Abstract: An ink density closed loop control system for an ink ribbon of an impact printer having a reservoir roller formed of an ink absorbent material with at least one or more channels within the reservoir roller fluidly connected to a pump and ink supply. A transfer roller can contact the reservoir roller for imparting ink to the ink ribbon. A sensor senses the relative amount of ink on the print ribbon and an electrical drive responsive to the sensor drives the pump for a flow of ink to the one or more channels. The sensor can sense ink on different segments of the ribbon and, with two or more channels in the reservoir roller can distribute ink to two or more segments of the reservoir roller depending upon the ink sensed at a particular segment of the ribbon. A further enhancement of this invention provides a multi-viscosity ink to compensate for changes in ambient temperature conditions.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for reinking a ribbon of a printer ribbon cartridge provides a selected reinking pattern across the width of the ribbon. A porous member in contact with a source of ink has a height equal to a distance between a first edge of the ribbon and a distal edge of a double strike zone of the ribbon. The porous member is in contact with a transfer roller, which in turn is in contact with the ribbon. The ribbon moves through the printer cartridge along a path of a Mobius loop. As the ribbon passes the transfer roller for the first time, ink is provided to a single strike zone and to the double strike zone of the ribbon. As the ribbon passes the transfer roller for the second time, the ribbon is reversed given the pattern of the Mobius loop, and ink is provided again to the double strike zone, as well as to the other single strike zone. Twice as much ink is therefore applied to the double strike zone as to each of the single strike zones.

Abstract: In a renewing apparatus, a thermal transfer recording medium is made to be used plural times by simple configuration although such a recording medium must be thrown away in the prior art, and the running cost in the printing can be significantly reduced. The apparatus has coating means for applying a thermal transfer recording material including at least one of a photopolymerizing monomer and a photopolymerizing polymer and a coloring agent to a substrate, means for sending the thermal transfer recording medium and means for irradiating light onto the recording material.

Abstract: An ink ribbon cassette is pivotably mounted to a printer. Ink ribbon is accommodated in the ink ribbon cassette and is caused to travel by a ribbon feed roller driven by a drive shaft provided in the printer. Printing operation is carried out at the cassette end arm portion by a printing head, while the cassette end arm portion is reciprocatingly moved in the widthwise direction of the ink ribbon relative to the fixed printing head by an actuating mechanism so that a printing region of the ink ribbon is diffused and becomes wider than a printing width of the printing head. The actuating mechanism includes a small gear integral with the ribbon feed roller, a cam driven by the small gear, and a lever engaging with the cam.

Abstract: An apparatus for reinking a printing ribbon which includes a tank for ink fitted with a ball which, when rotated, transfers a quantity of ink to a sheathed wheel which in turn transfers this ink to a gear through which the ribbon travels and absorbs the ink is provided. An inked printing ribbon cassette including the reinking apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: A ribbon cartridge for an impact printer includes a liquid ink container, a metering/transfer device such as a peristaltic pump, an ink reservoir pad, and an ink transfer roller. The metering/transfer device and a drive roller for the ribbon preferably receive motive power from a common source. With this arrangement, the cartridge carries a large quantity of ink and applies it to the fabric in a controlled manner, thus extending service life and improving operability of the cartridge.

Abstract: The invention provides an ink pad for receiving ink refills, located opposite an opening in a wall or walls of the cartridge, the ink pad can have dished surfaces to retain ink onto the ink pad to prevent spillage from the ink pad. The opening in the cartridge wall can be offset from, or alternatively made larger in diameter than, the ink pad to expose an edge of the ink pad to assist in depositing ink onto the pad and also to provide a surface for wiping a nozzle from an ink bottle. A dual compartment for holding a liquid ink supply and an ink retaining mass can also be provided, the ink retaining mass pressed to an ink transfer roller for the cartridge. Also, a two-tiered ink cartridge can be provided to increase the effective storage length of fan-folded ribbon within the cartridge, a top tier being an ink retaining mass and a bottom tier being the ribbon, with a wick for transferring ink from the mass downward to the ribbon.

Abstract: In a method of regenerating an ink image recording medium of a multilayered structure, after an ink image on the ink image recording medium is recorded, the surface of the heat-fusible ink layer of the ink image recording medium is uniformly charged. Then, a liquid ink for generating the ink layer, being placed under an electric field applied thereto, is supplied to the ink image recording medium. The liquid ink is prepared by dispersing heat-fusible ink powder into a liquid dispersion medium. As a result, the heat-fusible ink powder selectively sticks onto the portion on the ink release layer where the heat-fusible ink layer is absent because the ink was transferred. Finally, the ink image recording medium thus processsed is dried to remove the liquid dispersing medium.

Abstract: An ink ribbon cassette for use in an office machine comprises: an inking roll impregnated with ink; a ribbon-drive roll for driving an ink ribbon; and a ribbon-driven roll driven by the ink ribbon. The ink is transferred from the inking roll to the ink ribbon through any one of the ribbon-drive and said ribbon-driven roll, which one is pressed against the inking roll so as to be brought into a slidable contact with the same. In the ink ribbon cassette, the improvement resides in that: the ink ribbon cassette further comprises a spring. The spring has its contact portion brought into a resilient contact with an outer peripheral surface of the inking roll so as to urge the same against any one of the ribbon-drive and the ribbon-driven roll, so that the ink impregnated in the inking roll is constantly supplied to the ink ribbon in printing.

Abstract: An inking device for a thermal printer includes a hollow cylindrical inking roller made of a porous material and having a bladed wheel at the bottom of the cylindrical inking roller. The cylindrical inking roller supplies ink to an ink ribbon which contacts the outer periphery of the inking roller. A hollow cylindrical receptacle, for storing thermally fusible ink, is surrounded by the inking roller and has an opening at the top and apertures at the bottom for the egress of ink. A heater is provided for heating the receptacle. The receptacle has an axis deviated from the axis of rotation of the inking roller.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for replenishing depleted portions of an ink layer of an ink sheet formed with a conductive ink layer disposed on an insulating layer from which ink has been transferred, without unintentionally supplying ink to undepleted portions of the ink layer are provided. Electrically conductive replacement ink is charged and supplied onto an intermediate transfer roller having a dielectric layer disposed on an electrically conductive layer. Charge is supplied to the insulating layer side of the ink sheet and replacement ink on the intermediate roller contacting the ink sheet at depleted regions of the ink sheet is transferred from the intermediate roller to the depleted portions by electrostatic attraction and not to undepleted portions. The method and apparatus are adaptable for multi-color ink sheets and can be employed in connection with a printer or image forming device.

Abstract: A self-aligning inking roll for a printer which includes an inking roll, an ink transfer roll, a printer, and an endless ribbon mounted on the transfer roll and the printer so as to provide a fresh supply of ink thereto. The inking roll is mounted on an aligner member which is mounted on a support member, with the support member being mounted on an arm which is resiliently biased towards the transfer roll. The aligner member is mounted on the support member at the midpoint of the aligner member so as to provide a fulcrum area which enables the aligner member with the inking roll thereon to pivot and thereby establish a line contact with the transfer roll with the ribbon thereon.

Abstract: An improved technique and apparatus for color-on-demand resistive ribbon printing is provided in which selected colored ink layers are transferred to a resistive printing ribbon from a color-bearing ribbon, prior to resistive ribbon printing. The color ribbon and the resistive printing ribbon both contain ink layers, the only difference being that the ink layer in the printing ribbon is preferrably uncolored. When the ink layers on the two ribbons are brought into contact with one another and heated, the ink layers will become tacky and will adhere to one another. The temperatures of these ink layers are then reduced and the printing ribbon and the color ribbon are separated from one another to cause the colored ink layer on the color ribbon to separate from that ribbon and adhere to the printing ribbon, thus causing a transfer of the colored ink layer to the printing ribbon. After this, the resistive printing ribbon can be used to print colors.

Abstract: Apparatus for implementing a multi-color printout capability with respect to a dot matrix printer and the like. The apparatus is comprised of an ink reservoir system which includes individual ink reservoirs for replenishing ink of a selected color from a reservoir to individual sections of ink transfer material. The sections are mounted in tandem pairs on elongated ink transfer material holding members which are reciprocally moved linearly back and forth beneath the print head and across the face of a printing medium by a solenoid actuated cam. Each reservoir is continuously in contact with respective section of ink transfer material.

Abstract: A ribbon cartridge has a ribbon re-inking mechanism which is made up of a porous rubber or elastomer ink roll journaled on a fixed shaft and in contact with an ink transfer roll journaled on a pivotable member and rockable against the ink roll. The ink ribbon provides the force necessary to urge the transfer roll in contact with the ink roll and also to drive the rolls in normal operation. A modified arrangement includes a balancing roll to enable proper operation of the re-inking mechanism in different orientation and movement of the ribbon cartridge and to increase re-inking sensitivity.

Abstract: A long-life inking cassette is provided wherein an inkable ribbon is pumped into a ribbon storage zone by a pair of textured nip rollers. The ribbon is drawn from storage, rotated 180.degree., re-inked, and passed at an angle and under tension past a print head before being returned to the nip rollers. A pair of dams are positioned to contact opposed edges of the ribbon as the ribbon leaves the storage zone to prevent folds of the ink ribbon from passing outwardly from the storage zone. Means are provided to amplify the drag on the ribbon between a dispensing pin at the outlet of the storage zone and an end of a first leg of the cassette. The drag amplification causes the ribbon to be taut when drawn past the printhead.

Abstract: A print wheel assembly for a word processing machine utilizing a daisy wheel-type printer as a type-carrying disk in which the typefaces are mounted upon flexible members generally extending radially from a hub by which the wheel is mounted in the machine. According to the invention, a pigment carrier overlies the typefaces and can be of disk configuration and is so mounted on the wheel as to shift relative to the typefaces, whereby successive impacts are offset from one another for each typeface. The pigment carrier can be a bibulous or capillary fabric drawing ink from a reservoir dimensioned to supply sufficient ink to feed the transfer layer for the duration of the useful life of the wheel.

Abstract: A printing ribbon guiding and re-inking means is positioned to guide a continuous looped printing ribbon through a 180.degree. twist between the exit and entry points of a ribbon cartridge. The guiding and re-inking means includes a twist-locator or arrestor comprising a pair of opposing elongated flanges, for passing a ribbon therebetween, positioned between the exit and entry points of the ribbon cartridge to positively locate the twist in the ribbon in a particular area along its path of travel. This prevents movement of the twist into other areas and other ribbon-carrying mechanisms, where the twist could cause jamming or undesirable ribbon twisting. A spool support means integrally coupled to the flanges carries a re-inking spool which both applies ink to the ribbon and guides the ribbon between the flanges and the cartridge. The spool orients the transverse position of the ribbon to be substantially the same as the transverse position of the ribbon at the entry to the cartridge.

Abstract: A rotable circular disc ribbon for use with a high speed impact printer. The disc ribbon includes a central ink storage chamber enclosing ink saturated porous material. The disc ribbon also includes an outer circumferential film portion positionable between the character dies or dot matrix pins of an impact printer and an image receiving web. Capillary action between ink storage chamber and the film portion of the ribbon provides continual replenishment of the ink in the film portion as it is depleted by impact printing on the web. This replenishment is further aided by centrifugal forces propelling the ink from the storage chamber to the film portion in amounts which are related to the speed of rotation of the ribbon disc.