Print wire actuator block assembly for printers

Claim 1

Print wire and print wire actuator mounting apparatus for a printer unit, comprising: a print station incorporating facilities operable during printing operations for feeding and printing on forms at said print station, the printing operations occurring on a line-by-line basis at a print line at said print station, said print station further comprising a ribbon arranged to move past said forms along said print line; a plurality of print wires, each of said print wires being reciprocable from an inactive to an active state in a predetermined direction of movement into printing contact with said forms; a corresponding plurality of print wire actuators respectively coupled to said print wires, each of said actuators comprising a number of actuating elements including mounting means generally physically located substantially concentric with or along an extension of the direction of movement of its respectively coupled print wire and each of said actuators having at least one mounting surface that is angled normal with respect to the direction of movement of its coupled print wire, said actuators being operable to selectively reciprocate said print wires in order to print information on said forms along said print line during printing operations; and an actuator block assembly, said actuator block assembly having a flat mounting surface positioned substantially normal to the direction of movement of said print wires, said actuator block assembly incorporating a guide member, and said print wires and print wire actuators being mounted on said actuator block assembly in at least one set comprising at least two subsets wherein each of said subsets comprises an equal portion of the print wires and actuators in a set, the actuators in one of said subsets being mounted on the flat mounting surface of said actuator block assembly with their angled mounting surfaces in one angular relationship and the actuators in the other of said subsets being mounted on the flat mounting surface of said actuator block with their angled mounting surfaces in an opposite angular relationship, the two subsets thereby being angled inwardly toward one another and through said guide member as they approach the print line, and said first and second subsets being located in said actuator block assembly so that the ends of the print wires in said first and second subsets are maintained in at least two parallel slanted arrays relative to one another and further that each print wire in one of said subsets is offset with respect to both the preceding and succeeding print wires of another of said subsets whereby said print wires and actuators assume an angled serrated relationship with respect to the print line when in an assembled condition, whereby the printing ends of all of said print wires are held in close proximity with respect to said print line and in precise registration relative thereto and whereby said print wires and print wire actuators may be spaced relatively far apart on said actuator block assembly for ease in servicing.