US3741109A - Type carrier assembly - Google Patents

Type carrier assembly Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3741109A
US3741109A US00102731A US3741109DA US3741109A US 3741109 A US3741109 A US 3741109A US 00102731 A US00102731 A US 00102731A US 3741109D A US3741109D A US 3741109DA US 3741109 A US3741109 A US 3741109A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
slugs
slug
gear
type
path
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
US00102731A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
W Benson
J Andrews
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.)
DECISION DATA Inc A CORP OF
BankBoston NA
Mohawk Systems Corp
Original Assignee
Mohawk Data Sciences 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 Mohawk Data Sciences Corp filed Critical Mohawk Data Sciences Corp
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3741109A publication Critical patent/US3741109A/en
Assigned to MOMENTUM SYSTEMS CORPORATION reassignment MOMENTUM SYSTEMS CORPORATION CHANGE OF NAME (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: MOHAWK SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Assigned to MOHAWK SYSTEMS CORPORATION, A DE CORP reassignment MOHAWK SYSTEMS CORPORATION, A DE CORP ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: MOHAWK DATA SCIENCES CORP., A NY CORP
Assigned to FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF BOSTON, THE, 100 FEDERAL STREET, BOSTON, MA 02110, A NATIONAL BANKING ASSOCIATION reassignment FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF BOSTON, THE, 100 FEDERAL STREET, BOSTON, MA 02110, A NATIONAL BANKING ASSOCIATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: MONMENTUM SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Assigned to DECISION DATA INC., A CORP. OF DE reassignment DECISION DATA INC., A CORP. OF DE CHANGE OF NAME (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: MOMENTUM SYSTEMS CORPORATION, A CORP. OF DE
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • 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
    • B41J1/20—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the mounting, arrangement or disposition of the types or dies with types or dies mounted on endless bands or the like

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT An assembly for moving a train of print slugs having type characters thereon in a continuous path and along the print line of a high speed, on-the-fly, impact printer.
  • Each print slug has a single tooth and the slugs are driven by a gear whose teeth mesh with the teeth of the slugs.
  • the slugs are guided along their path in a track which slidably engages top and bottom portions of the slugs.
  • each slug is located between its top and bottom portions and the gear engages the slugs teeth at locations equidistant from where the track engages the slugs so that a vertical overturning moment is not imparted to the slugs by the gear.
  • the type characters are centrally located between the slugs top and bottom portions so that impact of the printers hammers at the print line does not produce vertical overturning moments on the slugs.
  • the slugs abut as they travel around the gear and remain in abuttment throughout their entire path so that adjacent slugs always move at the same velocity and a stable train is provided.
  • a chain printer utilizes a constantly moving endless chain which has the type characters thereon and is moved past the hammers in a direction parallel to the line being printed.
  • the chain type carrier assembly is generally made up of a plurality of print slugs secured to an endless flexible belt which moves in a continuous path, part of which is along the print line adjacent the hammers where printing occurs.
  • the chain moves around spaced-apart driving and idler gears which engage the belt and are located at opposite ends of the print line.
  • the chain form of type carrier assembly has its own disadvantages.
  • the inherent flexibility of the belt contributes to errors in slug spacing and thus obviously impairs the precision with which the hammers strike the slugs at the print line.
  • the belt may be unable to withstand the loads applied to it when the chain is rapidly moved for printing at very high speeds.
  • Train printers are substantially identical to the chain variety except that a belt is not used and the slugs are driven by and engage the gears directly.
  • the slugs travel in an abutting relationship along the print line and in an endless path. Since the train moves in the same path as the chain, it has the chains advantages.
  • the slugs are pushed along their path at the print line and thus must remain in contact with each other. Errors in slug spacing at the print line are thereby avoided.
  • the slugs do not abut when they are engaged by the gears because of the particular arrangement between the gears teeth and the teeth of the slugs. Since the slugs must abut as they travel between gears, they necessarily must accelerate and decelerate as they leave and enter the gears. Thus, adjacent slugs leaving and entering the gears move at different velocities and do not abut; the train assembly is unstable to this extent.
  • the primary object of this invention to provide a type carrier assembly having a stable train of print slugs which is easy to manufacture and maintain and wherein the print slugs precisely and smoothly move along their path.
  • a type carrier assembly having a train of print slugs, each of which contains a single tooth.
  • a gear having teeth adapted to mesh with the teeth of the slugs is provided to drive the slugs and a track is provided to guide the slugs along their endless path.
  • the track slidably engages top and bottom portions of the slugs while the tooth of each slug is located between its top and bottom portions.
  • the track engages the slugs at locations equidistant from where the gear engages and drives the slugs so that the slugs are not subject to a vertical over-turning moment applied by the gear.
  • the teeth of the gear and the teeth of the slugs are arranged such that adjacent slugs abut when being driven around the gear so that the slugs abut and travel at the same velocity throughout their entire path, including those locations where they enter and leave the gear.
  • the type characters are centrally located between the top and bottom portions of the slugs so that a vertical overturning moment is not applied to the slugs by print hammer impact.
  • the assembly preferably is embodied in a selfcontained unit where the driving gear is mounted at one end of an elongated center member.
  • An idler gear is mounted at the center members opposite end and the train of slugs move around the two gears and along the sides of the center member guided within the track.
  • ramps are provided to help guide the slugs should they deviate from their proper path.
  • only the driving gear is employed and the opposite end of the center member'is convex with the slugs being guided around it by the track.
  • FIG. 1 is an elevation view, partly in section, of a preferred embodiment of type carrier assembly according to the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a partial top view of the type carrier assembly shown in FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 1 shows a type carrier assembly having a train of abutting side-by-side print slugs 2 with type characters 4 thereon. Each individual print slug has two type characters arranged beside each other. The train of print slugs is driven in an endless path along the side of the assembly shown in FIG. 2 and around the assemblys curved ends, 6 and 8, which house driving and idler gears. 7
  • the train of print slugs is driven so as to continually present one or more fonts of the type characters to a bank of selectively operated hammers l0 (schematically illustrated) which are arranged along a printers print line (the line along which characters are printed).
  • the printer is of the on-the-tly, impact variety so that when printing a line, the proper hammers are operated to selectively impact an inked ribbon l2 and the document 14 being printed upon against selected type characters 4 on the print slugs 2 (FIG. 1) as the slugs move along the print line.
  • the driving gear housed in the assemblys end 6 is itself driven via a gear 16 driven by pinion 18 mounted on a rotating shaft 20.
  • the driving gear When the driving gear is rotated, it engages the train and pushes the abutting print slugs around the end 6 of the assembly housing the driving gear, along the print line at the straight front side of the assembly, around the idler end 8 of the assembly shown in FIG. 1 and, thereafter, along the straight backside of the assembly shown in FIG. 1.
  • the top view of the driving end 6 is similar to the idler end 8 shown in FIG. 1.
  • the type carrier assembly is a self-contained unit and mounted on the printer by a plurality of appropriately located screws 24, only one of which is illustrated.
  • FIG. 3 is a section through the straight portion of the type carrier assembly shown in FIG. 2.
  • the assembly includes an elongated top plate 26 and an elongated bottom plate 28. Front and back elongated side members 42 and 40 are located between these two plates, disposed toward the front and back, respectively, of the assembly. These four elements (26, 28, 42, 40) are held together by appropriately placed cap screws 44 located in recesses 45, some of which are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.
  • Upper and lower rails are mounted at the sides of plates 26 and 28.
  • the front side of the type carrier assembly has upper and lower rails 30 and 32 mounted thereon adjacent but spaced from the side member 42.
  • upper and lower rails 34 and 36 are mounted to the sides of the top and bottom plates.
  • the rails and top and bottom plates are joined by cap screws 38 located in recesses 39 as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.
  • an elongated opening is formed by these members at each side of the type carrier assembly.
  • the opening is formed between a pair of upper and lower rails, between the top and bottom plates and one of the side members, 40 or 42.
  • the opening is T- shaped in cross-section and extends along both the front and back sides of the assembly.
  • the inside surfaces of the opening are parallel and flat and the elongated opening at the front side of the type carrier assembly extends parallel to and along the print line.
  • the print slugs 2 are approximately T-shaped and closely fit in the elongated T- shaped openings provided at the front and back sides of the type carrier assembly.
  • the rails, plates and side members thus form part of a track to accurately guide the train of slugs around the assembly.
  • the type characters 4 on the print slugs 2 are exposed so that they may be impacted by the hammers 10 at the print line.
  • FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the type carrier assembly at its end which houses the driving gear.
  • the idler end is shown at the left part of FIG. 1 and is substantially identical.
  • Each end of the assembly contains upper and lower end plates, 52 and 54.
  • Each end plate has a lip (52a and 54a) which functions similar to a rail (30, 32, 34 and 36) at the sides of the type carrier assembly.
  • Both the idler and driving ends are semicircular. Their lips follow a semi-circular path and meet with the rails at the straight sides of the assembly. In effeet, the lips are merely curved extensions of the rails and connect the rails on opposite sides of the assembly with each other.
  • the upper and lower end plates (52, 54) are merely extensions of the top and bottom plates (26, 28) at the straight portion of the assembly.
  • these members at the ends of the assembly (52, 54, 52a, 54a) form additional parts of a track to guide the slugs at the assemblys ends and a complete track is provided to guide the slugs in a continuous path along both sides and around both ends of the assembly.
  • the upper and lower end plates 52, 54 are connected to the side members 42, 40 by fasteners 60 located in recesses 61.
  • Each gear is rotatably mounted to one of the upper end plates 52 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.
  • a circular hole through which fasteners 58 project is provided in the upper end plate 52 at each end of the type carrier assembly.
  • the fasteners clamp the upper end plates 52 between top caps 56 and flanges 57 having holes into which the fasteners thread.
  • the flanges are connected to stationary shafts 50 on which the idler gear 46 (FIG. 1) and driving gear 47 (FIG. 4) are rotatably mounted by bearings 48. In this manner, the gears are mounted in and made part of the assembly.
  • FIGS. 1 the idler gear 46
  • driving gear 47 FIG. 4
  • the driving gear has an extension 22 which is connected to gear 16 for rotation.
  • the idler gear 46, shown in FIG. 1 is substantially identical to the driving gear shown in FIG. 4 but is freely rotatable.
  • the driving gear engages the print slugs to push them around the assembly and across the print line.
  • the idler gear arrangement serves to help guide the print slugs around the end 8 of the assembly at which it is located.
  • FIG. 6A is a side view of the slug which for ease of description is divided into three portions by lines A--A and 88. Those portions above line A-A and below line B-B may be termed top and bottom portions, re-
  • the front surface of the slug contains the type characters 4 thereon. More exactly, the type characters are located on the front surface 63a of the slugs middle portion.
  • the top and bottom portions are ears projecting from the back of the slugs middle portion.
  • the back surfaces of the top and bottom portions, 60b and 62b lie in a common plane and a central recess 63b in the back surface of the middle portion of the slug is located between them. As shown in FIG. 3, back surfaces (60b and 62b) of the top and bottom portions ride along members 40 and 42 when the slugs move along the straight sides of the assembly.
  • the front surface of the top and bottom portions of the slugs ride along the inside surfaces of the rails (30, 32, 34, 36) as shown in FIG. 3.
  • the slugs are effectively guided along the track at the straight sides of the assembly by their top a and bottom portions.
  • the rails maintain surfaces 60b and 62b adjacent the side members 40, 42.
  • each slug has a single tooth 2a within its recess which meshes with the teeth of the gears.
  • the tooth is slightly spaced inwardly with respect to the back surfaces (60b, 62b) of the top and bottom portions so that the tooth does not contact the side members, 40 and 42, when moving around the assembly.
  • the slugs are guided at the ends of the assembly while engaged by the gears in a manner similar to the manner in which they are guided along the straight sides of the assembly.
  • the front surfaces (60a and 62a) of the slugs top and bottom portions slide along the lips, 52a and 54a, of the upper and lower end plates.
  • the tooth 2a and the recess 63b is centrally located in each slug and placed equidistant from where the top and bottom portions front surfaces, 60a and 62a, slide along the lips.
  • FIG. 5 is a top sectional view of the driving gear 47 and the .train of slugs as they are engaged by the gear.
  • the gears rotate counterclockwise to move the train.
  • the tooth 2a on each slug is disposed toward its side which trails as the train moves around the assembly.
  • the gear 47 has teeth 49 which project into the recesses 63b (FIG. 6A) in the slugs and between the teeth of adjacent slugs in the train.
  • the teeth 49 of the gears do not tightly mesh with the teeth 2a of the slugs. Since the gear teeth push on the trailing side of each slug tooth a gap 72 appears between the leading side of each slug tooth and the trailing side of a gear tooth.
  • One of the features of the type carrier assembly is to provide slugs which are easily manufactured and, thus, inexpensive. With the tooth of each slug disposed toward its side that trails in the train, the trailing side of the slugs tooth is easily accessed and may be manufactured to close tolerances. Because it is against this side of the tooth that the gear pushes, the formation of this side of the tooth is most critical. The other side of each slugs tooth 2a is not as easily accessed but manufacturing tolerances are not as critical here since a gap 72 will necessarily occur adjacent this side of the tooth 2a. The slugs may be easily manufactured by being initially cast with the trailing sides of their teeth machines to close tolerances thereafter.
  • adjacent slugs in the train abut as they travel around the ends of the assembly and are engaged by the gears.
  • the teeth of the gears and teeth of the slugs are adapted to mesh with each other in a manner to achieve this.
  • the abutting surfaces of the slugs are located on lines CC and DD shown in FIG. 6. Since these surfaces are located on the innermost portion of each slug as it moves around the gears, they must taper inwardly as shown. Referring to FIG. 5, these lines CC and DD are along radii of the circular idler and driving gears (which have equal diameters) when they are engaging the slugs.
  • theslugs abut as they travel around the ends of the assembly engaged by the gears and this abuttment occurs along the surfaces defined by the CC and DD lines in FIG. 6.
  • the slugs must abut as they travel along the straight sides of the assembly and, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 6, this abuttment occurs along the parallel sides of the slugs.
  • those locations designated Y and Z on each slug always remain in abuttment with the adjacent slugs whether the slug is at a side or an end of the assembly since the Y and Z locations are those points where the slugs parallel side surfaces meet the surfaces on the CC and DD lines. Therefore, the slugs in the train always abut and there is never a difference in the velocity of adjacent slugs.
  • a solid and stable train of slugs is provided.
  • each end of each side member 40, 42 has two fingers which extend above and below a gear.
  • the fingers at that end of side member 42 which are adjacent the driving gear are shown in FIG. 4 and designated 42a and 42b.
  • FIG. 1 shows the fingers 42c and 40c which extend above the idler gear from side members 42 and 40 respectively.
  • the fingers are all similar and located where the slugs travel either from around a gear to the straight side of the type carrier assembly or from the straight side to a gear.
  • the fingers e.g., 40c in FIG. 2 are so shaped to allow them to act as ramps for guiding the slugs should they deviate from their correct path as they enter the rails.
  • FIGS. 7 and 8 disclose a second embodiment of the invention.
  • the type carrier assembly disclosed in these two Figures is the same as the preferred embodiment disclosed above except that an idler gear assembly is not utilized to guide the slugs around the end of the assembly opposite to the driving gear.
  • an end member 74 is provided between the upper and lower (52 and 54) end plates of the assembly.
  • This end member is connected to the elongated side members 40 and 42 as shown in FIG. 7 and shaped to provide a circular convex surface along which the rear surfaces of the slugs top and bottom portions, 60b and 621) (FIG. 6a), may slide.
  • the circular surface is contiguous with the outside surfaces of the elongated members 40 and 42 and, along with lips 52a, 54a and end plates 52, 54, forms a track to guide the slugs around the end of the assembly without an idler gear arrangement.
  • both embodiments of the type carrier assembly disclosed provide. type slugs which are easily manufactured.
  • no vertical overturning moments are applied to the slugs of the train as they are driven by the driving gear and impacted by the hammers at the print line.
  • a stable train is provided with adjacent slugs always abutting at the same points whether at the gears or straight sides of the assembly. The danger of the slugs deviating from their path as they leave the circular end portion of the assembly and enter the straight portion is obviated by the appropriately placed ramp surfaces on the side members.
  • a type carrier assembly for a high-speed on-thefly printer comprising:
  • guide means defining a closed type path having at least one straightaway
  • a spur gear rotatably mounted adjacent said path and arranged such that the teeth thereof pass through an arc which is parallel to a segment of said type path, the contact surfaces of said teeth being of convex curvature;
  • each said slug having a substantially planar tooth surface adapted to engage the contact surface of one of said gear teeth along a contact line, the locus of said contact lines defining a segment of a cylinder concentric about the axis of said gear, the length of each said slug, measured in the direction of slug travel, being substantially equal to the straight-line distance between the contact surfaces of two adjacent gear teeth as measured from the respective contact lines thereon, said slugs further having front and rear end portions each of which includes a first planar end surface and a second planar end surface, said end surfaces intersecting along a line lying in said locus cylinder; and means for driving said gear to push said slugs in abutting contact with one another around said type path, said first planar end surfaces of adjacent slugs being arranged for surface abutment with one another when said slugs traverse said straightaway and said second planar end surfaces of adjacent slugs
  • backup guide surface means perpendicular to the plane of said type path and positioned inside of said guide rails such that said slugs are constrained to slide within said guide means with said typeface positioned between said guide rails and with a surface opposite said typeface bearing against said backup guide surface means.

Landscapes

  • Character Spaces And Line Spaces In Printers (AREA)
US00102731A 1970-12-30 1970-12-30 Type carrier assembly Expired - Lifetime US3741109A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US10273170A 1970-12-30 1970-12-30

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3741109A true US3741109A (en) 1973-06-26

Family

ID=22291405

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00102731A Expired - Lifetime US3741109A (en) 1970-12-30 1970-12-30 Type carrier assembly

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US3741109A (de)
JP (1) JPS545053Y2 (de)
CA (1) CA962891A (de)
DE (1) DE2164079B2 (de)
FR (1) FR2120780A5 (de)
GB (1) GB1358170A (de)

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2164079A1 (de) 1972-07-13
DE2164079B2 (de) 1975-08-14
GB1358170A (en) 1974-06-26
FR2120780A5 (de) 1972-08-18
JPS545053Y2 (de) 1979-03-05
JPS52114815U (de) 1977-08-31
CA962891A (en) 1975-02-18

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US3168182A (en) Type wheel shifting and impacting means in high speed printers
US3795187A (en) Impellers for impact printers
US3701318A (en) Skew control apparatus for feeding a wide-web ribbon in a high speed printer
GB1252850A (de)
US3845711A (en) Belt printer
FR2380143A1 (fr) Imprimante a codeur rotatif
US4183683A (en) Line printer for the raised-dot language of braille characters
US3405794A (en) Printer with detent means on the print motion producing means
US3741109A (en) Type carrier assembly
US4368993A (en) Replaceable assembly for multicolor printing
US3987884A (en) Printing apparatus with paper positioning tractor means and escapement means
US4428284A (en) Band and hammer dot matrix printer
US3719139A (en) High-speed printer with selectively operable print hammer
GB1343570A (en) Printers roller bearing for supporting a longitudinally movable part on another part
US3408930A (en) High-speed printing with continuously moving carriage
US3683802A (en) Endless type carrier belt having type-receiving pockets in an edge thereof
CA1169291A (en) Band and hammer dot matrix printer
US3835771A (en) Print train permitting accelerated printing speeds in a line printer
US3795185A (en) Compact flying printer
US3621778A (en) Type slug mounting for high speed chain printer
US3911301A (en) Dual pulse train generating apparatus utilizing only one magnetic sensor
US3399619A (en) Type arrangement in endless band line printers
US3750794A (en) High speed print drum with traveling print hammer
US3611922A (en) Front printer
US4428285A (en) Oscillatory band and hammer dot matrix printer

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: MOHAWK SYSTEMS CORPORATION, A DE CORP

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:MOHAWK DATA SCIENCES CORP., A NY CORP;REEL/FRAME:004596/0913

Effective date: 19860502

Owner name: MOMENTUM SYSTEMS CORPORATION

Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:MOHAWK SYSTEMS CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:004596/0879

Effective date: 19860502

AS Assignment

Owner name: FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF BOSTON, THE, 100 FEDERAL ST

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:MONMENTUM SYSTEMS CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:005142/0446

Effective date: 19880901

AS Assignment

Owner name: DECISION DATA INC., A CORP. OF DE, PENNSYLVANIA

Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:MOMENTUM SYSTEMS CORPORATION, A CORP. OF DE;REEL/FRAME:006673/0857

Effective date: 19920521