Print wheels having means for rotating a selected print wheel and preventing the rotation of print wheels adjacent the rotated print wheel

Claim 1

A printing wheel for a rotary printer comprising: a cylindrical support having a recess longitudinally extending therethrough; a plurality of print rings positioned adjacent one another on the periphery of said cylindrical support, each said print ring having a plurality of internal teeth disposed along the inner periphery thereof; an adjusting spindle having a pinion non-rotatably disposed thereon; means for mounting said spindle and pinion within said recess; means for axially shifting said spindle in said recess to effect engagement of said pinion with the internal teeth of a selected one of said plurality of print rings to thereby permit rotation of the selected print ring to a desired position; rotation prevention means for preventing rotation of the print rings adjacent said selected print ring as the selected print ring is being rotated, said rotation prevention means including first and second locking members rotatably disposed on said adjusting spindle and respectively associated with the print rings on the opposite sides of the selected print ring, each said locking member including first engaging means for fixedly engaging its associated print ring and a second engaging means for fixedly engaging the recess for locking the associated print rings in place as the selected print ring is rotated, said first and second engaging means respectively fixedly engaging said associated print wheel and said recess in a common plane, said plane being substantially perpendicular to the adjusting spindle.