Impactor assembly for printers

Claim 2

In an impact printer of the type having a hammer mounted for lineal movement toward a printing position in response to lineal forces intermittently transmitted from a rotating impeller, the improvement in means for intermittently translating impeller torque to lineal force for driving said hammer comprising: a frame; an iNterponent, having an upper end portion and a lower end portion; means for mounting the interponent in the frame so that the interponent is movable between (1) a projected position in which the upper end portion of the interponent is engaged by the rotating impeller to directly translate the impeller torque into a lineal force for driving the hammer toward the printing position, and (2) a withdrawn position in which the upper end portion is not engaged by the impeller; an armature; means for movably mounting the armature in the frame in a position engageable with the lower end portion of the interponent; means for moving the armature between (1) a first position in which the interponent is in the projected position and (2) a second position below the first position, the armature mounting means being arranged with respect to the interponent so that the armature is engaged with the lower end portion of the interponent while the armature moves from the second to the first position and is disengaged therefrom while the armature moves from the first to the second position; and means for moving the interponent, after engagement with the impeller, from the projected position to the withdrawn position independently of the armature and for again engaging the lower end portion of the interponent with the armature when the interponent has been returned to the withdrawn position and the armature has returned to the second position.

Claim 3

A combination according to claim 1, wherein the mounting means for the interponent includes an axis member secured to the frame and extending transversely of the interponent between the upper and lower end portions of the interponent, the interponent mounting means being further arranged so that the interponent is movable between a first angular position in contact with the axis member and a second angular position out of contact with the axis member, and so that engagement of the impeller with the interponent moves the interponent from the first angular position to the second angular position.

Claim 4

A combination according to claim 2 wherein the means for moving the interponent further comprises a spring for urging the interponent from the projected position when the interponent is in the second angular position to the withdrawn position.

Claim 5

A combination according to claim 3 wherein the spring extends through a medial opening in the interponent and is biased against the frame to urge the interponent from the second angular position to the first angular position.

Claim 6

A combination according to claim 4 wherein the spring further comprises: a first end portion disposed in the medial opening in the interponent and biased against the frame; a second end portion spaced from the first end portion and disposed in the medial opening so that the spring is compressed as the interponent moves from the withdrawn position toward the projected position; and an arcuate medial portion coupling the first and second end portions and engaging the interponent to urge the interponent to the first angular position from the second angular position when the interponent is in the withdrawn position.

Claim 7

A combination according to claim 2 wherein the interponent-mounting means is further arranged so that (1) the upper end portion of the interponent in the projected position and the first angular position is in the path of the impeller but is spaced from the hammer and (2), upon engagement with the rotating impeller, the interponent moves from the first angular position to the second angular position and couples the impeller to the hammer to translate impeller torque to linear force.

Claim 8

A combination according to claim 6 wherein the axis member comprises a fulcrum of elastomeric material, and the interponent-mounting means is further arranged so that the interponent rocks about the fulcrum as it moves from the first to the second angular position.

Claim 9

In an impact printer of the type having a hammer mounTed for lineal movement toward a printing position in response to lineal forces intermittently transmitted from a rotating impeller, the improvement in means for intermittently translating impeller torque to lineal force for driving said hammer comprising: a frame; an interponent, having an upper end portion and a lower end portion; means for mounting the interponent in the frame so that the interponent is movable between (1) a projected position in which the upper end portion of the interponent is engaged by the rotating impeller to directly translate the impeller torque into a lineal force for driving the hammer toward the printing position, and (2) a withdrawn position in which the upper end portion is not engaged by the impeller; an armature; means for movably mounting the armature in the frame in a position engageable with the lower end portion of the interponent; means for moving the armature between (1) a first position in which the interponent is in the projected position and (2) a second position below the first position, the armature mounting means being arranged with respect to the interponent so that the armature is engaged with the lower end portion of the interponent while the armature moves from the second to the first position and is disengaged therefrom while the armature moves from the first to the second position; and means for moving the interponent, after engagement with the impeller, from the projected position to the withdrawn position independently of the armature and for again engaging the lower end portion of the interponent with the armature when the interponent has been returned to the withdrawn position and the armature has returned to the second position; the armature further including: means for supporting the lower end portion of the interponent as the armature moves from the second position to the first position thereby moving the interponent from the withdrawn position to the projected position; and means for preventing engagement of the lower end portion of the interponent with the engaging and supporting means as the armature moves from the first position to the second position so that the interponent is movable from the projected position to the withdrawn position independently of the armature movement.

Claim 10

In an impact printer of the type having a hammer mounTed for lineal movement toward a printing position in response to lineal forces intermittently transmitted from a rotating impeller, the improvement in means for intermittently translating impeller torque to lineal force for driving said hammer comprising: a frame; an interponent, having an upper end portion and a lower end portion; means for mounting the interponent in the frame so that the interponent is movable between (1) a projected position in which the upper end portion of the interponent is engaged by the rotating impeller to directly translate the impeller torque into a lineal force for driving the hammer toward the printing position, and (2) a withdrawn position in which the upper end portion is not engaged by the impeller; an armature; means for movably mounting the armature in the frame in a position engageable with the lower end portion of the interponent; means for moving the armature between (1) a first position in which the interponent is in the projected position and (2) a second position below the first position, the armature mounting means being arranged with respect to the interponent so that the armature is engaged with the lower end portion of the interponent while the armature moves from the second to the first position and is disengaged therefrom while the armature moves from the first to the second position; and means for moving the interponent, after engagement with the impeller, from the projected position to the withdrawn position independently of the armature and for again engaging the lower end portion of the interponent with the armature when the interponent has been returned to the withdrawn position and the armature has returned to the second position; the armature further including: means for supporting the lower end portion of the interponent as the armature moves from the second position to the first position thereby moving the interponent from the withdrawn position to the projected position; and means for preventing engagement of the lower end portion of the interponent with the engaging and supporting means as the armature moves from the first position to the second position so that the interponent is movable from the projected position to the withdrawn position independently of the armature movement.

Claim 11

A combination according to claim 8 wherein the means for supporting comprises a raised stand on the armature.

Claim 12

A combination according to claim 9 wherein the means for preventing engagement comprises a side on the raised stand, the stand bearing against a side on the lower end portion of the interponent as it moves from the projected position to the withdrawn position and as the armature moves from the first position to the second position so that engagement of the lower end portion with the raised stand is prevented until the armature is in the second position and the interponent is in the withdrawn position.