Abstract: Replaceable ink ribbon cartridge and thermal head unit are incorporated in a recording device in such a state that they can be attached into and detached from a printing position defined in the recording device through a front opening formed in the front of the recording device. The thermal head unit with a thermal printing head is movable back and forth toward a thermal-transfer ink ribbon contained in the ink ribbon cartridge in a direction perpendicular to a card transfer passage along which a recording medium such as a card is fed to a recording station. The ink ribbon cartridge and thermal head unit mounted in the device can be taken out perpendicularly to the direction in which the thermal head unit moves toward the card transfer passage, so that they can be replaced from the front of the recording device, thus rendering handling of the device easy.

Abstract: A recording device having a first card transfer passage with a card supply unit and a second card transfer passage intersecting the first card transfer passage enables the component elements including an information recording means such as a thermal-transfer printer to be assembled compact and efficiently handle one or more cards at one time. Such rational arrangement of the first and second card transfer passages includes a card turning means located at the intersection of the passages for transferring the card between the first and second card transfer passages and recording or printing information on either or both surfaces of the card. By adding a third card transfer passage extending radially from the intersection of the first and second card transfer passages, desired information can be recorded on the card in different manner.

Abstract: A very-small-signal amplifier is capable of amplifying very small signals with high sensitivity up to high frequencies while simplifying the circuit, and a magnetic disk storage apparatus realizes a reading operation over a wide band up to high frequencies with high sensitivity. The signal amplifier is a modified differential circuit including a first transistor of a first conductivity type and a second transistor of a second conductivity type each having a control terminal, a terminal of the input side and a terminal of the output side. The terminals on the input side are connected in common, and a current corresponding to the voltage difference across the control terminals is allowed to flow. A very small voltage signal generated by an input signal source is applied to the control terminal of said first transistor. A bias voltage is applied to the control terminal of the second transistor.

Abstract: A very-small-signal amplifier is capable of amplifying very small signals with high sensitivity up to high frequencies while simplifying the circuit, and a magnetic disk storage apparatus realizes a reading operation over a wide band up to high frequencies with high sensitivity. The signal amplifier is a modified differential circuit including a first transistor of a first conductivity type and a second transistor of a second conductivity type each having a control terminal, a terminal of the input side and a terminal of the output side. The terminals on the input side are connected in common, and a current corresponding to the voltage difference across the control terminals is allowed to flow. A very small voltage signal generated by an input signal source is applied to the control terminal of said first transistor. A bias voltage is applied to the control terminal of the second transistor.

Abstract: A very-small-signal amplifier is capable of amplifying very small signals with high sensitivity up to high frequencies while simplifying the circuit, and a magnetic disk storage apparatus realizes a reading operation over a wide band up to high frequencies with high sensitivity. The signal amplifier is a modified differential circuit including a first transistor of a first conductivity type and a second transistor of a second conductivity type each having a control terminal, a terminal of the input side and a terminal of the output side. The terminals on the input side are connected in common, and a current corresponding to the voltage difference across the control terminals is allowed to flow. A very small voltage signal generated by an input signal source is applied to the control terminal of said first transistor. A bias voltage is applied to the control terminal of the second transistor.

Abstract: A head holder incorporating a thermal printing head is detachably mounted in a printing position defined in a thermal transfer printer by use of guide means. The head holder secured by the guide means is vertically moved by means for vertically moving the head holder so as to be positioned at a stand-by point in non-operation of printing, and at a print working point in operation of printing. When the head holder demounted for exchanging or other possible purposes is replaced in the printing position, the head holder is restrained by lateral and longitudinal spring members, thus being placed in an adequate printing position, so as to enable excellent printing on a recording medium such as ID cards to be successfully performed without marring the essential printing quality.

Abstract: A timing adjusting circuit is provided to define the operating order of a differential amplifier circuit for amplifying read-out signals and an output circuit in order to minimize changes in output DC level. A damping resistor is disposed between two magnetic head terminals and a clamp circuit in a magnetic head driving circuit. To attend to a composite head configuration, short-circuiting with a power supply and a current flowing into the magnetic head during a non-write operation are detected as abnormalities. In addition, short-circuiting and open-circuiting of the magnetic head are also detected as abnormalities. Also, a read circuit is added to a write magnetic head, in order to output read-out signals in a read mode, so that the read-out signals are utilized for detecting errors in read-out signals from an exclusively designed read head or for detecting and correcting such errors.

Abstract: In a thermal transfer color printer, three principal portions composed of a sheet feed portion for sending out printing sheets one by one, a printing portion for printing the sheet with thermal transfer color inks, and a sheet discharge portion having a sheet discharge tray for receiving the printed sheet are arranged in a Y-shape around a branch portion. Thus, the passage for feeding the printing sheet and the overall size of the printer are reduced, whereby multicolored prints of good quality can be obtained without misregistration of coloring.

Abstract: A recording device having a first card transfer passage with a card supply unit and a second card transfer passage intersecting the first card transfer passage enables the component elements including an information recording means such as a thermal-transfer printer to be assembled compact and efficiently handle one or more cards at one time. Such rational arrangement of the first and second card transfer passages includes a card turning means located at the intersection of the passages for transferring the card between the first and second card transfer passages and recording or printing information on either or both surfaces of the card. By adding a third card transfer passage extending radially from the intersection of the first and second card transfer passages, desired information can be recorded on the card in different manner.