TransAct Technologies Incorporated Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20150093172 | SELF-ADJUSTING PAPER BUCKET FOR A PRINTER AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A SELF-ADJUSTING PAPER BUCKET - A self-adjusting paper bucket for a printer is provided, together with methods for providing such a self-adjusting paper bucket. The paper bucket may have a curved base portion for accepting paper rolls of varying widths. A guide may be movably mounted to each side of the base portion. The guides may be movable between a first position extending towards a center of the paper bucket and a second position folded against sides of the paper bucket. A biasing element may be provided for each of the guides for biasing the corresponding guide into the first position. In the first position, the guides may accept a first paper roll having a first width and may center the first paper roll in the base portion. In the second position, the guides may accept a second paper roll having a second width greater than the first width and may center the second paper roll in the base portion. | 04-02-2015 |
20150089807 | DOCKING STATION FOR A REMOVABLE PRINTER MECHANISM AND METHODS OF PROVIDING A REMOVABLE PRINTER MECHANISM - A docking station for a removable printer mechanism is provided, together with methods for providing a removable printer mechanism. The docking station may have a base with parallel side arms adapted to be fixed to an interior of a printer housing. Side walls may extend from each of the parallel side arms. The side walls may be adapted to guide the printer mechanism into a docked position in the printer and to removably fix the printer mechanism in the docked position. A bridge element may extend between the parallel side arms at a rear of the base. A clamping element may be fixed to the bridge element and be adapted to hold a printer-side cable connector in position to accept a corresponding cable connector of the printer mechanism. The printer mechanism may easily be slid into and out of the docking station for repair or replacement. | 04-02-2015 |
20130243510 | CONFIGURABLE PRINTER FOR DIFFERENT PAPER SIZES AND METHODS FOR CONFIGURING A PRINTER FOR DIFFERENT PAPER SIZES - In accordance with one example embodiment of a configurable printer for different paper sizes and types in accordance with the present invention, the configurable printer may comprise a print mechanism, a controller for controlling the print mechanism, a paper bucket for receiving a first sized paper roll to be printed, a divider for a paper bucket for reducing a width of the paper bucket to accept a second sized paper roll which is smaller than the first sized paper roll, and a bucket sensor adapted to sense at least one of insertion of the divider into the paper bucket and removal of the divider from the paper bucket and to provide a paper size signal to the controller. The controller controls the print mechanism in response to the paper size signal from the bucket sensor. | 09-19-2013 |
20130239768 | CONFIGURABLE CUTTER MECHANISM FOR A PRINTER AND METHOD FOR CONFIGURING A CUTTER MECHANISM FOR A PRINTER - A configurable cutter mechanism for a printer and corresponding methods are provided. The cutter mechanism may comprise a rotary cutter mounted for rotation about a rotation axis and for translation across at least a portion of a width of a paper path perpendicular to the rotation axis. A fixed blade assembly may be provided that is adapted to cooperate with the rotary cutter. The fixed blade assembly may extend across the width of the paper path. A controller may be provided for controlling a variable length of travel of the rotary cutter across the width of the paper path. The paper path runs between the rotary cutter and the fixed blade assembly. | 09-19-2013 |
20130088451 | TILTING TOUCH SCREEN FOR PRINTER AND PRINTER WITH TILTING TOUCH SCREEN - A tilting touch screen for a printer and a printer having such a tilting touch screen are provided. The tilting touch screen may include a touch screen housing, a touch screen located in the touch screen housing, means for pivotally connecting the touch screen housing to a printer housing, the printer housing defining an opening closable by the tilting touch screen, and a controller for controlling the printer in communication with the touch screen. The screen tilts open for direct access to the print mechanisms and paper buckets for service or paper loading, without requiring the removal of any additional covers. | 04-11-2013 |
20110310171 | Dual print head wiper apparatus for a two-pen ink jet printer and method for cleaning ink pen faces of a two-pen ink jet printer - Apparatus and methods are provided for simultaneously cleaning both ink pen faces of a two-pen ink jet printer. Two print head wipers are provided, each print head wiper being adapted to wipe a respective ink pen face of a corresponding ink pen. Linkage connects the two print head wipers together. A solenoid is connected to the linkage for actuating the two print head wipers simultaneously. | 12-22-2011 |
20110259163 | CUTTER FOR A PRINTER AND METHODS OF CUTTING PAPER MEDIA IN A PRINTER - A cutter for a printer is provided, together with corresponding methods. The cutter comprises a fixed blade and a movable blade. The fixed blade is arranged on a cover bracket. The cover bracket is movable between an open and a closed position. The movable blade is arranged on a printer frame. Means are also provided for moving the movable blade from a home position into engagement with the fixed blade for cutting paper media during a cutting action. In the open position of the cover bracket the fixed blade and movable blade are separated, enabling paper jams to be cleared and paper to be loaded. | 10-27-2011 |
20110235116 | Methods and apparatus for automatic hostname generation - Methods and apparatus for automatic generation of a hostname for a network printer embedded in or associated with a gaming machine are provided. An identification number is received at the printer from the gaming machine. The printer can then generate a unique Hostname for the printer by modifying the identification number. Once the Hostname is generated, the printer is able to connect to the network using the generated Hostname. For example, a connection of the printer to the network may be delayed after initial power up of the printer until print data for a game generated ticket has been received at the printer from the gaming machine. The identification number may be extracted from the print data at the printer and used to generate the Hostname. | 09-29-2011 |
20110175283 | Methods and apparatus for stacking tickets in a ticket printer with an alternate ticket exit - Methods and apparatus for stacking paper tickets in a printer are provided, in which an alternate ticket exit is provided in the event of a blockage of the primary ticket exit. Printed tickets are fed from a stacking nip into a ticket bin via a first ticket exit. A second ticket exit is provided which leads away from the ticket bin. Tickets are diverted into the second ticket exit in the event the ticket bin has reached capacity or the first ticket exit is blocked. By diverting tickets out of the second exit when the ticket bin has reached capacity or when the first ticket exit is blocked, the tickets are allowed to exit the printer and paper jams are prevented. | 07-21-2011 |
20110140338 | Methods and apparatus for shingle stacking of tickets in a ticket printer - Methods and apparatus are provided for stacking paper tickets, receipts, vouchers and the like that exit a transaction-based printer. A stacking nip is provided which accepts a first ticket from a ticket cutter. The first ticket is fed into the stacking nip, and then advanced by the stacking nip for a fixed distance until a trailing edge of the first ticket is positioned before the stacking nip. A second ticket is then fed towards the stacking nip. The first ticket is held in the stacking nip with the trailing edge positioned before the stacking nip until a leading edge of the second ticket overlaps the trailing edge of the first ticket. The trailing edge of the first ticket and the leading edge of the second ticket are then simultaneously advanced through the stacking nip. The first ticket is ejected from the stacking nip into a ticket bin once the trailing edge is advanced through the stacking nip. | 06-16-2011 |
20090138635 | Method and apparatus for controlling a peripheral via different data ports - A peripheral such as a printer is controlled to receive data from different data ports. A first port receives data formatted according to a first protocol. A second port receives data formatted according to a second protocol. A first processor is associated with the peripheral. A second processor is associated with the second port. A switch is adapted to receive (i) first data from the first port and (ii) second data from the second port after processing by the second processor. The switch is controlled in response to a message received via the second port to couple either the first data or second data to the first processor for use in controlling the peripheral. New firmware can be downloaded to the peripheral via the second port in response to the message. The message can be communicated to the first processor via a separate port at the first processor and a memory shared with the second processor. | 05-28-2009 |
20090120313 | Methods and apparatus for printing receipts and validating forms - A dual-purpose printer for printing receipts and validating forms is provided. The printer comprises a receipt drive roller for driving paper through a receipt path, a dual-purpose roller capable of contacting the drive roller, and a validation idler roller adapted to be brought into and out of engagement with the dual-purpose roller. The receipt path is formed between the receipt drive roller and the dual-purpose roller. A validation path is formed between the validation idler roller and the dual-purpose roller. Rotation of the receipt drive roller in a first direction enables driving of paper through the receipt path. When the validation idler roller is in engagement with the dual-purpose roller, rotation of the dual-purpose roller in the first direction enables discharging of a form from the validation path. | 05-14-2009 |
20080278526 | Ink jet printer with expanded validation print zone - An ink jet printer has two print cartridges. For example, one cartridge can carry black ink and the other red ink. Both cartridges are used to print on a receipt with a narrow print zone of, for example, 2.5 inches. Only the black cartridge is used to print on a cut sheet for validation purposes. By lengthening the time that the print head of the black cartridge is actuated to spray ink, a wider print zone (e.g., 3.5 inches) can be provided for the cut sheet. | 11-13-2008 |
20080218774 | Configurable printer for different locations and methods of configuring a printer for different locations - A configurable printer for different locations and methods for configuring a printer for different locations are provided. The printer includes memory loaded with different versions of firmware. Each version of firmware may enable a different printer configuration for a corresponding location. The printer also includes an interface for accepting a signal from a control device. The signal may comprise instructions to the printer to load a particular version of the firmware that corresponds to the location of the control device. | 09-11-2008 |