Recognition Equipment Incorp.

John T White

Kenneth T Lovelady

James R Ingram, Jr

Richard T Kushmaul

A hemicylindrical crystal is used in a variable frequency multi-orifice ink jet modulator. Unwanted resonant frequencies are damped providing the capability of wide band operation. A phase control is used with the modulator to control printing operations.

Variable frequency multi-orifice IJP

A modulator for ink jet printers is provided for operation over a wide bandwidth of high frequency drop rates. The longitudinal dimensions of each part of the modulator are made small compared to the wavelength of the shortest standing longitudinal acoustic wave that may be produced in a structure of the same material as the part in question. A piezoelectric crystal is seated within a mount acoustically decoupled at the edges therof. An electrode is axially aligned with the crystal and placed in contact with the crystal. A short hollow cylinder forms an ink chamber axially aligned with the crystal. The end of the ink chamber opposite the crystal is closed by a front plate having a nozzle axially located therein. Plural nozzles may be utilized to produce parallel ink streams which break into droplets at substantially the same time and at a near uniform distance from the nozzles.

Wideband ink jet modulator

A valve system for selective control of flow of fluids from plural sources to a common conduit. Plural valves, are aligned along the conduit at different distances from a system axis. A cam array serves to selectively force the valves against a diaphragm to close off ports leading to the conduit upon rotation about the system axis. The invention is particularly suitable for use with a pressurized ink reservoir connected to one port, an ink solvent to a second port, and a drying gas to a third port. The valve system then may be rotated sequentially for initiating an ink operation, cleansing with the ink solvent, and drying with the gas without necessitating a disassembly of the system.

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Grand Prairie, TX, United States of America

John T White