Abstract: A plotter for recording data from a modulated laser beam onto a recording medium mounted covering the aperture of an aperture card wherein the aperture is located toward one end of the aperture card with a blank margin on either side of the aperture, the plotter including an aperture card supply module for supplying the aperture card from a plurality of aperture cards, a carriage module having a recording station and a platen member for stepping the aperture card past the recording station, a laser scanning module for scanning a row of data from the modulated laser beam laterally across the recording medium through the recording station as the recording medium is stepped past the recording station by the platen member, a dry developer module for developing the data recorded on the recording medium by the laser scanning module, a feed path from the aperture card supply module through the carriage module and the dry developer module, and transport apparatus for transporting the aperture card along the feed path

Abstract: A drive arrangement for driving a plurality of non-mechanical printing devices working in tandem operation includes an independently functioning control arrangement for each printing device coupled to an external data source, the control arrangement being organized in a data control level and in a device control level. Coupling of the printing devices through coordination control units ensues on the device control level for synchronization so that a web-shaped recording medium is printed first in a first device and then supplied to further, following printing devices.

Abstract: A printhead of a resistive ribbon printer has a column of electrodes formed on each of at least two edge surfaces. When the column of electrodes at one edge surface is worn out after being used for printing, the printhead is rotated so that the column of electrodes at the other edge surface is used for printing. Instead of the column of electrodes at each edge surface being the same size, the column of electrodes at one edge surface could be smaller than at the other edge surface so as to have a higher resolution for graphics whereby the position of the printhead is changed each time that higher resolution is desired and then returned to its initial position when alphanumeric printing is to occur. The printhead could have more than two edge surfaces with each having a column of electrodes for printing when at the printing position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for recording a binary information signal on a record carrier having an information layer whose optical properties are modified upon heating. An information pattern corresponding to the information signal is obtained by moving the record carrier relative to an optical system which focuses a radiation beam onto the information layer. A recording mark is written on the information layer is selected time intervals by locally heating the information layer with the focussed radiation beam. The amount of radiation energy applied during a selected time interval depends on the position of the selected time interval in the sequence of consecutive selected time intervals. This provides compensation for the increase in the temperature at the location where the mark is to be recorded due to heating of the layer during recording of a mark in the preceding time interval.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a uniform heat flux dryer system and method for an ink jet printer, including a 180.degree. contoured paper transport path for transferring paper from an input paper supply tray to an output paper collection tray. During this transfer, the paper receives a uniform heat flux from an infrared bulb which is located at the axis of symmetry for the paper transport path, and reflectors are positioned on each side of the infrared bulb to maximize heat transmission from the bulb to the paper during the ink drying process. Advantageously, the input and output paper trays may be vertically aligned on one side of the printer to facilitate loading and unloading of the paper.

Abstract: An improved ink jet printhead is disclosed which comprises an upper and a lower substrate that are mated and bonded together with a thick insulative layer sandwiched therebetween. One surface of the upper substrate has etched therein one or more grooves and a recess which, when mated with the lower substrate, will serve as capillary-filled ink channels and ink supplying manifold respectively. The grooves are open at one end and closed at other end. The open ends will serve as the nozzles. The manifold recess is adjacent the groove closed ends. Each channel has a heating element located upstream of the nozzle. The heating elements are selectively addressable by input signals representing digitized data signals to produce ink vapor bubbles. The growth and collapse of the bubbles expel ink droplets from the nozzles and propel them to a recording medium.

Abstract: A piezo-electric ink jet droplet generator (1) has a body part (2) having a first ink supply passage (10/11) and a second ink supply passage (12) extending generally perpendicularly therefrom through a protrusion (20) of the body and opening at an end face (14) of the protrusion. A piezo-electric crystal (6) is attached to a surface of the body closely spaced from the first ink supply passage and adjacent the end of the second ink supply passage which connects with the first supply passage. A nozzle (17) is mounted in a cap (3) which is secured to the end of the protrusion (20), the nozzle being in alignment with the second supply passage (12). The inner surface (13) of the cap surrounding the nozzle is spaced from the end face (14) of the protrusion thereby forming, in use, a disk (21) of ink between the inner face of the cap and the end face of the protrusion. The cap is sealed to the protrusion by means of a flexible seal ( 16) and engaged with the protrusion by means of a quick-release coupling (9,19).

Abstract: A cathode ray tube is coated on the inside of its fiber optic front plate with a broad band phosphor. In front of the front plate a second fiber optic plate is located. Three parallel strips of dichroic color filters are vapor deposited on the inside of the second plate. Optical contact between the two optical fiber plates is established by a layer of immersion oil. A photosensitive material is moved at a slight distance along the second fiber optic plate transversely to the color filter strips so that it will be exposed line by line. The use of filters in place of different phosphors to produce the individual colors produces significantly improved color separation and thus better reproduction of the image, while retaining the inherent advantages of fiber optic plates.

Abstract: The present invention is a marking device which is hand-held and which a user uses to mark in order to count each of a plurality of items in a set and to automatically record the count. As the hand-held marking device counts each of the items, it simultaneously displays the number of the items counted. The hand-held marking device includes a cartridge and a transducer both of which are mechanically coupled to a casing. The cartridge is replaceable and has a marking tip for marking off items at one end and a plunger at the other end. The transducer has a contact-trigger. The cartridge is slideably coupled within the casing so that when its marking tip contacts any surface, its plunger engages the contact-trigger of the transducer thereby producing an input pulse. The hand-held marking device also includes a counting and displaying system, a reset switch and a display.

Abstract: A recording optical system comprises: a laser light source; means for modulating an intensity of a laser beam emitted from the light source; means for shaping a cross sectional shape of the laser beam; means for controlling the modulating means and the shaping means; and deflecting and focusing means for focusing and scanning the shaped laser beam onto the scanning surface. The laser beam size in the direction (sub scanning direction) perpendicular to the scanning direction is varied on the scanning surface by the shaping means, during the recording operation.

Abstract: An electrode array is disclosed for a print head of an electrooptical facsimile recording device for recording spots line by line. The recording spots are exposed on a recording medium through light gates (35). These light gates (35) are arranged in rows and are defined by high field strength edge portions (switching areas) of spot electrodes (22, 22') and main electrodes (23, 24, 25, 26). Each spot electrode (22, 22') is associated with n light gates (35, 19), each spot-electrode row (27, 28) being associated with n main electrodes, so that n(N-n) light gates are formed by N electrodes. The electrode array in designed so that each spot-electrode row (27, 28) is between at least wo elongated main electrodes; each spot electrode 22 has n switching areas (20, 21) which are located adjacent n respective main electrodes.

Abstract: Printer apparatus of the kind having a housing, a print zone and a serial printing device for printing along line sectors of print media that are successively advanced into and out of the print zone includes an integral subsystem for handling discrete sheets of print media. This subsystem includes (a) transport member having a peripheral surface that is movable around an endless path past a sheet ingress zone, the print zone and a sheet agress zone; (b) a drive for moving the transport member surface around the endless path; (c) a sheet supply station formed within the housing and including a device for positioning the face of a sheet-stack adjacent the path of the transport member at a position upstream of the sheet ingress zone; and (d) engagement device for effecting periodic feeding engagements between the transport means and successive face sheets of a positioned stack.

Abstract: A laser recording apparatus wherein an image is recorded by laser beam scanning, and a stop amount of a stop is varied in accordance with recording magnification. The stop is disclosed at a position whereat it can vary the beam radius of a laser beam incident in a focusing lens. The optical intensity of a laser beam is varied in accordance with the recording magnification.

Abstract: A rotary action graphic recording system includes a pen carriage supporting a plurality of recording pens in a linear array together with means for moving the pen carriage in a carriage path. Rotary actuation means are supported by and operative upon the pen carriage to engage selected ones of the recording pens for movement into contact with the recording media. The rotary actuating means are operated by an elongated actuator beam supported in parallel with the carriage path and coupled to the rotary actuating means. Brake means within the rotary actuator are provided which are operative to engage the actuator beam and permit alignment of the rotary actuator with a selected pen within the pen carriage array by movement of the pen carriage.

Abstract: In a flat table drawing plotter, an image is drawn on the portion of a continuous work piece, e.g., a sheet of paper, located on a drawing table. Upon completion of the drawing of the image, a trace line is drawn at the rear end location of the image. The drawing carriage, having an optical detector means mounted thereon, is moved to the forward end of the table. The work piece is advanced with the optical detector means in continuous contact therewith. The advance of the work piece is stopped when the optical detector means detects the trace line. Then, the drawing carriage is slowly moved until the optical detector means again detects the trace line thereby identifying where the prior drawing of the image was completed. Drawing of the image is then recommenced.

Abstract: An emergency reset circuit is provided for interrupting the light output of a modulatable laser of a laser beam printer (LBP) that produces a hard copy of image information by copy-processing a photosensitive surface scanned by the laser when it is supplied with a preset driving current and produces light at a preset level. The laser is operated by a control system that produces a preselected driver voltage that is applied to a laser driver circuit that supplies driving current to the laser. The driver circuit is responsive to the preselected driver voltage for producing said preselected laser driving current whereby the laser to operate at its preset level. The emergency reset circuit includes a latch circuit responsive to an emergency reset signal for zeroing the drive voltage, and an offset circuit for supplying a preselected offset voltage to the laser driver circuit when the driver voltage is zeroed.

Abstract: A print output station for compact printer having a cut-sheet supply station located in the lower rear of the print housing and a transport platen for feeding successive sheets from the supply station, along a print path extending through a print zone and out a print path egress, includes: (a) a first wall having an inlet edge located proximate the print path egress for defining an inlet to a cut-sheet hopper zone; and (b) a lid forming an exterior housing portion overlying the first wall and mounted to pivot about an axis spaced from the leading edge to an open position so that the lid interior forms a rearward extension of the first wall means. The movable lid is constructed to function in the closed-lid position to prevent continuous print media from refeeding.

Abstract: A movable image bearing member is provided with marks for detecting a moving speed of the image bearing member. A sensor detects the speed of movement of the marks. The signal as a result of the detection is compared with a reference signal to determine a phase difference therebetween. A driving motor for driving the image bearing member is controlled to remove the phase difference. Thus, the actual speed of the image bearing member is directly detected, and the speed is controlled so that the moving speed of the periphery of the image bearing member concerned with the image formation is accurately controlled.

Abstract: A laser printing apparatus having a device for combining optically a plurality of laser lights which combines a plurality of laser lights and in which integral-order wave plates are provided respectively on the optical paths formed between a polarizing prism making part of the combined laser lights branch and sources of emission of said laser lights in a plurality, so that the quantity of said branching lights can be adjusted, and having a mechanism which adjusts and controls a distance between dots of the aforesaid combined output laser beams formed on a photosensitive drum for a laser printer, on the basis of detection outputs of the aforesaid branching lights.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for marking a pattern on an article with a laser, a device for producing a mask pattern in accordance with an electro-optical effect is utilized so that any reflection of laser energy off of the mask pattern is avoided. Further, laser energy not utilized for the marking of the pattern is fed back to a stage previous to the mask pattern stage. Accordingly, the energy efficiency of laser usage is increased and parts used therein is not damaged by undesirable reflection of laser beams.