EP0226327A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Paper-handling mechanism for a printer
Assignee: Genicom Corp
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Filing: 1986-11-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-11-11
Abstract
Abstract A printer is provided with a controllable bail (32) located between a print station (22) and a downstream paper tear-off station (34). Upon a occurrence of the first control signal, a printed portion of the paper is advanced to a desired tear-off position adjacent the tear-off station (34). Thereafter (after a predetermined time delay or after operator switch actuation), the paper is retracted. The intermediately located bail (32) is released at least after the leading edge of the paper is retracted thereunder and until sufficient paper is again advanced (e.g. during new printing operations) to ensure that paper is again located between the printing platen (20) and the bail (32) before the bail is re-engaged.
Inventors
- 👤 David O. Ward
- 👤 Theodore S Zajac, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 10:22
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J11/00; B41J11/36; B41J11/42; B41J11/44; B41J11/66; B41J11/70; B41J13/00; B41J13/10; B41J13/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
84 words
A printer for printing on paper at a printing station and including a downstream paper tear-off position (34), said printer comprising: A. means for generating a first control signal and means for generating a second control signal; B. means for automatically advancing the paper from a print line position (22) to the tear-off position (34) in response to said first control signal, and C. means to subsequently automatically retract the paper to the print line position (22) in response to said second control signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
84 words
A printer for printing on paper at a printing station and including a downstream paper tear-off position (34), said printer comprising: A. means for generating a first control signal and means for generating a second control signal; B. means for automatically advancing the paper from a print line position (22) to the tear-off position (34) in response to said first control signal, and C. means to subsequently automatically retract the paper to the print line position (22) in response to said second control signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
62 words
A printer as claimed in Claim 1 having a platen (20) at said print station and comprising paper bail means (32) normally biasing the paper toward said platen (20) during printing and responsive to said second control signal to disable said bias after said retraction until after subsequent advancement of the paper causes it to again pass under said bail means (32).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
A printer as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said means for initiating said second control signal comprises means to initiate said second control signal automatically after a predetermined period of elapsed time after occurrence of said first control signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
A printer claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said means for initiating said second control signal includes a key (68) on a printer control panel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
133 words
A printer comprising: a printing line station (22) including a platen (20); a paper tear-off station (34) disposed downstream of said printing line station (22) and having a structural edge (62) against which paper may be conveniently torn; paper drive means (44) for driving paper successively through said printing line station (22) and on past said tear-off station (34) in a forward direction and also capable of driving said paper in a reverse direction; control means (58 a , 58 b ) electrically connected to control said paper device means for automatically driving a printed portion of said paper forwardly to a stationary position past said tear-off station and also subsequently driving a non-printed portion of said paper reversely to the printing line position (22) after permitting a paper tearing-off function to occur.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
133 words
A printer comprising: a printing line station (22) including a platen (20); a paper tear-off station (34) disposed downstream of said printing line station (22) and having a structural edge (62) against which paper may be conveniently torn; paper drive means (44) for driving paper successively through said printing line station (22) and on past said tear-off station (34) in a forward direction and also capable of driving said paper in a reverse direction; control means (58 a , 58 b ) electrically connected to control said paper device means for automatically driving a printed portion of said paper forwardly to a stationary position past said tear-off station and also subsequently driving a non-printed portion of said paper reversely to the printing line position (22) after permitting a paper tearing-off function to occur.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A printer as claimed in Claim 5 wherein said control means automatically effects said reverse driving motion at a predetermined time delay after advancing a printed portion of paper to the tear-off station (34).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
104 words
A printer as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6 further comprising a driven bail (32) disposed adjacent said platen and between said printing line station (34) and said paper tear-off station and electrically driveable into engagement with paper passing just downstream of said printing line station (22) and wherein said control means includes means for releasing said bail (32) from engagement with the paper at least after reverse driving of the paper from said tear-off station when there is no paper situated thereunder and for driving said bail (32) into paper engagement at other times when paper is present thereunder during printing operations.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
A printer as claimed in Claim 7 wherein said means for driving said bail (32) into paper engagement is also activated after paper advancement to said tear-off position.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
115 words
A printer for automatically moving continuous form paper available from a source to a desired tear-off position comprising: first means for advancing and retracting said paper between desired print line positions and desired tear-off positions including a source of control signals; means responsive to a first control signal from said source to advance said paper a predetermined distance beyond the current print line position to a desired tear-off position, means responsive to a second signal from said source to retract the paper to a second print line position; and means for suspending printing during the periods of said paper advancement and retraction until said paper is available for printing at said second print line position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
115 words
A printer for automatically moving continuous form paper available from a source to a desired tear-off position comprising: first means for advancing and retracting said paper between desired print line positions and desired tear-off positions including a source of control signals; means responsive to a first control signal from said source to advance said paper a predetermined distance beyond the current print line position to a desired tear-off position, means responsive to a second signal from said source to retract the paper to a second print line position; and means for suspending printing during the periods of said paper advancement and retraction until said paper is available for printing at said second print line position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
73 words
A printer according to Claim 9 further comprising: a paper bail normally biasing the paper toward a platen and responsive to said first control signal to: (a) disable said bias until after said advancement of said paper, (b) enable said bias during tear-off, (c) disable said bias in response to said second signal, and (d) enable said bias after retraction of said paper when paper is present between said bail and said platen.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
58 words
A method of controlling paper movement, to and from a tear-off position in a printer, comprising: initiating a first control signal to advance a predetermined portion of said paper from a print line position to the tear-off position, subsequently initiating a second control signal to retract a second predetermined portion of said paper to the print line position.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
58 words
A method of controlling paper movement, to and from a tear-off position in a printer, comprising: initiating a first control signal to advance a predetermined portion of said paper from a print line position to the tear-off position, subsequently initiating a second control signal to retract a second predetermined portion of said paper to the print line position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in Claim 11 further comprising: causing the temporary release of a paper bail at least after said retraction when paper is no longer disposed between the bail and a print platen.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method claimed as in Claim 11 or Claim 12 wherein said second control signal is automatically initiated after a predetermined period of time elapses after occurrence of said first control signal.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in Claim 11 or Claim 12 wherein said second control signal is initiated by depressing any key on a printer control panel.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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