Steerable follower selection mechanism

Claim 2

Selection apparatus for selecting a character on a single type element of a single element printing mechanism, comprising: a cam control means having a single groove branching to form a plurality of branch grooves and said branch grooves terminating in said single groove; means for rotating said cam control means through a complete revolution and returning said cam control means to a predesignated position; a follower for engagement with said cam grooves; means for deflecting said follower from said single groove to cause said follower to enter a selected one of said branches to cause relative axial motion between said cam and said follower along the axis of said cam; said follower returning to said single groove when said control cam means is in said predesignated position; means engaged by said cam control means to convert said caused relative motion to a rotational movement of said type element in accordance with and corresponding to the one of said grooves selected by said follower.

Claim 3

A selection apparatus for selecting and positioning a desired row of characters on a single element in correspondence with a print point on a single element printing mechanism, said apparatus comprising: a cylindrical shaped cam with a plurality of connecting cam grooves formed into the cylindrical surface thereof; an annular groove formed into the cylindrical surface of said cam; a controllable, deflectable follower vane engaged with one of said cam grooves; control means to cause deflection of said follower vane and to cause said vane to enter one of said cam grooves; means for drivingly rotatably supporting said cam for rotation with respect to said follower to create relative axial motion betweem said cam and said follower; means for fixing said follower spacially with respect to said cam means; means for engaging said annular groove and to move with said annular groove through movements in a direction parallel with the cylindrical axis, of said cam; means for receiving said movement and converTing said movement to a rotary incremental motion corresponding in amount to the amount of said movement; means for releasing said follower from its defined spacially fixed position for limited movement in a direction along the direction of said cam movement; means for repositioning said follower at said spacially fixed position; whereby said cam follower causes said cam to translate axially and create closely controlled displacement of said movement to rotational motion conversion means and the forces encountered during the deflection of said follower into one of said grooves are allowed to translate said follower and thus dissipate, thereby reducing the stresses within said selection apparatus.

Claim 4

A selection apparatus for selecting and positioning a desired row of characters on a single element in correspondence with a print point on a single element printing mechanism, said apparatus comprising: a cylindrical shaped cam with a plurality of connecting cam grooves formed into the cylindrical surface thereof; an annular groove formed into the cylindrical surface of said cam; a controllable, deflectable follower vane engaged with one of said cam grooves; control means to cause deflection of said follower vane and to cause said vane to enter one of said cam grooves; means for drivingly rotatably supporting said cam for rotation with respect to said follower to create relative axial motion betweem said cam and said follower; means for fixing said follower spacially with respect to said cam means; means for engaging said annular groove and to move with said annular groove through movements in a direction parallel with the cylindrical axis, of said cam; means for receiving said movement and converTing said movement to a rotary incremental motion corresponding in amount to the amount of said movement; means for releasing said follower from its defined spacially fixed position for limited movement in a direction along the direction of said cam movement; means for repositioning said follower at said spacially fixed position; whereby said cam follower causes said cam to translate axially and create closely controlled displacement of said movement to rotational motion conversion means and the forces encountered during the deflection of said follower into one of said grooves are allowed to translate said follower and thus dissipate, thereby reducing the stresses within said selection apparatus.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said control means for controlling the said follower acts in timed relation to the relative rotational movement of said cam with respect to said follower.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for repositioning said follower comprises a control cam means for positively constraining said follower to said spacially fixed point in timed relation to said revolution of said cam means.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means for repositioning further comprises a spring means for continuously urging said follower to said spacially fixed position.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising cam means to control the direction of the follower when deflected, to provide steering of the follower into the selected one of said grooves.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising: a second cylindrical cam means having a plurality of cam grooves formed into said cams cylindrical surface; a second deflectable follower vane means associated with said second cylindrical cam means; said follower vane means selectively deflectable into one of said plurality of grooves to create translation motion between said cam and said follower; latch means for releasing said second follower vane means from the non-deflected position; a force means connected to said second follower vane means to deflect said second follower vane means; means for releasing said latch means in timed relation to the rotation of said last recited cam means to allow said force means to deflect said follower vane means to select one of said grooves; whereby a translational movement of predetermined amount is created and made available to control the tilt of said single type element.