Abstract: A special ink consists of water and a humectant. A reusable paper includes a surface darkened by a water-insoluble material and a coating covering the darkened surface. The coating is made of a material that scatters light when dry and that becomes at least translucent when wetted by water. If the special ink is used to print on the reusable paper, the print will be visible for a limited period of time (e.g., half an hour). By the end of that time period, however, the special ink will have evaporated and the print will have disappeared completely from the reusable paper. The special ink may be applied to the reusable paper by an inkjet printer. An inkjet cartridge for such a printer includes a casing filled with the special ink.

Abstract: A novel hot melt ink jet ink is disclosed for use in an impulse ink jet apparatus. The disclosed ink comprises a dispersed solid pigment which is formulated in a wax, or high molecular weight fatty acid or alcohol vehicle to form a hot melt ink which is solid at room temperature. The provision of such a pigment containing ink provides a high quality ink which is stable for long periods of time at relatively high temperatures. In the preferred embodiments, a dispersed graphite in a non-evaporative oil carrier, such as mineral oil, is formulated with candelilla wax, stearic acid and/or behenic acid.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus to electronically identify a page. Each page has a surface conductive trace that is coupled to an electronic circuit to measure the conductivity of the trace. The primary purpose of the conductive trace is to provide an identification for the page.

Abstract: An ink transfer printing device having improved ink dot size control. The ink transfer printing device includes an ink container for retaining ink and a perforated ink transfer surface coupled to the ink container. The ink transfer surface includes at least one concentric region on the ink transfer surface about each of the perforations to control the spread of the ink. The concentric regions form flow barriers which impede the spread of the ink at each orifice. The ink dot size control provided by the present invention facilitates continuous toning, gray scale toning and multi-color printing.

Abstract: A novel hot melt ink jet ink is disclosed for use in an impulse ink jet apparatus. The disclosed ink comprises a dispersed solid pigment which is formulated in a wax, or high molecular weight fatty acid or alcohol vehicle to form a hot melt ink which is solid at room temperature. The provision of such a pigment containing ink provides a high quality ink which is stable for long periods of time at relatively high temperatures. In the preferred embodiments, a dispersed graphite in a non-evaporative oil carrier, such as mineral oil, is formulated with candelilla wax, stearic acid and/or behenic acid.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are substantially homogeneous solid ink-jet ink compositions. The use of such compositions with colored transparencies substantially reduces the level of light scattering as compared to the level of light scattering arising from the use of non-homogeneous ink-jet ink compositions. It is also disclosed that further improvements in the ink-jet ink composition can be achieved by employing a cosolvent in the composition.

Abstract: A single-pulse driver for a bubble driven ink jet ink having good staying power at operating temperature, the driver being a solvent for the ink carrier, having a molecular weight less than 150, a boiling point less than 140 centigrade degrees higher than its melting point and a boiling temperature not lower than 120.degree. centigrade.

Abstract: A demand or impulse ink jet ejects droplets of hot melt ink. The hot melt ink is heated from a solid state to a liquid state in the jet prior to the ejection of droplets on demand. The ink is then cooled on striking the target. The ink may contain a wax.

Abstract: A single-pulse driver for a bubble driven ink jet ink having good staying power at operating temperature, the driver being a solvent for the ink carrier, having a molecular weight less than 150, a boiling point less than 140 centigrade degrees higher than its melting point and a boiling temperature not lower than 120.degree. centigrade.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel ink jet ink which is semi-solid at room temperature. The subject ink combines the advantageous properties of thermal phase change inks and liquid inks. More particularly, the inks of the present invention comprise vehicles, such as glyceryl esters, polyoxyethylene esters, waxes, fatty acids, and mixtures thereof, which are semi-solid at temperatures between 20.degree. and 45.degree. C. *The ink is impulse jetted at an elevated temperature in the range of above 45.degree. C. to about 110.degree. C., at which temperature the ink has a viscosity of about 10-15 centipose. The subject inks exhibit controlled penetration and spreading, but do not remain on the surface of most substrates where they would be prone to burnishing, cracking or flaking. *These inks further comprise 0.1 to 30 wt. % of a colorant system.

Abstract: A novel ink jet composition for use in drop on demand ink jet printers is disclosed comprising 85-99 weight percent of a vehicle consisting essentially of dibutyl sebacate and oleic acid. In the preferred embodiment, the dibutyl sebacate comprises between about 40 to 65, preferably about 60 weight percent of said ink. The subject ink, when utilizing an infrared readable colorant such as nigrosine base, is particularly suited for generating IR readable bar codes.

Abstract: A novel impulse ink jet ink for use with an ink jet system having material subject to corrosion by said ink is disclosed. The subject ink comprises a fatty acid vehicle, a colorant, and amounts of anti-oxidant, preferably an alkylated hydroquinone, which are effective to substantially reduce the rate of corrosion on metallic parts of the system. The preferred anti-oxidant, which comprises 0.1-5 wt % of the ink, is an alkylated hydroquinone, particularly butylated hydroquinone. The subject ink preferably comprises an oleic acid vehicle, and a vehicle additive selected from the group consisting of aromatic alcohols, aromatic ethers, dimethylsulfoxides, alkyl pyrrolidones, methoxy- and ethoxy- triglycols, aliphatic ketones, and mixtures thereof. The corrosive nature of such inks is potentiated by the relatively high percentages of the vehicle-soluble dyes in the ink. Such dyes are present in amounts up to 20 wt % of the ink.

Abstract: A novel hot melt impulse ink jet ink is disclosed which comprises a C.sub.20 -C.sub.24 acid or alcohol containing vehicle, preferably behenic acid, and a suitable coloring agent. The preferred ink has a melting point above about 65.degree. C., exhibits very good jettability, good heat stability at a reservoir temperature of 90.degree. C., good material compatability, and an improved print quality. The preferred ink comprises about 80% natural behenic acid, 15% of a ketone (such as stearone), 3% coloring agent, and 2% of a plasticizer intended to improve print quality. The subject inks are jetted at relatively high temperatures (80.degree.-90.degree. C.) using impulse ink jet devices. Upon impact with the target substrate the subject inks freeze to produce a high quality print having a smear resistance approximately equal to IBM copy, and cracking resistance better than such copy.

Abstract: A heterologous ink composition for use in an ink jet apparatus features two miscibly incompatible components made compatible by the use of a common solvent having miscibility for both aqueously and non-aqueously miscible components. The heterologous ink composition derives its print quality characteristic from the non-aqueously miscible component and its good jetability and small dot size from its aqueously miscible component.

Abstract: A natural wax-containing ink jet ink for use in an ink jet apparatus which features good print quality. The ink jet ink is discharged from the ink jet ink apparatus at elevated temperatures above ambient.

Abstract: A natural wax-containing ink jet ink for use in an ink jet apparatus which features good print quality. The ink jet ink is discharged from the ink jet ink apparatus at elevated temperatures above ambient.

Abstract: A heterologous ink composition for use in an ink jet apparatus features two miscibly incompatible components made compatible by the use of a common solvent having misability for both aqueously and non-aqueously miscible components. The heterologous ink composition derives its print quality characteristic from the non-aqueously miscible component and its good jetability and samll dot size from its aqueously miscible component.

Abstract: An ink jet composition and method of applying same is featured providing exceptionally good print quality on a wide range of printing papers. The ink composition includes a mixture of oleic acid in an approximate weight of from 20 to 80 percent of the total mixture and a dye in a dye solvent. The mixture is jetted at a temperature of approximately 135.degree. F. The average dot circularity for a dot jetted upon the paper is approximately 0.7 or better.

Abstract: Disclosed is a ball point ink pen, its ink and its eradicator. The ink is carried at one end of the pen and the eradicator portion is carried at the other. If an error is made, the pen can be reversed and the eradicator used to neutralize the ink. The ink also neutralizes the eradicator so that when one rewrites with the same ink, any remaining eradicator on the paper is neutralized and the original ink acts as fresh ink.

Abstract: Disclosed is a ball point ink pen, its ink and its eradicator. The ink is carried at one end of the pen and the eradicator portion is carried at the other. If an error is made, the pen can be reversed and the eradicator used to neutralize the ink. The ink also neutralizes the eradicator so that when one rewrites with the same ink, any remaining eradicator on the paper is neutralized and the original ink acts as fresh ink.