US2909994A

US2909994A - Wire printer

Info

Publication number: US2909994A
Application number: US478650A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank J Furman; Otto F Moneagle; Robert V Simpson
Original assignee: International Business Machines Corp
Current assignee: International Business Machines Corp
Priority date: 1954-12-30
Filing date: 1954-12-30
Publication date: 1959-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 1976-10-27
Also published as: IT565291A; GB815813A; NL202952A; FR1165857A

Description

E. JEDRZYKOWSKI CROP TREATING DEVICE Oct. 20, 1959 Filed Aug. 28, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M w a M g 2:3 [fez A5165 Oct. 27, 1959 Filed Dec. 30, 1954 WIRE SETTING BAIL 37 PRESET PRINT WIRES 36 PRINT HEAD 92 CODE ROD 46 F. J.\ FURMAN E WIRE PRINTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS FRANK J. FURMAN OTTO F. MONEAGLE ROBERT V- SlMPSON $7 BY X AT TORNE Y United States Patent WIRE PRINTER Frank J. Furman and Otto F. Moneagle, Endicott, and

Robert V. Simpson, Oweg'o, N.Y., assignors to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application December 30, 1954, Serial No. 478,650

14 Claims. (Cl. 101--93) This invention relates to wire printers and more particularly to wire printers of the type in which the print ends of preset print wires are moved against recording material by a print head secured to guide tubes for the print wires. Such printers effect what is generally termed front printing. A front printing wire printer is disclosed in the United States patent application, Serial No. 384,697, of Reynold B. Johnson, filed October 7, 1953, now US. Patent No. 2,785,627. In that wire printer, inertia slugs are attached to the respective print wires so that when the print ends of preset print wires are made to undergo a printing stroke, a requisite energy level obtains, preventing too free an endwise movement of the wires undergoing impact.

It has been discovered that the requisite energy level may be attained for print wires during printing strokes with lighter inertia slugs than heretofore utilized if an additional bend is provided in the guide tubes carrying the print wires to the print head. The printing that results from such a construction is superior even to that obtained with the wire printer disclosed in the above identified application, evidently because it provides a greater resistance to longitudinal displacement at impact time. At other times, because of the lower inertia level, it is easier to move the print wires, thus permitting of lighter construction and entailing lower energy consumption. All told, a wire printer constructed according to i the instant invention permits of higher printing speeds because the parts may be accelerated more rapidly.

Another advantage that obtains from the use of the instant invention is that of visible printing in front wire printers. The additional bend in the tubes conducting the print wires permits of horizontal printing strokes,'thereby enabling an operator standing in front of the'machine to visually keep check of the printing as it takes place upon a recording material progressively moved upward past the print head.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in i th following description and claims and illustrated in theac'companying drawings, which disclose, by way of examples, the principle of the invention and the best mode which has been contemplated of applying that,

principle. l In the drawings: I r 1 [Fig 1' is a longitudinal vertical cross-section through an embodiment of the invention. a

. Fig. 2 isa chart depicting the timing of various elements of the embodiment disclosed in Fig. l. I

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the wire setting mechanism, generally indicated by the numeral 10, for the wire printer is shown as being mounted on a vertical plate 12. This plate is mounted in the printer by a plurality of

cross bars

14, 16, 18, and 20. It is seatedon bar 14 by means of a notch 22 and is held in spaced relation therealong byacorhb 24. The other bars constitute guide bars and are respectively provided with

combs

26,28, and 30 to locate accurately the plate in transverse relation with respect to the printer.

2,909,994 Patented Oct. 27, 1959 ICC The lower ends of the plurality of print wire guide tubes 32 of the wire printing mechanism are anchored to ,a vertical plate 34 fixed to the plate 12. The print wires 36 extend beyond the anchored ends of the tubes and terminate in a wire settingbail generally indicated by the numeral 37. This bail is formed of a back plate 38 to which is affixed a front plate 40, the formerof which is grooved to accommodate the wire setting or control ends of the print wires 36 extending from the lower ends of the tubes. The front plate 40 is provided with a plurality of fingers 42 which encompass a carrier tube 44 for a code rod 46 and hold it in vertically aligned grooves formed in extensions or lugs 38a on the back plate 38.

The code rod, which is mounted in the carrier tube for rotational and endwise displacement, is biased upwardly to a normal position by a tension spring 48. The lower end of the code rod is provided with a gear 50 and a thrust washer. 52 by which rotation and endwise translation are imparted to the code rod to enable it to effect different character patterns on the print wires when moved thereagainst by the bail 37. i

The setting up of the print wires by engagement with the code rod'is effected by moving the bail 37 by a continuous rotatable double cam 54. This cam, which is fixed upon a shaft 56 rotatably mounted in a honsing 58 of the printer, simultaneously operates a pair of rocker arms 60 respectively mounted on vertically-spaced, transversely-extending shafts 62 carried by the housing 58. Each rocker arm carries on its free end a roller 64 which rides upon the surface of the cam. The roller is urged to follow the contour of the cam through a spring 66 which acts upon a vertically extending lug 68 formed on each rocker arm.

The rocker arm motion is imparted to the bail 37 through, a vertical arm 70'affixed to each shaft 62. Each arm 70 is provided at its free end with an adjustable screw 72 which engages a corresponding member 74 slidably carried by a bar 75 fixed to the housing 58. When the cam 54 imparts rotational movement to the rocker arms 60 against the bias of the respective springs 66, the arms 70 act through the screws 72 to displace rearwardly the slide members 74 and in turn corresponding ones of the laterally-turned lugs 38a formed of the rear plate 38 of the wire setting bail 37. This imparts a displacement to the ball 37, which is slidably mounted at its upper and lower ends upon the plate 12, against the action of tension spring 78 which coact between the plate 12 and the upper and lower ends of the bail. This movement of the bail is suflicient to bring the now positioned code rod 46 against the now aligned ends of the print wires so that a selective longitudinal displacement is effected thereupon.

The surface of the cam 54 is such that the movement of the bail 37 carrying the code rod against the print wire ends'is a sharp, forceful one. Thereafter, the cam surfaces recede slowly underneath the rollers 64 to allow the spring 78 to withdraw the code rod from the ends of the print wires and permit longitudinal displacement of the preset print wires during a subsequent printing stroke.

After this printing stroke takes place, the preset print wires, even though they are partly restored by the printing impact, will be in a displaced condition. To effect a full restoration and realignment of the print wires, the rearward edge of the bail is cut away to form flanges 80, and in between the flanges are located relatively low mass inertia slugs 82 secured to the respective print wires 36. The'ends of these slugs are headed at 82a and 82b, and the flanges extend between adjacent slugs so as to lie between the heads on each of the adjacent slugs. The row of flanges is so located that when the cam 54 has rotated to where its low dwells are opposite the rollers 64, the

fianges will, through the slugs 82 now acting as collets, have restored the print wires to the initial condition.

In order to prevent overthrow of the print Wires by a friction drag between the flanges 80 and the slugs 82 .to where. they would interfere with the. adjustment of the code rod 46, a stop bar 86 is mounted on the plate 12 to cooperate with the inertia slugs. This bar is in the path of the heads 82b on the rear ends 'of' the slugs and thus insures that none of the wires will. be projecting into the code rod carrier tube when the code rod is adjusted.

The print wire guide tubes 32 extend away from the plate 34in broad sweeping curves to where they are gathered together to form a cable generally indicated by the numeral 88. The cable is secured to the upper end of the plate 12 as by straps 90. Above the plate the cable is curved so that the ends of the tubes extend horizontally into a print head 92 to which they are affixed. Printing strokes are effected by this print head, which is carried in a carriage 94 transversely adjustable on a support 95, through a horizontal to'and fro movement. The tubes terminate in the print head so that the normal positions of the 'print'ends of the print wires projecting from the tubes are approximately flush with the print face of the print head. The print wires, which are preset to determine a character pattern, will thus project from the face of the print head, and when the print head undergoes a printing stroke, they may strike a ribbon 96 disposed in front of a paper 98 on a'platen 100 to impress a character.

The reciprocation of the print head upon the carriage 94 is effected through a drive wire 102 mounted in a guide tube 104. This tube is fixed at one end to the carriage and at its other end to a removable piece 105 fastened to a housing 106 secured in the framework of the printer; (The flexible tube 104 and wire 102 accommodate lateral adjustment of the print head carriage 94 in the printer.) The rear end of the print head drive wire is pivotally connected to the upstanding arm 108a of a bell crank, generally indicated by the numeral 108, rotatably mounted on a shaft 110 carried by depending arms 106a of the housing 106. A spring 112, coacting between the vertical arm 108a and an anchor plate 114 fixed to the housing 106, biases the rocker arm 108 counterclockwise, as seen in Fig. 1', to where a roller 116 carried on the free end of a horizontally extending arm of the bell crank rests on the surface of a cam 118. This cam has a high dwell formed with a depression into which the roller 116 drops when the depression comes opposite it; because of the spring 112 there is then imparted to the bell crank a sharp counterclockwise movement which thrusts the drive wire through the tube to force the print head to undergo a printing stroke. Almost immediately the end of the depression in the cam forces the bell crank clockwise to withdraw the drive wire through the tube and the print head back to normal position. Thus, a sharp printing stroke of uniform intensity is always obtained.

It should be observed that the printing stroke is accommodated almost entirely by the curve forrned'in the upper end of the cable 88. Thus, and particularly since the axis of the straight portion of the cable is at right angles to the thrust of the print head, a considerable resistance to longitudinal displacement of the preset print wires upon printing impact is obtained over and above that obtaining from the use of the inertia slugs 82. This apparently is because the print wiresare strongly forced against the inside walls of the tubes upon impact, and since friction between two bodies is proportional to the forces normal to the engaging surfaces, it can be seen that there results at the moment of printing impact a momentary high resistance to endwise displacement of the preset wires forming the character impression.

The operation of the printer will be described with reference to the timing chart of Fig. 2. In this timing chart, the starting point of a cycle has beenarbitra'rily chosen as that at which the cam 54 begins to move the wire setting bail 37 laterally to bring the already set up code rod 46 against the prealigned control ends of the print wires 36. As shown, the displacement of the wire setting bail may reach a maximum at 108 cycle time. When the bail has completed part of this displacement, for example, at 65 of cycle time, it may engage the ends of the selected print wires to begin their longitudinal displacement with respect to the remaining print wires. This relative displacement would also be completed at 108 of cycle time. The bail 37 immediately begins to recede, and after a suflicient distance has been created between the ends of the selected or preest print wires and the code rod 46, the print head may be made to undergo a printing stroke. This may occur between 118 and 223 degrees of cycle time, printing actually taking place at about 158. A partial restoration of the preset print wires will occur as a result of the printing impact. Immediately after the'printing impact, however, the. heads 82a on the forward ends of the inertia slugs 82 on the print wires will be engaged by the laterally turned flanges formed on the rear end of the wire setting bail 37. This engagement may occur around 164 of cycle time, and the bail would fully restore the ends of all the print wires to an aligned condition by 216 of cycle time. Between 290 and the end of the cycle, the code rod 46, which restored between 221 and 290, could be adjusted to a' new setting. Succeeding cycles would be'efiected in the same manner until all of the available data had been printed.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires, support means for guiding the print wires first in one curve and then in a second curve to terminal positions opposite said platen, means for effecting selective longitudinal displacement of the print wires to preset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwise movement thereof, and. other means for effecting relative movement between the end of the displaced print wires opposite said platen and said platen in the longitudinal direction of said ends to obtain a printing stroke, the two curves in said support means providing resistance to endwise displacement of said print wires suflicient to enable printing impact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

2. In a printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires, means for effecting selective longitudinal displacement of-the print wires to preset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwise movement thereof, means for supporting one end of each wire adjacent said means and guiding the wire first in one curve and then in a second curve to dispose its print end opposite said platen, and other means for effecting relative movement between the print ends of displaced print wires and the platen in the longitudinal direction of said ends to obtain printing impact, the two curves in the guiding means providing resistance to endwise displacement of the print wires suflicient to enable printing impact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

. 3. In a printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires, individual tubes curved first in one direction and then in another for guiding the respective print wires to terminal positions opposite said platen, means for'etfectmg selectivt= lQ fl qi ll di placement of said print wires to preset them and thereafterbeing inoperative to restrain endwise movement thereof, and other means for effecting relative movement between the ends of the displaced print wires opposite said platen and said platen in the longitudinal direction of said ends so as to obtain a printing stroke, the two curves in the tubes providing resistance to endwise displacement of the print wires suflicient to enable printing impact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

4. In a printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires, means for effecting selective longitudinal displacement of said print wires to preset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain end-wise movement thereof, individual tubes curved first in one direction and then in another guiding the respective print wires and disposing their print ends opposite said platen and their other ends adjacent said means, and other means for effecting relative movement between the print ends of displaced print wires and said platen in the longitudinal direction of said ends to obtain printing impact, the two curves in the tubes providing resistance to endwise displacement of the print wires sufficient to enable printing impact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

5. In a wire printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires respectively bearing inertia slugs, means for effecting selective longitudinal displacement of said print wires to preset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwise movement thereof, individual tubes curved first in one direction and then in a second direction guiding the respective print wires from said wire setting mechanism to a position in front of said platen, and other means for effecting relative movement between said platen and the ends of said print wires in front of it in the longitudinal direction of said ends to obtain printing impact, the two curves in the tubes providing resistance to endwise displacement of the print wires suflicient to enable printing impact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

6. In a Wire printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires respectively bearing collets, first means for effecting selective longitudinal displacement of said print wires, to preset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwise movement thereof, individual tubes curved first in one direction and then in a second direction guiding the respective print wires from said wire setting mechanism to a position in front of said platen, second means for effecting relative movement between said platen and the ends of said print wires in front of it in the longitudinal direction of said ends to obtain printing impact, the two curves in the tubes providing resistance to endwise displacement of the print wires sufficient to enable printing impact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained, and means engageable with the collets on the wires after printing impact to realign the print wires for displacement by the first means.

7. In a printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires, means for imparting a selective longitudinal displacement to said print wires to preset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwise movement thereof, individual tubes curved first in one direction and thereafter in another direction to guide the respective print wires from said means to a position in front of said platen, and means afiixed to the ends of said tubes adjacent said platen to move them toward and away from said platen in the' longitudinal direction of said ends so that the selectively displaced print wires undergo printing impact therewith, the two curves in the tubes providing resistance to endwise displacement of the print wires sufiicient to enable printing impact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

8. In a printer having a platen, a plurality ofprint wires, means for imparting a selective longitudinal dis-.

placement to said print wires to preset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwise movement thereof, individual tubes curved first in one direction and thereafter in a horizontal direction to guide the respective print wires .from said means to a position in front of said platen, and means afiixed to the ends of said tubes adjacent said platen to move them horizontally toward and away from said platen so that the selectively displaced print wires undergo printing impact therewith, the two curves in the tubes providing resistance to endwise displacement of the print wires sufficient to enable printing impact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

9. In a printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires, individual tubes curved first in one direction and thereafter in another direction guiding the respective print wires, said tubes being gathered together to form a cable between the first and the second curves and being fixed to a support thereat, means operable upon one end of each of said print wires to impart selective longitudinal displacement thereto to preset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwise movement thereof, and means disposed in front of said platen and carrying the end of-the cable of tubes towards and awayfrom the platen in the longitudinal direction of said ends so that the selectively displaced print wires undergo printing impact, the two curves in the tubes providing resistance to endwise displacement of the print wires suificient to enable printing impact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

10. In a printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires, individual tubes curved first in one direction and thereafter in a horizontal direction guiding the respective print wires, said tubes being gathered together to form a cable between the first and the second curves and being fixed to a support thereat, means operable upon one end of each of said print wires to impart selective longitudinal displacement thereto to preset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwise movement thereof, and means disposed in front of said platen and carrying the end of the cable of tubes horizontally towards and away from the platen so that the selectively displaced print wires undergo printing impact, the two curves in the tubes providing resistance to endwise displacement of the print wires sufiicient to enable printing impact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

11. In a wire printer having a platen, a print head movable towards and away from said platen, a plurality of guide tubes affixed at one end to said print head so as to lie in the direction of said platen and extending therefrom first in one curve and thereafter in other curves, a print wire disposed in each of said guide tubes and projecting from the respective ends thereof, means operable upon the ends of the print wires extending from the other ends of the tubes to impart selective longitudinal displacement thereto and so that the print ends thereof project beyond the face of said print head to preset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwise movement thereof, and means operable thereafter to move said print head towards and away from said platen so that the selectively displaced print wires undergo printing impact therewith, the two curves in the guide tubes providing resistance to endwise displacement of the print wires suflicient to enable printing impact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

12. In a wire printer having a platen, a print head s as to lie in the direction of said platen movable towards and away from said platen,.a plurality of guide tubes affixed at one end to said print head and extending therefrom first in a downwardly sweeping curve and thereafter in horizontally sweepingcurves, a print wire disposed in each of said guide. tubes and projecting from the respective ends thereof, first means operable upon the ends of the print wires extending from the other ends of the tubesto impart selective longitudinal displacement thereto and so. that the print ends thereof project beyond the face of said print head to preset them and thereafter beinginoperative. to restrain endwise movement thereof, second; means operable thereafter to move said print head towards and. away from said platen so that the selectively displaced print wires undergo printing impact therewith, the two curves in the guide tubes providing resistance to endwise displacement of the print wires suflicient to enable printing impact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained, a collet on each wire between'the end of the respective tube and the first means, and means operable after each printing impact to realign the print wires by displacement by the first means.

.13. In a printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires,'support means for guiding the print wires first in one curve and then in a second curve to terminal positions opposite said platen, means for selectively efiecting relative longitudinal displacement of the print wires to .form desired character patterns at the terminal positions to preset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwise movement thereof, and other means for effecting relative movement between the ends of the print wires forming the desired character pattern and said .platen in the longitudinal direction of said ends to obtain printing impact, the two curves in said support means providing resistance to endwise displacementof said print wires sufiicient to enable printing impact while permitting endwisei displacement on .printing impact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

- 14 In a printer having. a platen, aprint head movable towards and away from said platen, flexible guide means affixed at one end to said print head so as to lie in the direction of said platen and extending therefrom first in one curve and thereafter in a second curve, print wires slidably supported by said flexible guide means, means for selectively effecting relative longitudinal displacement of the print wires to form desired character patterns upon ends thereof projecting from said print head to preset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwise movement thereof, and means operable to move said print head towards and away from said platen so that the ends of the print wires forming a desired character pattern undergo printing impact therewith, the two curves in said guide means providing resistance to endwise displacement of said print wires sufiicient to enable printing impact While permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,508,532 Quentell Sept. 16, 1924 1,932,914 Shelton Oct. 31, 1933 2,129,065 Loop Sept. 6, 1938 2,438,071 Page Mar. 16, 1948 2,524,127 Johnson Oct. 3, 1950 2,632,386 Hyland Mar. 24, 1953 2,648,277 Wockenfuss Aug. 11, 1953 2,681,614 Rast June 22, 1954 2,683,410 Wockenfuss July 13, 1954 2,686,469 Toggenburger Aug. 17, 1954