Abstract: A media stiffness sensor assembly for an imaging device. The assembly comprises a translation mechanism coupled to a contact member, a drive mechanism coupled to the translation mechanism and a position sensor for providing a signal indicative of the position of the contact member. The assembly is mounted within an imaging device so that the contact member is moved into bending contact with a cantilevered portion of a media sheet in the media path. The energy used to translate the contact member from a home position into the cantilevered portion of a media sheet in the media path to deflect the cantilevered portion is used to determine a weight of the media sheet.

Abstract: A storage module for computer systems includes a housing defining an opening, a power supply unit and an air cooling unit, a storage unit detachably received in the housing through the opening, a bracket for mounting the storage unit, and a magnetic member. The bracket includes a tray plate defining a plurality of heat dissipation holes, a first side plate, an opposite second side plate, a stop plate including a first end detachably coupled to the second side plate and a second end pivotally connected to the first side plate, and a resilient member resiliently biasing the stop plate away from the first side plate. The storage unit is moveably and insertably positioned between the first and the second side plates. The magnetic member is positioned in one of the second side plate and the stop plate such that the second side plate and the stop plate are magnetically attracted.

Abstract: A printer comprising: a support structure; a feed arrangement positioned on the support structure and configured to feed an endmost sheet of print media from the stack and including a movable pick-up assembly, the pick-up assembly having an array of spaced apart nozzles configured to direct air on to respective locations along said topmost sheet so that said topmost sheet can be picked-up from the stack by moving said pick-up assembly; a pair of rollers configured to engage with said endmost sheet fed from said feed arrangement; a printing station configured to print ink upon said endmost sheet engaged by said rollers; and an air displacement mechanism connected to the nozzles to displace air out of some expulsion nozzles and into some other suction nozzles, wherein each suction nozzle has a suction cup mounted to said pick-up bar.

Abstract: A printer comprising: a support structure; a feed arrangement positioned on the support structure and configured to feed an endmost sheet of print media from the stack and including a movable pick-up assembly, the pick-up assembly having an array of spaced apart nozzles configured to direct air on to respective locations along said topmost sheet so that said topmost sheet can be picked-up from the stack by moving said pick-up assembly; a pair of rollers configured to engage with said endmost sheet fed from said feed arrangement; a printing station configured to print ink upon said endmost sheet engaged by said rollers; and an air displacement mechanism connected to the nozzles to displace air out of some expulsion nozzles and into some other suction nozzles, wherein said expulsion nozzles are interposed with said suction nozzles.

Abstract: A printer comprises a transportation belt, a printer head, and a pneumatic paper sucker. The transportation belt is driven by a driving roller that drives a driven roller. The printer head includes a plurality of head units each having ink-jet surfaces. In the printer, print paper is adsorbed to the transportation belt by the sucker, and transported in a direction of transportation. Ink drops jetted out from the head units are shot at correct points on the print paper specified in print data. Thus, printing is achieved. According to the printer, the printer head need not be shifted in the process of printing, but printing can be achieved at a high speed. Moreover, the costs of manufacturing can be reduced, and the printer can be designed compactly.

Abstract: In a feeding apparatus for material sheets, package blanks (B) are stored stacked in layers in a hopper (2) that opens downward, for example. A plurality of stopper guides (20) are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the package blanks (B) at the outlet of the hopper (2). Restrainer lugs (24) are located continuous with the guide surfaces (22) of the stopper guides (20). The package blanks (B) are supported in layers on the stopper guides (20), and the lowest one is supported directly on the guide surfaces (22). Since guide surfaces are inclined in the direction of delivery of the package blanks (B), the lowest one of the package blanks (B) deflects to the maximum degree, and a gap is formed between the lowest package blank and the overlying package blank (B). Further, the package blank (B) can be delivered as it gets over the restrainer lugs (24) by elastic deformation.

Abstract: A vacuum drum assembly for a printing machine has a drum with an array of passageways distributed along its length and around its periphery. The passageways permit air to flow from outside the drum to inside the drum in response to reduced air pressure inside the drum. The assembly also has an array of valve members, each valve member being movable between a closed position in which that valve member restricts at least one of the passageways and an open position in which the restriction of that passageway or those passageways is reduced. The assembly is arranged such that, when a partial area of the drum is wrapped with a sheet of material, at least some of the valves for the passageways adjacent the edges of that area are open, and the valves for the passageways which are not covered by the sheet and are not adjacent the edges of that area are closed.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting print medium through a printzone of a printing device. The apparatus including a print media movement mechanism configured to advance a first portion of a print medium through the printzone and a reciprocally translating vacuum platen downstream of the print media movement mechanism. The vacuum platen receives the print medium and conveys a remaining portion of the print medium through the printzone so that a printing mechanism can print at a bottom margin of the print medium.

Abstract: Variances are introduced into at least one component of a large format inkjet printer to substantially reduce the formation of vertical bands during a printing process. In one respect, the relationship between the carriage speed and the vibrations caused by operation of the voltage receiving component is utilized in the implementation of the variances. That is, operation of the voltage receiving component creates a temporal frequency caused by its vibration which leads the carriage to vibrate at a certain rate of time (temporal frequency) as it travels across the printing pass. At least by virtue of the travel across the printing pass, the carriage converts the temporal frequency caused by the vibrations of the carriage and the voltage receiving component into a spatial frequency. The temporal frequency generally translates into a delay or an event that occurs at certain moments in time which may cause drops of ink that are fired to be misplaced on the medium.

Abstract: A vacuum holddown device for a hardcopy apparatus, comprising a printing platen with a pattern of through holes and an underlying vacuum chamber, further comprises a member located therebetween and having a substantially similar pattern of through holes, the member being moveable to align the pattern of holes or not so as to respectively interconnect or disconnect the holes in the printing platen and the vacuum chamber. The member may itself define a secondary chamber with which the holes in the printing platen are in communication when not in communication with the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed herein for transporting print media through a printzone of a printing device. Further characteristics and features of the present invention are additionally disclosed herein, as are exemplary alternative embodiments. This abstract is not to be used in the interpretation of any of the claims.

Abstract: A vacuum drum assembly for a printing machine has a drum with an array of passageways distributed along its length and around its periphery to permit airflow from outside the drum to inside the drum in response to reduced air pressure inside the drum. An array of valves are movable between a closed position in which that valve restricts at least one of the passageways and an open position in which the restriction of the same passageways is reduced. When a partial area of the drum is wrapped with a sheet of material, at least some of the passageway valves adjacent the edges of that area are open, and the valves for the passageways not covered by the sheet and not adjacent the edges of that area are closed. The drum open area is regulated to be small in regions where there is no paper. Accordingly, the open area of the drum is adapted to the paper shape and size and the paper position on the drum, while minimizing the required suction flow.

Abstract: A purpose of this invention is to provide paper money extraction equipment for issuing only one sheet of paper money by surely picking up the top most sheet from a stack in which a plurality of paper money sheets are arranged. The extraction equipment provides a suction box with an opening for adsorbing one sheet of paper money. The paper is moved when the paper money is taken up. A roller device issues the paper money which is taken up on this suction box. The extraction equipment suction box is pivoted at (52).

Abstract: Sheets of paper, photos, transparencies and the like can be fed to a work station (scanner, printer, photocopies, etc.) from a staircased stack of said sheets by use of an air knife and wind tunnel system.

Abstract: A color proofing apparatus (11) for writing images to an intermediate ink receiving element (32) comprising an inkjet printhead (602) for writing the images to the intermediate ink receiving element (32). A lead screw (250) moves the inkjet printhead (602) in a first direction relative to the intermediate ink receiving element (32). The intermediate ink receiving element (32) is mounted on the vacuum imaging drum (300) which is rotated by a motor (341) relative to the inkjet printhead.

Abstract: A system for regulating the vacuum hold pressure in a printer based upon the stiffness of the print media that is directed through the printer. In one embodiment, the stiffness of a sheet of media is detected before or as the sheet reaches the carrier. The vacuum pressure level is thus regulated in response to the stiffness measurement of the sheet, thereby to have applied to that particular media a level of vacuum pressure that prevents problems that arise when pressure levels are too low (for example, inadvertent shifting of the paper) or too high (for example, paper deformations that reduce print quality). A sensing technique for alternatively sensing stiffness and paper thickness is also provided.

Abstract: According to the sheet carrying device of the present invention, the controlling unit changes the driving power of the fan driving source, depending on characteristics of the sheet. Therefore, appropriate sucking power can be caused to act, depending on the sort of the carried sheet.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus (10) comprises a vacuum imaging drum (300) for holding thermal print media (32) and dye donor material (36), in registration with the thermal print media (32), on a surface of the vacuum imaging drum (300). A printhead (500) prints information to the thermal print media (32) as the printhead is moved parallel to the surface (305) of the vacuum imaging drum (300). Angled vacuum holes (306) connect the surface (305) and an interior (304) of the vacuum imaging drum (300) to maintain the thermal print media (32) on the surface. The angled vacuum holes (306) are at an acute angle to the surface (305) of the vacuum imaging drum (300).

Abstract: A tape is controlled in a printing machine by advancing a length of tape through a light pathway. Transmittance of the light through the tape is measured and values are stored associated with transmittances through the tape. The tape is advanced to a start position where measured transmittance of the tape at the start position corresponds with a stored value of a measured transmittance.

Abstract: A rotatable pick engager for use with a printer for precisely timing the engagement of a paper stack with a pick roller during the picking of a sheet from the stack, greatly reducing top of sheet variability, skewing and multiple picks.

Abstract: A computer coordinated microfilm jacket feed and printer machine has a microfilm jacket aligning and feed structure and a microfilm jacket-stacking and aligning platform and elevator thereof. The jacket-feed mechanism positions a forwardly-stacked microfilm jacket in a predetermined pick-up position at which vacuum-oriented pick-up ports of a pivoted pick-up structure suction-attaches a forwardly-advanced feed microfilm jacket, and by the pick-up structure pivoting and injecting the jacket into a printer's platen's input-bite (input-bite position) and guides therefor. The computer activates the platen roller which thus pulls through the microfilm jacket to a print position after turning-off the suction cup's vacuum; the entire machine and computer combination turns-off if the transport mechanism fails to pick-up and transport the printed jacket.

Abstract: A controlled paper transport arrangement utilizes a flexible belt which attracts the paper to its surface by the application of a reduced air pressure on the other side. In a preferred embodiment, the belt operates in a continuous loop and in combination with a vacuum feed roller, the belt and the vacuum feed roller being arranged on respective sides of a print strike bar. The presence of the paper against the flexible belt causes trip valves to change state such that the full force of the air pressure differential between the ambient air and the reduced air pressure, on either side of the flexible belt, is applied only in the vicinity of the paper to be printed. In some embodiments, the vacuum feed roller is sectored so that the reduced air pressure is applied only in the region which communicates with the paper to be printed. The flexible belt and its associated assembly is tiltable about its vacuum supply inlet for achieving compact storage and for delivering printed sheets to a storage bin.

Abstract: In an apparatus for stamping flat objects of different sizes and thicknesses, particularly postal items, said objects are arranged vertically on a feed table. The objects are individually removed from the latter and successively moved past a stamp and are then conveyed to a depositing table. The supplied and deposited objects are in parallel planes to one another. The feed and depositing tables are successively arranged in a vertical direction to one of these planes. The objects are removed from the feed table at right angles to said direction and are supplied to the depositing table. The objects are placed on the feed table by their leading edge in the transfer direction during individual removal. The conveying path of the object between the feed and depositing tables is horizontal.

Abstract: A paper supply device for a machine such as an electric typewriter or word processor, the device comprising a self-supporting housing for location behind said machine and separate therefrom. The device includes a pair of driven rotatable rollers for frictionally engaging and advancing an item of stationery so that the leading edge thereof extends forwardly and out of the housing, said rollers being rotated during part of each cycle of operations of said device and being stationery and out of frictional engagement with said item of stationery during a subsequent part of each cycle of operations, thereby removing frictional drag on said item of stationery when it is engaged by and drawn into said machine.