Belt printer

Claim 2

In an apparatus for recording characters selectively and sequentially across an outer coil of material as the material is uncoiled from a web of the material; an impact mechanism for striking character dies against the material; means for continuously urging the web and the impact mechanism relatively toward each other to permit the uncoiled portion of the web to serve as a backing for the outer coil of material against which the character dies strike when the characters are recorded; and means positioned between the web and the impact mechanism for engaging the outer coil of material of the web and for holding successive sections of the outer coil in a printing location relative to the impact mechanism and against the web as the web uncoils.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for urging the web comprises a spindle upon which the web is mounted and a pair of springs engaging each end of the spindle to urge the spindle toward the impact mechanism.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the impact mechanism includes: a cylinder mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis; means for reciprocating the cylinder selectively normal to the longitudinal axis; means for rotating the cylinder about said axis through a predetermined arc upon each reciprocation of the cylinder, and means for impacting the characters against the material to record the characters thereon upon each reciprocation of the cylinder, wherein said impacting means is distributed around said cylinder in a helical pattern to print the characters across the sheet of material as the cylinder reciprocates and rotates.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the characters are mounted on a movable carrier positioned between the material and the cylinder.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 3 further including a plurality of resilient tines aligned with preselected spaces on the material and having pallet portions thereon for printing the characters upon being struck by said impacting means.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the impacting means comprises a plurality of spaced pins arranged in a single turn helix about the cylinder and wherein the pins are sequentially aligned with individual tines as the cylinder rotates.

Claim 8

In an apparatus for printing individual sheets of information wherein the sheets are produced sequentially from the outermost coil of a web of material; an impact mechanism for printing information on the outermost coil of the web; means for continuously urging the web toward the impact mechanism so that the remainder of the web serves as a backing for the outer coil of the web against which the impact mechanism strikes when printing; means independent of the impact mechanism for engaging and holding the outermost coil of the web in a printing plane relative to the impact mechanism and against the web as the outermost coil is printed on; and means for severing sheets from the web.

Claim 9

In an apparatus for printing individual sheets of information wherein the sheets are produced sequentially from the outermost coil of a web of material; an impact mechanism for printing information on the outermost coil of the web; means for continuously urging the web toward the impact mechanism so that the remainder of the web serves as a backing for the outer coil of the web against which the impact mechanism strikes when printing; means independent of the impact mechanism for engaging and holding the outermost coil of the web in a printing plane relative to the impact mechanism and against the web as the outermost coil is printed on; and means for severing sheets from the web.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said severing means includes: a pair of rollers between which material from the web advances; means for mounting the rollers to selectively prevent the advancement of the material; and a blade positioned downstream of the rollers to sever a sheet from the material upon engaging the material.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the means for mounting the rollers includes pins projecting from each end of each roller wherein the pins engage slots which converge in a direction downstream of the web.

Claim 12

In an apparatus for recording characters selectively and sequentially across an outer coil of material as the material is uncoiled from a web; means for continuously urging the web into a printing plane to position the outer coil for a printing operation; dies for printing the characters on the web; a carrier for moving the dies selectively across and adjacent to the printing plane; a plurality of resilient tines aligned with preselected spaces in the printing plane but positioned on the opposite side of the dies wherein saId tines have portions thereon for striking the dies; a cylindrical helix juxtaposed with and axially extensive across said tines; means for reciprocating said helix normal to its axis to impact said helix against said tines causing said tines to strike said dies and record the characters on the outer coil of the material; means for rotating said helix to position said helix to engage said tines individually and sequentially as said helix is reciprocated; and means for severing the material after the characters have been recorded thereon, wherein the severing means includes means for restraining advancement of the material upon applying a pulling force to the material downstream of the severing means to thereby prevent the force from being transmitted back to the coiled web.

Claim 13

In an apparatus for recording characters selectively and sequentially across an outer coil of material as the material is uncoiled from a web; means for continuously urging the web into a printing plane to position the outer coil for a printing operation; dies for printing the characters on the web; a carrier for moving the dies selectively across and adjacent to the printing plane; a plurality of resilient tines aligned with preselected spaces in the printing plane but positioned on the opposite side of the dies wherein saId tines have portions thereon for striking the dies; a cylindrical helix juxtaposed with and axially extensive across said tines; means for reciprocating said helix normal to its axis to impact said helix against said tines causing said tines to strike said dies and record the characters on the outer coil of the material; means for rotating said helix to position said helix to engage said tines individually and sequentially as said helix is reciprocated; and means for severing the material after the characters have been recorded thereon, wherein the severing means includes means for restraining advancement of the material upon applying a pulling force to the material downstream of the severing means to thereby prevent the force from being transmitted back to the coiled web.

Claim 14

In an impact printer wherein an impactor means comprises a plurality of equally spaced apart and outwardly projecting impacting elements disposed in a single turn helix on the surface of a cylinder rockably mounted for impacting selected ones of a linear array of characters for printing, the improvement comprising: a carrier for the characters mounted for transverse movement relative to and along a line on a web on which printing is to be effected; a plurality of resilient tines having an individual pallet attached to each tine, whereas the pallets are located between the carrier and the cylinder, so that each pallet corresponds to a printing space in a line of print across the web and is sequentially aligned with successive impacting elements as the cylinder rotates for printingly impacting the characters; and magnetic means for rocking the cylinder into element impacting engagement with successive pallets for printing.

Claim 15

In an impact printer wherein an impactor means comprises a plurality of equally spaced apart and outwardly projecting impacting elements disposed in a single turn helix on the surface of a cylinder rockably mounted for impacting selected ones of a linear array of characters for printing, the improvement comprising: a carrier for the characters mounted for transverse movement relative to and along a line on a web on which printing is to be effected; a plurality of resilient tines having an individual pallet attached to each tine, whereas the pallets are located between the carrier and the cylinder, so that each pallet corresponds to a printing space in a line of print across the web and is sequentially aligned with successive impacting elements as the cylinder rotates for printingly impacting the characters; and magnetic means for rocking the cylinder into element impacting engagement with successive pallets for printing.

Claim 16

A combination according to claim 11 wherein the tines are disposed in parallel relationship, thereby forming a comb; and the magnetic means comprises: a rockable bracket mounted above the comb, the cylinder rotatably mounted in the bracket; and a magnet fixed relative to the comb for selectively attracting the bracket to draw the cylinder toward the pallet.