US3789969A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
High speed printer
Assignee: Genicom Corp
•
Filing: 1972-04-06
•
Granted: 1974-02-05
•
Expires: 1992-04-06
Abstract
Abstract A control system for printers in which an elongated paper document is moved at a substantially constant speed. A plurality of reciprocally mounted solenoid operated print wires are mounted at spaced intervals upon a movable assembly arranged to move along a line transverse to the direction of movement of the paper document. The print wires are selectively operated by electronic and electromechanical means to impact an inked ribbon against the paper document for printing and/or plotting. The movable assembly is designed to fully compensate for the movement of the document to assure that all dots printed along a single row will form a straight line. While only selected ones of the print wires need be operated at any given instant, those selected for operation are all driven against the inked ribbon simultaneously to provide high speed printing and/or plotting of the dot matrix type. Means are provided, in one preferred embodiment, for paper movement of one, five and twelve ''''dot'''' feeds to respectively provide for dot row spacing, character line spacing and line feed.
Inventors
- 👤 R Howard
- 👤 P Robinson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 14:44
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J15/00; B41J15/04; B41J15/06; G; G06; G06K; G06K15/00; G06K15/02; G06K15/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
508 words
An impact printer for forming dot patterns upon a movable document in a row by row fashion whereby a regular matrix of A dot rows by B dot columns define each character (A and B being real integers greater than 1) comprising: a carriage assembly movable in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said paper document; a plurality of impact means each mounted upon said carriage assembly; each of said impact means including a reciprocating print wire and means for driving said wire againsT said document at high speed; the ends of said wires being arranged at spaced intervals along said carriage assembly and arranged along an imaginary straight line substantially in alignment with the direction of movement of said carriage assembly; means for selectively energizing said impact means during movement of said carriage assembly in the printing direction, whereby the distance traveled by said carriage assembly in printing one line of dots is 1/Nth the length of a full line of dots where N represents the number of impact means; continuously operating drive means; movable platen means for moving said paper document; first advancing means coupled to said platen means for moving said paper document at a first velocity in a direction transverse to the movement of said carriage assembly; shuttle means having a full operating cycle for moving said carriage assembly from a start position across said platen to the end of printing position and for returning said carriage assembly to the start position; means responsive to a printing operation for coupling said shuttle means and said advancing means to said drive means; a recirculating register for storing binary coded words representative of the characters to be printed; characters generating means coupled to said register for generating a plurality of groups of dot column signals representing the dot matrix pattern for the coded character applied to the character generator; first counter means coupled to said register for applying every Nth coded character to said character generating means; second counter means coupled to said character generator means for causing only one of said groups of column signals to appear at the output of said character generating means; buffer register means having a storage stage for each driving means for storing one dot signal for every Nth character; third counter means for transferring only one of the dot column signals of every Nth character generated by said character generating means to said buffer register means; registration means for simultaneously energizing the impact means associated with each buffer register means storage stage when the driving means are in the printing position; fourth means for counting the number of dot rows which have been printed in a line of characters; said coupling means including means for decoupling said advancing means and said shuttle means from said drive means upon completion of a shuttle means operating cycle; said fourth counting means being connected to said coupling means for activating said coupling means prior to the completion of printing of each dot row until the count therein equals A.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
508 words
An impact printer for forming dot patterns upon a movable document in a row by row fashion whereby a regular matrix of A dot rows by B dot columns define each character (A and B being real integers greater than 1) comprising: a carriage assembly movable in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said paper document; a plurality of impact means each mounted upon said carriage assembly; each of said impact means including a reciprocating print wire and means for driving said wire againsT said document at high speed; the ends of said wires being arranged at spaced intervals along said carriage assembly and arranged along an imaginary straight line substantially in alignment with the direction of movement of said carriage assembly; means for selectively energizing said impact means during movement of said carriage assembly in the printing direction, whereby the distance traveled by said carriage assembly in printing one line of dots is 1/Nth the length of a full line of dots where N represents the number of impact means; continuously operating drive means; movable platen means for moving said paper document; first advancing means coupled to said platen means for moving said paper document at a first velocity in a direction transverse to the movement of said carriage assembly; shuttle means having a full operating cycle for moving said carriage assembly from a start position across said platen to the end of printing position and for returning said carriage assembly to the start position; means responsive to a printing operation for coupling said shuttle means and said advancing means to said drive means; a recirculating register for storing binary coded words representative of the characters to be printed; characters generating means coupled to said register for generating a plurality of groups of dot column signals representing the dot matrix pattern for the coded character applied to the character generator; first counter means coupled to said register for applying every Nth coded character to said character generating means; second counter means coupled to said character generator means for causing only one of said groups of column signals to appear at the output of said character generating means; buffer register means having a storage stage for each driving means for storing one dot signal for every Nth character; third counter means for transferring only one of the dot column signals of every Nth character generated by said character generating means to said buffer register means; registration means for simultaneously energizing the impact means associated with each buffer register means storage stage when the driving means are in the printing position; fourth means for counting the number of dot rows which have been printed in a line of characters; said coupling means including means for decoupling said advancing means and said shuttle means from said drive means upon completion of a shuttle means operating cycle; said fourth counting means being connected to said coupling means for activating said coupling means prior to the completion of printing of each dot row until the count therein equals A.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
68 words
The printer of claim 1 further comprising second advancing means coupled to said platen means for moving said paper document at a second velocity greater than said first velocity; second coupling means responsive to a line spacing request for coupling said second advancing means to said drive means; means coupled to said fourth counting means for generating a line spacing request when the count developed therein equals A.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
The printer of claim 2 further comprising third advancing means coupled to said platen means for moving said paper document at a third velocity greater than said second velocity; third coupling means responsive to a form feed request for coupling said third advancing means to said drive means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
The printer of claim 2 further comprising first mechanical means having first and second inputs and an output for coupling either said first or second advancing means connected respectively to said first and second inputs, to said output, which is coupled to said platen means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
69 words
The printer of claim 4 further comprising second mechanical means having first and second inputs and an output, said first input being coupled to the output of said first mechanical means, said second input being coupled to said third advanciNg means and said second mechanical means output being coupled to said platen means for coupling any one of said first, second or third advancing means to said platen means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The printer of claim 5 wherein said mechanical means is a planetary gear assembly.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
290 words
A high speed dot matrix printer of the impact type comprising: a platen assembly feeding a paper document; a shuttle assembly comprising a movable platform; a plurality of impact means mounted at spaced intervals along said platform; each of said impact means including a slender reciprocally mounted print wire for impacting said paper document when its impact means is actuated and for retracting from said paper document when its impact means is deactuated; drive means; first, second and third driven means constantly rotated by said drive means when said drive means is energized for respectively driving said platen assembly at first, second and third velocities; a shuttle cam for reciprocating said platform from a start position to an end of print position and back to the start position; first and second coupling means each having first and second inputs and an output; first clutch means coupling the first driven means to said shuttle cam and said platen means for driving said shuttle cam and said platen means when said first clutch means is actuated; said shuttle cam being coupled to the first input of said first coupling means; second clutch means for coupling said second driven means to the second input of said first coupling means when said second clutch means is actuated; the first input of said second coupling means being coupled to the output of said first coupling means; third clutch means for coupling said third driven means to the second input of said second coupling means; the output of said second coupling means being coupled to said platen means for driving said platen means by any one of said first, second or third driven means while said shuttle cam is driven by only said first driver means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
290 words
A high speed dot matrix printer of the impact type comprising: a platen assembly feeding a paper document; a shuttle assembly comprising a movable platform; a plurality of impact means mounted at spaced intervals along said platform; each of said impact means including a slender reciprocally mounted print wire for impacting said paper document when its impact means is actuated and for retracting from said paper document when its impact means is deactuated; drive means; first, second and third driven means constantly rotated by said drive means when said drive means is energized for respectively driving said platen assembly at first, second and third velocities; a shuttle cam for reciprocating said platform from a start position to an end of print position and back to the start position; first and second coupling means each having first and second inputs and an output; first clutch means coupling the first driven means to said shuttle cam and said platen means for driving said shuttle cam and said platen means when said first clutch means is actuated; said shuttle cam being coupled to the first input of said first coupling means; second clutch means for coupling said second driven means to the second input of said first coupling means when said second clutch means is actuated; the first input of said second coupling means being coupled to the output of said first coupling means; third clutch means for coupling said third driven means to the second input of said second coupling means; the output of said second coupling means being coupled to said platen means for driving said platen means by any one of said first, second or third driven means while said shuttle cam is driven by only said first driver means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
The printer of claim 7 further comprising means coupled between said shuttle cam and the first input of said first coupling means for driving said platen means to move said paper document at a first constant velocity to effect a printing operation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
42 words
The printer of claim 8 further comprising means coupled between said second clutch means and the second input of said first coupling means for driving said platen means to move said paper document at a second velocity greater than said first velocity.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
The printer of claim 8 further comprising means coupled between said third clutch means and the second input of said second coupling means for driving said platen means to move said paper document at a third velocity greater than said second velocity.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
87 words
The printer of claim 7 wherein said first and second coupling means are each comprised of a sun gear rotatable about its central axis; first and second planet gears mounted to a common shaft; said shaft being mounted within an opening in said sun gear displaced from said central axis; said first input comprising a gear meshing with said first planet gear; said second input comprising a second gear meshing with said sun gear; said output means comprising a third gear meshing with said second planet gear.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The printer of claim 7 wherein at least one of said first, second and third clutch means includes means for automatically deactivating its associated clutch means after each full revolution.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
The printer of claim 7 wherein at least one of said first, second and third clutch means includes means for automatically deactivating its associated clutch means after each half revolution.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
The printer of claim 7 wherein at least one of said first, second and third clutch means includes means for automatically deactivating its associated clutch means after revolving a predetermined portion of a revolution.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
63 words
The printer of claim 7 whErein said shuttle cam comprises a rotatable cylinder having a cam in the form of a continuous flange extending outwardly from the periphery of said cylinder; a pair of projections secured to said platform; said flange being positioned between said projections to reciprocate said platform in a forward and rearward direction for each revolution of said shuttle cam.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
157 words
A head assembly for impact printers and the like comprising: a platen; a first platform mounted for reciprocating movement in a direction substantially parallel to said platen; second and third platforms; means for movably mounting said second and third platforms on said first platform to enable reciprocating movement of said second and third platforms independently of one another and in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said first platform; first and second groups of solenoids respectively mounted on said first and second platforms; means for independently moving said second and third platforms respectively toward and away from said platen; each of said solenoids including a reciprocating print wire for impacting a paper document moved by said platen; means on each of said second and third platforms for reciprocally mounting the forward ends of said print wires; means for driving said first platform across said platen whereby said second and third platforms move simultaneously therewith.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
157 words
A head assembly for impact printers and the like comprising: a platen; a first platform mounted for reciprocating movement in a direction substantially parallel to said platen; second and third platforms; means for movably mounting said second and third platforms on said first platform to enable reciprocating movement of said second and third platforms independently of one another and in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said first platform; first and second groups of solenoids respectively mounted on said first and second platforms; means for independently moving said second and third platforms respectively toward and away from said platen; each of said solenoids including a reciprocating print wire for impacting a paper document moved by said platen; means on each of said second and third platforms for reciprocally mounting the forward ends of said print wires; means for driving said first platform across said platen whereby said second and third platforms move simultaneously therewith.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
57 words
The assembly of claim 16 wherein each of said second and third platforms includes means for extending from their associated platforms toward said platen to maintain a predetermined spacing between said platen and the print wires of said second and third platforms when either or both of said second and third platforms are moved toward said platen.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
The assembly of claim 17 wherein each of said spacing means comprises rollers rotatably mounted to their associated platforms.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
335 words
Control means for an impact printer of the dot matrix type having means for moving a paper document; print means movable in a direction transverse to the movement of said paper document; a plurality of impact means mounted upon said print means for impacting said paper document; said control means comprising a data source for generating binary coded data representing characters to be pringed and control functions to be performed by said control means; recirculating register means for storing a predetermined number of binary data representing characters to be printed; counter means for counting the number of binary coded characters applied to said register; said data source including first clock means for shifting binary coded characters into said register and simultaneously advancing the count of said counter means; decoding means coupled to said counter means for generating a signal when said register is loaded to capacity; means coupled to said decoding means for activating said document moving means and said print means when said register is filled to capacity; second clock means; means coupled to said counter means for coupling said second clock means to said counter means and said register means when said register means is filled to capacity to step said counter means and shift characters through said register means; character generator means coupled to the output of said register means for generating M groups of column signals each column group having N signals to represent a different M X N dot matrix for each coded character applied to said character generator means; means coupled between said counter means and said character generator means for selecting one of said M columns dependent upon the count in said counter means; multi-stage buffer register means for storing one-dot position of selected characters in the line of characters to be printed; multiplexer means coupled to said counter means for transferring one of the N signals in the selected column to an associated stage of said buffer register means dependent upon the count in said counter means.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
335 words
Control means for an impact printer of the dot matrix type having means for moving a paper document; print means movable in a direction transverse to the movement of said paper document; a plurality of impact means mounted upon said print means for impacting said paper document; said control means comprising a data source for generating binary coded data representing characters to be pringed and control functions to be performed by said control means; recirculating register means for storing a predetermined number of binary data representing characters to be printed; counter means for counting the number of binary coded characters applied to said register; said data source including first clock means for shifting binary coded characters into said register and simultaneously advancing the count of said counter means; decoding means coupled to said counter means for generating a signal when said register is loaded to capacity; means coupled to said decoding means for activating said document moving means and said print means when said register is filled to capacity; second clock means; means coupled to said counter means for coupling said second clock means to said counter means and said register means when said register means is filled to capacity to step said counter means and shift characters through said register means; character generator means coupled to the output of said register means for generating M groups of column signals each column group having N signals to represent a different M X N dot matrix for each coded character applied to said character generator means; means coupled between said counter means and said character generator means for selecting one of said M columns dependent upon the count in said counter means; multi-stage buffer register means for storing one-dot position of selected characters in the line of characters to be printed; multiplexer means coupled to said counter means for transferring one of the N signals in the selected column to an associated stage of said buffer register means dependent upon the count in said counter means.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
93 words
The control means of claim 19 further comprising means for sensing the position of said print means to generate registration signals at discrete intervals along the path of movement of said print means; means coupled to said sensing means and said counter means for reading out the contents of said buffer register means when said buffer register means is fully loaded and the next registration signal is generated; the output of said buffer register means being coupled to said input means for selectively operating said impact means in synchronism with said registration signals.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
71 words
The control means of claim 20 further comprising means for recirculating characters applied to said character generator means from said register means back into the input of said register means; said multiplexer means enabling said buffer register to load the desired dot signals of every Kth coded character in said register where K C/IN and C equals the capacity of said register means and IN is the number of impact means.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
197 words
A print head assembly for use in dot matrix printers of the impact type comprising an elongated movable platform; means for guiding said movable platform along an inclined path; an elongated support member having an inclined mounting surface positioned upon said platform; a solenoid mounting member secured to said support member and having a plurality of spaced apertures, the center lines of said apertures being defined by an imaginary straight line inclined at an angle to said mounting surface; a plurality of solenoids each having their forward ends mounted in said apertures; each of said solenoids having a slender reciprocatable print wire extending from the forward end of each solenoid; a bracket mounted to said mounting member, said bracket having an arm positioned a spaced distance in front of said mounting member; said arm having openings each receiving the forward ends of an associated one of said print wires; the upper and lower surfaces of said mounting member being equidistant from said imaginary straight line enabling said mounting member to be positioned with either the upper or lower surfaces engaging said support member to provide for even wearing of said print wires during long continued use thereof.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
197 words
A print head assembly for use in dot matrix printers of the impact type comprising an elongated movable platform; means for guiding said movable platform along an inclined path; an elongated support member having an inclined mounting surface positioned upon said platform; a solenoid mounting member secured to said support member and having a plurality of spaced apertures, the center lines of said apertures being defined by an imaginary straight line inclined at an angle to said mounting surface; a plurality of solenoids each having their forward ends mounted in said apertures; each of said solenoids having a slender reciprocatable print wire extending from the forward end of each solenoid; a bracket mounted to said mounting member, said bracket having an arm positioned a spaced distance in front of said mounting member; said arm having openings each receiving the forward ends of an associated one of said print wires; the upper and lower surfaces of said mounting member being equidistant from said imaginary straight line enabling said mounting member to be positioned with either the upper or lower surfaces engaging said support member to provide for even wearing of said print wires during long continued use thereof.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
35 words
The print head assembly of claim 22 wherein said bracket arm is provided with jewel bearings in each of the openings receiving a print wire to provide a low friction bearing for said print wires.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2674652A
Cited
US2869455A
Cited
US2980227A
Cited
US3174427A
Cited
US3332343A
Cited
US3524528A
Cited
US3601297A
Cited
US3625142A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-02-04 | 1977-08-06 | 1978-02-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-02-04 | 1981-08-06 | 1982-02-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-02-04 | 1985-08-06 | 1986-02-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |