High speed shuttle printer

In a dot matrix printer of the shuttle variety wherein a plurality of printheads are disposed across the width of a shuttle which is reciprocated from side to side at a substantially constant velocity within a printer base, the improvement comprising:

• (a) the shuttle being operated in conjunction with a ballistic energy transfer device mounted for reciprocal linear substantially constant velocity movement from side to side in the opposite direction to the instantaneous movement of the shuttle;
• (b) first means operably connected between said ballistic energy transfer device and the shuttle for exerting a rebounding force against the shuttle to aid it in reversing direction;
• (c) second means operably connected for exerting a centering force against said ballistic energy transfer device;
• (d) a pair of spaced second springs carried by said ballistic energy transfer device at respective ends of a span of movement of the shuttle, said second springs each being a leaf spring having a variable spring constant along the length thereof;
• (e) a pair of spaced second stop blocks carried by the shuttle to contact respective ones of said second springs and deflect said second springs;
• and,
• (f) adjustment means for causing said second stop blocks to contact respect ones of said second springs at selected points along the length thereof whereby the effect spring constant of said first means can be adjusted.

In a dot matrix printer of the shuttle variety wherein a plurality of printheads are disposed across the width of a shuttle which is reciprocated from side to side within a printer base, the improved method of operation comprising the steps of:

• (a) associating the shuttle with a ballistic energy transfer device mounted for reciprocal movement from side to side in the opposite direction to the instantaneous movement of the shuttle;
• (b) connecting a first force-producing means between the ballistic energy transfer device and the shuttle whereby a rebounding force is exerted against the shuttle and the ballistic energy transfer device only at the extremes of their side to side motions to aid them in reversing direction;
• (c) connecting a second force-producing means between the ballistic energy transfer device and the printer base whereby a centering force is exerted against the ballistic energy transfer device;
• and,
• (d) connecting a first linear motor between the shuttle and the ballistic energy transfer device and using the first linear motor to drive the shuttle back and forth with a substantially constant velocity reciprocal movement with respect to the ballistic energy transfer device.

A non-resonant shuttle dot matrix printer mechanism comprising:

• a shuttle carrying a plurality of printheads disposed across the width of the shuttle;
• support and guide means supporting said shuttle, while permitting substantially ballistic, constant velocity linear side to side motion of said shuttle, and guiding said shuttle to define said linear motion;
• a ballistic energy transfer device mounted for substantially ballistic, constant velocity linear side to side motion of the same orientation as the permitted linear motion of the shuttle;
• actuator means connected to produce a substantially constant velocity linear side to side motion, over a desired stroke length, of said shuttle, alternately in opposite directions;
• energy conversion means disposed to engage said shuttle and said ballistic energy transfer device, only at each end of each stroke, when said shuttle and said ballistic energy transfer device are moving in synchronism in opposite directions, to convert substantially all of the kinetic energy of the moving shuttle and the ballistic energy transfer device into potential energy stored in said energy conversion means and to release that potential energy to accelerate said shuttle and said ballistic energy transfer device in their respective opposite directions.

A non-resonant shuttle dot matrix printer mechanism comprising:

• a printer base for supporting moving parts of the printer;
• a shuttle carrying a plurality of printheads disposed across the width of the shuttle;
• support and guide means supporting said shuttle while permitting substantially ballistic, constant velocity linear side to side motion of said shuttle, and guiding said shuttle to define said linear motion;
• a ballistic energy transfer device mounted on said base for substantially ballistic, constant velocity linear side to side motion relative to said base of the same orientation as the permitted linear motion of the shuttle;
• means for biasing said ballistic energy transfer device to a desired rest position
• actuator means connected to produce a substantially constant velocity linear side to side motion, over a desired stroke length, of said shuttle, alternately in opposite directions;
• energy conversion means disposed to engage said shuttle and said ballistic energy transfer device, only at each end of each stroke, when said shuttle and said ballistic energy transfer device are moving in synchronism in opposite directions, to convert substantially all of the kinetic energy of the moving shuttle and the ballistic energy transfer device into potential energy stored in said energy conversion means and to release that potential energy to accelerate said shuttle and said ballistic energy transfer device in their respective opposite directions.