Abstract: The disclosure concerns an index wheel for use in a printing device. The device includes a plurality of type wheels which are coaxially juxtaposed to one another in independently rotatable manner. The outer circumference of each type wheel carries a multiplicity of lands respectively bearing types. The outer circumference of the type wheel also has a multiplicity of engagement grooves, each formed between two adjacent lands. An index wheel of the invention is engageable with each type wheel to rotationally drive the type wheel when the index wheel is manually rotated through a selecting shaft by means of a selecting knob. The index wheel includes a ring-shaped body. A multiplicity of teeth are formed on the outer circumference of the ring-shaped body and are circumferentially spaced such that they engage with the engagement grooves of the respective type wheel. A multiplicity of index letters are respectively borne on the outer circumference of the ring-shaped body between any two adjacent teeth.

Abstract: A drum type bar code line printer of the type has groups of predetermined kinds of bar code printing types which are arranged along the circumference of a printing drum in predetermined rows which are distributed along the axial direction of the drum. In each row, a non-printing (non-impact) area corresponding to the width of a bar code type is essentially formed adjacent to one end in the axial direction of the drum of each bar code type which has a black bar portion extending from said one end of the type through the predetermined modules of the type. The printer of the present invention is thereby free from the generation of so-called ghost images which are undesirably imprinted by adjacent bar code types.

Abstract: A printing position adjusting mechanism is disclosed for use in a printer of the type in which a printing head is carried on the leading end portion of a yoke and the row of types of the printing head is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the yoke. The printing position adjusting mechanism includes an externally threaded adjusting ring, which is screwed into the internally threaded hole formed in the front frame plate of the yoke, and its leading end face abuts the opposed leading end face of the yoke. This causes the printing head to be moved longitudinally of the yoke, thereby to adjust the printing position thereof relative to the yoke. For fixing the printing head at a desired printing position to the yoke, an internally threaded hole is formed in the leading end face of the yoke, and a fixing screw is inserted into a center hole through the adjusting ring and extends into the threaded hole in the yoke.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns an ink supply device for use in a labeling machine. The ink supply device includes at least one inking roller. Guide slots formed in the side plates of the frame of the labeling machine guide the inking roller to roll over the printing surface of a printing head. Guide rollers that support the inking roller are received in the guide slots. In another embodiment, there are additional bearing plates attached at both ends of an inking roller. These plates are engageable with the lower end surfaces of the printing head. In other embodiments, two inking rollers are provided. Each inking roller is biased and guided in a different way. Springs may bias both rollers toward the print surface, or may bias only one roller. The rollers main embodiment may be guided to vertically shift over the print surface by the guide slot in the frame.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is such a printing device to be used with a hand labeler or the like that is enabled to prevent a printing medium, such as labels or tags, from being thinly printed and so that averaged clean prints may be made at all times. The printing device includes an actuating lever for bringing a printing head into and out of engagement with a printing medium so that the printing medium may be imprinted. A counting mechanism cooperates with the actuating lever for counting the number of prints. When the counting mechanism counts a predetermined number of prints, a print stopping mechanism stops the operation of the actuating lever. A print returning mechanism releases the stopped condition of the actuating lever so that the printable condition may be restored.

Abstract: A hand operated label printing machine in which a series of labels are incrementally fed onto a printing platen in response to the squeezing of a hand lever so that they may be imprinted with selected indicia. The hand labeler is equipped with an ink supply device, comprising a holder that holds two inking rollers. The holder is movable to bring the inking rollers into and out of contact with the types of the printing device to ink them. The ink supply device is actuated by a mechanism which is comprised of a combination of a cam pivotally attached to the machine frame and a roller pivotable with the printing head supporting printing lever for being received in the cam and for pivoting the cam with the printing lever. A link joins the cam with the holder, so that pivoting of the cam moves the holder. Guide grooves in the machine frame regulate the inking roller motion along different loci. The link has a slot in it which prevents the holder from linear protrusion to the front of the labeler frame.

Abstract: A pressure sensitive label strip comprises a tape-like strip of label material that is overlaid on a tape-like strip of backing material. Parting cut lines extend transversely across the strip of label material at regular intervals to form a plurality of unit label pieces. Feeding cut lines are defined in the effective portions of each unit label piece except the marginal portion of the label piece to form first feeding tongues. Other feeding cut lines are defined in the backing material at the positions corresponding to the abovementioned feeding cut lines to form second feeding tongues which are of a different shape from that of the first feeding tongues.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns a bar code printing device for use with the printing head of a portable label printing and applying machine, or the like. A plurality of juxtaposed index rings are selectively turned by a selecting member and each index ring turns a corresponding meshing bar code type ring into a selected printing position. The type rings are also juxtaposed. A rotary member is also turned by the selecting member for causing straight line reciprocating movement of an actuating member across the axis of the rotary member and this in turn moves a thrust member in the axial direction of the type rings. The thrust member is moved to bias the type rings during the printing operation so that the type rings are forced into close contact. The thrust member is also moved to permit the type rings to be left as they are, during the imprintable type selecting operation, so that the type rings are spaced by gaps which facilitate the selective rotation of the rings by the selecting member.

Abstract: A correction label applying device for use with a portable label printing machine is disclosed. The device comprises a price tag holding device for temporarily holding a price tag to be corrected. The price tag holding device is mounted on a guide at the underside of the portable label printing machine so as to be movable between an operative forward position, in which it holds a price tag or the like in a position to receive at a predetermined location thereon a correction label piece fed out by the portable label printing machine, and a rest rearward position, in which the price tag holding device is positioned rearwardly from the correction label exit of the printing machine so as not to interfere with the label printing machine being operated to print and apply a label in the usual manner.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns a drum type line printer for printing bar codes in a line. The drum type line printer includes information bars which are arranged in a preset numnber of files or bar code characters in a line. Two files or bar code characters of control bars, serving as start and end code bars, are arranged in line with the respective line of information bars. The same number of printing hammers are provided as the number of files or characters of the information bars. Each information bar is struck by a respective hammer so that the bar codes thereof may be printed. The control bars are simultaneously hit by those printing hammers which hit the information bars in the adjacent files.

Abstract: An ink supply device for inking the types of a hand labeler device, usually including at least two inking rollers which are rotatable over the type surfaces of a printing head; these ink rollers are removably held in an ink roller assembly which is, in turn, removably held in a movable holder; guide grooves in the side walls of the hand labeler frame guide the ink rollers over the type surfaces; roller cartridge frames are attached removably to the ink roller assembly for holding the ink rollers; retaining projections formed on at least one of the cartridge frames retain it in the holder and the projections act as knobs for attachment and removal of the corresponding cartridge frame, thus facilitating replacement of the ink rollers.

Abstract: A constant printing pressure mechanism for a label printing machine: in one embodiment, a pressure applying roller is attached to the free ends of the yokes or printing levers that support the printing head; a resilient pressure receiving member which is pivotally supported on the machine frame and is abutted by the pressure roller; when the hand lever is squeezed, the pressure roller is pressed to the pressure receiving member; when the force of the pressure roller both pivots the receiving member a permitted maximum distance and overcomes the compressive stress in the resilient pressure receiving member and deflects the member, then the printing stroke is effected; in another embodiment, the pressure applying roller is on the frame and the resilient pressure receiving means is on the hand lever; the pressure receiving means comprises: a supporting member attached to a hand lever; a pressure controlling member which is pivotally secured to the hand lever; a pressure receiving piece having a cam surface on th

Abstract: The disclosure concerns a printing platen for use with a hand labeler, or the like. The platen assures there will be clear imprint by the types of the printing head, with all characters having an averaged density, even if there are discrepancies in the heights and orientations among the type surfaces of the printing head of the hand labeler. The platen includes an impression plate formed from an elastic member having a rough surface, onto which a continuous strip of labels is fed and against which the type surfaces are contacted through the label strip. The impression plate roughness may comprise multiple parallel corrugations or an array of a large number of projections, e.g. a checkerboard array. These projections may have any of square, pyramid, hexagonal and semispherical cross-sectional shapes.

Abstract: A type character selecting mechanism for use in a printing head which is equipped with a plurality of juxtaposed endless bands bearing type characters on their outer surfaces. The mechanism includes a plurality of juxtaposed selecting gears engageable with the corresponding endless bands for turning the same. Each of the selecting gears is formed on its inner side with a series of internal teeth. A selecting shaft is axially slidable through coaxial holes of the gears and is rotatable. The selecting shaft has a locking member at its inner end which is engageable with the internal teeth of one of the gears for locking the same in position. The type characters borne on the two outer bands are semi-fixed; the type characters borne on the remaining inner bands are changeable. The selecting gears for turning the outer bands have their internal teeth angularly displaced from internal teeth of the selecting gears for turning the remaining inner bands.

Abstract: A hand operated label printing machine in which a series of labels are serially fed onto a printing platen in response to the squeezing of a hand lever so that they may be imprinted with selected indicia. The hand labeler is equipped with a constant pressure printing mechanism interposed between the hand lever and the frame of the hand labeler. That mechanism comprises a biased cam pivotally mounted to the hand lever and a roller on a biased support which support is pivotally mounted to the machine frame. The cam and roller are brought into abutment contact while the hand lever is being squeezed, and springs bias them into abutment and prevent their bypassage. The label printing force is the force that has to be applied for the cam to ride over the roller, which occurs when one of the springs resiliently deforms.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns an attaching mechanism for attaching and detaching the inking device of a portable label printing machine, or the like. The attaching mechanism includes a supporting device which is attached to the machine body of the label printing machine. An ink applicator having an inking roller is detachably secured to the supporting device. Stoppers are formed on the supporting device. The stoppers are each comprised of a guide section for guiding emplacing motion of the ink applicator, a stopper section for determining the extent of ink applicator insertion and a retaining section for supporting a portion of the ink applicator and for preventing its leaving the supporting device. The ink applicator is brought into engagement with the supporting device.

Abstract: A clog prevention device is disclosed for use with a label printing and applying machine. The clog prevention device includes a pair of juxtaposed label guide walls which extend longitudinally up from and at both sides of the printing platen. A label receiving recess is formed in the upper surface of the printing platen between the label guide walls and that recess has a larger width than that of the label strip so that at least both side edges of the label strip may be prevented from contacting the label guide walls of the platen, whereby adhesive at the edges of the label strip does not foul the platen. Label relief grooves are also formed along both sides of the label receiving recess for the same reasons. Openings extend through the platen at the edges of the recess in the upper surface of the platen so that label chips formed when the label strip is pierced or punched during label strip feeding can move away from the label strip.