Abstract: A typewriter keyboard arrangement with keys concentrated in clusters in such a manner so as to be operated by specific fingers designated for specific clusters. Keys are clustered and clusters arranged to allow rapid finger motion with little hand motion. The keyboard arrangement also allows the hands and arms to be positioned in a natural manner in relation to the body.

Abstract: A paper feeding device for a printer having a first paper handling assembly including rollers for feeding sheets of paper of one kind from a first paper stacker along a first inlet path to a printing assembly of the printer, and a second paper handling assembly including a second stacker for receiving the printed sheets from the first stacker, and supported by a support member pivotally between first and second positions. The support member carries at least one paper guide which is pivotable between its first and second positions according to pivotal movements of the support member. In the first position, the paper guide defines a paper exit path opening through which the printed sheets are guided into the second stacker. When the paper guide is pivoted to its second position, it closes the paper exit path opening. The feeding device further comprises a member or members defining a second inlet path adjacent the second paper handling assembly when the support member is in the second position.

Abstract: A combination of a printing head supporting carriage in a printer, and an ink ribbon cassette adapted for mounting on the carriage at an angle thereto and having a recess in which a printing head can be positioned. The cassette has at least one positioning pin at its bottom. A resilient lever is provided on the peripheral surface of the cassette which is substantially perpendicular to the bottom thereof. The lever has a lower end secured to the peripheral surface and a free upper end. The carriage has at its top a first inclined surface adapted to support the bottom of the cassette thereon, and having a hole for receiving the pin of the cassette therein. The carriage also has at its top a second inclined surface which is substantially perpendicular to the first inclined surface, and adapted to support the peripheral surface of the cassette thereon. The lever is engageable with the second inclined surface to hold the cassette on the carriage.

Abstract: A print head carriage assembly having a precision, linear, ball-bearing slide mounted parallel to the platen. The device has a carriage which is supported by the inner member of the slide. The linear movement of the carriage is also controlled by a second guide which is likewise mounted parallel to the platen.

Abstract: A structure having a shaft and a paper retaining roller mounted on the shaft for use in a printer. The structure further includes a retaining element mounted on the shaft so as to be opposed to the roller for retaining the roller in a given axial position on the shaft. The roller is rotatable about the shaft and has a flange at its one end. The retaining element has a plurality of resilient retaining arms and its one end to hold the flange rotatably. At the opposite end, the retaining element is also provided with a plurality of resilient arms which are in frictional engagement with the outer periphery of the shaft. The roller can be slid axially along the shaft when a force greater than a given magnitude is applied thereto.

Abstract: The printer includes a print head moveable in a lateral direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of a sheet of recording paper. The print head is supported on a carriage which is reciprocably driven. Different paper feed pitches are selectable depending upon the lateral position of the carriage at the end of printing. A paper feed cam includes two or more feed grooves and pitch changing grooves connecting the feed grooves so that the paper feed means can operate from any selected one of the feed grooves. A cam follower connected to the carriage rides in a groove causing the paper feed cam to be driven by motion of the carriage. Different feed pitches for graphics and text are provided.

Abstract: A paper loading apparatus for a printer wherein sheets of paper are moved by a paper feeding device to a printing device to effect printing on the paper. The apparatus comprises a paper stacker for storing a stack of the sheets of paper, a feed roller engageable with the top of the paper stack and rotatable for feeding along a first paper path the individual sheets in one direction from the paper stacker toward the paper feeding device, a controller for controlling the paper feeding device such that the sheets of paper fed from the paper stacker are first moved in the above one direction into the printing device and subsequently moved in a reverse direction opposite to the above one direction, and a guiding device for guiding the sheet of paper moving in the reverse direction along a second paper path in which the sheet of paper is free from engagement with the feed roller.

Abstract: A keyface for increasing the speed and accuracy of an operator of any key-operated or touch-operated system is adapted to be attached in a keystem of a keyboard. The keyboard is equipped with a plurality of keystems arranged in a predetermined order, and each keystem has a contoured surface area which normally faces upwardly. The keyface is made up of a element which has an operative upper convex surface of a prearranged surface area, and an operative lower surface adapted to be attached to the contoured surface area of the keystem. The lower surface area defines an area substantially matching at least a portion of the contoured surface area of the keystem. The element is dimensioned so as to be free from interfering with a similar element attached to a neighboring keystem of the keyboard.

Abstract: A rotational movement of a constant speed drive is translated into a linear reciprocating motion having two relatively long, constant slope sections within a cycle, such section occuring in between two sequential reversals, and representing a constant speed. The speed modification is obtained by a universal joint-cross link with oblique axes and a crank output having a linear phase.

Abstract: A printer for use with a data processor and a ribbon cartridge for use in the same are disclosed. The cartridge has at least two separate ribbon supplies which may differ in the type of ink on the ribbon (MICR vs. ordinary) and/or in color of ink or otherwise. A mechanism moves the cartridge along a straight line path to index selectively an active portion of each of the ribbons to a position aligned between a printhead and a platen for printing through the selected ribbon. A ribbon drive mechanism drives at least one of the ribbon supplies only when that ribbon supply has been selectively indexed to be printed through. In one embodiment a Magnetic Ink Character Recognition ribbon supply is driven between take-up and supply reels only when it is indexed for printing, while a multi-strike ribbon with ordinary ink is driven continuously. In another embodiment only one of two or more ribbon supplies is driven at one time.

Abstract: A printer control device reading out printing data and format data stored separately from each other for superposing these data to send these data to a printer in a superposed state is disclosed. An identifier indicating a position where printing data is to be superposed on format data is contained in the format data in order to superpose the printing data on the format data with a predetermined positional relation therebetween. As soon as the identifier is read out in course of an operation for reading out the format data, the printing data is read out, and the read-out printing data is combined with the format data.

Abstract: An apparatus for storing prefolded paper forms to be fed to a business machine, such as a computer, printer, or the like, including a turntable rotatable horizontally about a vertical axis. The turntable contains divided shelves to hold various types and sizes of forms and rotates to align same for continuous feeding into the computer, printer, or the like. The turntable can be manually indexed or by utilization of a switching device and an electric motor, can be made to be power indexed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a paper transportation device for printers, which use reel paper, having a motor-driven platen and one paper pressure roller which contacts the platen approximately at the center thereof so that it can be swung away in an elastic manner. The paper pressure roller is motor-driven such that the peripheral speed of the paper pressure roller leads the peripheral speed of the platen and by virtue of the arrangement of the paper pressure roller, the maximum possible angle of loop (.beta.) of the paper and the platen is achieved. This angle is delimited by the paper pressure roller and by a paper guidance channel which is aligned to lead tangentially away from the platen. The paper guidance channel is preceded by a device which produces a bias between the paper and the platen.

Abstract: A ribbon feeding mechanism for a typewriter or printer includes a pivotally mounted platform for removably receiving a fabric or carbon ribbon cassette. A manually operable lever carries ribbon feeding components including a toothed wheel for engaging the carbon ribbon takeup unit in the carbon ribbon cassette and a gear for engaging a driven gear of a fabric ribbon cassette. The ribbon feeding components are rotated about a common axis by a cam-driven pawl and rachet mechanism.

Abstract: A printing apparatus comprises a type wheel carrying a plurality of type elements and a platen for mounting and advancing a printing paper. A hammer can strike any one of the type elements against the printing paper and an ink ribbon is positionable between the type elements and the paper to imprint a character on the paper when any one of the type elements is struck. The ink ribbon is advanced by a driving mechanism. First, second, and third selecting systems respectively select one of a plurality of degrees of advancement of the printing paper, one of a plurality of time intervals of actuation of the hammer, and one of a plurality of amounts of advancement of the ink ribbon. First, second, and third counters each count pulses from respectively associated first, second, and third pulse generators to, respectively, first, second, and third set values determined by the selected degree of paper advancement, time interval of hammer actuation, and amount of ribbon advancement.

Abstract: Conservation of ribbon 40 is achieved by underfeeding ribbon 40 relative to movement of thermal printhead 16. Pressure of printhead 16 may be low enough that smearing from a typical ribbon 40 does not occur. Gears 208, 210, 212, 214 and 216 may be positioned in one of two settings by action of bellcrank 230. One position provides a 1.04 to 1 underfeed ratio and the other provides a 5 to 1 underfeed ratio. Control 232 lowers print current for the 5 to 1 ratio. A printer having a single ratio of 1.04 to 1 provides printing of unimpaired quality with significant saving of ribbon.

Abstract: A technique and structure for resistive ribbon thermal transfer printing including a separate resistive ribbon and transfer ribbon therefor is illustrated. The resistive ribbon is used only for the generation of heat and is placed in contact with a separate transfer ribbon including a very thin carrier ribbon coated with ink. A moveable electrode printhead generates a heat pattern along the resistive ribbon and this pattern is compressed along the direction of printing by means of printhead motion v.sub.1. The resistive ribbon is moved relative to the transfer ribbon at a velocity v.sub.2 so as to generate a heat flow in the transfer ribbon corresponding to the pattern required for normal printing. The ink is melted and is transferred from the transfer ribbon to the paper.

Abstract: When a number of input key data sequentially stored in a first line buffer memory from a keyboard coincide with the contents of a right margin memory in a RAM, the line data up to the word immediately preceding the word reaching a preset right margin is sequentially transferred from the first line buffer memory to a second line buffer memory. The number of input key data from the immediately preceding word to the preset right margin is counted. In accordance with the count thus obtained, a spacing adjustment of the spaces left between words of the line data transferred to the second line buffer memory, is performed under the control of a CPU prior to printing of the words according to the contents of the second line buffer memory.

Abstract: A keyboard is disclosed having keys subdivided into one or more fields. Two keys from the same field concurrently actuated identify a particular character. Characters are also identified by the actuation of a single key independently of any other key. Pivot keys may be included which are a part of more than one field. A color coding arrangement makes the two key combination unambiguously suggested by the keyboard itself. These features make possible a reduction of the number of keys such that a full set of alphanumeric characters may be arranged on the keyboard for one handed operation.

Abstract: A frame-supported ribbon supply and take-up system for typewriters and teleprinters of the type having a carriage-transported printing device. The system incorporates an articulated ribbon-guiding structure connected between the ribbon supply and take-up assembly for guiding and supporting the ribbon along a path of substantially constant length regardless of carriage position. The articulated structure is also incorporated into an easily installable ribbon cartridge.