Abstract: A printer mask has spaced openings to allow impact therethrough of a hammer against characters arranged in circular columns along a character drum. The distance between the characters and mask changes automatically to compensate for changes in ambient temperature by using mounting materials of selected thermal coefficients of expansion. Uniform printing quality without marring the print paper is achieved with this mask construction.

Abstract: A printing mechanism is disclosed which has a cylindrical type wheel rotatably supported on a driving shaft and carrying a plural number of types arranged on it circumferential surface at regular angular intervals and protruding from the surface. For effecting printing, one of the types is selected and the selected type is struck against a recording medium making use of a energy of rotation. The present invention is directed to improvement in such type of printer. The improvement comprises an elastic member through which the type wheel is supported on the driving shaft. The elastic member is fixed to the driving shaft. The type wheel is disposed concentrically with the driving shaft and spaced from a platen by a determined distance. The elastic member is engaged with projections formed on the inner circumferential surface of the type wheel so as to transmit rotation of the driving shaft to the wheel.

Abstract: A typesetter with a continuously rotating character drum that places lines of character images on thin transparent tape, equalizes line lengths for margin justification by stretching the tape, and places the lines on transparent film in a form suitable for direct imposition in making positive-working plates for lithographic printing. It provides multiple type fonts and fonts of different typographic size on-line simultaneously, proportional spacing by lands on the character drum that advance the tape the requisite amount for each character depending on its length, and margin justification controlled by optical mark reading.

Abstract: A printer having plural type font wheels for function symbols of different colors and plural type font wheels for numerals of different colors fitted on a rotary shaft, wherein the plural type font wheels for numerals are displaced along the shaft for each printing action. The plural type font wheels for function symbols or for numerals are provided with a mask for exposing only one type font wheel of a desired color but covering all other wheels to enable multi-color printing. The selection of the type font wheel for printing is achieved by the displacement of plural type font wheels in the digit direction with respect to the mask.

Abstract: A printer of small overall size includes a plurality of typing wheels on the periphery of which are provided letters characters or symbols. At a printing position, a selection mechanism selects one of the plurality of letters, characters or symbols on each typing wheel. A printing mechanism prints the letter, character or symbols selected by the selection mechanism by applying a pressure thereto. A mechanism for feeding recording paper is arranged after the printing device in the feeding direction of the recording paper, and the printing mechanism moves in a direction opposite to the feeding direction of the recording paper after which pressure is applied to the printing device to effect printing.

Abstract: Adjusting device for postage metering and value stamping machines for adjusting printing rollers and cylinders which includes type wheels mounted in a printing cylinder having a shaft, each of the type wheels having a respective stepping motor operatively associated therewith for adjusting the respective type wheel by means of a respective toothed rack and a respective double toothed rack, the toothed racks and the stepping motors being disposed radially to the printing-cylinder shaft and the double toothed racks being disposed parallel to one another, a selective printing roller adjustable by one of the double toothed racks via a belt drive, the toothed racks and the double toothed racks being coupled by a hook-connection, one of the respective toothed and double toothed racks having a widened hook-shaped part, the double toothed racks being adjustable beyond a maximally required number of steps of the type wheels, and the ends of the double toothed racks being guidable laterally out of the printing cylinder

Abstract: A small printer using character wheels is provided. The printer includes a plurality of character wheels frictionally mounted on a shaft for rotation therewith and having a ratchet wheel on side surface. Associated with each character wheel is a pivotable selector pawl actuatable by an electromagnet. The number of electromagnets is less than the number of selector pawls and character wheels. Stopper cams are actuatable into locking engagement with the ratchet wheels on even-numbered character wheels when the shaft begins to rotate. Only odd-numbered character wheels are caused to rotate with the shaft. The desired characters on the odd-numbered character wheels are selected when the electromagnets are energized selectively to move the selector pawls into locking engagement with the ratchets on the odd-numbered character wheels. During the next revolution of the shaft, the stoppers are retracted, that is, out of engagement with the ratchets on the even-numbered type wheels.

Abstract: A type setting device for printers, comprising a drive motor, a drive gear mounted on a rotary shaft and rotated by the drive motor, a type wheel having a plurality of type elements and rotatably mounted on the rotary shaft, a first spring clutch interposed between the drive gear and the rotary shaft, a ratchet gear fixedly mounted on the rotary shaft and selectively stopped to control the first spring clutch, and a second spring clutch adapted to prevent the rotary shaft from being rotated reversely with respect to the rotation of the drive gear. The drive gear can thus be kept rotating at all times so that it is unnecessary that the motor be started and stopped every time a character is printed. This allows a high-speed type selection and high-speed printing.

Abstract: A printing mechanism, particularly for a counter device which records distances, is formed with a pair of sets of print wheels with a housing defining a slot through which a voucher may be passed to have imprinted thereon information contained on the print wheels. Platens are arranged to press the voucher against the print wheels and platen carriers which are rotatably mounted have the platens eccentrically mounted thereon. Overcenter springs engage the platen carriers, and after the carriers have been rotated through a predetermined angle, the overcenter springs drive the carriers through a further angle of rotation during which the platens are pressed against the print wheels during the printing process. The angle through which the platen carrier is initially rotated to load the overcenter spring is less than the angle through which the platen carrier is driven by the loaded overcenter spring.

Abstract: A scale printing instrument wherein one or more printing toothed wheels are rotatably held by a tip end of a grip member, an arm is carried by said grip and a brush containing a printing composition such as ink is provided at a tip end of said arm. With this instrument, when the wheel or wheels are run on paper while keeping the wheel or wheels in contact with the paper, the ink is furnished to the toothed wheel to print a scale having given intervals on the paper.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a printing device for printing bar codes, or the like. The printing device includes a printing head which is adapted to be received in the body of the printing device for printing and which can be removed for selecting the bar codes to be printed. The printing head includes a plurality of bar code type rings axially aligned with one another such that they can be manually separated axially so that they can rotate independently of one another for selecting the bar code to be printed. The bar code type rings are moved together for printing. Separation of the type rings causes a stopper to protrude out of the casing of the printing head to engage the frame of the printing device in such a manner as to prevent substantial movement of the printing head, such movement being a necessary part of the printing operation. Bringing the type rings together to their printing position retracts the stopper, which permits printing movement of the printing head.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns an index wheel for use in a printing device. The device includes a plurality of type wheels which are coaxially juxtaposed to one another in independently rotatable manner. The outer circumference of each type wheel carries a multiplicity of lands respectively bearing types. The outer circumference of the type wheel also has a multiplicity of engagement grooves, each formed between two adjacent lands. An index wheel of the invention is engageable with each type wheel to rotationally drive the type wheel when the index wheel is manually rotated through a selecting shaft by means of a selecting knob. The index wheel includes a ring-shaped body. A multiplicity of teeth are formed on the outer circumference of the ring-shaped body and are circumferentially spaced such that they engage with the engagement grooves of the respective type wheel. A multiplicity of index letters are respectively borne on the outer circumference of the ring-shaped body between any two adjacent teeth.

Abstract: A drum type bar code line printer of the type has groups of predetermined kinds of bar code printing types which are arranged along the circumference of a printing drum in predetermined rows which are distributed along the axial direction of the drum. In each row, a non-printing (non-impact) area corresponding to the width of a bar code type is essentially formed adjacent to one end in the axial direction of the drum of each bar code type which has a black bar portion extending from said one end of the type through the predetermined modules of the type. The printer of the present invention is thereby free from the generation of so-called ghost images which are undesirably imprinted by adjacent bar code types.

Abstract: A printing position adjusting mechanism is disclosed for use in a printer of the type in which a printing head is carried on the leading end portion of a yoke and the row of types of the printing head is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the yoke. The printing position adjusting mechanism includes an externally threaded adjusting ring, which is screwed into the internally threaded hole formed in the front frame plate of the yoke, and its leading end face abuts the opposed leading end face of the yoke. This causes the printing head to be moved longitudinally of the yoke, thereby to adjust the printing position thereof relative to the yoke. For fixing the printing head at a desired printing position to the yoke, an internally threaded hole is formed in the leading end face of the yoke, and a fixing screw is inserted into a center hole through the adjusting ring and extends into the threaded hole in the yoke.

Abstract: A selectably positionable rotary transducer including a first member having at least one permanent magnet associated therewith and a second member arranged for rotational motion relative to the first member in a first plane, the second member defining an odd number of poles and associated apparatus for selectively providing a magnetic force of selected polarities to individual ones of the poles to cause the first member to assume selectable positions with respect to the second member. Numbering apparatus preferably having an odd number of poles is also described.

Abstract: There is disclosed a print wheel and a method of making a print wheel. The print wheel includes a generally annular base and a molded, unitary, flexible printing band having end portions. The printing band has a series of different printing elements disposed at spaced intervals along its length between the end portions. The printing band is disposed about the outer periphery of the base and the end portions of the band are inserted into spaced recesses in the outer periphery of the base. There is a printing element support between the end portions and one of the printing elements is disposed at a printing position on the support.

Abstract: A compact print wheel position sensing device for parallel-wheel printers includes pairs of optoelectronic printed circuit emitters 22 and receivers 24 arranged in two lines inside and outside, respectively, a tubular shaft 21 provided with radial holes 23 aligned with each emitter/receiver pair and carrying wheels 19 which mesh with corresponding parallel print wheels 11. Each wheel 19 has a set of angularly spaced transparent regions, alternating with opaque regions, which permit transmission between the corresponding emitter/receiver pair at each printing position of the respective print wheel. A logic device includes a memory arranged for storing printing wheel position orders and having double reading heads for each division.

Abstract: Mechanism for selectively inhibiting automatic advancement of the print wheels of a value printing mechanism, such as a postage register printing system having a rotatable printing head, whereby a previously printed value may be repeated on the next, or succeeding, printing cycle. Mechanism for cancelling the inhibiting mode, including an electro-mechanical latch, are provided.

Abstract: A counting or printing mechanism for consecutive counting or numbering, in which a number or printing wheel is provided for each numerical place and the number or printing wheels are mounted on a common shaft. The number or printing wheels are turned by advancing elements which are connected loosely but so as to transmit force and designed to deflect one another. These advancing elements may, for example, be pawls disposed on an inner ring or coupling discs disposed on a side surface of the number or printing wheels.

Abstract: Setting device for denominations in franking and value stamping machines, including a movable lever having edges being radially curved in a given mutual relationship, pins along which the radially curved edges are guidable, a non-rotatable control disc gear, first and second mutually engageable gears mounted on the lever, a fixed control cylinder, sprockets disposed on the fixed control cylinder, a printing cylinder, a gear being disposed on the printing cylinder and rotatable by the second gear, and a value printing numeral roll being disposed on the printing cylinder, movable by the printing cylinder gear and adjustable by the sprockets, the first gear being devolvable in steps defined by the given relationship on the fixed control cylinder and the non-rotatable control disc gear when the curved edges of the lever are guided along the pins for generating a planetary drive and thrust onto the second gear to set the denominations on the numeral roll.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a selective printing apparatus adapted to be used in a hand held labeler. The apparatus includes selectively settable printing members driven by wheels coupled by gearing with read wheels for indicating the selected data to be printed. The read and print wheels are driven by a manually movable, shiftable and rotatable selector shaft. The print wheels are detented and the selector shaft is detented within holes in the print wheels. An indicator slidably mounted by a stationary frame is coupled to the selector shaft through a lost-motion connection to enable the print head to move between printing and non-printing positions.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns a bar code printing device for use with the printing head of a portable label printing and applying machine, or the like. A plurality of juxtaposed index rings are selectively turned by a selecting member and each index ring turns a corresponding meshing bar code type ring into a selected printing position. The type rings are also juxtaposed. A rotary member is also turned by the selecting member for causing straight line reciprocating movement of an actuating member across the axis of the rotary member and this in turn moves a thrust member in the axial direction of the type rings. The thrust member is moved to bias the type rings during the printing operation so that the type rings are forced into close contact. The thrust member is also moved to permit the type rings to be left as they are, during the imprintable type selecting operation, so that the type rings are spaced by gaps which facilitate the selective rotation of the rings by the selecting member.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a selective printing apparatus adapted to be used in a hand held labeler. The apparatus includes selectively settable printing members driven by wheels coupled by gearing with read wheels for indicating the selected data to be printed. The read and print wheels are driven by a manually movable, shiftable and rotatable selector shaft. The print wheels are detented and the selector shaft is detented within holes in the print wheels. An indicator slidably mounted by a stationary frame is coupled to the selector shaft through a lost-motion connection to enable the print head to move between printing and non-printing positions.

Abstract: Device for indicating types of mail for an option printing cylinder in franking machines, including side plates disposed on the option printing cylinder, another printing cylinder supported between the side plates in the option printing cylinder, a toothed cylinder gear connected to the other printing cylinder, a device for setting different types of printing upon rotation of the other printing cylinder, a first shaft at least partially disposed in the option printing cylinder, a setting gear rotatably supported on the first shaft, internal and external gearing formed on the setting gear, a second shaft at least partially supported in a hole formed in the first shaft, a gear being fastened on the second shaft and having teeth meshing with the internal gearing formed on the setting gear, and a gear segment having teeth meshing with the teeth of the cylinder gear to rotate and set the other printing cylinder upon rotation of the setting gear.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a selective printing apparatus adapted to be used in a hand held labeler. The apparatus includes selectively settable printing members driven by wheels coupled by gearing with read wheels for indicating the selected data to be printed. The read and print wheels are driven by a manually movable, shiftable and rotatable selector shaft. The print wheels are detented and the selector shaft is detented within holes in the print wheels. An indicator slidably mounted by a stationary frame is coupled to the selector shaft through a lost-motion connection to enable the print head to move between printing and non-printing positions.

Abstract: An electro-mechanical latch apparatus is provided for selectively and sequentially moving and locking a latch member into a desired position, and then unlocking and returning said latch member to its original position, by energizing an electrical pulse means in contact with said latch apparatus.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns a drum type line printer for printing bar codes in a line. The drum type line printer includes information bars which are arranged in a preset numnber of files or bar code characters in a line. Two files or bar code characters of control bars, serving as start and end code bars, are arranged in line with the respective line of information bars. The same number of printing hammers are provided as the number of files or characters of the information bars. Each information bar is struck by a respective hammer so that the bar codes thereof may be printed. The control bars are simultaneously hit by those printing hammers which hit the information bars in the adjacent files.

Abstract: In a marking head having one or more marking wheels each rotated step-wise by a reciprocating actuating pawl engaged in successive circumferentially arranged recesses on the wheel and secured in marking position by a retainer pawl engaged under a spring bias successively in the recesses, improved structure wherein the recesses and retainer pawl have circumferentially spaced apart interengaged cam surfaces which permit circumferential shifting of the wheel induced by surface irregularities in a workpiece being marked and facilitate spring return of the wheel to centered position after the marking, each recess having a flat bottom engaged by a blunt flat end face of the actuating pawl, each recess having a flat rearwardly facing shoulder adjacent its forward cam surface engaged by a blunt forward face of the actuating pawl.

Abstract: A digital printer of the print wheel controlling type comprising a timing signal generator for developing type selection controlling signals (.alpha.) for selecting a desired type mounted on the print wheel, and a wheel round detection signal (.beta.) for indicating a complete one round of the print wheel. A print control circuit is provided for detecting whether the wheel round detection signal (.beta.) is developed next after the development of the type selection controlling signals (.alpha.) by a predetermined number. If the wheel round detection signal (.beta.) is not developed at a preselected timing, the print control circuit learns an erroneous printing operation, and functions to conduct a corrected printing operation.

Abstract: A type character selecting mechanism for use in a printing head which is equipped with a plurality of juxtaposed endless bands bearing type characters on their outer surfaces. The mechanism includes a plurality of juxtaposed selecting gears engageable with the corresponding endless bands for turning the same. Each of the selecting gears is formed on its inner side with a series of internal teeth. A selecting shaft is axially slidable through coaxial holes of the gears and is rotatable. The selecting shaft has a locking member at its inner end which is engageable with the internal teeth of one of the gears for locking the same in position. The type characters borne on the two outer bands are semi-fixed; the type characters borne on the remaining inner bands are changeable. The selecting gears for turning the outer bands have their internal teeth angularly displaced from internal teeth of the selecting gears for turning the remaining inner bands.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a selective printing apparatus adapted to be used in a hand held labeler. The apparatus includes selectively settable printing members driven by wheels coupled by gearing with read wheels for indicating the selected data to be printed. The read and print wheels are driven by a manually movable, shiftable and rotatable selector shaft. The print wheels are detented and the selector shaft is detented within holes in the print wheels. An indicator slidably mounted by a stationary frame is coupled to the selector shaft through a lost-motion connection to enable the print head to move between printing and non-printing positions.

Abstract: A printer has a set of display wheels and print wheels on a common shaft for individual coupling to that shaft so that one display wheel and one print wheel at a time is rotationally adjusted, the selection of the wheel pair depends upon the axial disposition of the shaft. Particular structure is provided to hold wheels not to be turned in that fashion.

Abstract: Printing apparatus comprising a housing having at least two oppositely disposed side walls; a plurality of sets of juxtaposed printing elements; a plurality of internally toothed, annular setting wheels supported with respect to the housing for respectively positioning the printing elements; a hollow, axially shiftable, setting shaft extending at least into the annular setting wheels, the setting shaft including (a) a drive member for engaging the internal teeth of a selected one of the setting wheels and (b) a detenting member; a pin mounted with respect to one of the side walls, the pin extending into the hollow setting shaft and including a plurality of detent recesses longitudinally extending along the surface of the pin, the distance between at least two of the recesses corresponding to the width of at least one of the setting wheels, the detenting member of the setting shaft engaging a selected one of the recesses for axially positioning the setting shaft at the setting wheel to be driven.

Abstract: A numbering head particularly adaptable to a portable gun including a frame having flat surfaces for seating against a flat workpiece. A shaft is positioned parallel to the seating surfaces and is supported within elongated apertures which allow the shaft, and marking wheels disposed on the shaft, to move through a limited length of travel toward, and away from, the workpiece. Each marking wheel includes, about its periphery, marking characters separated by grooves, each groove being disposed directly across from a corresponding character. A generally T-shaped yoke is supported within the frame and is matingly shaped to the grooves in the wheels. Biasing springs acting between the yoke and frame force the yoke into contact with the marking wheel grooves. A portion of the yoke extends into, or through, an opening in the frame. The opening is threaded to provide attachment of the numbering head to a portable gun, or a fixed or portable press, and to align the hammer of the gun or press with the yoke.

Abstract: A postal meter includes a postal meter assembly adapted to be driven from a base, for in turn driving the drum of a settable printing mechanism. The meter has an electronic accounting system with a register, and means setting the register during the printing cycle. A mechanical latch is positioned to stop rotation of the gear assembly at a home position if an electronic accounting has not occurred during the previous printing cycle. The gear assembly further includes a cam surface for driving the mechanical latch to this position following initiation of a printing cycle. A detent has a tooth selectively engageable with a pair of notches on the lever corresponding to the two lever positions, the detent being displaced in one case by a cam surface of the gear assembly and in the second case by a lever system responsive to the operation of the accounting system.

Abstract: A small-sized printer having print characters circumferentially disposed around a plurality of print rings rotating by a motor on a common shaft, includes a detector comprised of an integrated circuit board rotating on the same shaft. The rotating circuit board incorporates conductive foil contacts which are sensed during rotation by fixed brushes, thereby providing a series of pulses indicative of the rotational position of the shaft and of the print characters which are in position for printing. An auxiliary signal, generated by additional contacts on the rotating circuit board, indicate positions between the print characters on the print rings. Logic circuitry combines the actual position pulses with the auxiliary signals to output converted position pulses which are free of noise and irregularities in waveform normally associated with brush contact switches. These converted pulses provide accurate timing as is required for the print cycle. A motor stop signal is also provided.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for ascertaining movement of a device from a first position to a second position couple a ratchet member and pawl combination to that movable device. Clicks indicative of the movement of the device are generated by effecting relative motion between the ratchet member and pawl in accordance with the movement of the device from the first to the second position. An ascertainment is then made from the generated clicks whether the movement of the device has in fact resulted in the desired movement from the first to the second position. The invention is of particular utility in the monitoring of character segments in printing devices, but is not limited to such an application.

Abstract: The invention contemplates a non-rotary printing machine which accommodates continuously moving web along a single path of movement, for recycled precision imprinting of specially characterized information; the printing involves cooperative use of a printing-head unit on one side of the web and a printing-hammer unit on the other side of the web, and these units are indexibly positionable to enable the machine to print the characterized information in a selected one of at least two different alignment orientations with respect to the direction of web movement.

Abstract: A printing device of a construction, wherein a plurality of printing hammers are arranged in parallel facing toward a character wheel provided on its outer peripheral surface with a plurality of character types to be struck by the printing hammers through a printing paper, etc., interposed between the printing hammers and the character wheel, and an ink applying device is kept in contact with the character wheel to apply printing ink onto the type face of the characters, the ink applying device having on its surface discrete sections to apply a printing ink of a color to a particular character to be struck by a particular printing hammer out of a plurality of the printing hammers, and another printing ink of another color to the remainder of the characters to be struck by the remainder of the printing hammers.

Abstract: A printing wheel or cylinder is formed by a plurality of discs stacked one over another with resilient spacers between them to provide spaces at the outer edges to receive the backing ribs of printing type. The discs are squeezed together to securely grasp the backing ribs and are loosened to remove or replace the printing type.

Abstract: There is disclosed label printing and applying apparatus by which labels are successively printed and applied to merchandise. The apparatus feeds pressure sensitive labels mounted on a web of supporting material to a printing zone and to a delaminating zone. An applicator disposed downstream of the delaminating zone is used to apply the labels to merchandise.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a type drum the outer circumferential surface of which has a first set of type including a plurality of type faces arranged in a counter-clockwise spiral and a second set of type including a plurality of type faces arranged in a clockwise spiral. The type drum is both reciprocated and rotated in synchronous fashion by cooperation between reciprocating and rotating drive means so that the sets of type disposed on the type drum pass the positions of a plurality of printing hammers confronting the drum and adapted to perform printing by striking the type faces on the drum through an inked ribbon and recording medium.

Abstract: A marking head rotatably supports a plurality of marking wheels that are supported for rotation by a shaft positioned in the marking head. The marking wheels each include a periphery with a plurality of marking characters positioned thereon for marking plates, name plates, identification plates and the like with a preselected marking character. A preselected marking character for each wheel is positioned in marking position by rotating the respective marking wheel through a preselected angle which is preferably the angle for advancing the next adjacent character into marking position. A plurality of fingers are rotatably positioned on a shaft for engaging a ratchet portion of a respective wheel. Each finger is rotatably supported to selectively move into and out of engagement with the respective ratchet portion by operation of an air actuated plunger abutting the end of the finger.

Abstract: A print wheel selection mechanism operates to sequentially enter into a plurality of print wheels digits to be printed by initially entering the highest order digit into the lowest order or right-most print wheel or vice versa. During the next sequence, the highest order digit is shifted to the print wheel next to the right-most wheel, and the next order digit is entered into the right-most wheel. In this manner, the foregoing sequences are repeated until the entire number is entered into the print wheels with the number being sequentially entered and shifted along the several print wheels. The mechanism includes a plurality of intermediate stop wheels interdigitally and rotatably mounted on a common shaft with the print wheels, the print wheels and the intermediate stop wheels being urged to rotate in a predetermined direction. The print wheels and the intermediate stop wheels are each provided with stops for limiting the rotation of the next succeeding wheel in an ascending order.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for printing upon capsules is disclosed which also includes means for restraining freshly printed capsules from adhering to the printing roll. The capsules are restrained against adherence to the printing roll by the interposition of a stripping plate between the print roll and the capsule transport conveyor at a position immediately downstream from the printing location in which the capsules are brought into contact with the printing roll. In another embodiment of the invention, the printing roll is cleaned by the provision of a rotatable cleaning roll.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for use in numbering a series of successively fed documents with consecutive serial numbers and corresponding check digits, including weighted, non-sequential check digits. The check digits are independently applied by a single, engraved wheel mounted on the periphery of a rotating sleeve and positioned by an eccentrically-mounted electronically-controlled stepping motor, with the consecutive serial numbers being applied by a conventional consecutive decimal numbering head mounted to a separate, rotating shaft. Multiple check digit wheels and/or multiple consecutive decimal numbering heads may be employed.

Abstract: A printer having a print command circuit adapted to provide a print command signal, to thereby begin each print cycle is provided. The printer further includes a character ring having print characters circumferentially positioned therearound, each print character being selectively positioned by rotating the character ring from a rest position to a print position in response to the print command signal. The improvement comprises a single position detection circuit for generating character selection timing pulses representative of each rotational position of the character ring and being further adapted to produce return timing pulses in response to the opposite rotation of the character ring when same is returned to its rest position. Improved circuitry is provided for sensing the last pulse of said return timing pulses, utilizing same to supply a print-off pulse to the print command circuit to indicate the completion of the print cycle.

Abstract: An improved printer comprising a plurality of character rings provided with a plurality of characters on the respective peripheries thereof and corresponding pluralities of ratchet wheels and pawls. Each ratchet wheel is radially mounted on a character ring and a corresponding pawl is oscillatably mounted for engaging its corresponding ratchet at a preselected interval for stopping its associated character ring when a selected character is located at a predetermined position. Guides are provided for determining the constancy of oscillation of the pawls. Each pawl is spring driven into engagement with a corresponding ratchet wheel and a normal bias toward a corresponding ratchet wheel is provided. A releasable restraint acts oppositely to the bias on the pawl for normally preventing the pawl from engaging with its corresponding ratchet wheel.

Abstract: A printing device for use with a hand operated labeler: the hand labeler includes a pair of juxtaposed spaced end plates fixed to the body of the hand labeler, a support shaft member interposed fixedly between the end plates, and a plurality of bar code rings mounted rotatably on the support shaft member and juxtaposed to one another between the end plates; the bar code rings carry at least bar code types and index characters on their respective outer peripheries; a bar code ring selecting mechanism includes a selecting shaft which is made rotatable and axially movable for selectively turning one of the bar code rings; stain preventive means with a cover plate is provided which is mounted on one of the end plates in a manner to move radially of the bar code rings so that the cover plate may be moved during the printing operations to approach and cover the index characters thereby to prevent them from being stained with ink, and so that the cover plate may be moved during the type selecting operations to leave

Abstract: A printing device for use with a hand labeler including a pair of juxtaposed frames spaced from each other and fixed to the body of the hand labeler; between these frames, there are juxtaposed rotatably to one another a plurality of rings which carry bar code types on their printing surfaces; a bar code ring selecting mechanism having a selecting shaft which is made rotatable and axially movable for selectively turning one of the bar code rings to bring the desired one of the bar code types into its printing position; thrusting means interposed between one of the frames and the bar code rings and is made movable between a first position for thrusting the bar code rings to the other frame so as to effect frictional contact of the bar code rings and a second position for releasing the bar code rings in order to allow their independent rotation; actuating means which are coactive with the moving means for turning the thrusting means independently of the ring selecting mechanism to effect movement thereof.