Printing apparatus

Printing apparatus including printing means having a print head and a platen, one of the print head and the platen being movable and the other being fixed, an ink cartridge having a cartridge body and an ink receptive pad carried by the cartridge body, a traveling inker including an ink pad alternately cooperable with the cartridge pad and the print head, and means mounting the cartridge body to the movable one of the print head and the platen for canting movement upon contact with the ink pad to provide uniform pressure contact between the ink pad and the cartridge pad, the improvement comprising a support for the cartridge body, post means secured to the support, guide means for guiding the post means for movement, means providing a loose fit between the guide means and the post means to enable the cartridge to cant relative to the ink pad, and spring means for urging the cartridge toward the ink pad but enabling the cartridge and the support to yield when acted upon by the ink pad, an ink pad holder composed of a flexible resilient material, wherein the ink pad is flexible and a flexible resilient support for the ink pad holder to enable the ink pad, the ink pad holder and the ink pad holder support to accommodate to the printing means when the ink pad is in cooperation with the print head.

Printing apparatus including printing means having a print head and a platen, the print head having frame members, one of the print head and the platen being movable and the other being fixed, an ink cartridge having a cartridge body and an ink receptive pad carried by the cartridge body, a traveling inker including an ink pad alternately cooperable with the cartridge pad and the print head, and means mounting the cartridge body to the movable one of the print head and the platen for canting movement upon contact with the ink pad to provide uniform pressure contact between the ink pad and the cartridge pad, the improvement comprising a support for the cartridge body, spaced apart brackets secured to the frame members, holes in the brackets, a plurality of posts secured to the support and received in respective holes in the brackets, the holes being oversize relative to the posts to enable the support and the cartridge to cant relative to the ink pad when the ink pad and the cartridge pad cooperate, and spring means for urging the ink cartridge toward the ink pad but enabling the cartridge and the support to yield when acted upon by the ink pad.

Printing apparatus comprising a print head and a cooperable platen, one of the print head and the platen being movable and the other being fixed, a traveling inker for inking the print head, the inker having a flexible resilient holder and an ink receptive pad held by the holder, the inker having means for removably mounting the holder and the ink pad as a unit, a flexible resilient support for the holder, an ink cartridge, means mounting the ink cartridge to the movable one of the print head and the platen for canting movement relative to the ink pad, and means for driving the ink pad support and the ink pad holder and ink pad which it carries to move the ink pad into alternate cooperation with the cartridge and the print head.

Printing apparatus, comprising:

• a print head and a platen cooperable with the print head, a traveling inker for inking the print head, the inker including a support, a flexible resilient ink pad holder mounted by the support, and an ink pad carried by the ink pad holder, the support comprising a one-piece molded plastics member including a plurality of spring fingers acting on the ink pad holder whereby the holder and the support cooperate permitting relative flexing movement upon pressure contact of the inker.

Printing apparatus, comprising:

• a print head and a platen cooperable with the print head, a traveling inker for inker the print head, the inker including a flexible resilient ink pad holder and a flexible resilient support for supporting the ink pad holder but enabling the ink pad holder to flex while in ink transferring contact with the print head whereby the holder and the support cooperate permitting relative flexing movement upon pressure contact of the inker.

Printing apparatus, comprising:

• printing means including a print head and platen, one of the print head and the platen being movably mounted and the other being fixed, the ink cartridge including an ink cartridge body and an ink receptive pad held by the cartridge body, a traveling inker cooperable alternately with the ink cartridge and the print head, the traveling inker including an ink pad holder composed of flexible resilient material, a flexible ink receptive pad carried by the holder and a flexible resilient support for the ink pad holder, and means mounting the ink cartridge body relative to the inker for yieldable canting movement, so that when the ink pad contacts the cartridge pad accommodation is made for the differences between the angular dispositions of the ink pad and the cartridge pad.

Printing apparatus, comprising:

• printing means including a print head and a platen, one of the print head and the platen being movably mounted and the other being fixed, the ink cartridge including an ink cartridge body and an ink receptive pad held by the cartridge body, a traveling inker cooperable alternately with the ink cartridge and the print head, the inker including an ink pad holder and an ink receptive pad carried by the holder, means mounting the cartridge for canting movement, and means mounting the ink pad holder and its ink pad for canting movement, so that when the ink pad contacts the cartridge pad accommodation is made for differences between the angular dispositions of the ink pad and the cartridge pad.