Printing apparatus and printing method with movable printing-head guide

A franking machine, comprising:

• a base element;
• a guide device moveably connected to said base element;
• a printing head connected to said guide device and guided by said guide device during printing, between a first longitudinal position and a second longitudinal position in a given direction with respect to said base element to effect a relative movement between said printing head and a medium to be printed;
• a driving device connected to said printing head for moving said printing head in said given direction, said driving device being a traction drive having at least one first deflecting device, said printing head being connected to said traction drive at a connection region, said connection region traveling over said at least one first deflecting device as said printing head moves in said given direction, causing said guide device and said printing head to be offset transversely with respect to said given direction;
• and
• an offsetting device allowing said guide device to be offset transversely with respect to said given direction for printing first and second images being offset to one another.

A method for printing, which comprises:

• providing a base element;
• providing a guide device movably connected to the base element;
• providing a printing head connected to the guide device and guided by the guide device during printing, between a first longitudinal position and a second longitudinal position in a given direction with respect to the base element to effect a relative movement between the printing head and a medium to be printed for printing a first printing image between the first longitudinal position and the second longitudinal position in the given direction and to print at least one second printing image offset to the first printing image in a direction transverse to the given direction and overlapping the first printing image at most in an edge region of the first printing image;
• moving the printing head in the given direction with a driving device, the driving device being a traction drive having at least one first deflecting device, the printing head being connected to the traction drive at a connection region;
• and
• offsetting the guide device and the printing head, by moving the printing head in the given direction causing the connection region to travel over the at least one first deflecting device.

A method for making a franking impression, which comprises:

• providing a base element;
• providing a guide device movably connected to the base element;
• providing a printing head connected to the guide device and guided by the guide device during printing, between a first longitudinal position and a second longitudinal position in a given direction with respect to the base element to effect a relative movement between the printing head and a medium to be printed for printing a first printing image between the first longitudinal position and the second longitudinal position in the given direction and to print at least one second printing image offset to the first printing image in a direction transverse to the given direction and overlapping the first printing image at most in an edge region of the first printing image;
• moving the printing head in the given direction with a driving device, the driving device being a traction drive having at least one first deflecting device, the printing head being connected to the traction drive at a connection region;
• and
• offsetting the guide device and the printing head, by moving the printing head in the given direction causing the connection region to travel over the at least one first deflecting device.