Abstract: A vertically long tape printing device which can be operated by being handheld includes an operating portions, and a display portion, which are disposed in a longitudinal direction of the front surface of the device, and protruding portions which are provided on the front surface of the device and protrude to the front surface of the operating portions and the front surface of the display portion.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for labeling containers, especially specimen containers for medical specimens. The apparatus comprises a printing device; a supply and removal device for supplying and removing at least one container to and from the printing device. The printing device is designed such that it can be moved into at least one first position and into a second position. In the first position, the container is automatically supplied to and removed from the printing device with the aid of the supply and removal device. The container can be manually supplied and removed from the printing device when it is in the second position.

Abstract: A media cartridge is disclosed for insertion into a cartridge receptacle of a printer. The media cartridge includes a cartridge housing having one or more shifting ribs on the cartridge housing. At a position of initial insertion of the media cartridge into the cartridge receptacle, the shifting ribs are configured to center a length of media and an ink ribbon of the media cartridge between a print head and a platen roller in the cartridge receptacle. As the insertion of the media cartridge into the cartridge receptacle continues, the shifting ribs shift the length of media and the ink ribbon toward one of the print head and the platen roller.

Abstract: A printer includes a print head moving in printing and shifting regions, a carriage connecting the print head and the print head transport mechanism, and a ribbon cassette mounting mechanism that drives a multicolor ribbon cassette to swing. A ribbon cassette supporting mechanism in the shifting region correspondingly supports the ribbon cassette mounting mechanism to different levels to shift color of the ink ribbon while the ribbon cassette supporting mechanism rotates. A ribbon cassette shifting mechanism fixed on the carriage is used, in the shifting region, to lift the ribbon cassette mounting mechanism to a position disengaged from the ribbon cassette supporting mechanism and move the ribbon cassette supporting mechanism to rotate. A resetting mechanism fixed on the ribbon cassette supporting mechanism resets the ribbon cassette supporting mechanism when the ribbon cassette supporting mechanism no longer contacts the ribbon cassette mounting mechanism and the ribbon cassette shifting mechanism.

Abstract: A marking press device having a pair of type arms that face each other to interpose a workpiece to be marked therebetween, a type fixed on each of said type arms for making a mark thereof, a circular type assembling member around which a plurality of said type arms are attached radially, a device for rotatably supporting said type assembling member around a rotary shaft and for pressing a selected type from said type assembling member onto said workpiece, a driver for rotating said type assembling member, a ribbon guiding mechanism that guides an inked ribbon for coloring marked characters, a ribbon supplying spool for supplying said inked ribbon, a ribbon winding spool for winding said inked ribbon, a ribbon frame to which said ribbon guiding mechanism, said ribbon supplying spool and said ribbon winding spool are mounted, and ribbon frame turning device for rotatably supporting said ribbon frame and turning said ribbon frame to a horizontal position above said type arms when said inked ribbon is replaced.

Abstract: A duplex printer for printing on opposite sides of a document includes a ribbon shifting mechanism for moving a printing ribbon between a first position, in which the ribbon extends between a print head and the document for printing on a front side of the document, and a second position, in which the ribbon extends between the document and a platen for printing on a reverse side of the document. In one version of the printer, the ribbon is shifted as a carriage used to move the print head within a printing range, within which printing occurs, is moved outside this printing range into a ribbon shifting range.

Abstract: A printer system includes a printer on which color and monochromatic print cartridges are mounted, and a personal computer to output bit map data to the printer. The kinds of these ink cartridges are memorized as status information within a RAM so that the personal computer can detect a cartridge mounted position based on the status information. In the case that the color and/or monochromatic print cartridge is mounted incorrect, the personal computer detects an amount of a difference from a normal mount position to cause print data to shift depending upon the difference, thus creating bit map data.

Abstract: An apparatus for driving a ribbon of a printer allows a ribbon driving shaft to move the forward/back and right/left directions for being moved together with a ribbon cartridge when the ribbon cartridge is moved by centering about a hub, thereby smoothly transmitting a rotating force toward the hub. For this operation, the apparatus includes the ribbon cartridge winding with a ribbon to be coupled with the ribbon driving shaft, and a driving bevel gear and a driven bevel gear installed to the inside of a printer main body for rotating the ribbon driving shaft, in which a ratchet rotating in one direction is formed to a lower portion of the ribbon driving shaft, a ratchet wheel brought into meshing engagement with the ratchet is formed along the inner periphery of the driven bevel gear, and movement guiding means is installed to a bottom plate forming the printer main body for guiding to be capable of moving together with the rotation of the ribbon driving shaft.

Abstract: A printer is provided with a platen having a sloping plane platen surface, a medium guide path for smoothly guiding paper along the plane including the platen surface, a transparent open/close paper guide positioned above the medium guide path, and two pairs of drive rollers and driven rollers arranged along the platen, with one pair of drive roller and driven roller being disposed in an upstream direction and the other pair of drive roller and driven roller being disposed in a downstream direction with respect to the platen and the paper print movement. The printer is further provided with a ribbon cassette which makes it possible to position a linear portion of an ink ribbon in parallel to the platen surface, a mechanism for switching the linear portion of the ink ribbon between a printable position and a nonprintable position, and a mechanism for attaching a ribbon cassette to a carriage while moving it in a downwardly forward direction.

Abstract: A printer cartridge includes exit and entrance arms for receiving and exiting ribbon from the cartridge in response to a drive mechanism whereby the ribbon passes from the exit arm to an entrance arm past a printhead. An oscillator is coupled to the ribbon drive mechanism and includes a cam carried by the cartridge engaging a cam lever pivotally carried by the cartridge. The lever bears against a printer support when the cartridge is disposed in the printer. When the drive mechanism advances the ribbon, the oscillator is also driven to pivot the cartridge about a longitudinal axis, thereby gradually locating upper and lower portions of the ribbon in registration with the printhead as the ribbon advances.

Abstract: An improved thermal ribbon cassette is detachably mounting to a thermal printing postage meter. The thermal ribbon cassette has an opening, a plurality of posts. Some of which posts are located to each side of the opening, a take-up spool and a supply spool rotatively mounted in the housing, and a thermal ink transfer ribbon supply wrapped around the supply spool and extending to the take-up spool threaded from and between the post and extending through the opening. The opening is located to receive a thermal print head therein such that the transfer ribbon traverses below the print element of the thermal print head. Slots are formed in the respective forward and rear wall, a first post to the take-up side of the aperture is positionably mounted in the slots such that the angle downstream of the opening may be selectively changed.

Abstract: A cassette holder assembly includes a first cassette holder for detachably attaching a first ink ribbon cassette at a position that the ink ribbon is supplied to a printing face of a print head, and a second cassette holder detachably mounted on the first cassette holder when the first ink ribbon cassette is detached from the first cassette holder and provided with a ribbon shifting mechanism for shifting the ink ribbon of a second ink ribbon cassette with respect to the printing face of the print head. In accordance, the cassette holders can be replaced easily by an operator, and the printer can be used effectively.

Abstract: A feed wheel 10 provided at front and rear sides thereof with an intermittent gear 10b and a notched gear 10d, is formed on one end portion of a cylindrical cam shaft 5 for moving a printer, with a mesh-prevention side 10c left at its center. A switch cam 11 for moving a ribbon cassette upwardly and downwardly is integrally formed on one end portion of a guide shaft 4 of the printer. A notched pinion 9 having a feed gear 9a and an intermittent feed gear 9b arranged alternately on its peripherals surface is also slidably mounted on the end portion of the guide shaft 4. When the printer is moved to a two-color shifting position in accordance with a program, the printer pushes the notched pinion 9 for movement against a compression spring 8, so that the intermittent feed gear 9b and the feed gear 9a of the notched pinion 9 is brought into mesh with the intermittent gear 10b and the notched gear 10d of the feed wheel 10, respectively, to rotate the notched pinion 9 in order to pivot a switch cam 11.

Abstract: A multicolor printing apparatus having a multicolor ribbon shifting mechanism is disclosed wherein the multicolor ribbon is selectively separated from a print paper to be printed on prior to shifting the multicolor ribbon to change colors based upon a shift amount which is required to shift the multicolor ribbon from a current position to a next position in order to print characters having a desired color.

Abstract: A printer with a plurality of ink ribbon cassettes is capable of printing characters or designs with a selected one of these ink ribbon cassettes. The printer includes a vertically movable cassette table on which the plurality of ink ribbon cassettes are mounted in a stacked relationship, a stepping motor, and a rotary cam mechanism for moving the cassette table up and down when the stepping motor drives to rotate the rotary cam mechanism. There is further provided a memory for pre-storing the rotational speed data for each rotational angle of the rotary cam mechanism according to a variation pattern of load applied to the stepping motor together with the rotation of the rotary cam mechanism. The rotational speed of the stepping motor is controlled accoding to the rotational speed data corresponding toe ach rotational angle of the rotary cam mechanism read out of the memory.

Abstract: A ribbon guide for use with a dot matrix printer having a printhead traversable along a path parallel to a printing platen and which includes means for selectively shifting the ribbon guide to one of several positions. The ribbon guide includes a central body portion which pivotally mounts on pivot pins to the printhead. A pair of faceted ring segments are formed on the central body portion for supporting the ribbon as it passes through the ribbon guide and over an opening in the central body portion adjacent to the printhead. The central body portion is also formed with a pair of support members at opposite ends each having a faceted outer surface for contact with the printing paper. In addition, the support members include a slit for releasably securing an endless loop of ribbon to the ribbon guide to allow field replacement of a ribbon guide.

Abstract: A multicolor ink ribbon switching system for a printer includes at least one discrimination switch, a controller, a cassette swinging mechanism, and a ribbon feed mechanism. The discrimination switch discriminates whether a ribbon cassette mounted on a base is a multicolor or monochromatic ink ribbon cassette. The controller receives an output from the discrimation switch. If the output represents the multicolor ribbon cassette, the controller outputs a swinging signal in the color switching mode and a ribbon feed signal in the printing mode. However, if the output represents a monochromatic ribbon cassette, the controller outputs a ribbon feed signal. The cassette swinging mechanism causes the ribbon cassette to swing in response to the cassette swinging signal to switch ribbon colors. The ribbon feed mechanism winds the ribbon in response to the ribbon feed signal from the controller.

Abstract: A coloring system for a printing apparatus, wherein a color ribbon is mounted within a cartridge which may be inserted within the printing apparatus so that the color ribbon is operable in cooperation with a print head to effect color printing on a recording carrier, with the print head operating from above the recording carrier and with the color ribbon being wound about a pair of spools having parallel axes arranged to extend horizontally when the cartridge is mounted in a housing of the printing apparatus, the printing apparatus including a guide and stop mechanism operable to hold the cartridge within the housing in operative position with the cartridge projecting above the housing to a degree in accordance with the dimensions of the spools upon which the color ribbon is mounted.

Abstract: The invention provides a ribbon feed device wherein a ribbon take-up mechanism located on a ribbon frame which is mounted for up and down pivotal motion on a carrier and carrying thereon an elongated ribbon along a platen takes up the ribbon in response to upward pivotal motion of the ribbon frame in order to effect printing of a character or erasing of a printed character. During downward pivotal motion of the ribbon frame, the path of the ribbon is bent by a pressing member secured to the carrier to remove possible slacking of the ribbon which may appear along a ribbon feeding route upon printing or erasing operation so as to apply suitable tension to the ribbon.

Abstract: A ribbon and correction tape are separately mounted on a typewriter for movement in closely spaced parallel planes from a position below a line of impact along a line of print to an elevated position opposite said line of print. To minimize interference and malfunctions during relative movement of the ribbon and tape during elevating movement of one, the ribbon and tape are supported at an acute angle to one another, thereby to move in scissor fashion relative to the other.

Abstract: A printer characterized in that a paper feed path for guiding a record paper to a printing position formed between a platen and a head is disposed on the same plane on the whole including the printing position and portions before and behind the printing position.

Abstract: A printing apparatus having a printing base with a printing head located to perform a printing operation along said printed base operating with a color transfer band and a recording medium and with a scraper device separating the color transfer band and the recording medium. The printing head swivels between a work position and an insertion position at which the color transfer band and the recording carrier are inserted into the apparatus and the scraper device is supported in the vicinity of the printing base so that it will retain a position between the color transfer band and the printing carrier when the print head is swiveled into the insertion position so that during insertion of the color transfer band and the printing carrier, the scraper means is retained therebetween while the print head is supported on the color transfer band and the printing base during swiveling into the work position.

Abstract: A recording apparatus comprises recording means for recording on a recording medium through an ink ribbon in accordance with a predetermined system, means for covering the recording means such that the cover means is free to open or close, and means, interlocked with an opening/closing operation of the cover means, for shifting the ink ribbon from a first position to a second position when the cover means is opened.

Abstract: A ribbon lift and feed mechanism for a typewriter/printer (10) in which the print ribbon cartridge (15) has deflectable arms (16a, 16b) for placing the ribbon (13) in a position confronting the platen (11) of the typewriter (10). On the platform (40), supporting the ribbon cartridge (15), is a shuttle (50) which is remotely oscillated as by a drive motor (90) on the frame (12) of the typewriter (10). Translation of the shuttle (50) and the cam (66) associated with the shuttle (50) effects movement of cam follower (66a) engageable with the cam (66), causing the deflectable arms (16a, 16b) of the cartridge (15) to oscillate between a rest and elevated position to place different portions of the print ribbon (13) intermediate the type element (23) and the platen (11). The shuttle (50) also carries ribbon feed drive means (85) which cause an incremental feed of the ribbon (13) after the ribbon has been struck at multiple elevated positions.

Abstract: A cartridge for an inked ribbon for type bar typewriters comprises a container adapted to be mounted on one side of the printing point and a terminal part which guides a length of ribbon to the printing point and reverses the direction thereof for reentry of the ribbon into the container. Two return surfaces of the terminal part carry the ribbon reentering the container back at the same height as the emerging ribbon. The container is of elongated shape and is mounted removably on a support on the machine which rocks in front of a platen in such manner that the terminal part of the cartridge is disposed below the printing line. There is provided a mechanism for actuating the inked ribbon which comprises a control element actuatable by the type bars and a toggle joint which rock the cartridge support for effecting a precise raising of the ribbon in response to variable stroke control actuated by the selected key.

Abstract: In a high speed impact printer having means for receiving a ribbon cartridge and for driving the ribbon in said cartridge, the improved apparatus comprising a ribbon cartridge to be inserted in said receiving means and adapted to be reversed one time only which comprises a cartridge housing with first and second reels rotatably mounted in said housing; each of the reels is adapted to support a portion of inventory of a ribbon web which is being driven from one reel to the other reel by the impact printer means for driving said ribbon. A keyed tenon projects from said housing and has an initial position and a second position; the keyed tenon is switchable from the initial position to the second position but irreversible from said second position.