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AssigneeW. H. Brady Co.
InventorSteven D. Hoyt
Estimating the term…
An electronic labeling machine is disclosed which includes a printing mechanism with a carriage adapted for horizontal travel across assemblies of identification devices to be imprinted. A web sensor is attached to the carriage for concurrent travel therewith. In traversing horizontally across the assembly, the web sensor provides a signal to a microprocessor which indicates the presence or absence of the assembly under the current position of the sensor. The microprocessor also receives a timing signal from the printing mechanism indicative of the position of the carriage. Based on the timing signal and the signal from the web sensor, the microprocessor measures a current width of the assembly. The assembly is especially adapted for use with the invention, and includes notched portions having a width different than the nominal assembly width, each notched portion being in a fixed relative position with respect to one of the identification devices. The microprocessor is thereby able control feeding of the assembly to register the identification devices for printing by discriminating the current measured width of the assembly between the nominal width and the width at a notch.
In apparatus for providing identification devices with imprinted indicia of the type including (1) a printing mechanism, (2) friction feed means for advancing an assembly of a plurality of individual identification devices through the printing mechanism, (3) input means for designating indicia to be printed on individual identification devices, (4) memory means storing a program of instructions for reading the designated indicia, controlling the feed means and controlling the printing mechanism, and (5) microprocessor means responsive to the program of instructions in the memory means and interfaced to control the printing mechanism and the feed means,
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.