Plotting mechanism mounted on a ribbon cassette for typewriters or office machines

A plotting device for typewriters or office machines of similar construction which comprises a motor driven carriage; a record carrier; a print head; a ribbon in a cassette; a reversible, controllable drive motor for moving the record carrier up and down; the motor driven carriage being movable along the record carrier; the ribbon being housed within the carriage with a portion of the ribbon extending outside of the carriage for being contacted by the print head; the print head being operatively connected to the carriage so that the print head can strike the ribbon and produce a full set of alpha-numeric characters on the record carrier; an X-Y plotting mechanism equpped with styli and being disposed on the cassette; and a control system for moving the styli from a detent position into an operating position with respect to the record carrier.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a plotting mechanism for typewriters or 
office machines. 
2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
Several line-drawing devices for drawing horizontal and vertical lines on 
typewriters are known. However, they are rarely encountered in practice 
which may indicate that they have not been found satisfactory or are too 
great an impediment for the typing process. 
German Patent No. 891,271 discloses a holding device for typewriters to 
accommodate a threaded ball-point writing implement cartridge in which a 
threaded holder for the writing cartridge is disposed on the card holder 
to the right or left of the type face guiding head and is fixed thereto by 
means of a clamp. The plastic card holder has a threaded sleeve on the 
writing cartridge instead of an insertion hole. Such an arrangement 
interferes with the typing process, particularly in machines in which the 
print head is disposed on a carriage which moves along the record carrier. 
Exchange of the ball-point pen cartridges would also require a certain 
amount of skill on the part of the machine operator. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,176 discloses a multi-color printer in which different 
color styli are disposed at the periphery of a drum-like holder. However, 
setting of this printer to one of the desired colors is very complicated. 
Further, DE-OS No. 3,619,567 which corresponds to U.S. patent application 
Ser. No. 07/060,468, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,796 to Kittel discloses a 
ribbon cassette equipped with a color stylus in a displacement element 
which, by way of a handle attached thereto, can be pushed from an 
out-of-engagement position into a ready position. Although this device 
permits the creation of simple drawn lines in the horizontal, vertical or 
also in any other direction, the displacement of this displacement element 
must still be made by hand. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a plotting mechanism 
for typewriters or similar office machines which is able to produce, in 
addition to a full set of printed characters, any desired single or double 
drawn lines in the horizontal, vertical or any other direction. The 
selection of the stylus is to be effected by means of a keyboard signal 
or, in on-line operation, by means of software without requiring any 
special manual actuation. 
The plotting mechanism permits the creation of full sets of printed 
characters in the conventional manner, for example by means of a daisy 
wheel printing mechanism as well as any desired drawn lines in the x and y 
direction by means of an additional stylus disposed in a displaceable 
member. A further feature makes it possible for the displaceable member to 
be equipped with styli which can be simply and quickly moved into the 
starting position and into one of the desired operating positions without 
the need for additional mechanical means. 
This further feature of the invention permits the easy removal from and 
replacement into the machine of the plotting mechanism. 
It is a further object of the invention to produce a mechanism that will 
allow the styli to be used with conventional machines not originally 
designed for use with the styli. 
The styli can be set simply and easily and requires no additional driving 
devices in the machine. 
The above and other objects are accomplished by the invention in which a 
plotting device for typewriters or office machines of similar construction 
comprises a motor driven carriage, a record carrier, a print head, a 
ribbon and a reversible controllable drive motor means for moving the 
record carrier up and down. The motor driven carriage is movable along the 
record carrier, and the ribbon is housed within the carriage with a 
portion thereof extending outside of the carriage for contact with the 
print head. The print head is operatively connected to the carriage so 
that it can strike the ribbon and produce a full set of alpha-numeric 
characters on the record carrier. An X-Y plotting mechanism equipped with 
styli and disposed on the carriage is provided, as is a control device for 
selectively moving one of the styli from a detent position into an 
operating position with respect to the record carrier.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIG. 1 shows a carriage 3 which is movable along a record carrier 1 via 
shafts 4, 5 and which is driven by means of a stepping motor 6. By means 
of a cable drum 7, this stepping motor 6 drives a cable pulley 8 whose 
ends 11, 12 are fixed to carriage 3. Moreover, at the side opposite motor 
6 in the machine housing, cable 8 is reversed by way of a guide roller 9 
which is rotatably mounted on a shaft 10. 
Record carrier 1 is transported over a platen 2. A gear 53 is fixed to this 
platen 2 and is in driving connection with the drive pinion 52 of a 
stepping motor 51. A ribbon cassette 13 in which a supply reel 14 and a 
take-up reel 20 are rotatably mounted is exchangeably disposed on carriage 
3. Ribbon 15 is unwound from supply reel 14 by means of a transporting 
device whereby the ribbon 15 is brought out of an exit opening 16 to the 
printing station and is then returned via an entrance opening 17 to 
take-up reel 20. Ribbon 15 is additionally guided within the cassette by 
deflection pins 18 and 19. 
The plotting mechanism disposed on carriage 3 includes a print head 21 for 
generating a full set of alpha-numeric characters on record carrier 1 
through the intermediary of ribbon 15. The print head is composed, for 
example, of a conventional daisy wheel equipped with type faces disposed 
on resilient spokes. This daisy wheel is set in a known manner by means of 
a stepping motor, with the set character then being moved by a printing 
hammer against record carrier 1. 
An X-Y plotting mechanism equipped with styli is also disposed on carriage 
3, with its styli 31, 32 being brought by means of a control device from a 
detent position into an operating position for printing on record carrier 
1. This plotting mechanism comprises a displaceable member 44 equipped 
with a plurality of juxtaposed styli 31, 32, with member 44 being disposed 
on a bearing shaft 28 fixed to carriage 3 so as to be displaceable thereon 
in the direction of movement of carriage 3 and arrestable. Shaft 28 is 
provided with a number of detent notches 46 corresponding to the number of 
juxtaposed styli 31, 32 into which a resilient detent element 45 can 
engage which is stationarily disposed on carriage 3. This ensures a secure 
and simple arrest for the respectively selected stylus 31, 32 in the 
operating position. 
Displaceable member 44 includes bearings 29, 30 equipped with bearing bores 
33, 34 in which the color styli are disposed so as to be displaceable 
against the force of springs 35, 36 with respect to record carrier 1. At 
their ends facing away from record carrier 1, styli 31, 32 can be charged 
by a control member and thereby displaced from the detent position into 
the operating position. This control member is, for example, a resilient 
pivot lever 40 which is permanently connected with a shaft 50 which is 
pivotal by means of a cam 42. The resilient pivot lever 40 is composed of 
a leaf spring provided at its free end with a recess 39 for coupling it to 
pin-shaped extensions 37, 38 at the ends of styli 31, 32. 
As shown in the drawing figure, the plotting mechanism is movable together 
with carriage 3 and is connected to ribbon cassette 13. For this purpose, 
the upper face of cassette 13 is provided with two bearing blocks 22, 23 
having bores in which shaft 28 of displaceable member 44 is mounted so as 
to be rotatable and displaceable. These bearing blocks 22, 23 are provided 
with slit-like openings for receiving shaft 28. The slit-like openings are 
bounded by arms 24, 25, 26 and 27. Displaceable member 44 is also arranged 
so as to be displaceable on cassette 13 in the direction of movement of 
the carriage. 
The spring wire 45, which serves as the resilient detent element, is also 
fastened to cassette housing 13. Rotary shaft 50 and leaf spring 40 are 
likewise disposed on the exchangeable cassette 13, rotary shaft 50 being 
mounted so as to engage and rotate at the underside of cassette 13. Rotary 
shaft 50 is additionally provided with a bent, projecting arm 41 which can 
be coupled to the receptacle for carriage 3 by means of a cam 42 when 
cassette 13 is seated on the receptacle. A spring 43 articulated to the 
bent, projecting arm 41 always keeps shaft 50 forcefully engaged with cam 
42. When cassette 13 is removed from carriage 3, the plotting mechanism 
together with displaceable member 44 and rotary shaft 50 are also removed 
from the machine. It is then possible to insert into the machine either a 
normal ribbon cassette not equipped with the above-described plotting 
mechanism or a ribbon cassette having such a plotting mechanism. 
Setting of the plotting mechanism is accomplished by arranging the carriage 
3 together with print head 21 and the plotting mechanism so that they are 
moveable beyond one of the margin positions. By moving them beyond one of 
the margin positions the plotting mechanism is brought into its basic 
position where the styli does not contact the record carrier 1. Then 
carriage 3 is moved into the other margin position and to a different 
extent far beyond this margin position to place the desired stylus 31, 32 
into the operating position whereby the stylus contacts the record carrier 
1. For this purpose, shaft 28 is provided with extensions which can be 
brought into engagement with the left side wall 47 and right side wall 48 
of the machine housing so as to displace displaceable member 44 into its 
basic position or into one of its operating positions. The respectively 
set position of shaft 28 is ensured by engagement of wire spring 45 in one 
of detent notches 46. This ensures easy adjustment of displaceable member 
44 with respect to styli 31, 32. 
With displaceable member 44 set as shown in the drawing figure, the stylus 
32 is in the operating position. The stylus is brought into contact with 
record carrier 1 by means of leaf spring 40 of rotary shaft 50. 
Displacement of stylus 32 from the detent position into the operating 
position is effected by means of cam 42 which pivots rotary shaft 50 and 
leaf spring 40 counterclockwise against the force of spring 43. The cam 42 
may be provided on the movable carriage 3 for another function or may be 
specifically installed for the purpose of this invention. By means of the 
appropriate control instructions to stepping motors 6 and 51, the carriage 
3 and the plotting mechanism are moved over platen 2 in such a manner 
that, for example, an outline 49 is produced on record carrier 1. With 
corresponding controls to the two motors 6 and 51 from a control element, 
e.g. a microprocessor, geometric figures can be generated on record 
carrier 1. A full set of alpha-numeric characters may be produced in a 
known manner by a print head 21 configured in the form of a daisy wheel. 
The plotting mechanism is a supplemental invention for wellknown 
typewriters producing a full set of printed characters. If the typewriter 
is in printing position then the styli do not contact the record carrier 
1. Thereby, the styli 31, 32 are out of position of the rotary shaft 50 
and the leaf spring 40. For this purpose, the plotting system has always 
to be brought into its basic position by moving the carriage 3 in the left 
direction engaging the shaft 28 with the left side wall. Setting of the 
plotting mechanism is accomplished by engaging the shaft 28 with the right 
side wall 48 of the machine housing. 
FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram of the program executed by the processor 
conformable to U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,591. The invention is operable in 
typewriters or other similar machines for producing a full set of printed 
characters and plotted lines conformable to flow diagram which will now be 
explained. 
Block 55--The typewriter is switched on. 
Block 56--The microprocessor caused to bring the carriage 3 to the left 
side wall. 
Block 57--The microprocessor transfers a control signal to controller 57 if 
plotting is desired. 
Block 58--If there is not a plotting signal, then the controller 58 sends a 
signal to the print drive circuit 59. 
Block 59--The print drive circuit 59 is caused to bring the printer to 
print position for printing alphanumeric characters. 
Block 60--The microprocessor is caused to bring the carriage to the right 
side wall 48 for positioning the styli 31 or 32. 
Block 61--The carriage 3 with the positioned styli will be brought in 
plotting position on the record carrier. 
Block 62--the controller proofs if the styli 31 or 32 is in contact with 
the record carrier. 
Block 63--the microprocessor sends signals to the driving motors 6 and 51. 
Block 64--The controller proofs if the plotting act is finished. 
Block 65--The microprocessor transfers signals to motor 54 for resetting 
the cam 42 and the styli 31, 32 in basic position. 
It will be understood that the above description of the present invention 
is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the 
same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of 
equivalents of the appended claims.