Abstract: An apparatus for transporting and for printing print media has an inclined guide plate and a transport mechanism orthogonal to this guide plate and an auxiliary device. An ink jet print head controlled by a control unit is rigidly arranged in a recess of the guide plate during printing. The recess is fashioned such that the print medium has a printed region lying free downstream. The print medium transported with the transport mechanism lies without any mechanical clamping against the auxiliary device, that has an ascending guide and allows a defined slippage perpendicular to the transport mechanism surface. Independently of the slope of the floor area of the machine, a non-contacting printing with the ink print head ensues with high print quality for print media transported standing or lying. A placement device precedes the guide plate for the adaptation of the inclination angle .alpha..

Abstract: Cloth is successively conveyed by a supply roller and a take up roller over a platen which opposes an ink jet head selectively jetting ink. The platen has an opening formed at a surface opposing to the ink jet head, and an air suction opening behind the opening of the platen is connected to an air suction unit through an air path. At the time of dyeing, fluff on the surface of the cloth opposing to the ink jet head is sucked and laid down on the surface of the cloth by air suction by the air suction unit, and ink is appropriately jetted to the surface of the cloth from the ink jet head. Therefore, ink jet is not hindered by the fluff on the surface of the cloth at the time of dyeing. Therefore, ink drops can reach the desired position on the surface of the cloth, and satisfactory dyeing without any distortion in patterns is performed.

Abstract: Information is printed onto an identification card using an ink jet printer. The ink jet printer includes a tray which moves the card in a first direction and a print head which moves relative to the card in a second direction. An ink receiving surface may be deposited onto the card prior to ink jet printing. A magnetic recording head is optionally included in the printer whereby information may be magnetically recorded onto the card.

Abstract: A device for printing stock standing on edge, in particular a piece of mail in postage meters and/or addressing machines includes a guide plate along which the stock slides. The guide plate is inclined relative to the vertical and has a recessed region for a printing device. A rotating conveyor advances the stock along the guide plate. The printing device is an ink jet printing device with at least one ink jet print head. The recessed region includes at least one cutout and a downstream region of the guide plate is so far recessed from a bearing surface for the stock that there is no contact with the latter in that location. That ensures sufficient penetration time for ink and prevents smearing of the printed image. Pressure elements with a pressure plate are fastened to the conveyor. The pressure plate is moved against spring force toward and away from the guide plate and presses the stock against the same. A friction lining fastened to the pressure plate carries the stock.

Abstract: Mailing machine comprising a printer module including an array of ink jet print elements for printing on an envelope having a top surface, a registration shield located below and spaced apart from the printer module and a transport apparatus. The registration shield includes a top surface and a bottom surface and has an opening through which the array of ink jet print elements project ink onto the top surface of the envelope. The transport apparatus feeds the envelope in a path of travel so that the envelope passes between the registration shield and the printer module. Additionally, the transport apparatus includes a device for biasing the top surface of the envelope into contact with the registration shield.

Abstract: A piezoelectric ink jet printing system including a primary ink supply and a plurality of piezoelectric ink jet printhead assemblies. Each assembly comprises a housing, a piezoelectric ink jet printhead in the housing, a secondary ink supply attached to the housing close to the printhead, and a short ink supply line for delivery of ink from the secondary ink supply to the printhead. The system further includes a pump for pumping ink from the primary ink supply to the secondary ink supply of each printhead assembly. Each printhead assembly is operable independently of the other printhead assemblies and are selectively movable with respect to the other printhead assemblies and with respect to the primary ink supply so that each printhead assembly can be positioned at a desired location without regard to where the other printhead assemblies are to be positioned and without regard to where the primary ink supply is positioned.

Abstract: An apparatus for printing on flat items during conveyance thereof in an item advancing direction include a perforated transport belt having a width, an outer face and an inner face. The outer face is oriented toward a first side of the perforated transport belt and the inner face is oriented toward a second side of the perforated transport belt. A cover belt is superposed on the inner face of the perforated transport belt for holding by friction an item sandwiched between the perforated transport belt and the cover belt. A drive moves the perforated transport belt and the cover belt together in the item advancing direction. A vacuum device extends along the outer face of the perforated transport belt on the first side thereof for pressing the item, sandwiched between and advanced by the perforated transport belt and the cover belt, with a pressing force against the inner face of the cover belt in a direction substantially perpendicular to the item advancing direction.

Abstract: A device for printing stock standing on one edge, in particular a piece of mail in a postage meter and/or addressing machine, includes a guide plate for the stock which is inclined relative to the vertical and has a recessed region for a printing device. A rotating conveyor has a conveying plane which extends orthogonal to the guide plate and on which the stock stands on one edge and is transported in one direction while resting against the guide plate. The recessed region includes at least one cutout and a region of the guide plate downstream of the cutout is so far recessed from a bearing surface for the stock that there is no contact with the latter in this location. This ensures sufficient penetration time for the ink and prevents smearing of the printed image. The printing device is an ink jet printing device which is stationary during printing and which has a nozzle plane that extends parallel to the guide plate. The guide plate is inclined a maximum of 45.degree. from vertical.

Abstract: An ink printer for printing on a recording medium using a liquid ink includes at least one rotatable member arranged in a region of a transport path of the recording medium. The rotatable member is located so as to be capable of contacting liquid ink for forming an image on the recording medium. The rotatable member includes a radially outermost perimeter portion which serves as a recording medium contacting peripheral surface. The outermost perimeter portion has an outermost edge which is continuously contactable with the printing surface of the recording medium. The bonding force with respect to the ink on the outermost edge is less than the sum of a bonding force between the recording medium and the ink on a surface of the recording medium, and the cohesive force of the ink itself on the surface of the recording medium. As a result adherence of the ink to the contacting peripheral surface of the at least one rotatable member is prevented.

Abstract: Clamping apparatus for disk-shaped information medium having a central hole, the disk-shaped information medium having a surface upon which information is to be printed, including a baseplate having holes; a slider guidably mounted on the baseplate for centering the disk-shaped information medium with the central hole; stationary holding elements arranged on the baseplate, and movable holding elements arranged on the slider, in such a way that when an information medium is placed in the clamping apparatus, a predetermined number of the stationary and movable holding elements are arranged along the outer periphery of the information medium, and the remainder of the stationary and movable holding elements are arranged along the inner periphery of the central hole of the information medium; a bottom plate positioned under the baseplate and movable perpendicular thereto; and information medium contact elements which are formed on the bottom plate and adapted to pass through holes in the baseplate and contact the

Abstract: A system for ink jet printing of messages on articles being fed forward one after another in a predetermined path. A terminal includes a keyboard for entering message data representative of the messages. A controller interconnected with the terminal processes the message data received from the terminal and stores the message data for the messages. The controller has an output port for providing serial output data in a bit map format representative of the messages. A plurality of ink jet printheads are serially connected and positioned adjacent the path of the articles to print the messages on the articles in response to the serial output data. A single cable connects the output port of the controller to the first printhead for providing the output data to the first printhead. A separate cable interconnects each printhead to its next succeeding printhead for serially providing the data to the remaining printheads so that the printheads are connected in a daisy chain configuration.

Abstract: A cassette includes a cassette main member. The cassette main member has recessed and convexed surface regions on which color printing is formed. The color printing is formed by ejecting ink vertically downward from a series of three ink jet printing heads to form two printed layers and a third, protective layer. The first printed layer is a solid white base coating on which the second layer is printed. This second layer is full-color and is based on picture information. The third layer is formed over the full-color second layer and serves as a protective coating.

Abstract: A mailing machine is disclosed in which a digital printing device, preferably of the ink jet type, is mounted for movement between one of two printing positions, in one of which the printing device will print a postage indicia direction on envelopes being fed through the mailing machine, and in the other of which the printing device prints the postage indicia on a strip of tape which is extracted from the mailing machine and affixed to an envelope which is incapable of being fed through the mailing machine. There is also a third position for the printing device which is a maintenance position to which the printing device is moved after each or some other predetermined number of printing cycles for the purpose of cleaning the ink ejecting portion of the printing device and/or maintaining a suitable high ink solvent vapor atmosphere adjacent to the ink ejecting portion of the printing device.

Abstract: A mailing machine comprising a printer module, a transport device and a controller in operative communication with the transport device and the printer module. The printer module including an array of ink jet print elements for printing on an envelope and a repositioning device in operative engagement with the array of ink jet print elements for moving the array of ink jet print elements between a maintenance position and a print position. The transport device including suitable structure for feeding the envelope in a path of travel so that the envelope passes in opposed relationship to the array of ink jet print elements when the array of ink jet print elements are in the print position. The controller keeps an indicator of an amount of time elapsed between printing successive envelopes.

Abstract: A method for printing on a recording medium or on a cassette having the recording medium housed herein includes the steps of ejecting the ink by a first ink-jet printing head on the surface of the recording medium or of the cassette having the recording medium housed in it in a direction at right angles to the surface for forming an underlying layer, ejecting the ink by a second ink jet printing head supplied with data based on the printing picture information on the surface in a direction at right angles to the surface for forming a color printing layer on the underlying layer, and ejecting the ink by a third printing head on the printing layer in a direction at right angles to the surface for forming a protective layer.

Abstract: An information recorder on a bundle of electric wires for recording desired information on a bundle of electric wires is disclosed. In the information recorder, an adhesive-backed tape piece is wound around the bundle of electric wires, after which a part number, a production number and a conduction test passing mark of the bundle of electric wires are printed on the surface of the tape piece by an inkjet printer. Furthermore, a wiring harness producing apparatus comprising the information recorder on a bundle of electric wires is disclosed.

Abstract: A printing device for objects, which are continuously moved forward, in particular for parcels, wrapped magazine piles or the like, comprises a transport path, alongside of which the objects can be transported at a defined rate of feed. By means of an adjustable matrix printing head the surface to be printed of the objects can be printed in contactless manner when they pass the printing head. A scanning member, related to the transport direction of the objects, is arranged at a distance before the printing head. The scanning member scans the position of the surface to be printed of the objects and tracks the printing head according to the position of the surface to be printed of the objects by a corresponding control of an adjustment drive of the printing head.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a plurality of image forming units for forming, on an image receiving member such as a transfer sheet, toner images of a plurality of different colors such as magenta, cyan, yellow and black. Each of the image forming units includes a photosensitive drum serving as an image carrier, a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image carried by the image carrier to form a color toner image, and a transfer device for transferring the toner image to the image receiving member. The developing device in the image forming unit for forming on the image receiving member the toner image of an (i+1)-th color is of the type capable of simultaneously performing both development and removal of residual toner. The transfer currents T.sub.i and T.sub.i+1 employed by the transfer units which perform transfer of the toner images of an i-th color and the (i+1)-th color satisfy the following condition (1).

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus has an automatic sheet supply mode in which a sheet is fed from sheet supporting devices supporting a sheet stack thereon to sheet conveying devices disposed downstream thereof by sheet feeding devices, and a manual mode in which a manual sheet is abutted against the sheet conveying devices and supplied. The sheet fed by the sheet feeding devices is operated also in the manual mode.

Abstract: A media sensing system monitors the movement of media along the media pathway (76) as a sheet of printing medium (56) is transported through the printer 50. The media sensing system permits a hand fed sheet of printing medium (56) to be detected by a sensor (302) and signal to be sent to inactivate a print media pick roller (122) that automatically feeds print media. The sensing system senses the transport of print media (56) by print media transport rollers (140, 142) detecting media sheet size, activates the transfer process of an image from the liquid intermediate transfer surface on the transfer drum (54) to a sheet of print medium (56) after pausing the sheet of print medium to synchronize its movement along the media pathway with the imaging process, and activating the preheater (60) to heat the print medium (56) prior to image transfer and fusing. The sensing system senses the exit of the print medium (56) from the media exit rollers (212, 220) for delivery to an output tray (68).

Abstract: A system for ink jet printing of messages on articles being fed forward one after another in a predetermined path. A terminal includes a keyboard for entering message data representative of the messages. A controller interconnected with the terminal processes the message data received from the terminal and stores the message data for the messages. The controller has an output port for providing serial output data in a bit map format representative of the messages. A plurality of ink jet printheads are serially connected and positioned adjacent the path of the articles to print the messages on the articles in response to the serial output data. A single cable connects the output port of the controller to the first printhead for providing the output data to the first printhead. A separate cable interconnects each printhead to its next succeeding printhead for serially providing the data to the remaining printheads so that the printheads are connected in a daisy chain configuration.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium has an image forming system for forming an image on the recording medium, a second image forming system for forming an image on the recording medium based on an image forming method different from that for the first image forming system, a first recording medium transport passage for discharging the recording medium out of the apparatus after the recording medium has passed through the first and second image forming systems, a second recording medium transport passage for discharging the recording medium out of the apparatus without passing the recording medium through the second image forming system after the recording medium has passed through the first image forming system, and a third recording medium transport passage for discharging the recording medium out of the apparatus without passing the recording medium through the first image forming system after the recording medium has passed through the second image forming system.

Abstract: Computer controlled numbering of consecutive business forms is provided for both computer controlled presses and in the form of a retrofit unit for conventional rotary presses. The retrofit unit includes a disk provided with radially oriented metallic strips of predetermined locations on the disk, and mounted on a suitable shaft of the press. The disk cooperates with a stationary transducer mounted, for example, on a stationary press wall to send signals to the control unit to fire the printer.

Abstract: The printing device has, in addition to a line feeding device mounted upstream of the printing line to make the sheet advance incrementally, an extraction mechanism mounted downstream of the printing line in order to enable printing without smudging until the trailing edge of the sheet; the extraction mechanism including a couple of robber rollers and opposed pressure rollers having fine external teeth, which are selectively engaged, when the trailing edge of the sheet reaches a determined position, by means of cam driven levers.

Abstract: The drier consists of a plurality of nozzles that direct a small volume of air onto the printed image at as high a velocity as possible without disturbing the wet image. The air so delivered while it must be dry, does not have to be heated to effectively dry the image, however, the drying time can be reduced by increasing the air temperature if desired. The use of high velocity air creates what is known is "skin effect" to dry the ink where the outer surface of the ink is quickly dried.

Abstract: A mailing machine is disclosed in which a digital printing device, preferably of the ink jet type, is mounted for movement between one of two printing positions, in one of which the printing device will print a postage indicia direction on envelopes being fed through the mailing machine, and in the other of which the printing device prints the postage indicia on a strip of tape which is extracted from the mailing machine and affixed to an envelope which is incapable of being fed through the mailing machine. There is also a third position for the printing device which is a maintenance position to which the printing device is moved after each or some other predetermined number of printing cycles for the purpose of cleaning the ink ejecting portion of the printing device and/or maintaining a suitable high ink solvent vapor atmosphere adjacent to the ink ejecting portion of the printing device.

Abstract: The problem of getting inked printing applied to and permanently adhered to a fluorocarbon insulation material on wires or the surface of a fluorocarbon sheath covering a plurality of twisted insulated wires where the sheath also becomes twisted and contoured is overcome by treating the fluorocarbon surface with an electrical corona to etch it and alter its surface characteristics and then printing the desired information on the sheath with an ink jet printer which can reach into the depressions in the sheath which result from the sheath being twisted.

Abstract: An apparatus for the continuous marking of elongated stock moving in the direction of extension of the stock and including one or more nozzles for directing a dye-jet towards the elongated stock is improved by causing the nozzles to oscillate in a plane parallel to the direction of movement of the elongated stock to be marked; and the jets as produced by flows in the respective nozzle along the plane of oscillation and are redirected to emerge at right angles to the plane of oscillation; the nozzles either include a first duct extending in the nozzle body in a particular direction and being continued in a second duct extending at 90 degrees; alternatively a nozzle is a tube of L-shaped configuration.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet accommodating unit for accommodating a plurality of sheets, a sheet feeding unit for feeding sheets from the sheet accommodating unit, separation pawls for individually separating the sheets fed from the sheet feeding unit, a manual feeding port for manually feeding a sheet between the sheet accommodating unit and the sheet feeding unit, and a manually-fed-sheet guiding unit disposed between the sheet accommodating unit and the sheet feeding unit for guiding the sheet manually fed from the manual feeding port. The manually-fed-sheet guiding unit is displaceable an amount sufficient to allow the formation of a loop in a sheet during the separation by the separation pawls.

Abstract: An ink jet apparatus includes an ink jet head having in energy generator which car, generate energy employed for discharging ink as a droplet from a discharge port, and a control unit for controlling the energy generated from the energy generator so as to remove ink droplets, which adhere to a discharge port surface, by spreading the meniscus of the ink projecting from the discharge port on the discharge port surface. The apparatus is therefore capable of removing floating ink mist particles which adhere to the ink jet head.

Abstract: According to the invention, there is provided a continuous web printing apparatus comprising transport means including an endless belt having a sticky surface, a plurality of support rollers having said endless belt entrained therearound and a drive means for rotating said support rollers to move said endless belt, a press means for pressing a continuous web, such as a fabric or transfer sheet, against said endless belt to stick said continuous web to said endless belt, an ink jet head disposed between said support rollers in opposed relation to the surface of said continuous web stuck to said endless belt, an abutment adapted to abut against said endless belt, said abutment being opposed to said ink jet head with the continuous web and said endless belt interposed therebetween, head gap adjusting means for moving at least either of said ink jet head or said abutment in a direction in which the two are opposed to each other, and recovering means for peeling said continuous web, which has passed by said ink je