Abstract: A sheet discharge apparatus for a printer comprising a platen, a first discharge roller unit movable toward and away from the platen and defining a first sheet insertion passage at a location between the platen and the first discharge roller unit, an openable and closable top cover, a second discharge roller unit mounted for longitudinal movement in parallel relation to the top cover, to define a second sheet insertion passage at a location between the first discharge roller unit and the second discharge roller unit, and positioning means for the second discharge roller unit, which is provided on the printer body.

Abstract: In a printer, a recording medium can be fed into and drawn out of a body through a rear opening formed in the body. A top cover assembly including a top cover and a shutter is angularly movable relatively to the body between an open position permitting access to an interior of the body and a closed position prohibiting access to the interior of the body. The recording medium can be fed into and drawn out of the body through an upper opening formed in the top cover. An inner surface of the shutter serving as a guide surface for the recording medium is exposed directly to the interior of the body when the top cover assembly is in the closed position. The shutter extends from a position adjacent the upper opening to a position adjacent the rear opening through a lower surface of a rear wall of the top cover. The shutter is movable relatively to the top cover between an open position opening the upper opening and a closed position closing the upper opening.

Abstract: In a printer for use with a continuous form, a tractor drive shaft and a tractor guide shaft are mounted to a tractor frame of a bi-directional form feeder unit in parallel relation to each other. A pair of tractors mounted on both the shafts are movable therealong, but can be fixed to a shaft body of the guide shaft at respective desired positions. Opposite axial ends of the drive shaft are received respectively in a pair of elongated slots whose longitudinal axes extend substantially perpendicularly to a platen. One axial end of the drive shaft is drivingly connected to a drive unit. A pair of support shaft sections extend respectively from opposite axial end faces of the shaft body and are supported by the tractor frame. An axis of the shaft body extends in eccentric relation to an axis common to the support shaft sections. The shaft body is angularly movable about its axis relatively to the tractors.

Abstract: In printing heads for a dot line printer, a plurality of which are arranged in line on the reciprocal frame and impact printing wires toward a platen by the driving force of electromagnets excited with the basis of the printing commands, the printing heads for a dot line printer includes electromagnetic actuators including shells which contain and fix cores being wound driving coil around therein and base plates which are attached to the shells in order to close up their opening sides, and forming the tightly closed magnetic loops, and printing springs one ends of which are fixed and supported by supporting portions extended from the base plates, the top ends of which fix armatures at the postion facing to the cores.

Abstract: A printing head apparatus for a dot printer including a frame and at least one printing wire unit which is secured to the frame. The printing wire unit has an electromagnetic actuator and a printing spring with one stationary end and a printing wire attached to the other end thereof. The printing spring carries an armature at an appropriate central portion thereof facing the core of the electromagnetic actuator. The printing spring is flat and tapered toward the distal end, and a bent portion is provided on the flat portion for securing the printing wire, while an indented portion is provided on the base portion of the printing spring. A wire mask enables the ink ribbon to be smoothly fed.

Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus used in shuttle printers including drive means for moving a print sheet and a paper holding spring for holding the print sheet on a platen to apply a back-tension to the print sheet when it is being moved. The feeding apparatus further includes friction means disposed opposed to the print sheet at a position forward of the platen in the direction of feeding, pressure spring means located opposed to the friction means, and a lever for biasing the pressure spring means against the friction means. The platen is movable between a first position where it is engaged by the paper holding spring and a second position where the plate is disengaged by the paper holding spring. The biasing lever has its tip placed in non-contact with the platen when the platen is engaged by the paper holding spring, whereby the lever can be engaged by the platen to separate the pressure spring means from the print sheet when the platen is moved from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: An inked ribbon changeover mechanism for a printing machine, in which a plurality of inked ribbons are looped over a plurality of guide members, respectively. The guide members are carried on a movable member, which is arranged to be movable to first and second positions relative to a printing head such that a selected one of the inked ribbons is placed in an operative position in which a portion of the selected one of the inked ribbons is located in a space between the printing head and a record medium when the printing head is in a printing position.