Abstract: A nonimpact printer accommodates ribbons of selected panel types such as y, m, c and black thermal transfer or dye diffusion, precoat, overcoat, and the like, or combinations thereof, on which ribbon identification data is recorded in terms of the number and disposition of such panels, optimum operating parameters and the like. Each ribbon also contains markers identifying sets of panels of different types, individual panels within such sets, and incremental positions within such panels, and the printer is designed to read such markers and record the movement of the ribbon therethrough. Means are also described for fabricating combination ribbons that employ more than one of the various nonimpact technologies. In addition, the printer records by several different means the ribbon positions at which a ribbon has been in use and provides means for moving the ribbon to unused portions thereof.

Abstract: A method of improving ribbon usage, i.e. reducing ribbon waste, in a non-impact color printer of the type that employs a continuous ribbon having panels of transfer material is described. The method includes defining an plurality of sectors across the width of the ribbon, at least one of the sectors including a region having a width less than a total width of the panel. The ribbon sector thus defined extends laterally adjacent to another sector of the same panel. The size and location of an image to be printed is determined; next one or more of the unused sectors of the panel is selected that provides an area of the panel having adequate width and location for printing the image. This unused sector of the ribbon may well be laterally adjacent or next to a used sector. Next the image is printed onto a substrate using the selected sector(s).

Abstract: A nonimpact printer accommodates at least one ribbon of selected transfer panel types such as yellow, magenta, cyan and black thermal transfer or dye diffusion, precoat, overcoat, and the like, or combinations thereof, and may also include a direct energy printing assembly. At least one energy source provides energy for these printing processes and is independently selectable for use with a selected one or more of such ribbons or direct energy processes, based upon rotational or translational movement of the energy source followed by selective activation thereof. Means are also provided for identifying and utilizing unused transfer panels, or portions of such panels, so as to minimize wastage of ribbon.

Abstract: A non-impact type of printer includes multiple ribbons and multiple printer heads so as to allow use of different types of printing technologies without requiring a user to manually change ribbons. In one embodiment, one of the ribbons installed in the printer comprises ordinary thermal transfer material while another ribbon provides a dye-diffusion type of transfer material. Installation of these and other types of ribbons in a single printer provides reduced cost and is more convenient and flexible than changing ribbons or selecting separate printers as needed.

Abstract: A nonimpact printer minimizes ribbon wastage by recording on each ribbon its usage history and then using that history to control subsequent ribbon movement in the same or a different printer. The usage history is printed onto the ribbon itself, and is thus portable along with the ribbon cassette. Sequence numbers that identify particular panels and portions thereof are similarly written onto the ribbon for greater convenience in ribbon control.

Abstract: A nonimpact printer accommodates ribbons of selected panel types such as y, m, c and black thermal transfer or dye diffusion, precoat, overcoat, and the like, or combinations thereof, on which ribbon identification data is recorded in terms of the number and disposition of such panels, optimum operating parameters and the like. Each ribbon also contains markers identifying sets of panels of different types, individual panels within such sets, and incremental positions within such panels, and the printer is designed to read such markers and record the movement of the ribbon therethrough. Means are also described for fabricating combination ribbons that employ more than one of the various nonimpact technologies. In addition, the printer records by several different means the ribbon positions at which a ribbon has been in use and provides means for moving the ribbon to unused portions thereof.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printer (10) includes multiple media trays (16, 120, 126) each encoded to communicate to a printer controller (46) via sensors (132, 134, 136) a print medium size and type contained in the tray, and a pair of thermal transfer ribbon (24) sensors (44,45) to communicate whether the ribbon includes a pre-coat material panel (34). A printer driver responsive to the media size and type sensors and the thermal transfer ribbon sensors to causes pre-coat material to be applied to coated or plain paper print media but not to transparency print media. Post-rendering color correction is provided for color images printed on various media type and pre-coat combinations. The printer driver prevents an image from printing when potentially wasteful conditions are detected in response to a print job request, forced tray selection, or automatic tray switching selection.

Abstract: An ink jet printer having a marking head, a number of ink supply containers, and conduit means interconnects the marking head with the ink supply containers. Selector means is associated with the marking head for receiving ink from the conduit means and being repositionable for allowing one of the color inks to pass therethrough to the ink ejecting orifices.

Abstract: A printing system for increasing the printing speed of a multi-color printer when utilized in a single color mode by repositioning a recording head cartridge from a first level to a second level so as to enable at least two lines of information to be created upon the surface to be marked during a single scanning pass when it has been determined that the cartridge mounted in the repositionable support is the same color as the single color recording head cartridge.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for flattening curled ones of a plurality of moving paper sheets subsequent to the printing and at least partial drying thereof is disclosed. The sheets are transported sequentially along a transport path, and the selected sheets are heated to a plasticizing temperature. The selected sheets are then stretched in both a longitudinal and a lateral direction with respect to the transport direction of the sheets.

Abstract: The intersheet gaps or spacings between successive sheets of copy paper for an ink jet printing system are set according to the print densities for sheets to be printed to enhance the operation of a sheet dryer within the printing system. The greater the print density, the greater the intersheet gaps such that sheets which are more heavily printed are effectively exclusively within the sheet dryer for a longer period of time and, hence, receive more of the available sheet dryer energy. The print densities are determined from image data which define images to be printed on the sheets by translating the data into the number of drops to be printed per image data word and accumulating the number of drops required to print each sheet by counting the resulting numbers of drops.

Abstract: An ink jet printer transporting a print receiving medium angularly past a print head which generates a row of jet drop streams. Drops in the streams are selectively charged to either a print charge level or a catch charge level, and are subsequentlysubjected to a cyclically varying electric deflection field, normal to the row, which deflects of the drops carrying the print charge level into selected print trajectories. A static electric deflection field then separates the drops into print and catch trajectories, with the drops in the catch trajectories being intercepted by a catcher and thereby prevented from striking the print receiving medium. Drops from each jet drop stream may be deflected in a direction perpendicular to the row by the secondary field so as to be deposited at a number of positions on the print receiving medium.

Abstract: An ink jet printer control circuit is disclosed in which provision is made for production of drop clock signal pulses for application to the electromechanical drop stimulation transducer of the printer. Print enable pulses are provided by a state controller means to the charge electrode driver of the printer so as to permit selective charging of drops produced by the jet drop stream. An edge detector means is responsive to the leading edge of each pulse in the drop clock signal pulse train to provide an edge detection pulse. Additionally, an encoder arrangement provides a train of synchronization pulses, each such pulse signifying an increment of movement of the print receiving medium. The state controller responds to the edge detection pulses and to the synchronization pulses and provides a print enable pulse upon receipt of an edge detection pulse next following receipt of a synchronization pulse.

Abstract: An ink drop duplicating system employs a plurality of angularly extending ink drop print heads to reproduce an original document. Each printing head produces a row of drop streams which are individually controlled to deposit printing drops at a plurality of printing positions along a line extending perpendicular to the major axis of the printing head. Printing control information for the ink drop printing heads is generated by a photosensing array which extends across one major dimension of an original document and which is scanned across the other major dimension. Scanning data is stored on a magnetic disk. After one or more original documents have been completely scanned, the scanning data is read from the magnetic disk and reorganized to produce drop control signals for the ink drop printing heads.

Abstract: An ink drop printing system for use as part of a duplicator. Sheets which are to be printed by the printing system are fed from one or another of two separate paper supplies and delivered along downwardly converging delivery paths toward a common reception point on a printing transport. The printing transport carries the sheets along a printing path which is angled upwardly and folded back from the delivery paths toward the common reception point. While the sheets are carried upwardly by the printing transport, they are printed by a plurality of inclined, angularly extending, and cooperatively operated jet drop printing heads.

Abstract: An ink jet printer includes a print head means which generates two parallel rows of jet drop streams. Charge electrodes are mounted on a pair of charge electrode plates which are movable into and out of drop charging positions. A pair of catchers each define a drop catching surface and a drop ingesting slot along the lower edge of the drop catching surface. Each of the catchers is generally pivotally mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to the rows of jet drop streams. The catchers may be pivoted from a drop catching position, in which the drop catching surfaces are substantially parallel, to a full catch position in which drop catching surfaces are inclined to face upward and intercept the jet drop streams. In the full catch position, the drop ingesting slots are positioned closely together. A linkage arrangement is provided for pivoting the catchers from the full catch position to the drop catch position after start up of the print head means.

Abstract: An ink jet printer deposits ink drops from a plurality of jet drop streams along a plurality of parallel adjacent print lines on a sheet of paper. The printer includes a sheet supporting drum, means for rotating the drum, and a print head which is slidably mounted adjacent the drum for linear movement in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum. A rotatable cam defines a continuous endless camming surface with the cam being driven by a drive arrangement interconnected with the means for rotating the drum. A cam follower means follows the continuous camming surface and moves the print head in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the paper supporting drum such that jet streams are directed to deposit drops along respective ones of the print lines during successive rotations of the drum.

Abstract: An image scanner for scanning a document along a plurality of scan lines and providing a plurality of print control signal pulses in response to the image density of the document along the scan lines includes a means for projecting a moving document image onto a focal plane and a sensor array positioned in the focal plane. The sensor array includes columns of sensors extending parallel to the direction of image movement and a shift register associated with each column for sensors for shifting electrical outputs from the sensors in the direction of image movement. In a line copy mode of operation, the electrical outputs are shifted at the same rate at the rate of movement of the image such that the given pixel on the image is scanned sequentially by each of the sensors in a column. The electrical outputs are compared with a predetermined reference label to produce a print control signal.

Abstract: A jet drop copying apparatus has a print head which directs a row of jets toward a print sheet mounted on a rotating drum. The row of jets extend substantially across the full width of the print sheet and are operated under control of a printing controller to print a series of tracks extending circumferentially along the sheet. The jets are shifted laterally in synchronism with the drum rotation such that each jet is moved a distance equal to the width of one printing track during one rotation of the drum. The shifting continues until a solid print has been obtained. An illumination device is provided for illuminating a narrow strip extending across a document to be copied and projecting an image of the illuminated strip upon a row of photodetectors. Longitudinal image scanning proceeds in synchronism with the rotation of the printing drum, and there is a lateral shifting of the image in synchronism with the shifting of the jet printing tracks.

Abstract: A jet drop printer for selectively depositing drops along a plurality of parallel lines on a moving print receiving medium includes a print head for generating a plurality of jet drop streams directed toward the moving print receiving medium, with the streams arranged in a row substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the print receiving medium. A drop charging electrode arrangement, adjacent each of the jet drop streams, selectively charges drops in each of the streams to one of a plurality of discrete charge levels. A deflection means provides a plurality of static drop deflecting electrostatic fields, with each of the jet drop streams passing through an associated one of the fields. Each drop deflecting field deflects charged drops passing therethrough in a direction which is inclined with respect to the row of jet drop streams and with respect to the direction of movement of the print receiving medium.