Abstract: A daisy wheel printer having a daisy wheel (10) with a central disc portion (12) and character stalks (14), wherein a masking disc (20) is attached coaxially to the daisy wheel, the mask being larger than the central disc portion of the wheel so that it obscures the daisy wheel stalks in a radial zone of the wheel inwardly of the character petals (16). The mask (20) is provided with a single slit (26) over the interstice between a unique pair of character stalks (14A, 14B), to thereby define a unique datum or home location on the daisy wheel. This datum slit is detected by means of a light source (28) and light-sensitive detector (30) which emits a pulse each time the datum slit passes through a light beam directed towards the detector at the radial zone of the daisy wheel whereat the datum slit is provided.

Abstract: Each of resilient tongues of a type wheel for use in a serial printing apparatus carries one or more type members. Each of the type members is provided with a curved or concave type face whose center of curvature lies on an axis of a paper supporting platen so that the type face comes into even and tight contact with the platen surface in a printing position. The curved type face is formed on a projection having a forward end which is tapered toward or away from a plane perpendicular to a rotary axis of the type wheel. Further, the each of the type members is provided with a back face which is formed on a back portion of the curved type face. The back face is driven by a hammer which is oriented in a predetermined direction toward the axis of the platen so as to be evenly and entirely engaged with a striking face of the hammer in the printing position. The back portion of the curved type face comprises a projection which is tapered toward or away from a plane perpendicular the rotary axis of the type wheel.

Abstract: A daisy wheel print element provided with hammer energy absorbing formations to obtain substantially uniform print density for different print area types.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing the molded hub of a print wheel of the type having a central axial passage of precise diameter and a plurality of elastically deformable, concentrically arranged character carrying radial arms. A metal ring carrying radial passageways is centered in the mold cavity used for forming the hub, etc., and a plastics composition is injected into the mold cavity only through the center of the ring and by way of the radial passageways whereby the metal ring becomes a unitary permanent part of the hub and defines the central axial passage. After the molding, the molded structure is released from the mold and the remainent central plastic plug easily is sheared from the ring, as by punching, for example. Remainent plastic material left within the radial passageways functions supplementary to maintain the stability and concentricity of the ring and hub assembly.

Abstract: To enable printing to be done in lines parallel to the edge of a record web as well as in lines perpendicular to the edge, a type-wheel is provided which has its slugs disposed at an angle, preferably 45.degree., to the radii through the centers of the slugs. Two hammer positions are also provided, one being positioned so as to produce the kind of lines first mentioned, and the other positioned to produce the kind of lines second mentioned.

Abstract: An impact receiving structure for an impact type printing mechanism, in which vibration members for guiding along branched paths the vibration of an impact receiving face member, which is vibrated by the striking energy of a printing hammer, are provided at other positions than the printing face of a platen or at the inside of a type drum in the impact type printing mechanism, and in which elastic vibration absorbing materials are packed in close contact with the vibration members, so that noise attendant with the printing hammer impact can be effectively attenuated.

Abstract: A typing device comprises a character-bearing disc having a central part for being fixed on a selector shaft and a peripheral rim with a plurality of selectable flexible laminae. Each lamina carries a particular character and striking means flexes the selected lamina to strike against a typing point of a sheet carrying platen for typing. A positioning element, for angular positioning the characters with respect to the typing point, comprises a recess cooperating with a wedge-shaped profile of each one of the selected laminae when the character strikes on said platen. The laminae carry alphabetic and numerical characters and a gap on the peripheryof the disc enables the last typed characters of a typing line to be seen and read. Further a hooked element cooperates with an elastic means of a flange integral with the selector shaft to removably fix the character bearing disc to the selector shaft.

Abstract: Resilient tongues project from a central hub and carry two or more type members. The hub is rotated to a position in which the tongue carrying the desired type member is in a printing position facing a paper supporting platen. The hub is then shifted along the axis of the selected tongue so that the required type member is in a printing position. A drive motor for rotating the hub is connected to the hub by a universal joint to compensate for the shifting of the hub. The universal joint comprises a biased presser member to eliminate lost motion in the rotational direction. A stopper member is provided so that the bending characteristics of the selected tongue are the same no matter which type member is selected. A hammer drives the type member against the paper to print. The resilient tongues are formed of a thermoplastic resin mixed with glass or carbon fibers and the type members may be formed separately from the tongues, fixed thereto and plated with metal.

Abstract: A simplified and compact typing machine to be incorporated in an electronic calculator has a type wheel for presenting different numerals upon rotation. The type wheel is moved along a line of digits, i.e., laterally and in the generally horizontal direction, for typing successive numerals and the typing is performed when a hammer head is swung, or the type wheel is rotated, by the movement in one direction of an acting rod of an electromagnetic relay. The same relay acting rod also laterally moves the type wheel in the direction of the line of digits, on its return motion, by a distance corresponding to the space of one digit.

Abstract: The type head comprises a hub mounted on the shaft of a drive motor, an annular rim concentric with the hub and connected thereto through a plurality of radial spokes, a plurality of supporting arms extending from the outer periphery of the annular rim and type units mounted on the outer ends of respective supporting arms.

Abstract: A characters carrying aggregate or assembly for a printing machine includes a characters carrying disk carrying the characters on the outer ends of radial arms extending from the disk. The disk is mounted on a hub and may include a crown mounted opposite the hub. The assembly is manufactured on a base plate having at least two positioning pins corresponding to two positioning holes in the disk. The base-plate includes a central hole or protrusion for aligning with a central protrusion or hole in the hub. The base-plate further includes an alignment finger which extends through an orientation hole in the disk into a specific oriented alignment with an orientation hole in the hub. The aligned hub and disk are then secured together.

Abstract: Resilient tongues project from a central hub and carry two or more type members. The hub is rotated to a position in which the tongue carrying the desired type member is in a printing position facing a paper supporting platen. The hub is then shifted along the axis of the selected tongue so that the required type member is in a printing position. A drive motor for rotating the hub is connected to the hub by a universal joint to compensate for the shifting of the hub. The universal joint comprises a biased presser member to eliminate lost motion in the rotational direction. A stopper member is provided so that the bending characteristics of the selected tongue are the same no matter which type member is selected. A hammer drives the type member against the paper to print. The resilient tongues are formed of a thermoplastic resin mixed with glass or carbon fibers and the type members may be formed separately from the tongues, fixed thereto and plated with metal.

Abstract: An impact printing element in the shape of a wheel is constructed by molding a thermoplastic character slug onto the tips of metal spokes or beams extending radially outward from a center section. The thermoplastic is bulk filled to give the slugs tolerance to impacting forces produced by an impact hammer for deflecting the slug toward a record medium enabling a print surface on the slug to cooperate in a process for marking the record medium. Each character slug has a front surface with a raised character extending therefrom and a rear surface adapted to be struck by the print hammer for moving the slug in a print operation. Extending from the rear surface of each character slug is a spherical section projection that directly receives the strike from the print hammer. The projection is a spherical section positioned at the centroid of the raised character.