Abstract: A drive arrangement for generating droplets in an ink jet printer incorporates an ink channel with a plurality of discharge openings, and a plurality of conductor loops having their ends secured on both sides of an ink channel, such loops having V-shaped movable central parts located within the ink channel. A magnet system extending over the entire length of the channel generates a magnetic field in the region of the central parts of the drive elements. Each drive element is forced toward its discharge opening by changing the current through the conductor loops, causing an ejection of a droplet from its associated discharge opening.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for representing gray scale values in facsimile transmission wherein the gray scale values are produced by a number of dots of equal size per unit area on a recording medium prints the dots in consecutive lines which are displaced by constant distances in order to avoid the generation of dashes running perpendicular to the advancing direction of the printing head. The displacement of the consecutive lines is achieved by the addition of different size constant values to the sums of instantaneous values of the gray scale value signals which correspond to the printed gray scale values. The sums corresponding to different lines thus attain a threshold value at different points in time and a dot is printed upon each attainment of the threshold value. The sums are simultaneously decreased by the threshold value. Whenever a black gray scale value occurs, the sum is completely erased.

Abstract: A mosaic ink recorder having a number of outlet nozzles in a nozzle plate for discharging ink droplets on a recording media has a screen with apertures therein which are disposed in groups in registry with the outlet nozzles, the apertures in the screen having a diameter which is substantially less than the diameter of the outlet nozzles. The apertures increase the pressure necessary to break the meniscus of the ink remaining in a channel after discharge of a droplet by a ratio approximately equal to the ratio of the diameter of the aperture to the diameter of the nozzle. The recording head is thus rendered substantially less sensitive to vibration and other disturbances which may otherwise break the meniscus and permit ink to flow in a channel at undesired times. The screen may be a separately attachable element or may be integrated with the body of the recording head.

Abstract: A method and an arrangement for depicting half-tone images of equal-sized image dots provides an arrangement of the image dots in a grid having three directions of orientation at an angle of 60.degree.. Each image dot is thus equidistant from the six directly adjacent image dots. A constant number of adjacent grid positions is always used to form an image patch. The number of image dots in an image patch determines the grey step in question. The filling of the image patches with image dots according to the grey step to be produced always takes place following the same rule. The image dots associated with a particular grey step are equidistant from corresponding image dots in the six directly adjacent image patches.

Abstract: A printing head for an ink mosaic printing device is provided with a plurality of diagonally extending ink ducts having downstream ends converging at a printing location on the printing head to form a printing grid pattern. The downstream leading ends of the ducts are formed with wedge-shaped tapered portions, each having a leading edge wall carrying a discharge orifice for ink droplets. By virtue of this construction of the ink ducts, more ink ducts may be used to form the grid pattern and the various discharge orifices may be placed closer to one another to provide higher printing resolution.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for representing polychromatic half-tone images employs the formation of image spots of equal size. The image spots each contain different colored image points, also of equal size, whose number determines the respective degree of coverage of one primary color. The raster positions at which the image points can be printed within the image spots are disposed in such a manner that each raster point has the same spacing from six adjacent raster points. The sequence by which the raster points are occupied in the image spots during the process of an increasing degree of coverage is fixed such that upon increasing degrees of coverage of all of the primary colors, the image points are first represented next to one another and are only printed on top of one another after the occupation of all raster positions.

Abstract: An ink printing device for multi-colored printing of a recording medium utilizes a single ink printing head having a plurality of printing jets arranged in a pattern on the printer head body. Printer jets are divided into groups vertically adjacent to one another having individual ink supplies with colors different from one another. In a line-wise printing operation, recording medium is indexed perpendicularly to the printing direction at the end of a printed line by a vertical distance which corresponds to printing width of each jet group. Operation of the printer head affords superimposed printing to effect secondary, composite colors or half-tone shaded patterns.

Abstract: A container of variable volume is disclosed consisting of parallel spaced polygon surfaces peripherally interconnected via triangular surfaces which join one another. The triangular surfaces are shaped and interconnected such that when the two polygons move relative to one another they undergo a rotational movement relative to one another. The triangular surfaces may, in place of having their ends attached to the polygons, be attached to a further set of triangular surfaces whereby the stack height of the container may be incrementally increased. Fold-up containers as herein disclosed may be used as ink supply containers for ink recording devices.

Abstract: An arrangement for optoelectrically scanning a master employs a scanning device having a plurality of scanning elements which simultaneously scan a plurality of parallel lines of a row, the master being displaced at right angles to the scanning direction. The scanning device, like a mosaic printing head, is disposed on a printing carriage of a printing station which moves along a platen and the master to be scanned can be placed around the platen which displaces the master as scanning takes place. In one embodiment the scanning device includes scanning elements which are disposed like the printing elements of a mosaic printing head and the scanned points communicate with the scanning elements through light tunnels, which tunnels may include light guides. In another embodiment, the scanning device includes a lens which focuses the scan points on the scanning elements.

Abstract: A method for storing serial data in blocks on a recording carrier allows editing of the stored data to be simply and quickly accomplished. A data block to be processed is stored in a working memory which is connected to an input/output unit and blocks immediately preceeding or succeeding the block to be processed are stored in intermediate memories connected to the working memory. Upon employment of the input/output unit data blocks are processed in the working memory and after reaching the highest address of the working memory the processed block is transmitted into a first intermediate memory and the succeeding block is transmitted from a second intermediate memory into the working memory.

Abstract: A removable ink supply container for automatic ink writing systems consisting of a housing member defining a well with an ink chamber located in the well. The ink chamber has a flexible top closure and a bottom discharge opening blocked by a pierceable seal. A pressure applying member is positioned above the flexible top for applying pressure to the ink. The housing is easily detachable from a writing carriage adjacent the writing head to supply ink to the writing head.

Abstract: A cylindrical tubular piezo-electric actuating element for recording heads, particularly in mosaic-type recording equipment in which a recording ink or fluid, contained in a compression chamber surrounded by the cylindrical actuating element, is forced out in droplets by piezo-electric constriction of the actuating element, the latter having dimensions which are such that the quotient derived from the wall thickness and the arithmetic mean of the internal and external diameters of the element matches the Poisson number (.mu.) of the piezo-electric material employed, whereby maximum constriction of the internal diameter is effected with no change in the external diameter of the actuating element.

Abstract: Printed characters are transmitted by storing data words in a transmitter representing character sequences for operating a printing head in accordance with a first mode, producing in the transmitter code words different from data words representing the character sequences and transmitting messages including the code words to a receiver which has a printing head which can operate selectively in accordance with the first mode or a second mode. A printing head provided with at least one printing element at the receiving station is supplied with binary character sequences which trigger printing commands. A character generator is provided which stores the binary character sequences of predetermined characters and, following the reception of data words assigned to the characters, emits the appropriate binary character sequences.

Abstract: In a system in which characters or graphic patterns are representd in punctiform fashion, the redundancy of binary character sequences which describe the characters or graphic patterns is reduced such that, within the binary character sequences, each binary character having a first binary value is assigned to a point which is to be represented and at least one interval corresponding to one element exist between two points represented by the same output component. Each element is split into a plurality of sub-elements and the binary character sequences which represent the characters or graphic patterns are split into sub-elements. Of the possible combinations (2.sup.

Abstract: A device for monitoring the supply of printing liquid in the reservoir of an ink-operated printer and the like, in which two monitoring electrodes are disposed in and wetted by the printing liquid, with circuit means being connected to the electrodes for monitoring the electrical resistance therebetween, which resistance varies in response to changes in the amount of ink in the reservoir. Means are provided, responsive to predetermined resistance values, for actuating at least one display element, and/or effecting disconnection of an associated printer. Additional circuit means may also be connected to the monitoring means for actuating a preliminary warning device prior to actual triggering of a display element indicating the exhaustion of the printing liquid supply. Means also may be provided for monitoring the supply of a data carrier, i.e.

Abstract: Predetermined characters or graphic patterns are transmitted from a transmitting station to a receiving station in a system wherein a printing head is provided with at least one printing component in the receiving station and is supplied with binary character sequences which trigger printing commands. The binary character sequences which represent the predetermined characters are stored in the receiving station in a character generator from which the sequences are read following the transmission of data words assigned to the predetermined characters, and are fed to the printing head. When graphic patterns are transmitted, code words are produced in the transmitting station to describe the graphic patterns, which words possess the same format as the data words.

Abstract: A piezoelectrically operated printer head for an ink-jet printing unit characterized by the printer head having a body with a plurality of printing jets arranged in a pattern at a printing location, each printing jet comprising an individual passage extending through the body from an orifice at the printing location to a source of printing liquid. Each passage has a first segment of its length surrounded by a cylindrical piezoelectric drive so that a drop of the printing liquid is ejected from the jet by a piezoelectric contraction of the drive element and each of the passages has a second segment of its length spacing the first segment from the respective orifice. The second segments of the passages are disposed in the body of the printer head to extend away from the pattern of orifices at the printing location in a radiating pattern without any kinks therein.

Abstract: Ink supply system for supplying a stream of ink from an ink reservoir to a piezoelectrically operated printing jet of an ink jet printer. The system includes a conduit interconnecting the reservoir to the printing jet in which is mounted a capillary filter. The conduit includes an elastic portion on the downstream side of the capillary filter and a ventable air receiver on the upstream side thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a piezoelectric drive element for cast printer heads used in ink-operated mosaic printer units in which printing liquid is ejected droplet fashion by a mechanism of piezoelectric contraction of the cylindrical drive elements which surround the ink passages, said drive element comprising a plurality of drive electrodes in furtherance of the proposed operation in accordance with the teachings of this invention.

Abstract: The invention is directed to drive systems for the writing head carriages of printing systems, particularly ink jet writing systems wherein the writing carriage is linearly moved for line printing by means of a non-reversing motor. Various connection systems and kinetic energy storage systems are disclosed.