Abstract: A platen assembly for an impact printer comprises the combination of an impact transducer between the backup plate and the type band of a printer and an impact isolator interposed between the transducer and the type band. The transducer comprises a strip of force sensitive material. The strip extends over a plurality of print positions. Electrode means in contact with the surfaces of the force sensitive material form discrete impact zones aligned with the print hammers. One of the electrode means is a continuous conductive strip on one side of the force sensitive strip. Plural conductive pads on the other side of the strip form the discrete impact zones. The continuous conductive strip is preferably on the side facing the type band and serves as the ground connection. The impact isolation means comprises plural force elements between the type band and the transducer element and preferably is part of a comb which can be conductive and provides stiffening to the force sensitive strip.

Abstract: The multi-wire dot print head is provided with a plurality of print wires with a wire driving armature associated with each of the print wires and being operable to move the print wire toward a print position. The wire driving armatures each include an actuator lever and a cylindrical movable core mounted intermediate opposite ends of the actuator lever with an electromagnetic actuator associated with each of the armatures for imparting movement thereto. The outer end of the actuator lever is provided with a downwardly depending pivot leg and pivot or fulcrum support means for the actuator lever is positioned in a plane below the level of the open end of a cylindrical bore in the electromagnetic actuator so that a minimum amount of clearance may be provided between the cylindrical core and the cylindrical bore.

Abstract: An all-points addressable dot printer has rows of sloped parallel anvils on a rotating drum. Alternate rows slope in opposite directions for bi-directional printing with a single row of hammer blades. The blades which are spaced apart, are shifted bi-directionally in synchronism with the scanning motion of the anvils to print dots at all dot line points. A second embodiment has a reciprocating comb bar located between the blades and a print medium. Spring fingers on the comb bar have dot forming protrusions. The spring fingers are uniformly spaced with center spacing equal to the center distances between the blades. Comb bar motion is linear with time along the line segments. Blade motion is simple harmonic.