Abstract: A gear drive system for a printer designed to print upon a continuous roll of paper and having a blade used to cut off printed portions of paper from the paper roll is implemented. The gear drive system consists of a drive shaft 330, a slip clutch 401, a clutch gear 116, a drive gear 110, and a staggered gear 112 which controls the paper cutter blade 106. During printing, clutch 401 allows the drive shaft 330 shaft to slip relative to the clutch gear 116. When printing stops, clutch 401 locks clutch gear 116 which is engaged with the first portion of staggered gear 112 and causes staggered gear 112 to rotate until the second portion of staggered gear 112 engages the drive gear 110. Staggered gear 112 is then driven by the drive gear 110. A cutter blade is controlled by staggered gear 112, with the blade cutting off the paper as the drive gear 110 is in reverse rotation.

Abstract: A gear mechanism containing a clutch assembly made of an outer member with an offset hub, a wrap spring, a pin wherein the rotation of the pin around the offset hub is less than one revolution. A protrusion on a stop at a fixed location is used to dislodge the wrap spring such that it is incapable of transferring torque to the pin. With the spring dislodged, the pin ceases rotation as the hub continues to rotate. Once the power source reverses the rotation, the spring engages the pin which causes the spring to tighten around the hub. The tightening of the spring causes the spring to transmit torque and consequently move the pin away from the stop. In applications where, in one direction, a rotation of less than one revolution is acceptable, the use of a fixed protrusion to dislodge the spring allows the full torque of the driving member to drive the mechanism in either rotational direction.

Abstract: A printer using font modification logic for improving the print quality of high speed thermal printing is disclosed. A microprocessor modifies the font by shortening the vertical component of each symbol to account for the retained heat of the individual print elements. This font modification eliminates the vertical tails that are a common problem when using thermal technology. A method of high speed printing is also disclosed consisting of redefining the set of symbols to be printed by subtracting part of the vertical element in the print instruction, selectively printing the symbols, moving the paper, and printing another row of information. This process is repeated until all of the information is printed on the paper.

Abstract: A gear drive system for a printer designed to print upon a continuous roll of paper and having a blade used to cut off printed portions of paper from the paper roll is implemented. The gear drive system consists of a drive shaft 330, a slip clutch 401, a clutch gear 116, a fixed gear 110, and a staggered gear 112 which controls the paper cutter blade 106. During printing, clutch 401 allows the drive shaft 330 shaft to slip relative to the clutch gear 116. When printing stops, clutch 401 locks clutch gear 116 which is engaged with the first portion of staggered gear 112 and causes staggered gear 112 to rotate until the second portion of staggered gear 112 engages the fixed gear 110. Staggered gear 112 is then driven by the fixed gear 110. A cutter blade is controlled by staggered gear 112, with the blade cutting off the paper as the fixed gear 110 is in reverse rotation.

Abstract: A gear mechanism containing a clutch assembly made of an outer member and an inner member wherein the rotation of the inner member is less than one revolution. The inner member has a chord surface, and when inserted in the outer member a wedge shaped space is created. Rolling elements are mounted in the wedge shaped space such that when there is rotation of one of the members, the rolling elements are driven into one of the corners of the wedge shaped space causing the inner member to rotate with the outer member. A protrusion at a fixed location is used to dislodge the rollers. With the rollers dislodged, the inner member ceases rotation. Four embodiments are disclosed. In the first embodiment, two magnetic rollers are used to provide an engagement mechanism between the rollers and the corner of the wedge shape. The second embodiment discloses a single magnetized roller. The third embodiment discloses a spring separator positioned perpendicular to the chord to position two non-magnetic rollers.

Abstract: An integrated circuit socket 41 with built in EMC grounding for a heat sink 16 is provided. The socket 41 may be used with an electronic assembly 10 packaged with or without a planar card 20. The socket 41 includes or accepts one or more conductive fingers 53. The conductive fingers 53 are designed to extend down from the lug 81 of the socket 41 and form a pin. The socket body 41 may have two opposed side walls 71. Each side wall has a lug 81 that projects laterally out from the wall 71. A surface of each lug is coated or covered with a conductive material which forms the conductive finger 53. Each finger forms a pin which extends down from the socket 41 like other socket pins 50. Alternatively, the EMC fingers 55 are electrically coupled to one or more of the socket pins 50 via conductive traces 91/93. A curved upper portion of the finger 53/55 is designed to fit within the lug 81 such that solid electrical contact with the retainer clip 19 is maintained.

Abstract: A gear drive system for a printer designed to print upon a continuous roll of paper and having a blade used to cut off printed portions of paper from the paper roll is implemented. The gear drive system has a drive gear which slips against a toothless portion of a driven gear while paper is being fed through the printer for printing by a print head. When printing stops, the drive gear reverses its rotation, causing the driven gear to engage the drive gear. A cutter blade is controlled by the driven gear, with the blade cutting off the paper as the drive gear is in reverse rotation. After the paper is cut, the drive gear resumes its forward rotation, rotating the blade away from the paper. After the blade has been rotated, the drive gear continues to turn, but slips on the toothless portion of the driven gear. Friction losses are minimized as the energy lost as friction is low and full torque is applied to both cutting and opening rotations of the cutter blade.

Abstract: A gear drive system for a printer designed to print upon a continuous roll of paper and having a blade used to cut off printed portions of paper from the paper roll is implemented. The gear drive system has a drive gear which slips against a toothless portion of a driven gear while paper is being fed through the printer for printing by a print head. When printing stops, the drive gear reverses its rotation, causing the driven gear to engage the drive gear. A cutter blade is controlled by the driven gear, with the blade cutting off the paper as the drive gear is in reverse rotation. After the paper is cut, the drive gear resumes its forward rotation, rotating the blade away from the paper. After the blade has been rotated, the drive gear continues to turn, but slips on the toothless portion of the driven gear. Friction losses are minimized as the energy lost as friction is low and full torque is applied to both cutting and opening rotations of the cutter blade.

Abstract: A device, include at least two stackable frames, can be converted from a chair into a flatbed, stool or table. The top frame provides a housing for telescoping legs or a telescoping plate and includes vertical and horizontal openings for removably receiving a backrest in a horizontal or vertical orientation. A seat plate, which can support a seat, is attached to and within the first frame. When the telescoping legs or plate are extended forward, the device can be converted from a chair into a flatbed or table by moving the seat to the base formed by the telescoping legs and attaching the backrest horizontally to the first frame. A third frame can be stacked between the first and second frames and the second and third frames can house drawers. The present invention is particularly useful in service station garages. The bottom of the second frame has rollers attached for mobility.

Abstract: This invention relates to a floating breakwater comprising an elongated floating body which has a width related to the length of waves to be attenuated. The surface of the breakwater parallel to the water includes a plurality of openings which enclose bodies of water which are preferably of triangular or other non rectangular shape.