Abstract: An information reader has a number of linear image sensors dividing one line of picture information into as many parts for reading an original. As these sensors may be relatively shifted in the subscanning direction, signal delay devices are provided corresponding to the sensors for delaying a read out signal by an amount corresponding to the respective shift of the image sensors. The invention removes severe constraints on the placement and alignment of the sensors, facilitating installation and maintenance.

Abstract: A printing system is provided which allows selected characters or symbols to be emphasized without increasing the density thereof. A video signal containing printing data for a character to be emphasized is delayed and logically added to an undelayed video signal to expand the "black" portion of the signal on the time axis.

Abstract: A two-color copying machine includes a scanner unit for producing output signals representing different colors of an original image and a thermal printer heating its heating elements to temperature ranges in accordance with the scanner unit output signals and utilizing a recording medium which records in two different colors depending on the applied temperature.

Abstract: A recording apparatus in which recording is made several times each line in a partitioning manner part after part on each recording line for which there exists picture data to be printed. The system determines whether there exists picture data to be printed on each line or not. A sub-scanning speed per line is set such that when the determination is made that one or more successive lines immediately before a recording line for which there exists picture data to be printed is or are an entire blank line or successive entire blank lines for which there exists no picture data to be printed, the sub-scanning speed for the entire blank line or successive ones of the successive entire blank lines adjacent to the recording line is selected to be substantially equal to that at the recording line. The sub-scanning speed of other entire blank line or lines for which there exists no picture data is selected to be a speed which is sufficiently higher than that for the recording line.

Abstract: A transfer type heat-sensitive recording medium having a porous base impregnated with a colorless color former. A layer of thermally melting ink is formed on one side of the porous base. The first layer is brought into contact with a recording sheet. A layer of thermally melting wax containing a color developer is formed on the opposite side of said porous base and selectively heated according to a video signal. The wax melts and permeates into the porous base to allow the color developer to color on reaction with the colorless color former. The wax layer is further heated by thermal irradiating so that the ink of the ink layer is molten in correspondence to the coloring.

Abstract: A heat sensitive recording apparatus using an ink donor sheet in the form of a continuous band includes a device for detecting and correcting the tension applied to the band so as to prevent creases, etc. from being formed therein.

Abstract: A copying machine body includes only those hardware components which are essential for the physical reading and recording operations, with the electrical control and processing circuitry being disposed in a separate housing.

Abstract: A character and image data reading system for a character and image data reading apparatus has an auxiliary scanning mechanism which moves an original relative to a solid image pickup element in a stepwise manner by a predetermined distance during an integration period of the pickup element so that a light receiving window of the pickup element covers a region corresponding to at least an auxiliary scanning width.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer type recording device is provided with a thermal head having heat generating elements and a backing roll operatively positioned relative to the heat generating elements to accommodate the passage of an ink donor sheet and a recording sheet therebetween under pressure. A separation roll is spaced from the backing roll to provide for the passage of said ink donor sheet and said recording sheet therebetween at a pressure substantially less than the pressure exerted on the sheets upon passage between the backing roll and the heat generating elements. The ink donor sheet is directed about the separation roll at a relatively sharp angle to separate the recording sheet from the ink donor sheet with a complete transfer of the ink from the ink donor sheet to the recording sheet as a result of the reduced pressure on the sheets at the separation roll.

Abstract: An ink donor sheet comprising a porous sheet and a heat-fusible ink layer formed on it is disclosed. The ink layer has such temperature-dependent gradation characteristics that it remains solid at ordinary temperatures and when it is heated to a certain temperature its viscosity is suddenly decreased and upon further heating, the viscosity is decreased gradually. The ink donor sheet is capable of producing halftones in the images it creates.

Abstract: In a multi-station recording apparatus, the ink donor sheets extend along the paper path substantially to the next recording station while in contact with the recording paper to maintain proper paper registration.

Abstract: A color copying machine includes a device separating the image information from each area of the original into colors corresponding to predetermined recording colors to thereby form corresponding video signals. A preferential selection circuit converts each video signal into a 2-level signal and performs an arithmetic operation on each 2-level signal to thereby key the image information from each area of the original to one of the recording colors or white. Black is selected as the recording color if a chromatic color competes with black in the same area.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive printer is provided with an apparatus for effecting the stoppage of a travelling ink donor sheet as soon as a recording sheet can be separated therefrom of the printing, in order to economize the consumption of the donor sheet.

Abstract: A step motor driving circuit having A-phase and B-phase exciting windings which are independently supplied with exciting current in a sequence of four states per step of the step motor. The driving circuit is capable of applying a large or a small current to each phase winding and the currents are applied in a sequence to result in a trapezoidal shaped exciting current. During a first state only one phase is excited and it is excited with the large current. During the second state the one phase is excited with the large current and the other phase with the small current. During the third state both phases are excited with large currents. During the fourth state the one phase is excited with the small current and the other phase with the large current.

Abstract: In a heat transfer recording apparatus, the recording medium and ink donor film are drawn from separate sources and joined together only for the recording operation.

Abstract: In a magnetic image recording device, selected portions of a magnetized magnetic medium are heated to temperatures less than the Curie temperature of the medium to reduce the local magnetization intensity and form a magnetic latent image. If desired, the temperatures of different portions can be varied to produce a shaded image.

Abstract: A compact thermosensitive printing machine includes a paper supply guide extending obliquely into a housing to a printing roller at its lower end, and a discharge tray on top of the supply guide for receiving the copied paper face-up after it has passed around the printing roller.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive recording apparatus includes a two-stage buffer memory for storing input video signals corresponding to one line, and a counter which determines the proportion of "black" signals in one line as the signals are input thereto. Whether printing of the line is to be carried out in one or plural operations is determined by the determined proportion, and a signal indicative of the number of operations is outputted to a block driver prior to the time when the corresponding video signals are outputted by the second stage of the buffer memory to a shift register.

Abstract: The invention relates to an image transmission process such as facsimile transmission wherein image data is converted into an electrical signal, transmitted over lines and then converted into a recorded image at the receiving end. Specifically, the invention concerns a process wherein conventional commercial electric power lines are used as the transmission line, such that facsimile or other image transmission may be easily effected within, for example, a single building or similarly limited area.

Abstract: A thermal recording method which prevents recording density defects includes preheating the heating elements of the thermal recording head during a time when printing is not carried out. Particularly, the head may be preheated during times when a line is not printed, as between adjacent character lines of a printed or typed document, to prevent recording density deterioration of the next printed line.