Printers
AssigneeTheodore Jay Goldlander
InventorsFred M. Howell, Theodore J. Goodlander, Duarte M. Brazao
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printer capable of operation as a dot matrix printer, and, alternatively, as a daisy wheel printer, the printer including the carriage providing for the mounting of a daisy wheel and associated hammer solenoid or a dot matrix printhead, the carriage including a diasy wheel drive mechanism and means for automatically selecting a mode of operation consistent with the mode of printing desired.
Claims10
Apparatus, for a printer, comprising a carriage adapted to provide for a solid character printing mode of operation and a dot matrix mode of operation, and a selector operable to select a desired said mode, said carriage incorporating a solid character printing element drive mechanism and mounting means for detachably mounting a dot matrix printhead, wherein said printing element drive mechanism is for a daisy wheel and said mounting means provides alternative detachable mounting of said printhead and a hammer solenoid, said hammer solenoid, when mounted in said mounting means, being positioned to operate with a daisy wheel, when mounted to said element drive mechanism, to produce solid character print at a desired location and said dot matrix printhead, when mounted in said mounting means, being positioned to print at said desired location.
A printer for printing in a solid character mode and a dot matrix mode as desired, comprising:
- a printer main frame;
- a platen mounted in said main frame;
- an elongate carriage support rigidly mounted to said main frame parallel to said platen;
- a guide rail in fixed spaced parallel relationship to said carriage support;
- a carriage supported by said carriage support and said guide rail for movement therealong and guidance thereby respectively, said carriage having a solid character printing element drive mechanism and mounting means for a dot matrix printhead;
- selector means operable to select a desired said mode;
- and
- a control means for operating said printer in accordance with the printing mode selected;
- wherein said solid character printing element drive mechanism is a daisy wheel drive and mounting mechanism and said mounting means is adapted to receive a hammer solenoid for use in the solid character printing mode and, in the alternative, said dot matrix printhead for use in the dot matrix printing mode, said selector being responsive to the presence of said solenoid or printhead to provide said selection.
A printer according to claim 12 wherein a portion of said guide rail is mounted on a resilient member to resiliently bias said guide rail portion into position for said guidance and a lever operated cam engages said resilient member to move said portion of said guide rail out of engagement with said carriage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.