Type separator in a hammer actuated printer

Claim 1

A printer comprising a printing drum, a plurality of type carrying belts secured on said printing drum, a plurality of types carried by the respective type carrying belts, a print receiving member, and a plurality of hammers for depressing said print receiving member toward said printing drum when a selected type appears at a predetermined position, comprising: a plurality of separator strips formed on the periphery of said printing drum for separating said plurality of type carrying belts from each other, said separator strips extending upwardly from the surface of said printing drum beyond the outer extremity of the types on said type carrying belts; an idler pulley operatively disposed adjacent to and substantially parallel with said printing drum, said plurality of type carrying belts extending between said idler pulley and said printing drum; an ink roller operatively disposed adjacent to said idler pulley for coating said types with ink; and said hammers being operatively positioned to depress said print receiving member towards said printing drum and between said separator strips to impart an image of the types thereto; whereby said spacing strips being shaped and spaced to prevent said print receiving member from accidentally impinging upon said types while protecting the surface of said print receiving member when depressed by said hammers, and said ink roller supplying ink to said types adjacent said idler pulley to prevent linking of said spacing strips.