Abstract: A modular dunnage machine assembly consists essentially of discrete modules of grouped dunnage machine components, the dunnage assembly being usable for expanding, stitching and/or compressing and/or pulling, and cutting, sheet stock material into separate strips of dunnage or other cushioning product. The modules can be individually mounted to the assembly and stabilized thereon, before being securely connected to the assembly, for purposes of component part replacement or initially assembly. In some embodiments, the modules consist essentially of a gear and motor module, an expander module, a power supply module, an internal mounting frame module and a cutter module.

Abstract: Methods and structures are provided for a dunnage system to facilitate efficient coupling together of supply units of pre-configured sheet stock material, such as, for example, separate units of fanfold stacks of pre-configured sheet stock material, in a manner of continuous supply with a continuous pocket extending longitudinally between the separate supply units, so that they can interact with an expander of the dunnage system without disruption as one supply unit is depleted and a next supply unit is fed through the dunnage system. Also, various methods, apparatus, and systems are provided to facilitate smooth operation of a dunnage machine of the dunnage system to reduce a tendency of the pre-configured sheet stock material to jam and to increase the tendency of dunnage product generated to reflect a desired shape and stability.

Abstract: Methods and structures are provided for a dunnage system to facilitate efficient coupling together of supply units of pre-configured sheet stock material, such as, for example, separate units of fanfold stacks of pre-configured sheet stock material, in a manner of continuous supply with a continuous pocket extending longitudinally between the separate supply units, so that they can interact with an expander of the dunnage system without disruption as one supply unit is depleted and a next supply unit is fed through the dunnage system. Also, various methods, apparatus, and systems are provided to facilitate smooth operation of a dunnage machine of the dunnage system to reduce a tendency of the pre-configured sheet stock material to jam and to increase the tendency of dunnage product generated to reflect a desired shape and stability.

Abstract: Methods and structures are provided for a dunnage system to facilitate efficient coupling together of supply units of pre-configured sheet stock material, such as, for example, separate units of fanfold stacks of pre-configured sheet stock material, in a manner of continuous supply with a continuous pocket extending longitudinally between the separate supply units, so that they can interact with an expander of the dunnage system without disruption as one supply unit is depleted and a next supply unit is fed through the dunnage system. Also, various methods, apparatus, and systems are provided to facilitate smooth operation of a dunnage machine of the dunnage system to reduce a tendency of the pre-configured sheet stock material to jam and to increase the tendency of dunnage product generated to reflect a desired shape and stability.

Abstract: A dunnage machine and system, and a method of producing dunnage. The dunnage machine can have rotatable forming members with recesses formed thereon. Stationary protruding members can extend into the recesses. A cutting system is provided for cutting dunnage produced by the dunnage machine or system, and a lock mechanism is also provided for locking the cutting system when a cover is removed from the dunnage machine.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems for producing cushioning material from sheet material. In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises horizontally aligned forming members having fins for use in pulling and processing sheet material. The sheet material can be perforated sheet material. A holder can be provided for holding sheet material in stock roll form, the holder having a cross-bar for producing resistance against the stock roll to dissipate momentum of the stock roll when the motor of the apparatus is stopped.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems for producing cushioning material from sheet material. In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises horizontally aligned forming members having fins for use in pulling and processing sheet material. The sheet material can be perforated sheet material. A holder can be provided for holding sheet material in stock roll form, the holder having a cross-bar for producing resistance against the stock roll to dissipate momentum of the stock roll when the motor of the apparatus is stopped.

Abstract: A system for projecting electrically conductive or semi-conductive toner directly on to print media using a direct electrostatic projection printing device that includes a projection control electrode positioned between a reference electrode and an orifice plate. A mechanism is provided for generating a first electric field between the reference electrode and the orifice plate to form a cloud of toner particles between the reference electrode and the orifice plate. A mechanism is also provided for intermittently generating a second electric field between the projection control electrode and the orifice plate to project toner particles through the orifice plate on to a sheet of paper.

Abstract: A boat for cleaning semiconductor packages, including cleaning ball grid array packages in centrifugal cleaners. The boat includes a bottom plate with receptacles for receiving semiconductor packages and a top plate having through holes, where each through hole is smaller than the receptacle with which it corresponds in the bottom plate. An alignment mechanism ensures that the top plate is aligned with the bottom plate in a manner that results in each through hole being positioned directly over a respective one of the receptacles. An attachment mechanism releasably attaches the top plate to the bottom plate in a co-planar relationship that results in the presence of a vertical space between the two plates.

Abstract: A print apparatus includes a photoconductor and a mechanical system for moving the photoconductor past a scan line exposure station. The print apparatus includes a signal generator for providing outputs indicative of the movement of the photoconductor. A first comparator produces a first position error signal that is derived from a difference between a reference signal and a position error signal output, such position error signal indicating that the position of the photoconductor differs from a predetermined print position that is determinable with respect to the reference signal. The print apparatus further includes a laser beam scanner and a beam detector for producing a scan position signal. A second comparator is responsive to the scan position signal and the position error signal from the first comparator to produce a beam deflection control signal that is applied to a beam deflector having a mirror attached to a piezoelectric bimorph crystal cantilever element.

Abstract: An electrostatic printing apparatus includes a rotating transfer drum having an outer transfer surface. A plurality of direct toner projection units are positioned adjacent the transfer surface of the rotating transfer drum to project toner patterns of different colors onto the transfer surface in response to modulated signals. After the patterns are applied to the drum, they are transferred to paper and fused. The drum is constructed of two components: a base layer or core which is conductive, and a surface layer which is chosen primarily for its surface properties. The surface layer is conductive enough to allow toner particles to dissipate their electrical charges before additional toner is applied by downstream toner projection units.

Abstract: A diagnostic protocol and display system wherein the cable bus output of a computer to a printer is sensed to select coded error data out of the output stream in order to activate a visual display of coded error data for benefit of the human operator.

Abstract: An electrostatic imaging system includes a photoconductor which carries an image defined by a liquid toner. The liquid toner comprises a pigment binder system in a paraffinic solvent blend carrier liquid, the liquid carrier exhibiting a relatively high flash point temperature. The imaging system further includes a heating roll, and a film forming roll positioned between the photoconductor and the heating roll. The film forming roll includes at least first and second superposed layers, the first layer comprised of a material that is carrier liquid phillic and which exhibits a dimensional thickness which enables substantially all carrier liquid entrained therein to reach the liquid's flashpoint temperature when under influence of the heating roll. The second layer is carrier liquid phobic and exhibits a resiliency that enables the first layer to compliantly mate with the photoconductor surface.

Abstract: A pixel assignment and error diffusion system and method for gray scale printing in one or more color planes in the fields of ink jet printing, electrophotographic printing, or the like. The direction of each error diffusion with respect to the location of a just-scanned or just-processed super pixel within a larger scanned area is controlled by the contemporaneously developing gray scale profile and gradient over a previously scanned area defined by a predetermined number of previously scanned super pixels. This developing gray scale profile and gradient of a scanned image is used to select a matching error diffusion set of diffusion points, each having a relative weight W and a location L, from a chosen look-up table stored in memory. The relative weight W is proportional to the gray level intensity of the developing profile and the location L is proportional to the slope of the gradient of a family of gray level profile or contour lines, wherein the gradient is generally perpendicular to these lines.

Abstract: An ink delivery system for an inkjet printer includes a vented supply chamber for providing a reservoir of ink and an ink compartment which is connected to the supply chamber via a hydrophobic membrane which acts as a fluid diode for regulating the flow of ink from the supply chamber into the compartment.

Abstract: A system for delivering ink to print heads in thermal ink jet printers includes a liquid compartment with a gas space thereabove at sub-atmospheric pressure, a hydrophobic membrane mounted between the liquid compartment and the surrounding environment for allowing ambient gases to bubble into the liquid while preventing liquid from flowing in the opposite direction through the membrane, at least one chamber that provides a reservoir of ink with a gas space thereabove at sub-atmospheric pressure, and a manifold connecting the gas space in the liquid compartment with the gas space in the ink chamber. Thermal ink jet print heads are mounted in ink-flow communication with the ink chamber and are adapted for ejecting ink onto sheets to be printed. In operation, ink flows into the thermal ink jet print heads at a flow rate which is regulated by a generally constant back pressure.

Abstract: A method of gray scale printing of dots of one or more colors into pixels and in a controlled ordered sequence into a plurality of super pixels defined by a given number of said pixels, characterized in that: one or more levels of dot loading are used to achieve different values of gray level in a multiple-level gray table. This generic method is applicable to both ink jet and electrophotographic printing species of this invention.In one electrophotograpic printing species of this invention, there is disclosed a method of electrophotographic color printing which includes mixing a plurality of colors in a single plane and in dot-next-to-dot (DND) pixels within a plurality of super pixels to produce a color image, whereby the sum of the multi-color dots printed in any super pixel is limited to the number of subdivided individual pixels therein, thereby assuring dot-next-to-dot (DND) always printing of said colors in a single plane.

Abstract: A method and system for continuously correcting for errors in color output of a color copier or printer and caused by events that occur between the input of a color image scanner and the output of a copier or printer driven thereby. This method and system includes, among other things, the continuous comparison of input test pattern data, TP.sub.in, from a small color gamut or "patch" having only a selected few number of color pixels therein with the output test pattern data, TP.sub.out, from a color printer or copier to generate a color correction conversion factor, H. Then, H is used to continuously update an initial full scale look up table which was initially prepared from a full scale color gamut. The initial look up table has a color conversion factor, F.sub.old, and H is used to convert F.sub.old to F.sub.new where F.sub.new =H.multidot.F.sub.old.

Abstract: A method and system for color and monochromatic printing wherein ordered dither and error diffusion processes are combined to provide high quality printed images with good spatial resolution, good gray scale transitions, good low frequency and high frequency responses and a high computational speed. Using this process, gray scale numbers representative of a scanned image are summed for each super pixel of the scanned image and divided by a chosen gray level normalizing factor. This division operation is done to obtain a normalized ordered dither quotient number of drops (dots) to be printed in super pixels and to further obtain an error remainder number of dots to be dispersed to surrounding super pixels. The normalized ordered dither quotient number of dots are printed in pre-assigned individual pixels within printed super pixels, and the error remainder number of drops are diffused to other pre-assigned surrounding or adjacent super pixels.