Abstract: An apparatus for transporting and/or decurling a strip of photosensitive material. The apparatus includes a plurality of rollers and a drum. A belt is wrapped about the plurality of rollers and are positioned such that the belt forms a receiving pocket for holding and retaining the drum and for rotating the drum about its axis. At least one of the plurality of rollers being connected to a drive mechanism so as to move the belt about the rollers so as to cause the drum to rotate about its axis of rotation. The belt is in direct contact with the outer surface of the drum for a predetermined distance about the circumference of the drum forming a first film path. The first film path has an entrance for receiving film and an exit for allowing film to leave the film path. A heater may be provided which is associated with the heating drum for heating the drum to a predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transporting and/or decurling a strip of photosensitive material. The apparatus includes a plurality of rollers and a drum. A belt is wrapped about the plurality of rollers and are positioned such that the belt forms a receiving pocket for holding and retaining the drum and for rotating the drum about its axis. At least one of the plurality of rollers being connected to a drive mechanism so as to move the belt about the rollers so as to cause the drum to rotate about its axis of rotation. The belt is in direct contact with the outer surface of the drum for a predetermined distance about the circumference of the drum forming a first film path. The first film path has an entrance for receiving film and an exit for allowing film to leave the film path. A heater may be provided which is associated with the heating drum for heating the drum to a predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting defects in a dye donor web having repeating series of patch colors. If defective regions in a dye donor web are found during manufacture, an opaque mark is physically placed on a color patch of the repeating series in which the defect occurs. As the dye donor web is advanced, two beams of light of a color to which the color patch is transmittable impinge on the dye donor web. The beams are in substantial alignment in a direction transverse to the web path and are positioned such that the mark (if present) aligns with one of the two light beams and not the other beam. By sampling the transmission or non-transmission of the two light beams through the dye donor web, a signal can be generated whenever the simultaneous non-transmission of the one light beam and transmission of the other light beam is detected.

Abstract: A web guidance mechanism for automatically centering a web in a thermal printer has an elongated base member with first and second end portions each defining a slot. A crank is rotatably mounted on the base member and has slider arms attached thereto. Web guides are mounted on the distal end portions of the slider arms and are engageable with the slots for lateral movement. A coil spring biases the web guides towards one another to create two normally equal but opposite centering edge forces so that lateral movement of the web does not occur until twice the nominal edge force is applied to the web.

Abstract: A differential capstan roller for a thermal printer is provided by dividing a capstan roller into first and second end segments, and an intermediate middle segment drivingly engageable with a drive shaft to drive the middle segment, and gearing the first and second end segments together differentially. The first and second end segments are driven with the middle segment through the gearing so that the average velocity of the end segments is equal to the velocity of the middle segment at any instant in time but the velocities of the two end segments are not always equal to each other.

Abstract: Apparatus for clamping receiver sheets to the print drum of a thermal transfer printer. The apparatus includes a clamp assembly mounted for radial movement and having a clamp strip extending over the drum periphery and an interior longitudinal body coupled to that strip at a plurality of axially spaced locations. A longitudinal lever member extends axially within the drum from a pivot point at one drum end to an actuation arm at the other drum end and has a pivot arm coupled to a central portion of the clamp body. Springs urge the clamp assembly radially inwardly and an actuator mounted on the other drum end selectively moves the lever member radially outwardly.

Abstract: A method for fusing thermal transfer prints to avoid blister-type defects. The method includes in order, the steps of rapidly heating respective print image portions to a first temperature slightly below their respective components boiling temperature, maintaining respective print image portions at approximately the first temperature for a time period sufficient to allow significant evaporation from said print portions and, after such period, rapidly heating such significantly dried print portions to the desired fusing temperature, above the components boiling points.

Abstract: An improved fusing device for a thermal transfer printer having a print system for producing a receiver sheet bearing a transferred dye image. The fusing device includes a fuser drum comprising a heat conducting rigid cylinder shell portion and three roller assemblies constructed to rotate on parallel axes respectively at different locations around the periphery of the drum so as to constrain the path of drum rotation. One roller assembly is coupled to a rotary drive, and one is mounted for displaceable movement toward and away from the drum and resiliently urged toward the drum.