Print wheel mounting assembly for serial printer

Claim 1

A print wheel mounting assembly for a serial printer comprising a rotary shaft and a print wheel to be mounted on the shaft, the print wheel including a central hub, a number of spokes extending radially outwardly from the hub, and at least one type element on each spoke, said assembly comprising: torque transmitting means operatively interconnecting the rotary shaft and the print wheel for transmitting torque from the rotary shaft to the print wheel, said torque transmitting means comprising a receiving plate secured to the shaft, and a clamp disk attached to the print wheel operatively connected to said receiving plate, locating means for positioning the print wheel in a predetermined angular position on the rotary shaft, axial positioning means for controlling the axial position of the print wheel on the shaft, said locating means and said axial positioning means being arranged in both the clamp disk and the receiving plate, said print wheel including a setter member having a cylindrical portion fixedly connected in concentric relationship to the central hub, said cylindrical portion of said setter member having a plurality of circumferentially spaced setter projections extending axially relative to said hub, each of said setter projections having elongated setter grooves disposed inwardly thereof, and further comprising a knob movably mounted in said cylindrical portion of said setter member in axially slidable relationship with respect to the print wheel between two axially spaced positions, said knob including a plurality of circumferentially spaced setter locking arms extending axially thereof, each of said setter locking arms being slidably disposed in one of said setter grooves, and said knob being attached to the central hub of said print wheel to be concentric therewith for mounting the print wheel on the rotary shaft and for detaching the print wheel from the rotary shaft.