Patent GB-966040-A (GB)
Title: Character wire printer
IPC: B41J33/518
Filed: 1961-11-27
Abstract: 966,040. Selective-printing apparatus. COMMERCIAL CONTROLS CORPORATION. Nov. 27, 1961 [March 28, 1961], No. 42361/61. Heading B6F. In a wire character-printer, the wires to form a particular character are selected by means movable in two mutually perpendicular directions laterally of the rear ends of the wires under the control of code-translating slide members, and printing is effected by actuation of the selecting means after selection has been completed. The printing apparatus is attached to a unit for code-punching a tape as described in Specification 832,908, and is operated from the same main shaft 19, Fig. 2 (not shown), so as to print on the tape adjacent to the punch marks. The actuation of the punches is controlled by individual electromagnets connected to corresponding individual electromagnets effecting the selection of the character to be printed as described later. The cluster of wires 49, Fig. 4, passes from the printing head 25 through individual passages in a guide 24 and each wire is provided at its inner end with a head 50 having a flange 57 and an actuating pin 55 as described in Specification 750,107. To project selected wires for printing a required character, a code plate 56 as described in Specification 638,935 and which has been set as described below to position raised parts on the plate opposite the pins 55 of the wires to be actuated, is moved against the pins by a presser plate 66 to project the outer ends of the wires concerned from the head 25 and cause a print of a character to be made through an ink-ribbon. Lugs 68 on the plate 66 are pivoted at 69 to bell-cranks 71 operated by a linkage 82, 84 from the driving shaft of the machine. Another plate 53 also has lugs 67 pivoted at 69 to the bell-cranks 71, and engages the flanges 57 to bring the projected wires back to their retracted positions. To position the plate 56 it is moved horizontally or vertically or both, under the control of electric impulses. For the horizontal movement, the plate 56 is spring-urged to the left, Fig. 11, and has lugs 124 engaged by a cross-bar 123 attached to an extension 118 of a code-bar 122. Four codebars 122, 139, 140, 141 are employed, and are all urged to the left by springs 146. An adjustable stop 170 limits the leftward movement of the bar 141 and such movement of the other bars is limited by a latch 149 on the adjacent bar engaging, in the initial positions of the bars, a notch 151. The bars 122, 139, 140 are provided adjacent the notch 151 with another notch 152, the length of which varies in the different bars. Each latch 149 is connected by a link 157 to the armature 159, Fig. 10, of an electromagnet 160, the armature being biased by a spring 161 tending to hold the latch in engagement with notch 151. Energization of one or more of the electromagnets 160 causes the corresponding latches to move into the notches 152 thus permitting the code-bar 122 and the plate 56 to move horizontally to the left under the action of springs 126, 146 a distance equal to the sum of the lengths of the notches 152 engaged by latches. A similar arrangement of code-bars 122<SP>1</SP>, 139<SP>1</SP>, 140<SP>1</SP>, 141<SP>1</SP>, Fig. 11, and electromagnets is provided to effect vertical positioning of the plate 56 by downward movement thereof, the last code bar 122<SP>1</SP> having connected thereto a member 134 with rollers 138a, 138b thereon engaging a flange 135 on a lug 61 of the plate 56. The six electromagnets are energized by code signals. To restore the code-bars to their initial positions after a printing operation, pivoted arms engaging parts 119, 129, Fig. 11, on the code-bars 122, 122<SP>1</SP> are actuated by a cam on the main shaft to move those bars back until their notches 151 are re-engaged by the latches 149. Inter-engaging parts 162, 165 &c. on the various code-bars cause the remaining code-bars to be restored as the bars 122, 122<SP>1</SP> are restored. During rearward movement of the code-bars, extensions 166, Fig. 10, on the latches 149 engage stops 167 to ensure positive engagement of the latches with the notches 151. An ink-ribbon mechanism, as described in U.S.A. Specification 3,037,448, is provided.