Patent GB-1146994-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for printing or signalling type characters
IPC: B41J7/66
Filed: 1966-09-26
Abstract: 1,146,994. Selective printing. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP. 26 Sept., 1966 [21 Oct., 1965], No. 42816/66. Heading B6F. Type - selecting actions.-A character selection mechanism comprises a slotted plate 110, Fig. 5, or two slotted plates 28, 30, Fig. 1, which are movable from a home position to a plurality of further positions according to which stop member 36 associated with keys 37 (or other input mechanisms) is made to enter a slot in the plate. As shown in Fig. 1 the plates 28, 30 are held in a home position by a latch 35 which is released by operation of a bail 45. crank 46, and link 47 when engaged by a projection 44 on a key stem 36. The key stem also forms the stop member 36 for limiting the leftward movement of the plates 28, 30 urged in that direction by springs 38, 40. Movement of plate 28 moves attached pulleys 21, 25 around which is trained two wires 19, 24 anchored to the type-carrier 20. Movement of the pulleys effects axial selection of a row of characters on a type cylinder 17. Movement of the plate 30 causes rotation of the cylinder via a D-shaped shaft 12, gears 15, 16, shaft 14, pin 52, helical slot 50 fixed between lugs 49 of a bracket extending from the plate 30. In the modification, Fig. 5, the single plate 110 moves in two dimensions to position a character in a single character printing position. Hammer - impression arrangements. - An electromagnetically operated. spring returned hammer 55 travels in letter-space direction in synchronism with the type-cylinder by means of a tape 88b, Fig. 4, attached to a letter-spacing pulley assembly 22. Variable hammer-impression.-The impact of the hammer is automatically adjusted to suit character area by means of a resistance in the electromagnet operating circuit and which is adjusted in accordance with the amount of sliding movement of a third plate 31 whose slots are arranged proportional to character printing area. Letter-spacing.-The two wires 19, 24 which effect axial character selection (see above) also effect letter-spacing. The wires are anchored on the letter-spacing pulley assembly 22, Fig. 4, which is rotated by an electromaticallyoperated pawl 79. A detent pawl 87 prevents return movement as the advancing pawl 79 is being withdrawn. Carriage-return mechanism.-The letter-spacing pulley assembly 22 contains a spring 83 which is wound up as each electromaticallyoperated letter-space occurs. To effect carriagereturn the stored energy in the spring is released by a key-button 89 which releases both pawls 79, 87 from the ratchet wheel 78. Paper guide; line spacing.-A sheet of paper 53 is line-spaced automatically when the ratchet 78 is rotated counterclockwise by rotating a feed-roller 94 extending through an opening in a guide member 95 of a guide shoot 96. The roller 94 may be actuated manually. Power for setting type-carriers.-An electromagnet 70 used in both embodiments described moves the slides 28, 30, 31, 110 to home position; in so doing power is stored in springs which is used to set the type-carriers. Type-frame machines; special forms of typebody.-As shown in Fig. 5 the type-carrier may comprise a single flat plate 110 with a series of fingers 111 containing characters. The plate is moved in two dimensions by subsidiary plates 114, 121. Strip feeding.-The strip 134 is fed by an electromagnetically-operated ratchet and pawl mechanism.