Printing apparatus

Claim 2

Printing apparatus comprising, in combination: a printing frame; a printer mounted in said printing frame; a platen arranged in cooperative relation to said printer to enable record media to be positioned therebetween for printing thereon; a forms compensator in which said platen is mounted, said forms compensator being pivotally mounted in said frame for movement to enable the distance between said platen and said printer to be varied to accommodate varying thicknesses of record media, including operating means to cause said forms compensator normally to move, when not restrained, into a position in which said platen is remote from said printer, in which position space between said platen and said printer is provided for insertion of record media; and latching means for latching said forms compensator in an operative position in which said platen is in an operative relationship to said printer to enable a printing operation to take platen, said latching means including retaining means on said frame and a solenoid on said forms compensator, said solenoid comprising a pair of oppositely acting armatures positioned for axial movement within said solenoid and cooperating with said retaining means on said frame, said solenoid being operable to move said armatures from latched engagement with said retaining means to permit said forms compensator to move into said remote position.

Claim 3

The printing apparatus of claim 1, in which said plungers are normally maintained in an extended separated axial position, and are urged toward each other by energization of said solenoid.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2, also including spring means for maintaining said plungers in said extended position.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3, in which said solenoid also includes a central stationary core member against which said plungers are moved when said solenoid is energized.

Claim 6

The printing apparatus of claim 4, in which said central stationary core member is provided with conical axial recesses on each side, and in which said plungers are provided with complementary axial projections at their inner ends.

Claim 7

The printing apparatus of claim 1, in which the forms compensator with said latching means thereon is so configured that its center of gravity is located in a portion of the forms compensator remote from the platen, so that the normal movement of the forms compensator into said remote position is caused by the force of gravity.

Claim 8

The printing apparatus of claim 1, in which said solenoid is mounted on said forms compensator in a U-frame housing.

Claim 9

The printing apparatus of claim 1, in which said solenoid is mounted on said forms compensator in a box frame housing.

Claim 10

The printing apparatus of claim 1, in which said solenoid is mounted on said forms compensator in a tubular housing.

Claim 11

Printing apparatus, comprising, in combination: a printing frame including a pair of latch surfaces; a printer mounted in said printing frame for reciprocating linear movement; a platen of elongated configuration arranged in cooperative relation to said printer to enable record media to be positioned therebetween for printing thereon; a forms compensator in which said platen is mounted, said forms compensator being pivotally mounted in said frame for movement between a first position in which the platen thereon is in operative relationship with said printer for the performance of printing operations and a second position in which said platen is remote from said printer to enable record media to be inserted between said platen and said printer; and latching means on said forms compensator for latching said forms compensator in said first position, including a single coil solenoid, a pair of oppositely acting plungers positioned for axial movement with said solenoid, and latch elements on the ends of said plungers arranged in cooperative relation to said latch surfaces on said printing frame, said plungers being spring-urged toward positions in which said latch elements on said plungers engage said latch surfaces on said printing frame to retain said forms compensator in said first position, said combined forms compensator and latching means being so configured that the force of gravity acting thereon causes said combined means to move to said second position when said latch elements of said latching means are not engaged with said latch surfaces on said printing frame, whereby energization of said solenoid enables said forms compensator to move from said first position to said second position.

Claim 12

Printing apparatus, comprising, in combination: a printing frame including a pair of latch surfaces; a printer mounted in said printing frame for reciprocating linear movement; a platen of elongated configuration arranged in cooperative relation to said printer to enable record media to be positioned therebetween for printing thereon; a forms compensator in which said platen is mounted, said forms compensator being pivotally mounted in said frame for movement between a first position in which the platen thereon is in operative relationship with said printer for the performance of printing operations and a second position in which said platen is remote from said printer to enable record media to be inserted between said platen and said printer; and latching means on said forms compensator for latching said forms compensator in said first position, including a single coil solenoid, a pair of oppositely acting plungers positioned for axial movement with said solenoid, and latch elements on the ends of said plungers arranged in cooperative relation to said latch surfaces on said printing frame, said plungers being spring-urged toward positions in which said latch elements on said plungers engage said latch surfaces on said printing frame to retain said forms compensator in said first position, said combined forms compensator and latching means being so configured that the force of gravity acting thereon causes said combined means to move to said second position when said latch elements of said latching means are not engaged with said latch surfaces on said printing frame, whereby energization of said solenoid enables said forms compensator to move from said first position to said second position.

Claim 13

The printing apparatus of claim 10, also including driving means for driving the printer in reciprocating movement, and means driven by said driving means for returning the forms compensator from its second position to its first position.

Claim 14

Printing apparatus comprising, in combination: a printing frame; a printer mounted in said printing frame; a platen arranged in cooperative relation to said printer to enable record media to be positioned therebetween for printing thereon; a forms compensator in which said platen is mounted, said from compensator being pivotally mounted in said frame for movement to enable the distance between said platen and said printer to be varied to accomodate varying thicknesses of record media, including operating means to cause said forms compensator normally to move, when not restrained, into a position in which said platen is remote from said printer, in which position space between said platen and said printer is provided for insertion of record media; and latching means for latching said forms compensator in an operative position in which said platen is in an operative relationship to said printer to enable a printing operation to take place, said latching means including retaining means comprising angled projections on said frame, cooperating plungers, having angled surfaces adapted to coact with said projections on said forms compensator, and at least one solenoid on said forms compensator for operating said plungers to move them from latched engagement with said retaining means to permit said forms compensator to move into said remote position.

Claim 15

Printing apparatus comprising, in combination: a printing frame; a printer mounted in said printing frame; a platen arranged in cooperative relation to said printer to enable record media to be positioned therebetween for printing thereon; a forms compensator in which said platen is mounted, said from compensator being pivotally mounted in said frame for movement to enable the distance between said platen and said printer to be varied to accomodate varying thicknesses of record media, including operating means to cause said forms compensator normally to move, when not restrained, into a position in which said platen is remote from said printer, in which position space between said platen and said printer is provided for insertion of record media; and latching means for latching said forms compensator in an operative position in which said platen is in an operative relationship to said printer to enable a printing operation to take place, said latching means including retaining means comprising angled projections on said frame, cooperating plungers, having angled surfaces adapted to coact with said projections on said forms compensator, and at least one solenoid on said forms compensator for operating said plungers to move them from latched engagement with said retaining means to permit said forms compensator to move into said remote position.

Claim 16

Printing apparatus comprising, in combination: a printing frame; a printer mounted in said printing frame; a platen arranged in cooperative relation to said printer to enable record media to be positioned therebetween for printing thereon; a forms compensator in which said platen is mounted, said forms compensator being pivotally mounted in said frame for movement to enable the distance between said platen and said printer to be varied to accommodate varying thicknesses of record media, including operating means to cause said forms compensator normally to move, when not restrained, into a position in which said platen is remote from said printer, in which position space between said platen and said printer is provided for insertion of record media; said platen being of elongated configuration, extending transversely of the forms compensator parallel to the axis of pivotal mounting of the forms compensator; said printer being mounted for reciprocating movement in a path parallel to the axis of pivotal mounting of the forms compensator; and latching means for latching said forms compensator in an operative position in which said platen is in an operative relationship to said printer to enable a printing operation to take place, said latching means including fixed retaining means on said frame, cooperating latch elements on said forms compensator, and at least one solenoid on said forms compensator for operating said latch elements to move them from latched engagement with said retaining means to permit said froms compensator to move into said remote position.

Claim 17

Printing apparatus comprising, in combination: a printing frame; a printer mounted in said printing frame; a platen arranged in cooperative relation to said printer to enable record media to be positioned therebetween for printing thereon; a forms compensator in which said platen is mounted, said forms compensator being pivotally mounted in said frame for movement to enable the distance between said platen and said printer to be varied to accommodate varying thicknesses of record media, including operating means to cause said forms compensator normally to move, when not restrained, into a position in which said platen is remote from said printer, in which position space between said platen and said printer is provided for insertion of record media; said platen being of elongated configuration, extending transversely of the forms compensator parallel to the axis of pivotal mounting of the forms compensator; said printer being mounted for reciprocating movement in a path parallel to the axis of pivotal mounting of the forms compensator; and latching means for latching said forms compensator in an operative position in which said platen is in an operative relationship to said printer to enable a printing operation to take place, said latching means including fixed retaining means on said frame, cooperating latch elements on said forms compensator, and at least one solenoid on said forms compensator for operating said latch elements to move them from latched engagement with said retaining means to permit said froms compensator to move into said remote position.

Claim 18

The printing apparatus of claim 13, in which the printer comprises a plurality of individual printing devices.

Claim 19

The printing apparatus of claim 14, in which the plurality of individual printing devices are mounted on a carriage for unitary movement.

Claim 20

The printing apparatus of claim 13, also including return means for returning the forms compensator from its remote position to its operative position.

Claim 21

The printing apparatus of claim 13, also including driving means for driving the printer in said reciprocating movement.

Claim 22

The printing apparatus of claim 17, in which said return means for returning the forms compensator to its operative position is driven by said means for driving the printer in said reciprocating movement.