Low-paper sensing apparatus

A sensing mechanism for determining a low-paper condition of a roll of supply paper used for printing receipts in a receipt-printing machine, comprising:

• a bucket for housing a roll of supply paper for printing receipts thereupon, said roll of supply paper being movably housed within said bucket, so as to provide a "floating" position with respect to said bucket;
• a sensing device being movably mounted adjacent said bucket and having means for generating an electromagnetic beam, and a receptor for detecting changes in said electromagnetic beam, said changes being indicative of paper remaining on said roll;
• and
• a rail supported by said bucket for mounting said sensing device for movement about said bucket, said sensing device being movable along said rail, so that it can be positioned proximate the roll of supply paper in at least one of a plurality of different positions within said bucket, whereby said sensing mechanism is adjustable about said bucket to assume different orientations with respect to said supply roll.

A method for detecting a low-paper condition in a printer having a paper-supply bucket and a floating roll of supply paper, the steps comprising:

• a) sensing the absence of a signal representing the presence of paper at a predetermined position in a paper-supply bucket;
• b) comparing said sensing step (a) with a previously-sensed absence signal;
• c) repeating said sensing step (a) and said comparing step (b) a predetermined number of times, in order to eliminate bouncing effects of a floating roll of supply paper, which may falsely register said paper supply as being high;
• and
• d) after steps (a) and (b) have been performed said predetermined number of times, during which said absence of signal sensing has been established, indicating to an operator that said roll of supply paper has been substantially exhausted.

A sensing mechanism for determining a low-paper condition of a roll of supply paper used for printing receipts in a receipt-printing machine, comprising:

• a bucket for housing a roll of supply paper for printing receipts thereupon, said roll of supply paper being movably housed within said bucket, so as to provide "floating" positions with respect to said bucket;
• a sensing device being movably mounted adjacent said bucket and having means for generating an electromagnetic beam, and a receptor for detecting changes in said electromagnetic beam, said changes being indicative of paper remaining on said roll;
• and
• support means for said sensing device associated with said bucket, and defining an arcuate path of movement for said sensing device that allows said sensing device to move with respect to said bucket, said sensing device being movable along said arcuate path so that it can be positioned proximate the roll of supply paper in at least one of a plurality of different positions within said bucket, whereby said sensing mechanism is adjusted to accommodate different orientations of said supply roll.