US 4,853,715 AGranted

Plotter head control device

AssigneeNumonics Corporation

InventorAlbert E. Paschkis

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A pen plotter employs a cable-driven carriage which carries the writing pen and includes a pen-lift mechanism. A shifting idler pulley system located at one side of the plotter returns a pair of drive cables from the opposite side of the carriage to a rotatable drive drum located on the opposite side. The idler pulleys are shiftable equally and in opposite directions toward and away from the pen carriage. One cable is connected to the carriage by being tensively trained about a pen-lift mechanism drive wheel on the carriage. Shifting the idler pulleys causes said drive wheel to rotate without affecting the lateral position of the pen carriage and, therefore, the shifter mechanism independently controls the up/down motion of the writing pen. One drive cable, therefore, accomplishes the functions of both pen carriage movement and writing pen up/down motion control.

Claims9

Dependent claims

An X-Y plotter, comprising;

a. a frame,
b. a platform attached to said frame for supporting a web,
c. a pen carriage slideably supported above said frame and said web movable in opposite lateral directions,
d. a pen pivotally affixed to said pen carriage, movable between a first position of web contact and a second retracted position,
e. first and second cable segments connected to opposite sides of said pen carriage,
f. a cable drive drum connected to said first and second cable segments,
g. two idler pulleys mounted to one side of said platform for controlling the direction and movement of said first cable segment,
h. a pulley shifter affixed to said idler pulleys and including mechanical relations whereby said idler pulleys are simultaneously moved in equal but opposite directions, toward and away from said carriage,
i. pen lift means affixed to said carriage and actuated by said first cable segment by shifting said idler pulleys,
j. first drive means for actuating said pulley shifter,
k. second drive means for rotating said cable drive drum.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.