Abstract: A composite belt may include a profile, and a belt. The profile may have a strip, and nodules. The profile may be attached to the belt such that each nodule extends out from the belt. The composite belt may be included in a cooking apparatus that may also include a housing, a heat source, and a drive roller.

Abstract: A conveyor belt transport system involves a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a pair of rollers, and a conveyor belt. The rollers each include a shaft hole running from one end to the other end and each end of the shaft hole is fitted with radial spherical plain bearings. The respective radial spherical bearings ride on the drive shaft and the driven shaft. The conveyor belt wraps around the rollers that, respectively, surround the driving shaft and the driven shaft. The two ends of both the driving shaft and the driven shaft each include belt wheels and the outer end of the belt wheels each include a guard board. The conveyor belt comprises a timing belt on an inner surface of each outside edge of the conveyor belt, and the inner surface of the timing belt includes concave teeth that matingly engage the belt wheels.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a tractor comprises a guide shaft, a first belt unit, a second belt unit, a fixing unit and a connecting unit. The first belt unit is supported by the guide shaft so as to move in an axis direction of the guide shaft. The second belt unit is arranged to face the first belt unit in the axis direction of the guide shaft and supported by the guide shaft. The fixing unit, which is movably supported by the guide shaft in the axis direction of the guide shaft and is capable of being fixed on the guide shaft. The connecting unit configured to connect the first belt unit to the fixing unit with a clearance in the axis direction of the guide shaft.

Abstract: A printer has a tractor unit with a simple configuration that can prevent the feed holes in continuous paper from disengaging the engagement pins of the tractor unit during conveyance. The tractor unit of the printer has a pair of tractors that hold the continuous paper with tractor pins (engagement pins) engaged in sprocket holes (feed holes), a drive shaft and a support shaft that support the pair of tractors, and a frame that supports the drive shaft and support shaft. The first tractor is fixed in position to the support shaft after engaging and holding one side of the continuous paper, but the support shaft is supported on the frame movably widthwise to the printer. If the continuous paper becomes skewed, the first tractor moves with the support shaft widthwise to the printer following the skew, and the sprocket holes therefore do not disengage the tractor pins.

Abstract: A tape printer includes a holder support member at one side end in a roll sheet holder storage part in a direction substantially perpendicular to a feeding direction. In the holder support member, a mounting piece which is substantially rectangular in section and formed protruding outward on a positioning holding member of a roll sheet holder is fitted. The tape printer further includes a flat portion formed substantially horizontally between a rear edge of an insertion opening through which a roll sheet is inserted into the tape printer. On the flat portion, a front portion of a guide member is placed. At a rear edge of the flat portion in the feeding direction, at plural positions corresponding to various kinds of the roll sheets having different widths, there are formed four second positioning grooves in which part of the guide member is fitted.

Abstract: At least one paper web is drawn into a web-fed rotary printing press. A draw-in device is provided with permanently fixed pointed bars or spikes. These can be moved or oriented so that they penetrate the paper web only during drawing in of the web into the printing press.

Abstract: A printer includes a tractor unit for feeding continuous form paper, encoders driven in synchronization with a tractor belt, and detecting sensors for detecting rotation of the encoders to generate feed pulses at a standard interval. The printer further includes a paper top sensor which detects a leading edge of the continuous form paper to generate a paper top signal and is arranged to control the feeding of the paper based on a feed pulse generated after the paper top signal. In order to compensate for a delay of the paper top signal, the printer controller is arranged to determine if there is a delay in the paper top signal by comparing the time interval between the paper top signal and the feed pulse with a threshold value. The printer is so arranged that the threshold value is stored in a non-volatile memory and can be set after assembly of the printer.

Abstract: A paper delivery system having a printing unit with an upstream tractor and a downstream tractor disposed on an upstream side and a downstream side, respectively, of the paper delivery unit in the direction of paper delivery, a coupler coupling the upstream tractor and the downstream tractor to each other and a support shaft for supporting the coupler so that the coupler is movable in a direction transverse to the paper delivery direction and a resilient member positioned between the coupler and a fixed frame of the printing unit for energizing the coupler in a predetermined direction for constantly holding the coupler at a certain position in relation to the support shaft.

Abstract: A continuous form printer includes a tractor feed system that adapts to changes in paper width while printing. A tractor body is movable on a shaft, and a movable housing supporting tractor pulleys and a tractor belt is resiliently movable with respect to the tractor body. A locking member, in a first position, allows the tractor body to be adjusted for paper size while holding a movable member. In a second position, the locking member holds the tractor body in place, and frees the movable member to move relative to the tractor body, so that the movable member, supporting the tractor pulleys and belt, may resiliently move to compensate for changes in paper width during printing.

Abstract: A tractor and a continuous paper feed mechanism using the same which can more accurately convey continuous paper in a forward or reverse paper conveying direction by compensating for an increase or decrease in the width (taper) of the continuous paper due to a change in temperature or humidity. The change in paper width is compensated for by either employing a tractor having a pin belt that can incline relative to the paper conveying direction or by employing a tractor that pivots in accordance with the change in paper width to incline the pin belt.

Abstract: A paper feed device for feeding continuous stationery (12), provided with lateral perforations, into the transport elements (44) of a transfer station (17) of a non-mechanical printing device, in which paper feed device the transfer station (17) has in the transport direction of the continuous stationery paper transport belts (44) which are motor-driven both on the input and on the output side and engage in the lateral perforation of the continuous stationery (12), and a paper brake (31), which can be actuated when required, is arranged upstream of the input-side transport elements (47) in the transport direction. A switch device (D, C) is provided to feed the continuous stationery accurately after the continuous stationery (12) has been deposited in the output-side paper transport elements (48), which switch device drives the output-side paper transport elements (48) at least for a predeterminable feed time when the paper brake (31) is activated.

Abstract: A feeding apparatus for a metal belting has a basic plate being capable of supporting the metal belting, which has a plurality of through-holes in a feeding direction. The basic plate has slit formed in the feeding direction and a plurality of traveling plates are provided beneath and in parallel to the basic plate. The traveling plates are movable in the feeding direction of the metal belting. A driving mechanism for moving the traveling plates in the feeding direction of the metal belting is provided as well as a plurality of feeding pins which are vertically pierced through the traveling plates. Springs bias the feeding pins downward. A plate cam is provided beneath the traveling plates. The plate cam is capable of applying force to upwardly move the feeding pins, against the springs, in a prescribed range.

Abstract: A two piece feed member providing a less costly replacement and the ability to adjust the feed member's length. The two piece configuration only requires that the wearing portion be replaced, and not the entire feed member. This allows for a significant cost savings. Different feed mechanisms require different length feed members, and therefore, an adjustable length feed member allows for the use of one universal feed member.

Abstract: A document feed tractor in which pins which drive the paper upon entry into perforations in margins of the paper along the edges thereof are connected to a belt on beams cantilever mounted thereto. A guide and support bar holds the beams and the pins down so that they travel along a linear path entering and leaving the perforations at opposite ends of the path. In order to drive the paper precisely, especially at high speeds where the belt and pins start and stop, without denting or ticking the paper and to maintain alignment of multi-part documents (without shingling), an adjustable shelf is located on the inside of the tractor so that the paper overlies the shelf. The elevation of the shelf with respect to the pins is selectively set in accordance with the thickness of the paper. The tractor can then be set so that the web is maintained at the center line or pitch line of the belt, thereby insuring precision feeding of the form even at high speeds with rapid accelerations and decelerations.

Abstract: A preferred embodiment of this continuous-form electrophotographic printer as illustrated in the drawings having an image transfer device 38 positioned at the image transfer station for placing images on individual sheets 14 of a continuous-form 12. Downstream, a distance A, is a fixing device at an image fixing station 32 for fixing the image onto the individual sheet 14. The printer 10 includes a control means 76 for moving the continuous sheet forward when a stop signal is received to position a leading edge of a sheet at the image fixing station 32. When a restart signal is received, the control system initiates the continuous-form feeding means 38 to move the continuous-form 12 forward until a leading edge of a succeeding sheet is positioned at the image transfer station.

Abstract: The twintractor is a device designed to be incorporated into a wide carriage personal computer printer, or supplied as an accessory to such a printer or a typewriter, giving it the capability of transporting and printing upon, in the alternative, one of two continuous paper media. The availability of such a device will provide the users of personal computers or typewriters with the flexiblility to print jobs on more than one kind of paper output media without the repeated necessity of changing paper encountered in standard 80-column width printers or carriages. A means for changing the zero position or left margin for the print head when the choice of print media is made is also incorporated in the device, as well as paper sensors, paper parking detectors, and removable tractors.

Abstract: A tractor feed mechanism for feeding print forms comprises a continuous flexible pin belt wrapped around a pair of drive pulleys rotatably supported by a tractor body. Pins projecting from the flexible belt engage the forms via perforation in the forms. A door pivotally connected to the tractor body and is rotatable between an open condition in which paper can be placed on or removed from the pins and a closed position in which the forms can be restrained from becoming disengaged from the pins during feeding by the pin belt. A cam rotatable with the door and a spring is operable therewith produce a first restraining force on the door in its closed position which allows the door to be lifted a predetermined amount by the forms during feeding by the pin belt to accommodate variations in the thickness of the forms caused by buckling or folds.

Abstract: A web feed tractor mechanism 10 is illustrated in the drawings for moving a web material in a longitudinal direction in which the web material has perforations along edge sections 16 and 18 for enabling precision movement of the web particularly for use in computer output printing. The web tractor mechanism has two parallel tractors 34 and 36 that support and drive tractor drive belts 54 and 56. The belts 54 and 56 have drive pins 70 and 72 respectively for engaging the perforations along the opposite side edge section 16 and 18. Preferably the pins 70 have a reduced cross-section that is both longitudinally and laterally symmetrical, with lateral and longitudinal dimensions that are substantially equal. The surfaces of the pins 70 engage the inside edge of the perforations and drive the web forward while preventing lateral movement of the edge section 16 to provide lateral stability.

Abstract: A feeding means for feeding a material web in a packaging machine comprises feeding chains, sprocket wheels and an engagement element for feeding the feeding chains. In order to facilitate the insertion and clamping of the material web the engagement member is designed such that in a first portion of the travelling section the movable clamping member is lifted from the fixed clamping member in a substantially vertical direction and in a second portion of the travelling section following the first portion the movable clamping member is additionally moved laterally away from the edge of the material web to be gripped.

Abstract: A cable drive system is provided in which a fixedly mounted reversible motor imparts translational motion to a plurality of pairs of elements such as the right and left pairs of paper moving tractors in a high-speed printer. By means of a continuous cable loop routed around passive rotational elements, each element of a pair of elements, each of which is rigidly attached to the cable, can be translated the same distance in the same direction as the other while the relative alignment of one element with respect to the other element is maintained. Means for selectively translating one pair of elements independently or a plurality of pairs of elements simultaneously while maintaining the distance between the pairs are provided.

Abstract: A device for horizontally positioning and maintaining the horizontal tension on paper forms as they are transported through a printer. The device employs a single control knob to make all position adjustments to the paper tractors which grip the computer forms. The device utilizes a cable pulley system to position the paper tractors. The control knob has a first position in which adjustment of the tension on the paper form is facilitated and a second position which facilitates adjustment of the position of the paper form within the printer.

Abstract: A miniature variable drive pin projection mechanism is disclosed for driving a conveyer belt to transport semiconductor chips from a test point to a sequence of sorting locations. The drive wheel is mounted to an indexing shaft which is sequentially rotated in a start and stop mode. The wheel has spring-loaded pins which are radially mounted in the wheel and are spring-loaded so as to be withdrawn from the peripheral surface of the wheel. Drive means are provided to actuate the pins during only 60 degree rotation of the wheel. During the remainder of 300 degree rotation of the wheel, there is substantially frictionless engagement.The resultant mechanism significantly reduces wear, vibration and misregistration of the assembly and lengthens its operating life.

Abstract: A tractor for a web feeding assembly has a chassis providing a pair of apertures extending therethrough and a belt extending thereabout. A drive pulley mounted in one of the chassis apertures is engaged with the driven surface of the belt and has an aperture therethrough receiving the drive shaft. Resiliently deflectable means on the pulley defines at least a portion of the shaft receiving aperture and resiliently bears upon the drive shaft over a portion of its length. The deflectable means provides a passage portion of reduced cross section to engage the surface of the shaft. As a result, irregularities in the drive shaft, and variations in axial spacing of the shafts occuring during operation, may be accommodated by deflection of the deflectable means.

Abstract: A device for tensioning a data carrier which is moved by feed tractors, such as a paper sheet moving past a printing station in a non-mechanical printer or copier in which the feed tractors consist of a toothed belt entrained about pairs of wheels, the teeth of the belt engaging perforations in the side margins of the data carrier, has a cam mounted on a shaft between the wheels in a feed tractor. The wheels are mounted on a guide block having a bearing element which acts as a cam follower so that by rotating the cam the wheels are synchronously displaced so as to suitably tension the data carrier in the printing station.

Abstract: An arrangement for guiding and holding a print web moving between cylinders of a rotary printing machine has an element for preventing slippage of the web between the cylinders, located in a passage of one of the cylinders and extending at least to the outer surface of the latter so as to cooperate with the print web.

Abstract: The packaging machine for producing packages from a packaging material web has a feeding chain for feeding the web. The endless feeding chain is mounted on spaced sprocket wheels and has chain links provided with improved clamping members for clamping the web at one of its lateral edges. The clamping members include on each chain link a first clamping member secured on or integral with the associated chain link, a cooperating second clamping member having a guiding shaft guided in a guiding opening of the first clamping member, a flanged sleeve surrounding the guiding shaft with its flange portion adjacent the first clamping member and a pressure spring engaging between the flange portion and an abutment member mounted on one end of the guiding shaft opposed to the second clamping member.

Abstract: A bi-directional feed mechanism for webs, especially for plotting and generating special characters, forms and shapes on the webs, uses twin pairs of tractors which feed a web around a loop which may contain a platen roller. Each pair of tractors is mounted on and driven by its own drive shaft. The drive shaft of one of the tractor pairs is driven from the drive shaft of the other tractor pair through a manually releasable clutch which may be mounted on, and movable along the axis of, the driven shaft. The tension in the loop may be adjusted by releasing the clutch so that one of the tractor pairs may be driven while the other is stationary. Webs and other documents which may vary in length and require tension adjustments may readily be fed by means of the mechanism. The arrangement of the tractors also enables the webs to be easily loaded from the top.

Abstract: A drive tractor of the type usually mounted in pairs at opposite edges of a web of edge-perforated sheet material such as printout paper has an endless drive belt mounted on a chassis. The chassis is movably mounted on a base member locked to a support bar. A positioning screw permits fine lateral shifting of th chassis relative to the base member to adjust transverse tension in the web. The drive belt preferably has pins projecting from it to engage edge perforations in the web and is trained over sprocket wheels having teeth which engage a tread on the inner surface of the belt. The sprocket wheel is engaged by a drive shaft. The sprocket teeth and belt tread are respectively configured to mesh only in a selected position of the pins relative to the rotational position of the sprocket wheel. This automatically transversely aligns the pins of paired tractors mounted on a common drive shaft.

Abstract: A drive tractor of the type usually mounted in pairs at opposite edges of a web of edge-perforated sheet material such as printout paper has an endless drive belt mounted on a chassis. The drive belt has pin members projecting from it to engage edge perforations in the web and is engaged with a drive wheel having sprocket teeth which engage a drive formation on the inner surface of the belt. The sprocket wheel is engaged by a drive shaft to be driven thereby. The sprocket teeth and belt tread are respectively configured to mesh only in a predetermined relative position of the pin members relative to the rotational position of the drive wheel. The drive wheel is configured to seat on the drive shaft in a predetermined rotational orientation. Therefore, when a pair of such tractors is mounted on a common drive shaft their respective drive wheels are in the same rotational orientation which automatically transversely aligns the respective pin members of the paired tractors.

Abstract: In order to clamp a document metering tractor to a support shaft which together with a drive shaft provide a mounting for the tractor and without causing interference, such as binding, with the drive imparted by the drive shaft, a device is provided for clamping the tractor to the support shaft. This device consists of two parts one of which contains a split ring through which the support shaft extends and the other is a member for closing the ring and retaining it in closed condition. The split ring part may be a collet located internally of the tractor or a sleeve extending externally of the tractor and having the split ring as a portion thereof. In either case, a floating connection is provided between the split ring part and the tractor such as may be afforded by an enlarged opening in the tractor which contains the split ring part.

Abstract: A document feeder capable of handling continuous length document materials such as computer fanfold, the feeder having spaced belts with angled projections thereon adapted to engage perforations in the document material to cause the document material to ride up on the projections during a feed cycle to lift the document material from the copy platen of the machine and prevent scrubbing of the document thereon.

Abstract: A sprocket drive device for a computer form feeder for transporting a computer printout web having predeterminedly spaced apertures along the edges thereof along the upper and lower surfaces and about a free end of a copyboard overlying the copy platen of a copying machine, including a pin chain assembly mounted on spaced driven sprocket and idler wheels. The pin chain assembly includes a plurality of predeterminedly spaced pins extending therefrom for receipt in the spaced apertures of the web. The pins travel along an endless path between the wheels spaced from the upper and lower surfaces of the copyboard, respectively. A guide and stripper member is provided on the sprocket drive for guiding the web from the pins to the copyboard surface and vice-versa while avoiding the tearing of the web material about the apertures. The guide and stripper member includes upper and lower central portions extending between the wheels for guiding the web along upper and lower planes passing through the base of the pins.

Abstract: A form feed device having at least one form feed mounted in a frame so that it can be moved transversely to the feed direction on a slide shaft which itself can be turned between at least an open and a locking position.

Abstract: Stop feed mechanism for feeding continuous stock having uniformly spaced abutments thereon in which a resiliently biased dog is moved rearwardly over an abutment and then is moved forwardly in a feeding stroke in which it engages the abutment. Means are provided for sensing when the supply of continuous stock is nearly exhausted and for interrupting further feed by blocking engagement of the dog with an abutment during the feeding stroke.

Abstract: Pin belt mechanism for movement of a continuous strip or web which has pin feed holes. The belt is annular and the pins are attached thereto along the length thereof, between the side edges thereof. The pins are easily and readily inserted into the belt and removed therefrom. The belt is rotatable and during at least a portion of each revolution engages a ramp which accurately directs each pin into a hole in the web for movement of the web. Each pin, in a substantially vertical position, moves in a straight line as it assists in movement of the strip. The pin then smoothly moves from the hole without further engagement with the web during that rotative cycle of the belt.Each pin has one end portion which constitutes a web drive portion and which engages the web for movement thereof. The other end of each pin is a belt drive portion as the belt drive portion of the pin is movable into a recess in a drive wheel so that the pin and the belt move substantially linearly with rotative movement of the drive wheel.