Patent ES-345144-A1 (ES)
Title: Variable spacebar mechanism for automatically operated proportional escapement printer
IPC: B41J19/58
Filed: 1967-09-18
Abstract: In a selective printing machine wherein the letter spacing effected by the escapement mechanism varies with the character selected a "noprint" device is provided which when operated by a translator in conjunction with a character selection prevents printing of the character but allows operation of the escapement to effect spacing corresponding to the selected character e.g. for justifiable purposes a variable spacing between printed characters can thus be obtained. As shown, a settable printing-head 16 Fig. 2, is mounted on a carriage 18 which is moved by a lead screw 26 for letter spacing. The escapement is controlled, as described in Specification 1,053,186, by a pin wheel 27 and a pin-setting assembly 28 connected by links 29 to bails 52, Fig. 3, operated by coded projections on an interposer 37 associated with a character key-lever 30 and moved lengthwise by a cyclically-driven shaft 44. Coded projections 46 on the lower edge of the interposer operate bails 47 to effect character selection 6 then projections such as 54, Fig. 3, operate bails such as 56, 58, Figs. 2, 3, controlling the stroke of a cam follower 76, Fig. 2, which in turn controls the impression velocity of the type-head 16 as described in Specification 1,187,507. Impression is effected by the engagement of a cam 94 with a roller 91. The cam 94 has axially-spaced parts, and according to which part is engaged by the roller 91, a high, medium or low velocity is imparted to the head 16. The roller 91 is selectively moved into alignment with one of the cam parts according to the stroke of follower 76 which affects the position of a pulley 87 around which passes a band 871 to which the roller 91 is attached. Also, as described in Specification 1,187,507, a manually-operated "no-print" key 24, Fig. 2, is provided, which when depressed allows movement of follower 76 such that roller 91 is positioned for engagement by a part 93 of cam 94 designed so that the head 16 does not make a printing stroke. Thus, if key 24 is operated in conjunction with a character key, a spacing movement of the carriage corresponding to the character is effected without printing. Operation of the machine can be controlled by signals from a data processor which receives unjustified data from tape input devices and manipulates this data in accordance with a stored justification programme. Seven signals can issue from the data processor, each signal actuating an electromagnet 107. . . 113 of which magnets 107 . . . 109 are shown in Fig. 5. One signal is a "no-print" signal which operates electromagnet 113. Associated with each magnet is a code slide 100 ... 106, Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 5, each slide is normally held in a leftward position against the action of a spring 127 by the engagement of its magnet armature 130 with a lug 132 on the slide. The receipt of one or more signals energizes the corresponding magnets and releases the corresponding slides which move to the right. Coded projections are provided on the lower edges of the slides. Seekers 115, Figs. 3 and 5 urged upwardly and leftwardly by springs 146 have parts extending below and perpendicularly to the slides 100... 106, and there is one seeker for each character and function key except in the case of the "noprint" key 24. The seeker 115 for the "noprint" function is connected by a link 61, Fig. 2, to a key-lever 60 with no key button so that it cannot be depressed manually. The lever 60 is associated with an interposer similar to interposer 37, Fig. 3, which, when driven, does not affect the escapement mechanism. Projections on the lower edge of the "no-print" interposer act to select the character on the home position of the print head The other seekers 115 are connected by linkages 118, 34 to the various key-levers. After the slides 100 ... 106 have been set, a bail 149 controlled by one of a number of cams 121 is permitted to rise, thus allowing a selected seeker to rise into slots in the slides 100 . . . 105, or in the case of a no-print spacing, allowing a selected character seeker and the no-print seeker to rise into slots in slides 100 ... 106. In this position, a bail 156 operated by another cam 121 moves the upwardly displaced seeker or seekers to the right to operate the required keylevers 30, 60 &c to effect the operations already described. Tf a spacing between letters is required other than that provided by the arrangements described, a signal may operate a space bar device settable by a dial in known manner to give the desired spacing.