Pitch-changeable, cam-actuated paper feed for serial printer

A serial printer for printing on a sheet of recording paper, said printer having a print head moveable in a lateral direction perpendicular to the direction of feeding of said sheet of recording paper, said print head printing on a portion of said sheet confronting said print head, comprising:

• carriage means supporting said print head thereon;
• drive means for reciprocally moving said carriage means laterally, advancing in a first direction and returning in a second direction;
• paper feed pitch selection means for selecting among a plurality of paper feed pitches, said selection of pitch being dependent on the lateral distance of movement of said carriage means in said first direction;
• paper feed means for feeding said sheet of recording paper, said paper feed means being driven by said paper feed pitch selection means, said pitch selection means including a paper feed cam having at least two paper feed grooves therein, and at least one paper feed pitch changing groove for connecting between said at least two paper feed grooves;
• paper feed cam drive means connected to and moving with said carriage means for engaging said grooves of said paper feed cam for driving said paper feed cam as said carriage means moves, said cam drive means and said selection means engaging a particularly selected feed groove in dependence upon the lateral position of said carriage means in said first direction when said reciprocal motion is changed from said first to said second direction, said paper being advanced in said direction of feeding by different distances for each said groove.