Abstract:
An ink jet printing apparatus is described having facilities for printing information in character locations, (boxes) each character location comprising a plurality of vertical columns of drop locations, and a number of characters comprising a line of information. Structures and circuits are included for insuring correct location of information within the character boxes and also providing for one mode in which characters are printed continuously line-by-line and another mode in which characters are printed incrementally character-by-character. During incremental printing, as well as the first character in a line or group of characters, provision is made for re-bounding the printhead back into the box of the character just printed, that is, prior to the next character box to be printed to insure that when the printhead starts up again for the next character that all drop components for that character, including any located in the immediate vicinity of the character boundary, are properly placed during printing.
Abstract:
The present case concerns various techniques for increasing the printing rate of an ink jet printing apparatus. As one example, drops not required for printing, that is, drop intervals, are skipped. This reduces the time required to form individual characters. Another technique modifies the normal generation of drops which is sequential in a column by column fashion and instead imposes non-sequential drop generation and deflection thereby reducing drop merging and splatter that otherwise might occur.
Abstract:
Individual ink droplets are formed at a nozzle, propelled toward a record medium, variably charged by a charge electrode, and deflected by deflection plates for printing of characters. Droplets not required for printing are directed to a first gutter. The charges on the droplets develop a current in the first gutter that is sensed in an electronic feedback loop for synchronization of drop formation with drop charging. An auxiliary gutter is positioned to receive drops during a checking interval when a relatively high charge is applied to the unused drops. The relatively high charge on the drops develops a much larger current in the auxiliary gutter that is easier to detect. If desired, synchronization can also be effected by using the auxiliary gutter.
Abstract:
A process for slicing boules of a single crystal material such as gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) into wafers is described. The boule is prepared, by grinding preferably, so that the longitudinal boule axis corresponds to the crystallographic orientation axis of the boule. The boule is then mounted in a fixture and aligned so that the common longitudinal axis and crystallographic orientation axis is perpendicular to the saw blade. The boule is then rotated while maintaining the orientation of the combined common axis and engaged against an inner diameter rotating saw blade for a time sufficient for the blade to slice through the boule and form a wafer. The wafers obtained by this slicing process may be directly polished without the conventional lapping step to form a wafer having a surface that is substantially flat, parallel and defect free.
Abstract:
A font selection system is provided that is useful in conjunction with ink jet printing apparatus. Facilities are included for storing data representative of one or more fonts or character sets and for selecting these on a font basis or a character basis during printing operations.