Abstract: Disclosed is a precision printhead transport apparatus. The apparatus includes a differential wheel rotatably mounted upon belt or a printhead carriage which is constrained to move along a printing path. A first portion of an endless belt or band is looped around a first portion of the differential wheel having a first radius and a second portion of the band is looped around a second portion of the differential wheel having a second radius. The band further passes around two pulleys positioned on opposite sides of the differential wheel, one of the pulleys being an idler pulley and the other a driven pulley. A course stepping motor drives the driven pulley and the action of the differential wheel assures that gross rotation of the driven pulley produces only small linear displacement of the printhead carriage.Embodiments disclosed include both smooth and toothed bands and the use of a pair of rigid racks in place of the endless band.

Abstract: A document track for use in a check encoding machine or typewriter comprises a workhead positioned in a slot in a wall of the track, the slot being positioned transverse to the direction of movement of a document in the track, the slot closed off by a flexible strip held flush with the inner surface of the wall by means of first and second support brackets and first and second support arms. As the workhead moves up and down the slot, the flexible strip passes around the workhead such that only a working surface of the workhead is exposed in the slot, the rest of the slot being screened off flush with the inner surface of the wall by the flexible strip.

Abstract: A printer employing a daisy wheel or other print wheel uses a single motor both to translate a carriage along a line of printing and to rotate the daisy wheel. The daisy wheel is rotated through one complete character set for movement of the carriage along the print line by one character printing space. Type on the fingers of the daisy wheel is progressively displaced relative to a center line through the ordered set to be printed early on the line of printing by a distance which is a proportional part of one print line letter space, the displacement proportional to the position of a character in the set between a first character and a last character.Also disclosed is a controller for the printer, the controller including enciphering capabilities whereby enciphered text is produced.

Abstract: A document stacker assembly including a plurality of document stackers each having a bin wherein documents are selectably stacked against a bin wall member. A belt moves documents along a document track and an idler wheel is pressed against the belt in each stacker assembly. A flicker wheel is driven to rotate by pressure thereagainst by the rotating idler wheel. A solenoid is operable selectably to move a document deflector pivoted about the flicker wheel axle to deflect a document along the track into the pinch between a central waisted portion of the flicker wheel and the idler wheel. The document is urged into the bin and the trailing edge of the document, having disengaged from the pinch between the idler wheel and a waisted portion of the flicker wheel is engaged by projections on the unwaisted top and bottom serrated portions of the flicker wheel, to urge the document further into the bin and to disengage the trailing edge at a predetermined location therein.

Abstract: A depressible shaft (14) mounted, switch (16) operating keyboard button (10) is stabilized against rotation about the shaft (14) and in a plane which includes the axis of the shaft (14) by means of a stabilizing arm (24) thereunder which engages a stabilizing surface (30) on the housing of the switch (16).