Other

Varitronic Systems, Inc.

Insignia Systems, Inc.

Thomas K McGourty

Lawrence F McGourty

Kevin B McGourty

Lawrence R McGourty

A thermal printing system with encoded cassettes is disclosed. A thermal image transfer sheet is removably attached to a print sheet. Encoded instructions may be provided as either a bar code placed on the print sheet, as digital signals stored in a ROM or RAM storage device which forms a part of a cassette supply storing the print sheets, or as digital signals indicated by extruded pins or punched holes in a part of a cassette supply storing the print sheets. The encoded instructions represent certain conditions, such as the optimum thermal printing energy to be applied to pixels forming a printing head, and such encoded instructions are utilized to program various aspects of printing, such as the printing format. The print sheet may be divided, as by scoring, into different print fields so that it may be readily separated into separate display signs.

Printing control system and method for scalably controlling print energy

Different print sheet sets are disclosed to receive printing by a thermal printer. A thermal image transfer sheet is removably attached to a print sheet having a score line across the same to form a zone for coded indicia and a zone to receive printing. Indicia are provided in the indicia zone to represent certain conditions, such as the optimum thermal printing energy to be applied to pixels forming a printing head, and such indicia are sensed by a sensing device to program various aspects of printing, such as the printing format. The print sheet may be divided, as by scoring, into different print fields so that it may be readily separated into separate display signs.

Thermal printing system with encoded sheet set

A printing machine is disclosed for printing an image on an image receiving tape. The present invention includes a novel tape cassette. The cassette includes a housing with a tape spool and ribbon spool disposed within the housing, and electrical circuit elements which are disposed to electrically engage electrical connectors carried by the printing machine. The circuit elements are selected to cooperate with the circuitry of the printing machine to indicate desired characteristics of the cassette. The desired characteristics may be varied such that the electrical elements identify the size of the tape or the type of tape carried by the casette.

Tape cassette with identifying circuit element for printing machine

Push button lock module for attachment to a door knob

A head contorl apparatus is disclosed for a printing machine. The apparatus includes a frame with a thermal head connected to the frame. A tape roller guide is connected to the frame. The guide and the head are disposed on opposite sides of an intended tape pathway, The guide and head are both movable between first and second positions with the guide and head in the first positions being spaced apart a first distance sized to freely position a tape within the intended pathway. The guide and the head in the second positions are disposed to be closely adjacent with a tape within the pathway being urged against the head. The drive for the image source type is disconnected when the guide and head are separated.

Head control apparatus

The knob spindle of a self contained electrically controlled door lock is locked and unlocked by a unidirectional miniature electric motor. The motor drives a lock pawl to and from locking position through cyclically operable mechanism including an energy storing spring. The mechanism invariably operates through a cycle and, if the pawl is prevented from moving, energy will be stored in the spring to subsequently move the pawl, thereby preventing stalling of the motor and undue drain on the batteries.

Motor driven lock control

The knob spindle of a door lock is locked by a locking element supported for movement about an axis parallel to the spindle axis, and a latch, also supported for movement about an axis parallel to the spindle axis, latches the locking element in both locking and unlocking positions. Spring means urge the latch into latching position. Electromagnets are energized sequentially to move the latch into unlatching position and the locking element into unlocking position.

Electrically controlled lock

A latch bar is connected to the plunger of a solenoid and is movable endwise to release an exterior knob spindle to enable the spindle to actuate a latch bolt retractor. A latch carried by the latch bar is held by the retractor to maintain the latch bar open until the retractor is later actuated by the spindle, thereby enabling a single electric pulse to effect release of the lock bar.

Electrically controlled door lock

A printing mechanism for use in an impact printing system primarily intended for the transfer of a dry film impression onto an image carrying tape. The mechanism includes a hammer (130), and an anvil (126). The hammer is actuated by lever arm (164) which is in turn accuated by eccentric cam (194). At its upper end the hammer is biased by a pivotal spring mechanism (152) against a roller bearing (162). At its lower end the hammer (130) has a guide pin (140) which passes through an aperture (144) in a guide plate (142). The guide plate is adjustably mounted by means of slots (141) so that movement of the guide plate adjusts the inclination of the hammer.

Growing community of inventors

Paso Robles, CA, United States of America

Thomas K McGourty