Patent GB-1163772-A (GB)
Title: Data Recorder
IPC: B41L45/02
Filed: 1966-10-10
Abstract: 1,163,772. Data recorder. ADDRESSOGRAPH MULTIGRAPH CORP. 10 Oct., 1966 [7 March, 1966], No. 45236/66. Heading B6C. A data recorder comprises an anvil and means for positioning a printing token, e.g. an embossed plastics card, on the anvil; holding means for a form to be imprinted; an inkbearing ribbon between the anvil and the holding means; means for closing the holding means and the anvil together thus forming a stack comprising the token, the ribbon and the form; and a platen for imparting pressure to the stack. Fig. 1 is a top plan view, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 of a printer according to the invention. An electric motor 12 mounted in the frame 10 drives a crank-arm 13 through a shaft 12<SP>1</SP>, the crankarm engaging in slot 14 of a C-frame 15, pivoted at 16, which causes the platen assembly 20 to traverse the machine by guidance along tracks 18 and 19 spaced vertically over each other. The platen assembly 20 includes a vertical shaft 24 with eccentric portions which carry roller platens 21a and 21b, the shaft being slightly rotatable so as to bring either platen 21a or platen 21b to the printing position, and the position of the shaft being determined by a collar 23 with guide pin 23a and actuator 23b, the guide pin running along control track 27. Thus the platen assembly is swept back and forth by the C-frame 15 whose bifurcated ends embrace the ends of shaft 24, determining a printing area the separate parts of the area being covered by either platen 21a (motion in one direction) or platen 21b (motion in the other direction. Co-operating with the platen assembly is an anvil 31 movably carried on a frame 32 pivoted at 34; the extremities of the anvil support carry ribbon supply spool 36 and ribbon takeup spool 38, the supply spool being provided with a ratchet 44 and drive pawl mechanism 41 for intermittent advance of the ink-ribbon 39, and the take-up spool having a friction brake 46. Fig. 4 illustrates the means by which the printing token 51 is carried from loading position (solid lines) to printing position (dotted lines) by means of shuttle carriage 50 and parallel-bar linkage 64, 66; guides 52 provide a temporary lateral locator in the loading position for a token 51; as the shuttle 50 moves upwards and inwards the end guides 52 strike the bottom of anvil 31 and are caused to retract into the body of the shuttle, leaving the token 51 to be gripped only by fingers 56 (also in Figs. 5-8, not shown). On movement from print to loading position the reverse process occurs. Coaction between the shuttle-raising and anvil-closing motions is provided by including an arm 80 projecting from the parallel-bar linkage 64 carrying a roller 82 which through surface 84 impresses on abutment member 42 fixed to frame 10, and causing the anvil frame 32 to pivot about the pivot 34 towards the platen assembly. Consequent on this movement of the anvil frame, latches 96 pivoted to the frame 32 engage with a tie-rod 100 on the frame 10 thus forcing the anvil to remain firmly in this closed position during printing; the printing cycle is also preferably triggered by the movement of latches 96. However, if a form has not been inserted between the anvil and the platen, sensor finger (104) will engage with an abutment on latch 96 preventing correct latching and therefore not allowing the starting of the printing cycle (Fig. 3, not shown).