High speed print drum with traveling print hammer

Claim 2

A high speed printer apparatus for imprinting characters on a print receiving medium comprising in combination: a cylindrical-type drum member having a plurality of annular columns on the periphery thereof, means to rotatably support the drum in a laterally fixed position, means for rotating the drum about its axis, a print impacting member located in print relation with respect to the drum and having a width that spans more than one said columns and less than two said columns, a plurality of adjacent ones of said annular columns on the drum containing type characters, the characters of each said column being grouped with each group disposed over a sector of its associated column position and adjacent character groups being angularly displaced with respect to one another in different sectors of the periphery of the drum with alternate nonadjacent character groups being in substantial axial alignment, means for continuously moving said print impacting member in a direction parallel to the axis of said drum at such a substantially constant velocity as to cover two adjacent annular columns of the drum during each revolution thereof, and means for causing the print impacting member to strike said drum in response to a selected type character being disposed in printing position with respect to the impacting member while the impacting member is continuously moving at said substantially constant velocity.

Claim 3

The printer apparatus defined in claim 1 characterized in that sectors of the drum devoid of any type characters intervene between the character containing sectors of the drum and subtend angles approximating those of the latter.

Claim 4

The printer apparatus defined in claim 2 characterized in the groups of type characters contained within the plurality of adjacent columns are all of the same length and contain the same number of type characters.

Claim 5

A high speed serial printing device having a type drum, means for supporting said drum for rotation in an axially fixed position, said drum having a plurality of adjacent circumferential columns on the periphery thereof each containing a denominational order row of type characters and each row comprising all of the figures of an order, the type characters of each of said rows being spaced circumferentially according to a given pitch and said columns being spaced axially of the drum in accord with a desired print spacing, said device distinguished by embodying in combination; a. a first drum sector which bears parallel rows of said type characters in the odd numbered columns of the drum, b. a second drum sector which bears parallel rows of said type characters in the even numbered columns of the drum, c. third and fourth drum sectors which are angularly disposed between said first and said second drum sectors and which are devoid of type characters, d. means to rotate said drum continuously, e. a single print impacting member having a striking face for individual character printing coaction with the individual type characters along a printing line parallel to the axis of the drum, f. means for continuously moving said print impacting member along said printing line to traverse the different denominational rows of type characters successively at such a substantially constant velocity as to cover two adjacent columns of the drum during each revolution of the drum, and means to operate said print impacting member when a selected type of any of said rows comes into printing range of the impacting member and while the impacting member is moving at said substantially constant velocity.

Claim 6

A high speed serial printing device having a type drum, means for supporting said drum for rotation in an axially fixed position, said drum having a plurality of adjacent circumferential columns on the periphery thereof each containing a denominational order row of type characters and each row comprising all of the figures of an order, the type characters of each of said rows being spaced circumferentially according to a given pitch and said columns being spaced axially of the drum in accord with a desired print spacing, said device distinguished by embodying in combination; a. a first drum sector which bears parallel rows of said type characters in the odd numbered columns of the drum, b. a second drum sector which bears parallel rows of said type characters in the even numbered columns of the drum, c. third and fourth drum sectors which are angularly disposed between said first and said second drum sectors and which are devoid of type characters, d. means to rotate said drum continuously, e. a single print impacting member having a striking face for individual character printing coaction with the individual type characters along a printing line parallel to the axis of the drum, f. means for continuously moving said print impacting member along said printing line to traverse the different denominational rows of type characters successively at such a substantially constant velocity as to cover two adjacent columns of the drum during each revolution of the drum, and means to operate said print impacting member when a selected type of any of said rows comes into printing range of the impacting member and while the impacting member is moving at said substantially constant velocity.

Claim 7

The printing device defined in claim 4 characterized in that the said third and fourth drum sectors subtend an angle Approximately that of said first and second drum sectors.