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US 3,949,408 AGranted
Multipoint graph and character print apparatus
AssigneeEsterline Corporation
InventorsCharles F. Mason, Merle C. Cox
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for providing an offset digital printout of numbers or characters on a multipoint chart recorders with thermal matrix printing. A print head is operable to mark a chart with analog value indications in the form of graphs and is also operable to print numbers and characters at selected positions on the chart. The alphanumeric indications designate particular plots on the chart paper, a time indication or preselected numerical representations.
Claims13
A graph printing apparatus comprising:
- a chassis;
- a print head moveably mounted on the chassis and having an array of selectively activatable elements;
- drive means for advancing a strip of markable recording medium past and adjacent to the array of elements of the print head;
- activation means for selectively activating elements of the array to mark the advancing medium in response to marking commands;
- analog means for positioning the print head along a direction transverse to the direction of advance of the medium in response to a data input to the apparatus;
- means for generating an alpha-numeric character marking command and an alternative point marking command and for coupling one of said commands to the activation means;
- and
- offset means for positioning the print head a preset distance, along a direction transverse to the direction of advance of the medium, from a first position during printing of certain characters of multi-character alpha-numeric markings on the strip of markable recording medium.
5 more elements
A graph printing apparatus comprising:
- a chassis;
- a thermal printhead moveably mounted on the chassis and having an array of selectively heatable elements;
- drive means for advancing a strip of heat sensitive recording medium past and adjacent to the array of elements of the print head;
- activation means for selectively heating elements of the array of elements to mark the advancing medium in response to marking commands;
- analog means for positioning the print head along a direction transverse to the direction of advance of the medium in response to data inputs to the apparatus;
- means for generating a point marking command and for coupling said command to the activation means when the analog means has positioned the print head in response to a data input to the apparatus;
- input selector switch means for sequentially coupling each input of a plurality of data inputs to the analog means, the input selector swtich means advancing to a succeeding data channel after a print operation;
- first logic means for generating at an output an alphanumeric character signal uniquely representative of each channel of input data;
- means for generating an alphanumeric character marking command corresponding to the output of said first logic means and for coupling said alphanumeric character marking command to the activation means, when the analog means has positioned the print head in response to a data input, at preset intervals;
- offset means for positioning the print head preset distance, along a direction transverse to the direction of advance of the medium, from the data-responsive position of the print head during printing of a second character of a two-character alphanumeric channel marking on the strip of heat sensitive recording medium.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.