Printer

Claim 2

A resettable roll printing counter comprising a counter shaft, a plurality of counter wheels of increasing order rotatable on the counter shaft, each counter wheel comprising a print wheel, a combined locking ring and transfer gear segment and a drive gear, the drive gears of at least all the higher order counter wheels being connected to the print wheels to permit rotation of the print wheels in at least one angular direction relative to the drive gears, the print wheels and shaft having cooperating means for resetting the print wheels by rotation of the shaft in said one angular direction, a transfer pinion shaft parallel to the counter shaft mounted for pivotal movement about the axis of the counter shaft, transfer pinions mounted on the pinion shaft intermediate the counter wheels for engagement with the combined locking ring and transfer gear segments and drive gears of the counter wheels for generating transfers between adjacent lower and higher order counter wheels, a rotary backup roll parallel to the counter shaft cooperable with the print wheels as they are rotated in said one angular direction for producing a printout, and operating means for pivoting the pinion shaft in said one angular direction from a first normal pivotal position thereof to an extended pivotal position for rotating the print wheels together in said one angular direction for producing a printout, for thereafter returning the pinion shaft to its normal pivotal position, and for rotating the counter shaft in said one angular direction for resetting the print wheels after the printout is produced.

Claim 3

A printing counter according to claim 1 wherein the operating means comprises means interconnecting the counter shaft and pinion shaft for pivoting the pinion shaft between its normal and extended positions as the counter shaft is rotated.

Claim 4

A printing counter according to claim 2 wherein the interconnecting means comprises cam means mounted on the counter shaft and a pivotal lever for pivoting the pinion shaft and having follower means engageable with said cam means.

Claim 5

A printing counter according to claim 2 wherein said cooperating means comprises detent means for resetting the print wheels by rotation oF the counter shaft substantially one revolution in said one angular direction from an initial angular position thereof and wherein the interconnecting means is operable by rotation of the counter shaft from its initial angular position to pivot the pinion shaft from its normal pivotal position an angular amount greater than the corresponding angle of rotation of the counter shaft such that the counter shaft rotates through an angle greater than 360* relative to the pinion shaft as the counter shaft is rotated in said one angular direction through the remainder of said revolution.

Claim 6

A printing counter according to claim 1 further comprising a ratchet pawl mechanism for indexing the lowest order counter wheel relative to the remaining counter wheels to a full count position as the pinion shaft is pivoted in said one angular direction from its normal pivotal position.

Claim 7

A printing counter according to claim 5 wherein the ratchet pawl mechanism comprises a ratchet wheel connected to the lowest order counter wheel and a ratchet pawl mounted on the pinion shaft and engageable with the ratchet wheel for indexing the wheel as the pinion shaft is pivoted in said one angular direction from its normal pivotal position.

Claim 8

A printing counter according to claim 4 further comprising drive means for rotating the counter shaft substantially 360* in said one angular direction from its initial angular position, said drive means including a rotary drive coupling having an input coupling member with a pair of diametrically related axially extending drive teeth and a driven coupling member having diametrically related tooth abutments engageable by the drive teeth, the drive teeth and tooth abutments being at different radial distances from the axis of the coupling to ensure proper angular alignment of the drive and driven coupling members.

Claim 9

A serial printing counter comprising a counter shaft, a plurality of counter wheels of increasing order rotatable on the counter shaft, the counter wheels comprising a print wheel, a combined locking ring and transfer gear segment and a drive gear, a transfer pinion shaft parallel to the counter shaft mounted for pivotal movement about the axis of the counter shaft, transfer pinions mounted on the pinion shaft intermediate the counter wheels for engagement with combined locking ring and transfer gear segments and drive gears of the counter wheels for generating transfers between adjacent lower and higher order counter wheels, a rotary backup roll parallel to the counter shaft cooperable with the print wheels as they are rotated in one angular direction for producing a printout, operating means for pivoting the pinion shaft in said one angular direction from a first normal pivotal position thereof to an extended pivotal position for rotating the print wheels together for producing a printout and for returning the pinion shaft to its normal pivotal position, a drive pinion mounted on the pinion shaft for engagement with the drive gear of the lowest order counter wheel for rotating the wheel in said one angular direction with the pinion shaft, an arcuate locking ring engageable with the drive pinion for locking the pinion against rotation as the pinion shaft is pivoted in said one angular direction, and a one-way locking pawl engageable with the drive gear of the lowest order counter wheel for indexing the wheel relative to the remaining counter wheels as the pinion shaft is returned to its normal pivotal position.

Claim 10

A serial printing counter comprising a counter shaft, a plurality of counter wheels of increasing order rotatable on the counter shaft, the counter wheels comprising a print wheel, a combined locking ring and transfer gear segment and a drive gear, a transfer pinion shaft parallel to the counter shaft mounted for pivotal movement about the axis of the counter shaft, transfer pinions mounted on the pinion shaft intermediate the counter wheels for engagement with combined locking ring and transfer gear segments and drive gears of the counter wheels for generating transfers between adjacent lower and higher order counter wheels, a rotary backup roll parallel to the counter shaft cooperable with the print wheels as they are rotated in one angular direction for producing a printout, operating means for pivoting the pinion shaft in said one angular direction from a first normal pivotal position thereof to an extended pivotal position for rotating the print wheels together for producing a printout and for returning the pinion shaft to its normal pivotal position, a drive pinion mounted on the pinion shaft for engagement with the drive gear of the lowest order counter wheel for rotating the wheel in said one angular direction with the pinion shaft, an arcuate locking ring engageable with the drive pinion for locking the pinion against rotation as the pinion shaft is pivoted in said one angular direction, and a one-way locking pawl engageable with the drive gear of the lowest order counter wheel for indexing the wheel relative to the remaining counter wheels as the pinion shaft is returned to its normal pivotal position.