Electrically operated type wheel setting means

Claim 1

A PRINTING DEVICE FOR PRINTING A SERIES OF SELECTED CHARACTERS DURING THE PRINTING PHASE ALONG A LINE COMPRISING, A ROTATABLE SHAFT, MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING SAID SHAFT IN ONE DIRECTION, A PLURALITY OF PRINTING WHEELS MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT AND FRICTIONALLY COUPLED THERETO A NORMALLY ROTATE THEREWITH, FIRST MEANS FOR STOPPING SAID WHEELS TO PRESET SAME AT A HOME POSITION AND THERAFTER RELEASING SAME, SAID PRINTING WHEEL HAVING A CHARACTER SECTION AND A RATCHET SECTION, A PLURALITY OF CHARACTERS EQUALLY SPACED ALONG THE CHARACTER SECTION, A PLURALITY OF RATCHET TEETH EQUALLY SPACED ALONG THE RATCHET SECTION, AND SECOND MEANS COATING WITH SAID RATCHET SECTION FOR STOPPING SAID WHEEL SUBSEQUENT TO THEIR RELEASE BY SAID FIRST MEANS INCLUDING, A PAWL ALIGNED WITH EACH RATCHET SECTION AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE ONE OF THE TEETH THEREON AND STOP EACH PRINTING WHEEL FOR ROTATING WITH THE SHAFT, AN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED ACTUATOR FOR EACH PAWL FOR DRIVING SAME INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WIHT ITS RESPECTIVE RATCHET SECTION, SETTABLE CONTROL MEANS DEFINING SELECTED CHARACTER POSITIONS OF EACH WHEEL, AND SWITCH MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH ACTUATOR AND OPERATED BY SAID SHAFT IN SYNCHRONISM WITH SAID PRINTING WHEELS FOR SELECTIVELY ENERZING EACH ACTUATOR TO MOVE EACH PAWL INTO ENEGAGEMENT WITH A TOOTH ON A RATCHET SECTION AND STOP EACH PRINTING WHEEL AT A PRESELECTED POSITION AS DETERMINED BY SAID SETTABLE CONTROL MEANS FOR PRINTING A SERIES OF PRESELECTED CHARACTERS, SAID SWITCH MEANS INCLUDING A SINGLE WIPER ARM FRICTIONALLY COUPLED ON SAID SHAFT AND SYNCHRONIZED AT HOME POSITION WITH SAID WHEELS BY SAID FIRST MEANS, AND SPACED CONTACTS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID WIPER ARM WHEN OPERATED BY SAID SHAFT.