Horizontal z-fold recorder

Claim 2

A transport mechanism for feeding a continuous manifolded web along a horizontal path of travel from a supply stack to a receiving stack comprising: a bin for containing said supply stack, said bin being configured for holding said supply stack so that the folded edges of said manifolded web are disposed substantially vertically with respect to a ground plane; means for guiding said manifolded web out of said bin horizontally with respect to said ground plane as said web is unfolded from said supply stack; a transducing station disposed along the path of travel of said web and downstream of said guiding means for operating on said web in a selected manner; drive means disposed in engagement with said web along said path of travel for pulling said web past said transducing station; directing means disposed adjacent to and downstream from said drive means for engaging said web and urging said web toward said receiving stack and for causing successive fold edges of said web to be refolded in opposite senses; and power driven stacker means disposed for engagement with the refolded edges of said web for urging said web into said receiving stack.

Claim 3

The transport mechanism of claim 1, wherein said bin includes two end plates contiguous with the folded edges of said manifolded web forming said supply stack, said end plate being spaced apart a distance less than the distance between successive folds of said web to produce a slight curve in said supply stack, thereby causing the folds of said web to pop out of said bin singly in succession.

Claim 4

ThE transport mechanism of claim 1, wherein said guiding means includes a guide post engaging said web and having a longitudinal axis transverse to the path of travel of said web, said guide post being positioned adjacent to said bin and intermediate the end plates of said bin.

Claim 5

The transport mechanism of claim 3, further including spring means for resiliently biasing said web against said guide post to provide a drag against the pull on said web produced by said drive means to thereby produce tension in said web.

Claim 6

The transport mechanism of claim 1, wherein said transducing station includes: a first sharp-edged platen engaging one surface of said web and having a longitudinal axis transverse to the path of travel of said web; a controllable writing stylus positioned for contacting the other surface of said web opposite to said platen; and a second sharp-edged member engaging said other surface of said web and having a longitudinal axis transverse to the path of travel of said web, said second sharp-edged member being operable to insure that the folds of said web are restored to their original condition.

Claim 7

The transport mechanism of claim 5, said web having a thermally sensitive coating on the surface thereof; and said writing stylus including an electrically heated member resiliently biased against said web for melting said coating on selected surface portions of said web.

Claim 8

The transport mechanism of claim 1, wherein said drive means includes a pair of pinch rollers disposed adjacent to one another on opposite surface portions of said web and in frictional engagement with said web, and wherein at least one of said rollers is power driven to move said web along its path of travel.

Claim 9

The transport mechanism of claim 1, wherein said power driven stacker means includes first and second rotatable stacker wheels positioned respectively adjacent to opposite web fold edges of said receiving stack, each of said stacker wheels having a plurality of projections for propelling said fold edges into said receiving stack.

Claim 10

The transport mechanism of claim 8, wherein said directing means includes a guide member positioned in the path of said web for deflecting the web edges folded in one sense toward said first stacker wheel and web edges folded in the opposite sense toward said second stacker wheel.

Claim 11

A strip chart recording mechanism comprising: means for transporting a web in a tensed condition along a path of travel, said web being creased on lines transverse to the direction of travel of said web at intervals in a manner permitting said web to be manifolded in a stack; a recording station interposed in the the path of travel of said web, said recording station including: a platen having a sharp edge positioned transversely to the direction of travel of said web, said platen being positioned with the sharp edge thereof in sliding contact with one surface of the tensed web; controllable writing stylus means for selectively marking the other surface of said web opposite to said platen; and reversing means disposed in the path of said tensed web following said sharp-edged platen for counteracting the effect of said sharp-edged platen on the transverse crease lines in said web; said transporting means including: a first bin for containing a stacked Z-folded web so that the lateral edges of said web are substantially horizontal to a ground plane; guiding and driving means for unfolding said web from said first bin and for moving said web horizontally to said ground plane along said path of travel past said recording station; means providing a drag on said web against the direction of motion of said web for producing tension in said web in at least a portion of said path of travel; means for refolding said web after it has passed said recording station; and a second bin for receiving and stacking the refolded web.

Claim 12

A strip chart recording mechanism comprising: means for transporting a web in a tensed condition along a path of travel, said web being creased on lines transverse to the direction of travel of said web at intervals in a manner permitting said web to be manifolded in a stack; a recording station interposed in the the path of travel of said web, said recording station including: a platen having a sharp edge positioned transversely to the direction of travel of said web, said platen being positioned with the sharp edge thereof in sliding contact with one surface of the tensed web; controllable writing stylus means for selectively marking the other surface of said web opposite to said platen; and reversing means disposed in the path of said tensed web following said sharp-edged platen for counteracting the effect of said sharp-edged platen on the transverse crease lines in said web; said transporting means including: a first bin for containing a stacked Z-folded web so that the lateral edges of said web are substantially horizontal to a ground plane; guiding and driving means for unfolding said web from said first bin and for moving said web horizontally to said ground plane along said path of travel past said recording station; means providing a drag on said web against the direction of motion of said web for producing tension in said web in at least a portion of said path of travel; means for refolding said web after it has passed said recording station; and a second bin for receiving and stacking the refolded web.

Claim 13

The mechanism of claim 10 wherein said reversing means incluDes a member having a sharp edge positioned transversely to the direction of movement of said web and in sliding contact with said other surface of said web.

Claim 14

The mechanism of claim 11, said web having a thermally sensitive coating on said other surface thereof; said controllable writing stylus means including: an electrically heated resistance element; and means for resiliently biasing said resistance element against said other surface of said web opposite to said sharp-edged platen in sliding contact with said other surface.