Hand-held printer and method for adhesive tape

Abstract

Hand-held printing apparatus and method are disclosed that provide a replaceable ink cartridge with an ink reservoir defined therein to store wet ink that may typically have a paste like consistency. A piston movable within the ink cartridge is operably connected to the tape spool for compressing the wet ink through a nozzle of the ink cartridge onto the first of a series of printing rollers that smooth out the ink for transfer to a printing roller to effect offset printing of a desired image onto the adhesive side of clear adhesive tape. The cartridge is provided in a low cost throw away package for disposal after the ink is depleted. Multiple color logos or images can be printed by using two to four different color ink cartridges. The flow of wet ink may be controlled by gearing, relative size adjustment of the components, pneumatic pressure control, adjusting or altering start/stop position of components, or increasing the number of actuating components that actuate each pumping action per revolution of the tape spool.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.