Recording instrument with mosaic printing head

Claim 2

In a recording instrument for a printing medium, the combination comprising: a mosaic printing head movably supporting therewithin a plurality of selectively actuable printing needles and having a mouthpiece end through which said printing needles are extendible; feed drive means for causing relative feeding movement between said mosaic printing head as a whole and the printing medium in a direction transverse of said printing needles; means oscillating said mosaic printing head as a whole for moving said mouthpiece end through a closed curve, said closed curve including a portion parallel with the direction of said feeding movement, said oscillating means including an eccentric engaging the mosaic printing head near the mouthpiece end thereof and means supporting the other end of the mosaic printing head rotatably and slidingly; means positively interengaging said oscillating means and feed drive means for causing said closed curve movement of said mosaic printing head to cancel said feeding movement during printing, said supporting means including a slider slidable in a groove in said mosaic printing head and a pin for rotatably supporting said slider for causing the mosaic printing head to move through said closed curve.

Claim 3

A recording instrument according to claim 1, in which said feed drive means includes a rack and a driven gear engaged with said rack and means positively and rotatably drivingly interconnecting said driven gear with said oscillating means.

Claim 4

In a recording instrument for a printing medium, the combination comprising: a mosaic printing head movably supporting therewithin a plurality of selectively actuable printing needles and having a mouthpiece end through which said printing needles are extendable; feed drive means for causing relative feeding movement between said mosaic printing head as a whole and the printing medium in a direction transverse of said printing needles; means oscillating said mosaic printing head as a whole for moving said mouthpiece end through a closed curve, said closed curve including a portion parallel with the direction of said feeding movement, said oscillating means including an eccentric engaging the mosaic printing head near the mouthpiece end thereof and means supporting the other end of the mosaic printing head rotatably and slidingly; means positively interengaging said oscillating means and feed drive means for causing said closed curve movement of said mosaic printing head to cancel said feeding movement during printing, said feed drive means including a track and a guide block slidable along said track, said eccentric being rotatably driven and being rotatably carried by said guide block, said means supporting the other end of said mosaic printing head comprising a slider supported by said guide block for rotation relative thereto.

Claim 5

In a recording instrument for a printing medium, the combination comprising: a mosaic printing head movably supporting therewithin a plurality of selectively actuable printing needles and having a mouthpiece end through which said printing needles are extendable; feed drive means for causing relative feeding movement between said mosaic printing head as a whole and the printing medium in a direction transverse of said printing needles; means oscillating said mosaic printing head as a whole for moving said mouthpiece end through a closed curve, said closed curve including a portion parallel with the direction of said feeding movement, said oscillating means including an eccentric engaging the mosaic printing head near the mouthpiece end thereof and means supporting the other end of the mosaic printing head rotatably and slidingly; means positively interengaging said oscillating means and feed drive means for causing said closed curve movement of said mosaic printing head to cancel said feeding movement during printing, said feed drive means including a track and a guide block slidable along said track, said eccentric being rotatably driven and being rotatably carried by said guide block, said means supporting the other end of said mosaic printing head comprising a slider supported by said guide block for rotation relative thereto.

Claim 6

In a recording instrument for a printing medium, the combination comprising: a mosaic printing head movably supporting therewithin a plurality of selectively actuable printing needles and having a mouthpiece end thRough which said printing needles are extendible; feed drive means for causing relative feeding movement between said mosaic printing head as a whole and the printing medium in a direction transverse of said printing needles; means oscillating said mosaic printing head as a whole for moving said mouthpiece end through a closed curve; said closed curve including a portion parallel with the direction of said feeding movement, said oscillating means including an eccentric engaging the mosaic printing head near the mouthpiece end thereof and means supporting the other end of the mosaic printing head rotatably and slidingly; means positively interengaging said oscillating means and feed drive means for causing said closed curve movement of said mosaic printing head to cancel said feeding movement during printing, said feed drive means including a fixed rack and a driven gear engaged therewith for providing said feeding movement, said positively interengaging means including a rotative belt drive between said eccentric and said driven gear.

Claim 7

In a recording instrument for a printing medium, the combination comprising: a mosaic printing head movably supporting therewithin a plurality of selectively actuable printing needles and having a mouthpiece end thRough which said printing needles are extendible; feed drive means for causing relative feeding movement between said mosaic printing head as a whole and the printing medium in a direction transverse of said printing needles; means oscillating said mosaic printing head as a whole for moving said mouthpiece end through a closed curve; said closed curve including a portion parallel with the direction of said feeding movement, said oscillating means including an eccentric engaging the mosaic printing head near the mouthpiece end thereof and means supporting the other end of the mosaic printing head rotatably and slidingly; means positively interengaging said oscillating means and feed drive means for causing said closed curve movement of said mosaic printing head to cancel said feeding movement during printing, said feed drive means including a fixed rack and a driven gear engaged therewith for providing said feeding movement, said positively interengaging means including a rotative belt drive between said eccentric and said driven gear.

Claim 8

A recording instrument according to claim 4, including a drive motor connected to said eccentric.

Claim 9

In a recording instrument for a printing medium, the combination comprising: a mosaic printing head movably supporting therewithin a plurality of selectively actuable printing needles and having a mouthpiece end through which said printing needles are extendible; feed drive means for causing relative feeding movement between said mosaic printing head as a whole and the printing medium in a direction transverse of said printing needles; means oscillating said mosaic printing head as a whole for moving said mouthpiece end through a closed curve; actuating means supported on said mosaic printing head for extending selectable ones of said printing needles, a guide block adjacent said mosaic printing head, first and second shafts extending rotatably through said guide block toward the mouthpiece end and the other end of said mosaic printing head respectively, said oscillating means including an eccentric rotatably received in said mosaic printing head and carried by said first shaft for noncoaxial rotation therewith, said oscillating means further including a slider rotatably supported by said second shaft and means on said mosaic printing head defining a guide extending toward said eccentric and adjacent said other end of said mosaic printing head for slidably receiving said slider and drive means for rotating said first shaft so as to cause said mouthpiece end of said mosaic printing head to move through said closed curve, said closed curve being defined by the inter-relationship of said eccentric and slider with respect to said mosaic printing head.

Claim 10

In a recording instrument for a printing medium, the combination comprising: a mosaic printing head movably supporting therewithin a plurality of selectively actuable printing needles and having a mouthpiece end through which said printing needles are extendible; feed drive means for causing relative feeding movement between said mosaic printing head as a whole and the printing medium in a direction transverse of said printing needles; means oscillating said mosaic printing head as a whole for moving said mouthpiece end through a closed curve; actuating means supported on said mosaic printing head for extending selectable ones of said printing needles, a guide block adjacent said mosaic printing head, first and second shafts extending rotatably through said guide block toward the mouthpiece end and the other end of said mosaic printing head respectively, said oscillating means including an eccentric rotatably received in said mosaic printing head and carried by said first shaft for noncoaxial rotation therewith, said oscillating means further including a slider rotatably supported by said second shaft and means on said mosaic printing head defining a guide extending toward said eccentric and adjacent said other end of said mosaic printing head for slidably receiving said slider and drive means for rotating said first shaft so as to cause said mouthpiece end of said mosaic printing head to move through said closed curve, said closed curve being defined by the inter-relationship of said eccentric and slider with respect to said mosaic printing head.

Claim 11

A recording instrument according to claim 6, in which said closed curve has a major axis extending transversely of said printing needles and wherein said other end of said mosaic printing head is constrained by said slider to movement through a substantially figure 8 shape and having a major axis transverse to the major axis of said closed curve.

Claim 12

A recording instrument according to claim 6, including a track extending transversely of said first and second shafts and slidably carrying said guide block, said feed drive means including a rack extending parallel to said track and a driven gear on said second shaft and drive means positively interconnecting said driven gear, and motor means positively interconnected to the first shaft and said driven gear for energizing said means for oscillating said mosaic head and said feed drive means in such manner that movement of said mouthpiece end along said closed curve into adjacency with the printing medium cancels said feeding movement during printing.