US 4,434,715 AGranted

Printing apparatus including serial printing means

AssigneeA. B. Dick Company

InventorMax D. McHenry

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Abstract

A printing apparatus including separate serial printing heads mounted on a rotary chase whereby the heads can be selectively positioned for printing on material as the material is transported through the apparatus. The chase is mounted on a support located in an easily accessible position in the apparatus whereby the rotation of the chase to change the head or heads to be used in a printing operation can be easily accomplished. The chase is also removably positioned on the support so that an entire chase can be readily separated from the apparatus, and a different chase with different printing heads substituted in the apparatus. The chase is equipped with guides which cooperate with guides on the apparatus frame to insure automatic alignment of the chase as it is located in operating position, and the drive shafts carrying the printing heads are at the same time automatically engaged with drive means associated with the apparatus. Locking mechanisms are provided to secure the chase in position relative to the frame and the chase is also equipped with pins engageable with the apparatus frame and having the capability of adjusting printing head pressure on the material being printed. The chase is also equipped with means for automatically shifting the heads between "On Impression" and "Off Impression" positions in the course of a printing run.

Claims18

Dependent claims

In a printing apparatus for serially printing characters on print stock being transported through the apparatus including separate serial printing heads, a movable mounting means for supporting the respective heads on opposite sides of the mounting means, and means for moving said mounting means between first and second positions for selectively locating one or the other of said heads in position for printing on said stock, the improvement comprising a support for said mounting means, said support and mounting means being fixed in an assembled relationship, means defined by said support for rotatably supporting said mounting means, means for moving said support back and forth generally along the path of movement of the stock, the movement of the support being between an operating position where one of the printing heads on the mounting means is in position for printing, and a non-operating position where neither of the heads is in position for printing, means for locking the assembly of the support and mounting means in place in the apparatus when said support is moved to the operating position to thereby locate a printing head in said position for printing, said mounting means, when the support is in non-operating position, being rotatable on the support to reverse the positions of said heads on said support, said mounting means being releasably fixed on said support whereby the mounting means can be lifted off said support when the support is in non-operating position and removed from the apparatus with a new assembly of mounting means and heads being substituted into the apparatus, and wherein a printing head not in the printing position is accessible to an operator of the apparatus when the support is located in operating position so that the printing head not in printing position can be reset while the apparatus is operating.

In an offset printing apparatus of the type including an impression cylinder having a drive gear and having separate serial printing heads, a movable mounting means for the respective heads, and means for moving said mounting means between first and second positions for selectively locating one or the other of said heads in position for printing on said stock, the improvement comprising a support for said mounting means, means defined by said support for rotatably supporting said mounting means, means for moving said support back and forth generally along the path of movement of the stock, the movement of the support being between an operating position where one of the printing heads on the mounting means is in position for printing, and a non-operating position where neither of the heads is in position for printing, said mounting means, when the support is in non-operating position, being rotatable on the support to reverse the positions of said heads on said support, said printing heads being mounted on rotatable shafts, drive means for each of said shafts, and means for engaging one of said drive means as the support is moved to printing position, said drive means each comprising a rotatable portion mounted on said apparatus and a separate rotatable portion associated with each shaft, one of said portions comprising a drive pin and the other of said portions defining an opening for receiving a drive pin, and means for aligning said portions prior to movement of said support to operating position whereby drive means will be automatically placed in driving engagement when said support is moved to operating position, said means for aligning said pin and said opening including manually operated means, said opening being defined by said drive gear of the impression cylinder, a drive disc attached to each of said shafts, a drive pin being connected to each drive disc, guide means defining a pin engaging guide surface fixed in said apparatus immediately adjacent said drive gear, a locating pin mounting adjacent said drive gear, a recess defied in the face of said drive gear adapted to receive said locating pin, receipt of said locating pin by said recess serving to place said opening in said drive gear in a predetermined aligned position, engagement of a drive pin with said guide surface serving to place a drive disc in a predetermined aligned position whereby a drive pin will automatically enter the opening defined by said drive gear when said support is moved to operating position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.