Graphical recording system employing heated ink compositions

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED GRAPHICAL RECORDING SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING A TRACE REPRESENTING AT LEAST ONE VARIABLE ON A RECORDING MEDIUM, SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION A RECORDING MEDIUM, A PEN ADAPTED TO PRODUCE A TRACE ON THE SURFACE OF SAID RECORDING MEDIUM, A PEN CARRIER CONNECTED TO SAID PEN AND ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN SAID PEN IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO BUT ABOVE SAID SURFACE, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PEN CARRIER AND ADAPTED TO POSITION SAID PEN WITH RESPECT TO SAID SURFACE IN RESPONSE TO AT LEAST ONE VARIABLE, AN INK RESERVOIR COUPLED TO SAID PEN AND CONTAINING NORMALLY SOLID NON-AQUEOUS INK HAVING A MELTING POINT ABOVE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE FOR SUPPLYING INK TO SAID PEN, SAID PEN COMPRISING A GENERALLY TUBULAR CONDUIT HAVING A REDUCED DIAMETER WITH RESPECT TO SAID RESERVOIR AND ALIGNED FOR GRAVITY FLOW OF SAID INK FROM SAID RESERVOIR TO SAID SURFACE OF SAID MEDIUM, HEATING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID RESERVOIR AND ADAPTED TO SUPPLY HEATED INK TO SAID PEN IN A FLUIDIZED CONDITION, WHEREBY SAID INK CAN BE READILY DEPOSITED AS A FLUID ON SAID SURFACE TO FORM A PERMANENT TRACE CORRESPONDING TO MOVEMENTS OF SAID PEN CARRIER RELATIVE TO SAID RECORDING MEDIUM IN RESPONSE TO SAID VARIABLE, SAID INK BEING NORMALLY SOLID, FLUIDIZABLE AND NONAQUEOUS, AT LEAST THE TERMINAL PORTION OF SAID CONDUIT OF SAID PEN BEING OF A DIAMETER SELECTED WITH RESPECT TO THE SURFACE TENSION CHARACTERISTIC OF SAID INK SUCH THAT FLOW OF SAID INK FROM SAID PEN IS INHIBITED WHILE SAID INK IN SAID CONDUIT IS OUT OF INK-DELIVERING APPROXIMATION TO SAID SURFACE OF SAID RECORDING MEDIUM, SAID PEN CARRIER BEING ADAPTED TO ADJUSTABLY POSITION SAID TERMINAL PORTION OF SAID CONDUIT IN AND OUT OF TRACE PRODUCING INK-DELIVERING APPROXIMATION TO SAID SURFACE, WHEREBY SAID INK IS PULLED FROM SAID TERMINAL PORTION OF SAID CONDUIT BY CONTACT WITH SAID SURFACE, AND SAID TERMINAL PORTION OF SAID CONDUIT RIDES ON A CUSHION OF SAID INK ABOVE SAID SURFACE.