Printer with cartridge type wheel

In a printer comprising a platen, a type wheel including a plurality of fingers arranged radially each carrying a type at the forward end, a printing hammer unit, an ink ribbon, a type selection motor and a carriage supporting the type wheel, hammer unit, ribbon and motor, movable along the platen, the printer being operable to print symbols on a sheet on the platen, wherein the improvement comprises:

• a type wheel cartridge rotatably supporting the type wheel;
• a cartridge holder for removably holding said type wheel cartridge mounted to the carriage for movement perpendicularly to the movement of the carriage between an operative and a standby position;
• the type selection motor having a shaft and mounted to the carriage for movement parallel to the movement of said carriage holder between an operative and a standby position and axially of the type wheel;
• and
• drive means for moving said cartridge holder and the type selection motor between the respective operative and standby positions, with a moving distance of the type wheel selection motor being greater than a moving distance of said cartridge holder so that the type wheel receives in the type wheel cartridge the type selection motor shaft when said cartridge holder and the type selection motor are both in their respective operative positions.