US3773161A - High speed serial printer with plural hammers - Google Patents

High speed serial printer with plural hammers Download PDF

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Publication number
US3773161A
US3773161A US00123277A US3773161DA US3773161A US 3773161 A US3773161 A US 3773161A US 00123277 A US00123277 A US 00123277A US 3773161D A US3773161D A US 3773161DA US 3773161 A US3773161 A US 3773161A
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United States
Prior art keywords
printing
character
carriage
hammers
positions
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Expired - Lifetime
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US00123277A
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English (en)
Inventor
O Bossi
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.)
Bull HN Information Systems Italia SpA
Original Assignee
Honeywell Information Systems Italia SpA
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    • 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
    • B41J1/24—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 perpendicular to the axis of rotation
    • B41J1/28—Carriers stationary for impression, e.g. with the types or dies not moving relative to the carriers
    • B41J1/30—Carriers stationary for impression, e.g. with the types or dies not moving relative to the carriers with the types or dies moving relative to the carriers or mounted on flexible carriers
    • 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
    • B41J9/02—Hammers; Arrangements thereof
    • B41J9/04—Hammers; Arrangements thereof of single hammers, e.g. travelling along printing line
    • B41J9/06—Hammers; Arrangements thereof of single hammers, e.g. travelling along printing line of stationary hammers, e.g. engaging a single type-carrier
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S400/00—Typewriting machines
    • Y10S400/901—Continuously rotating type-head

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A high-speed on-the-fly serial printer, wherein a rotating type-carrying member moves along a print line past a plurality of printing positions, wherein a plurality of hammers are mounted to move with said typecarrying member, and wherein said hammers are selectively actuated in accordance with the position of said carriage to drive the type-bearing element of said type-carrying member against a print-receiving motion to effect character printing thereon.
  • FIG. 2b Pmmmm 20 ms 3; 773; 1 s1 PRIOR ART FIG. 2a FIG. 2b
  • FIG. 4 M PRIOR ART M PRIOR ART [PDQ FIG. 3 FIG. 4
  • the present invention relates to serial high-speed impact printers employing the on-the-fly principle of printing and more particularly to such printers which can be defined as front striking printers, i.e., which accomplish printing by means of a printing hammer and a strike resisting platen, or printing bed.
  • a type-carrying member consisting, for example, of a group of flexible reeds arranged radially with characters provided in relief on the extremities of said reeds, is maintained in appropriate motion so that all of the characters of the type-carrying member pass sequentially through a predetermined printing position.
  • the type-carrying member is mounted on a printing carriage on which the printing hammer is mounted, and the entire carriage assemblage moves either by a continuous or a step-by-step motion along the print line.
  • the type-carrying member may consist of a flexible belt which runs along the print line and only the printing hammer is carried by the printing carriage.
  • This solution has the disadvantage that a portion of the type-carrying member is unused and, as a consequence, the speed with which the characters of the set pass through the printing position is considerably greater than the speed which would be obtained by using the entire type-carrying member for the same rate of printing. This causes an impression of poor quality, resulting from a smearing of the printing in the direction of the motion of the characters relative to the print-receive member.
  • the printing device of the present invention by providing for, two distinct printing hammers to operate selectively in two distinct phases of motion of the printing carriage and on two distinct sectors of the type-carrying member (fixed in the case of synchronous printers and variable in the case of asynchronous printers), thereby permitting the successive printing of two characters in consecutive printing positions and with a very short interval of time (in the limit a zero interval) from one to the other.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a serial printer of the prior art
  • FIGS. 2a and 2b show schematically a portion of the character member of the printer of FIG. 1 at two different times;
  • FIG. 3 illustrates a solution used in the prior art printers for improving their performance
  • FIG. 4 illustrates another solution for improving the performance of these prior art printers
  • FIG. 5 is an upper view of an arrangement according to present invention for improving the performance of a serial printer
  • FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the arrangement of FIG. 5;
  • FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a preferred controlled circuit for the printing device of the invention.
  • FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a controlled circuit for the printing device of the invention, particularly advantageous for use with an asychronous printer.
  • the prior art serial printer of FIG. 1 is of the synchronous type.
  • Such printer consists of a frame 1 in which is disposed a printing carriage 2 slidably mounted on rotatable prismatic guides 3 and 4.
  • Printing carriage 2 supports a printing hammer 5 actuated by an electromagnet 6 and a character, or type-carrying member 7 consisting of a plurality of radial reeds, or blades, 8. Characters are provided in relief, each on the extremity of a reed 8.
  • Character member 7 is mainted in rotation through a conical gear couple 9 and the prismatic guide 4 by a motor 10.
  • a code or timing disc 11 is keyed to the shaft of motor 10.
  • Disc 11 cooperates with sensors 12 and 13 (optical, magnetic, and the like), which supply suitable pulses for character timing and recognition.
  • Motor 10 also drives in rotation, in addition to typecarrying member 7, the threaded shaft 18, through a gear couple 17.
  • the thread of shaft 18 has a pitch equal to the distance between two adjacent printing positions.
  • a tooth I9, fastened to printing carriage 2 normally engages threaded shaft 18 whereby due to the rotation of shaft 18 itself, the printing carriage moves along the print line.
  • the tooth ratios of gear couple 9 and gear couple 17 are such that for each revolution of character member 7 printing carriage 2 moves a pitch, or the distance between adjacent printing positions.
  • a rotating electromagnet 20 responds to a carriage return command to rotate prismatic guide 3 and disengage tooth 19 from the thread of shaft 18, whereupon a spring 21, acting through a cable 22 and return pulley 23 restores carriage 2 to its initial position.
  • FIG. 2a represents a portion of the type-carrying member at a particular instant.
  • the rectangles 31, 32, and 33 represent three successive printing positions along the print line.
  • the axis of rotation of the type-carrying member is aligned midway between printing positions 31 and 32.
  • a radial reed 35 the extremity of which bears the alphabetic character A, is precisely opposite to printing position 32.
  • the head of the printing hammer represented by the dotted rectangle 36, has a width sufficient to act in two printing positions, i.e., positions 31 and 32 of FIG. 2a. The reason for this will be clarified hereinafter.
  • the axis of rotation of the character member will be almost midway between printing positions 32 and 33. This instant is represented in FllG. 2b, and in this situation the printing hammer is now opposite to printing positions 32 and 33. Therefore, the printing hammer must have a width sufficient to provide for printing a character during the entire motion of the printing carriage through a printing pitch.
  • the character Z is to be printed in printing position 32. This printing will occur with the apparatus disposed as represented in FIG. 2b. If, now, the character to be printed in the next position 33 is the letter A, and such letter were on the immediately following reed 38, printing would not, in general, be possible, because the hammer operation time is usually a few milliseconds whereas the characters pass through a printing position at intervals of some hundredths of milliseconds.
  • FiGS. 2a and 2b Another problem, which is demonstrated by FiGS. 2a and 2b, is the need to suitable space the character reeds, relative to the printing hammer width, in order to avoid double printing and the phenomenon known under the name of interference and described, for example, in US. Pat. application Ser. No. 54,814, filed July 14, 1970, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. It is known that this problem may be solved by using character reeds having on their reverse sides, in correspondence with the characters to be printed, tapered projections to which the required pressure is applied by the printing hammer, which in turn, has a reduced transverse dimension.
  • FIGS. 5 and 6 represent, on the other hand, a solution according to the instant invention, which provides for eliminating completely the disadvantages mentioned above, including the restraints imposed by the printing hammer recovery time.
  • the invention consists of the joint use of two printing hammers, disposed on two different levels and partially overlapping, and cooperating with a tapered projection arranged on the rear of each reed of the type-carrying member.
  • a first printing hammer S1 is hinged on a pivot 52.
  • the printing head of hammer 5 has a width L greater than one-half of a pitch, and preferably very close to said pitch.
  • a second printing hammer S3 is hinged on a pivot 54.
  • the printing head of hammer 53 has a width equal to that of the head of hammer 5H.
  • the height H of such projections is such as to permit the cooperation of a projection with either one of the two hammers 51 and 53.
  • Hammers 51 and 53 are mounted on the printing carriage and are actuated so that each effects the printing of any character included in a respective first and second half of the type-carrying member.
  • the following example will clarify the principle on which the invention is based.
  • a reed 56 (FIG. 5) is provided with the alphabetic character A and that reed 56 is in the proper position to effect printing.
  • the printing of the character A may, therefore, be accomplished by hammer 51, but not by hammer 53.
  • the continuing motion of the two hammers toward the right with respect to the predetermined printing position permits printing only with hammer 53.
  • hammer 53 will be positioned to provide for printing of the last character of the set, while hammer 51 will be in position to provide for printing the first character of the set in the next-adjacent printing position.
  • the cross-sectional dimension of the printing hammer may be reduced, in the limit to one-half a printing pitch, thereby permitting a considerable compression of the characters on the type-carrying member without causing the problems of double printing and interference.
  • FIG. 7 illustrates a circuit for controlling the printing hammers, which is particularly suitable for a serial synchronous printer.
  • a timing disc 61 rotates in synchronism with the character member and in fixed relationship with the movement of the printing carriage.
  • Disc 61 presents a sequence of notches on its periphery, each notch corresponding to a character position on the character member.
  • a sensor 62 generates, in correspondence with the passage of each notch in front of a detecting head 63, an electric pulse, which is applied to the input terminal 64 of an electronic binary counter 65.
  • Counter 65 comprises, for example, six bistable elements and can count from 0 to 63.
  • the disc 61 and the detecting head 63 constitute, in a more general sense, a detecting means for detecting the position of rotation of the type carrying member with respect to a reference point, that is the point at which the sensor 62 is located, or any other point fixedly related to this point.
  • the six output leads 66 of counter supply a binary code representing the different characters which reach a printing position in successive intervals.
  • the output signals on lead 66 are applied to input terminals of a comparison circuit 69, which receives on other input leads 70 thereof, a binary code representing the character to be printed.
  • comparison circuit 69 issues a print command on an output lead 71. In accordance with the instant invention, such print command is applied selectively to one of the two hammers provided on the printer.
  • the selection of a hammer is accomplished in the following manner:
  • the most significant output signal of counter 65 is coupled on a lead 67 directly to an input lead of a logic AND-gate 72 and through a NOT-circuit 74 to an input lead of an AND-gate 73.
  • the output lead 71 is connected to a second input lead of AND-gates 72 and 73.
  • This selective control of the two printing hammers as a function of the character code provides, as a consequence of the fixed relationship between the movement of the printing carriage and the relation of the typecarrying member, that during a first half-phase of the printing carriage movement from one printing position to the next the first hammer is enabled to print, while during a second half-phase the second hammer is enable to print.
  • sensor 63, counter 65, inverter 74 and gates 72 and 73 provide control means to selectively actuate the hammers according to the position of the printing carriage relative to a printing position.
  • the invention is also applicable to asynchronous printers wherein there is not a fixed relationship between the rotation of the type-carrying member and the movement of the printing carriage.
  • asynchronous printers wherein there is not a fixed relationship between the rotation of the type-carrying member and the movement of the printing carriage.
  • One of such printers is, described for example, in the above-mentioned US. Pat. application Ser. No. 108,787.
  • the selective control of the two printing hammers is preferably accomplished by a direct measurement of the printing carriage position. This is illustrated schematically in FIG. 8.
  • a timing device 61 together with a detecting head 63, a sensor 62, a counter 65 and a comparison circuit 6? provide for the generation of a printing command on lead 71, as in the circuit of FIG. 7.
  • the selection of the printing hammer is accomplished in the following manner:
  • a second timing device 81 associated with the movement mechanism of the printing carriage, together with a sensor 82 provides an output lead 83, a pulse each time the printing carriage reaches (or overshoots) both a printing position and an intermediate position (for example a position midway between two adjacent printing positions). These pulses are applied on lead 83 to the input terminals of a bistable circuit, or flip-flop, 84, which changes its state upon the reception of each pulse.
  • sensor 82 and flip-flop 84 provide detecting means to detect the position of the printing carriage relative to a printing position. Therefore, on output leads 85 and 86 there occur alternately for a duration of one-half pitch two distinct binary levels 1 and O, which enable alternately two AND-gates 87 and 88. Therefore, the command signals arriving on lead 71 are transferred selectively through AND-gates 87 and 88 to one of the two actuating circuits 89 and 90 of the printing hammers.
  • the character member may comprise a flexible belt, a cup-shaped element, or an equivalent apparatus.
  • the disclosed arrangements of two hammers may be changed; thus, instead of two hammers it is possible to use three or more hammers, suitably staggered and of reduced width, and selectively actuated as described.
  • the hammer heads may designed with a portion cut sideways or with grooves suitably staggered so to permit the relative interposition of the two hammers, which may therefore be assembled on the same plane.
  • a plurality of printing hammers mounted on said printing carriage each having a width greater than half the pitch between adjacent printing positions, and being overlapped in part so as to be opposite two adjacent printing position spacings, and
  • control means for selectively actuating either one or another of said hammers in correspondence with the relative position of said carriage with respect to a printing position, for accomplishing printing in said print position.
  • a pair of printing hammers each having a width greater than the pitch between adjacent printing positions and being overlapped in part in the direction of the print line, said hammers being mounted on said printing carriage; detecting means for detecting the position of said printing carriage with respect to one of said printing positions and to deliver corresponding signals representing said printing positions and control means responsive to said signals for selectively actuating one or the other of said printing hammers for accomplishing printing in said one printing position.
  • a pair of printing hammers each having a width greater than one-half the pitch between adjacent printing positions and being overlapped in part in the direction of the print line, said hammers being on said printing carriage; detecting means to detect the position of rotation of said type-carrying member with respect to a reference point and to deliver corresponding signals; and control means responsive to said signals to selectively actuate one or the other of said printing hammers.
  • a plurality of printing hammers mounted on said carriage, each having a width greater than half the pitch between adjacent image receiving locations and being overlapped in part so as to be opposite two adjacent image receiving location spacings, each of said printing hammers being responsive to a respective control signal received thereby to cooperate with the one of said characters proximate to one of said character image receiving locations to form an image of said one character on said print line, detecting means for detecting the position of said carriage relative to said one location and gen erating a corresponding signal and controllable print command control means for receiving said generated signal and delivering a selected one of said control signals in correspondence with the relative position of said carriage with respect to said one character image receiving location.

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US00123277A 1970-03-12 1971-03-11 High speed serial printer with plural hammers Expired - Lifetime US3773161A (en)

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Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3861510A (en) * 1973-06-04 1975-01-21 Victor Comptometer Corp Serial printer power drive and timing mechanism
DE2456809A1 (de) * 1973-12-26 1975-07-03 Ibm Steuervorrichtung fuer ein druckwerk
DE2519861A1 (de) * 1974-06-28 1976-01-15 Ibm Raddrucker
US3935937A (en) * 1973-11-08 1976-02-03 Pitney-Bowes, Inc. Plastic and metal article of manufacture
US4118129A (en) * 1974-07-01 1978-10-03 Qume Corporation Rotary wheel printing system
US4313682A (en) * 1980-02-26 1982-02-02 Triumph-Adler Aktiengesellschaft Fur Buround Informationstechnik Final positioning vibration damping device for type disc typewriters
US4359937A (en) * 1981-05-07 1982-11-23 International Business Machines Corporation Dot matrix printer
US4440512A (en) * 1982-06-07 1984-04-03 Forcier Mitchell D Daisy wheel printer having low mass carriage
US20100185033A1 (en) * 2007-08-13 2010-07-22 Saudi Basic Industries Corporation Process for convertng aliphatic oxygenates to aromatics

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH582067A5 (de) * 1974-10-16 1976-11-30 Hermes Precisa International

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2236663A (en) * 1936-02-18 1941-04-01 Western Electric Co Type wheel teletypewriter
US3232404A (en) * 1964-08-11 1966-02-01 Navigation Computer Corp Keyboard operated printer with electrical means preventing operation of plural keys
US3356199A (en) * 1966-02-23 1967-12-05 Friden Inc Printer having type disk rotatable in a plane parallel to the printing line
US3371766A (en) * 1966-07-18 1968-03-05 Internat Telephone & Telegraph Printing apparatus
US3384216A (en) * 1966-12-05 1968-05-21 Friden Inc Resiliently mounted font wheel
US3388782A (en) * 1967-06-05 1968-06-18 Clary Corp Serial data printer having plural hammers actuated in sequence
US3542182A (en) * 1967-06-01 1970-11-24 Walther Bueromasch Gmbh Rotary serial printer for data processing machines
US3565230A (en) * 1967-05-05 1971-02-23 Creed & Co Ltd Printing mechanism with movable type wheel and hammer carriages
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
US2236663A (en) * 1936-02-18 1941-04-01 Western Electric Co Type wheel teletypewriter
US3232404A (en) * 1964-08-11 1966-02-01 Navigation Computer Corp Keyboard operated printer with electrical means preventing operation of plural keys
US3356199A (en) * 1966-02-23 1967-12-05 Friden Inc Printer having type disk rotatable in a plane parallel to the printing line
US3371766A (en) * 1966-07-18 1968-03-05 Internat Telephone & Telegraph Printing apparatus
US3384216A (en) * 1966-12-05 1968-05-21 Friden Inc Resiliently mounted font wheel
US3565230A (en) * 1967-05-05 1971-02-23 Creed & Co Ltd Printing mechanism with movable type wheel and hammer carriages
US3542182A (en) * 1967-06-01 1970-11-24 Walther Bueromasch Gmbh Rotary serial printer for data processing machines
US3388782A (en) * 1967-06-05 1968-06-18 Clary Corp Serial data printer having plural hammers actuated in sequence
US3589494A (en) * 1968-04-23 1971-06-29 Paul F Gloess Keyboard printer with continuously rotating type member

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3861510A (en) * 1973-06-04 1975-01-21 Victor Comptometer Corp Serial printer power drive and timing mechanism
US3935937A (en) * 1973-11-08 1976-02-03 Pitney-Bowes, Inc. Plastic and metal article of manufacture
DE2456809A1 (de) * 1973-12-26 1975-07-03 Ibm Steuervorrichtung fuer ein druckwerk
DE2519861A1 (de) * 1974-06-28 1976-01-15 Ibm Raddrucker
US4118129A (en) * 1974-07-01 1978-10-03 Qume Corporation Rotary wheel printing system
US4313682A (en) * 1980-02-26 1982-02-02 Triumph-Adler Aktiengesellschaft Fur Buround Informationstechnik Final positioning vibration damping device for type disc typewriters
US4359937A (en) * 1981-05-07 1982-11-23 International Business Machines Corporation Dot matrix printer
US4440512A (en) * 1982-06-07 1984-04-03 Forcier Mitchell D Daisy wheel printer having low mass carriage
US20100185033A1 (en) * 2007-08-13 2010-07-22 Saudi Basic Industries Corporation Process for convertng aliphatic oxygenates to aromatics
US20100234658A1 (en) * 2007-08-13 2010-09-16 Saudi Basic Industries Corporation Catalyst Composition and Process For Converting Aliphatic Oxygenates to Aromatics
US8450548B2 (en) 2007-08-13 2013-05-28 Saudi Basic Industries Corporation Process for converting aliphatic oxygenates to aromatics

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Publication number Publication date
DE2111398A1 (de) 1971-09-30
FR2081891A1 (de) 1971-12-10
FR2081891B1 (de) 1973-06-08

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