Abstract: A drawing apparatus, including a placement section including a placement surface on which a printing target object having a printing target surface that curved along one direction is placed, a drawing head in which at least one drawing tool having a tip portion at one end thereof is loaded and performs drawing by making the tip portion contact with a drawing position of the printing target surface, the tip portion having a shape including a first axis as a central axis; and a control unit which tilts the first axis of the tip portion to one of a first tilt direction and a second tilt direction selectively according to the drawing position of the printing target surface.

Abstract: This invention relates to the printing of transparent media often used for later projection, commonly referred to as Over Head Transparencies, or OHT's. These OHTs are used in several ways: They can be printed in advance and projected in sequence, created in the course of the presentation using marking pens, or a combination of he two, where a pre-printed OHT is edited or modified after printing or in the course of presentation using pens or other marking means. This third use is often compromised by incompatibilities between the marking technology used to create the pre-printed image and the marking pens used to edit the image later. This invention describes a technique for separating the two images, placing each on opposite sides of the transparent film, avoiding this conflict and producing a better solution for the user.

Abstract: A typewriter includes a carriage arranged for reciprocating travel, a receiving arrangement mounted on the carriage, a drive arrangement mounted on the carriage, and a ribbon cartridge receivable in and removable from the receiving arrangement and operatively connectable with the drive arrangement, and an XY-plotter receivable and removable from the receiving arrangement when the ribbon cartridge is absent from the receiving arrangement. The XY-plotter includes a stylus holder for supporting a plurality of styli; a first force-transmitting arrangement operatively connectable to the drive arrangement for moving the stylus holder such as to place a selected stylus in a standby writing position; and a second force-transmitting arrangement operatively connectable to the drive arrangement for moving the selected stylus in contact with the record carrier.

Abstract: A device for activating the pen of a printer comprises a push member and for pushing the pen toward the platen of the printer, a connecting lever secured to the push member, a driving lever for imparting a driving motion to the push member via the connecting lever. The driving lever is provided with a grooved cam in which the tip of the connecting lever is inserted so as to be slidable along the cam.

Abstract: A pen printer for converting data into printed form on a print sheet placed on a platen. The pen printer comprises a plurality of ink pens and a pen carriage mounted for reciprocating movement above the platen. The pen carriage has a device for removably attaching each of the ink pens juxtaposed in the direction of movement of the carriage. Pen actuators are mounted on the pen carriage apart from the ink pens with each pen actuator being responsive to an electrical signal for bringing a corresponding one of the ink pens toward the platen into contact with the print sheet. The pen printer also comprises a carriage actuator responsive to an electrical signal for moving the pen carriage and a sheet feed mechanism responsive to arrival of the pen carriage to at least one of first and second predetermined positions separated from each other for feeding the print sheet a predetermined length on the platen.

Abstract: A plotting device for typewriters or office machines of similar construction which comprises a motor driven carriage; a record carrier; a print head; a ribbon in a cassette; a reversible, controllable drive motor for moving the record carrier up and down; the motor driven carriage being movable along the record carrier; the ribbon being housed within the carriage with a portion of the ribbon extending outside of the carriage for being contacted by the print head; the print head being operatively connected to the carriage so that the print head can strike the ribbon and produce a full set of alpha-numeric characters on the record carrier; an X-Y plotting mechanism equpped with styli and being disposed on the cassette; and a control system for moving the styli from a detent position into an operating position with respect to the record carrier.

Abstract: The structural base unit of the machine is made of a one-piece shaped beam (40) which extends along a first direction (Y) with a first portion (41) which, due to its own stiffness, supports and guides the carriage (12) carrying the writing head (11) along its translational motion in the first direction (Y), and with second and third portions (45) which defines supporting surfaces for the drum (20) driving the printing medium in a second direction (X) perpendicular to the first direction (Y). Guiding of the carriage (12) is ensured by rails (43, 44) formed integral with the beam or attached to it, and a slot (50) cut in the shaped beam (40) along the action area of the writing head for providing a passage for the printing medium and its engagement with the drum (20).

Abstract: Several line drawing devices to permit drawing horizontal and vertical lines on typewriters are known. The fact that they are rarely encountered in practice, should be sufficient proof that they were not found to be satisfactory and greatly impede the typing process. These drawbacks are overcome by the invention in that the ribbon cassette is provided with a receptacle for a colored writing implement which, in one end position, resiliently rests on the record carrier so as to produce drawn lines and is arranged to be movable and arrestable in another end position to put it out of operation. A significant advantage resides in the fact that the colored writing implement can here be attached to the cassette at a location where the typing process is not interfered with. The colored writing implement can easily be exchanged by removing the ribbon cassette. The ribbon cassette together with the colored writing implement permits easy production of drawn lines in the horizontal, vertical or any other direction.

Abstract: A recording device capable of writing a character on a sheet of paper with a writing ball-point pen according to a set of character pattern data which is stored in a pattern memory, and erasing a written character with an erasing ball-point pen with reliability, by means of (1) modifying the set of character pattern data into a corresponding set of erasing pattern data which permits each of the components of an erasing path of the erasing pen to be shifted from the written character in a selected one of a first and a second direction which are normal to a first and a second reference line intersecting with each other, the set of erasing pattern data causing the component of the erasing path to be shifted in the first direction if a segment of the written character corresponding to the component is positioned nearer to the first reference line than the second, or to be shifted in the second direction if the segment is positioned nearer to the second reference line, and (2) controlling movements of the erasing

Abstract: A recording apparatus capable of recording characters and graphical representations, having a display which is adapted to display a special symbol together with the characters, so that the special symbol indicate the position of a graphical representation to be recorded before or after a written description or between written descriptions. The apparatus may have a display which has at least one indicator area adapted to effect selective display of each one of numerical values of plural groups of numerical data in a memory, which are recorded in a graphical or tabular form. The desired one of the numerical values of the desired one of the numerical data groups is dsiplayed by designating corresponding one of blocks of a hypothetical table defined by rows and columns. When one block of the hypothetical table is designated while the numerical value corresponding to another block adjacent to that one block is displayed, the numerical value corresponding to the designated block is displayed.

Abstract: A recording apparatus capable of recording a graph according to graphic pattern data representative of a pattern of the graph, and graph data representative of values to be presented in the graph. The apparatus includes a control device for effecting and controlling relative movements between recording instrument and medium, a setting device for determining a maximum X-axis recordable range and a maximum Y-axis recordable range, a checking device for judging if an X-axis plotting range and a Y-axis plotting range which are necessary to record the graph exceed the X-axis and Y-axis recordable ranges, respectively, and an indicator for indicating the axis along which a plotting area defined by the X-axis and Y-axis plotting ranges extends beyond a maximum recordable area defined by the maximum recordable ranges.

Abstract: A recording apparatus having character keys, and selector keys for selecting one of a plurality of recording modes for each of at least two recording conditions selected from a plurality of conditions such as a recording direction, a character size, a recording color, and a line spacing. The apparatus includes a primary indicator, responsive to an operation of one or more of the selector keys to change at least one of the at least two recording conditions from one recording mode to another, for displaying a single special symbol to indicate the change of the at least one recording condition, without specifying the changed recording condition or conditions and the newly selected recording mode or modes of the changed condition or conditions.

Abstract: A writing-plotting apparatus comprising a keyboard including a mode selector for selecting a writing or plotting mode, a carriage carrying a pen movably toward and away from a sheet of paper, a first memory for storing character pattern data representative of characters, a second memory for storing graphic pattern data representative of patterns of graphs, and a control device which, in the writing mode, reads out from the first memory the character pattern data corresponding to the operated character keys, and in the plotting mode reads out from the second memory the graphic pattern data. The control device is responsive to the read-out character or graphic pattern data and controls the operations of drives for feeding the paper along one axis, reciprocating the carriage along another axis perpendicular to the one axis, and moving the pen for contact and release with respect to the paper.

Abstract: An X-Y plotter disclosed is of the type which moves a recording paper with no perforation by drive rollers and pinch rollers. A plurality of sharp projections are arranged on the outer surface of each of the drive rollers such as to enable an exact feeding of the paper without any slippage. These projections are formed by cutting in the outer surface of each drive roller with V-grooves parallel and orthogonal to the shaft of the drive rollers.

Abstract: A pen recorder for writing characters and graphic patterns with recording pens on a sheet of recording paper by moving the recording pens in an X-axis direction and moving the sheet of recording paper in a Y-axis direction. When a desired key on a keyboard is depressed, the recording pens and the sheet of recording paper are moved to write a character corresponding to the depressed key on the sheet of recording paper. The size of the character can relatively freely be selected by operation switches for selecting horizontal and vertical character sizes. The pen recorder is automatically controlled for the same operability when the character size is changed in any of horizontal and vertical directions. Where the character size is changed horizontally, an alarm is issued prior to the completion of recording in a recording position a prescribed number of characters prior to a preset right margin.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for recording graphs or other graphical representations, with relative movements between a writing instrument on a carriage which is moved by a carriage drive unit, and a sheet of paper which is fed by a paper feed unit in opposite directions perpendicular to the line of movements of the carriage. The writing instrument is moved between a recording position, and a non-recording position in which the writing instrument is spaced away from the paper. The apparatus comprises a controller for activating the paper feed unit and carriage drive unit to effect relative non-recording movements of the writing instrument and the paper with the writing instrument held in the non-recording position.

Abstract: A writing-plotting apparatus with a keyboard capable of writing characters in a writing mode, and plotting graphs in a plotting mode, comprising a carriage carrying a writing instrument such a ball-point pen movable toward and away from a sheet of paper, a first memory for storing character pattern data representative of characters, a second memory for storing graphic pattern data representative of patterns of graphs, and a control device which, in the writing mode, reads out from the first memory the character pattern data corresponding to the operated character keys, and in the plotting mode, reads out from the second memory the graphic pattern data. The control device is responsive to the read-out character or graphic pattern data to control the operations of drives for feeding the paper along one axis, and reciprocating the carriage along another axis perpendicular to the one axis.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for writing characters in a writing mode and plotting graphs in a plotting mode, with a writing instrument supported on a reciprocating carriage, based on input data through a keyboard which is operable in a first mode in which at least numerals are keyed in, and in a second mode in which letters and symbols are keyed in. The apparatus comprises a control device for controlling a paper feeding device and the carriage, to write in the writing mode the characters which are keyed in through corresponding character keys with the keyboard placed selectively in the first mode or in the second mode, and to plot the graphs in the plotting mode based on the operations of the keys with the keyboard placed in the first mode.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for recording on a recording paper characters and symbols as well as graphs based on pattern data stored in memories by actuating keys of a keyboard section. The recording of a character or symbol is effected by moving a writing instrument relative to the recording paper, and an upright position or a lying position may be selected as a recorded posture of the character or symbol. The recording apparatus includes a writing instrument restoring device which enables the writing instrument to be automatically restored, when the recorded posture is switched from the lying position back to the upright position from which it was previously switched to the lying position, to a position on the recording paper in which the writing instrument was disposed when the recorded posture was previously switched from the upright position to the lying position.

Abstract: A pen recording apparatus provided with a plurality of ball point pens of different colors, and a pen section mechanism for selecting a suitable ball point pen for writing characters, symbols, etc., and drawing graphs. The recording apparatus can be switched between a typing mode, in which characters, symbols, etc., are typed, and a graphic mode, in which graphs are drawn. The recording apparatus includes a writing control device whereby, when the recording apparatus is switched from the graphic mode in which a graph is drawn in a plurality of colors to the typing mode, a ball point pen of the color originally disposed in the writing position when the recording apparatus was switched previously from the typing mode to the graphic mode is automatically disposed in the writing position, regardless of the colors of the ball point pens used in the graphic mode.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multihead serial printer comprising a plurality of printing heads mounted on different carriages and having a high-speed printing mode in which a plurality of printing heads print different letters and a high-density printing mode in which a plurality of printing heads print different parts of one letter. These two printing modes can be changed over between each other. A plurality of carriages are independently supported by a common guide and the carriages are respectively movable in the line direction by different driving sources. At least one carriage comprises a shift mechanism for moving the printing head in the row direction along the surface of a platen.

Abstract: The slaved ramp voltage generator disclosed herein facilitates the writing of characters by a servo controlled stylus carried on a moving carriage. The carriage is driven at a selectable speed and the drive system generates pulse signals at a rate which is proportional to carriage speed. A digital counter is advanced by these pulse signals and the digital value held by the counter is converted to an analog voltage which varies in proportion to displacement of the carriage. This carriage displacement voltage is summed with a vector-defining position voltage to obtain a control voltage which drives the stylus servo mechanism to effect writing with respect to a moving frame of reference.

Abstract: The machine 10 may be used to emboss characters of embossed script, and comprises a paper support 12 and an escapement mechanism 20 from a typewriter. Embossable paper is fed from around a roller 22 to a position between an embossing stylus 14 and a resilient anvil 28. The stylus 14 is moved against the anvil to impress the paper, and moves in a horizontal plane to emboss characters in the paper. A coupling 18 comprising a pantograph mechanism causes the stylus 14 to follow with reduced amplitude, movement of a describing member 16. The describing member 16 is a ring in which the user's finger is placed. The finger is run over a fingerboard 34 to describe the desired character, which is embossed in the paper by the stylus 14. The fingerboard has grooves to guide the finger.After each character is completed, the escapement mechanism 20 is operated to move the paper support 12 to present a fresh area of the paper to the stylus.

Abstract: A pen recorder comprising a pen which is adapted to be placed in contact with a recording paper, a return spring which is capable of energizing a pen so that it is separated from the recording paper and a push-out means which pushes the pen so that it can be placed in contact with the recording paper. This push-out means includes a push-lever urging the pen towards the recording paper against a spring force larger than that of the return spring. During the printing operation, this push-lever is separated from the roller, while during the waiting condition, it engages the roller. Accordingly, stabilized pen feed rate and contact pressure of pen can be realized during printing operation.

Abstract: A recording apparatus comprising a paper feed device for feeding a recording paper in forward and reverse directions; a carriage for supporting a writing tool and being movable perpendicularly to the feed direction of the paper; a carriage drive device for driving the carriage; a writing tool drive device for driving the writing tool towards the recording paper; a character pattern generator for generating character patterns; a control device for reading out corresponding character pattern data on basis of record data and driving the carriage drive device and the writing tool drive device to control the paper feed device, in response to the character pattern data; change means for changing lateral and longitudinal directions of recording; and means for mutually changing drive signals to be supplied from the control device to the paper feed device and the carriage drive device, respectively, on the basis of the change means, whereby direction of recording can be simply and readily changed.

Abstract: A printing apparatus having a first printing unit provided with a plurality of type elements and adapted to print characters and symbols and a second printing unit capable of plotting optionally, graphs and figures, and capable of attaining both high quality printing of characters and symbols and high-quality plotting of graphs and figures, and with good speed.

Abstract: A sheet pressing mechanism in a pen type recording device including a rotatable platen and a pen adapted to move in the axial direction of the platen while contacting the platen, in which pressure rollers are brought into contact with outer peripheral surfaces of end portions of the platen, the pressure rollers being rotatably mounted on a support shaft extending in parallel with the axis of the platen, and in which the said outer peripheral surfaces of the end portions of the platen are formed of a soft material capable of being depressed by the contact pressure of the pressure rollers.

Abstract: A marking machine for marking and engraving upon a work surface. The machine comprises a rotary marking wheel having marking characters upon the periphery of the wheel and an engraving tool or stylus. The engraving tool may be employed as part of the printing wheel or as a separate attachment providing one or more different types of engraving tool. The engraving tool may be employed for scratch engraving or rotary power may be used for a printed sharp edge cutting and engraving. A work surface such as a tag or the like is supported upon a worktable formed of an upper table member carried upon a lower table member. Separate motor means are provided for each of the table members for moving the upper table toward both the front and rear of the lower table laterally to provide a simultaneous X-Y movement.

Abstract: In the calligraphic printing apparatus disclosed herein, a writing stylus is carried by a flexing suspension including a pair of generally orthogonal arms, each arm being driven by a respective servo system which responds to stored data representing characters to be written. The naturally arcuate path defined by each arm is substantially linearized by mixing into the drive signal for each servo system a compensating signal which is a function of the absolute value of the position signal controlling the servo system for the other arm.

Abstract: Disclosed is a pen type recording device for performing recording by relative movements of pen means and recording paper in the state where the tip end of a pen is brought into contact with the recording paper, which comprises a pen holding member for holding the pen in such a manner that the pen can project toward the recording paper, and a rotary lift member rotatably supported on the pen holding member to lift up the rear side of the pen held on the pen holding member by the rotation thereof.In this pen type recording device, the operation of exchanging pen is greatly facilitated, and movement of pen holding means across a recording paper can be performed very smoothly.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the velocity of a carriage in a calligraphic type printing apparatus maximizes average velocity across the printing line. The method and apparatus, based upon the present carriage velocity and the maximum future carriage velocities along a predetermined next portion of the printing line, determine the direction of velocity change for the carriage, if any change is needed. Accordingly, the velocity of the carriage is controlled so as to not exceed maximum carriage velocities at various points along the printing line. These maximum carriage velocities are determined by the symbols being printed and in particular by the complexity of the symbols being printed. The method and apparatus can operate either on a demand or on a line-by-line basis.

Abstract: An impact printer, for example, of the daisy wheel type with plotting capability is provided by utilizing a cartridge which instead of an inked ribbon has a marking pen mounted through the cross-section of the cartridge and is selectively engageable against the paper by the use of the existing ribbon lift mechanism.

Abstract: The printer is provided with a single tracing element for tracing characters under the control of stored digital instructions corresponding to a set of segments of the character. The tracing element is moved on the printing surface according to a pair of coordinates, within the limits of each character. To this end it is carried by a frame including a pair of hinged elements directed according to the two coordinates and moved by a pair of electromagnets. These latter are controlled by feed back circuits including a pair of position sensors. The frame is mounted on a carriage transversely movable according to other instruction for letter spacing. A movement of the printing element according to a third coordinate causes the tracing element to press the paper with a pressure corresponding to the thickness of the sign.

Abstract: Printer having swingable printing rings which are selectively swung against a platen to print a line of selected characters on a paper by selecting a desired character from a plurality of characters provided on the periphery of each printing ring during the rotation thereof about its axis. Each printing ring is rotatably supported on a swingable printing ring supporting lever which is in turn swingably supported on a driving shaft. A plurality of driving gears are secured to the driving shaft and each of the driving gears meshes with a gear integral with the respective printing ring so as to rotate the same about its axis for selection of a desired character during the rotation thereof. Each printing ring supporting lever is urged by a spring so as to move the printing ring thereon apart from the platen. A plurality of driving levers are swingably supported on the driving shaft and each driving lever is engaged with the respective printing ring supporting lever.