Abstract: A braille label writer for inscribing braille on a labeling tape, according to the invention, comprises an operating section provided with operation keys including an input key, a memory for storing information concerning letter codes and braille codes, a display section for displaying information including letters, converting means for converting a letter code into a braille code, and an inscribing section for inscribing braille corresponding to the converted braille code. The inscribing section includes a plurality of solenoids having plungers, levers provided for the respective solenoids for transmitting driving forces of the plungers of the solenoids, and push pins for forming raised braille characters on the labeling tape. The plungers are arranged parallel to the push pins.

Abstract: A plate cylinder including a plate cylinder body; a first partially cylindrical image carrying shell and a second partially cylindrical image carrying shell, the shells being removably fastened to the plate cylinder body. Printing plates can be prefastened to the shells. The present invention also provides a method for attachment to a printing cylinder including the steps of mounting a first partially cylindrical shell and a second partially cylindrical shell to a printing cylinder body.

Abstract: A ribbon cassette is easily loaded without allowing a torsion force to be acted when the cassette is loaded into a printing apparatus and/or a facsimile apparatus each using the ribbon cassette. A ribbon cassette has a ribbon supplying part for supplying an ink ribbon, a ribbon take-up part for taking up the ink ribbon which is led from the ribbon supplying part and passed between a print head and a platen roller, and connecting parts for connecting the supplying and take-up parts. The connecting parts are provided with projecting holding parts for attachment or detachment, and the holding parts are positioned near the ribbon take-up part positioning on the side remote from a hinge member.

Abstract: An ink metering device and method. Ink is fed at a pressure to an orifice. Pressure may be achieved by either an ink pump or a gravity feed. The size of the orifice may be varied according the conditions existing in the printing press. The pressure at which the ink is fed may also be varied. Ink exiting the orifice is fed onto the surface of an ink applicator roll. At a location downstream of the orifice, a control blade is positioned adjacent the outer surface of the ink applicator roll. The distance between the tip of the control blade and the outer surface of the ink applicator roll may be varied using a control blade positioning mechanism. The distance between the tip of the control blade and the outer surface of the ink applicator roll controls the smoothness and/or the thickness of an ink film which is created on the surface of the ink applicator roll. This film is transferred directly to the image or plate cylinder, which is in contact with the outer surface of the ink applicator roll.

Abstract: A cylinder in a rotary printing press is inked with a highly viscous printing ink. An open ink duct is provided with a doctor blade that is supported negatively on the cylinder. A reserve of printing ink is added to the ink duct and is formed into an ink roll. A regular and intensive inking of the cylinder results with only very low ink circulation.

Abstract: A system for making printing plates for newspaper, which can make, with great efficiency, replacement printing plates to be used when a printing face of the printing plate mounted on the plate cylinder of the rotary press is to be changed in part. The plate-making system is built by linearly arranging in series a plate feeder 2, an exposure unit 3, and a developer 5 so that the exposure unit 3 may directly form images on the printing faces of a plate material 12 in accordance with image drawing signals from a computer to make a printing plate P large enough for at least several pages.

Abstract: A web-offset printing press is provided with a first rotatable printing cylinder adapted to print a first image on a web by applying a heat-settable ink to the web, a second rotatable printing cylinder adapted to print a second image on the web, the second image being printed on the web subsequent to the first image being printed on the web by applying a heat-settable ink to the web, a drying station for drying the heat-settable ink applied to the web by the first and second rotatable printing cylinders by heating the web to an initial temperature, and a cooling station disposed adjacent the drying station, the cooling station receiving the web after the web has been heated by the drying station, the cooling station causing the initial temperature of the web to be reduced by at least about 20.degree. F.

Abstract: A method of fastener identification for traceability of manufacturing information of an individual fastener, is achieved by applying a code to the fastener. The fasteners to be identified typically are formed of hardened materials such as steel. A die cast, forged or pressed roll stamp or forge stamp is thus used to apply the code and is formed with a raised stencil of one or more characters or indicia. Multiple lots of a certain fastener typically are manufactured in a given time period, such as a year, thus requiring a different code to identify each fastener lot. Numbers of lots and sizes of individual lots for a given time period are difficult to predict for a fastener producer, thus risking waste if multiple customized stamps are used to identify the lots. A universal stamp having a single indicia stencil is utilized to identify all lots of a certain fastener in a given time period, by removing selected ones of the stencil characters from the universal stamp for each different lot.

Abstract: A printing press includes a combination printing blanket and blanket cylinder having a fill-in bar adapted to receive both ends of the printing blanket. The printing blanket and the fill-in bar are preattached, and, after wrapping the blanket around the cylinder, a barbed snap fit is achieved to fastened the blanket tightly around the cylinder.

Abstract: A tensioning system for use in a retensionable frame used in silk screening wherein the fabric is precut and bordered with splines such that the appropriate tension is predetermined. A wrench including indicia to assure proper placement upon the tensioning hex extension is provided with a stop which assures appropriate tension.

Abstract: A compact ribbon cassette for dispensing and storing a ribbon or tape. The supply and take-up rolls of ribbon or tape are disposed upon a common rotatable shaft mounted for rotation within the housing. A unique chevron disposed adjacent the take-up roll and on the post-printing portion of the cassette causes the dispensed ribbon to change level and reverse direction and be presented for storage upon the take-up roll. A partitioning plate in the ribbon cassette separates the supply roll from the take-up region of the cassette. Ink particles are thereby prevented from migrating from the post-printing, take-up region of the cassette to the pre-printing, supply region thereof.

Abstract: There is disclosed a hand stamp including a self-inking device and comprising an inverting mechanism (10) for a character unit, the inverting mechanism being arranged in a housing (1) and including an inverting axle (9), wherein the inverting axle (9) extends through slots (24) in the housing (1) and is mounted with its ends in legs (8) of an actuating bow (2) guided on the housing (1), the ends of the inverting axle (9) being secured against axial displacement by aid of safety elements; for a simple mounting and dismounting of the inverting axle (9) and its stable support in axial and radial direction, it is provided that at at least one leg (8) of the actuating bow (2), a shaped body (12) provided as safety element is capable of being snapped into a recess (11) of the leg (8), and that the inverting axle (9) is held partly in the leg (8) and partly on the shaped body (12).

Abstract: A printhead assembly for a printer with the printhead mounted in the lid of the printer and the platen mounted in the body of the printer. The printhead is spring loaded, permitting it to float in both the vertical and horizontal directions within the lid assembly. Guideposts are located in the body of the printer with a defined positional relationship to the platen. When the lid is closed, the guideposts position the printhead in its correct position with respect to the platen. Mounting the printhead in the lid and the platen in the printer body permits new paper to be loaded quickly and easily by simply pulling the paper past the platen and closing the lid. The cumbersome paper-threading procedure of conventional inexpensive printers is avoided.

Abstract: In an offset printing apparatus, the offset blanket is configured to prevent the transfer of ink from the bare metal edges of the lithographic printing plates. These edges may also have burrs which would exacerbate the ink pick-up and transfer of the unwanted ink to the offset blanket and the paper. The offset blanket is shaved down or relieved in the areas juxtaposed to the edges of the printing plates so that the ink will not be transferred.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for minimizing the problem of "fluting" or "corrugating" occuring in printed webs of light weight coated paper printed on both sides with thermosetting ink on heat-set web-offset printing presses resides in spreading the web in its width-wise direction as the printed web exits from the ink drying and heat setting oven of the press and passes over the web cooling chill rolls downstream from the oven, thereby to hold the printed web in a flat and smooth condition until it is cooled and the ink has taken a permanent set. Spreading the web prior to and during cooling allows the inks to thermoset in a flat state because the web is kept flat and free of flutes during thermosetting of the inks. The method and apparatus facilitate operation of the press at higher speeds and with lighter grades of paper than conventional, and provide for increased production efficiencies, lower costs, enhanced print quality, and access to new markets for web-offset printing.

Abstract: There is provided an adjustable, curved keyboard having arcuately arranged keys to complement naturally to a user's wrists, hands and fingers. The keyboard is supported by a bracket, which extends from underneath the desktop of a desk, for pivotal, elevational and horizontal adjustment of the keyboard's position relative to the user. The keyboard comprises an elongated base and alphanumeric keys positioned at an upper surface of the base. The base has a longitudinal axis disposed below the upper surface of the elongated base, and the upper surface is curved about the longitudinal axis. Also, the alphanumeric keys are arranged about the longitudinal axis of the base to form an arcuate typing surface that provides a comfortable typing surface for the user and reduces the risks of repetitive stress injury.

Abstract: An improved labeler includes a housing and a bellows drive gear and cassette drive sprocket spaced apart and each rotatably supported in the housing. A stepper motor is mounted in the housing and has an output shaft. A first drive gear is affixed to the shaft and engages the bellows drive gear. A second drive gear is affixed to the shaft. A drive train is interposed between and engages the second gear and the cassette drive sprocket. The stepper motor is positioned between the bellows drive sprocket and the cassette drive sprocket whereby the footprint of the labeler is minimized. Each individual bellows has a marker. A position sensor detects each of the markers. A first sensor detects a fruit. The stepper motor is responsive to the fruit sensor to advance the bellows wheel in response to detection of a fruit.

Abstract: A compact ribbon cassette for dispensing and storing a ribbon or tape upon integrally formed dispensing and storage spools. The dispensing and storage spools are disposed upon a common rotatable shaft mounted for rotation within the housing. An integral, self-adjusting friction plate bears upon the ribbon on the dispensing spool and provides a predetermined, varying drag to maintain uniform ribbon taughtness.

Abstract: A retainer for firmly holding a printing plate on a plate-carrying cylinder by a hook that engages in an elongated gap formed in the cylinder and is fixedly connected to a tension rod guidable rotatably by drive mechanisms so that it is alignable relatively to two limiting directions in accordance with two limit positions. The drive mechanisms include a piston rod that is supported in a longitudinal bore formed in the cylinder, the piston rod carrying a plurality of pistons distributed over the entire length thereof and including a longitudinal conduit selectively suited for supplying pressure medium for positioning the pistons selectively in two extreme positions.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink ribbon take-up mechanism whereby a core and a pinch roller both disposed in an ink ribbon cassette are prevented from being tilted or wobbled under the tension of an ink ribbon housed within the ink ribbon cassette while a carriage is driven (during printing), thereby permitting the core and the pinch roller to be rotated in a more stable manner. The ink ribbon take-up mechanism comprises a support shaft projected from a ribbon cassette loading surface of a carriage to a ribbon cassette loading side and adapted to be inserted into an engaging portion formed on the ribbon cassette side to support the ribbon cassette, and a drive transfer member disposed rotatably on an outer periphery side of the support shaft and adapted to be engaged with the engaging portion formed on the ribbon cassette side to transmit a rotative driving force of a motor to the engaging portion.