Patent ID: 6439786
Filing Date: 2002-08-27
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A printer for printing on a web of material moving continuously in a single direction along a linear path, the web having a printable area, the printer comprising:a pivot beam extending orthogonally across and adjacent to the linear path of the web, the pivot beam having oppositely disposed first and second end portions; first and second cam supports fixedly positioned proximate to the first and second end portions of the pivot beam; first and second eccentric cams rotatably mounted at the first and second end portions of the pivot beam, respectively, and engaged with the first and second cam supports, respectively, the first and second eccentric cams each having a cam lobe, each of the cam lobes having a position, the position of the cam lobe of the second eccentric cam being located 180Â° from the position of the cam lobe of the first eccentric cam; a print head carriage assembly supported on the pivot beam including at least one print head, the print head carriage assembly being moveable along the pivot beam from a first end position adjacent the first end portion of the pivot beam to a second end position adjacent the second end portion of the pivot beam; a drive pulley and an idler pulley rotatably mounted at the first and second end portions of the pivot beam, respectively; drive means for driving the drive pulley; a drive belt carried on the drive and idler pulleys and driven by the drive pulley in a single direction; linkage means connected to the drive belt and the print head carriage assembly for reciprocally pushing and pulling the print head carriage assembly between the first and second end positions; and trip means connected to the drive belt for selectively rotating the first and second eccentric cams, whereby the cam lobe of the first eccentric cam engages the first cam support to pivot the first end portion of the pivot beam in the direction of the linear path when the print head carriage assembly is disposed for moving from the second end position to the first end position and the cam lobe of the second eccentric cam engages the second cam support to pivot the second end portion of the pivot beam in the direction of the linear path when the print head carriage assembly is disposed for moving from the first end position to the second end position.