Abstract: A dental treatment apparatus with a root canal length measurement function comprising a cordless handpiece equipped with at least a cutting tool drive motor, a root canal length measurement circuit and a power supply battery, and a charger equipped with at least a charge circuit for charging the power supply battery. With this structure, the handpiece can be operated as desired without interference with any tube since no tube is necessary to connect the handpiece to a main control unit, thereby capable of providing an easy-to-use treatment apparatus. By charging the power supply battery for the handpiece using the charger, the battery can be used repeatedly.

Abstract: A recording apparatus according to the present invention has a structure such that recording position of each dot is inverted in one pixel area in such a manner that a direction in which dots of lines in the main scanning direction to be formed on a printing sheet is made to be different from the main scanning direction. Even if the printing sheet feeding apparatus encounters displacement and the position of the printing sheet with respect to a thermal head is displaced, the foregoing structure causes dots to be formed in a zigzag configuration for the lines in the main scanning direction of the printing sheet on which a dot pattern has been formed in accordance with image data so that generation of moire fringes in the main scanning direction is prevented.

Abstract: A type of flexible component reinforcing mechanism, the upward extension of said flexible component forming a connector part, inside said flexible main unit is an activator body, the downward extension of the flexible component forms a base, characterized in a number of spaced reinforcing units that are located at the intersection part between the flexible main unit and the connector part; said configuration is designed to form better strength on the intersection part which is the most frequently broken or damaged part of the flexible component, to significantly reduce the occurrence of broken or damaged intersection part.

Abstract: Output apparatus and method of a printer, a display, or the like for receiving a group of commands from a host computer and for changing subsequent data processes. The output apparatus comprises: a substituting circuit for substituting another discrimination information for discrimination information to be changed in accordance with an input of instruction information to instruct a change in discrimination information stored; and an executing circuit for executing a predetermined operation shown by the discrimination information before it is substituted by the substituting circuit in accordance with an input of the discrimination information substituted by the substituting circuit. A command table of an output unit is rewritten by a special command from the host computer, thereby enabling a desired outputting process to be selectively executed while the host computer easily discriminates the output unit.

Abstract: The subject invention relates to a type of keyboard with expandable function keys, on the keyboard are a number of expanded function keys, said function keys are connected to the additional I/O cable for the microprocessor in the circuit structure in the keyboard, to coordinate with the original keyboard scanning matrix, forming a new scanning matrix, hence the default codes of said function keys may coordinate with the execution of the application programs in the window system, so the operator may directly control the existing functions of a peripheral device (multimedia) on the keyboard, with the control panel operation displayed on the monitor screen, with one IRQ connector pin of said microprocessor being connected jointly to the negative poles of three LED diodes, while the positive poles of each LED diode is connected to one line of the scanning matrix, so said keyboard may be compatible with an XT microprocessor in its application; so said function keys may be defined in the original scanning matrix th

Abstract: A method of printing font character bars comprised of a plurality of rows in a direction of printing movement perpendicular to the font character bars which are in turn comprised of a plurality of close adjacent dots to improve print quality at printing speeds which induce elongated dot smear in the direction of printing movement. The method comprises removing one dot or more from an end of each of the plurality of rows of a font character bar which is otherwise over-widened from dot smear. Partial dot removal can also be employed.

Abstract: A printer buffer unit is connectable to one or a plurality of host computers and one or a plurality of printers. The printer buffer unit has a unit for detecting a break of print job data sent from a host computer, and a unit for adding a job offset command at the time of the break in sending the print job data to a printer.

Abstract: A ribbon feeding device for a printer, which is simple in structure and easy to assemble and in which engagement between a pinion supported on a carriage and a rack is maintained when the carriage for carrying a printing head moves toward and away from the rack without providing the rack with any engaging member. An arm is swingably supported on the carriage at one end thereof, and the pinion engaged with the rack and operatively connected with a transmission mechanism is rotatably supported on the other end of the arm. One end of a torsion coil spring for urging the pinion towards the rack is engaged with the arm and at the other end thereof is engaged with the carriage. In accordance with the movement of the carriage toward and away from the rack, the arm swings to keep the engagement between the pinion and the rack appropriately.

Abstract: A method of printing a pre-defined symbology character set as a series of bars separated by spaces in which the bars are formed of horizontal rows of close adjacent dots while preventing ambiguous decoding of similar character pairs in which one character employs wide bars and one character employs narrow bars. The method comprises the steps of, subtracting at least a portion of one dot or more per horizontal row from bars of similar characters employing narrow bars; and, adding at least a portion of one dot or more per horizontal row to bars of similar characters employing wide bars. It is particularly useful in printing U.P.C./EAN symbology with a low-cost demand printer employing thermal printing techniques.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for emulating font cartridges with virtual cartridges. Virtual cartridges may be loaded onto a data storage device, and desired virtual cartridges may be selected for use from those stored.

Abstract: A tape printing apparatus prints at least one line of a character string formed of characters on a tape. The at least one line of the character string is/are entered. At least one character size rank is/are designated respectively for the at least one line of the character string. The at least one character size rank designated are converted to at least one numerical value, respectively, to thereby determine at least one line-by-line relative character size corresponding respectively to the at least one character size rank. At least one line-by-line absolute character size corresponding respectively to the at least one line-by-line relative character size is/are determined based on a total absolute size corresponding to a tape width of the tape. At least one line of the character string on the tape is/are printed based on the line-by-line absolute character size.

Abstract: A bearing mechanism includes a shaft for guiding a reciprocable carriage; a bearing mounted on the carriage and slidable relative to the shaft; a receiving member extending from the bearing to receive lubricant oil removed by the sliding movement between the shaft and the bearing; and a lubricant oil passage formed in the bearing to connect the receiving member and a portion between the shaft and the bearing.

Abstract: A card printer includes a card supply mechanism (20) for forwardly feeding cards one after another from a stack thereof held by a card stocker (21), a card carrier table (20) having an upper surface for supporting each of the cards fed from the card supply mechanism (20). The card carrier table is reciprocatively movable forwardly and rearwardly. The card printer further includes a printhead (90') located above the card carrier table (60). The printhead selectively assumes a position contacting each card on the card carrier table (60) via an ink ribbon (R) and a position upwardly spaced from the card. The card printer further includes a card discharge mechanism (120) for picking up a printed card from the card carrier table (60) moved to a forward position and for discharging the printed card.

Abstract: A drive roller for an ink-jet printer. The drive roller has a media engaging surface that is roughened by grit blasting along an entire media engaging longitudinal peripheral extent. The surface is hardened by anodizing. The roller is relatively inexpensive to fabricate yet has a small error on diameter and run out, and high traction due to the surface roughness, to provide highly accurate media positioning performance. The drive roller rotates about shaft mounted bearings. The shaft journal is formed with a small raised bump, which has very loose diametrical tolerance requirements, but is short in comparison to the bearing length dimension. When the bearing is press fit onto the shaft journal, the material forming the raised bump is sheared by the bearing. The sheared material drops into a recess on the journal, and does not interfere with the axial positioning of the bearing. The axial position of the bearing is controlled by placing the bearing next to a shoulder formed on the shaft.

Abstract: Dry offset printing unit having at least one plate cylinder and at least one blanket cylinder, and being equipped with a cooling circuit wherein a fluid coolant circulates, includes at least one chill roller incorporated into the cooling circuit, the at least one chill roller being bringable into contact with the surface of the at least one blanket cylinder.

Abstract: A control system for controlling the rotational speed of the printing cylinders of a printing machine in order to eliminate register offset or doubling phenomena on the printed matter. The control system uses one or more sensors to determine the operating condition of the printing unit. The relevant operating condition parameters include the frequency of the AC line from which the printing machine operates and the position of the printing cylinders at the time the change in rotational speed is to occur. Based on the operating condition of the printing unit, a controller selects an appropriate timing ramp for increasing or decreasing the rotational speed of the printing cylinders. The various timing ramps are stored on a memory and correspond to the different operating conditions of the printing unit.

Abstract: An apparatus for printing not only embossing braille characters but also an embossing figure on a recording medium such as paper, using a projection of a rod employed as a debossing die and a printing underlay employed as an embossing die. The printing underlay includes at least one elastic layer. The apparatus includes an element to stop a depressing depth of the projection into the printing underlay so that the depressing depth is uniform. The element to stop the depressing depth of the projection into the printing underlay may include a step formed on a part of a periphery of the printing rod, and additionally a stopping wall whereby the depressing depth of the projection into the printing underlay is stopped by the step knocking against the stepping wall. Different projections with different step positions may also be provided.

Abstract: There is disclosed a hand-held labeler which can feed and apply a relatively long label or tape to merchandise or packaging. In one embodiment the feeding of the label web is accomplished by using a feed wheel that is driven both during the feeding stroke of a manual actuator and during its return stroke. The print head is driven toward and away from a platen during each cycle and the advance of the feed wheel is interrupted as the print head nears printing cooperation with the platen and the intervening label. In another embodiment some of the advance of the feed wheel is through a one way clutch.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for cleaning the print head of a baggage tag printer used for printing passenger identification and destination indicia thereon. The print head cleaner comprises a plurality of baggage tags secured to one another in end-to-end relation forming an elongated strip of baggage tags. The cleaner is secured to the last of the tags for automatic advancement into the printer upon completion of the printing of the final tag. The cleaner includes a quantity of print head cleaning fluid enclosed in a pouch which bursts upon passage through the printer. A paper tail may be fastened to the pouch for frictional engagement with the print head facilitating the cleaning thereof.

Abstract: A modular animal perch is disclosed. It is designed primarily for use by cats but it may be adapted for use by other domestic animals. The modular cat perch includes at least one scratching/climbing panel and at least one horizontal surface. The panel has a top portion, a bottom portion, vertical edge portions, an outer surface and an inner surface and extends upwardly from the floor. The horizontal surface is adapted for use by the animal so that it can perch thereon. The horizontal surface is attached to the at least one scratching/climbing panel. The scratching/climbing panel is attached to the wall. Preferably there is a cap which extends around the top most top portion of the scratching/climbing panel. Preferably there is a base which extends around the bottom most bottom portion of the scratching/climbing panel. The scratching/climbing panel together with the cap and base form a column like structure which has an appearance of a Greek or Roman type column.