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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7339690 | Identification card printer with client/server An identification card printer for printing an image on an identification card, is provided which includes a print mechanism adapted to deposit material on to the card. A network adapter is configured to couple to a network. A print drive module controls the print m... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7290146 | Managed credential issuance In a method of issuing a credential, a request for issuance of the credential is received. Next, a unique identification for the requested credential is assigned and data elements corresponding to the credential are provided. A credential production data collection ... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7265771 | Printer capable of detecting status of unutilized ribbon A printer includes a ribbon supply end, a ribbon retrieving end, and a ribbon. The two ends of the ribbon are installed on the ribbon supply end and the ribbon retrieving end respectively. The printer further includes a print head, a print medium fixture, a driving ... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7258501 | Ink ribbon cartridge An ink ribbon cartridge including a frame, supply shaft connecting member, and take-up shaft connecting members is provided. The supply shaft connecting members connect a supply shaft to the frame, and the take-up shaft connecting members connect a take-up shaft to ... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7168871 | Ribbon takeup device and printer with ribbon takeup device The present invention reduces the peak torque of a motor used in a ribbon takeup mechanism and makes the motor, used for driving, smaller and less costly. A ribbon takeup device includes ratchet wheels (5) provided on ribbon takeup axes (4), a feed cla... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7150572 | Tape drive and printing apparatus A tape drive for use in for example a transfer printing apparatus to drive a printer ribbon. The printer ribbon is mounted on two spools each of which is driven by a respective stepper motor. A controller controls the energization of the motor such that the ribbon i... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7119821 | Color thermal printer and color thermal printing method In a color thermal printer, printing units for each color image are disposed along transporting path of recording sheet. In each printing unit, a thermal head and a platen roller are provided. Recording sheet is pressed on the thermal head by the platen roller and t... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7113303 | Job queuing based on print head position A system and method for ordering a queue of print jobs in a high volume printing operation employing movable print heads. A plurality of print jobs are sorted and executed according to print head position specifications for one or more movable print heads such that ... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7073963 | Film support devices and printing system handling ink film for printing A system is provided for movably supporting an ink film in a printer. The system has cylindrical supply and take-up cores for supporting and taking up the film during printing operations. The cores may be made of molded plastic resin. The ends of the cores are sized... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7071961 | Ribbon drive and tensioning system for a print and apply engine for a printer An apparatus for driving and tensioning a ribbon includes a supply spindle for supplying a ribbon, a supply dancer assembly for applying tension to the ribbon, a printhead, a take-up dancer assembly for applying tension to the ribbon, and a take-up spindle for colle... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7052194 | Apparatus and method for controlling a ribbon transport mechanism An apparatus for controlling a ribbon transport mechanism of a ribbon feed system includes a supporting structure carrying a plurality of ribbon transport devices including a ribbon storage spool, a ribbon take-up spool, and at least one ribbon guide around which ro... | 05/30/2006 |
| 6965391 | Thermal transfer ribbon actuation device for printing machines Applicable to machines having a moving carriage (4) that can move transversally with respect to the continuous band to be printed and that includes a thermal printing head (9) by which passes a thermal ribbon, from a cassette of origin (5) to a ... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6517268 | Printer and method of controlling it A printer comprises a printing mechanism (9) composed of a platen (9b) and a printing head (9c) for printing on a recording medium (C, S) via an ink ribbon, a paper path (30, 33) for guiding the recording medium to and past said printing mechanism (9), th... | 02/11/2003 |
| 6431774 | Printer, control method for the same, and data storage medium for recording the control method Problems relating to shifting and misalignment of an ink ribbon relative to the print head as a result of changing the color used for printing with a multi-color ink ribbon are eliminated with the least possible reduction in printing throughput. The ink r... | 08/13/2002 |
| 6174096 | Printing apparatus An apparatus to drive a ribbon carrying a printing medium in an impact printer is implemented. The apparatus accommodates manual tightening of the ribbon by decoupling the drive motor from the ribbon cartridge without use of a clutch mechanism. A gear tra... | 01/16/2001 |
| 6149326 | Hot stamper foil tape cartridge with reflector pads A tape cartridge for a debossing stamper includes a casing, a tape-containing supply spool and a tape take-up spool in the casing, the supply spool having at least one reflector pad visually accessible from the exterior of the casing by an optical reflect... | 11/21/2000 |
| 6082914 | Thermal printer and drive system for controlling print ribbon velocity and tension A thermal printer having a supply of media with a rotatable platen on which the media is moved for printing by a thermal printing head. A supply spindle supplies print ribbon from a supply spool mounted thereon, and a take-up spindle takes up the used pri... | 07/04/2000 |
| 6065883 | Franking apparatus and printing means thereof A method and apparatus is disclosed for controlling energization of a take-up motor driving a take-up spool of used ink ribbon in thermal printing apparatus. Prior to a printing cycle, the take-up motor is energized to rotate the take-up spool until terns... | 05/23/2000 |
| 6036382 | Ribbon transport mechanism having driven pivoting carrier beam and method of using The present invention relates to a mechanism for transporting a printing ribbon past the print head of a printer using a rocking beam mechanism the rocking beam being driven by a drive means. The invention also provides a printer, notably a thermal printe... | 03/14/2000 |
| 6034708 | Ribbon drive for a thermal demand printer A thermal demand printer for printing on media is a novel system which includes a case structure including a hinged cover panel, easily removable guide structures and media hanger, and a single central support wall to which the various components are atta... | 03/07/2000 |
| 5971634 | Method of printing A method of printing utilizing a printing apparatus having a base mounting a print head which has a plurality of printing elements each of which is operable to transfer a pixel of print medium from a carrier onto an adjacent substrate, the method comprisi... | 10/26/1999 |
| 5961230 | Printer with a device for controlling the velocity of the ribbon A printer, in particular of the type used for printing cheques with magnetic ink, comprises a control device for advancing a ribbon at a velocity substantially equal to the velocity of documents. The velocity of documents and the ribbon are controlled by ... | 10/05/1999 |
| 5921689 | Method of calibrating a ribbon winding mechanism for a printing apparatus A method of calibrating a ribbon winding mechanism of a printing apparatus which is adapted to perform a printing operation in which at a printing station a print head is moved relative to a first length of the ribbon to transfer print medium from the fir... | 07/13/1999 |
| 5820280 | Printer with variable torque distribution A printer includes a variable torque assembly that allows a printer controller to vary torque on supply and take-up reels in response to monitored diameter of the supply or take-up reels. In one embodiment, the variable torque assembly is a torque divider... | 10/13/1998 |
| 5820277 | Printer There is disclosed an improved thermal printer with a rigid frame made from a main frame plate with compound bends and a base plate, record member supply roll mounting and guide devices, an ink ribbon and record member web feed control system, a print hea... | 10/13/1998 |
| 5803625 | Bar code printing device A bar code printing device including a base frame, a cover turned about a pivot in the base frame, torsional springs mounted around the pivot to force the cover outwards from the base frame, gear wheel and sector gear assemblies mounted between the base f... | 09/08/1998 |
| 5795084 | Method and apparatus for low cost thermal printing A method and apparatus for low cost thermal printing in a thermal printer having a software controlled thermal print head that moves in relation to a print ribbon disposed adjacent to a print area of a printed medium. The thermal print head is selectively... | 08/18/1998 |
| 5743661 | Imaging device An imaging device which reciprocatively transports a recording sheet to form a color image thereon. A front extreme end of the recording sheet is clamped between a pair of rollers, and the pair of rollers are reciprocatively moved along a recording sheet ... | 04/28/1998 |
| 5711623 | Ink ribbon recording apparatus A single-pass ink ribbon and a multi-pass ink ribbon are incorporated in a single recording apparatus. An identification mark is attached to one end of the single-pass ribbon (or the multi-pass ink ribbon) so that a ribbon sensor can discriminate two kind... | 01/27/1998 |
| 5700096 | Printer and method of printing using the same In a printer for printing on a recording medium using a transfer medium, a transfer medium capable of being repeatedly used at the same portion thereof (e.g., a multi-pass thermal transfer ribbon) is conveyed in the normal direction in performing the prin... | 12/23/1997 |
| 5685653 | Method and system for controlled inking of printer ribbons A method and apparatus for extending the useful life of a printing ribbon by controlling the ratio of ink used to ink applied to the ribbon, while maintaining visual clarity of printed characters. A counter accumulates the number of characters printed, an... | 11/11/1997 |
| 5649774 | Method and apparatus for improved low cost thermal printing A method and apparatus for low cost thermal printing in a thermal printer having a software controlled thermal print head that moves in relation to a print ribbon disposed adjacent to a print area of a printed medium. The thermal print head is selectively... | 07/22/1997 |
| 5647679 | Printer for printing on a continuous print medium A thermal printer for printing on a continuous print medium by ink transfer from a thermal print ribbon has a print head which is pivotally mounted and which is driven in an oscillatory nodding motion by a stepper motor so as to repeatedly to bring a line... | 07/15/1997 |
| 5593238 | Method and apparatus for controlling transport of thermal transfer ribbon An apparatus for use in a thermal printer for printing bar code symbols onto a paper substrate material is provided which utilizes a ribbon having a multi-transfer ink layer. The thermal printer enables the ink ribbon to be transported at a rate that is s... | 01/14/1997 |
| 5547183 | Imaging device An imaging device which reciprocatively transports a recording sheet to form a color image thereon. A front extreme end of the recording sheet is clamped between a pair of rollers, and the pair of rollers are reciprocatively moved along a recording sheet ... | 08/20/1996 |
| 5542769 | Printer such as a printer for printing self-adhesive labels having a ribbon drive To conserve relatively expensive printing ribbon, in particular a thermal transfer ribbon, when a portion of the medium which is not to be printed, e.g. the space between two labels, passes through the printing area, after the end of the printing process ... | 08/06/1996 |
| 5533819 | Character by character thermal recording device with ink sheet feed control A thermal recording device suitable for use in an electronic typewriter for printing characters on a printing paper by means of an ink sheet. The device has a thermal recording head adapted to be pressed onto the printing paper through the ink sheet so as... | 07/09/1996 |
| 5482388 | Detent mechanism and gear changeover apparatus in a recording apparatus A recording apparatus having a paper feeding device for feeding a printing sheet, a detent mechanism capable of engaging the feed roller so as to determine the feeding pitch at which the paper feeding device feeds the sheet, a ribbon feeding mechanism for... | 01/09/1996 |
| 5445464 | Ink ribbon usage in a multicolor image recording apparatus An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium has a plurality of ink ribbon mounting portions on which a multicolor ink ribbon having inks of plural colors and a monochromatic ink ribbon having monochromatic ink can be mounted,... | 08/29/1995 |
| 5433539 | Control of media movement using a periodic calibration method and apparatus A ribbon supply apparatus including a support in which a ribbon supply spool and a take-up spool are rotatably mounted. The supply and take-up spools and the support are designed so that these spools can be mounted in the support in only one way, the corr... | 07/18/1995 |
