US2869454A - Inking system for high speed printers - Google Patents

Description

1959 A. P. LANG 2,869,454

INKING SYSTEM FOR HIGH SPEED PRINTERS Filed April 11, 1956 26f 28 22 v INVENTOR 2 ALBERT PETER LANG AGENT United States Patent 2,869,454 INKING SYSTEM FOR HlGH SPEED PRINTERS Albert Peter Lang, Philadelphia, Pa., assiguor to Sperry Rand Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 11, 1956, Serial No. 577,572

24 Claims. (Cl. 10193) The present invention relates to improved printer systems of the type employing type wheels associated with printing hammers; and is more particularly concerned with an improved printer arrangement which eliminates the need of inked ribbons in effecting print transfers.

As is well known at the present time, various printer arrangements, particularly those adapted for high speed printing operations, may comprise one or more type wheels having a plurality of characters disposed thereon, in aligned or staggered relation to one another, in a plurality of substantially parallel rows; and such type wheels may in turn be associated with selectively actuated hammers disposed adjacent said characters. In the operation of such printer arrangements, the type wheel is ordinarily rotated at a relatively high constant speed, and print receiving material, such as a card, is fed past the rotating periphery of the said type wheel between the characters thereon and a plurality of aligned printing hammers. The said hammers are in turn actuated selectively by an appropriate control system which is adapted to simultaneously depress a plurality of hammers at given selected instants during rotation of the said type wheel, whereby a plurality of spaced characters are simultaneously printed in a single line on the print receiving material.

In effecting high speed printing in the foregoing manner, printers known heretofore ordinarily employ an inked ribbon which is also caused to pass between the character bearing periphery of the said type ,wheel and the said selectively actuated printing hammers; and the use of such inked ribbons has imposed appreciable difliculties in the efficient and economical operation of high speed printers. in particular, it has been found that the ribbons tend to break down in a relatively short time under the incessant pounding of the printing hammers; and this in turn necessitates relatively frequent ribbon replacement. Inasmuch as the ribbons are costly and known systems of high speed printers require considerable time in ribbon replacement, the use of such ribbons increases substantially the cost of maintenance and operation in high speed printers.

The present invention provides an improved inking system which eliminates the need of inked ribbons of the type utilized heretofore; and in particular, contemplates the provision of an inking roller disposed in contiguity with the rotating type wheel for regularly inking all the characters thereon. The use of such an inking roller system, however, is attended by a major difficulty which has prevented the use of such rollers on type wheel printers in the past. In particular, it will be appreciated from the foregoing discussion that during printing of a given line of identical characters, a plurality of spaced hammers are selectively actuated simultaneously with one another. When two spaced characters are thus printed simultaneously by simultaneous actuation of two spaced hammers, the print receiving material or card will tend to be carried into contact with the type wheel at an area intermediate positions adjacent the actuated hammers, and inasmuch as this intermediate area would be adjacent ink bearing characters, the said intermediate area would also be printed by the said inked characters even though print hammers associated with these intermediate characters have not in fact been actuated.

Thus, in the past it has been considered impractical to utilize roller inking systems with plural-character typewheels, inasmuch as the attempted printing of two widely spaced characters by the actuation of two spaced hammers in fact results in the printing of a plurality of undesired characters between the desired characters associated with the said actuated hammers. In accordance with the present invention, this result is obviated through the utilization of spacers disposed between columns of characters on the type wheel whereby printing is restricted to areas operatively associated with an actuated hammer, and both ghosts and adjacent printing are thereby eliminated. The use of such spacers, in addition to permitting use of the improved inking system contemplated by the present invention, also acts to prevent the print receiving medium from jamming" during a printing operation whereby the overall printer exhibits considerably better operating characteristics than has been the case heretofore.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved high speed printing arrangement.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved inking system for use with rotating type-wheels.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a high speed printing arrangement which eliminates the need of an inked ribbon in effecting print transfers.

A still further object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved printer structure which restricts printing to a desired area on a print receiving medium, and which eliminates undesirable ghosts and adjacent printing.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved printer employing rotating typewheels and adapted to utilize metered liquid ink in place of conventional ribbons in eifecting print transfers.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a printer arrangement which is less costly to operate and maintain and which exhibits better printing characteristics than has been the case heretofore.

The foregoing objects, advantages, construction and operation of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a representation of an improved high speed printer constructed in accordance with the present invention and utilizing the improved inking system and protective Wire system characteristic of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an exaggerated representation taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, illustrating the protective wire arrangement of the present invention; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged view taken on line 33 of Figure 2. 7

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that a high speed printer in accordance with the present invention may comprise one or more rotating type-wheels 10 driven by a motor 11 and having a plurality of raised characters 12 disposed in rows and columns on the periphery thereof. A plurality of hammers, such as 13, are disposed adjacent external periphery of wheel 10in a row substantially parallel to the axis of said type wheel 10; and a print receiving medium 14, such as a punch card, may be caused to selectively feed between the printing hammers 13 and the characters 12 on type wheel 10. In effecting a printing operation, selected ones of the hammers 13 are actuated by a hammer actuator 15 during rotation of type Wheel 10, whereby a complete line of ditferent characters may be printed along the medium 14 by successive simultaneous actuating operations of preselected hammers 13.

The actual printing controls which are adapted to actuate selected diiferent ones of the hammers 13 at appropriate times during rotation of type wheel thereby to effect the printing of different characters at different positions along the print line on medium 14, do not per se comprise the present invention; and various controls for printers operating generally in the fashion described, are known to those skilled in the art.

As has been discussed previously, printing arrangements of the type shown in Figure 1 ordinarily include means feeding an elongated, wide inked ribbon between printing hammers 13 and characters 12 along with the print receiving material 14, whereby the said ribbon and the print receiving material are simultaneously depressed onto a selected character 12 thereby to effect the desired print transfer. This use of ribbons is subject to the distinct disadvantages already described. In order to obviate th disadvantages attending the use of inked ribbons, the present invention contemplates the use of an inking roller arrangement similar to those employed in conventioal analox systems.

In particular, a liquid ink bath 16 is provided, and a fountain roll 17 is caused to rotate through the said bath 16. An analox roll 18 is disposed adjacent the fountain roll 17, with the rolls 17 and 18 having a relatively high pressure between the peripheral surfaces thereof. The analox roll 18 normally has a knurled surface whereby the recesses formed by said knurling pick up and retain a metered amount of ink from the peripheral surface of fountain roll 17 during rotataion of the said rolls 17 and 18. A plate roll 19, preferably having a rubber surface, is disposed in contiguity with the analox roll 18 at a point 20, thereby to pick up the metered ink supply present in the recesses on the knurled surface of analox' roll 18. Plate roll 19 is in further contiguity at a point 21 with the type wheel 10 whereby rotation of the type wheel 10 and of the several rollers 17, 18 and 19, effect a constant transfer of ink to successive characters 12 on type wheel 10. These inked characters 12 are caused to move by rotation of type wheel 10 to a position adjacent print hammers 13, whereby actuation of selected ones of the said hammers 13 effects print transfers onto medium 14 adjacent the actuated hammers.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing discussion that, in the absence of any other structure, incorrect printing could well result, and in fact would ordinarily result, on medium 14 during actuation of spaced ones of the printing hammers 13. Thus, if we should consider initially that five print hammers 13, in alignment with one another, are so actuated by actuator 15 that the first and fifth hammers are depressed while the hammers between said first and fifth hammers are not depressed, the required printing operation should effect printed characters adjacent the first and fifth hammers but not adjacent the second, third, or fourth hammers. In actual practice, however, and assuming that the staggered character arrangement shown in Figure 2 is employed, depression of the first and fifth hammers will tend to carry the print receiving medium between said first and fifth hammers into contact with the characters 12 located on type wheel 10 between the first and fifth hammer. Inasmuch as these characters are already inked by the arrangement of rolls 17 through 19 and ink bath 16, at least that character associated with the third hammer will be printed upon the medium 14 even though the said third hammer has not been actuated. Moreover, if the characters 12 were all aligned rather than staggered, the actuation of two spaced hammers would, in the absence other circumstances, effect undesired printing of all the characters between the actuated hammers. In order to obivate this clearly undesirable adjacent printing result, which has prevented the elimination of ribbons in the past, the present invention contemplates the provision of a protective wire or spacer system which serves to restrict the actual printing of characters to those areas of the medium 14 which are positively associated with actuated hammers.

Thus, referring to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that in accordance with this further feature of the present invention, a supporting structure comprising a pair of relatively massive plates 22 and 23, may be disposed adjacent the type wheel 10. Plates 2'2 and 23 include a plurality of pins 24 and 25 which in turn support a plurality of wires 26. In actual practice, the plurality of wires 26 may comprise a single elongated wire fastened at its ends to pins such as 24a and 24b, and strung in alternating relation over the pluralities of pins 24- and 25. The wires 26 are strung as taut as practicable and are disposed substantially transverse to the axis of type wheel 10, in spaced relationto one another and to the surface of characters 12, and roughly tangent to the said characters 12 on the said type wheel at positions between the columns of the said characters 12.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 2, the several characters 12 are illustrated as a staggered row of As, and it will be appreciated that this particular representation is only partial, in that the type wheel 10 will contain similar rows of Bs, Cs, Ds, etc. as well as other characters which may desirably be printed during a given print operation. It will further be seen from an examination of Figure 2 that the wires 26, being disposed between adjacent characters 12, positively restrict printing to an area associated directly with an actuated hammer. Thus, if hammers adjacent characters 12a and 125 should simultaneously be actuated, the print receiving medium 14 will be depressed slightly between wires 26a and 26b,

and between wires 26c and 26d, thereby to effect the desired printing; but wires 26c and 26 will support intermediate portions of the print receiving material away from character 12c, thereby to prevent any printing of this intermediate character.

Thus, the provision of the protective wire system. illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, permits the use of an inking roller system thereby eliminating the need of an inked ribbon and at the same time positively prevents incorrect printing results which might be effected as a result of using the inking system with the high speed printers employed heretofore.

The several Wires 26 disposed between characters 12, are maintained in precise alignment between those characters through the provision of grooves, such as 27 and 28 illustrated in Figure 3, in the plates 22 and 23. The grooves 27 and 28 may be disposed :along the face of the said plates 22 and 23; or may, in the alternative, comprise guiding projections or depressions on the said plates 22 and 23. In addition, it should be noted that while the outer faces of plates 22 land 23, which support Wires 26, have been illustrated as co-linear land planar in Figure 1, other arrangements may be effected. In particular, the supporting faces of plates 22 and 23 may, for example, be arcualte if desired.

It must be stressed that the representation of wires 26, pins 24 and 25, type wheel 10 and characters 12 have been considerably exaggerated in Figures 1 and 2. In actual practice, the wires 26 may comprise a steel wire between six and twelve mils in diameter. In addition, the pins 24 and 25 are so spaced from one another that adjacent runs of wire 26, such as wires 26a and 2612, are spaced from one another by approximately mils. Moreover, it should be noted tha t the wires 26 are spaced somewhat from the type faces 12, to effect the desired support function of the printing medium as already described. A preferred spacing between the wires 26 and the outer periphery of characters 12 is on the order of nine mils.

' It should further'be noted that the massive plates 22 and 23 are spaced from one another adjacent the print ing hammers 13 to define a print opening designated as '12 are not staggered, special care may be necessary to assure that the precise spacing of wires 26 is maintained across the print opening 29, and (the actual dimensions of this opening will, therefore, vary with the particular operating characteristics and type of character alignment employed.

Still other modifications will be suggested to those slcilled in the art, and the fioregoing description is, therefore, meant to be illustrative only and should not be considered limitative of my invention. All such modifications as are in accord with the principles described are meant to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a printer, a substantially cylindrical type wheel having a plurality of individual characters spaced from one another in a row on the periphery thereof, selectively actuated hammer means disposed adjacent said characters, means for passing a print receiving medium between said hammer means and said characters, and means for supporting said medium in spaced relation to said characters comprising aplurality of elongated thin spacers disposed substantially tangent to and in spaced relation to the periphery of said type wheel, said elongated thin spacers having a diameter less than the spacing between adjacent ones of said individual characters, said plurality of thin spacers being in spaced substantially parallel relation to one another and being disposed substantially transverse to the axis of said type wheel at positions between said individual characters respectively.

2. In a printer, a substantially cylindrical type wheel having a plurality of characters spaced from one another on the periphery thereof, a plurality of selectively actulalted printing hammers disposed adjacent said characters, means for passing a print receiving medium between said hammers and said characters, and means for supporting said medium in spaced relation to said characters comsubstantially transverse to the axis of said typewheel at positions between said characters respectively, said spacers comprising a plurality of taut wines supported in spaced relation to one another adjacent the periphery of said typewheel.

3. In a printer, a substantially cylindrical typewheel having a plurality of characters spaced from one another on the periphery thereof, a plurality of selectively actuated printing hammers disposed adjacent said characters, means for passing a print receiving medium between said hammers and said characters, and means for supporting said medium in spaced relation to said characters comprising a plurality of elongated spacers disposed substantially tangent to the periphery of said typewheel and substantially transverse to the axis of said stypewheel at positions between said characters respectively, said elongated spacers comprising a supporting structure adjacent said typewhecl, and an elongated wire tau'tly strung bet-ween spaced points on said supporting structure thereby to define a plurality of wire sections substantially parallel to 5. In a printer, a substantially cylindrical type wheel having raised character faces spaced from one another and disposed closely adjacent to one another on the periphery of said type wheel in rows disposed substantially parallel to the of said type Wheel, means for rotating said (type Wheel, means for applying liquid ink to said character faces during rotation of said type wheel, means for passing a print receiving medium adjacent the rotating periphery of said type wheel, and means fior supporting said print receiving medium in spaced relation to said inked character faces comprising a plurality of elongated substantially parallel spacers disposed between said medium and said character faces, each of said spacers having a dimension, (transverse to the direction of elongation of said spacer, which is no greater than the spacing between adjacent ones of said character faces, said elongated spacers being disposed transverse to said rows and substantially "tangent to and spaced from said type wheel with each of said spacers being respectively positioned in ermediate adjacent ones of said spaced character faces.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said means applying ink comprises a bath of liquid ink, and roller means for transferring ink from said bath to said raised character 'faces.

7. in a printer, a substantially cylindrical typewheel having raised character faces spaced from one another on the periphery thereof in rows disposed substantially parallel to the axis of said typewheel, means for rotating said typewlieel, a bath of liquid ink, means for transferringink from said bath to said raised characterfaces during .rota t rotatablysupp'orted in said ink bath, 'a second roller-having \a knurled surface contiguous with the surface ofsaid first roller, and'a third roller contiguous with the surfaces both of said second roller and of said cylindrical typewheel, means for passing a print receiving medium adjacent the rotating periphery of said typcwheel, and means for supporting said print receiving medium in spaced relation to said character faces comprising a plurality of elongated substantially parallel spacers disposed between said medium and said character faces, said elongated spacers comprising taut wires disposed substantially tangent to and spaced from said typewheel at positions between said spaced character faces.

8. In a printer, a substantially cylindrical type wheel having a plurality of characters spaced from one another on the periphery thereof in rows disposed substantially parallel to the axis of said type Wheel, and a printing station adjacent said type wheel, said printing station includ-ing a plurality of taut wires spaced from the periphery of said type wheel and disposed substantially parallel to (one another at positions respectively between said characters.

9. The combination of claim 8 including an inking stawtion adjacent said type wheel, said inking station including roller means for transferring liquid ink from an ink bath o said characters at a position removed from said printing station.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said printing station includes a plurality of selectively actuated hammers, and means for passing .a print receiving medium between said hammers and said taut wires.

11. In a printer, a type wheel having a plurality of spaced characters on the periphery thereof, means for rotating said type wheel, said characters being disposed in rows substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said type wheel, means for inking said characters during rotation of said type Wheel, a plurality of printing hammers adjacent said type wheel, means for passing a print receiving medium between said hammers and said inked characters, means for actuating selected ones of said hammers whereby said selected hammers force selected portions of said medium into contact with selected ones of said inked characters, and means ior supporting portions of said medium adjacent non actuated ones of said of said typewheel comprising a first roller hammers in spaced relation to said inked characters, said supporting means including a plurality of wires spaced from the periphery of said type wheel and disposed between the said characters.

12. The combination of claim 11 including structural means for tautly supporting said wires in substantially parallel relation to one another between said characters in said rows, said wires being disposed substantially transverse to the axis of rotation of said type wheel.

13. The combination of claim 12 wherein said inking means comprises a liquid ink bath, and roller means for transferring ink from said bath to all said characters in .a given row simultaneously.

14. In a printer, a cylindrical type wheel having a plurality of spaced characters disposed closely adjacent to one another on the periphery of said type wheel, a printing station including a plurality of hammers disposed adjacent said .type wheel, a print receiving medium between said hammers and said characters, means actuating selected one of said hammers thereby to force selected portions of said medium into contact with selected ones of said characters, and means disposed between said medium and said type wheel for maintaining portions of said medium adjacent non-actuated ones of said hammers in spaced relation to said characters, said lastnamed means including a plurality of supporting spacers disposed respectively "at each space between adjacent ones of said plurality of spaced characters.

15 The combination of claim 14 "including an ink-ing station adjacent said type wheel at a position removed from said printing station, means at said inlci-ng station fior applying liquid ink to said characters, and means for rotating said type wheel from said inking station to said printing station and thence back to said inking station.

16. In a printer, a cylindrical typewheel having a plurality of spaced characters on the periphery thereof, a printing station including a plurality of hammers disposed adjacent said typewheel, a print receiving medium between said hammers and said characters, means actuating selected ones of said hammers thereby to force selected portions of said medium into contact with selected ones of said characters, and means disposed between said medium and said typewheel for maintaining portions of said medium adjacent nonactuated ones of said hammers in spaced relation to said characters, said last-named means comprising a plurality of taut wires disposed in substantially parallel relation to one another and spaced from said typewheel adjacent said printing station, said plurality of Wires being interposed respectively between adjacent ones of said spaced characters.

17. In a printer, a cylindrical typewheel having a plurality of spaced characters on the periphery thereof, said characters being disposed closely adjacent to one another in a row extending substantially parallel to the axis of said typewheel, a printing station including selectively actuated hammer means adjacent said row, a print receiving medium between said hammer means and said characters, and means for supporting portions of said medium in spaced relation to selected ones of said characters while permitting other portions of said medium to be driven into engagement with other ones of said characters by said hammer means, said last-named means comprising a plurality of spacers, each of said spacers having a dimension, transverse to said row, which is no greater than the spacing between adjacent characters in said row, said spacers being disposed respectively at each space between adjacent ones of said plurality of spaced characters.

18. The combination of claim 17 wherein adjacent ones of said characters are disposed in staggered relation to one another in said row.

19. The combination of claim 17 including an ink bath, means for rotating said typewheel, and means for transferring ink from said bath to substantially all of said characters during rotation of said typewheel.

20. In a printer, the combination of a rotatable type support having a plurality of type characters spaced thereon, a printing station including selectively actuatable hammer means, means for directing a print receiving medium between said hammer means and said type characters whereby said hammer means when actuated moves associated portions of said medium to be printed by selected ones of said type characters, and means for holding portions of such a print receiving medium out of printing relation with certain unselected ones of said type characters while permitting other portions of said medium to be moved by said hammer means to be printed by selected ones of said type characters, said holding means including a plurality of spacer means positioned at the spaces between adjacent ones of said spaced characters.

21. In a printer, the combination of a rotatable type suport having a plurality of type characters spaced thereon, a printing station including a plurality of selectively actuable hammer means, means for directing a print receiving medium between said hammer means and said type characters whereby each of said hammer means when actuated moves an associated portion of said medium into printing relation with a selected one of said type characters, and means for holding out of printing relation with an unselected one of said type characters that portion of such a print receiving medium associated with an unactuated one of said hammer means and adjacent to a portion associated with an actuated one of said hammer means, said holding means permitting those portions of said medium associated with an actuated one of said hammer means to be moved by said actuated hammer means into printing relation with the selected ones of said type characters, said holding means including a plurality of spacer means positioned at the spaces between adjacent ones of said spaced characters.

22. In a printer, the combination of a rotatable type support having a plurality of type characters spaced longitudinally thereon, and transversely to the direction of rotation, a printing station including a plurality of selectively actuatable hammer means, said hammer means extending longitudinally of said type support and being associated with different ones of said type characters, means for directing a print receiving medium between said hammer means and said type characters whereby each of said hammer means when actuated moves an associated portion of said medium into printing relation with an associated one of said type characters, and means for holding out of printing relation with the associated one of said type characters that portion of such a print receiving medium associated with an unactuated one of said hammer means and adjacent to a portion associated with an actuated one of said hammer means, said holding means permitting those portions of said medium associated with an actuated one of said hammer means to be moved by said actuated hammer means into printing relation with the associated ones of said type characters,

' said holding means including a plurality of spacer means positioned at the spaces between adjacent ones of said spaced characters.

23. In a printer, the combination of a rotatable type support having a plurality of type characters spaced thereon, a. printing station including selectively actuatable hammer means, means for rotating said type support to move said type characters across said printing station, means for feeding a print receiving medium between said hammer means and said type characters whereby said hammer means when actuated moves associated portions of said medium into printing relation with a selected one of said type characters, and means for holding portions of such a print receiving medium out of printing relation with certain unselected ones of said type characters while permitting other portions of said medium to be moved by said hammer means into printing relation with selected ones of said type characters, said holding means including a plurality of spacer means positioned at the spaces between adjacent ones of said spaced characters.

24. A printer comprising the combination of a rotatable type support having a plurality of type characters spaced thereon, a printing station including selectively actuatable hammer means, means for rotating said type support to move said type characters across said printing station, an ink applying station spaced from said printing station and including means for applying ink to said type characters during rotation of said type support, means for feeding a print receiving medium between said hammer means and said type characters whereby said hammer means when actuated moves associated portions of said medium into printing contact with selected ones of said type characters, and means for holding portions of such a print receiving medium out of contact with certain unselected ones of References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 725,328 'Dunlany Apr. 14, 1903 1,158,545 Ocumpaugh Nov. 2, 1915 1,410,357 Adams Mar. 21, 1922 2,013,533 Buhler Sept. 3, 1935 2,686,470 Gore Aug. 17, 1954 2,692,551 Potter Oct. 26, 1954 2,720,832 Luning Oct. 18, 1955

Images