Abstract:
The production of uniform droplets (5) in ink jet printers is effected by introducing a periodic variscosity into the liquid stream (3) which leaves each jet body (2) of the printer. Effective printing with these droplets (5) requires the correct synchronism between breakoff of droplets from the liquid stream and the application of a charge to the droplets, via a charging electrode (4). To enable compensation to be made to ensure this synchronism remains correct, despite variations in the properties of the printing liquid, droplets from one printing jet (monitor jet) are monitored. Whenever the monitor jet observation shows that the synchronism has varied, a correction signal (ADV, RTD) is generated to cause the application of variscosity, or the application of charge, to be altered to compensate for the drift in synchronism. A preferred monitor jet construction includes a collector (6) for charged droplets, which receives droplets (5) from the monitor jet and periodically discharges collected liquid (7). A sense amplifier (11) is responsive to the net charge on the collector (6), and the signal from the sense amplifier (11) is used to generate the correction signal.
Abstract:
An instrument for detection of coloured fibres in a white fibre mass is disclosed which comprises drafting rollers (2) and (4) for reducing the fibre mass to a thin web, a pair of transparent cylindrical rollers (3) between which the web passes and an optical inspection device (6, 8) for detecting coloured fibres in the web. An upper of the rollers (3) comprises a cylindrical lens and together with a focussing lens (5), focuses light from the fibre mass to a linear diode array (6) of the inspection device (6, 8). Output signals from the diode array (6) are received by a computer (8) of the inspection device for detecting coloured fibres. Balanced illumination provided by light sources (9), reflectors (10) and diffused transmitters (11) provide balanced illumination to the web to suppress background images formed by the white fibre mass.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a method/apparatus to determine any one of a plurality of parameters: shape, area, chemical composition, diameter, colour, number, thickness, width, length, absorptivity, reflectivity, transmittivity, dielectric constant, raman scattering profile, fluorescence, surface tension, roughness, profile, density, position and orientation. Also use of a plurality of energy beams as source energy: charged and neutral particle beams, gamma-, X-, micro-, optical and acoustic waves. The described apparatus determines the mean and standard deviation of a plurality of diameters of wool fibres, and includes a He-Ne laser (101), and a pinhole (102) which produce an expanding laser beam which passes through cell (105). Beam splitter (103) is operatively disposed to pinhole (102) and laser (101) to direct a portion of the laser beam to reference detector (109) which is electrically connected to processor (110) via line (111). When apparatus (100) is operating wool fibres in an isopropanol-wool slurry pass through cell (105) generally at a non-zero degree angle to the direction of slurry flow through cell (105) to interact with the laser beam in cell (105). Beam splitter (104) and microscope objective (106) are operatively disposed with respect to laser (101), pinhole (102) and cell (105)to produce an in focus magnified transmission image of wool fibres in cell (105) in the plane of end (107) of optical fibre bundle (108). Each of the fibres in bundle (108) is connected to a photodiode detector (112). Processor/timer (113) is connected electrically to detector (112) by line (114). Processor/timer (113) is also connected electrically to computer (115) by line (116) and to processor (110) by line (117). Detector (118) is connected electrically to processor (110) by line (119). Processor (110) is connected electrically to computer (115) by line (120). Detector (118) is operatively disposed with respect to laser (101), pinhole (102) and cell (105) to detect outgoing light.
Abstract:
To permit accurate adjustment of the direction of projection of droplets from a droplet generating head of a jet printer, the jet body (10) is mounted for rotational movement in a cradle (13A, 42A) formed on, or on an arm member (50) extending from, a support body (13, 40). Charging electrodes (21, 46) can also be mounted on, or on an arm member (52) extending from, the support body (13, 40). The support body can be mounted on a shaft (15) in the jet printer. Arrays of droplet generating heads can be formed by supporting a plurality of heads on a single shaft (15), or by constructing a plurality of support bodies (40) from a single block of electrically insulating material.
Abstract:
Electrostatic deflection of portions (18) of a liquid stream (1) is used to generate lengths of liquid (called ''slugs'' of liquid) for use in jet printing apparatus. The liquid stream (1) is projected along a path alongside a linear or arcuate array of electrodes (6, 7, 8 ... 12, 13). When a voltage signal is applied sequentially to each electrode of the array at a rate which corresponds to the velocity of liquid of the stream past the electrodes, a portion (18) of the liquid is deflected out of the path of the stream and towards the array. Either the deflected portion (18) or the undeflected stream is intercepted before it reaches a surface (17) which is to be printed. The slugs of liquid may break up naturally into droplets (19) before the interception of the deflected portion (18) or the undeflected stream, or after the interception has occurred. High resolution printing with high volumes of liquid is possible using this invention.