Bi-directional belt drive, print head mounting means and printing plane adjustment means for serial printers

A carriage assembly for use in a printer, said carriage assembly comprising:

• a platform;
• means for guiding the platform along a linear path and for enabling the platform to experience reciprocating movement along said linear path;
• a print heat assembly mounting bracket having mounting means extending towards said platform;
• said platform including means for slidably receiving and guiding said print head assembly mounting bracket;
• resilient bias means on said platform for urging the print head assembly mounting bracket in a first direction;
• and swingable cam means mounted on said platform and slidably engaging said print head assembly mounting bracket for adjusting the position of the mounting bracket on the platform, whereby said resilient bias means urges the print head assembly mounting bracket into engagement with said cam means to maintain the position of the print head assembly mounting bracket on the platform.

A carriage assembly for use in a printer, said carriage assembly comprising:

• a platform;
• means for guiding the platform along a linear path and for enabling the platform to experience reciprocating movement along said path;
• a mounting bracket having mounting means extending towards said platform;
• said platform including means for slidably receiving and guiding said mounting bracket;
• resilient bias means swingably mounted upon said platform and movable between a first position for retaining said mounting bracket upon said platform and a second position displaced from said mounting bracket to facilitate slidable removal of the mounting bracket from the platform.

A printer comprising a carriage assembly:

• means for reciprocally guiding said carriage assembly along a linear path;
• belt means having upper and lower belt runs and means for moving said belt means;
• first and second jam cleat assemblies pivotally mounted upon said carriage assembly adjacent to and toward the lower and upper sides respectively of said upper and lower belt runs;
• each of said jam cleat assemblies having a short first arm serving as a wedge portion and second and third arms, each of said wedge portions extending diagonally away from their pivotal mountings and toward the associated belt run;
• first and second solenoid assemblies;
• the second arm of each jam cleat assembly being operable by an associated one of said solenoid assemblies;
• the third arms of each jam cleat assembly extending toward and engaging one another;
• spring means embracing said third arms of said jam cleat assemblies for urging said third arms into engagement;
• means for mounting an intermediate portion of said spring means in order to normally maintain said wedge portions of said jam cleat assemblies displaced from their associated belt runs;
• swingably mounted bed members each cooperating with one of said jam cleat assemblies and positioned respectively above the upper belt run and below the lower belt run whereby the upper belt run is sandwiched between one of the jam cleat assembly wedge portions and one of the bed members when the associated upper solenoid assembly is energized and whereby the lower belt run is sandwiched between the remaining jam cleat assembly wedge portion and the remaining bed member when the associated lower solenoid assembly is energized;
• a print head mounting bracket having mounting means for mounting the print head mounting bracket on the carriage assembly;
• said carriage assembly including a platform having means for slidably receiving said mounting bracket;
• rotatable cam means positioned to engage one end of said mounting bracket;
• resilient means swingably mounted on said platform for resiliently urging said mounting bracket in a first direction towards said cam means;
• means for adjusting said cam means to alter the position of the mounting bracket on said platform and including means for locking the cam means in position after the desired adjustment is obtained.