Abstract: A liquid droplet jetting apparatus includes a jetting head having a jetting surface on which a plurality of nozzles are formed for jetting liquid droplets; a carriage carrying the jetting head and moving reciprocatingly in a first direction along a surface parallel to the jetting surface; and a guide member having a guide surface perpendicular to the jetting surface and extending in the first direction to guide the carriage along the guide surface. The carriage is provided with a fixed slide member fixed to the carriage to slide along the guide surface; a movable slide member arranged apart from the fixed slide member in the first direction to slide along the guide surface and configured to be movable with respect to the carriage in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and an angle change mechanism for changing an angle of the carriage relative to the first direction.

Abstract: Identity document processing equipment with a mechanism designed to maintain tension in a ribbon used in a processing operation in the processing equipment. The tension maintaining mechanism is separate from the supply roll and the take-up roll for the ribbon, eliminating the need for clutches or brakes attached to the supply or take-up rolls to achieve tensioning. Since the tension maintaining mechanism is separate from the supply roll and the take-up roll, the inertia of the supply roll or the take-up roll does not affect the tension on the ribbon during use of the processing equipment.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: a first guide member having a first sliding surface; a second guide member having another first sliding surface; and a carriage being supported by the first sliding surfaces of the first and second guide members. The carriage includes first sliding convex parts protruding from a lower surface side thereof and coming in contact with the first sliding surfaces of the first and second guide members, and a coming-out preventing pawl disposed to hold at least one of the first and second guide members in cooperation with the first sliding convex part. At least one of the first and second guide members includes a notch part at a specified position, and the carriage is detachable from the first and second guide members by causing the coming-out preventing pawl to pass through the notch part.

Abstract: Disclosed is a thermal printing assembly comprised of a first flexible section and a second flexible section joined to such first flexible section. The first section of such assembly is a thermally sensitive media that contains either a thermal transfer ribbon or a direct thermal sensitive substrate (such as thermal paper); the thermally sensitive media is adapted to change its concentration of ink upon the application of heat. The second section of such assembly is a flexible support with two sides, at least one of which has a smoothness of less than 50 Sheffield Units and contains particles with a Knoop hardness of less than about 800.

Abstract: A thermal printing assembly comprised of a first flexible section and a second flexible section joined to such first flexible section. The first section of such assembly is a thermally sensitive media that contains either a thermal transfer ribbon, a dye sublimation ribbon, or a direct thermal sensitive substrate (such as thermal paper); the thermally sensitive media is adapted to change its concentration of ink upon the application of heat. The second section of such assembly is a flexible support with two sides, at least one of which has a smoothness of less than 50 Sheffield Units and contains particles with a Knoop hardness of less than about 800 and the other side has an adhesive coating designed to remove dirt and debris from surfaces it contacts during use.

Abstract: A thermal printing assembly comprised of a first flexible section and a second flexible section joined to such first flexible section. The first section of such assembly is a thermally sensitive media that contains either a thermal transfer ribbon or a direct thermal sensitive substrate (such as thermal paper); the thermally sensitive media is adapted to change its concentration of ink upon the application of heat. The second section of such assembly is a flexible support with two sides, at least one of which has a smoothness of less than 50 Sheffield Units and contains particles with a Knoop hardness of less than about 800.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of packaging for a roll of a web which is attached to a take-up core. The web is arranged so that it packages the roll together with the core, ready for shipment without the need for additional packaging. The web can include an ink ribbon and a leader connected to the ink ribbon.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of packaging for a roll of a web which is attached to a take-up core. The web is arranged so that it packages the roll together with the core, ready for shipment without the need for additional packaging. The web can include an ink ribbon and a leader connected to the ink ribbon.

Abstract: A clean print ribbon feed system and method for a printer having a ribbon with two non-inked clean hands portions wound around a pair of spools is disclosed. Detection of the spool having greater angular velocity and lesser angular velocity determines the direction of feed. The spool having greater angular velocity winds and takes up the print ribbon. The non-inked portion can be formed as a conductive plastic and is initially wound on each spool. Detection of the non-inked portion of the ribbon takes place by two electrical contactors. The determination of the angular velocity of the spools determines the amount of print ribbon on one of the spools so that the spool having the lesser ribbon can be driven as a take-up spool to provide proper directional drive for winding the clean hands portion and the inked portion which follows.

Abstract: In a thermo-tape unit (1) having a supply reel hub (2) and a supply roll (5) of thermo-tape (6) wound on the supply reel hub (2), the thermo-tape has at least one marking stripe configuration (14) at least in its leading area (8), which configuration comprises at least one marking stripe section (15, 16, 17) having a given section dimension (L1, L2, L3) in the longitudinal direction (L) of the thermo-tape (6), and at least one characteristic of the thermo-tape unit (1) is encoded by means of this section dimension (L1, L2, L3) of the marking stripe section (15, 16, 17).

Abstract: An end tape for connecting a thermal recording material such as an ink ribbon or a heat-sensitive paper to a tape spool is formed of a material having a glass transition point (Tg) of 90.degree. C. or higher. Even if the end tape is continuously heated at its same position by a thermal head, the end tape is not melted.

Abstract: A ribbon cartridge comprises a substantially cylindrical cartridge body comprised of upper and lower casing halves. A ribbon supply reel is rotatably housed in the cartridge body having an ink ribbon wound therearound. Affixed to a leading edge of the ink ribbon, a pull sheet is attached which includes an opening allowing easy chucking of the ribbon cartridge in a printer. Also provided on the pull sheet are cut-out portions so arranged as to prevent creasing of the ink ribbon during use. When the ink ribbon has been completely used, the used ribbon is retracted back into the cartridge for easy removal from the printer.

Abstract: A reloadable ribbon cassette system for typewriters or office machines of similar construction employs a bottom housing in which an exchangeable supply spool core for the ribbon and an exchangeable take-up spool core can be rotatably mounted. To facilitate the reloading process a cover plate is placed onto the top face of the ribbon coiled on the supply spool core, the cover plate inserted into the bottom housing member along with the supply spool core and ribbon when they are loaded. The cover plate has a contact surface for helping to steady a fastening element disposed at the free end of the ribbon during reloading. The cover plate projects beyond the ribbon coil at least in the region of the contact shelf to prevent accidental removal of the first few turns of the coiled ribbon in axial direction.

Abstract: A reloadable ribbon cassette system for typewriters or office machines of similar construction employs a housing which receives an exchangeable supply spool for the ribbon and an exchangeable take-up spool core. To facilitate the reloading process, the take-up spool core is mounted in the housing on a bearing pin which extends upward from a contact surface. The take-up spool core has a bearing bore into which the bearing pin extends and a bearing surface which rests on the contact surface. The contact surface is disposed closely below a receiving bore in the take-up spool core which accommodates a fastening element attached to the end of the ribbon.

Abstract: A ribbon cassette for an office machine, composed of: a cassette housing removably mountable in the machine, the housing having an entrance opening, an exit opening, an openable cover and elements constituting deflection points; a supply spool and a take-up spool having a core, each of the spools being removably mounted in the cassette housing; a carbon ribbon initially wound in the form of a coil on the supply spool, the ribbon having a leading end at the outer surface of the coil to be received by the take-up spool core to permit the ribbon to be wound up on the take-up spool while being unwound from the supply spool; and a fastening member secured to the leading end of the ribbon for threading the ribbon around the deflection points; and wherein the core is formed for enabling the fastening member to be fixed thereto to aid winding of the ribbon on the take-up spool.

Abstract: A ribbon of the single use film substrate, completely transferrable ink layer type, is disclosed wherein the leader and trailer are formed by adhering over the inked side of the ribbon a thin adhesive faced tape or foil and where the tape or foil is adhesively engaged with the substrate in a region having had all or part of the ink removed therefrom to provide an adherent surface. The tape or foil is further provided with a region of adhesive engagement for attachment to supply and takeup spools.

Abstract: There is disclosed a ribbon supply replacing technique for a printer or the like comprising a two ree coaxial ribbon cartridge (2) held stationary in the printer and having positioned adjacent thereto severing stations (40 and 42) for separating the cartridge with its exhausted ribbon supply from that ribbon remaining in the ribbon guide structure (6).

Abstract: An unfilled assembled cassette for fitting to the printhead or platform of a printer or the like has a closed chamber to be packed with inked ribbon and a short length of noninked messenger or leader ribbon threaded along the intended ribbon path. To fill the cassette, ink impregnated ribbon is joined to the messenger ribbon and then wound into the cassette while the messenger ribbon is withdrawn, after which the ends of the ink impregnated ribbon are joined to form a continuous band.

Abstract: Disclosed is an assembly for threading a ribbon, preferably an erase ribbon through an impact printer such as a typewriter. One end of the ribbon is stored at a ribbon storage means, while the other end of the ribbon has a tab fastened thereto. The longitudinal dimension of the tab is perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the ribbon and the tab contains a frangible portion which is used for finger engagement during the threading operation. The ribbon take-up reel contains a slot in one of the flanges thereof such that the ribbon tab may be inserted into the slot after the ribbon has been threaded through the printer. The frangible portion is then separated from the ribbon and discarded.