Abstract: A postage meter having a rotable print drum also has a control arrangement ensuring that power is fed to the motor which drives the print drum via at least two parallel paths. One of these paths is operative to cause the motor to be driven until an envelope trip switch signifies that the envelope is fully discharged from the meter, irrespective of whether the other path is electrically conductive or not.

Abstract: A sedentary traction and support unit for supporting the lumbosacral spine comprises a girdle with a U-shaped frame secured thereto. The girdle is secured about the patient's torso while the U-shaped frame extends below the girdle and engages the top surface of a seat. This permits the lower body weight to create traction. The unit provides relief to patients while they are sitting either on a chair, or the like, or on a vehicle seat.

Abstract: The sheet feeder can be mounted on a typewriter or on a printer in a system for processing data. The sheets which are accommodated in a feed magazine are passed to the platen roller by friction stripper rollers. After the printing operation, the sheets are passed on to a collection table positioned in front of the feed magazine. The stripper rollers are permanently connected to the platen roller by way of a mechanical transmission and rotate in the same direction as the platen roller. The stripper rollers are mounted on an oscillating arm to be selectively moved towards or away from the first sheet to be fed, by means of a first cam. Before a fresh sheet is fed, a second cam, also coupled to the platen roller, has to be brought to a reference position by rotating the platen roller enough to expel the current sheet. The platen roller is then rotated in the reverse direction, whereby the second cam actuates a lever, thereby to close a clutch.

Abstract: A label printer is disclosed adapted to establish and store therein a set of retrieval codes in which at least one condition of the various conditions of the place where each commodity is kept in stock is encoded and to issue labels in succession for each commodity whose item number satisfies the conditions of the retrieval code, whereby stock control of the commodities is enabled to be easily performed without preparing any special table or the like.

Abstract: A postage meter module is removable from the mailing machine base. In order to protect the print die, a shutter is provided to cover the die. The cover can be moved to expose the die only when the meter is installed on an appropriate meter base. At all other times the shutter is locked in position to cover the print die.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying an emulsion screen film of screen-printing is disclosed, which includes a support frame for vertically supporting a screen-printing plate and for holding a rolled emulsion screen film above the screen-printing plate, a film guiding- and cutting-mechanism for guiding and positioning the unrolled emulsion screen film in contact with a screen surface of the screen-printing plate from its upper portion and for cutting the film at a predetermined length, and a pressing- and applying-mechanism for pressing the emulsion screen film against the screen surface at its lower portion and for supplying an emulsion onto an opposite side of the screen surface relative to the contacted screen side while sliding upwardly in contact with the screen surface.

Abstract: The printwheel setting apparatus comprises a voice coil motor having a magnet reciprocating in a coil which magnet is connected by a flexible link to a picker link for advancing the printwheel. The picker link has a picker cam which cooperates with a cam stud to cause a tooth on the picker-link to engage a slot on the printwheel and to rotate the printwheel as the voice coil motor magnet moves to a position for again advancing the printwheel when the magnet moves in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A system for inputting label related information and for printing and applying labels to articles or the like is constituted of a self-contained label printer unit, a separate self-contained data inputting unit and a self-contained power supply unit which houses the relatively heavy power supply and other circuits which do not require to be contained in either the data input unit or in the label printer. The power supply unit requires no holding by hand and is thus suitable for being stored in the operator's pocket or attached or strapped to the operator's waist. Initially, only the data unit needs to be handled by hand for entering label related information. Thereafter, the label printer unit is manipulated by hand to cause labels to be printed and to be applied to articles. The data input unit may be connected to the power supply directly as by cable or the like or, to obtain greater mobility and ease of use, wirelessly by means involving transfer of information by light or sonic waves.

Abstract: An ankle brace includes an outer supporting casing for enclosing the ankle, and two side cruciate elastic straps, each having one end secured within the supporting casing near the sole of the user's foot, with the straps extended across the instep or the front of the ankle and across one-another in a cruciate configuration. Tensioning lines are secured to the free ends of each of the straps and extend through eyelets on each side of the front of the supporting casing, ending in D-rings, through which shoelaces may be tied to tension the cruciate straps.

Abstract: A printwheel detent disengaging mechanism enables low-torque high-speed automatic printwheel setting. In the engaged position spring-loaded ball in a rotatable shaft bears on a detent ball disposed in a bore in a sleeve surrounding the shaft to cam the detent ball into detent vees of the printwheel. When the shaft is rotated so that the spring-laded ball no longer bears on the detent ball, the detent force is removed and low torque printwheel setting may be accomplished. When setting is completed, the shaft is rotated back into position where the spring-loaded ball bears on the detent ball.

Abstract: A self applicable spring loaded pelvic traction device to be self applied by a patient, comprising an adjustable waist encircling belt member, a pair of right and left leg adjustable scored leg straps, each strap having one end secured to the side of the belt member and another and secured to the rear of the belt member, a foot bar, helical spring connected between the foot bar and the right and left adjustable straps for applying a counter thrust to the thrust of the legs of a patient requiring traction to extend the spring to apply the traction, a pair of inner and outer telescopic cylindrical tubes received over the helical spring, one of the tubes being secured to the top of the helical spring and the other of the telescopic tubes being secured to the foot bar, the inner cylindrical tube having calibration lines and numerals readable against the lower end of the outer telescopic cylindrical tube to indicate the pounds of traction pull exerted between the waist and feet of the patient, a traction post atta

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes input means for inputting data such as characters or symbols, a display device for displaying the input data successively, an information memory for storing information corresponding to the input data, retrieving means for retrieving information corresponding to the input data from the information memory, display means for displaying information which is retrieved by the retrieving means to a position corresponding to a position at which the input data is displayed in the display device, and instruction means for indicating the completion of input of at least one input data, instructing the retrieving means to conduct a processing for retrieving information concerning the input data, and instructing the display means to conduct a processing for displaying the information retrieved by the retrieving means.

Abstract: A braille printing plate includes a male part formed of a board on which braille letters are formed by a braillewriter and balls loaded in braille-forming recesses appearing on the rear side of the board. The male part is alternatively formed by loading balls in recesses on a rear side of a braille-printed sheet formed using a braille printer and then piecing the same to a master board. A female part is formed of a board which has been pressed against raised portions constituting the braille letters on the male part. The male and female parts are binded at lateral edges thereof so as to be foldable at the binding.

Abstract: This invention relates to a postage meter having a plurality of worm gears for adjusting the rotational position of postage print wheels. Each worm gear selectively moves a rack which is an engagement with a postage print wheel so as to provide rotational movement to the print wheel. Sensors are provided so that the rotational position of each worm gear can be determined thereby indicating the position of the print wheels. A sleeve is located within the housing to provide support to the worm gears and maintain alignment of the racks during printing.

Abstract: According to the present invention, setting contents of a specified mode are selected in accordance with positions to which a printing head shifts, and the setting contents are set by operating switches in those positions. A switch for shifting the printing head and a setting switch serve as switches for executing other functions peculiar to a printer.

Abstract: In a printer in which an elongated shuttle is driven in reciprocating fashion across a print paper with hammers mounted along the length of the shuttle being selectively fired to print dots on the paper, a timing system provides hammer fire pulses denoting the positions of the shuttle at which hammer firing should be initiated to print in the proper dot positions. Proper timing is maintained so as to allow for printing during acceleration and deceleration as well as during constant velocity movement of the shuttle by determining the average shuttle velocity between each successive pair of fence post pulses generated by a shuttle-coupled encoder. The average velocities are represented by the time lapses between occurrence of the pairs of fence post pulses which are measured and stored during each startup of the printer as well as each time the nominal operating shuttle velocity is changed as part of a change in printer operation.

Abstract: A printer comprises print means for printing on a print medium in accordance with a print command; guide and hold means for guiding the print means toward a print surface of the print medium with a print surface of the print means facing the print surface of the print medium and for holding the print means at the guided position; and actuation means for pressing the print means substantially normally to the guide direction of the guide and hold means to resiliently fit to a positioning area formed on the print means and fix the print means at a print position.

Abstract: A printwheel setting mechanism suitable for automatic daters or other printwheel units comprises a verge drive for each printwheel and a solenoid travelling on a carriage which is selectively positionable actuating any one of the verge drives. The verge drive includes a verge which oscillates to advance a starwheel as the solenoid is actuated and deactuated. A pin wheel fixed for rotation with the starwheel engages slots on the printwheel for advancing it.

Abstract: This invention relates to a postage meter having a plurality of worm gears for adjusting the rotational position of postage print wheels. Each worm gear selectively moves a rack which is an engagement with a postage print wheel so as to provide rotational movement to the print wheel. Sensors are provided so that the rotational position of each worm gear can be determined thereby indicating the position of the print wheels.

Abstract: In the dot matrix printer disclosed herein, a multicolor ribbon is shifted to bring different colored stripes in alignment with the nosepiece of a dot matrix printhead by means of cup-like ribbon guide members journaled on either side of the nosepiece. Each guide member provides, in its periphery, an arcuate slot through which the ribbon can freely slide as the printhead traverses. A stepping motor is coupled to the guide members for rotating them so as to selectively bring a stripe of desired color into operative position.