Abstract: A printing device comprising user input means having function setting means for selectively instigating a background text state and an edit state and character selection means for selecting characters or symbols to be printed, a label memory for holding label data in the form of characters or symbols selected as background text and characters or symbols selected as foreground text, a printing mechanism for printing images based on said label data and a controller responsive to the user input means and the label data to control the printing mechanism, wherein the controller is operable to generate print data for the printing mechanism to print said selected background characters or symbols as grey shaded background.

Abstract: A printing device for printing labels that includes a display; a user input means for inputting an image to be printed by the printing device and for selecting a required label length; and a control means operable to determine the length of the image input via the user input means, and if the length of the image input is greater than the required label length, the control means is arranged to cause the display to display an error message indicating the difference between the length of the image and the required label length, which may be the minimum length of the inputted image, the difference between a preselected length and the minimum length of the inputted image, or both.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a label printing apparatus for printing image data onto a tape. The label printing apparatus has a memory for storing image data to be printed onto the tape, a print head for recording the image data dot wise onto the tape in subsequent printing cycles, a platen for conveying the recording medium relative to the print head and means for determining the number of dots to be activated in each printing cycle. In order to obtain high print quality, a speed adjuster is provided to control the speed of the platen in response to the number of image data stored in the memory and the number of dots to be activated in the present printing cycle. The present invention also relates to a method for controlling the platen and the print head to avoid misalignment of subsequent printing lines, when the platen must stop due to lack of data in the memory.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vial located in a pocket in a carrier.The pocket has an upwardly opening inlet and a plane, bottom cam surface the vial has a complementary, plane, bottom cam surface. Both cam surfaces are inclined to the axes of the vial and pocket so that on lowering the vial into the pocket through its inlet, the cam surfaces interact so that when the vial is fully home in the pocket, it occupies a predetermined position of angular displacement about the vial axis.The carrier may be in the form of a turntable having a plurality of such pockets around the peripheral region of the turntable. The pockets may open outwardly from the center of the turntable through the peripheral surface of the turntable so that labels fixed and appropriately positioned on the vial walls are visible through the openings in the peripheral surface when the vials are fully home in their pockets.

Abstract: Specimen agitation apparatus comprises a horizontal turntable carrying, and its periphery, a plurality of substantially equally spaced vessels for receiving specimens to be agitated. The turntable is rotated stepwise about its central axis by a stepping motor which applies driving impulses to the turntable so as to cause it to rotate from a first rotational position to a second rotational position, but before coming to rest at the second position the turntable oscillates about the central axis to agitate the specimens.

Abstract: A device for use in producing a scanning beam of radiation comprises a rotor member carrying two optical wave guides arranged so as to direct light along the rotary axis of the rotor member, then radially outwardly to pass from one wave guide to the other, then radially inwardly and finally along the said rotary axis again.When the device is adapted for investigating liquid samples, a turntable, carrying a number of vials containing liquid samples at spaced locations around its periphery, is rotated in indexing fashion and, during each dwell period of the turntable, the rotor member is rotated so that the circularly scanning beam of light leaving the first mentioned wave guide scans each of the vials in turn at least once.