Printer paper take-up and storage device
AssigneeExtel Corporation
InventorsLawrence W. Markus, George Smejkal, Melvin A. Lace
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A paper web take-up and storage device for a teleprinter, having a spring biased guide bail to sense paper length and a control switch that energizes a storage reel drive motor for take-up when needed, is also equipped with a paper sensor arm to detect a no-paper condition; a single switch actuator lever that is aligned with the bail, with the sensor arm, and with the control switch affords complete control for both take-up and no-paper conditions in an arrangement that allows limited reverse movement of the web back toward the printer with no appreciable resistance apart from a relatively weak bail bias spring. The reel includes a spring-latched guide flange adjustable to accommodate a number of different paper widths.
Claims7
In a paper take-up and storage device adapted for use with a printer of the kind employing a paper web as a record medium, the printer including a paper drive for advancing the record-bearing paper web out of the printer, and requiring the paper drive to effect a reverse movement of a limited length of the web back into the printer for a given printer operating condition, the take-up and storage device comprising:
- a paper web storage reel;
- a reel drive motor for rotating the reel;
- a control switch connected in an energizing circuit for the motor;
- a guide bail, extending transversely of the reel in position to engage the paper web ahead of the reel, the bail being pivotally movable from a home position into a range of deflected positions in response to take-up of the web onto the reel;
- bail bias means urging the bail towards its home position;
- and an actuator lever aligned with the bail and the control switch and pivotally movable from a take-up position, in which the actuator lever effectively actuates the control switch to energize the motor, to a range of inactive positions in which the actuator lever effectively actuates the control switch to de-energize the motor in response to positioning of the bail in its deflected position range;
- the improved construction comprising:
- actuator bias means linking the actuator lever and the bail and biasing the switch actuator lever toward engagement with the bail for movement therewith;
- a paper presence sensor arm aligned with the actuator lever and positioned to engage the web adjacent the reel, the presence sensor arm being movable, by the web, from a no-paper position, in which it holds the actuator lever in its range of inactive positions independently of the position of the bail, to a paper-present position in which the sensor arm is effectively released from the actuator lever so that the lever follows the bail;
- and paper presence bias means biasing the presence sensor arm toward its no-paper position;
- essentially the only force opposing reverse movement of the web through said limited length being a limited bias force applied to the bail by the bail bias means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.