US3309987A - Imprinting apparatus - Google Patents

Imprinting apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
US3309987A
US3309987A US515619A US51561965A US3309987A US 3309987 A US3309987 A US 3309987A US 515619 A US515619 A US 515619A US 51561965 A US51561965 A US 51561965A US 3309987 A US3309987 A US 3309987A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
print
platen
wheel
character
plane
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
US515619A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Frederic C Pexton
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
Priority to US515619A priority Critical patent/US3309987A/en
Priority to GB51657/66A priority patent/GB1143446A/en
Priority to FR8202A priority patent/FR1505812A/fr
Priority to DE19661561237 priority patent/DE1561237C/de
Priority to BE691047D priority patent/BE691047A/xx
Priority to SE17266/66A priority patent/SE330274B/xx
Priority to NL6617924A priority patent/NL6617924A/xx
Priority to CH1838366A priority patent/CH442370A/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3309987A publication Critical patent/US3309987A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41K—STAMPS; STAMPING OR NUMBERING APPARATUS OR DEVICES
    • B41K3/00—Apparatus for stamping articles having integral means for supporting the articles to be stamped
    • B41K3/02—Apparatus for stamping articles having integral means for supporting the articles to be stamped with stamping surface located above article-supporting surface
    • B41K3/04—Apparatus for stamping articles having integral means for supporting the articles to be stamped with stamping surface located above article-supporting surface and movable at right angles to the surface to be stamped
    • B41K3/08—Apparatus for stamping articles having integral means for supporting the articles to be stamped with stamping surface located above article-supporting surface and movable at right angles to the surface to be stamped having adjustable type-carrying wheels
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J25/00—Actions or mechanisms not otherwise provided for
    • B41J25/32—Impression mechanisms in which a roller co-operates with stationary type-faces
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J7/00—Type-selecting or type-actuating mechanisms
    • B41J7/92—Impact adjustment; Means to give uniformity of impression
    • B41J7/94—Character-by-character adjustment
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J9/00—Hammer-impression mechanisms
    • B41J9/26—Means for operating hammers to effect impression
    • B41J9/28—Cams
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41K—STAMPS; STAMPING OR NUMBERING APPARATUS OR DEVICES
    • B41K3/00—Apparatus for stamping articles having integral means for supporting the articles to be stamped
    • B41K3/26—Apparatus for stamping articles having integral means for supporting the articles to be stamped with stamping surface located below article-supporting surface
    • B41K3/263—Apparatus for stamping articles having integral means for supporting the articles to be stamped with stamping surface located below article-supporting surface having a stamping surface with changeable characters

Definitions

  • This invention relates to imprinters and, more particularly, to imprinters wherein one or more print wheels are selectively indexable to place print characters into position to transfer an impression to a document in response to printing pressure applied by the print platen.
  • an impression is made on a document by squeezing the document between a movable platen and a set of raised characters fixed in a print plane.
  • the platen often a roller, besides supplying the printing force also supplies the ink, either from an impregnated ribbon contiguous with its surface or from an internally contained reservoir. This permits use of right-reading characters, such as may be carried by a charge plate, drivers license, printwheels, etc., as the impression source.
  • indexable print wheels When indexable print wheels are employed as the impression source, some means are necessary to insure that after each print wheel indexing operation the print surfaces of the selected characters lie precisely in the print plane. If this is not done, printing pressure is not distributed evenly over the character surface and the impression created is, at best, uneven and, at worst, illegible. Often when the surface is badly misaligned with the print plane only a dot or a dash representing the top or bottom edge of the character is printed.
  • a further object is to provide a print wheel of the type described in the previous object wherein the print characters are formed of substantially incompressible material.
  • Still a further object is to provide an imprinter wherein the need for accurate print wheel indexing means and/ or for separate print wheel alignment mechanism is eliminated.
  • Another object is to provide a low cost, self-aligning print wheel for an imprinter.
  • an imprinter is provided with one or more indexable print wheels having pivotable character-bearing print members mounted about their peripheries such that printing pressure from the platen causes misaligned characters to be rocked into the print plane to create full, even character impressions.
  • the print wheels may be manufactured as integral one-piece units.
  • FIG. 1 is a side elevation view, partially cut away, of a preferred embodiment of the invention wherein a rackgear print wheel indexing mechanism is employed.
  • FIG. 2 is a partially-sectioned front elevation view of the imprinter of FIG. 1 and shows further details of the indexing mechanism and, in schematic form, depicts details of an automatic roller platen drive mechanism.
  • FIG. 3 is a diagram depicting the type of undesirable print impressions which may result through use of an imprinter not employing the invention.
  • FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of a print wheel in accordance with the invention.
  • FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.
  • FIGS. 6a and 6b are schematic diagrams depicting two stages in the operation of the imprinter of the invention.
  • a pair of frame members 20 support a pair of stationary shafts 22 and 24, the latter being carried at its right-most end by a frame extension 26.
  • Rotatably mounted about shaft 22 and between the members 20 are four indexable print wheels 12, 14, 16 and 18. These wheels are integrally connected to spur gears 13, 15, 17 and 19, respectively.
  • Appropriate shim means may be placed on shaft 22 between the print wheels and frame members to maintain the print wheels in properly spaced positions.
  • PRINT WHEEL INDEXING MECHANISM Supported on shaft 24 and arranged to cooperate with the gears 13, 15, 17 and 19 are four indexing gears 31, 33, 35 and 37. These gears are rotated through a set concentric drive tubes 32, 34, 36 and 38 by drive gears 41, 43, 45 and 47, respectively. As shown, only the gears 31 and 41, which are interconnected by drive tube 32, bear directly on the supporting shaft 24. Gears 33 and 43, which are interconnected by drive tube 34, bear on the outer surface of tube 32 while gears 35 and 45, which are interconnected by drive tube 36, bear on the outer surface of tube 34 and the gears 37 and 47, which are interconnected by drive tube 38, bear on tube 36.
  • Drive gears 41, 43, 45 and 47 are rotated by racks 51, 53, 55 and 57, respectively, selected amounts to set desired print characters on the print wheels into printing position beneath a document 10.
  • racks 51, 53, 55 and 57 are actuated in the same manner.
  • a slotted pivot arm 64 pivoted to frame 20 by pin 66 coacts with pin 61 fixed to the right-most end of rack 51.
  • a tension spring 68 biases arm 64 to rotate in a clockwise direction.
  • the rack is slidably supported by suitable means (not shown).
  • each print wheel bears ten print characters representative of the numerals 0 through 9.
  • there are ten detents 60 one for each of the numerals 0 through 9.
  • the 0 detent In the reset condition the 0 detent is held in an upward position to contact lug 52 on rack 51, preventing rack movement.
  • the 0 character of the corresponding print Wheel 12 is set in print position.
  • the detents 60 are controlled in a conventional manner through mechanical linkages or electromagnets from a manually operable selection device such as a keyboard.
  • the selection device In selecting the numeral 4, for example, the selection device causes the 4 detent to be moved upwardly into the path of lug 52 While at the same time the 0 detent is withdrawn, allowing the bias of spring ED 68 to rotate arm 64 clockwise which in turn causes rack 51 to be driven to the left until lug 52 strikes the 4 detent.
  • This amount of rack movement rotates drive gear 41 clockwise which, through drive tube 32, causes gear 31 to rotate print wheel 12 a suflicient amount counterclockwise to bring the print character representing the numeral 4 into print position.
  • reset bail 71 is moved to the position indicated at 71', whereupon arm 64 is rotated counterclockwise against the bias of spring 68 to return rack 51 to its home position.
  • the detent 60 which has been returned to its upward position prior to the reset operation, is resiliently biased so that it moves downwardly as lug 52 passes over it and then snaps back to a detenting position after the lug has passed.
  • PRINT PLATEN Printing is effected on the top of document by pressure supplied by a platen roller 73.
  • This roller is automatically moved downwardly into an initial printing plane and then drawn to the left through a print stroke by the mechansm shown in FIG. 2.
  • a pair of guide rails 82 having lower guide surfaces 89 are adapted to slide on stationary inclined surfaces 84.
  • the platen roller is rotatably mounted on an axle 75 which is jou-rnaled in a pair of pivotable arms 77.
  • a pair of guide wheels 79 are also rotatably mounted on axle 75 and cooperate with the surfaces 89 to guide the roller 73 in the desired manner.
  • the arms 77 slotably engage a fixed pivot pin 81 and a tension spring 91 connected from pin 81 to a crossbrace member 94 between arms 77 biases the assembly upwardly to keep the wheels 79 in contact with the surface 89 and to maintain guide rails 82 in contact with the surfaces 84.
  • the guide rails 82 are held to the left against the bias of a compression spring 83 by a detent pin 114 which extends into the path of a crossbrace 83 connected between the rails 82.
  • the arms 77 are held to the right against the bias of a tension spring 97 by a pivotable latch 96 having a finger 93 which hooks behind crossbrace 94.
  • Latch 96 is maintained in the position shown by a tension spring 99 which urges the latch in a counterclockwise direction to hold it against a stationary pin 98.
  • a pushbutton 105 is manually depressed to close the circuit to relay coil 107. This rotates pivot member 110 clockwise against the 'bias of tension spring 112, withdrawing detent pin 114 from the path of crossbrace 83. Compression spring 88 then pushes guide rails 82 to the right and downward, the
  • the reaction force created urges the platen slightly upwardly into the print plane established by the wheel.
  • This causes the rails 82 to shift slightly up and away from screw 101 against the force of spring 38.
  • Spring 88 acting through the rails 82 thus supplies substantially equal printing pressure to each print wheel, slight variations in the level of the print plane at each wheel being taken up by alterations in the lateral position of the rails 82.
  • the printing pressure causes ink contained internally within the roller 73, which may be constructed of, for example, porous sintered nylon, to be applied to the top surface of document 10, creating an impression thereon of the selected character.
  • the print wheel itself is preferably a one piece unit integrally manufactured through a molding or machining operation.
  • the wheel comprises three basic portions: a hub member 124, a plurality of flexible support members 126 extending radially outwardly from the hub and a print member 128 mounted on each support member 126.
  • Each print member carries on its outer surface a raised character representation such as that of a numeral, as shown.
  • a side- Wardly extending collar may be provided on the hub 124 to enable attachment of spur gear 19 by means of a pair of rivets 122 or other suitable fastening means.
  • the essence of the present invention stems from the ability of each of the print members 128 to pivot or tilt on their respective support members 126 in response to printing pressure from the print platen, thus avoiding the type of adverse print results depicted in FIG. 3.
  • the amount of force required to accomplish this pivoting action is dependent upon the thickness of the members 126 and upon the material of which those members are constructed.
  • the type of material is important from another standpoint in that the pivoting action of the print members must not be accompanied by any material amount of radial compression of the support members since such compression would permit the print member to move radially inwardly in response to printing pressure, thus reducing the reaction force generated at the printing surface and materially degrading the quality of the printed impression.
  • the raised character representations 129 carried on the print members must also be substantially incompressible.
  • Exemplary of suitable dimensions for the print wheel are an overall diameter of substantially 1.3 inches, in width of substantially .25 inch, a support member width (dimension A) of .032 inch and a support member height (dimension B) of .125 inch. It is to be understood that these various dimensions and materials are exemplary only and might well be altered for various printing applications without departing from the scope of the in. vention.
  • a rotatable print wheel having a plurality of characterbearing print members pivotally mounted about its periphery, each of said members being constrained so as to pivot in an are which is radially fixed with respect to the center of rotation of said wheel, said Wheel being selectively indexable to place the surface of a character into substantialy alignment with said print plane on the opposite side of said document from said platen, said print members being resiliently biased to an initial position whereby said platen, in applying said printing pressure, urges the surface of said substantially aligned character to pivot into exact alignment with said plane.
  • said driving means comprises means for moving the axis of said roller along a predetermined path to maintain the surface of said roller tangential to said 5 print plane.
  • said driving means is constructed and arranged to move sa1d roller in a direction which is parallel to said axis of rotation of said print wheel.
  • a print wheel comprising: a rotatable hub
  • each said support member comprises a flexible, substantially incompressible column radially extending from said hub.
  • each said column supports one print member and is joined to said print member at substantially the midpoint of the latter.
  • each said raised character representation is formed of a substantially incompressible material.
  • said material is an acetal resin having a tensile modulus within a range from 200,000 p.s.i. to 500,000 p.s.i.
  • said hub, said print members, said support columns and said raised character representations are integrally formed from one piece of the same masaid material is a polycarbonate resin having a tensile modulus within a range from 200,000 p.s.i. to

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  • Rotary Presses (AREA)
  • Handling Of Sheets (AREA)
  • Delivering By Means Of Belts And Rollers (AREA)
US515619A 1965-12-22 1965-12-22 Imprinting apparatus Expired - Lifetime US3309987A (en)

Priority Applications (8)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US515619A US3309987A (en) 1965-12-22 1965-12-22 Imprinting apparatus
GB51657/66A GB1143446A (en) 1965-12-22 1966-11-18 Print wheel
FR8202A FR1505812A (fr) 1965-12-22 1966-12-08 Dispositif d'impression
DE19661561237 DE1561237C (de) 1965-12-22 1966-12-10 Druckvorrichtung
BE691047D BE691047A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1965-12-22 1966-12-12
SE17266/66A SE330274B (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1965-12-22 1966-12-16
NL6617924A NL6617924A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1965-12-22 1966-12-21
CH1838366A CH442370A (de) 1965-12-22 1966-12-22 Druckvorrichtung

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US515619A US3309987A (en) 1965-12-22 1965-12-22 Imprinting apparatus

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3309987A true US3309987A (en) 1967-03-21

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US515619A Expired - Lifetime US3309987A (en) 1965-12-22 1965-12-22 Imprinting apparatus

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US (1) US3309987A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
BE (1) BE691047A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
CH (1) CH442370A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
FR (1) FR1505812A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
GB (1) GB1143446A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
NL (1) NL6617924A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
SE (1) SE330274B (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3650209A (en) * 1969-11-17 1972-03-21 Cubic Corp Traveling cylinder imprinter with over center platen cylinder activating mechanism
US3858506A (en) * 1973-03-30 1975-01-07 Ncr Co Color bar printer
US3893393A (en) * 1974-03-01 1975-07-08 Addressograph Multigraph Platen alignment control
US4096800A (en) * 1974-08-17 1978-06-27 Meto International Gmbh Detent device for a key shaft of a printing mechanism
US4187772A (en) * 1978-03-28 1980-02-12 Hollenbeck Paul R Hand operated flexible stamp carrier
DE2932424A1 (de) * 1979-08-07 1981-02-26 Postalia Gmbh Einstellvorrichtung fuer gebuehrenwerte in frankier- und wertstempelmaschinen
WO1985001015A1 (en) * 1983-08-31 1985-03-14 Ncr Corporation Character selection for a printer
US5049574A (en) * 1989-02-20 1991-09-17 Rhone-Poulenc Sante 5-trifluormethoxy-2-benzimidazolamine compounds
US20070039497A1 (en) * 2005-08-19 2007-02-22 Hewlett-Packard Development Company Lp Printer

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2357373A1 (fr) * 1976-04-26 1978-02-03 Sato Kenkyusho Dispositif de reglage d'angle pour les faces de caracteres d'une tete d'impression
CN102059864B (zh) * 2009-11-17 2012-12-19 李德利 自动盖章机

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1104564A (en) * 1914-02-07 1914-07-21 Curtiss Eugene Snyder Hand-stamp.
US2236663A (en) * 1936-02-18 1941-04-01 Western Electric Co Type wheel teletypewriter
US2305763A (en) * 1939-03-23 1942-12-22 Dietrich Karl Typewriting device
US2887043A (en) * 1956-12-26 1959-05-19 Gen Electric Condition recording apparatus
US3055297A (en) * 1957-01-14 1962-09-25 Johnson & Son Inc S C Microporous synthetic resin material
US3138091A (en) * 1964-06-23 Printing machines
US3141403A (en) * 1963-05-27 1964-07-21 Ibm Selective printing apparatus
US3230880A (en) * 1962-09-20 1966-01-25 Millard B Beaver Type having flexible base of varying thickness to form hinge means

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3138091A (en) * 1964-06-23 Printing machines
US1104564A (en) * 1914-02-07 1914-07-21 Curtiss Eugene Snyder Hand-stamp.
US2236663A (en) * 1936-02-18 1941-04-01 Western Electric Co Type wheel teletypewriter
US2305763A (en) * 1939-03-23 1942-12-22 Dietrich Karl Typewriting device
US2887043A (en) * 1956-12-26 1959-05-19 Gen Electric Condition recording apparatus
US3055297A (en) * 1957-01-14 1962-09-25 Johnson & Son Inc S C Microporous synthetic resin material
US3230880A (en) * 1962-09-20 1966-01-25 Millard B Beaver Type having flexible base of varying thickness to form hinge means
US3141403A (en) * 1963-05-27 1964-07-21 Ibm Selective printing apparatus

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3650209A (en) * 1969-11-17 1972-03-21 Cubic Corp Traveling cylinder imprinter with over center platen cylinder activating mechanism
US3858506A (en) * 1973-03-30 1975-01-07 Ncr Co Color bar printer
US3893393A (en) * 1974-03-01 1975-07-08 Addressograph Multigraph Platen alignment control
US4096800A (en) * 1974-08-17 1978-06-27 Meto International Gmbh Detent device for a key shaft of a printing mechanism
US4187772A (en) * 1978-03-28 1980-02-12 Hollenbeck Paul R Hand operated flexible stamp carrier
DE2932424A1 (de) * 1979-08-07 1981-02-26 Postalia Gmbh Einstellvorrichtung fuer gebuehrenwerte in frankier- und wertstempelmaschinen
US4335651A (en) * 1979-08-07 1982-06-22 Postalia Gmbh Setting device for denominations in franking and value stamping machines
WO1985001015A1 (en) * 1983-08-31 1985-03-14 Ncr Corporation Character selection for a printer
US4542998A (en) * 1983-08-31 1985-09-24 Ncr Corporation Character set printing means utilizing rolling pressure contact for printing
US5049574A (en) * 1989-02-20 1991-09-17 Rhone-Poulenc Sante 5-trifluormethoxy-2-benzimidazolamine compounds
US20070039497A1 (en) * 2005-08-19 2007-02-22 Hewlett-Packard Development Company Lp Printer

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CH442370A (de) 1967-08-31
GB1143446A (en) 1969-02-19
NL6617924A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1967-06-23
BE691047A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1967-05-16
DE1561237B2 (de) 1972-06-29
SE330274B (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1970-11-09
DE1561237A1 (de) 1970-09-24
FR1505812A (fr) 1967-12-15

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