Patent ID: 7722268

Claim:
A tape drive for transfer printing apparatus comprising: two motors, both of which are stepper motors; two tape spool supports on which spools of tape are to be mounted, each tape spool being rotatable by a respective one of said motors; a controller controlling energization of each of said two motors to selectively rotate the respective tape spool supports and tape spools positioned on the tape spool supports; a monitor monitoring a parameter indicative of tension induced in tape extending between the spools; the controller further determining a correction amount of tape to be added to or subtracted from tape extending between the tape spools in order to maintain tension in the tape extending between the tape spools at an acceptable level, with said determining being based at least in part on the monitored parameter indicative of tension in the tape; wherein with tape spools mounted on the tape spool supports and with tape extending between the tape spools past a print head positioned between the tape spools, the controller energizes said motors to rotate the spools to advance the tape in a tape transport direction past the print head, and wherein said controller energizes at least one of said motors to rotate its respective spools to add the correction amount of tape to the tape extending between said spools to decrease tension in the tape between the spools or to subtract the correction amount of tape from the tape extending between said spools to increase tension in the tape extending between the spools, so as to maintain tension in the tape extending between the spools at the acceptable level.