Data Products Corporation

Howtek, Inc.

Thomas R Peer

Carl David Lutz

Richard R Helinski

Philip A Eno

A method of operating a system for jetting phase change ink by effecting a solid-to-liquid phase transition of the ink by elevating its temperature, ejecting a first volume of liquid ink towards a target, lowering the temperature of the ejected ink to cause it to solidify after contact with the target and then contacting the first volume of ink with a second volume of similarly jetted ink in a liquid state so that the second volume lies on the first volume. Thereafter, the second volume of ink is caused to undergo a liquid-to-solid transition by lowering its temperature. By this method, the height of printed material is built up.

Method of jetting phase change ink

A method of operating a system for jetting phase change ink comprises effecting a solid to liquid phase transition of the ink by elevating its temperature, ejecting a first volume of liquid ink towards a target, lowering the temperature of the ejected ink to cause it to solidify after contact with the target and the contacting the first volume of ink with a second volume of similarly jetted ink in a liquid state so that the two volumes are superimposed. Thereafter, the second volume of ink is caused to undergo a liquid to solid transition by lowering its temperature.

A rotary ink jet printer can print at high speed in black and white as well as in color using hot-melt inks. The printer includes a rotary print wheel which supports a plurality of ink jetters distributed around its periphery. The jetters are divided into color groups with the jetters in each group drawing ink from a separate chamber of an ink reservoir with the different chambers containing different-colored inks. Each jetter can be aimed separately from all of the other jetters in the print wheel in a direction parallel to the rotary axis of the wheel as well as in a direction perpendicular thereto and tangent to the print wheel, enabling the jetters in the different groups during each revolution of the print wheel to print in a plurality of colors on a plurality of different lines of a recording medium advancing as a cylinder past the periphery of the print head. A mechanism for automatically aiming the jetters on the print wheel is also disclosed.

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Londonderry, NH, United States of America

Thomas R Peer