Gerber Scientific Products, Inc.

Joseph W Stempien

David J Logan

Ronald B Webster

William A Loos

Thomas A Gordon

Charles M Hevenor

William J Tortora

Daniel J Sullivan

David P Boisvert

Michael J Thomas

Jay T Niland

Barrett C Gray

William McKenna

Ken P Magnon

Dwight Curry

A method and apparatus for filling a void in a printed image which has been printed by a thermal transfer printing process employs of a heat-sensitive pigmented material on a foil. A piece of the foil is provided with a dot of the pigmented material having the same color as that bordering the void to be filled and approximately the same size as the void. The foil is positioned on the printed image, with the dot facing and superposed over the void. Heat is applied to the back of the foil, opposite to the dot, while at least the heated portion of the foil is pressed against the image to transfer the pigmented material from the foil to the void in the image. Instead of a dot, the pigmented material can take the form of an image and be transferred from the foil to a receptor material. A heater for simultaneously applying heat and pressure to the foil comprises a handle, a heater element projecting from the handle, and a generally planar registration shield fixed to the handle and resiliently carried in spaced relation to the heater element, such that the heater element may be brought into contact with the shield by pressing the handle toward the shield.

Thermal graphic pen and method of use

A method and apparatus for making a graphic product from a layer of sheet material on a carrier sheet uses stored machine readable data describing the periphery of the graphic product to cut and remove the product from the carrier sheet. The apparatus includes a feeding mechanism for feeding the layer of sheet material and a bonding web adjacent a thermal heating head. The thermal heating head has individual heating elements that are selectively energized to heat the bonding web throughout a patterned heat application area which overlies the portion of the sheet material corresponding to the weed or the graphic product designated for removal. The portion of the layer of sheet material secured to the bonding web is then separated from the carrier sheet. The apparatus can also be used to apply an adhesive inhibitor to one portion of the sheet material so that another portion can be removed with a conventional adhesive transfer web.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing a graphic product

Apparatus for manufacturing a graphic product

In a sprocket-driven plotter, a pair of drive sprockets are spaced apart from each other and keyed to a common sprocket shaft, and a drive motor is drivingly connected to the shaft to rotatably drive the sprockets, and in turn move the sheets engaged by the sprockets relative to a tool carriage for plotting by drawing lines, cutting or performing a variety of other operations on the sheets. A sheet support defines an arcuate support surface fixedly secured to the apparatus, and extending in its elongated direction between the sprockets for conformably contacting the laterally-extending section of each sheet engaged by the sprockets. The arcuate support surface defines a plurality of relatively raised or outermost surface areas, and each raised surface area is defined by an arcuate surface segment extending in the axial direction of the support for contacting and supporting the sheets. Corresponding recessed surface areas are formed between the raised surface areas for reducing friction between the sheets and support.

Plotter having sprockets for driving sheets relative to a tool carriage

A machine and method of performing a work operation requiring a known or predetermined length of unconsumed web has a cassette containing consumable web material, and the cassette has an indicator for identifying a length of unconsumed web in the cassette. The length of unconsumed web in the cassette is compared to a known or predetermined length of unconsumed web required to perform the work operation, and the operation is performed if the length of unconsumed web in the cassette is at least equal to the required length of unconsumed web. In one embodiment, the indicator takes the form of a potentiometer mounted on an exterior surface of the cassette for electrically indicating the amount of unconsumed web, or a pointer carried by a worm gear rotatably coupled to a spool of the cassette, wherein the pointer moves relative to indicia on the cassette upon rotation of the spool to visually indicate the amount of unconsumed web in the cassette.

Apparatus and method for performing a work operation with a consumable

A method for aligning sheet material having a computer generated image thereon with a precut plate stock so that the image is disposed in a predetermined position the plate stock utilizes an alignment fixture. The fixture has registration guides which are matched with indicia on the sheet material to establish the position of the sheet material, and the rigid plate stock is the placed underneath the sheet material on the fixture in a known positional relationship with the guides. The sheet material and the plate stock are then joined together by adhesives or other means without disturbing the established positional relationship of the sheet material relative to the plate stock.

Alignment method for accurately registering sheet material on a plate

A method and apparatus for preparing graphic products utilizes a printer to print on sheet material and a cutter to cut the sheet material with the printed material within the periphery of the cut edges. Both the printer and the cutter are controlled by machine readable data having a common data base so that the printed material and the cut material correspond positionally in the final graphic product. The printer is a thermal printer that places the printed material on a strip of sheet material generally before the sheet material is cut. The thermal printer utilizes a donor web bearing a transfer ink to create enhanced printed images on the sheet material with half tones, color and other attractive features. The printer is controlled to regulate a number of printing parameters through coding on a cassette in which the donor web is supported.

Apparatus for making a graphic product

Method and apparatus for making a graphic product

An apparatus for printing images on sheet material has a housing, a roller platen mounted within the housing for supporting the sheet material, and a print head mounted adjacent to the platen for receiving the sheet material between the platen and the print head and printing images onto the sheet material passed between the platen and the print head. Two first wiper-blade assemblies are mounted on either side of the roller platen relative to each other, and each wiper-blade assembly has at least one wiper blade extending across the width of the :sheet material defining an edge portion contacting the sheet material, for continuously removing dust particles and other debris from the sheet material prior to passage between the print head and the roller platen. A donor web bearing printing ink is interposed between the print head and the sheet material for forming graphic images on the sheet material by transfer of ink from the donor web to the sheet material. Two second wiper-blade assemblies are mounted on opposite sides of the print head relative to each other, and each second wiper-blade assembly includes a wiper blade defining an edge portion contacting the surface of the donor web facing the print head, for removing dust particles and other debris from the surface of the donor web prior to passage between the print head and the roller platen.

Printing apparatus having web-cleaning members for removing particles

Cassette for consumable sheet material

A method and associated apparatus for use in an automated sign generator to produce enhanced special effect graphics and single layer multi-color signs on a vinyl sheet material uses a paint pen carried by the tool head of the generator which in coordinated movement with the vinyl sheet traces the shape of the sign. In one embodiment, the sheet material is cut along a line falling within the painted stripe defining the graphic. The cut graphic having the desired visual special effect is removed from the sheet material along the cut line. The apparatus further includes a guide wheel assembly located between a material deflector and a feed roller for riding along the marginal portions of the sheet material causing it to move along a broken plane path to prevent buckling as it moves relative to the tool head and to prevent smudging of the painted graphic. A cam clip assembly is located behind the feed roller and intermediate the feed roller and a cam shaft and rides along the marginal portions of the sheet material to cause the material to move along a broken plane path to prevent its buckling and avoid smearing of a painted graphic on the surface. A paint pen which is interchangeable with a cutting tool is carried by the tool head and includes a number of interchangeable paint nibs.

Growing community of inventors

Newington, CT, United States of America

Joseph W Stempien