Type head tilt and rotating mechanism

Claim 2

In combination with a single element type carrier having a hollow interior and having type characters located in columns and rows on its exterior surface, said carrier being mounted to be selectively tiltably and rotatably positioned to present selected type characters thereon for printing at a printing point, tilt and rotate positioning structure adapted to be received within said hollow interior of said type carrier and to mount said type carrier, said positioning structure comprising support means, a drive gear and associated axle rotatably mounted on said support means, a tilt member pivotally mounted on said support means, and a driven gear and associated axle rotatably mounted on said tilt member, said type carrier being mounted on said driven gear axle after receiving said tilt and rotate structure within its hollow interior, said mounting of said gears and tilt member on said support means being arranged to maintain said gears in constant mesh with their pitch circles tangent to the pivot axis of said tilt member.

Claim 3

In a machine having a single element type carrier characterized by a hollow interior and type characters arranged in rows and columns on its exterior surface, and mechanisms receivable within said hollow interior for mounting and for transmitting rotational and tilting motions to said single element type carrier to present a type character on a selected row and column for printing at a printing point comprising, a support member having an end located within the hollow interior of said type carrier, a tilt bridge pivotally mounted on the end of said support member within the hollow interior of said type carrier and tiltable about its pivot axis to present a selected row of type characters for printing at said printing point, a rotate shaft rotatably supported in said tilt bridge and coaxially supporting said type carrier thereon, a first gear coaxially secured to said rotate shaft within the interior of said type carrier, and means to transmit rotational movement to said type carrier to present a selected column of type characters for printing at said printing point including a second gear rotatably supported on said support member within said hollow interior of said type carrier and located to be in constant mesh with said first gear and with the pitch circles of said first and second gears tangent to the pivot axis of said tilt bridge.

Claim 4

In a machine having a single element type carrier characterized by a hollow interior and type characters arranged in rows and columns on its exterior surface, and mechanisms receivable within said hollow interior for mounting and for transmitting rotational and tilting motions to said single element type carrier to present a type character on a selected row and column for printing at a printing point comprising, a support member having an end located within the hollow interior of said type carrier, a tilt bridge pivotally mounted on the end of said support member within the hollow interior of said type carrier and tiltable about its pivot axis to present a selected row of type characters for printing at said printing point, a rotate shaft rotatably supported in said tilt bridge and coaxially supporting said type carrier thereon, a first gear coaxially secured to said rotate shaft within the interior of said type carrier, and means to transmit rotational movement to said type carrier to present a selected column of type characters for printing at said printing point including a second gear rotatably supported on said support member within said hollow interior of said type carrier and located to be in constant mesh with said first gear and with the pitch circles of said first and second gears tangent to the pivot axis of said tilt bridge.

Claim 5

The invention defined in claim 2, said first and second gears being crown gears.

Claim 6

The invention defined in claim 2, said single element type carrier being barrel shaped.

Claim 7

The invention recited in claim 2, said printing point being defined by a stationary platen, said support member being pivotal about an axis external to said type carrier to swing said single element type carrier from a rest position toward said platen to print.

Claim 8

The invention recited in claim 5, said pivot axis of said tilt bridge being located opposite said platen from said rotate shaft and being located on a line extending through the printing point on the platen.

Claim 9

The invention defined in claim 3, the axis of rotation of said second gear having at least a predetermined inclination with respect to the axis of said rotate shaft when the type carrier has been tilted to a position where the axis of said rotate shaft is vertically oriented.