A system and method for registration of rotary drive shaft in a high-torque environment. The system utilizes a pair of connected harmonic drives to allow the clocking or registration of the rotary drive shaft without backlash and without requiring gearing changes as a result of a single harmonic drive. The pair of connected harmonic drives is coupled together by a tandem coupling.

A cutting device includes: a frame; a fixed blade including a first blade edge portion extending in an extending direction; a movable blade movable in a moving direction; a driving mechanism; and a pressing member. The movable blade includes: a second blade edge portion; and a contacting portion. The second blade edge portion has a valley-like shape such that a center portion in the extending direction thereof is closer to the contacting portion than end portions in the extending direction thereof are to the contacting portion. The second blade edge portion has shearing angles that are inclination angles relative to the extending direction. The shearing angles includes a first shearing angle that is the shearing angle at each end portion and a second shearing angle that is the shearing angle at the center portion. The second shearing angle is larger than the first shearing angle.

A printer configured to cut recording paper with a fixed blade and a movable blade has a blade unit including the movable blade and a slider to which the movable blade is attachable, and the slider includes: a contact part configured to contact the movable blade; a flexible part formed thinner than the contact part; and a first protrusion provided on the flexible part and configured to engage with a first opening provided in the movable blade.

In a cutting device, a cutting blade is reciprocally movable within a movable range including a first retracted position away from a target to be cut and a cut complete position at which cutting of the target is to be completed. A memory is configured to store cutting data indicating the first retracted position. A controller is configured to perform controlling, in response to determining that the cutting blade has stopped at an intervening position between a cut start position at which cutting of the target is started and the cut complete position, a drive portion to move the cutting blade from the intervening position to a second retracted position positioned within the movable range and away from the target. The controller is configured to further perform updating the cutting data stored in the memory so as to indicate the second retracted position in place of the first retracted position.

A cutter apparatus is provided that includes a fixed blade and a movable blade positioned facing the fixed blade, and that is configured to cut a medium transported between the fixed blade and the movable blade. The movable blade includes: a guide portion that is driven to reciprocate between a standby position at a distance from the medium and a cutting position, where the movable blade intermeshes with the fixed blade, protrudes further toward the movable blade than a cutting edge of the fixed blade when the movable blade is in the standby position, and is pressed by the movable blade to move in a state of being contact with the fixed blade when the movable blade is in the cutting position; and a biasing member configured to bias the guide portion toward the fixed blade.

A portable cutting line may include a frame and a lazy susan. The portable cutting line may also include a cutting line main table, the cutting line main table operatively connected to the lazy susan and one or more tubs, the tubs operatively connected to the cutting line main table. The lazy susan, the cutting line main table, and the one or more tubs may be positioned within the frame when in transport position.

A printer includes: a conveyor that conveys a printing medium; a printing device that prints an image; a roller provided downstream of the printing device in a conveying direction; an opposed member opposed to the roller; a motor; a coupling mechanism that power-transmittably couples the motor and the roller to each other and rotates the roller in a first direction during driving of the motor, the first direction being a rotational direction for conveying the printing medium downstream in the conveying direction; and a moving mechanism that moves the roller between (i) a first position at which the roller is power-transmittably coupled to the motor by the coupling mechanism, and the printing medium is nipped by the roller and the opposed member and (ii) a second position at which the roller is power-transmittably coupled to the motor by the coupling mechanism and separated from the printing medium.

A mechanism is described herein to drive slitter and cutter waste in a direction that allows for a more advantageous use of the waste collection bin's volume. The waste drive mechanism allows for at least one armature that drives the waste in a desired direction. The armature is made from a material that is flexible, with a curved shape to allow a pre-loaded force against a contact surface of the waste collection bin. The pre-loaded flexible armature against a contact surface of the collection bin provides sufficient force to drive the waste it in a desired direction, allowing for a more consistent use of the waste collection bin spatial volume.

A method of reducing label waste that employs a stand-alone or printer attached apparatus for cleanly and efficiently cutting a web of media or tag stock into individual units. The apparatus used by the method may cut vinyl, plastic, or RFID stock material in both back and forth directions without sacrificing cut quality, and preferably comprises a housing, a carriage assembly and a movable cutter assembly. The cutter assembly comprises a cutting element such as a wheel blade, and a pressure adjusting element for adjusting the amount of pressure applied by the cutting element to the stock material. Alternatively, the cutter assembly may be manufactured with a predetermined pressure load, but still permit an operator to adjust the depth of cut. The method involves using the cutting apparatus to make a series of cuts as the label material is incrementally advanced through the cutting apparatus.

A stand-alone apparatus for cutting a web of media or tag stock into individual units for use downstream of a printer. The apparatus may cut vinyl, plastic, or RFID stock material in both back and forth directions. The apparatus comprises a housing, a carriage assembly and a movable cutter assembly. The cutter assembly is easily interchangeable and comprises a cutting element such as a wheel blade, and a pressure adjusting element for adjusting the amount of pressure applied by the cutting element to the stock material. Alternatively, the cutter assembly may be manufactured with a predetermined pressure load, but still permit an operator to adjust the depth of cut. The apparatus may be powered by and or in hardline or wireless communication with a printer, or may further comprise a computer microprocessor, memory and user interface to function wholly independent from a printer.