DE1233638B - Printing device with a continuously rotating printing wheel - Google Patents

Description

BUISDESREPUBLIC OF GERMANY

GERMAN

PATENT OFFICE

EDITORIAL

rnt. Cl .:

G06k

German class: 42 m6- 15/06

Number: 1233 638

File number: S 72166IX c / 42 m6

Filing date: January 21, 1961

Opened on: February 2, 1967

The invention relates to a printing device with a continuously rotating printing wheel and a print hammer assigned to it with a control pulse generator connected to the print wheel and every time a control pulse is generated when a type area on the print wheel is is in the printing position, and with a circuit controlled by the pulse generator for actuation of the print hammer, the circuit actuating the print hammer having a pulse counter, from a zero position through the information to be printed into a number of different ones Setting options is adjustable, which correspond to the different characters on the print wheel and wherein the pulse counter is reset to its zero position by the control pulses from the pulse generator is provided, means is provided, which is responsive to the return of the pulse counter to its zero position responds to actuation of the print hammer.

In a known such printing device with continuous printing wheel rotation is the associated Circuit designed so that each print cycle with exactly the same zero position of the print wheel must be started. This means that here the printing cycle takes place during one full revolution of the Druckrades takes place. The reason for each start of the print cycle in the zero position of the print wheel lies in the fact that the stored value in the pulse counter is at different starting positions of the print wheel would be falsified. The time it takes for the characters to appear at this facility is but relatively large.

There is also a printing device known to shorten the waiting time before printing the Characters start the print cycle regardless of the angular position of the print wheel. This device has a comparison device for controlling the printing process, and it becomes the Waiting time before printing the characters shortened to a predetermined number of character pulses, however, here too a relatively large number of character pulses have to be waited for must to get the actual print by comparing the instantaneous position of the print wheel with the Bring about character command information by means of the comparison device.

The invention is based on the object of avoiding the above-mentioned disadvantages and in the On average, to further reduce the time it takes to print, regardless of the time on the current angular position of the continuously rotating print wheels.

Printing device with a continuously
rotating pressure wheel

Applicant:

The Solartron Electronic Group Limited,
Thames Ditton, Surrey (Great Britain)

Representative:

Dr.-Ing. W. Reichel, patent attorney,

Frankfurt / M. 1, Parkstrasse 13th

Named as inventor:
Brian Granfville Maudsley,
Geoffrey David Maskens,
Raymond John Dennis Reeves,
Thames Ditton, Surrey (Great Britain)

Claimed priority:

Great Britain January 22, 1960 (2524)

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that a on the angular position of the printing wheel corresponding pulse number adjustable pulse generator is provided for entering this pulse train is connected to the pulse counter before the arrival of the first control pulse, so that the counter value corresponding to the data to be printed, which corresponds to the number of possible print positions of the type wheel from a fixed starting position to the desired printing position corresponds to the count value that of the number of possible pressure positions of the pressure wheel from its current one Position up to the desired printing position. This means the time for the printing of a line, the paper transport as well as the beginning of the next, the printing and the paper transport comprehensive working period is kept relatively low, and it is z. B. less than the time span, in which the print wheels perform a full turn. With a new printing period, immediately started as soon as the count in the pulse counter has been reduced to zero. The length of the printing period can vary within a fixed number of characters, depending on the information to be printed is dependent, however, overall on average the printing time span is relatively short.

709 507/181

The invention is explained in more detail using an exemplary embodiment in conjunction with the drawing.

F i g. Fig. 1 schematically shows an arrangement of four print wheels, four print hammers corresponding to the four Associated with wheels, and a pulse generator;

F i g. Fig. 2 shows the diagram of a pulse train;

Fig. 3 shows a block diagram of a common control circuit of the device;

F i g. Figure 4 shows a block diagram of part of an actuation circuit including a buffer memory for a hammer according to Fig. 1;

F i g. 5 shows the circuit of a supply circuit for a single hammer according to FIG. 1 and

F i g. 6 shows the graphic representation of occurring impulses.

In Fig. 1, a printing assembly has a desired number of printing wheels, of which four 10, 11, 12 and 13 on a common shaft 14 continuously by an electric motor (not shown). Each print wheel has type areas for the digits 0 and 1 to 9, furthermore a plus sign (+), a minus sign (-), and a decimal point (.); d. H. so that thirteen Characters are applied to the circumference of each wheel. Part of the circumference of the print wheel does not carry any type areas. The character positions of all print wheels correspond to one another.

Below the four pressure wheels are solenoids 15 to 18 for actuating the corresponding hammers 19 to 22 provided. The hammers are attached to a carrier 23 via leaf springs 24 to 27.

A pulse generator for generating two pulse trains is connected to the shaft 14. The one Pulse train is provided by a wheel 28 of material that does not contain iron, thirteen equally spaced teeth 29 arranged from one another on the circumference of the wheel 28 are produced from ferromagnetic material. The remaining part of the circumference of the wheel 28 has no teeth.

Rotation of the wheel 28 by rotating the shaft 14 brings the teeth 29 into one one after the other Air gap 30 between the poles 31 and 32 of a permanent magnet 33. The leg 32 carries a Winding 34. A rotation of the wheel 28 generates a pulse sequence in the form of a regularly recurring one Sequence of thirteen pulses in winding 34. Another pulse sequence is using another wheel 35, which is also mounted on the shaft 14, is generated; this wheel consists of non-ferrous material and carries a single tooth 36 made of ferromagnetic material.

Each revolution of the wheel 35 through the shaft 14 leads the tooth 36 through an air gap 37 between two pole legs 38 and 39 of a permanent magnet 40. The leg 39 has a winding 41. Each revolution of the wheel 35 generates a pulse in the winding 41.

In Fig. 1 the thirteen teeth 29 are aligned with the thirteen type faces on the print wheels, and the tooth 36 lies in the arcuate area of the circumference of the printing wheels, which is not a type area wearing.

In Fig. 2 a shows a dashed vertical line 42 the beginning of the rotation of the shaft 14 with the associated print wheels and the pulse generator wheels. Thirteen pulses 44 represent the thirteen pulses generated in winding 34 (FIG. 1). These impulses are hereinafter referred to as Control pulses referred to. A complete cycle takes 100 milliseconds, and the thirteen Control pulses 44 take up the first 60 milliseconds of this. The single pulse that goes into the winding 41 (FIG. 1) is generated during the same rotation of the shaft 14 is denoted by 45 in FIG. 2b; it occurs in the interval between the last of the thirteen pulses 44 and the beginning of the next turn. This pulse is called the "zero pulse".

The control and zero pulses have known pulse shapes.

F i g. 3 shows a control circuit which is common to all print wheels. The control pulses are a terminal 47 in FIG. 3 and thus continuously entered into a four-level binary counter, which is shown within the dashed line 100. The binary counter 100 has a first Stage 101, which is connected to a second stage 103 via a gate 102. This level is above another stage 104 at an output stage 105. The gate 102 is normally powered by a voltage kept open, which is fed via a line 106 from the output stage 105. The zero pulses are applied to terminal 107, and the pulses appearing at terminal 107 are applied to all stages of the counter 100 given to return it to the zero position. Thus, the count corresponds to im Counter 100 of the angular position of the print wheel.

In Fig. 4 shows an information buffer memory for a print wheel. An identical store is provided for each wheel that stores the information entered from some information source until it is printed. Each memory is brought to the state as a counter, which is the character that is to be printed by the associated print wheel when a Impulse called the "write impulse". The write pulse is applied to a terminal 50 in F i g. 4, and its generation is explained in more detail below.

For the purpose of setting the counter, it is assumed that the digital information to be printed is fed in in non-coded form. Thus, the information appears in the form of a voltage on one of thirteen terminals, which are marked with A 1 to A 9 and A 0, with + to display the addition, with - to display the subtraction and with a point (.) To display a decimal point are. Of course, a different set of clamps is provided for each print wheel.

With the aid of a resistor network 63, the non-coded information supplied is converted into binary code translated, and the voltages in the binary code are used to create a corresponding system of gates in a group of gates 64, 65, 66 and 67 that correspond to the first four binary digits.

The next successive write pulse that occurs after the gates in the system have been opened comes from terminal 50 through the open gates and sets four bistable elements 59 to 62, which represent the buffer storage.

When the buffers have been set to counts that correspond to the characters to be printed

correspond, the counts will all be around the same. In Fig. 3, terminals 69 correspond to the terminals

Number changed, as in connection with FIG. 3 men 69 of each of the four circuits shown in described in order to determine the current angular position. 4 are shown, and each time the four to take into account the pressure wheels, which are all reset to zero by the buffer memory, the counter 100 will be displayed. The deformation 5 occurs a voltage at a terminal 60 to which the terminals 69 are connected via a gate 59 by a corresponding number of impulses, causes the whole between two successive- This triggers a bistable circuit 108 the character pulses occur. (hereinafter referred to as the bistable "inhibition" element

If the counts are changed, the will be referred to). If this bistable element is controlled triggers from terminal 47 (FIG. 3) to an io, it supplies a voltage to a gate 109; Terminal 47 (Fig. 4) given, as in the following, the gate opens and lets the control pulses from the is written; they then pass through a gate 58, terminal 47 in a further four-stage binary counter that a buffer memory from the changed counter, which is indicated by dashed lines with 110 and which is im ment counts to zero 1111, which is conveniently referred to as the "alignment" counter, Data status of the memory is selected. If this go through 15. This counter has a first stage 111 Stand is reached and all bistable elements 59 except that via a gate 112 to a second step 113 62 store a zero, a gate 68 opens, and one is placed. This is via a gate 114 with a white voltage is given to the gate 58, which this lower step 115 connected, which in turn over closes and prevents further down counting. Another gate 116 is placed on an output stage 117. The same voltage that is applied via a terminal 69 of the in 20 The "alignment" counter 110 is used for execution F i g. 5, causes two completely different functions. the that printing is immediate. a function is described in the immediately following

In this way the printer is explained by the sentences and consists in the control of the rapid pulse train quickly in a state of generating an "inhibit" pulse. The second brought by having the mandatory characters 25 function is the control of the generation of a the next time each print wheel prints the "align pulse train.

Data position corresponding to the character to be printed If a certain count (when executing

speaks, has achieved. The printer does not need an example of a count of three) in the counter 110 through a certain position that has been continuously revolving, this indicates a gate 118 and print wheels to wait before counting to 1111 30 generates an output voltage, which is via a gate 118 a , when printing is in progress. to reset the bistable "inhibition" element

As an example, assume that the character 108 is being fed.

chen on all print wheels in the order In this way the gate 109 is closed, see above

Character 1, character 2, etc. up to character - that the "alignment" counter is counted from Chen 13 are applied and that this also remains the 35 three.

Order in which they pass the hammers after F i g. 6 a are the three impulses in the

to run. Let it further be assumed that the buffer "alignment" counters have been given, with CP _V ehern for two print wheels denoting counts CP ₂ and CP ₃ in binary code. The corresponding pulse values 10 and 7 are supplied, which indicate that ("inhibit" pulse), which is to be printed at the output of the bistable characters 10 and 7, just 40 "inhibit" elements 108 occurs, is shown in FIG. 6b at when the characters 2 past the hammers - PP is shown and begins with the start of walking. The latter is pulsed by the counter 100 CP ₁ and ends with the end of the pulse, and as a result a pulse train from ses CP _S.

two impulses are generated, which the counts in the During the »inhibit« impulse PP the pa-

Buffer memory reduced to 8 and 6. This buffer paper on which the characters are printed memory then count through the following control should, moved forward so that the new series of pulses downwards, and if any of the buffer characters can be printed, is more likely to be brought to zero, is in the correct If information to be printed is available

If the corresponding character (10 or 7) is indicated, a print command pulse becomes a on the hammer, which supplies this character via the control 50 terminal 119 and triggers a bistable tion of the circuit of FIG. 5 brings to print. Circuit 120, hereinafter referred to as bistable printing for each pressure wheel is such a circuit pre-command element is called, seen. This member is used to open a gate 121

In Fig. 5, the terminal 69 corresponds to the terminal and enables the pulse that is present at the output of the 69 according to FIG. 4, and the voltage that occurs at this 55 port 188, a stable circuit 122 (occurs in the terminal, is referred to as a bistable writing element via a differentiating sequence) output circuit 70 and a rectifier 71 is fed. When this circuit is triggered, the monostable circuit 72 is fed, which has two ρηρ-, it generates a write pulse at the terminal transistors 73 and 74 and the one output 50, which is the terminal 50 according to FIG. 4, a short-duration output pulse is generated. This pulse 60 In this way, the information to be printed is passed through a further pnp transistor 75, saved in the information memory, as it already acts as a power amplifier and explains how to operate it.
of the hammer solenoid 15 (FIG. 1) is used. A print command pulse can be sent to any

Each of the other solenoids 16, 17 and 18 have some time to be delivered. If all of them are still too usable already indicated, a special control circuit 65 working characters have been printed, open, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is shown, where net the gate 59, and the inhibiting pulse is generated, all hammers in one complete cycle that releases the paper feed. The writing impulse, Print wheels can be operated. which initiates the next print cycle, follows automatically

I 233 638

automatically and instantly, which keeps printing time to a minimum.

The write pulse is also used to trigger a bistable circuit 123, which therefore has a Post-write pulse generated. This is fed to an output terminal 56 and indicates that the information source can be deleted because the information has now been transferred to the buffer memory is.

The next line of character information can be set in the information source and the The next print command pulse can be supplied (the post-write element 123 provides the print command element 120 back again).

The four levels of the character counter 100 are matched with the four levels of the "alignment" counter 110 connected by eight gates 124 to 131. These gates are normally closed and will be temporary opened by the write pulse which is supplied via a line 132. If these gates are open, set the alignment counter to the same count as the character counter, inner Transfers in the alignment counter are prevented by gates 112, 114 and 116, which are opened by the Pulse that occurs on line 133 from the exit of gate 118 here are closed.

The post-write pulse triggers a bistable circuit 134 via a gate 135, which is kept open will.

The bistable circuit 134, which is referred to as the bistable alignment circuit, is used in the triggered State for switching a freely oscillating multivibrator pulse generator 136, which is referred to as the alignment pulse generator and which operates at a frequency which is compared to the frequency of the Control impulses is great.

The pulses from the alignment pulse generator are fed to the alignment counter 110 and decrement quickly setting it to zero. The zero setting is indicated by a gate 137 which is an output voltage generated, which resets the bistable alignment element and thus the alignment pulse generator turns off.

This sequence of pulses is applied to an output terminal 139 via an amplifier circuit 138. This is connected to each terminal 47 (Fig. 4) and thus the pulse train is sent to the counter in the buffer information memory fed.

This pulse train changes the setting of the information store and carries a deviation of the Pressure wheel from a data angle position which corresponds to zero in this exemplary embodiment, Invoice.

The counter in the information memory can now be counted by control pulses, so that a Printing occurs when zero is reached.

The control pulses appearing on line 140 (FIG. 3) are passed through an amplifier circuit 141 placed on terminal 139.

In FIG. 6, the alignment surge at LUB in FIG. 6 a, and it can be seen therefrom that the entire alignment discharge surge occurs before the first control pulse CP ₄₁ , which is used to count the counters in the buffer information memory.

In FIG. 6c, the voltage pulse LUG is the pulse that occurs at the output of gate 118. The output from the bistable print command element is shown with PCM in FIG. 6d. The write pulse is shown in FIG. 6 e shown with WP , and the post- write pulse PWP can be seen in FIG. 6f.

According to FIG. 3, the write pulse is additionally fed to a bistable circuit 142, which is called a bistable Blanking element is referred to. This bistable blanking element is activated by the write pulse set and reset by the next control pulse that arrives via line 140. on

In this way, a pulse is given from the blanking element to an output terminal 143. This pulse is referred to as the blanking pulse and is labeled BP in FIG. 6 g. The blanking pulse is applied to inhibit the hammer amplifier or to close a gate 144 (Fig. 5) in series with each hammer amplifier during the alignment surge, thereby preventing the hammers from operating when the alignment surge causes the counter to be in buffer information memory goes through zero when the counter setting is changed.

The alignment memory remains in its zero setting and is therefore ready to print the next character. The first actuation of the alignment counter consists in generating the inhibiting pulse PP. During the duration of the pulse, the paper to be printed is advanced.

In the described embodiment, there are fifty-two lines between the information source and the control circuitry of the printer. This number can be according to the four solenoids can be restricted to four lines by the control circuits on the Position of the information source. There are then only two more lines from the Pulse generator windings 34 and 41 required in place of the information source.

In the exemplary embodiment, the digital information is described in the form of a 1-out-of-n code. It however, another code can be used to reduce the number of lines. For example, if the information is entered in binary code, there are only four lines to each Buffer memory required, and the resistor network

* 5 v / Erk 63 can be omitted.

An embodiment with four print wheels has been described. However, any number of print wheels can be added, each print wheel having to have an associated information memory (FIG. 4), a hammer amplifier (FIG. 5) and a hammer. The main control circuit as shown in FIG. 3 is common to all print wheels.
Furthermore, the embodiment has been described in connection with the printing of thirteen characters 0, 1 to 9, +, - and (.), But any number of characters and any shape of characters can be printed by appropriate modifications to the device . For example, all 26 letters of the alphabet can be printed, but all counters must have a special level.

With the arrangement described, a high printing speed can be achieved. Speeds in the order of magnitude of over ten lines per second can thus be achieved. The quality of the Pressure is higher than that obtained with mosaic printing in which the characters are selected

of certain marks can be printed from a mosaic of marks. Furthermore can form a control device of the type described much simpler than in the case of the mosaic-like Printing is possible.

The control device can be designed similarly to known devices in which transistors can be used, whereby the cost of manufacture can be kept low; the logical one Control can be modified so that a printer with different information sources is off which data is printed can be used. The use of a buffer information store allows allows the source to be quickly flushed to accommodate more data. Thus, a printer can be used achieve high adaptability.

Claims (3)

Patent claims: 1. Printing device with a continuously rotating print wheel and a print hammer assigned to it with a control pulse generator which is connected to the print wheel and generates a control pulse every time a type area on the print wheel is in the print position, and with one controlled by the pulse generator Circuit for operating the print hammer, the circuit operating the print hammer having a pulse counter which is adjustable from a zero position by the information to be printed into a number of different setting options that correspond to different characters on the print wheel and the pulse counter from the control pulses from the Pulse generator is returned to its zero position, a device being provided which responds to the return of the pulse counter to its zero position for actuation of the printing hammer, characterized in that an on the angular position of the printing wheel e Corresponding pulse number adjustable pulse generator is provided, which is connected to the pulse counter (59 to 62) for entering this pulse sequence before the arrival of the first control pulse, so that the count value corresponding to the data to be printed, that of the number of possible print positions of the type wheel from a fixed Starting position corresponds to the desired pressure division, is converted into the count which corresponds to the number of possible pressure positions of the printing wheel from its current position to the desired printing position. 2. Printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pulse generator has a second counter (110) which is set to the count value which corresponds to the angular position of the printing wheel when the state of the first counter (59 to 62) to a counting position Imprint of a selected character to be printed is set, and that a clock generator (136) is provided, the pulse frequency of which is greater than that of the control pulses by at least the factor of the maximum number of pulses to be transmitted, the number of pulses in a pulse train (LUB) being determined by the counting of the second counter (110) is determined and the pulse train (LUB ) is fed to the first counter (59 to 62) to change its setting. 3. Printing device according to claim 2, characterized in that a third counter (100) is provided, which can be incremented cyclically by the control pulses, it is always set to a count corresponding to the angular position of the printing wheel, that gate circuits (124 to 131) connect the second and third counters (110 and 100) to one another and take effect when the first counter (59 to 62) is set to the count value that corresponds to the selected characters to be printed to set the second counter (110) in to bring the position that corresponds to the then prevailing state of the third counter, and that the pulse train (LUB) of the clock (136) is also fed to the second counter (110) to return this second counter to the zero position and when this zero position is reached turn off the clock (136) , whereby the number of pulses of the pulse train (LUB) is determined. Considered publications: German Patent No. 677,804; U.S. Patent No. 2,776,618; "Review of Input, and Output Equipment Used in Computing Systems," fecut AIEE-IRE Computer Conference published by the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, March 1953, pp. 95-97. For this purpose 2 sheets of drawings 709 507 / 1811.67 © Bundesdmckerei Berlin