Method of printing by sensing variable indicia tag format length

Claim 5

A printer adaptable to making imprints according to a plurality of predetermined formats onto a web of sheet stock having indices disposed thereon at predetermined intervals defining predetermined tag length, comprising: first means for storing data representative of the information to be printed on the tag and the corresponding length of the tag on which said information is to be printed according to a predetermined format; second means responsive to said first means for making imprints according to a predetermined format on the web; means for feeding the web past said imprint making means; means for sensing the indices as the web is fed past the imprint making means; and means for responsive to said index sensing means for controlling the operation of the feeding means and the imprint making means, said control means including means for comparing the tag length defined by the sensed indices and the tag lengths defined by the tag length data for the predetermined formats stored in the data storing means and terminating the operation of said printer if the tag length defined by the indices does not substantially correspond to the tag length defined by the tag length data stored in the data storing means.

Claim 6

A printer adaptable to making imprints according to a plurality of predetermined formats onto a web of sheet stock having indices disposed thereon at predetermined intervals defining predetermined tag length, comprising: first means for storing data representative of the information to be printed on the tag and the corresponding length of the tag on which said information is to be printed according to a predetermined format; second means responsive to said first means for making imprints according to a predetermined format on the web; means for feeding the web past said imprint making means; means for sensing the indices as the web is fed past the imprint making means; and means for responsive to said index sensing means for controlling the operation of the feeding means and the imprint making means, said control means including means for comparing the tag length defined by the sensed indices and the tag lengths defined by the tag length data for the predetermined formats stored in the data storing means and terminating the operation of said printer if the tag length defined by the indices does not substantially correspond to the tag length defined by the tag length data stored in the data storing means.

Claim 7

A printer as recited in claim 3 wherein said sensing means includes means for sensing fluorescent indices.

Claim 8

A printer as recited in claim 4 wherein said sensing means includes a source of ultraviolet light and a light sensor both disposed adjacent to the web, the ultraviolet light source and the light sensor being disposed such that when said web is fed by the feeding means, the indices first pass by the ultraviolet light source to be illuminated thereby and then pass by the light detector to be detected thereby.

Claim 9

A printer as recited in claim 3 further including means for cutting the web into tags, said control means being responsive to the sensing means for rendering the cutting means operative to cut said web after one of said indices has been sensed.

Claim 10

A printer for making imprints onto a web of sheet having indices disposed thereon at predetermined intervals defining predetermined tag lengths, comprising: means for storing data representative of the information to be printed on the tag and length of the tag on which the information is to be printed; means responsive to the information representative data for making imprints on the web; means for feeding the web past said imprint making means; means for sensing the indices as the web is fed past the imprint making means; means for cutting the web into tags; and means responsive to said index sensing means for controlling the operation of the feeding means and the imprint making means, said control means including means for comparing the tag length defined by the sensed indices and the tag length defined by the tag length data stored in the data storing means and terminating the operation of said printer if the tag length defined by the indices does not substantially correspond to the tag length defined by by the tag length data stored in the data storing means said control means being further responsive to the sensing means for rendering the cutting means inoperative to cut said web after one of said indices has been sensed and wherein said control means cooperates with said feeding means for feeding the web past said cutting means, said control means being operative to cause the feeding means selectively to feed the web one of at least two different increments past the cutting means after the sensing of one of said indices prior to the cutting of the web by said cutting means, thereby to produce at least two different lengths of tags.

Claim 11

A printer for making imprints onto a web of sheet having indices disposed thereon at predetermined intervals defining predetermined tag lengths, comprising: means for storing data representative of the information to be printed on the tag and length of the tag on which the information is to be printed; means responsive to the information representative data for making imprints on the web; means for feeding the web past said imprint making means; means for sensing the indices as the web is fed past the imprint making means; means for cutting the web into tags; and means responsive to said index sensing means for controlling the operation of the feeding means and the imprint making means, said control means including means for comparing the tag length defined by the sensed indices and the tag length defined by the tag length data stored in the data storing means and terminating the operation of said printer if the tag length defined by the indices does not substantially correspond to the tag length defined by by the tag length data stored in the data storing means said control means being further responsive to the sensing means for rendering the cutting means inoperative to cut said web after one of said indices has been sensed and wherein said control means cooperates with said feeding means for feeding the web past said cutting means, said control means being operative to cause the feeding means selectively to feed the web one of at least two different increments past the cutting means after the sensing of one of said indices prior to the cutting of the web by said cutting means, thereby to produce at least two different lengths of tags.

Claim 12

A printer as recited in claim 7 wherein said control means is operative selectively to control the cutting means to render the cutting means operative selectively to cut the web to three different lengths to produce batch tags, long tags and extra long tags, one of said long tags being produced after the production of a predetermined number of batch tags, and one of said extra long tags being produced after the production of a predetermined number of batches of batch tags.

Claim 13

A printer as recited in claim 8 wherein each of said extra long tags has a protruding portion that protrudes beyond said batch tags, and said control means is operative to render said printing means selectively operative to print information on said protruding portions.

Claim 14

A printer as recited in claim 8 wherein said control means and said cutting means cooperate to produce a short tag immediately after the production of each long tag and to produce an extra short tag immediately after the production of each extra long tag.

Claim 15

A printer as recited in claim 8 wherein said control means is operative selectively to control the cutting means to render the cutting means operative selectively to cut the web to produce medium long tags that are longer than said long tags and shorter than said extra long tags.

Claim 16

A printer as recited in claim 11 wherein said control means and the cutting means cooperate to produce a medium short tag immediately after the production of each medium long tag.

Claim 17

A printer for producing tags of at least two different lengths by making imprints in a predetermined format on a web of sheet stock having indices representative of the length of the tag disposed along the length thereof, comprising: means for storing data defining the predetermined format, said data also defining the width of the web and distance between indices necessary to accommodate imprints made in the predetermined format; and means for comparing the data defining the width of the web and distance between indices necessary to accommodate imprints made in the predetermined format with corresponding immediately preceding data, said comparing means including means for issuing a message to an operator if the current and previous width data and distance between indices are not the same.

Claim 18

A printer for producing tags of at least two different lengths by making imprints in a predetermined format on a web of sheet stock having indices representative of the length of the tag disposed along the length thereof, comprising: means for storing data defining the predetermined format, said data also defining the width of the web and distance between indices necessary to accommodate imprints made in the predetermined format; and means for comparing the data defining the width of the web and distance between indices necessary to accommodate imprints made in the predetermined format with corresponding immediately preceding data, said comparing means including means for issuing a message to an operator if the current and previous width data and distance between indices are not the same.

Claim 19

A printer as recited in claim 13 wherein the previous data is data representative of the width of the web and distance between indices necessary to accommodate the imprints made in accordance with a previously selected format.

Claim 20

A printer as recited in claim 13 wherein said printer includes means for printing onto the web of sheet stock and means for controlling the operation of said printing means, wherein said message issuing means cooperates with said control means for rendering said printing means operative to print the message onto the web.

Claim 21

A printer as recited in claim 15 wherein said message issuing means includes means for rendering said control means operative to cause said printing means to print onto the web the data defining the width of the web and the distance between indices required to accommodate the predetermined format.

Claim 22

A printer as recited in claim 16 further including means for printing the data defining the required width and distance between indices in a format small enough to be accommodated by the width and distance between indices of the narrowest web and shortest distance between indices that can be accommodated by the printer.

Claim 23

A printer as recited in claim 15 wherein said printer includes means for preventing printing onto said web after said message has been printed.

Claim 24

A printer as recited in claim 18 further including means for permitting printing onto said web after the proper web has been installed.

Claim 25

A printer as recited in claim 19 wherein said means for permitting printing includes means for sensing operator access to said web.

Claim 26

A printer as recited in claim 20 wherein said operator access sensing means includes a switch.

Claim 27

A printer as recited in claim 20 wherein said comparing means and said printing preventing means cooperate to terminate printing in the event that the distance between indices on the web present in the machine after operator access is different from the distance required by the predetermined format.

Claim 30

The method recited in claim 23 further including the steps of, determining the width of the web loaded in the printer, comparing the width of the web with the width required to accommodate the format of the printing being printed on the web, and terminating the printing if the width is not compatible with the format being printed.

Claim 31

A tag printer for producing tags by making imprints onto a web of sheet stock, comprising: means for entering data defining the information to be printed on a batch of tags and at least one predetermined characteristic of the particular web stock required to accomodate the information; means for storing the entered data; means responsive to the data storage means for printing the information on the web; means for comparing the stored data defining the predetermined characteristic of the web stock necessary to accommodate the information to be printed on the current batch of tags with corresponding data defining the predetermined characteristic of the web stock required by the data printed on the batch of tags produced immediately prior to the current batch of tags; means for sensing operator access to the web; and means responsive to said comparing means and to said operator access means for permitting the printing of said tags only if the compared data defining the predetermined characteristics is the same or if the web had been accessed by the operator after the previous batch had been printed.

Claim 32

A tag printer for producing tags by making imprints onto a web of sheet stock, comprising: means for entering data defining the information to be printed on a batch of tags and at least one predetermined characteristic of the particular web stock required to accomodate the information; means for storing the entered data; means responsive to the data storage means for printing the information on the web; means for comparing the stored data defining the predetermined characteristic of the web stock necessary to accommodate the information to be printed on the current batch of tags with corresponding data defining the predetermined characteristic of the web stock required by the data printed on the batch of tags produced immediately prior to the current batch of tags; means for sensing operator access to the web; and means responsive to said comparing means and to said operator access means for permitting the printing of said tags only if the compared data defining the predetermined characteristics is the same or if the web had been accessed by the operator after the previous batch had been printed.

Claim 33

A tag printer as recited in claim 25 wherein the data defining the predetermined characteristic of the particular web stock includes data defining the width of the tag.

Claim 34

A tag printer as recited in claim 26 wherein the data defining the predetermined characteristic of the particular web stock includes data defining the number of tags to be printed laterally across the web.

Claim 35

A tag printer as recited in claim 25 wherein the web has indices disposed thereon defining tag lengths and wherein the data defining the particular web stock includes data defining the length of the tags to be printed, and said comparing means further includes means for comparing the length of the tags required by the current batch of tags to the spacing between said indices.

Claim 36

A tag printer as recited in claim 25 further including means for printing the required predetermined characteristic on the web if the data defining the predetermined characteristic required to print the current batch of tags is not the same as the corresponding data for the immediately preceding batch of tags and the web had not been accessed by the operator after the previous batch had been printed.

Claim 37

A tag printer as recited in claim 29 wherein said predetermined characteristic is printed in a format narrow enough to accommodate the narrowest web used by the machine.

Claim 38

A tag printer as recited in claim 25 wherein said means for sensing operator access to the web includes a switch.

Claim 39

A tag printer as recited in claim 31 wherein said printer includes a housing, and wherein said switch is mounted to said housing and is actuated upon access to said housing.

Claim 40

A tag printer as recited in claim 31 wherein said printer includes a housing and a cover for providing access to said web, and wherein said switch is operated whenever said cover is opened.

Claim 41

A tag printer as recited in claim 31 wherein said switch is operatively coupled to said data storage means and is operative to set the data defining the predetermined characteristic of the web stock required by the immediately preceding batch of tags to a predetermined number.

Claim 42

A tag printer as recited in claim 34 wherein said comparing means includes means for permitting the printing of the current batch of tags if the data defining the predetermined characteristic of the particular web stock required to print the immediately preceding batch of tags is said predetermined number.

Claim 43

A tag printer as recited in claim 35 wherein said predetermined number is zero.