Trimble Navigation Limited

The Mead Corporation

James F Gottman

James M Janky

Nicholas Charles Talbot

John W Donahue

Richard P Wolf

A laser transmitter projects a beam of laser light outward while raising and lowering the beam. The beam may define a conical surface of varying inclination. The transmitter includes a laser source that directs a beam generally vertically, and a beam diverting element. The beam diverting element is positioned in the path of the beam, intercepting the beam and redirecting it. The beam emerges from the transmitter as a non-vertical beam that is raised and lowered. The diverting element may include a pair of mirrors configured as a pentaprism, with one of the mirrors pivotable. Alternatively, the diverting element may include a plurality of micro mirrors. Also, the diverting element may include a conical reflector and an annular lens which is cyclically raised and lowered. The beam may be raised and lowered cyclically according to a predetermined schedule, or it may be raised and lowered non-cyclically.

Laser transmitter and method

An ink jet printer for depositing drops at print positions on the surface of a print receiving medium includes a print head means for generating a plurality of jet drop streams directed toward the print receiving medium, each drop in the jet drop streams being charged to one of a plurality of charge levels. A deflection means generates a static electrical deflection field extending through the print receiving medium in a direction non-parallel to the plurality of jet drop streams for deflecting charged drops in the streams to print positions on the print receiving medium. In a first embodiment, the deflection means includes a deflection electrode plate which is nonperpendicular with respect to the jet drop streams. In a second embodiment, a deflection electrode of bulk resistive material is provided.

Ink jet printer including external deflection field

An ink jet printer for selectively depositing drops from a plurality of jet drop streams along associated print lines on a moving print receiving medium includes a print head which generates a plurality of such streams arranged in one or more rows, which rows are inclined with respect to the direction of movement of the print receiving medium. The drops in the jet drop streams are selectively charged to a plurality of charge levels. Thereafter, the drops are deflected in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the print receiving medium into a plurality of print trajectories or, alternatively, into a catch trajectory. An apertured catch plate in one embodiment may be utilized with an inverted print head which prints upon the bottom of the print receiving medium.

Growing community of inventors

Dayton, OH, United States of America

James F Gottman