Printer paper roll holder with spring-controlled line feed tensioner

Claim 2

A paper roll holder and tensioner comprising: two rectangularly shaped paper roll holder arms, each of said arms being attachable at one end to a support member, and each of said arms having first and second inclined slots formed therein, said slots communicating with the upper edge of the associated arm as attached, and being spaced apart and inclined relative to each other so as to define an integral, tooth-like spring of predetermined resiliency therebetween; a wire bail having two elongated and parallel extending leg portions which merge into an outwardly extending intermediate leg portion, the lower end region of each parallel extending leg portion being formed into a U-shaped section, with the spacing between the parallel segments thereof being dimensioned so that the parallel segments are both received within the second slot which is furthest from the attachment end of the associated arm, and the lower terminating segments of said Ushaped bail sections being mutually opposed and axially aligned so as to define spindles for rotatably supporting a roll of paper at the ends of a central core thereof.

Claim 3

A paper roll holder and tensioner in accordance with claim 1 wherein the tooth-like spring in each arm is formed with both forward and rearward protruding upper end portions, and wherein said slot nearest the one arm end communicates with a recess positioned so that said upper, forward protruding portion of said spring is yieldably displaced at least partially within said recess in response to a force exerted against said spring in the direction of said recess by said wire bail.

Claim 4

A paper holder and tensioner in accordance with claim 2 wherein the upper free end of each of said springs is formed with a hemispherically shaped detent for releaseably locKing the associated arm against a support member, having a detent-receiving recess, when not in use and folded back thereagainst.

Claim 5

In a printer including a housing and means for periodically line-feed advancing an incremental length of a record medium applied in roll stock form on which alphanumeric characters are to be printed, the combination further including: a record medium roll holder which produces spring-controlled line-feed tensioning comprising: two thin, substantially rectangularly shaped record medium roll holder arms, each of said arms being made of a plastic material and being pivotally attachable at one end to the printer housing, and each arm having first and second inclined slots formed therein, with the first slot being positioned nearer the pivotal end of said arm, said slots communicating with the upper edge of the associated arm as mounted, and being spaced apart and inclined relative to each other so as to define an integral, tooth-like spring of predetermined resiliency therebetween; a wire bail having two elongated and parallel extending leg portions which merge into an outwardly extending intermediate leg portion, the lower end region of each parallel extending leg portion being formed into a U-shaped section, with the spacing between the parallel segments thereof being dimensioned so that the parallel segments are both received within the second slot, and the lower terminating segments of said U-shaped bail sections being mutually opposed and axially aligned so as to define spindles; and rotatable hub means mounted on each of said bail spindles for rotatably supporting a roll of said record medium at the ends of a central core thereof.

Claim 6

In a printer including a housing and means for periodically line-feed advancing an incremental length of a record medium applied in roll stock form on which alphanumeric characters are to be printed, the combination further including: a record medium roll holder which produces spring-controlled line-feed tensioning comprising: two thin, substantially rectangularly shaped record medium roll holder arms, each of said arms being made of a plastic material and being pivotally attachable at one end to the printer housing, and each arm having first and second inclined slots formed therein, with the first slot being positioned nearer the pivotal end of said arm, said slots communicating with the upper edge of the associated arm as mounted, and being spaced apart and inclined relative to each other so as to define an integral, tooth-like spring of predetermined resiliency therebetween; a wire bail having two elongated and parallel extending leg portions which merge into an outwardly extending intermediate leg portion, the lower end region of each parallel extending leg portion being formed into a U-shaped section, with the spacing between the parallel segments thereof being dimensioned so that the parallel segments are both received within the second slot, and the lower terminating segments of said U-shaped bail sections being mutually opposed and axially aligned so as to define spindles; and rotatable hub means mounted on each of said bail spindles for rotatably supporting a roll of said record medium at the ends of a central core thereof.

Claim 7

In a printer including a record medium roll holder which produces line feed tensioning in accordance with claim 4, said tooth-like spring in each arm further being formed with both forward and rearward protruding upper end portions, said forward protruding portion preventing the associated U-shaped section of said bail from being accidentally inserted into said first slot, and said rearward protruding portion, at least in part, confining said associated U-shaped bail section within said second slot.

Claim 8

In a printer including a record medium roll holder which produces line feed tensioning in accordance with claim 5, said first slot further having a recess communicating therewith and positioned so that said upper, forward protruding portion of said associated spring is yieldably displaced at least partially within said recess in response to a force exerted against said spring in the direction of said printer by said wire bail, said bail being pivoted in the direction of said printer in response to each line feed advancement of said record medium while being drawn over the intermediate leg portion of said bail.

Claim 9

In a printer including a record medium roll holder which produces line feed tensioning in accordance with claim 5, the upper free end of each of said springs further being formed with a hemispherically shaped detent for releaseably locking the associated arm against the printer housing when not in use and folded back thereagainst, said rear wall having a detent-receiving recess formed therein for each arm, and the pivotal end of each of said arms being formed with two mutually opposed pin portions which are separated by a recessed area so as to facilitate the resilient snap-in insertion of said pin portions within accommodating recesses formed in the printer housing.

Claim 10

A holder and tensioner for a sheet material roll from which sheet material is removed effecting rotation of the roll on its major axis, the holder and tensioner comprising: a pair of arms each having therein a pair of spaced slots through an edge thereof, each slot pair defining an integral, tooth-like resilient member therebetween, the resilient members being aligned and parallel to the major axis of the roll when held by the holder and tensioner; and a bail having two elonGated, parallel leg portions depending from an intermediate leg portion, the free end of each leg portion being U-shaped, the parallel segments of each U-shaped leg portion end being spaced so that said parallel segments are respectively, transversely positionable within one of the slots of each slot pair, which one slot is rearward of the other slot with respect to the direction of removal of the sheet material from the roll, one of the parallel segments of each U-shaped leg portion end having a free end, the free segment ends being mutually opposed and axially aligned to rotatably support the roll therebetween, the intermediate leg portion of the bail being contactable by the sheet material passing thereover when the parallel segments are positioned in their respective one slot and upon removal of the sheet material from the roll.

Claim 11

A holder and tensioner for a sheet material roll from which sheet material is removed effecting rotation of the roll on its major axis, the holder and tensioner comprising: a pair of arms each having therein a pair of spaced slots through an edge thereof, each slot pair defining an integral, tooth-like resilient member therebetween, the resilient members being aligned and parallel to the major axis of the roll when held by the holder and tensioner; and a bail having two elonGated, parallel leg portions depending from an intermediate leg portion, the free end of each leg portion being U-shaped, the parallel segments of each U-shaped leg portion end being spaced so that said parallel segments are respectively, transversely positionable within one of the slots of each slot pair, which one slot is rearward of the other slot with respect to the direction of removal of the sheet material from the roll, one of the parallel segments of each U-shaped leg portion end having a free end, the free segment ends being mutually opposed and axially aligned to rotatably support the roll therebetween, the intermediate leg portion of the bail being contactable by the sheet material passing thereover when the parallel segments are positioned in their respective one slot and upon removal of the sheet material from the roll.

Claim 12

A holder and tensioner for a sheet material roll from said sheet material is removed effecting rotation of the roll on its major axis, the holder and tensioner comprising: a bail having two elongated, parallel leg portions depending from an intermediate leg portion, the free end of each leg portion being U-shaped, one of the parallel segments of each U-shaped leg portion end having a free end, the free segment ends being mutually opposed and aligned to rotatably support the roll therebetween; and a pair of arms each having therein a pair of spaced slots through an edge thereof, each slot pair defining an integral, tooth-like resilient member therebetween, the resilient members being aligned and parallel to the major axis of the roll when held by the holder and tensioner, the one slot of each slot pair which is rearward of the other slot with respect to the direction of removal of the sheet material from the roll being dimensioned to transversely support therein the parallel segments of one of the respective U-shaped leg portion ends, the intermediate leg portion of the bail being contactable by the sheet material passing thereover when the parallel segments are supported in their respective one slot and upon removal of the sheet material from the roll.

Claim 13

A holder and tensioner for a sheet material roll from said sheet material is removed effecting rotation of the roll on its major axis, the holder and tensioner comprising: a bail having two elongated, parallel leg portions depending from an intermediate leg portion, the free end of each leg portion being U-shaped, one of the parallel segments of each U-shaped leg portion end having a free end, the free segment ends being mutually opposed and aligned to rotatably support the roll therebetween; and a pair of arms each having therein a pair of spaced slots through an edge thereof, each slot pair defining an integral, tooth-like resilient member therebetween, the resilient members being aligned and parallel to the major axis of the roll when held by the holder and tensioner, the one slot of each slot pair which is rearward of the other slot with respect to the direction of removal of the sheet material from the roll being dimensioned to transversely support therein the parallel segments of one of the respective U-shaped leg portion ends, the intermediate leg portion of the bail being contactable by the sheet material passing thereover when the parallel segments are supported in their respective one slot and upon removal of the sheet material from the roll.