Printer with rotary roll column selecting means

Claim 1

A printer having a printing station comprising a type wheel having type characters arranged about the periphery in a plurality of columns, means including a shaft to rotate said type wheel to advance said columns through said station, means coupled to said shaft to index a recording sheet through said station once after each passage of said columns through said sTation, means for printing the type characters on the recording sheet, type selecting means including electrical control means for selecting a given type character from each of the columns of said type wheel, and column selecting means rotating at a predetermined ratio relative to the shaft of said type wheel to select one column from a group of adjacent columns, said ratio corresponding to the number of characters in each column, said column selecting means being functionally coupled to said type selecting means and comprising a rotary roll having a number of actuating segments about its periphery corresponding to the number of columns in said group, said column selecting means operable to select a single column from the group in each actuating segment, whereby each column is selected once during each revolution of said roll, said type selecting means including a common electromagnetic means for said group of adjacent columns, said electromagnetic means being controlled by said electrical control means for comparing a given type character with the type position of said type wheel and being actuated when said given character is in printing position in said station, and said type printing means being actuated only when both said column selecting means and said electromagnetic means are simultaneously actuated, whereby when the common electromagnetic means is operated by said control means, the printing means operates to print a character from only one column of said group at any one time, as determined by the segment of said roll which is in actuating position.