US3679036A - Key board printer - Google Patents

Key board printer Download PDF

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Publication number
US3679036A
US3679036A US63527A US3679036DA US3679036A US 3679036 A US3679036 A US 3679036A US 63527 A US63527 A US 63527A US 3679036D A US3679036D A US 3679036DA US 3679036 A US3679036 A US 3679036A
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United States
Prior art keywords
key
output
gate
character
pulse
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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
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US63527A
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English (en)
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Paul F Gloess
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Individual
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Individual
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
    • H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
    • H03K17/00—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
    • H03K17/94—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the way in which the control signals are generated
    • H03K17/965—Switches controlled by moving an element forming part of the switch
    • H03K17/975—Switches controlled by moving an element forming part of the switch using a capacitive movable element
    • H03K17/98—Switches controlled by moving an element forming part of the switch using a capacitive movable element having a plurality of control members, e.g. keyboard
    • 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
    • B41J1/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the mounting, arrangement or disposition of the types or dies
    • B41J1/22—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the mounting, arrangement or disposition of the types or dies with types or dies mounted on carriers rotatable for selection
    • B41J1/32—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the mounting, arrangement or disposition of the types or dies with types or dies mounted on carriers rotatable for selection the plane of the type or die face being parallel to the axis of rotation, e.g. with type on the periphery of cylindrical carriers
    • B41J1/34—Carriers rotating during impression
    • 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
    • G06F3/09—Digital output to typewriters

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A keyboard printer for use as a peripheral element of a computer in which the codes of the characters are key pulses exhibiting with respect to a start pulse variable discrete phaseshifts.
  • This printer comprises means for continuously rotating a first wheel with one magnetic tooth defining a start pulse in each rotating cycle, a second wheel with a plurality of magnetic teeth defining a plurality of character pulses in each rotating cycle and a rotative arm carrying a mobile electrode.
  • a key pulse distributor comprises a common electrode and individual character electrodes. The keys are formed by two adjacent key electrodes which exhibit a small capacitance when not touched and a large capacitance when touched by the operator's finger tips.
  • the key pulse distributor produces key pulses during several cycles since the time during which the operators finger tip is on the key is longer than the rotation cycle duration of the printer. Means are provided for gating only one key pulse out of a series of identical key pulses.
  • This invention relates to an office typewriter the movements of which are controlled electrically by a keyboard having nonmovable keys of the capacitative type.
  • This typewriter is derived from a computer printing machine having a keyboard with capacitative keys, as described in copending US. Patent application Ser. No. 818626 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,494 Filed Apr. 23, 1969 in the name of the present Applicant.
  • This printing machine comprises two main units:
  • a mechanical unit which receives a continuous rotation from an electric motor, whose shaft bears a type wheel, two phonic wheels and the arm of a signal distributor; and a printed circuit unit providing two essential components: a signal distributor and the keyboard comprising the nonmovable keys of the printing machine.
  • the type wheel consists of a ring of flexible strips rigidly connected to the same base and the end of each strip bears a character formed by stamping.
  • a character is printed on a sheet of paper by striking the corresponding strip with an electromagnetically controlled hammer.
  • the first and second phonic wheels provided with teeth of magnetic material energize windings on magnetic cores by induction, thus producing pulses of a suitable frequency which are fed to the computer.
  • the printing of a character is controlled by a signal which leaves the computer at a time having a given delay with respect to a reference pulse, by a counting program, from the numerical equivalent of the character, program synchronization being obtained by the signals produced by the phonic wheels.
  • the keys of the keyboard have two electrodes which between them have a capacity which is modified by the contact of a finger on the key.
  • the signal distributor connected to the keyboard forms with the latter a two-sided printed circuit on a flexible and malleable plastic support and is a cylindrical member associated with the mechanical continuously rotating unit by an arm whose metal end produces capacitative effects when it passes over the metal zones printed on the inner wall of the distributor and associated with the keys and forming radial electrodes.
  • This movement feeds electrical signals to the keys.
  • the distributor comprises an annular input electrode receiving the signals from one of the phonic wheels and as many radial electrodes as there arekeys in the printing machine keyboard so that for each revolution of the distributor arm each key receives a pulse corresponding to the angular position of the radial electrode in question by coupling of the annular electrode successively to the radial electrodes by means of said arm.
  • a compensating system is provided so that in the absence of any finger contact on a key no signal is present on the keyboard collector electrode, but finger contact on the key results in a key pulse on the keyboard collector electrode; it is repeated on this electrode on each distributor revolution as long as there is finger action on the key and is also communicated to the computer.
  • the main object of the invention is to allow the prior art printing machine to operate as a typewriter or locally print the text that it is transmittinG with it is used as a transmission printing machine.
  • the prior art printing machine converts each character into a pulse which is coded with a time position which varies in the cycle, the delay between said pulse and a cycle start pulse forming the code characteristic. Since the machine cycle is very short, e.g. one-twentieth of a second, and since the application of the operator's finger to a key lasts for several cycles, only the key pulse occurring during a single cycle must be retained as the printing or striking signal or as the machine function control signal.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view in simplified form and partially in the form of a block diagram, showing one embodiment of the typewriter according to the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a detailed diagram of the logic circuit controlling the striking of the characters of the typewriter according to the invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a detailed diagram of the logic circuit controlling the striking of the characters and the performance of the functions and FIG. 4 shows the position of the function pulses in relation to the type pulses in the cycle.
  • reference 1 denotes an electric motor which continuously rotates a type wheel 10, a phonic wheel 20 having a single tooth of magnetic material, a phonic wheel 30, the periphery of which has as many teeth of magnetic material as there are machine keys (characters and functions), and the rotor arm 41 of a distributor 40.
  • the motor 1 rotates, for example, at 20 revolutions per second.
  • the phonic wheel 20 produces 1 pulse per revolution in the winding 22 on the magnetic core 23.
  • the revolution pulses have a frequency of 20 Hz.
  • the phonic wheel 30 produces a certain number of character (or function) pulses which are distributed equally in time during 1 cycle of revolution in the winding 32 on the magnetic core 33. Assuming that there are 50 teeth on the phonic wheel 30, the frequency of the type or function pulses is 1,000 I-Iz.
  • Reference 2 denotes a typewriter platen bearing a sheet of paper 3 and adapted to move longitudinally by a conventionally platen advance mechanism (not shown).
  • Reference 50 denotes the flexible printed circuit keyboard which is rigidly connected to the distributor 40 by the connecting strip 4.
  • the distributor 40 is a cylinder comprising an annular electrode 42 and a plurality of radial electrodes 43, to 43
  • the annular electrode 42 is connected to the winding 32.
  • Each of the radial electrodes 43, to 43 is connected to a character or function key 51, to 51
  • the arm 41 bears a metal terminal plate 410 which establishes a selective capacitative coupling between the annular electrode and one of the radial electrodes depending upon its position during the cycle.
  • the keys are made in two metallized zones separated by an insulating gap, the machine operator placing the end of his or her finger on said keys. Key pulses are obtained at the output of the amplifier 60, each key pulse coinciding with the type pulse associated with the character marked on the key.
  • the logic circuit shown in FIG. 2 has three inputs, 100,, to which the start pulses are applied, 100 to which the key pulses are applied, and 100,,, to which the type pulses are applied.
  • the circuit 100 comprises three flipflops (bistable) 101, 102, 103 of conventional type, three AND gates 104, 105, 106, three delay lines 107, 108, 109, and an amplifier 110.
  • the system 100 operates as follows:
  • the flipflop 101 passes from the zero state to the 1 state with a certain delay time T due to the presence of the delay line 107.
  • the AND gate 104 directly receives the start pulse at one of its inputs and, at its second input, a voltage applied with a delay T by the bistable 101 when it passes from the zero state to the 1 state, and therefore remains closed. Since, however, the flipflop 101 remains in the 1 state, the AND gate 104 opens on the second revolution pulse.
  • the signal from the AND gate 104 brings the flipflop 102 into the 1 state and the flipflop 102 applies a voltage to the first input of the gate 105, this voltage being maintained.
  • the voltage from the flipflop 103 as a result of its changeover from the zero state to the 1 state is applied with a certain delay T due to the presence of the delay line 109, to the first input of the AND gate 106 which thus opens for a character pulse as soon as it appears at the terminal 100 As it leaves the AND gate 106, the said pulse actuates the strike electromagnet 11 as a result of the energy delivered by the amplifier 110 and returns the flipflop 103 to zero, thus closing the AND gate 106.
  • the electromagnet 11 could be controlled cirectly with a signal from the and gate 105 without the intervention of the character pulse, but there would then be the occasional risk of producing strike pulses which are cut as regards duration, in the event of any appreciable modification of the correct action of the finger during the period of the key pulse.
  • the delays T T T ofthe delay lines 107, 108, 109 may be of the order of some microseconds. More precisely, they should be greater than the duration of the character and start pulses and less than the interval of time between the revolution pulse and an adjacent type pulse. Since the start pulse occurs in the middle of the gap between two character pulses, the delays must be less than a half-cycle.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates a logic circuit 100 which is used to codify not only the characters but also the machine functions such as carriage return, line feed, spacing, letter-figure changeover, figure-letter changeover and so on.
  • This logic circuit 100' comprises the same flipflops 101, 102, 103, the same gates 104, 105, 106, the same delay lines 107, 108, 109 and the same amplifier 110 as the circuit 100. It also comprises two additional flipflops 111, 112, two delay lines 113, 115, three AND gates 114, 116, 117 and an amplifier 118.
  • the functions are defined by a pulse having a delay characteristic of the function with respect to the cycle start pulse.
  • the function pulses must have a specific location in the cycle.
  • Line 1 in FIG. 4 illustrates the start pulse 1 and line 2 illustrates the carriage return pulse a which is situated just before the pulse t and the spacing pulse b which occurs just after the pulse 2.
  • the character pulses following the key pulses are the operative pulses, and the carriage return and spacing pulses have the locations a and b on line 3 in FIG. 4.
  • the flipflops 111 and 112 are brought into the 1 state by the start pulse 1 (lines 4 and 5 in FIG. 4).
  • the flipflop 111 is returned to rest by the type pulse a (which is the carriage return function pulse) immediately following the revolution pulse 1 (by a half-cycle) and delayed in the delay line 113.
  • the flipflop 112 is returned to rest by the second type pulse b which is the spacing function pulse) following the revolution pulse t by a 1% cycle and delayed in 114.
  • the flipflop 111 opens the gate 117 and the flipflop 112 closes the gate 116. It will be seen that 116 is closed during the two time slots which follow the pulse t and which serve for the transmission of the carriage return function signal.
  • the group of circuits 111-115 operates as a time slot distributor similar to those in multiplex systems and if there are more than two function signals the distributor would have to distribute as many time slots as there are functions (except for the spacing function which is specific).
  • a keyboard printer for use as a peripheral element of a computer comprising a character wheel, means for continuously rotating said character wheel and for selectively printing the characters without stopping of the wheel, means for distributing onto a plurality of start and character terminals a start pulse and character pulses, each character being defined by the delay between the start pulse and the character pulse, a plurality of touch-operated character keys each including first and second electrodes, connections between the first of said electrodes and said character terminals, an annular electrode, a rotating electrode sequentially and capacitively coupling said annular electrode to each one of a plurality of character electrodes each constituting one of said character terminals, connections between the second of said electrodes and an output terminal, said key electrodes exhibiting with each other a large capacitance when operators finger tip is on the key and a small capacitance when operators finger tip if off the key, whereby cyclical key pulses are produced at said key pulse terminal as long as operators finger tip is on the corresponding key, means for applying said key pulses to said selective printing means and inhibit

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Input From Keyboards Or The Like (AREA)
  • Character Spaces And Line Spaces In Printers (AREA)
US63527A 1969-08-14 1970-08-13 Key board printer Expired - Lifetime US3679036A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR6927998A FR2055986A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1969-08-14 1969-08-14

Publications (1)

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US3679036A true US3679036A (en) 1972-07-25

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US63527A Expired - Lifetime US3679036A (en) 1969-08-14 1970-08-13 Key board printer

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US (1) US3679036A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS5125106B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2055986A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1263883A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3866215A (en) * 1973-04-09 1975-02-11 Karel Havel Electronic keyboard for typewriter

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2782308A (en) * 1953-05-13 1957-02-19 Sylvania Electric Prod Capacity operated control system
US2805620A (en) * 1951-12-15 1957-09-10 Rosen Leo Control means for high speed printing apparatus
US3142247A (en) * 1962-03-08 1964-07-28 Anelex Corp Control system for high speed printers
US3232404A (en) * 1964-08-11 1966-02-01 Navigation Computer Corp Keyboard operated printer with electrical means preventing operation of plural keys
US3289805A (en) * 1964-11-27 1966-12-06 Scm Corp Typewriter having typelevers mounted on a rotating member
US3289806A (en) * 1964-02-29 1966-12-06 Manus George Control system for electric typewriters including current limiting means
US3332068A (en) * 1963-08-23 1967-07-18 Ibm System for transferring data to a number of terminals
US3454147A (en) * 1966-06-23 1969-07-08 Walther Bueromasch Gmbh Key locking circuit for a keyboard operated machine
US3589494A (en) * 1968-04-23 1971-06-29 Paul F Gloess Keyboard printer with continuously rotating type member

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2805620A (en) * 1951-12-15 1957-09-10 Rosen Leo Control means for high speed printing apparatus
US2782308A (en) * 1953-05-13 1957-02-19 Sylvania Electric Prod Capacity operated control system
US3142247A (en) * 1962-03-08 1964-07-28 Anelex Corp Control system for high speed printers
US3332068A (en) * 1963-08-23 1967-07-18 Ibm System for transferring data to a number of terminals
US3289806A (en) * 1964-02-29 1966-12-06 Manus George Control system for electric typewriters including current limiting means
US3232404A (en) * 1964-08-11 1966-02-01 Navigation Computer Corp Keyboard operated printer with electrical means preventing operation of plural keys
US3289805A (en) * 1964-11-27 1966-12-06 Scm Corp Typewriter having typelevers mounted on a rotating member
US3454147A (en) * 1966-06-23 1969-07-08 Walther Bueromasch Gmbh Key locking circuit for a keyboard operated machine
US3589494A (en) * 1968-04-23 1971-06-29 Paul F Gloess Keyboard printer with continuously rotating type member

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3866215A (en) * 1973-04-09 1975-02-11 Karel Havel Electronic keyboard for typewriter

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2055986A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-05-14
DE2040457A1 (de) 1971-03-04
GB1263883A (en) 1972-02-16
DE2040457B2 (de) 1975-07-24
JPS5125106B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1976-07-28

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