Printing apparatus with a shuttle for moving the printing ribbon
AssigneeMarkem Technologies Limited
InventorsMichael Robert Nelson, Steven Carter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printing apparatus for printing on a substrate, including a base mounting a storage spool for printing ribbon, a ribbon take-up spool, and there being a ribbon path from the storage to the take-up spool through a printing station, a print head relative to which the substrate and the ribbon move during a printing operation. The apparatus further including a shuttle moveable relative to the base, the shuttle having a ribbon guide about which the ribbon is entrained, the arrangement being such that relative movement between the print head and the ribbon is achieved by movement of the shuttle relative to the base.
Claims16
A printing apparatus for printing on a substrate while the substrate is in motion, said apparatus comprising a printing station including a printhead, the substrate being moved past the printing station during a printing operation, a storage spool for printing ribbon, a ribbon take-up spool, and a shuttle moveable by a shuttle driver, said shuttle having a ribbon guide about which the ribbon is entrained so that motion of the driver, moves the ribbon past the print head during printing.
A method of printing on a substrate while the substrate is in motion, comprising providing a printing apparatus comprising a printing station including a print head, a storage spool for printing ribbon, a ribbon take-up spool, and a shuttle moveable by a shuttle driver, said shuttle having a ribbon guide about which the ribbon is entrained, the method including the steps of;
- moving the substrate past the printing station during a printing operation, moving the shuttle with the driver such that the ribbon moves past the print head whilst performing the printing operation on the substrate, and maintaining at least the take-up spool substantially stationary during the printing operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.