Abstract: A recorder has a chart feed mechanism for automatically loading a chart for recording operation. By loading a chart stock storing a chart into a recorder case, discharge roller and feed roller of a chart feed means are actuated to feed the chart into a condition in which data can be recorded thereon.

Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and a method for recording on a recording medium images from a fiber-optic CRT. The apparatus includes a recording medium transport system, control electronics and a first-in, first-out memory. The use of the first-in, first-out memory permits incremental recording which is not limited by relatively long mechanical transport settling times. In operation, N lines of data are input to the memory, line-by-line, as the transport system increments the position of the recording medium and during settling time. When the recording medium has come to rest, these N lines of data are output sequentially from the memory in a first-in, first-out basis, with the CRT incrementing each line vertically on the recording medium for the total of N lines for each increment of the recording medium by the transport system.

Abstract: A multi-range timer switch device has a rotatable switching disc or drum carrying a number of programmable switch actuators for actuating a stationary switch and has a dial face with two scale divisions thereon for designating elapsed time, and has a coupling device interconnected between the time disc or barrel and at least two drive trains for respectively rotating the disc or barrel at different speeds. When said coupling is shifted from one drive speed to the other, the corresponding dial face having appropriate scale divisions is made visible. The scale divisions of the dial face can assume only one position relative to the switching disc or drum so that the divisions can be unambiguously and easily set to the appropriate time when a shift is made from one drive speed to the other.

Abstract: Improved plotting and printing apparatus has a writing surface for supporting a printing medium and which has an opening for exposing the underside of the medium. A transparent plate is mounted to the supporting surface so as to permit placement onto that surface of a printing medium such as a plural leaf form set whose area is larger than that of the plate so that one portion of the medium extends across the opening under the plate and can be printed on by a printer positioned under the surface opposite the opening, while another portion of the medium lies on the surface beyond the plate so that it can be written on from above the surface.

Abstract: The device comprises a plurality of ink reservoirs, each connected to a number of nozzles (22) equidistant along a corresponding row. The nozzles connected to the various reservoirs are spaced apart vertically by at least one line space. The device can be used for printing different lines in parallel, moreover subdividing the length of the line, or for printing different zones of the sheet in facsimile. The ink is kept in circulation between the reservoirs and the nozzles by a common peristaltic pump which acts by a series of actuating elements on the discharge ducts for the inks in the reservoirs. The reservoirs may contain inks of different colors to permit printing in different colors or polychrome facsimile printing by additive or subtractive synthesis of the colors. The ink is conductive and is kept at earth potential, while electrodes (23) disposed outside the corresponding nozzles (22) are energized selectively to produce sprays of particles of ink from the nozzles.

Abstract: A drive circuit for a piezoelectric transducer in an ink jet printer incorporates a resonant circuit formed of an inductance and a piezoelectric transducer functioning as a capacitance, with the resonant circuit being excited to oscillation by means of current pulses, and with such oscillation being damped by means of a damping circuit, said damping beginning after a time delay relative to the onset of said oscillation.

Abstract: A pen changer for use in an X-Y plotter which plots on a paper. The pen changer includes a frame and a shaft supported thereon. The carriage is supported on the shaft and guided thereby. The carriage includes a plurality of recording pens. The pen changer includes a frame and a shaft supported thereon. The carriage is supported on the shaft and guided thereby. The carriage includes a plurality of recording pens arranged along the axial direction of the shaft. The carriage moves essentially perpendicular to the paper. A hammer is axially movable on the shaft in response to movement of the carriage. A changing mechanism positions the hammer with respect to a selected one of the plurality of recording pens so the hammer can select the selected recording pen to plot on the paper.

Abstract: An optical printing device for generating a linear light pattern which is applied to a moving photosensitive recording medium, which device is composed of a plurality of subassemblies each located for providing a respective segment of the linear light pattern, each subassembly including: a unit composed of a row of generally parallel optical fibers arranged to conduct light from a light source to their output ends, and a photocoupler composed of a thin transparent plate extending transversely of the direction of light propagation by the optical fibers and having a light entrance surface coupled to the output ends of the optical fibers to receive light therefrom, a light exit surface to which light is conducted from the light entrance surface, and lateral surfaces spaced apart in the direction of the linear pattern and extending between the light entrance and light exit surfaces.

Abstract: An optical printing head for recording graphic and text information line by line, including a plurality of juxtaposed, actuatable optical components, including picture dot elements, from which light is transmitted in dots by means of objective lenses along the length of a line to be recorded on a photosensitive record carrier, and cross-section converters for conducting light from a light source to the light switching components.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus which ejects ink towards a recording medium. The apparatus includes a nozzle having a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of pressurization chambers. Each nozzle orifice is in fluid communication with one of the pressurization chambers. An ink supply system supplies ink to each of the pressurization chambers. Each pressurization chamber includes first and second transducers which selectively deform the respective pressurization chambers for ejecting ink out of the nozzles. Each first and second transducers are selectively driven by independent driving circuits.

Abstract: A thermal ink jet printer utilizes a printhead resistor which has a central conductive region to excite bubble growth and to cause ejection of ink droplets. The existence of the central conductive region causes bubbles to be created which are toroidal in shape and which fragment during collapse, thereby randomly distributing the resultant acoustic shock across the surface of the printhead resistor and minimizing cavitation damage.

Abstract: A recording apparatus in which recording is made several times each line in a partitioning manner part after part on each recording line for which there exists picture data to be printed. The system determines whether there exists picture data to be printed on each line or not. A sub-scanning speed per line is set such that when the determination is made that one or more successive lines immediately before a recording line for which there exists picture data to be printed is or are an entire blank line or successive entire blank lines for which there exists no picture data to be printed, the sub-scanning speed for the entire blank line or successive ones of the successive entire blank lines adjacent to the recording line is selected to be substantially equal to that at the recording line. The sub-scanning speed of other entire blank line or lines for which there exists no picture data is selected to be a speed which is sufficiently higher than that for the recording line.

Abstract: An ink reservoir which incorporates a negative back pressure source coupled to a membrane wall of the reservoir to prevent ink leakage from a reservoir orifice is disclosed. The back pressure is created by either a linear or nonlinear spring which can be either independent of, or integral with, the membrane. The result is freedom from ink leakage and improved quality printing when the reservoir is used in conjunction with an ink pen such as used in ink jet printing.

Abstract: A device in which at least two separate electrical connections are made between a first member and a second member. The first member has at least two surfaces with at least one conductive element on each surface. These conductive elements are insulated from one another. The second member is mounted in an aperture of the first member. Electrically conductive regions of the second member, insulated from one another, are connected to the conductive elements of the first member.

Abstract: An ink jet drop-on-demand printing system having gray scale capability comprising a transducer having a plurality of separately actuable sections. Print data is provided which defines a selected drop volume and control means is provided which is operable in response to the print data to produce drive signals to selectively actuate a particular combination of the separately actuable sections of the transducer to produce a drop of the volume specified by the print data. To provide further control over the drop volume while maintaining the drop velocity within selected limits, the amplitude of the drive signals can also be varied. A further refinement can be provided by varying not only the amplitude of the drive signals but also the pulse width of the drive signals. In a first embodiment the transducer sections are of equal length, while the sections are of unequal length in a second embodiment.

Abstract: A pressure pulse drop ejector which incorporates a check valve at both ends of a tubular electromechanical transducer. The transducer is used both to radially squeeze ink through a check valve to an orifice and then by elongating, expressing a droplet from the orifice. The check valves provide the means necessary for preventing air ingestion into the drop ejector.

Abstract: An ink jet system using a single transducer chamber is disclosed which can produce a wide variation in visual print density (gray scale) without a reduction in print resolution. Vehicle is mixed with the ink during the actual jet printing process to produce the desired gray scale. The system is also readily adapted to produce multi-color prints.

Abstract: A door jamb switch has a first member adapted to be fixedly secured onto a door jamb of a motor vehicle, a first switch contact mounted on a plunger supported in the fixed first member for reciprocation along an axis between a first, door opened, position with the first switch contact engaging a second contact on the first member and a second, door closed, position with the switch contacts disengaging one another. At least one of two contacts is mounted resiliently in the switch, and the surface configurations of the two contacts can be made to interact with each other and with the resilient mounting so as to self-align the contacts with respect to one another upon interengagement therebetween.

Abstract: An ink jet printer for depositing drops of ink at a plurality of print positions on a moving print receiving medium includes a print head producing at least one jet drop stream directed toward the medium and a charge electrode positioned adjacent the point of drop formation of the jet drop stream. A charging means repetitively applies a high guard drop potential to the charge electrode during formation of at least every second drop for charging of the drops to a guard charge level. During formation of the remainder of the drops, either one of a number of relatively low print potentials or a substantially larger catch potential is applied to the charge electrode. Drops formed during application of a print potential to the electrode may carry a charge of either electrical polarity due the drop-to-drop cross talk from previously formed guard drops.

Abstract: A thermal head driving method in which serial picture data to be recorded on one line is inputted into a shift register which produces parallel picture data corresponding to the input series picture data to drive heating elements of a thermal head by the parallel picture data. The method comprises the steps of inputting serial picture data into the shift register and a distinguishment data element is added in front of the serial picture data. A timing determination of when a predetermined amount of picture data to be simultaneously recorded have been set in the shift register is made on the basis of a timing when the distinguishment data element is outputted from an output terminal through which the serial picture data is outputted. The thermal head is driven while stopping input of a serial picture data into the shift register, at the first-mentioned timing.