Abstract: A shutter and an intake roller are mounted to a gate to form an integral structure. The shutter and the intake roller are interlockingly operated by the swinging of the gate. During the processing of a used ticket, the shutter prevents another used ticket from being inserted into the machine through the inlet port. Also, the used ticket is guided from the ticket transporting path to the recovery transporting path by the swing of the gate.

Abstract: A ticket checking/issuing apparatus for checking and issuing a ticket on which data is recorded, includes a ticket holding unit for holding the ticket, and a head unit which is moved along the holding unit. The head unit has a magnetic head which is brought into sliding contact with the ticket held by the holding unit so as to record and/or reproduce data on and/or from the ticket. A friction member is arranged on a surface of the holding unit opposing the head unit. The friction member has a friction coefficient between itself and the ticket larger than that between the magnetic head of the head unit and the ticket. The friction member is brought into sliding contact with the magnetic head when the head unit is moved while the holding unit does not hold a ticket, and is brought into contact with the ticket held by the holding unit when the holding unit holds the ticket.

Abstract: An apparatus for issuing plane tickets by communicating with a host apparatus using data from a keyboard or a bar code reader includes a hopper for storing plane tickets having a magnetic stripe extending along the longer sides thereof. A convey mechanism picks up the plane tickets one by one from the hopper and conveys the ticket on a convey path while aligning the shorter sides of the card with the convey direction.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the thermal transfer printing upon a record medium utilizing a print ribbon so as to form a protective transparent layer over a printed area upon a record medium. The thermal transfer print film includes plural colored ink regions separated by transparent ink regions. The method and apparatus of the present invention thus provide for the initial printing via thermal transfer of the colored ink regions onto an area of the record medium. Subsequent alignment of a region of the transparent ink with the printed area on the record medium and selective operation of thermal print heads thus thermally transfers portions of the thermal transparent ink to the previously colored ink printed area to provide a transparent ink layer over the printed information upon the record medium thereby protecting the same.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the thermal transfer printing upon a record medium utilizing a print ribbon so as to form a protective transparent layer over a printed area upon a record medium. The thermal transfer print film includes plural colored ink regions separated by transparent ink regions. The method and apparatus of the present invention thus provide for the initial printing via thermal transfer of the colored ink regions onto an area of the record medium. Subsequent alignment of a region of the transparent ink with the printed area on the record medium and selective operation of thermal print heads thus thermally transfers portions of the thermal transparent ink to the previously colored ink printed area to provide a transparent ink layer over the printed information upon the record medium thereby protecting the same.

Abstract: The improved image building apparatus is constructed such that recording medium, that is, recording paper, is normally introduced into the image building section with a thermal head or the like component incorporated therein while it is stretched under the effect of a certain intensity of braking force which is exerted on the recording paper from the rear side as seen in the direction of transportation thereof. This causes an occurrence of such a malfunction as skewing, loosening or the like of the recording paper to be inhibited at least in the image building section. Thus, image building can be achieved without incorrect registering, deformation or the like recognized with the printing paper on which image transference has been carried out.

Abstract: A printing head comprises a substrate, a plurality of printing elements disposed on the substrate and adapted to print a picture element of an image, and a driving device for selectively driving the printing elements. Each of the printing elements includes a plurality of ring-shaped printing segments disposed on the substrate concentrically to each other. The printed area in the picture element is changed according to the printing segments selectively driven by the driving device and thus the gradation of the printed image is expressed by changing the printed area in a picture element.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a transfer medium is set to be fed. Transfer materials are set to be selectively fed in such a manner that each transfer material has a monochromatic color agent and an identification code assigned thereto, or a plurality of color agents and identification codes assigned thereto. A first feeding means feeds the transfer medium, while a second feeding means feeds the transfer material. A transfer portion transfers a color agent of the transfer material fed by the second feeding means to a transfer medium fed by the first feeding means in accordance with printing data. A detecting means detects the identification code of the transfer material. A controlling means discriminates the type of transfer material in accordance with the identification code detected by the detecting means. The controlling means changes the printing mode in accordance with this discrimination result.

Abstract: An electroprinting apparatus is constructed of upper and lower units elevationally openable at the boundary of an ink ribbon travelling path. The upper unit is provided with an ink ribbon feeding reel and an ink ribbon winding reel. An ink ribbon is extended between the reels along the ink ribbon travelling path between the reels. A thermal head unit is mounted at the upper unit opposing the ink ribbon. The lower unit is provided with a paper feeding unit for conveying a paper sheet along the ink ribbon travelling path and a head roller for pressing the paper sheet together with the ink ribbon against the thermal head.

Abstract: A thermal transfer type printing apparatus includes a monochromatic printing section and multi-color printing section. The monochromatic printing section includes a thermal head unit for thermally transferring an ink layer of a black ink ribbon onto a paper sheet according to a black image signal. The multi-color printing section includes a thermal head unit for successively transferring cyan, magenta and yellow layers of a multi-color ink ribbon in an overlap state onto the paper sheet according to image signals for the respective colors.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus according to the invention is constructed so that information is recorded by transferring ink from a thermal transfer ribbon to the surface of a transfer sheet by means of a thermal head, and that a second unit can be swung up to be separated from a first unit as required. Sag of the thermal transfer ribbon is removed by feeding the ribbon for a predetermined length when it is detected that the second unit is set on the first unit. Thus, fusion of ink on the thermal transfer ribbon at the start of recording can be prevented.

Abstract: A color printing apparatus is provided with a document moving mechanism for reciprocatably moving a color document four times, and a scanner for applying successively white, red, green, and blue lights to the color document during each of the forward movements to produce image signals representative of complementary colors of the color lights. A drum with a paper wound therearound rotates forwardly and reversely in synchronism with the reciprocal movement. At the time of the forward movement of the document and the forward rotation of the drum, the thermal head presses a color ink ribbon against the paper to thermally transfer the ink of the color ink ribbon to the paper. At the time of the reverse rotation of the drum, the thermal head is separated from the drum by means of a solenoid.

Abstract: A color printing apparatus includes a scanner for scanning a color document and for converting the reflecting light from the color document into color image signals of black, red, green and blue, and a thermal head unit driven by signals corresponding to complementary colors of the colors of the color signals from the scanner. The thermal head unit, making an ink ribbon to contact the paper intimately, transfers the inks of the ink layers of black, magenta, yellow and cyan on the ink ribbon according to the complementary color signals.

Abstract: A thermal transfer type printing apparatus has a thermal head unit for selectively and thermally transferring an ink layer of an ink ribbon onto a paper sheet in response to printing information. The ink layer, in which blanks of ink corresponding to the printing information remain after printing, is heated and made molten by a heat roller, and the negative image formed by these ink blanks is thus rendered illegible.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive recording sheet is proposed which has a heat-sensitive recording layer laminated on the surface of a support body and containing a diazosulfonate; a coupling agent; and a thermoplastic resin having a glass transition point of 70.degree.-150.degree. C. or a photocuring resin. A method for fixing a heat-sensitive recording is disclosed in which light of 400-550 nm in wavelength is irradiated on said heat-sensitive recording layer for optically activating it, a thermal head is used for heat-sensitive recording, and light of 300-450 nm in wavelength is irradiated on the recording layer for photofixing the recorded information. A device for effecting such heat-sensitive recording is also proposed.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive recording sheet is proposed which has a heat-sensitive recording layer laminated on one surface of a support body and containing a diasosulfonate; a acid coupling agent comprising a compound having aromatic ring, hetroaromatic ring or substituted aromatic ring bonded thereto OH group and COOH group; and a thermoplastic resin having a glass transition point of 70.degree.-150.degree. C. or a photocuring resin.