Typebar for printing uniform density characters

Claim 1

In an alpha-numeric printer having indexing means, at least one impactable and translatably posiTionable typebar having a plurality of type characters of variously dimensioned surface areas, said typebar being drivenly and rockably associated with a resiliently activated hammer and impactably associated with a rotatable platen, said typebar being also translatably activatable from a normal home position to bring selected ones of said type characters into printing alignment with an inked ribbon and a record medium interposed between said typebar and said platen, said printer having a guide comb comprising at least one longitudinal slot defined by at least a pair of horizontal projections for rockably and translatably housing said typebar, said typebar additionally comprising: a. a shank member pivotally connected to said indexing means, said shank member being also spring connected to said indexing means such that said typebar is biased into said longitudinal slot and away from said platen, b. a head member coupled to said shank member, said head member having a web portion movably housed within said longitudinal slot of said guide comb and having also an elongated offset projection connected to the edge of said web portion adjacent said platen, said offset projection rigidly carrying on an outer surface thereof said plurality of type characters, said web portion comprising also a striking edge opposite said edge connected to said offset projection, said striking edge being cooperably aligned with an impacting head of said associated hammer, and c. differential spacing means associated with an inner surface of said offset projection and with at least one of said pair of horizontal projections of said guide comb, said means being effective for differentially spacing said typebar from said hammer according to the printing characteristics of said selected type characters and to their placement along said outer surface of said offset projection, said differential spacing means serving to establish a variable distance between said striking edge of said typebar and said impacting head of said hammer prior to said resilient activation thereof, said variable distance providing a lesser distance therebetween when type characters of normally low print density are located in said printing alignment with said platen, and providing a greater distance therebetween when type characters of normally high print density are so located, said normally low and normally high print densities being influenced jointly by the surface areas of the selected type characters and the degree of translatable activation required of said typebar to bring said selected type characters into printing alignment with said inked ribbon and said record medium.