Sci Systems, Inc.

Martin J Hnetynka

Alfred L Fulton

Scott D Sampson

Steven M Faes

Laird Campbell

David Preston

Michael Missios

An airline ticket printer includes a magnetic reading and writing station that has a read/write head for recording information on, or reproducing information from, a magnetic stripe carried on the ticket. The ticket is driven past the read/write head by a drive mechanism that contacts the ticket at a substantial distance from the read/write head so that the magnetic stripe is free to flex independently of the portion of the ticket that is in contact with the drive mechanism. More satisfactory contact between the read/write head and the magnetic stripe is thereby achieved. The ticket printer also has a second reading/writing station in series with the first station along a ticket feed path, so that errors in reading or writing by the first station may be detected and/or corrected at the second station. A ticket feed path is constructed using feed modules that are mounted on pins extending from a vertical mounting plate. Tickets are pre-staged from a ticket storage bin to a staging point to reduce print-cycle time. The storage bin is a cassette that can be removed from the printer. New tickets are printed using information that had been magnetically recorded on old tickets that are inserted in the printer. The printer's control system includes a printer electronics board and one or more single-slot PC/AT (ISA bus) microcomputers that are plugged into respective slots of a mother board. The printer includes a thermal printer engine with a platen and a print head. The platen and print head are disengaged from each other except when a ticket is in between them for printing.

Device for removing ticket blanks from ticket cassette

An airline ticket printer includes a magnetic reading and writing station that has a read/write head for recording information on, or reproducing information from, a magnetic stripe carried on the ticket. The ticket is driven past the read/write head by a drive mechanism that contacts the ticket at a substantial distance from the read/write head so that the magnetic stripe is free to flex independently of the portion of the ticket that is in contact with the drive mechanism. More satisfactory contact between the read/write head and the magnetic stripe is thereby achieved. The ticket printer also has a second reading/writing station in series with the first station along a ticket feed path, so that errors in reading or writing by the first station may be detected and/or corrected at the second station.

Printer with offset magnetic recorder drive means

An airline ticket printer includes a magnetic reading and writing station that has a read/write head for recording information on, or reproducing information from, a magnetic stripe carried on the ticket. The ticket is driven past the read/write head by a drive mechanism that contacts the ticket at a substantial distance from the read/write head so that the magnetic stripe is free to flex independently of the portion of the ticket that is in contact with the drive mechanism. More satisfactory contact between the read/write head and the magnetic stripe is thereby achieved. The ticket printer also has a second reading/writing station in series with the first station along a ticket feed path, so that errors in reading or writing by the first station may be detected and/or corrected at the second station. A ticket feed path is constructed using feed modules that are mounted on pins extending from a vertical mounting plate. Tickets are pre-staged from a ticket storage bin to a staging point to reduce print-cycle time. The storage bin is a cassette that can be removed from the printer. New tickets are printed using information that had been magnetically recorded on old tickets that are inserted in the printer.

Airline ticket printer with offset drive means

An airline ticket printer includes a magnetic reading and writing station that has a read/write head for recording information on, or reproducing information from, a magnetic stripe carried on the ticket. The ticket is driven past the read/write head by a drive mechanism. The ticket printer also has a second reading/writing station in series with the first station along a ticket feed path, so that errors in reading or writing by the first station may be detected and/or corrected at the second station. Tickets are pre-staged from a ticket storage bin to a staging point to reduce print-cycle time. Ticket errors can be corrected and changes can be made by re-inserting the old ticket into the machine, reading the information that had been magnetically recorded on the old ticket and either printing a new ticket or over-printing the old ticket. If a new ticket is printed, the old ticket is deposited in a safe receptacle inside the machine.

Airline ticket printer with ticket pre-staging and recirculation

An airline ticket printer includes a magnetic reading and writing station that has a read/write head for recording information on, or reproducing information from, a magnetic stripe carried on the ticket. The ticket is driven past the read/write head by a drive mechanism that contacts the ticket at a substantial distance from the read/write head so that the magnetic stripe is free to flex independently of the portion of the ticket that is in contact with the drive mechanism. More satisfactory contact between the read/write head and the magnetic stripe is thereby achieved. The printer's control system includes a printer electronics board and one or more single-slot PC/AT (ISA bus) microcomputers that are plugged into respective slots of a mother board.

Control system for transportation ticket printer having plurality of

An airline ticket printer includes a magnetic reading and writing station that has a read/write head for recording information on, or reproducing information from, a magnetic stripe carried on a ticket. The printer also includes a printing station located after the magnetic read/write head. A plurality of separate storage bins are provided for storing different ticket blanks; each bin has its own feed device. The ticket blanks are prefed from the storage bins along separate guide paths to separate staging areas prior to these paths joining to form a common path. The magnetic read/write head and the printer are located along this common path.

Airline ticket printer with ticket prestaging

An airline ticket printer includes a thermal printer engine with a platen and a print head. A gap is maintained between the platen and the print head except when a ticket is present for printing. A ticket is fed toward the gap and the feeding of the ticket is sensed. At a timed interval after sensing the feeding of the ticket, the print head is moved toward the platen by a stepper motor so that the ticket is engaged between the print head and the platen.

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Huntsville, AL, United States of America

Martin J Hnetynka