US3303776A - Selective character arrangement of the print member in printing devices - Google Patents

Selective character arrangement of the print member in printing devices Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3303776A
US3303776A US396517A US39651764A US3303776A US 3303776 A US3303776 A US 3303776A US 396517 A US396517 A US 396517A US 39651764 A US39651764 A US 39651764A US 3303776 A US3303776 A US 3303776A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
characters
type
storage
coded data
storage unit
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US396517A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Rausch Fritz
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
International Business Machines Corp
Original Assignee
International Business Machines Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by International Business Machines Corp filed Critical International Business Machines Corp
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3303776A publication Critical patent/US3303776A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/12—Digital output to print unit, e.g. line printer, chain printer
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
    • G06K15/00—Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data, e.g. computer output printers
    • G06K15/02—Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data, e.g. computer output printers using printers
    • G06K15/08—Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data, e.g. computer output printers using printers by flight printing with type font moving in the direction of the printed line, e.g. chain printers

Definitions

  • This invention relates to printing and more particularly to a method and apparatus for printing in connection with data processing machines. While not necessarily limited thereto, this invention has particular utility in a chain printer apparatus of the type described in U.S. patents, 2,993,437 of F. M. Demer et al., issued July 25, 1961; 2,850,967 of E. R. Wooding, issued September 9, 1958; and 3,066,601 of H. E. Eden, issued December 4, 1962.
  • the printing arrangements which operate according to the on-the-y printing principle, contain as the type carriers a continuous type chain constantly moving parallel to the printing line, on which the individual type characters are arranged in a given sequence.
  • Printing of the type characters on the sheet of paper inserted between the type characters on the chain and the print hammers is effected by means of print hammers which are selectively controlled electromagnetically in accordance with the information to be printed.
  • the printing process is controlled by the provision that the respective type characters occupying the position for printing are struck when, after a positive comparison has been made by a comparer between the pulses supplied by a storage matrix and corresponding to the information to be printed and the pulses supplied by a character generator through a plurality of counting units and corresponding to the respective type characters then in the position for printing, output signals are applied to those print hammers in front of which the type characters corresponding to the information to be printed are then disposed.
  • the principle of controlling the printing processes in such known printing arrangements which do not necessarily have to contain a type chain but may also be pro vided e.g., with a type drum r a type bar, consists in the provision that a comparison is respectively made between the storage unit containing the information to be printed and the counter representing the electric image of the type characters on the chain. This is based on the prerequisite that the type characters on the chain are arranged in such a sequence that their associated bit combinations are successively set up in the counter which is advanced step by step.
  • the letter A is represented, in the BCD code used in the above mentioned machines, by bits 1, 8, A, the letter B by bits 2, 8, A, and the letter C by bits 1, 2, 8, A, so that the counter representing the characters, which are arranged on the chain in the sequence A, B, C, will in successive steps assume positions corresponding to the bit values of the characters A, B, C.
  • the invention relates to a method of controlling the printing process in printing devices including periodically actuated type carriers, wherein the characters of the line t-o be printed are compared to the images of the respective type characters of the type carrier then occupying the individual printing positions, a positive comparison initiating the printing process in the respective printing positions.
  • the method of this invention operates in such a manner that the image of the type characters and their distribution on that part of the type carrier which is respectively in the position for printing is produced by the cyclic readout, shifted by one or more positions for each cycle, of a storage unit containing the image of the type characters and their distribution of the respective type carrier being used.
  • the storage unit containing the image of the type characters and their distribution on the respective type carrier being used is read out, position by position, cyclically and with a shift of one or more posit-ions for each cycle, the characters having been read out being then read into a buffer storage unit the contents of which is compared through a comparer to the contents of another buffer storage unit respectively containing a character of the respective line to be printed, said comparer on detecting correspondence between the characters of a print-ing position initiating the printing process at that position.
  • Another advantage of the method of this invention results in connection with scripts, especially foreign scripts, including a large number of characters with highly diifering statistical frequencies, due to the provision that the c number of characters to be respectively printed in the line to be reproduced is counted and compared to the number of the printed characters, and that with both of these numbers being equal, the operation of printing the respec tive line is completed.
  • An arrangement suited for carrying out the present method consists in the provision of a storage unit containing the image of the type characters on the type carrier and the arrangement thereof, the X and Y addressing units of which are advanced in synchronism with the movement of the type carrier and the output of which is connected to ⁇ a buffer storage unit, the respective contents of which are compared by means of a comparer to the respective contents of a second buffer storage unit into which the contents of the respective line to be printed are entered, and that with the said two stored contents equal the comparer produces an output signal for operating the hammers of the respective position.
  • FIGS. 1a and lb comprise, when placed side by side, a block diagram of the printer control arrangement of this invention.
  • the actual printer shown in schematic form comprises a constantly moving7 endless type chain 10 on which all of the type characters to be printed are provided one or several times. Facing the type chain a plurality of print hammers 11 are provided one for each printing position, which on a paper web (not shown) passing between the type chain and the hammer unit controllably produce a character imprint by striking the paper against the type characters on the type chain.
  • data storage 12 is a core storage device consisting of eight storage planes, one plane for each bit of an eight-bit-character code. Each storage plane contains one hundred twenty-eight cores which are arranged in eight rows and sixteen columns. Thus, the core storage unit 12 has an over-all capacity of one hundred twenty-eight storage positions for characters each comprising eight bits.
  • the characters of a line to be printed which arrive through the input channel 13, lare written into the individual positions of the core storage unit 12 under the control of the X write drivers 14, the Y write drivers 15, and the inhibit write drivers 16 in accordance with their future arrangement in the line to be printed.
  • the X write drivers 14 and the Y write drivers 15 are controlled by the X1 address ring 17 and the Y1 address ring 18, respectively, which in turn are advanced step by step through the clock generator 19 by the continuously oscillating oscillator 20.
  • the output W1 of the clock generator 19 controls the second inputs of the AND switches 21 and 22, the output R1 controlling the second inputs of the AND switches 23 and 24, thus insuring that the read-in into the registers 16, 25, 26 and 27 takes place at the correct times.
  • the data is read out of the core storage unit 12 for printing purposes in a manner similar to that used for read-in, under the control of the X and Y write drivers 14 and 15.
  • the contents of a storage position of the core storage unit 12 consisting of eight bits are transmitted by energization of the respective X and Y conductors through the sense amplifiers 30 into the eight triggers of the trigger register 25 whence they are, on the one hand, re-written into the same storage position through the AND switch 31, the OR switch 32, and the inhibit write drivers of register 16 by the energization of the X and Y write drivers 14 and 15.
  • the contents of a storage position are simultaneously applied through lines 33 to the compare circuit 34.
  • compare circuit 34 Through compare circuit 34, the contents of the respective line to be printed, which have been read into the core storage unit 12, ⁇ are compared to the contents of the character core storage unit 35 representing the image characters of the type chain 1t?.
  • the compare circuit 34 is provided with a second input which through the lines 36 is connected to the second trigger register 26.
  • the trigger register 26 is written into through sense amplifier stages 37 out of the core storage unit 35.
  • the core storage unit 35 consists of eight storage planes each comprising an array of two hundred fifty-six storage cores in sixteen rows and sixteen columns. In the two hundred fifty-six positions of the storage unit 35, all of the two hundred fifty-six type characters are stored in accordance with their distribution on the type chain 10.
  • the storage unit 35 is controlled by the X write drivers 3S and the Y write drivers 39, which in turn are controlled by the clock generator 19 and the oscillator 20 through the AND switch 40, the OR switch 14 and the X2 and Y2 address rings 42 and 43, respectively.
  • the X2 and Y2 address rings 42 and 43 are advanced in synchronism with the movement of the type chain 10, the synchronism being insured by the following arrangement.
  • the chain drive mechanism is connected through the shaft 45 to the magnetic track disk 46 and, on the other hand, through the gear system comprising the gears 47 and 48 to the magnetic track disk 49, the transmission ratio of the gears 47 and 48 being selected to cause the disk 49 to perform one rotation for each rotation of the chain.
  • On the magnetic track disk 46 magnetically recorded data are applied in such a degree of density and position that each time a type character of chain 10 is in the position for printing a pulse is read through the magnetic head 56 and applied through the amplifier 51 to the AND circuit 52.
  • the magnetic track disk 49 is provided with one single magnetic mark which through the magnetic head 53 and the amplifier 54 sets the trigger 55 to its ON condition, thus causing the pulses coming from the magnetic head 50 to be directed through the line 56, the AND switch 57 and the OR switch 41 to the X2 and Y2 address rings 42 and 43 in order to advance them in synchronism with the movement of the type chain 10.
  • the trigger 55 is turned ON through the amplifier 54 by the voltage pulse produced by the magnetic track disk 49, it is insured that the advancement of the X2 and Y2 address rings 42 and 43 starts with the type chain occupying an exactly dened position, viz, when that type character corresponding to the character having the storage address l in the storage unit 35 is opposite the first print hammer 11.
  • the X2 and Y2 address rings 42 and 43 are, through the OR switch 41 and the AND switch 57, placed under the control of the ring advancement circuit 58 and the clock generator 19 and, through the OR switch 41 and the AND switches 57 and 52 placed under the control of the magnetic 4track disks 46 and 49 synchronized by the type chain 10.
  • the OR switch 41 and the AND switches 57 and 52 placed under the control of the magnetic 4track disks 46 and 49 synchronized by the type chain 10.
  • the X1 and Y1 address rings 17 and 18 are thus connected to hammer selection matrix 60 so that, in synchronism With the readout of the one hundred twentyeight positions of the storage unit 12, the one hundred twenty-eight print hammers 11 are conditioned for actuation at successive times through one hundred twentyeight lines and one hundred twenty-eight AND switches 61. However, the actuation takes place only if at the Same time a pulse indicating the presence of identical characters representations in the registers and 26 is applied by the compare circuit 34 to the AND switches 61.
  • the regeneration of the respective positions of the storage units 35 that have been read out is effected in a manner analogous to the regeneration of the storage unit 12 through the AND switch 62, the OR switch 63 and the inhibit register 27.
  • the read-in of the information to be printed is effected through the line 64, the line 13 and the AND switch 65.
  • the entry of the image ofthe type chain into the storage unit 35 also takes place through the line 64, however, through the AND circuit 66.
  • the decision which of the two storage units 12 or 35 is to be written into is made by control pulses on lines 67 and 68, respectively.
  • a special advantage of the arrangement described herein resides in the fact that it is possible for different operations the optimal performance of which requires the provision of different characters, or different character distributions or character frequencies of occurrence on the -type chain 1f) to .place the respectively appropriate chain into the machine the image of which is then in a very simple manner entered into the storage unit 35.
  • the storage unit 35 may also be designed as a replaceable fiXed storage unit.
  • the image of the type characters and their arrangement on the type carrier 16 is entered into the core storage unit 35 in a manner analagous to the entry into the storage unit 12 ⁇ under the control of the X2 and Y2 address rings 42 and 43 as well as the X write drives 33 and Y write drivers 39.
  • the storage of the image of the type characters takes place once prior to the start of the printing operation. It may, however, also be changed between two successive printing operations. For reasons of computing technology, it is, for example, necessary that numerals -be always encoded in a lpredetermined form. In actual printing, however, a different representation of the numerals may be required or desired. As examples, reference is made to the Arabic and Japanese numerals. In such a case, both types Of numerals will be provided on the type chain 1f), while the storage unit 35 will respectively receive only the code characters of those numerals which correspond to the desired group of numerals.
  • said second storage means including controllable write means for altering the image of characters stored in said second storage means to conform to an interchange of said plural carrier means
  • said first storage means comprises a first core storage device for storing coded data of information to be printed
  • said second storage means comprises a second core storage device for storing a coded data image of said characters on a selected one of said type carrier means
  • means for cyclically comparing the coded data in said first and second core storage devices includes (d) first cyclic read-out means for said first core storage device,
  • said first means for storing coded data is a first core storage device having first means for reading coded data representing characters to be printed into said first core storage device,
  • said second means for storing data is a second core storage device having second means for reading coded data representing the character image of a selected type carrier means into said second core storage device,
  • said means for cyclically comparing coded data in said first and secon-d storage means further comprises a first buffer storage unit connected to the output of said first core storage device,
  • said means for advancing said rst and second read-out means in synchronism with the movement of the selected type character includes a pulse generator adapted to generate a pulse at the beginning of each cycle of said type carrier, and
  • (b) means to shift the read-out means one of more positions of said second storage device in response to said pulse generator in accordance with the advance of said type characters on said type carrier means.
  • said second core storage means selectively stores an image in coded form of said type characters and their distribution on said type chains.
  • the combination in accordance with claim 1 which further comprises (a) a data input channel for supplying data to be printed and an image of the type carrier means to said rst and second storage means,

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Printers Characterized By Their Purpose (AREA)
  • Record Information Processing For Printing (AREA)
US396517A 1963-09-30 1964-09-15 Selective character arrangement of the print member in printing devices Expired - Lifetime US3303776A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DEJ24488A DE1219264B (de) 1963-09-30 1963-09-30 Druckwerk mit in Zeilenrichtung bewegten, einzeiligen Typenfolgen
BE653528A BE653528A (enrdf_load_html_response) 1963-09-30 1964-09-24

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3303776A true US3303776A (en) 1967-02-14

Family

ID=25656015

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US396517A Expired - Lifetime US3303776A (en) 1963-09-30 1964-09-15 Selective character arrangement of the print member in printing devices

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US3303776A (enrdf_load_html_response)
BE (1) BE653528A (enrdf_load_html_response)
CH (1) CH417188A (enrdf_load_html_response)
DE (1) DE1219264B (enrdf_load_html_response)
FR (1) FR1414118A (enrdf_load_html_response)
GB (1) GB1016979A (enrdf_load_html_response)
NL (1) NL149304B (enrdf_load_html_response)
SE (1) SE318739B (enrdf_load_html_response)

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3454147A (en) * 1966-06-23 1969-07-08 Walther Bueromasch Gmbh Key locking circuit for a keyboard operated machine
US3602138A (en) * 1969-12-30 1971-08-31 Ibm Hammer driver timing from a print buffer ring
US3742845A (en) * 1970-11-11 1973-07-03 Honeywell Inf Systems Italia Control system for high-speed printing machines
US3827357A (en) * 1973-09-12 1974-08-06 Sperry Rand Corp On-the-fly printer with shortened print cycle
JPS4939536B1 (enrdf_load_html_response) * 1968-07-01 1974-10-26
US3899968A (en) * 1974-01-16 1975-08-19 Sperry Rand Corp Print media identification code
US3921517A (en) * 1974-06-21 1975-11-25 Ibm Random firing of multiple width print hammers
US4275653A (en) * 1980-01-28 1981-06-30 International Business Machines Corporation Line printer system and method of operation with microprocessor control
EP0055526A3 (en) * 1980-12-29 1984-01-25 Computer Peripherals Inc. A hammer control device for a band printer
EP0114948A1 (en) * 1982-12-27 1984-08-08 International Business Machines Corporation Control system for a line printer having an endless type carrier
US4949413A (en) * 1985-12-30 1990-08-21 Ssi Medical Services, Inc. Low air loss bed

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3760366A (en) * 1971-09-15 1973-09-18 Ibm Unprintable character recognition
FR2153624A5 (enrdf_load_html_response) * 1971-09-17 1973-05-04 Honeywell Bull
JPH01196096A (ja) * 1988-02-01 1989-08-07 Canon Inc 出力装置

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2799222A (en) * 1956-08-27 1957-07-16 Goldberg Jacob Electronic apparatus for high-speed printers
US2915967A (en) * 1958-08-06 1959-12-08 Sperry Rand Corp Information reproducing system
US3064561A (en) * 1960-06-14 1962-11-20 Bull Sa Machines Device for controlling an electronically operated printing machine
US3066601A (en) * 1959-12-29 1962-12-04 Ibm Error checking devices
US3196404A (en) * 1961-06-26 1965-07-20 Ibm Printer buffer load and read control means
US3232404A (en) * 1964-08-11 1966-02-01 Navigation Computer Corp Keyboard operated printer with electrical means preventing operation of plural keys

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2036016A (en) * 1934-02-23 1936-03-31 Ibm Printing mechanism
NL234516A (enrdf_load_html_response) 1957-12-24
IT601133A (enrdf_load_html_response) * 1957-12-27
CH365900A (de) * 1958-12-01 1962-11-30 Ibm Druckeinrichtung
US3077158A (en) * 1958-12-01 1963-02-12 Ibm Printing device
AT230134B (de) * 1959-10-05 1963-11-11 Ibm Druckeinrichtung für datenverarbeitende Recheneinheiten

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2799222A (en) * 1956-08-27 1957-07-16 Goldberg Jacob Electronic apparatus for high-speed printers
US2915967A (en) * 1958-08-06 1959-12-08 Sperry Rand Corp Information reproducing system
US3066601A (en) * 1959-12-29 1962-12-04 Ibm Error checking devices
US3064561A (en) * 1960-06-14 1962-11-20 Bull Sa Machines Device for controlling an electronically operated printing machine
US3196404A (en) * 1961-06-26 1965-07-20 Ibm Printer buffer load and read control means
US3232404A (en) * 1964-08-11 1966-02-01 Navigation Computer Corp Keyboard operated printer with electrical means preventing operation of plural keys

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3454147A (en) * 1966-06-23 1969-07-08 Walther Bueromasch Gmbh Key locking circuit for a keyboard operated machine
JPS4939536B1 (enrdf_load_html_response) * 1968-07-01 1974-10-26
US3602138A (en) * 1969-12-30 1971-08-31 Ibm Hammer driver timing from a print buffer ring
US3742845A (en) * 1970-11-11 1973-07-03 Honeywell Inf Systems Italia Control system for high-speed printing machines
US3827357A (en) * 1973-09-12 1974-08-06 Sperry Rand Corp On-the-fly printer with shortened print cycle
US3899968A (en) * 1974-01-16 1975-08-19 Sperry Rand Corp Print media identification code
US3921517A (en) * 1974-06-21 1975-11-25 Ibm Random firing of multiple width print hammers
US4275653A (en) * 1980-01-28 1981-06-30 International Business Machines Corporation Line printer system and method of operation with microprocessor control
EP0055526A3 (en) * 1980-12-29 1984-01-25 Computer Peripherals Inc. A hammer control device for a band printer
EP0114948A1 (en) * 1982-12-27 1984-08-08 International Business Machines Corporation Control system for a line printer having an endless type carrier
US4949413A (en) * 1985-12-30 1990-08-21 Ssi Medical Services, Inc. Low air loss bed

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NL149304B (nl) 1976-04-15
SE318739B (enrdf_load_html_response) 1969-12-15
GB1016979A (en) 1966-01-12
DE1219264B (de) 1966-06-16
CH417188A (de) 1966-07-15
FR1414118A (fr) 1965-10-15
BE653528A (enrdf_load_html_response) 1965-01-18
NL6410885A (enrdf_load_html_response) 1965-03-31

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US3220343A (en) High speed printers with column spanning hammers
US3303776A (en) Selective character arrangement of the print member in printing devices
US2918865A (en) Chain printer timer
US2936704A (en) High speed printing apparatus
US3128693A (en) High speed printer drum
US3303775A (en) Variable speed printer apparatus and type carrier device therefor
US2918864A (en) Random printing method and means
US2575017A (en) Apparatus for synthesizing facsimile signals from coded signals
US3703949A (en) High-speed printer
GB919653A (en) Improvements in and relating to printer apparatus
US3312174A (en) Variable cycle control system for a high speed printer
GB923841A (en) Electronically controlled high speed printer
US3058415A (en) Recording apparatus
US2858536A (en) Type actuating means in high speed printers
US3007399A (en) High speed printer
GB1566570A (en) Serial printers
GB1223498A (en) Printer control system
US3952648A (en) Character printing device
US4275653A (en) Line printer system and method of operation with microprocessor control
GB1509213A (en) Printing methods and apparatus
US4248147A (en) Control system for dot matrix line printer using one print element per character
US3136243A (en) Printer
US3364852A (en) High-speed print drum with traveling print hammer
US3196404A (en) Printer buffer load and read control means
US2939388A (en) Electrically controlled multiple character printers