Importance

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Abstract

A printing device adapted to print a bar code on a moving information carrier, preferably in the form of a label for marking an article or packaged goods, said bar code consisting of a plurality of parallel bar imprints of different widths separated by spacings lying therebetween. The invention is characterized in that there is provided one single printing member for all of the bar imprints of the bar code, the imprint width of said printing member being not greater than the smallest width of any bar imprint appearing in said bar code, and said printing member being operatively connected to an actuating unit coupled to a programmable control unit, which is adapted to generate control signals at small enough time intervals to form bar imprints of larger width by juxtaposing of bar imprints of the width of said printing member without intervening spacings. The use of only one single printing member not only results in a considerable structural simplification, but also permits the printing device to be universally employed for any existing and future bar codes, the narrowest bar imprints of which correspond to the imprint width of the printing member. The narrow printing member produces a sharply defined and accurately readable imprint also for bars of larger width.

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First Claim