US3795187A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Impellers for impact printers
Assignee: AT&T Teletype Corp
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Filing: 1972-07-03
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Granted: 1974-03-05
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Expires: 1992-07-03
Abstract
Abstract A plurality of self-restoring equally spaced apart print hammers selectively are driven lineally toward a printing position by continuously rotating impellers having equiangularly spaced radial impelling elements. Each impeller is effective through the agency of an interponent, which is selectively elevated into the path of associated impelling elements upon latching of the armature of an electromagnet, for transmitting impeller force to a corresponding print hammer. A plurality of dies, which are conveyed past the hammers for printing, are aligned axially of an endless conveyor in equally spaced relationship different from the spacing of said hammers. The impelling elements of each impeller are angularly offset from corresponding impelling elements of adjoining impellers in accordance with and for accommodation of the spacing difference.
Inventors
- 👤 E Babler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 22:49
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J9/00; B41J9/26; B41J9/32
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
254 words
In an impact printer of the class having a row of print hammers equally spaced apart a first distance and an array of type pallets equally spaced apart a second distance and arranged with the array of hammers for relative movement for simultaneously aligning successive pallets with successive hammers for printing; impelling means having a plurality of impelling elements projecting therefrom; means for mounting the impelling means parallel to the row of hammers; means for continuously driving the impelling means so that the impelling elements repeatedly pass a printing position adjacent one end of each hammer; interponent means responsive to printing signals for interposition between the impelling means and a selected hammer so that upon passing the printing position the next advancing impelling element strikes the interponent means to drive the selected hammer into printing engagement with a type pallet then aligned with the print hammer; an improved assembly characterized by: a single row of individual impellers, an individal impeller being provided for and associated with each print hammer and each impeller having a plurality of equally spaced apart impelling elements projecting therefrom; and means for mounting the impellers so that the impelling elements of adjacent impellers in the row are offset from one another by amounts proportional to the different spacing between hammers and the type pallets so that, when one impeller element on one impeller is in printing position and its associated hammer is aligned with a type pallet, the impelling elements on the two adjacent impellers are not in printing position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
254 words
In an impact printer of the class having a row of print hammers equally spaced apart a first distance and an array of type pallets equally spaced apart a second distance and arranged with the array of hammers for relative movement for simultaneously aligning successive pallets with successive hammers for printing; impelling means having a plurality of impelling elements projecting therefrom; means for mounting the impelling means parallel to the row of hammers; means for continuously driving the impelling means so that the impelling elements repeatedly pass a printing position adjacent one end of each hammer; interponent means responsive to printing signals for interposition between the impelling means and a selected hammer so that upon passing the printing position the next advancing impelling element strikes the interponent means to drive the selected hammer into printing engagement with a type pallet then aligned with the print hammer; an improved assembly characterized by: a single row of individual impellers, an individal impeller being provided for and associated with each print hammer and each impeller having a plurality of equally spaced apart impelling elements projecting therefrom; and means for mounting the impellers so that the impelling elements of adjacent impellers in the row are offset from one another by amounts proportional to the different spacing between hammers and the type pallets so that, when one impeller element on one impeller is in printing position and its associated hammer is aligned with a type pallet, the impelling elements on the two adjacent impellers are not in printing position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
146 words
A printer assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein: at least six impellers are provided, one corresponding to each possible printing position in a column to be printed, the impellers comprising a plurality of generally circular discs, each of the same size and having an equal plurality of equally spaced teeth projecting radially therefrom; and the mounting means comprises s single shaft on which the impellers are individually fixed at equally spaced intervals along the length thereof, for rotation therewith, the impellers being positioned on the shaft such that the teeth of every third impeller are aligned with each other, and the ones in between are offset from each other by equal angles corresponding to whole numbers of thirds of a tooth, so that every third impeller is aligned to print at one instant, after which the next set of three is aligned to print, etc.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A printer as recited in claim 2, wherein the type pAllet spacing is 1 1/2 times that of the impeller spacing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
64 words
A printer as recited in claim 3 wherein each impeller is moved at a preselected angular velocity so that each impeller tooth moves one-third of the angular distance between adjacent teeth during the time period required to move one-half of the pallets from a position of non-alignment with one-third of the hammers to a position of printing alignment with that one-third of the hammers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
268 words
A line-at-a-time teleprinter comprising: a group of at least six print hammers mounted in a row and spaced equal distances corresponding to the spacing between adjacent characters in a line of type to be printed, one print hammer being provided for each possible character to be printed in the line; an endless carrier bearing type elements, the type elements being spaced along the length of the carrier a distance greater than the spacing between adjacent hammers; means for mounting the carrier so that a printing course of the carrier is disposed in closely spaced parallelism with printing ends of the hammers, and for driving the carrier so that the type elements continuously pass and face the printing ends of the hammers; a group of at least six continuously rotating impeller wheels mounted in a row, each impeller wheel having a plurality of equally spaced teeth for selectively actuating the print hammers when a character is to be printed, a separate impeller being provided for each printing mechanism and the impeller wheels being spaced in the row equal distances corresponding to the spacing between the print hammers; and means for mounting the impeller wheels so that the teeth of all impeller wheels in the row are angularly displaced from the teeth of the adjacent wheels in the row by predetermined angles preset in accordance with the spacing of the type elements so that no two consecutive hammers can be actuated at the same instant and so that each hammer in the sequence can be actuated each time a type element on the carrier is momentarily aligned with the hammer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
268 words
A line-at-a-time teleprinter comprising: a group of at least six print hammers mounted in a row and spaced equal distances corresponding to the spacing between adjacent characters in a line of type to be printed, one print hammer being provided for each possible character to be printed in the line; an endless carrier bearing type elements, the type elements being spaced along the length of the carrier a distance greater than the spacing between adjacent hammers; means for mounting the carrier so that a printing course of the carrier is disposed in closely spaced parallelism with printing ends of the hammers, and for driving the carrier so that the type elements continuously pass and face the printing ends of the hammers; a group of at least six continuously rotating impeller wheels mounted in a row, each impeller wheel having a plurality of equally spaced teeth for selectively actuating the print hammers when a character is to be printed, a separate impeller being provided for each printing mechanism and the impeller wheels being spaced in the row equal distances corresponding to the spacing between the print hammers; and means for mounting the impeller wheels so that the teeth of all impeller wheels in the row are angularly displaced from the teeth of the adjacent wheels in the row by predetermined angles preset in accordance with the spacing of the type elements so that no two consecutive hammers can be actuated at the same instant and so that each hammer in the sequence can be actuated each time a type element on the carrier is momentarily aligned with the hammer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
77 words
A lin-at-a-time teleprinter as recited in claim 5 wherein: the type elements on the endless carrier are spaced apart a distance equal to 1 1/2 times the spacing of the impeller wheels; and the teeth of all impeller wheels in the row are angularly displaced from the teeth of the adjacent wheels in the row by predetermined angles preset so that the teeth on every wheel are aligned with those on the third wheel distant from it.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
185 words
In combination with a teleprinter of the type having a plurality of individual printing mechanisms mounted in a row and spaced equal distances corresponding to the spacing between adjacent characters in a line of type to be printed, an improved actuating mechanism comprising: a plurality of continuously rotating impeller wheels equal in number to the number of printing mechanisms, each impeller wheel having a plurality of equally spaced teeth for selectively striking a firing portion of an associated printing mechanism when a character is to be printed, a separate impeller wheel being provided for each printing mechanism; and means for mounting the impeller wheels in a single row so that the impeller wheels are spaced the same distances as the printing mechanisms and so that the teeth of all impeller wheels in the row are angularly displaced from the teeth of the adjacent wheels in the row by preset angles so that no two adjacent printing mechanisms can be actuated at the same time, but so that adjacent printing mechanisms are actuable in a timed sequence based on the angular displacement of the impeller teeth.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
185 words
In combination with a teleprinter of the type having a plurality of individual printing mechanisms mounted in a row and spaced equal distances corresponding to the spacing between adjacent characters in a line of type to be printed, an improved actuating mechanism comprising: a plurality of continuously rotating impeller wheels equal in number to the number of printing mechanisms, each impeller wheel having a plurality of equally spaced teeth for selectively striking a firing portion of an associated printing mechanism when a character is to be printed, a separate impeller wheel being provided for each printing mechanism; and means for mounting the impeller wheels in a single row so that the impeller wheels are spaced the same distances as the printing mechanisms and so that the teeth of all impeller wheels in the row are angularly displaced from the teeth of the adjacent wheels in the row by preset angles so that no two adjacent printing mechanisms can be actuated at the same time, but so that adjacent printing mechanisms are actuable in a timed sequence based on the angular displacement of the impeller teeth.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
127 words
A teleprinter as recited in claim 7, wherein the impeller wheels are arranged in groups of N, proceeding along the row of impeller wheels, N being a whole number greater than 2, each Nth impeller wheel in the row having its teeth aligned with every other Nth wheel so that all Nth impeller wheel are arranged to print at the same instant, eAch group of impeller wheels in the row having their teeth retarded by 1/Nth of the pitch length of the impeller wheels from another group of impeller wheels in a pattern so that each group is aligned to print at a later instant than a preceding group by a time set by the time required for the impeller wheels to travel 1/Nth of a tooth.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
136 words
A teleprinter as recited in claim 8, wherein: the printing mechanism includes a row of type hammers mounted parallel to each other and parallel to the row of impeller wheels, one type hammer being associated with each separate impeller wheel and the manners being spaced the same distance from each other as the impeller wheels, and a plurality of type elements mounted on an endless carrier for continuous movement past the type hammers along a line parallel to the line of the row of hammers, the type elements being spaced along the carrier a distance greater than the spacing between hammers according to a selected ratio of whole numbers, so that one fraction of the type elements align with a smaller fraction of the hammers at successive instants as the type elements advance past the hammers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
41 words
A teleprinter as recited in claim 9, wherein the widths of the heads of the print hammers are greater than the widths of the type elements (''''width'''' referring to the dimension parallel to the line of flight of the type elements).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
A teleprinter as recited in claim 10, wherein there are three impeller groups (N 3) and two type element groups, the type elements being spaced 1 1/2 times as far apart as the impellers, and in which the angle of retardation of successive impeller teeth is one-third of a tooth.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
84 words
A teleprinter as recited in claim 7, wherein the mounting means comprises: an elongated rotatable shaft on which the impeller wheels are mounted in a single row; means for individually positioning the impeller wheels on the shaft for rotation therewith while maintaining the preset angular displacement of the teeth of adjacent impeller wheels in the row; and a plurality of spacers mounted between adjacent impeller wheels for spacing the impeller wheels along the shaft at intervals corresponding to the spacing of the printing mechanisms.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
A teleprinter as recited in claim 12, wherein the spacers comprise circular shims concentrically mounted on the shaft between adjacent impeller wheels and having a radius greater than that of the impeller teeth.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
63 words
A teleprinter as recited in claim 13, wherein the printing mechanisms comprise a plurality of individual print hammers mounted in a row parallel to the row of impeller wheels and spaced the same distances as the impeller wheels, each print hammer having an inner, firing end positioned adjacent to the impeller wheels and received between and guided by adjacent shims on the shaft.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
170 words
A teleprinter as recited in claim 14, wherein the printer mechanisms further comprise: a plurality of interponents equal to the number of impeller wheels, and print hammers; means for mounting the interponents in a single row parallel to the impeller wheels and print hammers, with the interponents spaced the same distances as the impeller wheels and print hammers and with each interponent being aligned with both a corresponding impeller wheel and a corresponding print hammer, each interponent having an outer, firing end positioned adjacent to the corresponding impeller wheel and received between and guided by adjacent shims on the shaft; and means for selectively actuating the interponents when a character is to be printed, for moving the outer end of the interponent into the path of an oncoming impeller tooth, the impeller teeth and the interponents being so positioned with respect to the print hammers that the impeller tooth strikes the outer end of the interponent, which then strikes the inner end of the corresponding hammer to print a character.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-03-04 | 1977-09-03 | 1978-03-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-03-04 | 1981-09-03 | 1982-03-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-03-04 | 1985-09-03 | 1986-03-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |