Abstract: A media processing device moves a first printhead in a direction away from a first platen and sets the gap therebetween to a wide second gap until the magnetic ink character printing area of the recording medium passes the reading position. When this printing area on the recording medium passes the reading position A, the first printhead moves in the direction approaching the first platen, and the gap therebetween is reset to a first gap that is narrower than the second gap. Because the gap is wide during the magnetic ink character reading operation, the leading end of the recording medium when conveyed to a position passed the first printhead will not catch on the second printhead, and conveying the recording medium at a constant speed will not be impeded. The magnetic ink characters can therefore be accurately read.

Abstract: An inkjet printing head prints an image on a printing medium located at a printing position facing the printing head, by a printing operation in which the printing head ejects ink onto the printing medium, and the printing head is capable of resuming the printing operation after suspension of the printing operation. A supporting unit supports the printing medium on which the image is printed by the printing head, and an adjusting unit is capable of adjusting a facing distance between the printing head and the supporting unit. A control unit controls the adjusting unit so that the facing distance is greater than that during the printing of a printed image, in case the printing operation is resumed and the printed image moves relative to the printing position. The control unit controls the adjusting unit based on the time elapsed between the suspension of the printing operation and the resumption of the printing operation, so that the facing distance is greater as the elapsed time is longer.

Abstract: A system and apparatus for printing configured to estimate a value of a required feed length for an intended printing operation. The printing operation is performed as a function of a comparison between the sum of an actual value of a previously consumed feed length of the print media unit and the estimated value of the required feed length for the intended printing operation at a predefined maximum feed length of the print media unit. In the event the printing operation is executed, the previously consumed feed length us updated as a function of the estimated value of the required feed length.

Abstract: A recording apparatus is advantageous in miniaturization even though a mechanism for adjusting a head gap is included. The recording apparatus includes a carriage for detachably holding a cartridge, a platen for supporting one surface of a recording medium, and a conveying roller and an eject roller for conveying the recording medium. The platen is constructed so that it is rockable with an axis of the eject roller as a rotation center and is switchable between at least two positions.

Abstract: A reliable detection of optically detecting the type of recording media is achieved. A part of a support member for supporting an optical sensor is pushed against the surface of a sheet by a spring so as to maintain the gap between the sensor and the sheet surface. With this arrangement, a recording apparatus which is free from wrong detection is achieved regardless of a gap-varying factor, that is, the remaining amount of sheets. Also, by arranging a part of a light-shielding hood so as to abut against the sheet, wrong detection due to disturbance light can be prevented.

Abstract: A head gap adjusting apparatus used with an ink-jet printer, in which there are provided a pair of carrier shaft lifting parts disposed upon a chassis to adjust the head gap between a paper and a print head by converting a force of horizontal motion to a force of vertical motion and transmit the converted force to a carrier shaft. Each of the carrier shaft lifting parts includes the following elements. A vertical opening is formed in the chassis to guide the end of the carrier shaft to be movable up and down. An elastic supporting member elastically supporting the carrier shaft within the vertical opening to prevent the carrier shaft from being freely moved during movements of the carrier for carrying out a printing. A horizontal moving device is for enabling an end of the carrier shaft to move up and down within the vertical opening against the elastic forces of the elastic supporting member during the horizontal movements thereof.

Abstract: A printer including a printing head for performing printing while moving over a printing medium, a gap roller capable of rolling along a direction of moving of the printing head, and a platen bar placed so as to face the printing head and the gap roller. The printer further includes a controller for controlling a pressing force of the platen bar applied to the gap roller according to a printing end position of the printing head on the printing medium.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus which can make a correction such that paper will not be fed in a tilted state without a need for any special mechanism. A moving mechanism C1 is driven to move a printing head 41 toward a platen and to urge the printing head against paper, and gap adjusting means C2 is driven using said position as a reference to space the printing head from the platen a predetermined amount, thereby adjusting a gap between the printing head and the platen. The direction and amount of a tilt of the paper are detected based on signals output by paper detecting sensors E when the paper is fed. When said amount of the tilt exceeds a predetermined range, head driving means A and the moving mechanism C1 are driven to sandwich an edge of the paper in the direction of the width thereof between the printing head and the platen, and the sandwiched state is adjusted by the gap adjusting means C2.

Abstract: There are provided an ink jet printing apparatus, an image reading apparatus, an ink jet printing method and an image reading method capable of saving electric power, reducing noise and improving the reliability by specifying a timing of the adjustment of a paper gap. To achieve the object, in a printing mode for printing an image on a print medium, a function for adjusting a gap between a print head and a print medium is limited during the non-printing motion in which no ink is ejected from the print head. Also, in a reading mode for reading an image printed on a print medium, a function for adjusting a gap between a scanner and a print medium is limited during the non-reading motion in which the scanner does not read the image.

Abstract: A thickness of a form document loaded in a pin feed tractor is measured to appropriately adjust a gap between a platen and a print head. A projection formed on a pressing block is linearly moved toward and away from the form document supported on a tractor cover. The pressing block is moved by a stepping motor, and an amount of rotations of the stepping motor is detected to measure the movement of the projection. A first amount of rotations is detected under a condition where the form document is not loaded and subsequently a second amount of rotations is detected under a condition where the form document is loaded. The thickness of the form document is computed based on a difference between the first amount of rotations and the second amount of rotations to eliminate influence of resilient deformation of the tractor cover.

Abstract: An automatic platen gap adjusting apparatus is provided with (i) a stepping motor for moving a carriage provided with a recording head in the direction of a platen, (ii) a rotary encoder for producing a plurality of pulse signals proportional to the rotational speed of the motor, the rotary encoder being equipped with a detection mark on its circumference, (iii) a time difference integrating device for obtaining the integrated value of the time difference between the pulse signal from the rotary encoder and the driving pulse of the stepping motor, while moving the carrier from a reference position in the direction of the platen, and (iv) an abutment decision device for detecting whether the value thus obtained has reached a predetermined value. The thickness of the paper is calculated by a paper thickness calculation device according to the number of pulses produced up to the moment the signal is produced from the abutment decision device.

Abstract: In a printing device having an abutment (10) intended for supporting a recording medium (52), a print head (32) which is movable relative to the abutment (10) in the direction of the lines, an actuating drive (28, 26, 24) for setting the print head distance relative to the abutment (10) and a pressing element (36) which extends the full width of the recording medium and presses the recording medium (52) onto the abutment (10) and can be deflected in accordance with the thickness of the recording medium (52), a magnet (54) is arranged on one of the parts (pressing element 36, part 46 fixed to the print head) and at least one Hall probe (56) is arranged on the respective other part (part 46 fixed to the print head, pressing element 36) in such a way that the magnet (54) and the Hall probe (56) can be brought into congruence with one another in a predetermined print head position corresponding to a measurement position, a circuit arrangement (60) being provided to measure the Hall voltage and to regulate the lat

Abstract: A printer having an adjusting apparatus for adjusting a head gap between a print head and a print sheet supported on a platen, is disclosed. In such printer, at first, a carriage 1 mounting the print head 8 thereon is advanced to the print sheet 6 by eccentrically rotating a guide bar 3 passed through a slide hole 1a with a solidable lubricant therebetween through a step motor 12 until a ribbon mask 9 contacts to the print sheet 6. And a drive pulse number Nm, which is input to the step motor 12 until the ribbon mask 9 contacts to the print sheet 6 and corresponds to moving distance of the carriage 1 from a standard position O, is calculated. Further, a value Na (=N1-Nm) representing a drive pulse number for the step motor 12 corresponding to a thickness of the print sheet 6, is calculated.

Abstract: A printer with a print-head distance-setting device for adjusting the distance (1) between print head (2) and print-material counter support (3) for recording-material carriers (4) of unequal thickness, resting on the print-material counter support (3), including a mechanical sensing member (5) for controlling a print head (2), adjustable in a direction perpendicular relative to the longitudinal direction of the slider carriage motion, where the print head (2) is disposed on a longitudinally movable print-head slider carriage (7), which print-head slider carriage (7) in turn is guided with a pair of parallel guide axles (9), of which one guide axle (9) is supported by way of a pair of eccentric-disposed pins (10) and of which the second guide axle (9) is cross-movably supported in the printer side walls (32).

Abstract: A recording and/or reading head has a recording and/or read nose and is movably mounted. The head is preloaded against a record carrier with first and second preload values. A sensor device senses and maintains the distance between the record carrier and the nose constant. The preloading structure includes a spring loaded cam operated mechanism acting between the head and the record carrier via a spring loaded wheel secured to the head, the wheel engaging the record carrier. A switching mechanism switches the apparatus between the first and second preload conditions. The apparatus can print or operate with documents of different thicknesses.

Abstract: An apparatus adapted to adjust an interval or gap between a print head carried by a carrier unit and a printing paper disposed on a platen by sensing a paper thickness to obtain the optimum position of the print head without stepping-out a motor, including a holder, pulley, shielding plate, and a cam to rotate not only the holder and pulley with respect to the cam, but also the shielding plate with respect to the pulley independently of each other against the cam at a predetermined angle so that characters of a high quality may be printed on the printing paper.

Abstract: An impact printer which can be equipped with an auto sheet feeder comprises printing means, driving means for driving the printing means and controlling means for controlling the driving means so as to reduce the printing strength of the printing means when equipped with the auto sheet feeder. The impact printer makes it possible to reduce impact noises even when equipped with the auto sheet feeder, without lowering the quality of the characters, etc. printed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a wire dot matrix printer capable of printing letters on a plurality of superposed sheets of paper, in which there is provided a drive current adjuster for continuously increasing and decreasing the drive current of solenoids which move printing wires, in association with a distance adjuster for adjusting the relative distance between the front end of the printing wires and a platen roller, thereby the impact force of the printing wires can be continuously changed in accordance with the number of superposed sheets of paper.

Abstract: A shoe in the form of a cylindrical screw is rotatably threaded through a carriage supporting a print head and has one end held slidably against a guide rail parallel to a main guide shaft on which the carriage is movable parallel to the platen of an impact printer. The shoe is rotated about its own axis to tilt the carriage and hence the print head to adjust the spacing between the print head and the platen. The shoe is rotated by a gap change lever angularly movably supported on the carriage and having teeth for mesh with a gear mounted on the shoe. For initializing the spacing between the print head and the platen, the gear on the shoe is displaced out of mesh with the teeth of the gap change lever and rotated to turn the shoe. To achieve a desired spacing between the print head and the platen, the gear on the shoe is moved into mesh with the teeth of the gap change lever, and the gap change lever is turned to rotate the gear and the shoe for angular movement of the carriage.

Abstract: A slip/receipt printer is provided with a separator bracket attached at one side thereof to a forms compensating arm in cantilever manner. The separator bracket is biased by magnetic means toward the arm to provide a precise path for receipt paper. A slip or form is inserted into the printer on the top surface of the separator bracket. The separator bracket separates the receipt paper from the slip or form. Openings are provided in the separator bracket and other record medium supports.

Abstract: A wire dot-matrix printer has a print head which can be moved toward and away from a sheet or sheets of print paper by means of a stepping motor, the print head being movable from an initial position. The wire dot-matrix printer also includes a detector for detecting the thickness of the sheet or sheets of print paper by bringing the print head from the initial position into abutment against the sheet or sheets and then moving the print head back to the initial position, and a controller for determining the speed of movement of the print head with respect to a platen in parallel relationship thereto, based on information from the detector.

Abstract: The platen roller in a matrix printer is mounted to the printer case so that stop plates of the mount define a representation of the disposition of the roller. A frame is provided to hold a guide rod on which rides a carriage, and the print head is secured to that carriage. Adjustable cams on the rod abut the stop plates when the frame is slid into the case to, thereby, establish the distance between head and platen. The frame carries also the head drive, its motor and the paper-feed motor, there being a key connection to the platen, maintaining a driving connection even for different cam adjustments and frame positions in the case.

Abstract: This invention involves methods and apparatus relating to the assembly and structure of a dot matrix print head. The invention includes a single unit, coil assembly of a bobbin, coil, and clapper which can be removeably placed as a unit among fixed pole pieces and yoke members in the print head. The print head also includes a supporting arragement for the coil assemblies which automatically aligns the clapper of each coil assembly with the impact end of one of the print wires during the assembly of the print head. Other disclosed features of the invention are novel designs for the wire guide members, a heat sink member, and mounting structure by which the print head is attached to the main guide and rail guide bearings of the printing mechanism.

Abstract: For use in a printing machine, such as an office typewriter, employing a replaceable printing head to be mounted on a carriage, there is provided a printing head fastening arrangement for releasably clamping the printing head to the carriage and permitting adjustable spacing of the printing head relative to the cooperating print support for containing the recording medium. The inventive arrangement enables the fastening and adjustment function to be integrated such that both functions can be carried out in one step. To this end, a rotatable pin is disposed upstanding from the carriage and provided with an operating element, which is resiliently seated relative to the printing head, for selectively engaging against a support surface formed on the printing head to clamp the printing head against the carriage.

Abstract: Means are disclosed for use in a line printer having a print head on a carriage traversing parallel to a platen for printing characters through an inked ribbon onto a print medium drawn between the ribbon and platen. The inventive means provide for adjusting the print head position. Bracket means slidably mounted on the carriage provide for movement of the bracket toward and away from the platen. The bracket provides for mounting the print head on the carriage. A bracket adjusting member consisting of a lever in the preferred embodiment is coupled between the carriage and the bracket for manual adjustment of the spacing of the print head with respect to the platen. Pointer means are pivotally mounted on the carriage engage the bracket such that bracket movement and hence print head movement is translated into pointer movment, providing for a gross indication by means of indicia beneath the pointer of print head location with respect to the platen.

Abstract: Disclosed is a printing plane adjusting mechanism for a typewriter or similar machine wherein a paper handling system including a platen defining the printing plane is finely as well as coarsely adjustable by a single lever relative to a printing element to establish a predetermined normal distance between the printing plane and printing element or varied distances other than normal to accommodate paper packs of varying thickness. Adjustment of the normal distance or gap is effected without loosening or tightening screws.

Abstract: A bidirectional belt-drive for printers and the like comprising a carriage assembly movable across a paper web and supporting a print head mounting bracket. A belt has upper and lower runs extending through guide passageways in the carriage assembly. Independent jam cleat assemblies are normally biased by single spring means to a neutral position so as to be displaced from both runs of the belt.Swingably mounted knurled supporting surfaces cooperate with the jam cleat assemblies to enhance gripping of the fabric belt. Each jam cleat assembly has a pair of cooperating arms whose free ends are arranged to engage one another and extend between the arms of the single torsion spring means.The carriage assembly print head slidably receives the mounting bracket which is urged in the forward direction by bias means and may be adjustably positioned by adjustable cam means to enable the carriage assembly to maintain a fixed position relative to the platen and requiring only movement of the print head mounting bracket.

Abstract: A printer carrier for carrying both a selection motor and a carrier for print element and ribbon cartridges. The printer carrier is made up of a frame, adjustable rails, and a leadscrew follower, and is structured to be mounted on escapement rails. The adjustable rails are for accepting the selection motor and the carrier for print element and ribbon cartridges. Upon adjustment of the rails, the motor and cartridge carrier are oriented relative to a printer platen. The follower is for connecting the apparatus to a leadscrew for controlling escapement along the escapement rails.

Abstract: Apparatus for adjusting a carriage assembly in a printing relationship to a platen. The carriage supports the printing mechanism including a print element. The distance between the carriage with the print element and the platen is adjusted by the adjustment apparatus, which rotates the carriage about a first support rail by changing the distance between the carriage and a second support rail.

Abstract: A printer comprising a carriage which is displaceable along a record carrier, parallel to the line direction, and on which a printing head is mounted which is displaceable transversely of the line direction by means of an electric motor. The electric motor is coupled to the printing head by means of two complementary cam discs and two cam followers. The electric motor is controlled by an electrical control signal which originates from a converter which is coupled to a sensor which contacts the record carrier.

Abstract: A print head carriage assembly for a serial printer apparatus, the carriage including a platform having two parallel channels extending laterally through the frame member for receiving self-aligning bearings and carriage guide rails; a central seat within the platform for seating the housing of a matrix print head with the longitudinal dimension of the print head oriented normal to the longitudinal axes of the channels, locking means for securing the matrix print head in place about said central seat with the neck of the head extending substantially normal to the axes of the channels, manifold adjustment means for adjusting the position of the head within the seat relative to the axes of the channels; and means for engaging the platform to a drive means for driving said platform laterally along said guide rails.

Abstract: The gap between the print head and the printing surface or platen in a printer is extremely critical in certain types of printers. Where printers are required to accept print media of various thickness (single or multipart paper), an adjust mechanism is required to optimize the print gap. A problem arises thereafter whenever ribbon has to be changed or new paper fed into the printer, since the print head must be retracted from its optimum gap position for ease of operation. The present invention provides for automatically resetting the print head to its predetermined previous gap spacing following movement of the print head away from the printing surface for servicing such as paper loading on ribbon replacement. This is accomplished by providing a lever, adapted to move the print head away from the printing surface, with a cam face for mating with a cam follower carried by a gap adjustment arm pivoted for movement in fixed distance increments about a pivot point.

Abstract: A printing device in which a roll having a plurality of characters disposed thereon is displaceable with respect to at least one printing hammer. The printing hammer cooperates with a coil which, when excited, generates a field which by cooperation with a stationary field, puts the hammer into motion and drives it against the character on the roll to be printed. The hammer is arranged to be movable in the device so that the distance between the hammer and the roll is adjustable. A control device is provided which measures the hammer flying time and compares this time with a nominal flying time and which, in the case of a difference, displaces the hammer relative to the roll and also changes the driving force of the hammer.

Abstract: A high speed printing device having a printing head provided with printing needles. The printing device is mounted on a movable carriage which is adapted to move adjacent to a recording medium. The printing head is pneumatically operated and also is movable relative to the carriage so that the distance between the printing needles and the recording medium is variable.

Abstract: A type wheel comprises a rotary hub, a plurality of resilient, circumferentially spaced arms extending radially outwardly from the hub and a plurality of type elements provided at the end portions of the respective arms. The type wheel is rotated until the selected type element reaches a printing position relative to a platen. One or more sheets of paper interspersed with carbon sheets are wound around the platen for printing. A lever is positioned to adjust the distance between the type wheel and the platen in accordance with the number of sheets. A printing hammer is electromagnetically actuated to resiliently move the selected arm so that the respective type element impacts against the paper through an inked ribbon to print the desired character. The length of time required for the hammer to clear the non-selected arms of the type wheel after impact is a function of the number of sheets of paper and thereby the position of the lever.

Abstract: A printer is disclosed which has an adjustable support for the print head assembly, either or both for changing the spacing between the print head and paper supporting surface to accommodate multiple sheets of paper and to facilitate paper and ribbon changing and for changing the vertical position of the print head into one of two or more discrete positions to effectively at least double the number of dot positions available for printing from the print head wire array.