US3724366A — High-speed parallel printer

Claim 1

Independent Claim 219 words

A high speed printer system for printing encoded multiple character messages from an electronic data processing unit, the printer being of the type having a character drum continuously rotated past a print position by a motor and the drum including multiple identical side by side columns of characters and the printer including means for encoding signals representing each printable character row position of the drum, the combination of: a. a separate print hammer acceleration and impact mechanism located opposite each column of the drum; b. an electrically released latch for each of said mechanisms and operative to releasably hold it in an energy-restored position retracted away from the drum; c. restore means operative when actuated to couple drive from the motor to retract all hammer means into latched energyrestored position; d. means operative each time the restore means is operative to advance paper between the hammer means and the drum; and e. electronic control means responsive to coincidence between encoded characters in a message and encoded character drum position signals to release the latches of mechanisms in those drum positions experiencing coincidence and print those characters on the paper, and said control means being operative in response to completion of rotation of the drum past its printable character rows to actuate said restore means and said paper advance means.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 219 words

A high speed printer system for printing encoded multiple character messages from an electronic data processing unit, the printer being of the type having a character drum continuously rotated past a print position by a motor and the drum including multiple identical side by side columns of characters and the printer including means for encoding signals representing each printable character row position of the drum, the combination of: a. a separate print hammer acceleration and impact mechanism located opposite each column of the drum; b. an electrically released latch for each of said mechanisms and operative to releasably hold it in an energy-restored position retracted away from the drum; c. restore means operative when actuated to couple drive from the motor to retract all hammer means into latched energyrestored position; d. means operative each time the restore means is operative to advance paper between the hammer means and the drum; and e. electronic control means responsive to coincidence between encoded characters in a message and encoded character drum position signals to release the latches of mechanisms in those drum positions experiencing coincidence and print those characters on the paper, and said control means being operative in response to completion of rotation of the drum past its printable character rows to actuate said restore means and said paper advance means.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 126 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 1, said electronic control means comprising coincidence detector means; storage means for storing and repeatedly recirculating multiple encoded message characters corresponding with the columns of the drum to be printed, means responsive to the arrival of a drum row in the print position to actuate said character recirculating means sequentially to circulate the message characters for each column in the line to be printed while comparing them with the encoded character representing that drum row employing said coincidence detector; and means operative to count the columns as they are compared and responsive to counting of the last column to be printed to inhibit recirculation of the message characters until the next drum row reaches said print position.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 73 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 2, said electronic control means further comprising means for counting the drUm rows as they appear in the print position commencing with the row-appearing during the first recirculation of the message character stored; and means responsive to said row counting means when it has counted as many printable rows as are on the drum to actuate said restore means and said paper advance means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 70 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 2, said electronic control means comprising a message data system including said storage means and including data control means for accepting new message data and entering it into said storage means, said new data including a print command; and means responsive to said print command for actuating said data control means to recirculate the stored data while excluding additional new data.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 243 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 1, the printer comprising a main frame supporting said motor and said rotating character drum; said means for advancing paper including apertured paper-feed plate means adjacent the drum; the printer further comprising a print-energy and restore assembly carried by support means secured to said frame and including said restore means, said acceleration and impact mechanisms and said latches, said mechanisms being disposed in operative relationship at said print position on the opposite side of said apertured plate means from the character drum; said print energy and restore assembly comprising as part of each of said mechanisms a hammer disposed opposite a corresponding column of the drum, guide means supporting said hammers for free reciprocation radially of the drum, a bellcrank having a first leg aligned to strike the associated hammer toward the drum and a second leg coupled to an energy spring urging the first leg toward the hammer, the bellcranks being pivoted to the assembly support means at the intersections of their legs and said latches each comprising an arm associated with a bellcrank and pivotally supported on said assembly support means and having a hook for latching one of its legs in a position to maintain its first leg retracted with respect to the hammer; and electromechanical means coupled for control by said control means and operative to displace each associated latch arm and disengage its hook from the corresponding crank leg.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 108 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 5, said restore means comprising bail means extending across all of the bellcranks and disposed to contact one leg of each when displaced to move the legs and restore them to latched positions in which the hooks of the arms latch one of the legs of each of the bellcranks; a restore shaft supported by the assembly support means and carrying cam means; cam follower means coupled to displace the bail means when the cam means is rotated; and clutch means operative in response to said electronic control means to couple said restore shaft for rotation by the motor.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 125 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 6, said assembly support means comprising two opposed spaced side plates having bearings supporting said restore shaft which extends therethrough; a fulcrum block between said side plates and supporting said hammer guide means, the fulcrum block extending away from the drum and the hammer guide means and carrying pivots supporting said bellcranks so that the first legs of alternate cranks extend inwardly toward the hammers from opposite directions in intermeshing relationship in the vicinity of the guide; the hammers extending through the latter and lying between the first legs and the associated columns of the character drum; and the fulcrum block having other pivots supporting said latch arms respectively in alignment with their associated bellcrank legs.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 76 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 7, said electromechanical means comprising solenoids each having a plunger coupled to one of the latch arms to displace it from latched position; and said assembly support means including multiple solenoid deck means extending between, and supported on, opposed sides of the side plates of the print Energy and restore assembly with the solenoid plungers engaging the respective latch arms which are supported on the fulcrum block.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 38 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 8, at least two solenoid decks supported on each of said opposed sides of the side plates, and the decks on each side supporting solenoids in interleaved mutually-staggered relationship.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 93 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 5, each hammer comprising a mass supported in the hammer guide parallel to all the other hammers and opposite a character column of the drum, each hammer being of such length that when the first leg of its associated bellcrank is unlatched the hammer can lie on the leg short of contact with paper which extends through the paper feed plate means; and rebound control spring means maintaining the hammer retracted from contact with the paper except when sharply struck by said first leg.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 59 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 10, each rebound control spring means comprising a spring wire extending through and beyond the hammer and curved toward the paper feed plate, the wire contacting and pressing against the plate when the hammer impacts the paper as a result of being struck by a leg of the associated bellcrank.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 44 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 11, each spring wire being bent to form a loop on each side of the hammer through which it passes, and the ends of the wire beyond said loops extending toward said paper feed plate.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 88 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 5, the energy springs which are each coupled at one end to a second leg of a bellcrank being fixed at their respective other ends to the assembly support means by adjustable means movable to preset the spring force on the bellcrank, and the proportions of the legs, their masses, the spring force and the mass of the hammer being selected to minimize the tendency of the hammer to impact the paper a second time after its first impact.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 112 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 1, said printer including roller means operative to contact the character drum to ink the columns of characters on its surface; paper feed plate means between the drum and the hammers for guiding the paper past the surface of the drum just out of contact therewith, and the plate means having an aperture therein through which the hammers can strike the paper against the drum; and individual barrier means extending between the columns of characters on the drum and located so as to prevent the paper from undesirably contacting the characters in columns which are located adjacent to a character being intentionally impacted.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 55 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 14, said barrier means comprising plural parallel wires extending across the aperture in the paper feed plate means and respectively extending between adjacent columns of characters on the drum and serving as barriers yieldably holding the paper radially outwardly from the printing surfaces of the drum.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 49 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 14, said barrier means comprising plural parallel blades disposed between the adjacent columns of characters on the drum and extending closer to the paper than the printing surfaces of the characters as measured radially from the center of the drum.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 49 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 14, means for supporting said ink roller means for reciprocable movement into and out of contact with said drum, and means responsive to said control means to move the roller into contact with the drum when the printer is operative.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 147 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 1, plural parallel paper-feed plate means extending between the drum and the hammers for guiding the paper past the surface of the drum just out of contact therewith, and said plate means having mutually registering apertures therein through which the hammers impact the paper against the drum; and said paper advancing means including paper tape supply means for delivering paper tape between two of the plate means, And including a third plate means defining with said plate means a slot through which other paper forms can be inserted for feeding between said plate means; and feed roll means for driving the paper through the plates in unison, said printer including actuator means coupled to the restore means and disposed to rotate said feed roll means a fixed amount when the restore means is actuated by said control means.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 45 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 18, said paper feed plate means including openings therethrough to receive opposed feed rolls, and said actuator being coupled simultaneously to drive both feed rolls in directions to advance the paper passing between the plate means.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 33 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 19, manual means accessible exteriorly of the printer for separating the feed rolls to permit insertion of said other paper forms in said slot.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 32 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 20, said electronic control means including means responsive to operation of said manual means to inhibit the other functions of the control means.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 38 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 19, means for sensing full insertion of said other paper forms in the slot; and means responsive thereto to enable the control means to proceed with its other functions.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 259 words

A multiple digit printer, comprising: a. a motor; b. a character drum having a print column for each of said digits, the drum being coupled for rotation by the motor and having multiple rows of identical print characters; c. means for advancing paper including paper-feed plate means each having an aperture adjacent the drum; d. a print energy and restore assembly carried by support means secured to said frame and in turn supporting spring-urged print hammer acceleration and restore mechanisms including latches for holding the mechanisms in energy-restored positions, said mechanisms being disposed in operative relationship opposite the drum at the aperture in the plate means; e. said print energy and restore assembly including as part of each mechanism a hammer disposed opposite the corresponding column of the drum and guide means supporting said hammer for free reciprocation radially of the drum; f. each hammer acceleration and restore mechanism further comprising a crank having a first leg portion aligned to strike a hammer and a second leg portion coupled to an energy spring urging the first leg portion toward the hammer, the cranks being pivoted to the assembly support means; g. said latches each comprising an arm associated with a crank and pivotally supported on said assembly support means and having a hook for latching one of the leg portions in a position to maintain its first leg portion retracted with respect to the corresponding hammer; and h. selective print actuating means operative to displace each associated latch arm and disengage its hook from the corresponding crank leg portion.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 259 words

A multiple digit printer, comprising: a. a motor; b. a character drum having a print column for each of said digits, the drum being coupled for rotation by the motor and having multiple rows of identical print characters; c. means for advancing paper including paper-feed plate means each having an aperture adjacent the drum; d. a print energy and restore assembly carried by support means secured to said frame and in turn supporting spring-urged print hammer acceleration and restore mechanisms including latches for holding the mechanisms in energy-restored positions, said mechanisms being disposed in operative relationship opposite the drum at the aperture in the plate means; e. said print energy and restore assembly including as part of each mechanism a hammer disposed opposite the corresponding column of the drum and guide means supporting said hammer for free reciprocation radially of the drum; f. each hammer acceleration and restore mechanism further comprising a crank having a first leg portion aligned to strike a hammer and a second leg portion coupled to an energy spring urging the first leg portion toward the hammer, the cranks being pivoted to the assembly support means; g. said latches each comprising an arm associated with a crank and pivotally supported on said assembly support means and having a hook for latching one of the leg portions in a position to maintain its first leg portion retracted with respect to the corresponding hammer; and h. selective print actuating means operative to displace each associated latch arm and disengage its hook from the corresponding crank leg portion.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 107 words

In a printer as set forth in claim 23, said restore means comprising bail means extending across all of the cranks and disposed to contact one leg portion of each when displaced to move the leg portions and restore the hammer accelerating mechanism to latched positions in which the hooks of the arms latch each of said one leg portions of the cranks; a restore shaft supported by the assembly support means and carrying cam means; cam follower means coupled to displace the bail means when the cam means is rotated; and clutch means operative when actuated to couple said restore shaft for rotation by the motor.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 131 words

In a printer as set forth in claim 24, said assembly support means comprising two opposed spaced side plates having bearings supporting said restore shaft which extends therethrough; a fulcrum block located between said side plates and supporting said hammer guide means, the fulcrum block extending away from the drum and disposed opposite to the hammer guide means and carrying pivots supporting said cranks so that the first leg portions of Alternate cranks extend inwardly toward the hammers from opposite directions in intermeshing relationship in the vicinity of the guide means, the hammers extending through the latter and lying between the first leg portions and the associated columns of the character drum; and the fulcrum block having other pivots supporting said latch arms respectively in alignment with their associated crank arms.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 74 words

In a printer as set forth in claim 25, said electromechanical means comprising solenoids each having a plunger coupled to one of the latch arms to displace it from latched position;and said assembly support means including multiple solenoid deck means extending between, and supported on, opposed sides of the side plates of the print energy and restore assembly with the solenoid plungers engaging the respective latch arms which are supported on the fulcrum block.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 39 words

In a printer as set forth in claim 26, there being at least two solenoid decks supported on each of said opposed sides of the side plates, and the decks on each side supporting solenoids in interleaved mutually-staggered relationship.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 96 words

In a printer as set forth in claim 23, each hammer comprising a bar supported in the hammer guide means parallel to all the other hammers and opposite a character column of the drum, each hammer being of such length that when the first leg portion of its associated crank is unlatched the hammer can lie on the leg portion short of contact with paper which extends through the paper feed plate means; and rebound control spring means maintaining the hammer retracted from contact with the paper except when sharply struck by said first leg portion.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 59 words

In a printer as set forth in claim 28, each rebound control spring means comprising a spring wire extending through and beyond the hammer and curved toward the paper feed plate, the wire contacting and pressing against the plate when the hammer impacts the paper as a result of being struck by a leg portion of the associated crank.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 43 words

In a printer as set forth in claim 29, each spring wire being bent to form a loop on each side of the hammer through which it passes, and the ends of the wire beyond said loops extending toward said paper feed plates.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 89 words

In a printer as set forth in claim 23, the energy springs which are each coupled at one end to a second leg portion of a crank being fixed at their respective other ends to the assembly support means by adjustable means movable to preset the spring force on the crank, and the proportions of the leg portions, their masses, the spring force and the mass of the hammer being adjusted to minimize the tendency of the hammer to impact the paper a second time after its first impact.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 67 words

In a printer as set forth in claim 23, said printer including roller means operative to contact the character drum to ink the columns of characters on its surface; and individual barrier means extending between the columns of characters on the drum and located so as to prevent the paper from undesirably contacting the characters in columns which are located adjacent to a character being intentionally impacted.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 54 words

In a printer system as set forth in claim 32, said barrier means comprising plural parallel wires extending across the aperture in the paper feed plate and respectively extending between adjacent columns of characters on the drum and serving as barriers yieldably holding the paper radially outwardly from the printing surfaces of the drum.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-04-02	1976-10-02	1977-04-03	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-04-02	1980-10-02	1981-04-03	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-04-02	1984-10-02	1985-04-03	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

High-speed parallel printer

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