Abstract: A transactional printer having a wheel interconnected to a knife cutting assembly for frictionally engaging a severed slip and ejecting it into a receiving bin. The wheel is moved out of engagement with an ejected slip during the cutting operation of the knife. As the knife blade is restored to its pre-cut position, the wheel is moved into engagement with the slip and rotated to eject the slip into the bin. A depression in the printer housing prevents contact between the housing and the wheel when the wheel is in frictional engagement with a slip. A stop interconnected to the wheel prevents contact between the wheel and the depression.

Abstract: A transactional printer having a wheel interconnected to a knife cutting assembly for frictionally engaging a severed slip and ejecting it into a receiving bin. The wheel is moved out of engagement with an ejected slip during the cutting operation of the knife. As the knife blade is restored to its pre-cut position, the wheel is moved into engagement with the slip and rotated to eject the slip into the bin. A depression in the printer housing prevents contact between the housing and the wheel when the wheel is in frictional engagement with a slip. A stop interconnected to the wheel prevents contact between the wheel and the depression.

Abstract: A compact drive mechanism for both driving a paper web and severing a printed receipt in a transaction or point-of-sales printer. Both driving the paper web and cutting the printed receipt is accomplished through a bi-directional stepper motor that is operative through a one-way clutch.

Abstract: A transaction printer includes the MICR encoding of indicia at a precise location called the amount field. In order to accomplish this, an optical sensor is provided in a transaction printer at a point-of-sale, to detect the edge of the check and stage it at a known location from the thermal, MICR print head. A clutch mechanism is used to engage the print head with a platen, and to engage two MICR read heads with the check, so that indicia can be sequentially imprinted and read within the transaction printer in a single, sequential operation.

Abstract: A transaction printer includes the MICR encoding of indicia at a precise location called the amount field. In order to accomplish this, an optical sensor is provided in a transaction printer at a point-of-sale to detect the edge of the check and stage it at a known location from the thermal, MICR print head. A clutch mechanism is used to engage the print head with a platen, and to engage a read head with the check, so that indicia can be sequentially imprinted and read within the check processing machine in a single, sequential operation. During the MICR encoding operation, the main paper feed rolls are disengaged and moved away from the paper path to help provide a clear paper path.

Abstract: A compact ribbon cassette for dispensing and storing a ribbon or tape. The supply and take-up rolls of ribbon or tape are disposed upon a common rotatable shaft mounted for rotation within the housing. A unique chevron disposed adjacent the take-up roll and on the post-printing portion of the cassette causes the dispensed ribbon to reverse direction and change level and to be presented for storage upon the take-up roll. The ribbon cassette also includes a partition disposed between the supply and take-up rolls for preventing ink particles in the take-up portion of the housing from migrating and thereby contaminating the printing ribbon.

Abstract: In an MICR encoder of a point-of-sale transaction printer, the MICR characters must be printed at a precise distance to the right edge of the check in order to place the MICR in the proper field site. In order to accomplish this, an optical sensor is provided in a check processing mechanism of a point-of-sale printer, to detect the edge of the check and stage it at a known location from a thermal, MICR printhead. It then becomes an easy matter to advance the check by a stepper, drive and print motor a fixed number of step increments in order to start the printing sequence.

Abstract: A compact ribbon cassette for dispensing and storing a ribbon or tape. The supply and take-up rolls of ribbon or tape are disposed upon a common rotatable shaft mounted for rotation within the housing. A unique chevron disposed adjacent the take-up roll and on the post-printing portion of the cassette causes the dispensed ribbon to reverse direction and change level and be presented for storage upon the take-up roll. The supply roll is under tension because a plurality of spring fingers push against a friction plate, thereby pressing the supply roll against an inner partition plate. The ribbon moves straight off the supply roll without bunching. A spring-loaded ribbon tensioner reduces slack in the ribbon by applying tension to the ribbon.

Abstract: A compact ribbon cassette for dispensing and storing a ribbon or tape. The supply and take-up rolls of ribbon and tape are disposed upon a common rotatable shaft mounted for rotation within the housing. A unique chevron disposed adjacent the take-up roll and on the post-printing portion of the cassette causes the dispensed ribbon to reverse direction and change level and be presented for storage upon the take-up roll. Ink particles are removed by a wiper from the ribbon prior to printing.

Abstract: A compact ribbon cassette for dispensing and storing a ribbon or tape. The supply and take-up rolls of ribbon or tape are disposed upon a common rotatable shaft mounted for rotation within the housing. A unique chevron disposed adjacent the take-up roll and on the post-printing portion of the cassette causes the dispensed ribbon to change level and reverse direction and be presented for storage upon the take-up roll. A partitioning plate in the ribbon cassette separates the supply roll from the take-up region of the cassette. Ink particles are thereby prevented from migrating from the post-printing, take-up region of the cassette to the pre-printing, supply region thereof.

Abstract: A compact ribbon cassette for dispensing and storing a ribbon or tape upon integrally formed dispensing and storage spools. The dispensing and storage spools are disposed upon a common rotatable shaft mounted for rotation within the housing. An integral, self-adjusting friction plate bears upon the ribbon on the dispensing spool and provides a predetermined, varying drag to maintain uniform ribbon taughtness.

Abstract: A compact ribbon cassette for dispensing and storing a ribbon or tape upon integrally formed dispensing and storage spools. The dispensing and storage spools are disposed upon a common rotatable shaft mounted for rotation within the housing. A pair of meshing gears provide a positive ribbon drive that ensures that fresh ribbon is in place at the thermal print head for each MICR encode operation. The meshing gear positive ribbon drive system provides the optimum amount of ribbon for the print cycle to assure that MICR encode characters meet accepted industry quality standards.

Abstract: A point-of-sale printer including a facility for encoding MICR indicia at a precise location called the amount field. A single stepper motor in combination with a unique bi-direction clutch mechanism is used to engage the print head with a platen, and to engage a read head with the check, so that indicia can be sequentially imprinted and read within the transaction printer.

Abstract: An improved carriage moving mechanism on a frame for a typewriter of printer.(a) The carriage is movably mounted on a guide rail for longitudinal movement on the frame;(b) The traveling motor is fixedly mounted on the carriage including a pinion attached to a rotary shaft of the motor;(c) The rack is attached to the frame extending longitudinally substantially in parallel to the guide rail;(d) The rack is rigid longitudinally thereof and is flexible in a flex direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the rack including a tooth side adapted to engage with said pinion, the surface of the rack including the line of teeth and its surface opposite the pinion being substantially parallel to the guide rail; and(e) A spring loaded slider assembly is mounted as a part of the carriage and is adapted to make continuous sliding contact with the surface of the rack in opposition to the tooth surface of the rack in the area of the pinion rotation.

Abstract: A keybutton guide assembly for a full sized keyboard with full travel keybuttons has a structure including a keybutton having a spring actuator engaging a spring finger at a location spaced away from a keybutton stem. This structure causes the keybutton stem to be guided only at an upper end of a stem guide boss for controlling the movement of a keybutton between rest and depressed positions with minimum rubbing friction.

Abstract: A full sized electronic keyboard with full travel keybuttons provides switches for controlling an electronic typewriter or for controlling other devices. The keyboard has a structure designed for reducing part count and switch component part size and for simplifying assembly to minimize manufacturing cost. The structure has integral one piece parts for accommodating several keybutton actions. The integral one piece parts include a main frame, a sheet steel spring, a rubber dome switch member, and a printed circuit switch panel.

Abstract: A ribbon drive clutch comprises a stepper motor which has an output shaft on which there is mounted a clutch plate and a pair of cams. A plurality of pawls are each pivotally mounted on the clutch plate and are disposed to engage the first cam for rotation with the output shaft responsive to rotation of the output shaft in a first direction and disposed to engage the second cam for rotation with the output shaft responsive to rotation of the output shaft in a second direction. A first cam follower is disposed for operation of a ribbon drive linkage to drive a first ribbon responsive to rotation of the first cam and a second cam follower is disposed for operation of a ribbon drive linkage to drive a second ribbon responsive to rotation of the second cam.

Abstract: A ribbon drive mechanism for a typewriter or similar machine in which the supply spool and a first ribbon guide are fixed with respect to the machine frame, and the take-up spool and a second ribbon guide are vertically moveable with respect to the machine frame. The ribbon is fed past the print point when the take-up spool and the second ribbon guide adjacent thereto are in their raised position. Means are also provided for feeding a constant increment of ribbon, regardless of the amount of ribbon on the take-up spool.

Abstract: An acoustic transport member for use in a keyboard having key operated strikers individually actuatable for inducing acoustic energy in the form of sound waves which propagate through the member from selected inducing positions therealong. A first portion of the member is fabricated to provide discrete impact positions for generating sound waves in response to impact actuation of related strikers. A second portion integrally connected with the first portion links all impact positions for receiving and transporting all sound waves generated by the first portion. A step joins the first with the second portions to allow communication of the sound waves from the first portion into the second portion yet thereafter provides unidirectional acoustic separation therebetween which effectively minimizes wave dispersion by substantially isolating the propagating sound waves in the second portion from coming into contact with successive impact positions of the first portion.

Abstract: An acoustic member mounting means for use in typewriters and similar machines wherein the mounting means includes first and second vibration insulating means which prevents undesired sound waves from being generated in the acoustic member.