rotatably mounted in the frame, a cylindrical shaft fastening member mounted on the frame with a portion thereof protruding from the frame, an endless toothed timing belt trained about the frame and drive gear, a cover plate assembly peripherally surrounding the endless belt in peripherally spaced relationship to the belt to define a track of a web to be fed, a web support or guide member positioned adjacent to the endless belt in side by side relationship, a lock ring rotatably mounted on the protruding portion of the shaft fastening member and a switch mechanism positioned in the track of the web so as to be operated by the web as the web passes through the track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1988
    Assignee: Sakase Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuo Sakai
  • Patent number: 4778297
    Abstract: A cooled print hammer assembly in which a plurality of hammer coils are formed in a resin member having a recess in which is placed a cooling fin. The opened faces of the fins are placed adjacent a plate of the frame of the print hammer assembly so that closed forced-air ducts are defined by the fins and the frame plate. Additionally, partitions may be placed on the sides of the fins so that the external sides of the fins are cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Hitachi Koki Company, Limited
    Inventors: Shinichi Watahiki, Takanobu Agake, Nobuhiko Itoh, Masaaki Koseki
  • Patent number: 4776712
    Abstract: An ink-dot printer comprises a recording paper, at least one needle disposed in one side the recording paper and movable between a rest position remote from the recording paper and a projected position close to the recording paper, a driving mechanism for moving the needle between the rest position and the projected position, a driving control unit electrically connected to the driving mechanism so as to supply a driving control signal for controlling the movement of the needle to the driving mechanism, an ink supply mechanism adapted to supply ink to the distal end portion of the needle on the recording sheet side so that the ink attaches to the distal end portion when the needle is located in the rest position, an electrode disposed in another side of the recording paper and facing the distal end portion of the needle, and voltage control unit for applying between the needle and the electrode an ink flying voltage with respect to the supply of the driving control signal from the driving control unit to the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1988
    Assignee: Tokyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Okuno, Yoshihiro Torisawa, Mitsuharu Endo, Tetsuroh Nakayama, Masashi Shimosato, Takafumi Fukushima
  • Patent number: 4770553
    Abstract: The cartridge comprises two arms situated on both sides of the cartridge y; each arm can occupy either a first, non-functional position (or storage position of the cartridge) or a second, functional position (or use position of the cartridge). Elastic tension means are provided to act on the ribbon to hold the latter taut whatever the functional or non-functional position occupied by the arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1988
    Assignee: Societe d'Applications Generales d'Electricite et de Mecanique Sagem
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Deschamps, Benoit Bizet
  • Patent number: 4765764
    Abstract: A keyboard for use with a stenographic transcription and translating assembly possessing word processing capabilities having horizontal and vertical groupings of keys indicating the generation of signals characterizing consonant and vowel letters or non-phonetic language construction command instructions such as transcribing translation or word processing instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1988
    Assignee: Digitext, Inc.
    Inventor: Jerrold P. Lefler