Imprinter utilizing compensating roller platen

Claim 2

A compensating roller platen for use with apparatus for imprinting a document with information from raised characters on a printing plate comprising an outer sleeve; an inner shaft having a peripheral grooved portion extending entirely around said shaft, said grooved portion extending axially for a distance greater than the height of the print field of the printing plate but less than the length of the roller platen; an intermediate, annular member disposed between said inner shaft and outer sleeve, the resiliency of said intermediate member being (1) substantially greater than that of said inner shaft to permit said intermediate member to retract within said grooved portion of the inner shaft and (2) substantially greater than that of said outer sleeve, the resiliency of said outer sleeve being substantially the same as or greater than that of said inner shaft, said roller platen being dimensioned such that the portion of said intermediate, annular member which overlies said grooved portion is depressed into said grooved portion whenever the combined printing plate and document thickness encountered by said roller platen is greater than that which the imprinting apparatus is normally used with, said grooved portion thereby compensating for combined printing plate and document thicknesses greater than normally encountered to minimize undesired background smudging and provide sharp contrast of the printed information.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1 where the hardness of said intermediate member is 40 to 45 durometer and said inner shaft is 80 to 90 durometer, all hardness values being in Shore ''''D'''' scale.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 2 where said outer sleeve is of 80 to 90 durometer hardness, Shore ''''D'''' scale.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 2 where said intermediate member is rubber.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 4 where said inner shaft is made of nylon.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 5 where said outer sleeve is made of nylon.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 1 where said outer sleeve is ink porous.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 7 where said peripheral grooved portion extends over a substantial portion but not all of the length of said inner shaft.

Claim 10

Imprinting apparatus for imprinting on a document comprising: a printing plate containing information; a base upon which is disposed a print bed which is adapted to receive said printing plate and said document, the information on the plate being printed on the document; a carriage movably mounted with respect to said base for movement over said print bed; a roller platen rotatably mounted within said carriage for effectuating the printing of said information on the plate onto said document whenever the platen engages the document to thereby exert printing pressure on said document; said roller platen including an outer sleeve; an inner shaft having a peripheral grooved portion extending entirely around said shaft, said grooved portion extending axially for a distance greater than the height of the print field of the printing plate but less than the length of the roller platen; an intermediate, annular member disposed between said inner shaft and outer sleeve, the resiliency of said intermediate member being (1) substantially greater than that of said inner shaft to permit said intermediate member to retract within said grooved portion of the inner shaft and (2) substantially greater than that of said outer sleeve, the resiliency of said outer sleeve being substantially the same as or greater than that of said inner shaft, said roller platen being dimensioned such that the portion of said intermediate, annular member which overlies said grooved portion is depressed into said grooved portion whenever the combined printing plate and document thickness encountered by said roller platen is greater than that which the imprinting apparatus is normally used with, said grooved portion thereby compensating for combined printing plate and document thicknesses greater than normally encountered to minimize undesired background smudging and provide sharp contrast of the printed information.

Claim 11

Imprinting apparatus for imprinting on a document comprising: a printing plate containing information; a base upon which is disposed a print bed which is adapted to receive said printing plate and said document, the information on the plate being printed on the document; a carriage movably mounted with respect to said base for movement over said print bed; a roller platen rotatably mounted within said carriage for effectuating the printing of said information on the plate onto said document whenever the platen engages the document to thereby exert printing pressure on said document; said roller platen including an outer sleeve; an inner shaft having a peripheral grooved portion extending entirely around said shaft, said grooved portion extending axially for a distance greater than the height of the print field of the printing plate but less than the length of the roller platen; an intermediate, annular member disposed between said inner shaft and outer sleeve, the resiliency of said intermediate member being (1) substantially greater than that of said inner shaft to permit said intermediate member to retract within said grooved portion of the inner shaft and (2) substantially greater than that of said outer sleeve, the resiliency of said outer sleeve being substantially the same as or greater than that of said inner shaft, said roller platen being dimensioned such that the portion of said intermediate, annular member which overlies said grooved portion is depressed into said grooved portion whenever the combined printing plate and document thickness encountered by said roller platen is greater than that which the imprinting apparatus is normally used with, said grooved portion thereby compensating for combined printing plate and document thicknesses greater than normally encountered to minimize undesired background smudging and provide sharp contrast of the printed information.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 9 where the hardness of said intermediate member is 40 to 45 durometer and said inner shaft is 80 to 90 durometer, all hardness values being in Shore ''''D'''' scale.

Claim 13

Apparatus as in claim 10 where said outer sleeve is of 80 to 90 durometer hardness, Shore ''''D'''' scale.

Claim 14

Apparatus as in claim 9 where said outer sleeve is ink porous.

Claim 15

Apparatus as in claim 9 where said peripheral grooved portion extends over a substantial portion but not all of the length of said inner shaft.