Keyboard printer for typewriting and recording characters on a magnetic tape

Claim 2

Apparatus for recording character siGnals on a magnetic tape comprising a keyboard, a motor, a rotating shaft controlled by said motor, means controlled by said shaft for generating start pulses at a rate of one start pulse for a cycle of said shaft, capacitor rotating means comprising an annular electrode, fixed radial electrodes each connected to a corresponding key of the keyboard and a rotating electrode controlled by said shaft and moving opposite to said radial electrodes whereby said capacitor rotating means generates recurrent character pulses and key pulses when a key is manually operated, said key pulses being timed within a cycle of said shaft according to the operated key, a binary counter for counting character pulses which is ''''on'''' by a start pulse and ''''off'''' by the next key pulse whereby said counter stores a contents which is a binary number equal to the number of character pulses generated between said start pulse and next key pulse, a magnetic tape recorder, means for transferring sequentially counter contents to said magnetic tape recorder, means for converting said contents into character signals, means for gating a predetermined number of character pulses following said next key pulse which control said transferring means and synchronize storing of said character signals on said magnetic tape.

Claim 3

An apparatus for recording character signals on a magnetic tape as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for gating a predetermined number of character pulses following the said next key pulse comprises an auxiliary counter triggered by the next start pulse following the start pulse starting the binary counter, the said auxiliary counter counting character pulses, a gate transmitting character pulses, such gate being opened during the period between two character pulses having predetermined delays from the said next start pulse.

Claim 4

An apparatus for recording character signals on a magnetic tape as set forth in claim 2, wherein the magnetic tape recorder comprises step-by-step advancing means for the tape, said advancing means comprising a plunger electromagnet whose plunger provided with a hook actuates a toothed wheel coupled to a magnetic tape drive wheel, said advancing means being triggered by the said next start pulse and the first synchronization pulse being applied to the said magnetic tape recorder delayed by a predetermined period number so that the said magnetic drive wheel rotates at constant speed after having canceled out its acceleration.

Claim 5

A keyboard printer for recording character signals on a magnetic tape comprising means for generating onto a plurality of start and character terminals a start pulse and character pulses, a plurality of manually operated character keys each including first and second electrodes, connections between the first of the said electrodes and said character terminals, an annular electrode, a rotating electrode sequentially and capacitively coupling said annular electrode to each one of a plurality of character electrodes each constituting one of the said character terminals, connections between the second of said electrodes and an output terminal, said key electrodes exhibiting with each other a large capacitance when operator''s finger tip is on the key and a small capacitance when operator''s finger tip is off the key, whereby cyclical key pulses are produced at a key pulse terminal as long as operator''s finger tip is on the corresponding key, means for applying said key pulses to said selective printing means, a binary counter for counting and storing the number of character pulses between the start pulse and the next key pulse, said pulse number determining the character to be recorded, means for triggering said binary counter by said start pulse, means for stopping said binary counter by the next key pulse, a magnetic tape recorder, means for transferring binary counter contents serially to said magnetic tape recorder, means for gating a predetermined number of character pulses following the said next key pulse, such gated chaRacter pulses being used for controlling said transferring means and as synchronization pulses within said magnetic tape recorder.

Claim 6

A keyboard printer for recording character signals on a magnetic tape comprising means for generating onto a plurality of start and character terminals a start pulse and character pulses, a plurality of manually operated character keys each including first and second electrodes, connections between the first of the said electrodes and said character terminals, an annular electrode, a rotating electrode sequentially and capacitively coupling said annular electrode to each one of a plurality of character electrodes each constituting one of the said character terminals, connections between the second of said electrodes and an output terminal, said key electrodes exhibiting with each other a large capacitance when operator''s finger tip is on the key and a small capacitance when operator''s finger tip is off the key, whereby cyclical key pulses are produced at a key pulse terminal as long as operator''s finger tip is on the corresponding key, means for applying said key pulses to said selective printing means, a binary counter for counting and storing the number of character pulses between the start pulse and the next key pulse, said pulse number determining the character to be recorded, means for triggering said binary counter by said start pulse, means for stopping said binary counter by the next key pulse, a magnetic tape recorder, means for transferring binary counter contents serially to said magnetic tape recorder, means for gating a predetermined number of character pulses following the said next key pulse, such gated chaRacter pulses being used for controlling said transferring means and as synchronization pulses within said magnetic tape recorder.