Reciprocating system for recording assembly

Claim 2

Recording apparatus comprising: a recording assembly; guide means supporting said recording assembly for reciprocating movement in a recording zone adjacent a recording medium; means including a rotatable member for effecting reciprocating movement of said recording assembly in said recording zone; means supported by said rotatable member for effecting rotation thereof in two directions, said rotation effecting means comprising, a clutch plate fixed to said rotatable member and a pair of electromagnetic clutches, each including an elongated sleeve portion, a pair of friction wheels and one-way clutches for coupling said wheels to said sleeve portions; and means including a source of motive power for rendering said rotation effecting means continuously operable.

Claim 3

Recording apparatus according to claim 1 further including: means operably coupled to said source of motive power and said sleeve portions for rendering said rotation effecting means selectively operable, incrementally.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said recording assembly comprises an array of electrographic recording styli, and further including a backing electrode adapted to support a recording medium in said recording zone.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said means for rendering said rotation effecting means incrementally operable comprises worm and worm-wheel pairs and one-way clutches for coupling said worm wheels to said sleeve portions.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4 including means for rendering inoperable the one-way clutches associated with said worm wheels during continuous rotation of said rotatable member and spring clutch 54 for rendering inoperable saiD one-way clutches associated with said friction wheels during incremental rotation of said rotatable member.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 2 including first and second pulse generating sources response to pulses from only one of said sources.

Claim 8

Recording apparatus comprising: a. a backing electrode adapted to support a recording medium in a recording zone, b. a recording assembly including at least one recording element; c. guide means for supporting said recording assembly in said recording zone including a guide shaft on which said recording assembly is movably mounted; d. mechanical coupling means coupled to said recording assembly and responsive to motive forces to move said recording assembly in a reciprocating manner through said recording zone; e. a source of motive power; f. a first shaft coupled to said source of motive power; g. a second shaft coupled to said mechanical coupling means; h. first and second clutch means adapted when energized to translate input motive power to a common clutch plate fixed to said second shaft, i. first drive means mechanically coupled to said first shaft and said first clutch means for applying as an input to said first clutch means motive power to rotate said clutch plate in a first direction upon the energization of said first clutch means; j. second drive means mechanically coupled to said first shaft and said second clutch means for applying as an input to said second clutch means motive power to rotate said clutch plate in a second direction opposite to said first direction upon the energization of said first clutch means; k. means for selectively energizing said first and second clutch means for a period of time sufficient to permit said recording assembly to reciprocate through said recording zone; l. means for supplying information signals to said recording element representative of information to be recorded during the energization of said first clutch means.

Claim 9

Recording apparatus comprising: a. a backing electrode adapted to support a recording medium in a recording zone, b. a recording assembly including at least one recording element; c. guide means for supporting said recording assembly in said recording zone including a guide shaft on which said recording assembly is movably mounted; d. mechanical coupling means coupled to said recording assembly and responsive to motive forces to move said recording assembly in a reciprocating manner through said recording zone; e. a source of motive power; f. a first shaft coupled to said source of motive power; g. a second shaft coupled to said mechanical coupling means; h. first and second clutch means adapted when energized to translate input motive power to a common clutch plate fixed to said second shaft, i. first drive means mechanically coupled to said first shaft and said first clutch means for applying as an input to said first clutch means motive power to rotate said clutch plate in a first direction upon the energization of said first clutch means; j. second drive means mechanically coupled to said first shaft and said second clutch means for applying as an input to said second clutch means motive power to rotate said clutch plate in a second direction opposite to said first direction upon the energization of said first clutch means; k. means for selectively energizing said first and second clutch means for a period of time sufficient to permit said recording assembly to reciprocate through said recording zone; l. means for supplying information signals to said recording element representative of information to be recorded during the energization of said first clutch means.

Claim 10

Recording apparatus as defined in claim 7 further including: a. first increment means coupled to said first shaft for coupling motive power to the input of said first clutch means to rotate said clutch plate in a said first predetermined amount less than the full width of said recording zone when said first clutch means is energized; b. second increment means coupled to said first shaft for coupling motive power to the input of said second clutch means to rotate said clutch plate in said second direction said predetermined amount when said second clutch means is energized; and c. means for selectively energizing said first and second increment means.

Claim 11

An electrographic-recording apparatus wherein electrostatic charge patterns are deposited on a recording medium in alphanumeric configuration in character spaces comprising: a. a plurality of recording styli and a support member therefor; b. a backing electrode adapted to support a recording medium in a recording zone; c. a drive pulley; d. a drive cable looped about said drive pulley and having two ends coupled to said support member; e. a drive shaft fixed to the axis of said drive pulley; f. a clutch plate fixed about said drive shaft; g. first and second electromagnetic clutches on either side of said clutch plate and first and second clutch sleeves associated respectively with said clutches, said clutch sleeves being concentric with said drive shaft; h. a first worm wheel having a one-way clutch which engages said first clutch sleeve when said first worm wheel is moved in a first direction; i. a second worm wheel having a one-way clutch which engages said second clutch sleeve when said record worm wheel is moved in a second direction opposite to said first direction; j. a first friction roller having a one-way clutch which engages said first clutch sleeve when said first friction roller is moved in said first direction; k. a second friction roller having a One-way clutch which engages said second clutch sleeve when said second friction roller is moved in said second direction; l. a source of motive power; m. first shaft mechanically coupled to said source; n. a first worm mounted on said first shaft; o. a second shaft; p. third and fourth friction rollers mounted on said second shaft, said third friction roller engaging said first friction roller; q. a fifth friction roller mounted to mutually engage said second and fourth rollers; r. a second worm wheel mounted on said second shaft to engage said second shaft upon the activation of a spring clutch also mounted on said second shaft, said worm wheel being in cooperative relation with said first worm; s. three pulleys and an endless belt entrained thereon, one of said pulleys fixed to rotate with said first shaft, the other two pulleys fixed respectively to third and fourth shafts; t. a first and second spring clutch having respective inputs from said third and fourth shafts, fifth and sixth shafts forming the respective outputs of said first and second spring clutches, said fifth and sixth shafts each having a worm mounted thereon for engagement with said first and second worm wheels, respectively, to drive said first and second worm wheels in said first and second directions, respectively, when said first and second spring clutches are activated, respectively; u. keyboard means for generating backspace and forward signals as well as character signals upon the actuation of keys thereon, said backspace signals being coupled to energize said second spring clutch and said second electromagnetic clutch simultaneously, said forward signals being coupled to energize said first spring clutch and said first electromagnetic clutch simultaneously, said character signals being applied to said recording styli; v. an input terminal means for translating information signals to said recording styli and control signals to said spring clutch and first electromagnetic clutch during the recording cycle and to said second electromagnetic clutch and said spring clutch during the retrace cycle; w. means for disengaging said first electromagnetic clutch when said recording styli reach one margin of said recording zone and engaging said second electromagnetic clutch; and, x. means for disengaging said spring clutch and said second electromagnetic clutch when said recording styli reaches the other margin of said recording zone.

Claim 12

An electrographic-recording apparatus wherein electrostatic charge patterns are deposited on a recording medium in alphanumeric configuration in character spaces comprising: a. a plurality of recording styli and a support member therefor; b. a backing electrode adapted to support a recording medium in a recording zone; c. a drive pulley; d. a drive cable looped about said drive pulley and having two ends coupled to said support member; e. a drive shaft fixed to the axis of said drive pulley; f. a clutch plate fixed about said drive shaft; g. first and second electromagnetic clutches on either side of said clutch plate and first and second clutch sleeves associated respectively with said clutches, said clutch sleeves being concentric with said drive shaft; h. a first worm wheel having a one-way clutch which engages said first clutch sleeve when said first worm wheel is moved in a first direction; i. a second worm wheel having a one-way clutch which engages said second clutch sleeve when said record worm wheel is moved in a second direction opposite to said first direction; j. a first friction roller having a one-way clutch which engages said first clutch sleeve when said first friction roller is moved in said first direction; k. a second friction roller having a One-way clutch which engages said second clutch sleeve when said second friction roller is moved in said second direction; l. a source of motive power; m. first shaft mechanically coupled to said source; n. a first worm mounted on said first shaft; o. a second shaft; p. third and fourth friction rollers mounted on said second shaft, said third friction roller engaging said first friction roller; q. a fifth friction roller mounted to mutually engage said second and fourth rollers; r. a second worm wheel mounted on said second shaft to engage said second shaft upon the activation of a spring clutch also mounted on said second shaft, said worm wheel being in cooperative relation with said first worm; s. three pulleys and an endless belt entrained thereon, one of said pulleys fixed to rotate with said first shaft, the other two pulleys fixed respectively to third and fourth shafts; t. a first and second spring clutch having respective inputs from said third and fourth shafts, fifth and sixth shafts forming the respective outputs of said first and second spring clutches, said fifth and sixth shafts each having a worm mounted thereon for engagement with said first and second worm wheels, respectively, to drive said first and second worm wheels in said first and second directions, respectively, when said first and second spring clutches are activated, respectively; u. keyboard means for generating backspace and forward signals as well as character signals upon the actuation of keys thereon, said backspace signals being coupled to energize said second spring clutch and said second electromagnetic clutch simultaneously, said forward signals being coupled to energize said first spring clutch and said first electromagnetic clutch simultaneously, said character signals being applied to said recording styli; v. an input terminal means for translating information signals to said recording styli and control signals to said spring clutch and first electromagnetic clutch during the recording cycle and to said second electromagnetic clutch and said spring clutch during the retrace cycle; w. means for disengaging said first electromagnetic clutch when said recording styli reach one margin of said recording zone and engaging said second electromagnetic clutch; and, x. means for disengaging said spring clutch and said second electromagnetic clutch when said recording styli reaches the other margin of said recording zone.