US3845711A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Belt printer
Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems America Inc
•
Filing: 1972-12-13
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Granted: 1974-11-05
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Expires: 1992-12-13
Abstract
Abstract A high speed printer including a bank of aligned individually actuatable hammers and a type surface mounted for movement opposite to and along said line of hammers. The type surface is comprised of unit type areas formed on the end surfaces of elongated slugs carried by a flexible band. The band is supported on a roadbed formed by low friction bearings and including a drive wheel for driving the band around the roadbed. The slugs are fixed to the band by an elastic damping material to minimize interaction between slugs. Permanent magnets are employed to establish a field passing through the slugs to increase contact pressure between the band and roadbed bearings and to facilitate positional restoration of the slugs after hammer impact.
Inventors
- 👤 C Helms
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 02:53
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J1/00; B41J1/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
253 words
A printing apparatus comprising: hammer assembly means including a plurality of hammers mounted with the impact faces thereof defining a common elongated plane and means for individually actuating each hammer to propel the impact face thereof in a first direction substantially perpendicular to said plane; means for transporting a web material to be printed upon along a path past said common plane of impact faces; and type assembly means for successively presenting type characters to each of said hammer impact faces, said type assembly means including: an endless band having inner and outer peripheral surfaces and characterized by being relatively flexible about an axis in the plane of said band perpendicular to its length and relatively rigid about an axis in the plane of said band parallel to its length; a plurality of elongated slugs each having a type character area on at least one end face thereof, each slug having a mass on the order of five times or more the mass of one of said hammers; means fixing said slugs to the outer surface of said band with the length of said slugs extending across the width of said band and with said type character areas lying in a substantially common plane; low friction bearing means engaging said band inner surface and supporting said band with said plane of type character areas oriented substantially parallel to said plane of impact faces with said web material path disposed therebetween; and means for driving said endless band around said low friction bearing means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
253 words
A printing apparatus comprising: hammer assembly means including a plurality of hammers mounted with the impact faces thereof defining a common elongated plane and means for individually actuating each hammer to propel the impact face thereof in a first direction substantially perpendicular to said plane; means for transporting a web material to be printed upon along a path past said common plane of impact faces; and type assembly means for successively presenting type characters to each of said hammer impact faces, said type assembly means including: an endless band having inner and outer peripheral surfaces and characterized by being relatively flexible about an axis in the plane of said band perpendicular to its length and relatively rigid about an axis in the plane of said band parallel to its length; a plurality of elongated slugs each having a type character area on at least one end face thereof, each slug having a mass on the order of five times or more the mass of one of said hammers; means fixing said slugs to the outer surface of said band with the length of said slugs extending across the width of said band and with said type character areas lying in a substantially common plane; low friction bearing means engaging said band inner surface and supporting said band with said plane of type character areas oriented substantially parallel to said plane of impact faces with said web material path disposed therebetween; and means for driving said endless band around said low friction bearing means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said slugs has a second type character area thereon at the end thereof remote from said first mentioned type character area.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means fixing said slugs to said band includes elastic material attached to both said slugs and said band outer surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
The printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said low friction bearing means includes a plurality of roller bearings each including an outer race engaged against said band inner surface and wherein said means for driving includes a drive wheel having a peripheral surface engaged against said band inner surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
The printing apparatus of claim 1 including means for generating a magnetic field; and means steering said magnetic field through said slugs for attracting said slugs toward said bearing means to thereby increase contact pressure between said band and said bearing means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
The printing apparatus of claim 4 wherein said endless band has front and rear edge surfaces and further including a second low friction bearing means engaging said band rear edge surface; said second low friction bearing means including a plurality of roller bearings each including an outer race engaged against said band rear edge surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
168 words
An assembly suitable for use in a printing apparatus for successively presenting type characters to a print station, said assembly comprising: an endless band having inner and outer peripheral surfaces and characterized by being relatively flexible about an axis in the plane of said band perpendicular to its length and relatively rigid about an axis in the plane of said band parallel to its length; low friction bearing means engaging said band inner surface and supporting said band thereon; a plurality of elongated slugs each having a type character area on one end thereof; means fixing said slugs to the outer surface of said band with the length of said slugs extending across the width of said band and with said type character areas lying in a substantially common plane, said fixing means including elastic damping material disposed between said slugs and said band outer surface for minimizing interaction between said slugs and said band; and means for driving said endless band around said low friction bearing means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
168 words
An assembly suitable for use in a printing apparatus for successively presenting type characters to a print station, said assembly comprising: an endless band having inner and outer peripheral surfaces and characterized by being relatively flexible about an axis in the plane of said band perpendicular to its length and relatively rigid about an axis in the plane of said band parallel to its length; low friction bearing means engaging said band inner surface and supporting said band thereon; a plurality of elongated slugs each having a type character area on one end thereof; means fixing said slugs to the outer surface of said band with the length of said slugs extending across the width of said band and with said type character areas lying in a substantially common plane, said fixing means including elastic damping material disposed between said slugs and said band outer surface for minimizing interaction between said slugs and said band; and means for driving said endless band around said low friction bearing means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The assembly of claim 7 wherein each of said slugs has a second type character area thereon at the end thereof remote from said first mentioned type character area.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
48 words
The assembly of claim 7 wherein said low friction bearing means includes a plurality of roller bearings each including an outer race engaged against said band inner surface and wherein said means for driving includes a drive wheel having a peripheral surface engaged against said band inner surface.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
The assembly of claim 7 including means generating a magnetic field; and means steering said magnetic field through said slugs for attracting said slugs toward said bearing means to thereby increase contact pressure between said band and said bearing means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The assembly of claim 7 wherein said endless band comprises a flat steel belt enveloped by a plastic material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The assembly of claim 7 wherein said endless band has front and rear edge surfaces and further including a second low friction bearing means engaging said band rear edge surface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-11-04 | 1978-05-06 | 1978-11-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-11-04 | 1982-05-06 | 1982-11-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-11-04 | 1986-05-06 | 1986-11-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |