Abstract: A display frame apparatus for displaying a custom sign insert. The display frame apparatus comprises a sign body, a transparent front cover lens and at least one frame element. The sign body includes front and back faces; upper, lower and opposite side edges; and at least two connector receiving members located adjacent to and at spaced locations along a single side edge. The transparent front cover lens is releasably attached to the front face of the sign body. The frame element includes at least two connector members adapted to mate with the connector receiving members for releasably attaching the frame element to the sign body.

Abstract: There is disclosed a composite label web that can be used in different labelers having different feed wheels. The different feed wheels have different arrangements or patterns of feed teeth. The composite label web is comprised of a carrier web and labels releasably adhered by pressure sensitive adhesive to the carrier web. There is a separate feed aperture pattern in the carrier web for each pattern of feed teeth. The number of feed apertures is kept to a minimum, and more particularly the number of feed apertures is less than the total number of feed teeth.

Abstract: There is disclosed a composite label web that can be used in different labelers having different feed wheels. The different feed wheels have different arrangements or patterns of feed teeth. The composite label web is comprised of a carrier web and labels releasably adhered by pressure sensitive adhesive to the carrier web. There is a separate feed aperture pattern in the carrier web for each pattern of feed teeth. The number of feed apertures is kept to a minimum, and more particularly the number of feed apertures is less than the total number of feed teeth.

Abstract: There is disclosed a composite label web that can be used in different labelers having different feed wheels. The different feed wheels have different arrangements or patterns of feed teeth. The composite label web is comprised of a carrier web and labels releasably adhered by pressure sensitive adhesive to the carrier web. There is a separate feed aperture pattern in the carrier web for each pattern of feed teeth. The number of feed apertures is kept to a minimum, and more particularly the number of feed apertures is less than the total number of feed teeth.

Abstract: There is disclosed a hand-held labeler which is easy to load, clean and service. The labeler has a gear driven print head wherein the print head is situated on an upper housing section and the print head is actuated from a lower housing section. The upper housing section can be moved to an open position without interfering with the maintenance of the drive connection with the print head or the advance of a label carrying web through the labeler.

Abstract: There is disclosed a printing band and method of making same. The printing band has printing characters and human readable characters. The human readable characters and the portion of the band adjacent thereto are coated with a first coating while masking off the printing characters. Thereafter, the outer surfaces of the human readable character are coated with a second coating which is darker than the first coating. The human readable characters are easy to read and are not easily degraded during use.

Abstract: There is disclosed a hand-held labeler which is easy to load, clean and service. The labeler has a gear driven print head wherein the print head is situated on an upper housing section and the print head is actuated from a lower housing section. The upper housing section can be moved to an open position without interfering with the maintenance of the drive connection with the print head or the advance of a label carrying web through the labeler.

Abstract: A method of selectively setting the print cycle speed of a thermal printing apparatus such as a thermal postage meter. The thermal postage meter has a thermal print head and an optical reader under the control of a micro controller for printing an image on a sheet like material comprising the steps of first causing said micro processor to be programmed to first cause said thermal print head to print a test pattern just prior to print said image. The optical reader reads said the pattern intensity. The microprocessor is programmed to select a print cycle speed as a function of the test pattern intensity.

Abstract: There is disclosed a hand-held labeler which is easy to load, clean and service. The labeler has a gear driven print head wherein the print head is situated on an upper housing section and the print head is actuated from a lower housing section. The upper housing section can be moved to an open position without interfering with the maintenance of the drive connection with the print head or the advance of a label carrying web through the labeler.

Abstract: There is disclosed an improved thermal printer with a rigid frame made from a main frame plate with compound bends and a base plate, record member supply roll mounting and guide devices, an ink ribbon and record member web feed control system, a print head assembly, and improved ink ribbon cores and spindles.

Abstract: There is disclosed an improved thermal printer with a rigid frame made from a main frame plate with compound bends and a base plate, record member supply roll mounting and guide devices, an ink ribbon and record member web feed control system, a print head assembly, and improved ink ribbon cores and spindles.

Abstract: The hand-held apparatus of the present invention includes an integral printer and measuring device so that measurement information obtained from the measuring device may be automatically printed, used to determine additional information to be printed such as price information, or merely displayed. A measuring wheel having detectable marks disposed about the periphery thereof is rotatably mounted on the housing of the apparatus in proximity to a sensor that detects the marks. This sensor is positioned on the housing to not only detect the marks on the measuring wheel but to also detect the presence or absence of a label dispensed from the housing so as to provide an on-demand printing mode of operation. A controller is responsive to the sensor in the on-demand mode of operation for controlling a printhead to print on a supply when the previously printed supply has been removed from the apparatus.

Abstract: There is disclosed a composite web roll of pressure sensitive labels. The composite web comprises a composite label web including a carrier web and labels releasably adhered to the carrier web by pressure sensitive adhesive. By adhesively securing the underside of the carrier web of an end portion of the composite web to adjacent labels along the end portion, when the outer free end portion is unwound, the labels to which the adhesive is adhered are stripped from the carrier web. The disclosure also relates to method of making and using composite webs according to the invention.

Abstract: There is disclosed a printer having a thermal print head and a cooperable platen roll. The platen roll is driven to advance a web of record medium and an ink ribbon into cooperation with the print head. The printer can use an ink ribbon cartridge. The printer has a compact arrangement for the record medium supply roll, the ink ribbon cartridge, the printing mechanism, the drive mechanism, the keyboard, and the cutting mechanism for cutting tags from the web.

Abstract: An improved platen roller is particularly suited for a thermal printing postage meter. The postage meter includes a registration wall, a print deck, a thermal print head mounted to the registration wall and extending over the deck to define a print station, a platen roller support assembly for supporting the platen roller parallel to the thermal print head and causing the platen roller to bias an envelope against the thermal print head and causing the envelope to traverse the thermal print head during a print cycle of the thermal postage meter. The platen roller is unitary in material construction of cellular urethane. The platen roller has a first and second end section, each section having a conical configuration a surface taper angle of between -2.0.degree. degrees and -3.0.degree. degrees.

Abstract: The thermal printing postage meter includes a base supporting a registration wall and a deck, and a thermal print head mounted to the registration wall above a portion of the deck to define a print station. A position sensing assembly is provided for sensing the presence of the envelope's leading edge in the print station and informing a microcontroller. A thermal tape cassette is mounted to the registration wall such that a portion of the thermal ribbon passing below the thermal print head. A platen roller assembly and position assembly are responsive to instruction from the microcontroller for causing the platen roller to assume either a position biasing the envelope against the thermal ribbon and thermal print head or a retracted position. An ejection roller assembly having position assembly is responsive to instruction from the microcontroller for causing the ejection roller to assume either a retracted position or a position biasing the ejection roller against the envelope and an ejection plate.

Abstract: A thermal ribbon cassette includes a take-up spool and a supply spool rotatively mounted in the cassette housing. The spools are aligned to respective aperture in the rear wall of the housing. The housing has a print head opening located between the supply spool and the take-up spool dividing the cassette into the respective supply side and the take-up side. The thermal ink transfer ribbon supply is wrapped around the supply spool and extending to the take-up spool. An encoder post is rotatively mounted to the rear wall to the supply side of the cassette aligned to an aperture in the rear wall. A first drag post is fixably mounted to the rear wall on the supply side of the cassette and a feed post is fixably mounted to the rear wall on the supply side of the cassette just prior to the print head opening. A drag clutch is provided for preventing the supply spool from turning in the non-feed direction and for providing a predetermined amount of drag to the supply spool.

Abstract: There is disclosed a printer having a thermal print head and a cooperable platen roll. The platen roll is driven to advance a web of record medium and an ink ribbon into cooperation with the print head. The printer can use an ink ribbon cartridge. The printer has a compact arrangement for the record medium supply roll, the ink ribbon cartridge, the printing mechanism, the drive mechanism, the keyboard, and the cutting mechanism for cutting tags from the web.

Abstract: There is disclosed a printer having a thermal print head and a cooperable platen roll. The platen roll is driven to advance a web of record medium and an ink ribbon into cooperation with the print head. The printer can use an ink ribbon cartridge. The printer has a compact arrangement for the record medium supply roll, the ink ribbon cartridge, the printing mechanism, the drive mechanism, the keyboard, and the cutting mechanism for cutting tags from the web. The ink ribbon cartridge has movable guides which are aligned by spindles on the printer.

Abstract: There is disclosed a printer having a thermal print head and a cooperable platen roll. The platen roll is driven to advance a web of record medium and an ink ribbon into cooperation with the print head. The printer can use an ink ribbon cartridge. The printer has a compact arrangement for the record medium supply roll, the ink ribbon cartridge, the printing mechanism, the drive mechanism, the keyboard, and the cutting mechanism for cutting tags from the web.