Striking apparatus for rotating wheel printer

Claim 2

Striking apparatus for a rotating wheel printer comprising: lever means having a hammer mounted on one end juxtaposed with and spaced from said wheel and an intermediate bearing; bearing shaft means adapted to mate with said bearing; a mechanical exciter including a ram portion extending from a disc of magnetic material, said ram and disc being supported from movement from a rest position to a position in which said ram portion impacts said lever means between said bearing and said hammer on the opposite side of the lever means relative to said bearing to cause said hammer to move toward said wheel; biasing means coupled to the other end of said lever means for maintaining said bearing in engagement with said bearing shaft means; means for retaining said exciter in said predetermined rest position; actuator means for propelling said exciter means from said rest position so that the ram portion impacts said lever means, said actuator means including a normally de-energized electromagnet through which said ram portion is slidably mounted, said electromagnet when energized attracting said disc to cause said ram to impact said lever means; and mechanical stop means For stopping said motion of said exciter means before said hammer reaches said wheel to allow said hammer to free fly toward said wheel.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1 where said means for retaining said exciter in said rest position includes permanent magnet means for attracting said disc to said rest position and maintaining said disc in said position.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 1 where said bearing includes an arcuate portion of substantially 180* formed in one face of said lever means.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 1 together with support means where, said bearing is maintained in engagement with said bearing shaft means solely by spaced parallel forces on opposite sides of the bearing provided by said biasing means and by said support means engaging said lever means.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 1 where said stop means is an integral part of said actuator means said stop means including a face of said electromagnet which forms a stopping surface for said disc when attracted by said electromagnet.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 1 where said bearing includes an arcuate cutout portion formed in one face of said lever means whereby a large bearing area is provided relative to the mass of said lever means.

Claim 8

Striking apparatus for a rotating wheel printer comprising: lever means having a hammer mounted on one end juxtaposed with and spaced from said wheel, and an intermediate bearing formed in one face of said lever means by an arcuate cutout portion of substantially 180*said one face forming an elongated planar surface extending substantially from said bearing to said one end; shaft means mating with said bearing, the center of said shaft means substantially lying in a plane formed by said elongated planar surface of said lever means whereby a large bearing area is provided relative to the mass of said lever means; a mechanical exciter for impacting said lever means between said bearing and said hammer on the opposite side of the lever means relative to said bearing to cause said hammer to move toward said wheel; normally de-energized electromagnetic actuating means in which said exciter is slidably mounted, said actuating means when energized propelling said exciter to impact said lever means; support means for contacting said opposite side of said lever means near said one end and biasing means coupled to the other end of said lever means, said biasing means and said support means providing spaced parallel forces while said lever means is in a rest position to maintain said bearing in engagement with said shaft means, said biasing means in combination with said exciter maintaining said bearing in continuous and full engagement with said shaft means during movement from said rest position when said hammer is moving toward said wheel.

Claim 9

Striking apparatus for a rotating wheel printer comprising: lever means having a hammer mounted on one end juxtaposed with and spaced from said wheel, and an intermediate bearing formed in one face of said lever means by an arcuate cutout portion of substantially 180*said one face forming an elongated planar surface extending substantially from said bearing to said one end; shaft means mating with said bearing, the center of said shaft means substantially lying in a plane formed by said elongated planar surface of said lever means whereby a large bearing area is provided relative to the mass of said lever means; a mechanical exciter for impacting said lever means between said bearing and said hammer on the opposite side of the lever means relative to said bearing to cause said hammer to move toward said wheel; normally de-energized electromagnetic actuating means in which said exciter is slidably mounted, said actuating means when energized propelling said exciter to impact said lever means; support means for contacting said opposite side of said lever means near said one end and biasing means coupled to the other end of said lever means, said biasing means and said support means providing spaced parallel forces while said lever means is in a rest position to maintain said bearing in engagement with said shaft means, said biasing means in combination with said exciter maintaining said bearing in continuous and full engagement with said shaft means during movement from said rest position when said hammer is moving toward said wheel.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 7 where said exciter includes a ram portion extending from a disc of magnetic material and together with permanent magnet means for attracting said disc and retaining said exciter in a predetermined rest position.

Claim 11

Apparatus as in claim 8 where said normally de-energized electromagnetic means attracts said disc, when energized, from said permanent magnet means for propelling said exciter to impact said lever means.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 7 where said biasing means is a compression spring having one end inset in said end of said lever means.