Bar code printing mechanism
AssigneeInternational Telephone and Telegraph Corporation
InventorRaigo Alas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mechanism using a stepping motor as the prime mover for a bar code printing head or hammer mounted on the end of a pivotal lever. Where the output code (such as the postal code used in the U.S.) requires a full bar as one binary indication and a half bar the other binary indication, two motors each with its own printing head are used. The heads are spaced apart longitudinally relative to an object to be printed. A full bar is made up of two half bars, thus, both motors must be energized at separated time intervals to cause both heads to strike in a single transverse alignment to print a full bar. The lever supporting the printing head is constructed to position its center of percussion essentially in alignment with the printing hammer to minimize wear on the motor shaft.
Claims12
Printing apparatus comprising a printing head configured with indicia to be printed, drive means for said head including a lever arm on which said head is secured, reversible motor means steppable in steps of predetermined finite angular extent on each energization thereof, means mounting said lever arm to the output member of the motor means for advance of the printing head in a print stroke responsive to each energization of the motor means in one direction of energization and for retracting said printing head on each energization of the motor means in the reverse direction.
Bar code printing apparatus comprising a guide for aligning an object having a surface for imprinting thereon bar code data, means for transporting said object past said guide at a predetermined rate, a first and a second stepping motor adjacent said guide, said first motor having a lever mounted thereto for reciprocal pivotal motion in response to respective energizations of the first motor in advancing and retracting directions, said second motor having a lever mounted thereto for reciprocal pivotal motion in response to respective energizations of the second motor in advancing and retracting directions, said first motor lever arm and said second motor lever arm being mounted parallel to one another and spaced apart a distance in the direction of transport of the object, each said lever arm including a print head having respective transverse halves of a bar to be imprinted such that imprinting of a full bar includes energization of the first and second motors in the advancing direction at time intervals synchronized with the rate of transport of the object to align the imprint from the bars in an alignment transverse to the transport path of the object.
Bar code printing apparatus comprising a printing head configured with a bar to be printed on an object being transported past the printing head, means for advancing and retracting said head including a lever arm on which said head is secured, a reversible motor steppable in steps of predetermined finite angular extent on energization thereof, the direction of a step responsive to the direction of energization of the motor, means mounting said lever arm to the output shaft of the motor to advance the printing head in a print stroke to imprint a bar on the object responsive to each energization of the motor in the advancing direction of energization and for retracting said printing head on each energization of the motor in the reverse direction, a pad of energy absorbing material spaced from the lever arm a distance in the retract direction, with means mounting said pad in settable positions to adjust the retract stroke of the lever arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.