Differentially positionable type wheels in remotely controlled print modules

Claim 2

A compact print mechanism comprising a plurality of differential gears commonly aligned on a driven shaft, means for driving the shaft in oscillating manner, a plurality of typewheels cooperating with and driven by the differential gears, the typewheels having character teeth thereon with grooves therebetween engaging with the gear teeth, means including a plurality of spaced friction disks fixed on the shaft for driving thereby and engageable with the gears for rotation thereof, said friction disks tending to resist but permitting individual rotation of the gears, stop means including a radially-spaced slot in each of said differential gears and a fixed bail shaft for riding in the slots during oscillating movement of the gears and for stopping the gears at one end of oscillation thereof, pawl means pivotally supported in relation to the differential gears for engagement with selected gears, and means including a plurality of remotely-energized solenoids for actuating the pawl means to engage with the selected gears at predetermined positions during one portion of their driving cycle to stop the selected gears for presentation of characters on the typewheels in position for printing.

Claim 3

A compact print module comprising a first plate and a second plate spaced therefrom, a differential shaft journaled from and extending between the plates, the shaft carrying a plurality of slotted individually-journaled differential gears in aligned fashion, means for oscillatably driving the shaft, frictional means including a plurality of spaced disks fixed on the shaft for driving thereby and engageable with the gears for rotation thereof, said frictional disks tending to resist but permitting individual rotation of the gears, a plurality of typewheels journally supported from the plates and engaged by the differential gears to be rotated thereby, a bail shaft spaced from the differential shaft and receivable along a path in the gear slots for controlling direction and movement of the gears by permitting selected gears to cease movement and allowing other gears to be driven therebeyond in one direction, and for stopping rotation of said other gears at the end of travel in said one direction and for stopping rotation of all gears in the other direction, a plurality of pawls pivotally supported from the plates and adapted to engage with selected gears at predetermined intervals in said one direction, and solenoid means for actuating the pawls to engage with the selected gears at predetermined positions during one portion of their oscillating movement in said one direction, thereby stopping the engaged gears for presenting typewheel characters for printing thereof.

Claim 4

A compact print module comprising a first plate and a second plate spaced therefrom, a differential shaft journaled from and extending between the plates, the shaft carrying a plurality of slotted individually-journaled differential gears in aligned fashion, means for oscillatably driving the shaft, frictional means including a plurality of spaced disks fixed on the shaft for driving thereby and engageable with the gears for rotation thereof, said frictional disks tending to resist but permitting individual rotation of the gears, a plurality of typewheels journally supported from the plates and engaged by the differential gears to be rotated thereby, a bail shaft spaced from the differential shaft and receivable along a path in the gear slots for controlling direction and movement of the gears by permitting selected gears to cease movement and allowing other gears to be driven therebeyond in one direction, and for stopping rotation of said other gears at the end of travel in said one direction and for stopping rotation of all gears in the other direction, a plurality of pawls pivotally supported from the plates and adapted to engage with selected gears at predetermined intervals in said one direction, and solenoid means for actuating the pawls to engage with the selected gears at predetermined positions during one portion of their oscillating movement in said one direction, thereby stopping the engaged gears for presenting typewheel characters for printing thereof.

Claim 5

The print assembly of claim 2 including an additional differential gear and sensing means adjacent the gear for commutating positions of the typewheels for remote selective energization of the solenoid means.

Claim 6

In a label printer having remotely controlled typewheels, the combination of a supply of record material, means for feeding the record material in a path past the typewheels, a drive shaft, a plurality of friction elements secured to the shaft to be driven thereby, a plurality of differential gears journaled on the friction elements and rotatable independently of each other, each of the gears having a sloT radially spaced therein, means for driving the differential gears in rotary oscillating manner about the friction elements, the gears being engaged with the typewheels to position the wheels for printing during one portion of oscillation, a stop shaft spaced from the driven shaft and operable within the slots to permit independent control of the direction and movement of the gears and for stopping movement of certain gears at the end of travel in one direction of oscillation, and for stopping movement of all gears in the other direction, pawl means including a plurality of spring loaded toothed members positioned in relation to the differential gears to engage therewith for stopping rotation of the gears at predetermined positions during said one portion of oscillation, and electromagnetic solenoid means for actuating the pawl means to interrupt selected differential gears in response to the remote control.

Claim 7

In a label printer having remotely controlled typewheels, the combination of a supply of record material, means for feeding the record material in a path past the typewheels, a drive shaft, a plurality of friction elements secured to the shaft to be driven thereby, a plurality of differential gears journaled on the friction elements and rotatable independently of each other, each of the gears having a sloT radially spaced therein, means for driving the differential gears in rotary oscillating manner about the friction elements, the gears being engaged with the typewheels to position the wheels for printing during one portion of oscillation, a stop shaft spaced from the driven shaft and operable within the slots to permit independent control of the direction and movement of the gears and for stopping movement of certain gears at the end of travel in one direction of oscillation, and for stopping movement of all gears in the other direction, pawl means including a plurality of spring loaded toothed members positioned in relation to the differential gears to engage therewith for stopping rotation of the gears at predetermined positions during said one portion of oscillation, and electromagnetic solenoid means for actuating the pawl means to interrupt selected differential gears in response to the remote control.

Claim 8

The label printer of claim 4 wherein each differential gear includes formed teeth on a portion of the periphery thereof compatible with its associated typewheel, and formed teeth on another portion of the periphery compatible with its associated pawl means.

Claim 9

The label printer of claim 4 including an additional differential gear and sensing magnetic means adjacent the gear for commutating positions of the typewheels.

Claim 10

The label printer of claim 6 wherein the sensing means comprises a reluctance element for reading positions of the additional differential gear and for generating pulses in response thereto.

Claim 11

The label printer of claim 4 wherein each of the differential gears has an aperture therein for permitting passage of light therethrough upon alignment of the apertures to indicate a ready position of the gears.