Printing system for multiple character languages and elements thereof

A printing system comprising:

• print-receiving means;
• input means having a plurality of input elements;
• a packet of printing elements, each printing element having a generally flat edge, an axis of rotation proximate said flat edge, and at least two radially spaced series of a plurality of character faces disposed circumferentially relative to the axis of rotation, said printing elements being generally coaxially disposed and mutually aligned adjacent the print receiving means so that their generally flat edges are disposed adjacent the print receiving means;
• means for axially translating said packet of printing elements in response to actuation of an input element to place a selected printing element in pre-print position;
• means for rotating the selected printing element in response to another actuation of an input element to juxtapose a selected character face toward the print receiving means in print position for printing of said character face;
• and
• means for adjusting the distance between the axis of the selected printing element and the print receiving means by discrete amounts corresponding to the radial distance between any two radially spaced series of character faces on the selected printing element, said adjusting means operating in response to actuation of an input element to place a selected series of character faces including said selected character face in position for printing.

A printing system for languages having a large number of characters to be printed, wherein said large number is generally equal to N.times.N.times.M, where M is an integer from about 2 to 6, and N is an integer from about 20 to 70, comprising:

• print receiving means presenting at least a portion of a print receiving sheet in a generally planar position for printing;
• a set of N generally planar parallel printing elements rotatable about a common axis normal to their planes, each printing element having N.times.M character faces circumferentially disposed in M radially spaced series about the axis of rotation of the printing element, said printing elements being generally coaxially aligned proximate said print receiving means;
• a keyboard having at least N independently actuatable keyboard elements and shifting means having at least M positions;
• means for adjusting the distance between the axis of the printing elements and that portion of the print receiving sheet in position for printing responsively to the position of the shifting means;
• means for translating the printing elements in response to actuation of a keyboard element to place a selected printing element in a pre-selected pre-print position in a plane juxtaposed to that portion of the print receiving sheet in position for printing;
• and
• means for rotating the selected printing element in response to another actuation of a keyboard element to juxtapose a selected character face toward the print receiving sheet in print position.

A printing system comprising:

• print receiving means presenting at least a portion of a print receiving sheet in a generally planar position for printing;
• input means having a plurality of input elements;
• a packet of generally semi-circular printing elements each having a diametric edge wherein said printing elements are coaxially disposed and mutually aligned adjacent said print-receiving means so that the diametric edges of the printing elements are disposed toward said print receiving means, each printing element being in the form of a hub having about N spokes extending therefrom;
• means for axially translating the coaxially aligned printing elements in response to actuation of an input element to place a selected printing element in pre-print position in a plane juxtaposed to the plane of the portion of the sheet in position for printing;
• means for rotating the selected printing element in pre-print position in response to another actuation of an input element to juxtapose a selected character face on a given spoke of said selected printing element toward said portion of the print receiving sheet in print position for printing of said character face.

A system for printing languages having a large number of characters, said system comprising:

• input means having independently actuatable input elements;
• means for organizing the characters into an array having at least two dimensions, two dimensions of said array being approximately equal to but no greater than N;
• printing means including a set of N rotatable printing elements, each of said printing elements having a generally flat edge, an axis of rotation proximate to said flat edge and N character faces circumferentially disposed about said axis of rotation, said printing elements being coaxially disposed and generally mutually aligned so that their flat edges are generally disposed in the same direction;
• means for translating the printing elements in unison to place a selected printing element in pre-print position in response to actuation of an input element;
• and
• means for rotating the selected printing element to N discrete print position from its pre-print position in response to subsequent actuation of an input element for printing of a single desired character.

A system for printing languages having a large number of characters, said system comprising:

• keyboard means having N independently actuatable keyboard elements and shift means for production of M shift positions;
• means for organizing the characters in a three-dimensional array, two dimensions of said array being equal to N, and the third dimension being equal to M;
• a set of about N planar printing elements each having a generally flat edge, an axis of rotation proximate said flat edge and about N.times.M character faces disposed in N discrete circumferential positions and M discrete radial positions relative to said axis, said printing elements generally mutually aligned with their flat edges disposed in the same direction, each printing element being translatable to pre-print position, rotatable to N discrete positions in its pre-print position, and radially displaceable in M discrete steps;
• means for presenting at least a portion of a print receiving sheet in a generally planar position for printing;
• means for translating a selected printing element into pre-print position in a plane juxtaposed to the plane of the portion of the sheet in position for printing in response to actuation of an independently actuatable keyboard element;
• means for rotating the selected printing element in pre-print position in response to subsequent actuation of an independently actuatable keyboard element to place a selected radial set of character faces in juxtaposition to said portion of the sheet in position for printing;
• and
• means for radially displacing the selected printing element in response to actuation of a shift means to place a selected character of the radial set in position for printing.