Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a carriage for carrying a recording head cartridge for effecting recording, and for conveying the recording head cartridge; and a guide for guiding the carriage within a range in which the carriage is conveyed. The carriage includes a slider slidable along the guide, and a contacting device for supporting the carriage by contact with the guide when a large force is imparted on the carriage, while remaining away from the guide during a normal conveying operation.

Abstract: A bearing mechanism includes a shaft for guiding a reciprocable carriage; a bearing mounted on the carriage and slidable relative to the shaft; a receiving member extending from the bearing to receive lubricant oil removed by the sliding movement between the shaft and the bearing; and a lubricant oil passage formed in the bearing to connect the receiving member and a portion between the shaft and the bearing.

Abstract: A lathe bed scanning apparatus and method has a wear resistant coating on translational rod bearings which support a scanner for slidable movement in a frame. Titanium nitride is coated over a hardened stainless steel core of the translational rods and bearing pads which are arranged for sliding contact with the rods comprise diamond laminated tungsten carbide.

Abstract: A printer is provided having a guide shaft positioned substantially parallel with a printing surface. A print head of the printer is supported by the guide shaft, which is in turn supported by at least a first frame. The first frame is formed with an interior wall forming a through hole in the frame. A bearing member is fitted within the through hole. Upon rotation of the bearing member, the guide shaft is moved in a direction orthogonal to the printing surface.

Abstract: A scanning head ink jet printer prints at high-speed to produce large format output of graphics quality. The printer utilizes variable paper advance interlacing, which allows high speed, full coverage printing with a variety of saber angles. Several series of variable paper advances can be used to optimally correct potential banding problems in the image. The printer utilizes multiple print heads mounted on a single carriage. The multiple print head system allows for higher ink delivery rates than possible on prior art printers. Bi-directional printing allows even faster output, and several adjustments can be made to address the order of ink laydown. The printer utilizes a new calibration pattern wherein different frequencies of marks are printed by different colored ink jets. The marks can be easily analyzed to determine proper calibration setting between jets. The carriage rides on a single rail having upper and lower v-shaped roller tread surfaces.

Abstract: A print guide mechanism having parallel first and second guide rods, and a carriage assembly designed to move along the guide rods. The carriage assembly in a preferred embodiment comprises a frame and at least one pair of associated roller bearing assemblies being secured to the frame and being arranged so as to engage the first guide support rod for providing linear movement of the carriage assembly along the first guide rod, at least one upper roller bearing assembly mounted to the frame for engagement with the second guide rod, and a first mounting assembly having at least one lower roller bearing assembly. The at least one upper and lower roller bearing assemblies are arranged so as to engage the second guide rod between. The first mounting assembly is pivotally mounted to the frame so as to compensate for parallel misalignment between the guide rods and is biased for applying a loading force so that positive engagement is provided between the guide rods and the roller bearing assemblies.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet recording system having a recording means for performing the recording by discharging ink onto a recording medium, wherein an ink receiving portion for receiving ink discharged from the recording means in no association with the recording regarding the recording medium is arranged within a width zone of the recording medium and out of a recordable area of the recording medium. The present invention further provides a carriage shifting apparatus comprising a body frame, a carriage reciprocally shiftable within the body frame, and a guide member having both ends supported by both side plates of the body frame and adapted to guide the carriage, and wherein a support portion provided on at least one ends of the guide member is non-detachably attached to at least one of the side plates by fitting the support portion into a guide member supporting portion provided in the guide plate while elastically deforming the guide member supporting portion.

Abstract: A molded plastic printer carriage mountable in the printer on a slider rod uses a pair of spaced sintered bronze bushings and a spring biased preload pad intermediate the bushings which engages the slider rod to compensate for and minimize rocking of the carriage during rapid movement thereof during printing without requiring expensively machined slider rods or close tolerance bushings.

Abstract: The carriage mounting the print head, for a printer, is supported at an upper guide bar with an upper bearing and at a lower guide bar with a lower-right bearing and a lower-left bearing. The printing device prints characters while driving the print head in reciprocal movement along the guide bars. The lower-left bearing has an eccentric center relative to the axis of the lower-guide bar. A lever fitted on the lower-left bearing allows the operator to rotate the lower-left bearing relative to the axis of the lower guide bar to adjust the height of print.

Abstract: A carriage support system for a computer driven printer/plotter employs a slider rod and a slider bar mounted parallel to each other on a printer chassis wherein the bar supports the front side of a printer carriage and the rod supports the rear side of the carriage thus eliminating expensive centerless ground carriage support rods. The slider bar also has a plurality of dual edge paper pinch wheels supported thereon which are biased into engagement with the paper or other medium on which printing takes place by a plurality of springs integrally formed from a single member affixed to the slider bar.

Abstract: A glide bearing subsystem is described. The invented bearing subsystem includes an expanse having a non-circularly cross-sectional through hole providing in a first, e.g. an upper, region thereof two arcuately spaced planar contact surfaces providing dual parallel lines of contact with a cylindrical rail upon which the carriage is mounted for reciprocal axial movement. A second, e.g. a lower, region of the hole generally opposite and preferably smoothly joining the first hole region is semicylindrical and of slightly greater diameter than that of the rail, thereby controlling inadvertent lift-off of the carriage during acceleration phases of its reciprocal movement along the rail. Preferably, the carriage has a pair of axially spaced bearings formed in generally planar thin expanses of oil-impregnated bronze, which expanses are made by a sintering process and are insert molded integrally with the printer's carriage.

Abstract: A molded plastic printer carriage mountable in the printer on a slider rod uses a pair of spaced sintered bronze bushings and a spring biased preload pad intermediate the bushings which engages the slider rod to compensate for and minimize rocking of the carriage during rapid movement thereof during printing without requiring expensively machined slider rods or close tolerance bushings.

Abstract: A dimensionally stable bushing assembly for a printer carriage 10 uses a bushing liner 20 constructed of a relatively flexible and dimensionally non-stable lubricous material which is afforded dimensional stability by an interference fit of the exterior wall of the liner 20 with the interior wall 15, 17 of apertures 14, 16 in the carriage which are manufactured to the desired degree of dimensional tolerance. In the preferred embodiment, the printer carriage 10 is made of polycarbonate which slides on stainless steel slider rods. The bushing liners are preferably a molded mixture of from 25-35 percent carbon, 15-25 percent teflon and 45-55 percent nylon. Although such mixtures typically shrink during the molding process, it is necessary, due to the special open or C-shaped configuration of the liners, only to maintain a close control on the thickness of the molded liners 20 rather than carefully controlling both thickness as well as their peripheral dimension.

Abstract: A serial printer comprises a printing head, a carrier for carrying the printing head, a platen, and a pair of guide members extending in parallel with the platen for supporting the carrier in a movable manner. An openable member is attached openably to the casing of the printer and supporting one of the guide members. Engaging receivers are formed in the carrier for allowing the one guide member to engage therewith and disengage therefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extending direction of the one guide member. Engaging brackets may be mounted on the printing head for coming into and out of engagement with one of the guide members at a right angle with respect to the extending direction of the one guide member. Moving members may be supported movably in the casing of the printer for supporting the one guide member, when moved, to bring the one guide member into and out of an engagement with the engaging brackets.

Abstract: A molded plastic printer carriage mountable in the printer on a pair of slider rods uses a pair of spaced front bushings and single rear bushing positioned on a line intermediate the two front bushings. The rear bushing is eccentricly spring biased in a direction away from the front bushings and each bushing has two line contacts with the slider rod on which it is mounted, the first of the line contacts being at the top of the bushing and the second being on the side of the bushing substantially facing the opposite slider rod. The eccentric spring biasing and the two line contact configuration of the bushings prevents rotation of the carriage around the slider rods during rapid movement thereof during printing.

Abstract: A rigid low cost chassis structure for a wide print media thermal ink jet plotter wherein the carriage slider rods are straightened and held in precise position relative to the platen roller during assembly of the chassis parts and operation of the plotter by using an extruded rigid support beam and a pair of rigid endplates and connecting structure which positions and holds the slider rods.

Abstract: The apparatus includes a bearing structure (2), a slidably movable print head (6) guided in said bearing structure, a dragging unit (22, 23) adapted to move a sheet (7) to be printed under the print head and exhibiting dragging members (22) directly acting on the sheet, a plate-like body (4) provided with a write surface (5) located under the print head and representing a rest surface for the sheet, the bearing surface being oscillatable relative to the plate-like body between an operating position in which the bearing surface and plate-like body are substantially in mutual contact and a raised position for putting the sheet in place, in which the dragging members directly acting on the sheet are located in the plate-like body substantially below the write surface.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a method and associated apparatus for allowing the carriage shafts of a pen plotter to be mounted and aligned quickly and accurately without the introduction of any bending stresses or intra-shaft misalignment. The shafts have conical indentations in the ends thereof. Laterally slidable end caps are bolted over the shaft ends and bolted in place in proper alignment with the shafts. An end cap on one end of the shafts has conical projections in the bottoms of bores therein aligned with and fitting into the shaft ends. An end cap on the other end of the shafts has bolts with conical ends threaded through the bottoms of bores therein aligned with and fitting into the shaft ends. The bolts through the end cap are tightened to hold the shafts in place. An alignment fixture holds the shafts in proper alignment while the end caps are aligned and tightened.

Abstract: A print head is secured to a print head carriage and movable along guide rails in printing operation. The carriage includes bearings engaging the guide rails which are secured to the frame of the printer. The print head carriage is made of conductive material to enable bonding of the print head through the carriage and the bearings and along the guide rails to the ground potential of the printer.

Abstract: The structural base unit of the machine is made of a one-piece shaped beam (40) which extends along a first direction (Y) with a first portion (41) which, due to its own stiffness, supports and guides the carriage (12) carrying the writing head (11) along its translational motion in the first direction (Y), and with second and third portions (45) which defines supporting surfaces for the drum (20) driving the printing medium in a second direction (X) perpendicular to the first direction (Y). Guiding of the carriage (12) is ensured by rails (43, 44) formed integral with the beam or attached to it, and a slot (50) cut in the shaped beam (40) along the action area of the writing head for providing a passage for the printing medium and its engagement with the drum (20).

Abstract: A printer includes a platen having a longitudinal axis and a printing head mounted in opposition to the platen. The guide shaft is mounted to extend parallel to the axis of the platen. A carriage supports the printing head and includes a carriage frame mounted on the guide shaft for movement axially therealong and for movement rotatably thereabout and a base plate having a first end integral with the carriage frame and a second end directed away therefrom. A guide plate is fixed at a position below the second end of the base plate and extends parallel to the guide shaft. A parallel link mechanism includes a fixing member attached to a lower surface of the second end of the base plate and a slider memebr connected to the fixing member. The slider member has a slot within which fits the guide plate, such that movement of the carriage axially of the guide shaft causes the parallel link mechanism and the second end of the base plate to be guided by the guide plate.

Abstract: A matrix line printer has an L-shaped shuttle for a series of electromagnetic actuators. Wires are provided running in an arc from the printer frame to the shuttle. Peojections on the shuttle engage eccentrically mounted rollers on the frame.

Abstract: A compact plotter is disclosed, having a small area in which a plurality of print heads (10) are laterally scanned to print impressions on the paper (14), and the paper (14) is incrementally advanced by an indexer (42) past the print heads (10). A paper travel encoder (36) measures the paper advancement. A computer 22 and a processor 26 are provided to coordinate the printing of pattern data stored in a data base (24) both with the movement of the print heads (10) and the advancement of the paper (14). The computer (22) allocates data from the data base (24) to be printed according to the amount of paper advancement. If the paper (14) is advanced more than a predefined amount, more data is allocated for printing than is actually printed. If the paper (14) is advanced less than the predefined amount, less data is allocated to be printed than is actually printed.

Abstract: A carriage supporting device has a base plate and a guide bar. A guide portion is formed at a rear portion of the base plate. The guide portion has an L-shaped section comprising an upright portion and a guide rail projecting outwardly. A carriage is slidably mounted on the guide bar and on the guide rail through a guide chip made of plastics. The guide chip has an engaging groove slidably engaged with the guide rail.

Abstract: A device is provided for guiding a print element of a printer device. The guide device comprises a guide bushing which is provided with two sliding surfaces and which is carried on a guide rail facing the platen. A support mount is engaged over the guide bushing and has a projection for fastening a traction device, such as a toothed belt, of a drive system. The support mount also has latch openings for receiving latch pieces for accurate positioning of the print element. The print element further comprises a fork-like guide projection to be received over and for sliding along a second guide rail. In order to fasten the print element to the guide bushing, a resilient snap-in clip is held constantly locked at the print element, the snap-in clip being pivotal so as to partially embrace the guide bushing and has projecting ends which are freely accessible for unlatching of the clip.

Abstract: The printer is for printing on a narrow print-receiving medium such as a ticket (T) which passes lengthwise through the printer. The printer includes an anvil or platen which is at least partially constituted by a cylindrical roller (150) capable of rotating about its own axis (322) in such a manner that its cylindrical surface accompanies the movement of the narrow medium substantially without slipping. A dot-matrix print head is movable in translation transversely to the motion of the medium so as to print thereon against a generator line of the roller. The improvement lies in the printer further including a unitary guide assembly (301, 302, 307, 313) for guiding both rotation of the roller and translation of the print head.

Abstract: An electronic mail terminal 10 that includes a keyboard 12, multi-character display 14, thermal printer 22, tape drive 118, and communication and control circuitry. The tape drive and printer mount to molded-in features of a base housing 20. A printed circuit board 28 containing the communication and control circuitry and the display is mounted to molded-in features of the base housing. The keyboard plugs into the printed circuit board from above and is supported at the sides by stand-offs in the base housing. A cover housing 88 mates with molded-in features of the base housing. The tape drive mechanism includes cassette guides 98 and 376 that are molded into the base and cover housings and a spring loaded motor mount that automatically compensates for wear and positioning tolerances. A printer carriage motor 184 drives a toothed belt 182 to position a carriage 138 which holds a thermal print head 140.

Abstract: A guide for directing a print head in a printing device parallel to a platen, the guide being constructed of a unitary extrusion of a metallic material having two guide rails joined by a thin web of material. The structural arrangement of the guide offers a high resistance against bending so that a constant predetermined distance can be maintained between the print head and the platen.

Abstract: An improved printer for accommodating and printing upon, a broad range of record medium thicknesses, including multi-part forms, while maintaining high print quality. The printer includes a platen and a pair of guide rails having a fixed relationship to one another, and an adjustable marking module supported for movement along the guide rails. An adjustment mechanism for adjusting the clearance between the platen and the marking module includes a toggle bracket for allowing the front of the module to pivot about the guide rail closest to the platen and for allowing the rear of the module to be moved relative to the furthest guide rail.

Abstract: A typewriter printing assembly is disclosed in which a typing assembly and type actuator are mounted for movement along a shaft and are connected to a follower. The connection of the typing assembly and follower is a detachable one, and the support for the shaft is removable for facile assembly and disassembly of the typing assembly on the shaft. The type actuator comprises a light interfitting assembly of the type hammer and support formed to accommodate the shaft and for straight line movement of the hammer when activated.

Abstract: This invention involves methods and apparatus relating to the assembly and structure of a dot matrix print head. The invention includes a single unit, coil assembly of a bobbin, coil, and clapper which can be removeably placed as a unit among fixed pole pieces and yoke members in the print head. The print head also includes a supporting arragement for the coil assemblies which automatically aligns the clapper of each coil assembly with the impact end of one of the print wires during the assembly of the print head. Other disclosed features of the invention are novel designs for the wire guide members, a heat sink member, and mounting structure by which the print head is attached to the main guide and rail guide bearings of the printing mechanism.

Abstract: A detachable carriage assembly for a printer having a frame for supporting a cylindrical platen and a drive motor for moving said carriage assembly and comprising first and second parallel supports mounted in spaced apart relationship on the frame of the printer parallel to the platen, a pulley support assembly movably mounted on one of the supports and connected to the drive motor for movement parallel to the one support, a bearing assembly slidably mounted on the other of the supports and a carriage assembly detachably mounted to the pulley support assembly and the bearing assembly for moving parallel to the platen as the pulley support assembly moves.

Abstract: A printer employing a movable print carriage is fitted with a single rigid bar-like carriage support structure having three very narrow, low friction, plain guideways, either grooves or rails, kinematically arranged for extremely accurate guiding of the printing carriage as it moves along the writing line. The print carriage is fitted with kinematically arranged mechanically reciprocal guides for engaging the guideway grooves or rails. The carriage support structure is made sufficiently rigid and massive to also serve as the printer frame for supporting the platen and other printer parts and elements. The location of the three guideways, primary feed roller bearing supports, platen supports, and platen adjustment rod bearings are such that all can be machined in one set-up in a multiple spindle machine tool so as to achieve exact parallelism of all the elements requiring precise alignment.

Abstract: The print head of a serial printer includes a protruding plug which is seated and locked into a receptacle on a translating carriage. An endless belt has teeth engaged in a correspondingly contoured groove of the carriage for positive connection between carriage and belt, whereby the head traverses the printing medium for printing thereon. The platen is positively and simply held and includes a resin surface for impact of print wires. The gap between the head and platen is readily adjusted in steps by motion of a lever.

Abstract: The matrix head (1) of a matrix printer is guided close to the printing site (2) on a round bar (7) by means of profiled rollers (8) absorbing the reactive force during printing and being fixedly mounted at the matrix head (1) and by means of guide rollers (9) absorbing the force of gravity of the matrix head (1) and being resiliently mounted at this head, and is slidingly guided, at the head end facing away from the printing site (2), on a rail (15). A cord drive serves for displacing the matrix head (1), this cord drive comprising a cord (31, 32, 33, 34, 35) guided over a cord pulley (17) at the matrix head (1) and over further cord pulleys (19, 23, 24) and over a driving pulley (26), the ends (29, 30) of this cord being fixedly attached beside the ends of the round bar (7). Thereby the matrix printer can be constructed in a compact and lightweight fashion and can be operated with accuracy even in case of strong vibrations.

Abstract: This invention involves methods and apparatus relating to the assembly and structure of a dot matrix print head. The invention includes a single unit, coil assembly of a bobbin, coil, and clapper which can be removeably placed as a unit among fixed pole pieces and yoke members in the print head. The print head also includes a supporting arrangement for the coil assemblies which automatically aligns the clapper of each coil assembly with the impact end of one of the print wires during the assembly of the print head. Other disclosed features of the invention are novel designs for the wire guide members, a heat sink member, and mounting structure by which the print head is attached to the main guide and rail guide bearings of the printing mechanism.

Abstract: A guide for directing a printing head parallel to a printing direction in a printing device, the said printing head being displaceable along two parallel, round guide rods which are maintained at a fixed distance from each other by sheet-metal clamps which extend transversely of the longitudinal direction of the rods and which are provided with bearing apertures in which the guide rods are clamped. The guide offers a comparatively high resistance against bending, so that a constant distance is maintained between printing head and record carrier.

Abstract: A guide for limiting displacement of a printing head parallel to the printing direction in a printing device. The printing head is displaceable along two parallel guide rods which are detachably connected on a supporting beam which extends parallel to the guide rods. The supporting beam is detachably connected to two side plates which extend transversely of the beam and which are provided with projections which fit in recesses provided at each of the end faces of the beam. The guide provides a mechanically stable construction that is readily detachable.