Abstract: A method and system for printing a high density sequence of characters of M characters per inch from a predetermined character set. A print head having multiple print wires or pins is utilized to print a matrix of "dots" at a selected pel density, preferably 4M pels per inch for higher print throughput. The character set is then examined and a small selected number of characters are identified which require a character matrix having a width of four pels to achieve a desired level of legibility. All remaining characters in a character set are assigned a character matrix having a width of three or three and one-half pels in order to achieve the desired level of legibility. Thereafter, a high density sequence of characters having a high level of legibility can be printed at low pel densities having only a slight degradation in legibility in the event that two characters which each require a four pel width character matrix are adjacent.

Abstract: In a printer that normally prints 1-byte characters as well as 2-byte characters in such a manner that a size of a 2-byte character is smaller than twice the size of a 1-byte character, a device and method for adjusting an interval between 1-byte character and a 2-byte character so that the printed size of the 2-byte character containing this character interval is twice the size of the 1-byte character.

Abstract: In the print apparatus of this invention, a ruled line is formed on a print medium as a line-up of lines printed by plural printing operation with a line type. A carriage on which the printing unit including the line type is installed is moved from the position where the end of the ruled line composing the outline of a table, is located toward the center of the table at a half print pitch of maximum print pitch, irrespective of the print pitch set by an operator, when the edge of the ruled line is printed. And the ruled line is printed on the print medium by the operation of the printing unit. Moreover, when the middle size of type which can be used corresponding to various print pitches is installed on the carriage, the ruled line can be printed not to protrude from ruled line composing the outline contacting with this ruled line whatever print pitches are set.

Abstract: When a specified head energizing pulse interval involves a decimal fraction, the fraction is accumulated at every printing, and when the cumulative value of the fraction is smaller than one pulse, a printing head is driven at a pulse interval of an integer part obtained by subtracting the fraction, and when the cumulative value of the fraction has reached one pulse, the printing head is driven at a pulse interval of an integer obtained by adding one pulse to the above head energizing pulse interval.

Abstract: A document processing apparatus has a printer for printing characters; a keyboard used for inputting characters such as alphabetical characters, symbols and numerical characters; attribute imparting circuitry for imparting an attribute to characters input by the keyboard so as to vary the character spacing of the characters; and a pitch control circuit for varying the character pitch in accordance with the attribute imparted by the attribute imparting circuitry to cause the printer to print the characters at a varied character pitch. Accordingly, it is possible to print a numerical expression while providing suitable spacings between adjacent alphanumerical characters and between one or such characters and any adjacent symbol.

Abstract: A character pattern generator for a dot-matrix type printer. A storage device stores first dot pattern data for fixed pitch printing and second dot pattern data for proportional printing where the proportional printing dot pattern data corresponding to a character differs from the corresponding characters fixed pitch print data. A first address location pointer indicates the addresses of the fixed pitch dot pattern data in the storage device. A second address location pointer indicates the addresses of the proportional printing data in the storage device. A selector coupled to the storage device and the first and second address location pointers receives a character code signal and an attribute signal indicative of one of the fixed pitch and proportional pitch printing modes and supplies the character code signal to either the first or the second address location pointer in accordance with the attribute signal.

Abstract: A pattern pitch adjustment is applied to dot matrix pattern data as it is output from a CPU to a printer. The data is transferred from a DMA to the printer bit by bit, and the number of synchronizing signals output from the printer for each bit is counted to decide picture element timing. During a given period of time after transferring each data pattern, a waiting signal is applied to the DMA so that space picture element data is fed to the printer.

Abstract: A reciprocative typing control system in which a typing head is driven reciprocally for typing letters at periodic separations in response to a typing signal A following a delay D. A timing signal is produced each time the head is driven by a predetermined distance less than the letter separation and the timing signals counted. In the forward direction a typing signal is produced when the count equals the number of timing signals totaling the separation. In the backward direction the typing signal is produced when the count plus the number of timing signals in delay D equals the number of timing signals totaling the separation.

Abstract: This invention provides a printer capable of regulating the displacement of printing head according to the kind of characters to be printed. The printer has a printing head, an identifying device for identifying the print size of the printing head, and a drive mechanism for driving the printing head according to the print size identified by the identifying device.

Abstract: A method of determining character width for proportional spacing printing based on information contained in a dot pattern table. For a selected character, the character dot pattern in the table is analyzed to determine leading blanks and the actual character width. To obtain an overall width for printing, a number of trailing blanks equal to the number of leading blanks is added to the number of leading blanks and the actual character width. As such, a character suitable for proportional spacing printing is in effect built.

Abstract: An electronic typewriter comprises a character-bearing disk movable along the platen and a selector to space selected characters according to a plurality of constant spaces or proportional spaces. A permanent, alterable memory has a series of locations, wherein are recorded positioning information for the disk and the platen and constant phrases. A series of keys are operable to select associated registers of the memory to execute the movement of the disk or the printing of the recorded constant phrases, as recorded. An evidence selector is further operable at any point of the printing line to cause an evidence of printed character as bold-facing or underlining and a cancel key is provided to automatically cancel the already printed characters.The characters are carried by regularly spaced petals of the disk.

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: An apparatus for dot-matrix printing with proportional character spacing utilizes a conventional character generator for generating characters with fixed spacing in which a matrix storage area of equal size is assigned to each character, regardless of the actual width of the character, and has an advance control for a printer carriage drive for advancing the drive in increments corresponding to each single column of the storage area, the apparatus having a control unit operable in a state for generating proportional character spacing as well as in a state for generating characters with fixed spacing, and a printing control unit for operation in a state for generating proportional character spacing which executes advance increments for occupied columns in the storage areas and assigns a space advance of a predetermined width to the total of the number of empty columns between two adjacent characters in the storage areas.

Abstract: A dot matrix character printer having the capability of printing characters at variable speeds and with variable pitches. Variable pitch is provided through the use of programmable radix counters which control actuation of the printing solenoids. Solenoid actuation is based on print head position, with the actuation position being varied with print head velocity, to compensate for the distance travelled by the print head during the time between solenoid actuation and print wire impact; this permits operation at variable printing rates. Printing rate is limited by the cyclic rate of the print head, with an additional limitation based on dot printing density which prevents excessive heating of the printing solenoids. Control functions are provided by a firmware-controlled microprocessor and a special purpose integrated circuit (PCC). The operation of the microprocessor and PCC are time-independent of each other.

Abstract: A printing element (90) which is rotatable to different positions to print characters having different widths is carried by a carriage (98). The width of each character is divided into a leading width portion and a trailing width portion which are oriented leftwardly and rightwardly respectively of a centerline of the character. For printing a present or next character, the trailing width portion of a previous character is added to the leading width portion of the present character and the carriage (98) is shifted by a shift width which is equal thereto. The character is printed following the shift operation. For printing a character at the beginning of a line or following a blank space, the carriage (98) is shifted only by the leading width portion of the present character prior to printing.

Abstract: On electronic typewriters which have the ability to record into a small working memory the escapement of the characters which are keyed at the keyboard, it is many times advantageous to be able to reposition the carrier at the rightmost end of the typed material automatically. This is particularly advantageous when it has been necessary to back the carrier up along the printed line for purposes of erasing, correcting or inserting material into that line. Disclosed herein is an electronic typewriter which is controlled by the electronic logic such that the depression of a selected control key will result in the carrier moving from a position within the typed text on a particular line to the right most position the carrier has occupied within that line during earlier typing.

Abstract: A type-carrier disk with flexible tongues for a printing device includes a central part for fixing onto a selection shaft and a peripheral notched crown from which issue several flexible tongues each tongue ending with a base from which projects a corresponding character. For different fonts, in the corresponding disks, the characters present a similar angular position and the base of a similar character has the same dimension and form able to edge the envelope of the different fonts. A positioning wedge protrudes from the base of the character and cooperates with a V notched hammer of the machine. The tongues are regularly spaced following regular angular spaces and in the disk used for differential spacing characters, the axis of the characters are angularly shifted in relation to the wedges of the tongues in inverse ratio to the sizes of the character and to the spacing steps of which the disk is to be spaced after the printing of said characters.

Abstract: The aesthetic characteristics of adjacent characters are used to enhance the quality of output in a proportional spacing printer and to provide right margin justification for composing. Spacing between characters is determined on the basis of the character being printed and the preceding character already printed on the page. An intercharacter displacement memory contains a list of ideal spacing for all combinations of characters to be printed. As each character is typed, it and the previously stored preceding character address the intercharacter displacement memory. The output of the intercharacter displacement memory is the ideal value of escapement for this combination of characters and font style. The printer positions the print head prior to printing the next character, rather than positioning the print head after the previous character is printed.

Abstract: An improved matrix printer is described employing a high order, single track incremental position encoder to provide a plurality of electrical reference signals representative of predetermined print positions along a platen and for locating matrix columns at the predetermined print positions. An electronic circuit is provided for varying the predetermined print positions at which the matrix columns can be located.

Abstract: An impact printer is described having a control circuit for varying the location at which the printing elements of a printhead are actuated in order to compensate for flight time of the elements and other mechanical characteristics of the printer.

Abstract: A drive arrangement for a single element typewriter in which the element is mounted on a moving carrier, for facilitating proportional spacing incremental movements of the carrier. The carrier is bidirectionally driven by a servo motor which rotates bidirectionally in response to the output of a digital counter. The counter counts in one direction in response to input stepping pulses as well as pulses corresponding to incremental rotational movements of the drive shaft in a given direction, and counts in the other direction in response to pulses corresponding to incremental rotational movements of the drive shaft in the opposite direction. The pulses corresponding to incremental rotational movements of the drive shaft are optically derived from a rotating disk having alternating transparent and opaque radial striations. Provision is made for automatic carrier return by setting the output of the counter accordingly.