Printing apparatus

Printing apparatus for forming printed records from a web of record material, comprising:

• printing means including a print head assembly frame, printing members housed in the print head assembly frame, and a platen cooperable with the printing members and providing a printing zone, each printing member having a plurality of printing elements, means for inking the printing members, severing members disposed at a severing zone close to the printing members, a paper-dust shield closing off one side of the print head assembly frame and disposed between the printing members and the severing members, and means for circulating air through at least one of the zones in a direction away from the printing zone to prevent paper dust from accumulating on the printing members.

Printing apparatus for forming printed records from a web of record material, comprising:

• printing means including a plurality of printing members each having a plurality of printing elements, means for advancing the printing members to bring one selected printing element of each respective printing member to a printing position in a printing zone while the other printing elements of each printing member are in a non-printing position, means for inking the printing elements at the printing zone, a severing zone having record severing means close to the printing zone and operable to sever a record from the web, a paper-dust shield disposed between the severing means and at least one printing element in the non-printing position during the severing operation to shield the printing member from accumulating paper dust created during the severing operation.