Office machine including a multicolor plotting mechanism

Claim 2

In a typewriter including support means for positioning a record carrier, a carriage arranged for reciprocating travel, receiving means mounted on the carriage, drive means mounted on the carriage, and a ribbon cartridge receivable in and removable from said receiving means and operatively connectable with said drive means when seated in said receiving means, the improvement comprising an XY-plotter receivable and removable from said receiving means when said ribbon cartridge is absent from said receiving means; said XY-plotter including stylus holding means for supporting a plurality of styli; first force-transmitting means operatively connectable to said drive means when said XY-plotter is seated in said receiving means for moving said stylus holding means such as to place a selected stylus in a standby writing position; and second force-transmitting means operatively connectable to said drive means when said XY-plotter is seated in said receiving means for moving the selected stylus in contact with the record carrier positioned by said support means.

Claim 3

A typewriter as defined in claim 1, further wherein said XY-plotter comprises a support plate and a support block affixed to said support plate; further comprising releasable immobilizing means mounted on said carriage for immovably securing said support plate in said receiving means; said stylus holding means comprises a drum having a rotary axis; said drum having means defining an array of circumferentially arranged receiving troughs each adapted to hold a stylus in a radially captive and in an axially shiftable manner; said first force-transmitting means comprises a pawl drive arranged for operatively connecting said drive means with said drum.

Claim 4

A typewriter as defined in claim 2, wherein said drive means comprises a drive motor and a coupling element rotated by said drive motor; further comprising a ratchet wheel coaxially affixed to said drum and having a series of teeth; said pawl drive having a back-and-forth movable pawl to sequentially engage said teeth to intermittently rotate said drum, an abutment pin connected to said pawl and a spring urging the pawl and the abutment pin away from the teeth of the ratchet wheel; further comprising a cam disc operatively connected with said coupling element for being driven by said drive motor; and a pivotally supported drive lever having an end connected with said cam disc; said drive lever having another end connected with said abutment pin, whereby said back-and-forth movable pawl executes alternating forward strokes and return strokes upon rotation of said cam disc.

Claim 5

A typewriter as defined in claim 3, further comprising manually rotatable means connected to said cam disc for imparting manually transmitted rotations thereto independently from said drive motor.

Claim 6

A typewriter as defined in claim 3, further comprising a stop affixed to said support plate, said drive lever being urged against said stop by said spring through said abutment pin.

Claim 7

A typewriter as defined in claim 3, wherein said pawl drive further comprises a hollow cylinder, a piston slidably supported in said cylinder and affixed to said abutment pin; said spring exerting a spring force on said piston.

Claim 8

A typewriter as defined in claim 6, further comprising a resilient disc rotatably mounted on said block at an end of said drum; said resilient disc being oriented radially to the rotary axis of the drum and having axially resilient tabs provided with apertures aligned with respective said troughs of the drum, whereby styli supported in the troughs project, with a front end thereof, through the apertures; said tabs being arranged to urge the styli in a direction away from the record carrier held in said support means; further comprising an abutment plate secured to said support block at an end of said drum remote from said resilient disc; said resilient disc pressing the styli against said abutment plate; said abutment plate having an aperture aligned with said selected stylus situated in said standby writing position; further comprising a two-armed pressing lever pivotally supported by said block such that said two-armed pressing lever is adapted to swing into said aperture and push the selected stylus into contact with the record carrier; said two-armed pressing lever forming part of said second force-transmitting means; said two-armed pressing lever being operatively connected with said drive means.

Claim 9

A typewriter as defined in claim 7, further comprising a pivotal plate mounted on said carriage and being operatively connected to said drive means for lifting a correcting tape upon actuation; said two-armed pressing lever being in operative connection with said pivotal plate for moving the two-armed pressing lever into contact with the selected stylus upon an actuation of said pivotal plate.

Claim 10

A typewriter as defined in claim 7, wherein said ratchet has apertures aligned with said troughs to allow the styli to pass therethrough; further comprising resilient clips arranged at an end of said drum remote from said ratchet for immobilizing the styli in said troughs.

Claim 11

A typewriter as defined in claim 9, further comprising a release lever supported on said support plate adjacent said two-armed pressing lever for cooperating with said holding clips to release the styli from the holding clips.

Claim 12

A typewriter as defined in claim 10, further comprising a pivot shaft held in said support plate, said release lever being shiftably and rotatably supported on said pivot shaft; said release lever having a manually engageable first arm and a second arm provided with a stop pin; said stop pin, upon manipulation of said first arm, being slidable past a free end of the styli and rotatable for releasing the styli; further comprising spring means attached to said release lever for opposing manipulating forces exerted on said first arm.