International Business Machines Corporation

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions

Kevin Hunter Vorhees

Richard Hunter Harris

Jeff David Thomas

Robert Andrew Myers

Anthony Wayne Miles

James Gabriel Brewington

Michael J Kinney

Kevin P Goffinet

Dean Frederick Herring

Charles Albert Rudisill

James Lewis Levine

Richard L Garwin

Pat Gallarelli

Brian Edward Blair

Dale R Flowers

Melissa Ann Fiutak

Dale R Flower

Charles H Bowman

Jeffrey A Farringer

Larry L Greene

John T Rowe, Jr

A point-of-sale system is provided including a conveyor that moves an item downstream and/or upstream, a shelf positioned above the conveyor, a defined zone below the shelf and a shield positioned between the conveyor and the shelf. The shield deters the item from moving to the defined zone when the conveyor is moving the item upstream. A method of conveying an item and methods of retrofitting a point-of-sale system are also provided.

Conveyor safety shield for point-of-sale system

System and methods for performing a full cut and a partial cut of paper are disclosed herein. According to an aspect, a system comprises a paper cutter system comprising a motor operable to move in either a first direction or a second direction. The paper cutter system also comprises a movable blade. The paper cutter system also comprises a cutter mechanism configured to move the blade to perform a full cut of paper when the motor moves in the first direction and move the blade to perform a partial cut of paper when the motor moves in the second direction.

Systems and methods for performing a full cut and a partial cut of paper

Printers and methods of printer operation are disclosed for detecting print line loss. Embodiments include at least one stable frame element and a print head that is moveable with respect to the stable frame element; and at least two optical elements mounted on one or more of the stable frame element and the print head, the optical elements oriented with respect to one another so as to detect motion of the print head.

Detecting print line loss

Disclosed is a system for indicating paper supply in receipt printers, the system including a paper roll including a core and length of paper that forms a paper portion, the core including a core diameter and the paper portion including a decreasing paper diameter, wherein the core contrasts in color to the paper portion to create a contrast, a scanner configured to sense data pertaining to areas occupied by the core and the paper portion via the contrast, wherein the computing resource is configured to convert the data into measurements of the core diameter and paper diameter, the computing resource being programmable to create alerts when remaining lengths of paper are left on the paper roll, the remaining lengths corresponding to low paper conditions of the paper roll, and being calculated by measurements pertaining to the core diameter, decreasing paper diameter, and a thickness of the paper.

System and method for indicating receipt paper supply in a receipt printer

The apparatus for point of sale currency verification includes a point of sale check printer having a printing device configured to print information on first and second opposing faces of a document, a scanning device configured to scan the first and second faces of the document, a verification module configured to verify the authenticity of the document, and a retention area that is secure, coupled to the apparatus, and configured to retain the document until removed by an authorized person. The document may be a check or currency. The method includes printing information on first and second opposing faces of a document, scanning the first face of the document, verifying the authenticity of the document, and retaining the document until removed by an authorized person.

Apparatus, system, and method for point of sale currency verification

A point of sale printer includes a paper supply mechanism rotatably mounting a paper supply roll within a frame through a resiliently mounted bearing member extending into each end of a central hole in the roll. The frame is manually pivoted between an open position, in which the roll is installed and removed by moving the bearing members outward with movement of the roll, and a closed position, in which the roll is rotatably held in place, with outward movement of the bearing members being prevented by stops within the printer. With the frame in its closed position, a paper web is pulled from the roll for printing. An alternate configuration allows the printer to use a narrow paper roll.

Printer having a paper supply roll rotatably mounted by a pair of bearing members

A printer mechanism includes a single motor turning a system drive gear in a paper feeding direction, and in a cam driving direction, opposite the paper feeding direction. When the system drive gear is turned in the paper feeding direction, a paper feeding spring clutch drives a paper feed roll with the system drive gear. When the system drive gear is turned in the cam driving direction, a drive cam is driven by a cam driving spring clutch. The drive cam has a first surface driving a moving knife blade across a stationary knife blade in a cutting direction, and in a return direction opposite the cutting direction. With this movement in the cutting direction, the moving knife is held against the stationary knife blade, and, with movement in the return direction, the moving knife is moved away from the stationary knife blade, by means of a second surface of the drive cam. Provision is made to allow the cam driving clutch and cam to return to an original configuration after an event in which knowledge is lost of the operating mode and position of the mechanism.

Paper cutter using a blade lifting mechanism

A print head and check flipper subassembly having a removable flipper cartridge allows printing of both sides of a check or other document in one continuous operation, in which the orientation of the check or other document is reversed in relation to a print head, eliminating the need for an operator to remove and reinsert the check during the printing or handling process.

Check flipper for point of sale printer and method therefor

A gear drive system for a printer designed to print upon a continuous roll of paper and having a blade used to cut off printed portions of paper from the paper roll is implemented. The gear drive system has a drive gear which slips against a toothless portion of a driven gear while paper is being fed through the printer for printing by a print head. When printing stops, the drive gear reverses its rotation, causing the driven gear to engage the drive gear. A cutter blade is controlled by the driven gear, with the blade cutting off the paper as the drive gear is in reverse rotation. After the paper is cut, the drive gear resumes its forward rotation, rotating the blade away from the paper. After the blade has been rotated, the drive gear continues to turn, but slips on the toothless portion of the driven gear. Friction losses are minimized as the energy lost as friction is low and full torque is applied to both cutting and opening rotations of the cutter blade.

Method for cutting paper in a printer using a gear with a friction pad

Gear with teeth of decreasing height for a printer

A document feed roller opening mechanism and a method for operating that opener provide efficient and reliable operation. In the document feed roller opening mechanism, a print head transport motor is used to open the document feed rollers. A carrier post is implemented to engage a document insert lever when the print head carrier is positioned over a cam on the document insert lever. Thus engaged, the document insert lever rotates to pull a left end of the document insert pressure roller. The left end of the document insert pressure roller slides towards a front of the printer and a right end pivots slightly in a right frame. A spring implemented therein compresses as the document insert pressure roller moves away from a stationary document insert feed roller. This spring provides pressure to the document insert feed roller when the rollers are together. With the document insert feed rollers open, one may easily slide a document in from the side of the printer.

Document feed roller opener and method therefor

A printer employs a print head having a wire column arranged at an angle between 0.degree. and 90.degree. relative to a permitted line of motion of the print head. This angled print head allows for both portrait and landscape printing. Portrait mode printing is performed by controlling movement of the angled print head along the permitted line of motion during printing of each line of images. Landscape mode printing is controlled by maintaining a stationary position of the print head while the print receivable medium is moved in a direction perpendicular to the permitted line of motion of the print head.

Biaxial printer for portrait and landscape printing

Biaxial printer

A touch sensing direct input data display device is described. The data display screen is directly and solely supported within a housing by stiff springs having essentially uniaxial freedom of motion. Strain gauge sensors are applied directly to the springs and are connected in a full Wheatstone bridge sensing circuit. The outputs of the sensors are fed to a calculating and processing device for calculaating the X, Y and Z coordinate information relative to the point on the face of the display which has been pushed or touched. The Z component is of total force and the X any Y components give the two dimensional location for the application of the force measured in the Z axis. The stiff springs allow very little deflection to occur under normal touch imposed fores on the display screen. They permit essentially uniaxial motion only in the Z axis. The system is mechanically robust and may be shipped and subjected to dropping or impact loads normally encountered in shipping without damage, has a relatively high natural frequency of vibration and produces high level, relatively continuous output signals for use.

Growing community of inventors

Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Kevin Hunter Vorhees