Patents Examined by Marvin P Crenshaw
  • Patent number: 6536968
    Abstract: A tray for holding a stack of sheets of paper for feeding into a printer includes opposite paper guides one of which is adjustable relative to the other for varying the spacing between the paper guides. The adjustable paper guide is slideable across the tray and includes a releasable lock which engages the tray for locking the paper guide in position. The releasable lock is preferably a spring biased lever which includes a tooth that normally engages a rack in the paper tray until released by operation of the lever for the paper guide to be adjusted. As the paper guide is locked in position it cannot move away from its location during feeding of papers from the tray. The paper guide may also include a spring arm for applying a bias against the edge of the sheets of paper as they are fed from the tray to prevent them from skewing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Hock Lim Lee, Kong Hock Lim
  • Patent number: 6530319
    Abstract: A mounting system is disclosed for removably mounting rollers and cylinders in a machine for quick and easy removal and replacement by other rollers and cylinders. The mounting system provides for rapid separation of the journal from the roller or cylinder so that only the roller or cylinder is removed, and the mounting system has particular applicability with respect to ink rolls in printing machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Ward Holding Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Elkis, Mark R. Donovan, William F. Ward, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6530322
    Abstract: A suction transport device capable of reducing manufacturing cost due to reduction of the number of suction mechanisms by which one of photopolymer plates accommodated in a magazine is taken out is attained. Also separability when the printing plate is taken out is improved, thus improving reliability of the suction transport device. Since, among suckers and suction fans, those located at positions corresponding to the widthwise direction ends of the printing plates are movable in the widthwise direction, and separating plates are movable in the same direction. When one of the printing plates of a different size is to be taken out, the leading end corner portions of the printing plate can always be curved at a fixed curvature, and separability is improved. Further, there is no need to increase the number of suckers thus decreasing cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignees: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsukasa Ono, Takashi Koizumi, Yoshinori Kawamura, Kazuhisa Tazaki
  • Patent number: 6523470
    Abstract: A printing cylinder with a cylinder core (10), on which a carbon fiber-containing casing (20) is disposed, wherein the casing (20) is self-supporting and held at a distance from the peripheral surface (18) of the cylinder core (10) by disks (22) disposed at the two ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Fischer & Krecke GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Wilfried Kolbe, Klaus Schirrich, Manfred Terstegen, Bodo Steinmeier
  • Patent number: 6520079
    Abstract: A rubber blanket is provided with reinforcement rails on one or both of its ends. These reinforcement rails are positionable in a narrow channel in a rubber blanket cylinder. The reinforcement rail or rails extend beyond the ends of the channel. Rubber blanket cylinder tensioning devices engage the extending ends of the rubber blanket reinforcement parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Koenig & Bauer Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Helmut Holm
  • Patent number: 6511238
    Abstract: The invention concerns a replaceable cassette comprising first and second rotary rollers (BO1 and BO2) on each of which is wound a tape (RE) from one of its ends, each roller (BO1 and BO2), being capable of being locked on a receiving apparatus spindle drive. The cassette comprises a mechanism tensioning the tape, capable, when the cassette is outside the receiving apparatus, of maintaining said tape constantly stretched even if an impact, a change in temperature, a mechanical stress or the like occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Dassault Automatismes et Telecommunications
    Inventor: Jean-Pierre Glize
  • Patent number: 6511239
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a printing apparatus including a marking device, the marking device being capable of placing an image on a sheet fed therein, and outputting the sheet; a feed path, by which sheets are fed from a sheet supply to the marking device; a duplex path, by which sheets output from the marking device are re-fed to the marking device; a first sensor, outputting a first position signal relating to a location of a side edge as each sheet passes through the feed path; a second sensor, outputting a second position signal relating to a location of a side edge as each sheet passes through the duplex path; and an image placement controller associated with the marking device, the image placement controller retaining first position signals for a plurality of sheets passing through the feed path and second position signals for a plurality of sheets passing through the duplex path, and calculating new average paper positions for each sheet in response to at least one of the first positi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Deborah M. Kretschmann, Dean Thomas, Ming Yang, Robert Brutovski
  • Patent number: 6508600
    Abstract: In a printer, a body cover is reclosably attached to a printer body (10). A fixed blade (14) and a movable blade (42) are attached to the printer body (10) and the body cover (20), respectively. The movable blade (42) is superposed on the fixed blade (14) when moved toward the fixed blade. Thus, a paper jam can quickly be cleared. Moreover, paper can be cut well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Star Micronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Nonaka
  • Patent number: 6505981
    Abstract: Setting plain paper in a printer which can print on plain paper and a label paper is facilitated using a printer capable of printing a recording medium including a base sheet and at least one label sheet detachably adhered thereon. The printer includes a print head and platen opposing to each other for printing the recording medium. A first printer housing houses the platen, and a second printer housing movably connected to the first housing houses the print head. The printer also includes an ejection port, defined at the border of the first and second printer housings, from which the recording medium is ejected after printed by the print head and platen, and a separator for curving the base sheet ejected from the ejection port to separate the leading edge of the label sheet from the base sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Takami, Toshihiro Tsukada
  • Patent number: 6505927
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for drying a receiver media (30) in an ink jet printer. The apparatus generally comprises a means for creating a pressure differential between the upper surface (20) and the lower surface (50) of the receiver media (30), wherein the pressure at the lower surface (50) of the receiver media (30) is lower than the pressure at the upper surface (20) of the receiver media (30). The pressure differential-creating means may include a vacuum pump (70) adapted to generate a vacuum at the lower surface (50) of the receiver media (30) or an air pump (130) adapted to pass air currents (140) across the lower surface (50) of the receiver media (30) to cause a “Bernoulli effect”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Constantine N. Anagnostopoulos, David S. Ross, James M. Chwalek
  • Patent number: 6502507
    Abstract: A printing press has a support arm that can move between lower and upper positions, first and second link plates swingably supported by a main frame and the support arm, respectively. A connection pin having a protruding end portion is provided to connect the link plates. A support lever, swingably supported by the main frame, has an engagement groove which disengageably engages with the protruding end portion of the connection pin. When the support arm moves from the lower position to the upper position, the protruding end portion of the connection pin comes into contact with the edge surface of a lower portion of the support lever, and swings the support lever. When the protruding end portion of the connection pin reaches the engagement groove of the support lever, the protruding end portion engages with the engagement groove, so that the support arm is held at the upper position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Komori Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Tobe
  • Patent number: 6503010
    Abstract: A paper pickup apparatus in a printer for pivotally moving by a motor includes a driving shaft rotated by the motor, a first pickup housing having at least one first transmission gear and first and second end portions, the first end portion mounted to the driving shaft, the first transmission gear transmitting torque from the driving shaft, a second pickup housing having at least one second transmission gear and being rotatably mounted to the second end portion of the first pickup housing, the second transmission gear transmitting torque from the first pickup housing, a connecting portion for connecting the first and second pickup housing with each other, the first pickup housing being rotatable to the second pickup housing centering thereon, and a pickup roller mounted to the second pickup housing and rotated by torque from the second transmission gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seung-Sik Jeong
  • Patent number: 6494135
    Abstract: A printing unit for a web-fed rotary printing machine is provided including a plurality of cylinders; a corresponding drive motor for each of the cylinders; a machine frame includes at least one load bearing wall, including two mutually facing wall surfaces perpendicular to a plane through end faces of the cylinders, wherein the at least one load bearing wall is arranged laterally beside an end of the cylinders; a guide means including a plurality of guide elements arranged on the at least one load bearing wall; a plurality of carriages, wherein each carriage is operably attached to at least one of the plurality of guide elements; at least one driven screw spindle mounted on the machine frame; and a permanently threaded nut engaged by an associated driven screw spindle for setting the location of the carriages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Josef Göttling, Horst Dauer, Godber Petersen
  • Patent number: 6485206
    Abstract: A cassette accommodating portion having an upper open structure is provided on a rear side of a body case in a label tape forming device. A first pressing member and a second pressing member protrude downward from right and left of the inner surface of a cover having a center of rotation at the rear side of the body case. A fin-shaped first detector portion and a fin-shaped second detector portion are formed on right and left of the rear side of a cassette to be installed. When the cassette is installed in the cassette accommodating portion in a proper posture and the cover is closed, the first detector portion and the second detector portion are pressed by the first pressing member and the second pressing member, respectively, and thus the cover is completely closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshihiro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6485205
    Abstract: This invention relates to a media weight sensor of the type that includes a transducer consisting of a metal desk with a piezoelectric element fabricated by one side which form the back of a Helmholtz resonator cavity mounted in a printer so that the media going to the printer moves across the top of the Helmholtz resonator where an opening of the resonator is located. A soft, polymeric roller is used to press for media and is the transducer. The resonant frequency of the Helmholtz is affected by the media. The mass of the media adds to the mass of the resonator, thereby lowering the resonant frequency. Consequently, the heavier than media, the more the resonant frequency is lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventor: Phillip R. Luque
  • Patent number: 6477956
    Abstract: An improved ink cartridge of the type used to dispense ink in automatic lithographic presses. The ink cartridge comprises a hollow cylindrical body for holding a supply of extrudable ink, a plunger and a dispensing fitment. The improvement comprises a valve member mounted over a central aperture in the dispensing fitment and a flexible molded plastic spring that biases the valve member in the closed position. The valve member opens when subjected to pressure from the ink and closes automatically and completely when the ink pressure is less than the biasing force of the flexible spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Sonoco Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith R. Rea, James F. Kick
  • Patent number: 6478490
    Abstract: A printing apparatus with an index-feeding printing system having a first media path, a continuous feed finishing apparatus having a second media path, and a media buffer device having a third media path connecting between the first media path and the second media path. The third path may have a first portion communicating with the printing system, and a second portion communicating with the finishing apparatus, with the first and second portions merging with each other to form a common path portion terminating at a common path dead end, such that a media sheet from the printing system stops at the dead end and reverses direction for feeding to the finishing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Co.
    Inventors: Richard A Kelley, Michael W Munro, Ilan A Sabar, Bruce G. Johnson
  • Patent number: 6477951
    Abstract: A sheet-fed press includes a first press cylinder and a second press cylinder. A first air supply chamber and a first air vent is located in the upstream segment of the flow of a sheet. A second air supply chamber and second air vent is located in the downstream segment of the flow of the sheet. Air from the second air supply chamber is blown through the second air vent in the direction that the second cylinder is rotating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinichi Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 6474230
    Abstract: An imaging system is disclosed. A housing has an interior chamber and a door. A press has a base fabricated of a rigid material and with an upper surface. The press has a raisable platen with a lower surface fabricated of a resilient material. A support plate is positionable on the upper surface of the base for the receipt of an object. A transfer sheet has printing material positioned upon the object. Drive mechanisms urge the platen downwardly into contact with the transfer sheet with the object, plate and base there beneath. Heating components located within the platen generate heat. Cooling components located within the base lower the temperature of the object after the transfer of images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Inventor: Stephen Corrado
  • Patent number: 6471426
    Abstract: A print carriage assembly for an ink jet printer. The print carriage assembly includes a print carriage slidably supported on a printer slider rod, and a sub-carriage that is separate from the printer carriage and slidably supported on the printer slider rod for pushing the printer carriage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Matthew A Shepherd, Junji Yamamoto, Daniel S Kline