Printer and cartridge assembly therefor

A printer, comprising:

• a printer frame;
• a printhead carried by said frame for printing on paper;
• means carried by said frame defining first, second and third discrete paper paths for supplying paper to said printhead;
• first and second means carried by said printer frame for continuously feeding paper along said first and second paper paths, respectively, to locate the paper fed along said first and second paths into position relative to said printhead for printing, said first and second feed means including respective first and second tractor sets located for feeding paper along said first and second paper paths, respectively;
• said third discrete paper path including third means for feeding cut-sheet paper along said third path into position relative to said printhead for printing;
• means for selectively actuating said first, second and third feed means for feeding paper along one of said first, second and third feed paths into position relative to said printhead for printing;
• and
• means for parking the paper along said first tractor set and at least a portion of the first paper path when said second or third feed means is actuated to feed paper along said second or third paper paths, respectively, into position relative to said printhead for printing.

A printer, comprising:

• a printer frame;
• a printhead carried by said frame for printing on paper;
• means carried by said frame defining first and second discrete paper paths for supplying paper to said printhead;
• means carried by said frame for continuously feeding paper along each of the respective paper paths to locate the paper fed along one or the other of said paths in position relative to said printhead for printing including first and second tractor sets for engaging and feeding the paper along said first and second paths, respectively, and means carried by said frame for driving said tractor sets;
• means for selectively actuating said feed means and driving one of said tractor sets for feeding paper along a corresponding one of said feed paths;
• and
• a housing for said printer frame having a plurality of discrete faces having respective first, second and third discrete paper feed openings, means carried by said frame mounting said first tractor set in said first path for movement between alternate positions for feeding paper received through said first and second paper feed openings, respectively, along said first paper path and means carried by said frame including said second tractor set for feeding paper received through said third paper feed opening along said second path.

A method of operating a printer having a housing, a printhead and a tractor set for advancing paper toward said printhead for printing, comprising the steps of:

• providing first and second discrete paper paths for supplying paper to said printhead;
• locating said tractor set in a first position along one of said first and second paper paths for advancing the paper along said one path toward said printhead;
• driving said tractor set when in said first position to advance the paper along said one path toward said printhead;
• removing said tractor set from said first position along said one paper path;
• locating said tractor set in a second position along the other of said first and second paper paths for advancing the paper along said other path toward said printhead;
• driving said tractor set when located in said second position to advance the paper along said other path toward said printhead;
• and
• said printer housing having a plurality of discrete faces having respective first, second and third discrete paper feed openings, including the steps of mounting said tractor set in said first position thereof for movement between alternate positions for advancing paper received through said first and second paper feed openings, respectively, along said first paper path, and mounting said tractor set in said second position thereof for advancing paper received through said third paper feed opening along said second path.

A method of operating a printer having a housing, a printhead and a tractor set for advancing paper toward said printhead comprising the steps of:

• providing first, second and third discrete paper paths for supplying paper to said printhead;
• providing feed means for feeding continuous paper along said first and second paper paths to locate the paper fed along said first and second paths into position relative to said printhead for printing;
• providing feed means for feeding cut-sheet paper along said third path into position relative to said printhead for printing;
• selectively actuating said feed means for feeding paper along one of said feed paths into position relative to said printhead for printing;
• and
• deactuating the feed means for said one of said first and second paths, parking the paper along said one of said first and second paths, and actuating the feed means for the other of said first and second paper paths to feed paper along said other of said first and second paper paths into position relative to said printhead for printing while the paper along said one of said first and second paths remains parked therealong.

A method of operating a printer having a printhead comprising the steps of:

• providing first and second discrete paper paths in said printer for supplying paper to said printhead;
• providing first and second tractor sets for engaging and feeding the paper along said first and second paths, respectively;
• providing drive means for each of said tractor sets;
• selectively actuating said drive means for actuating one of said tractor sets for feeding paper along a corresponding one of said feed paths;
• and
• said printer including a housing having a plurality of discrete faces having respective first, second and third discrete paper feed openings and including the steps of mounting said first tractor set in said first path for movement between alternate positions for feeding paper received through said first and second paper feed openings, respectively, along said first paper path, moving said first tractor set between said alternate positions, and mounting said second tractor set for feeding paper received through said third paper feed opening along said second path.

A printer comprising:

• a printer frame;
• a printhead carried by said frame for printing on paper;
• means carried by said frame defining alternate paper paths for feeding paper to a position enabling the printhead to print on the paper, including a tractor set for engaging and advancing paper along said paths toward said print position;
• means mounting said tractor set for movement between positions for feeding paper along said alternate paper paths, said tractor set in each of said position thereof being located along said alternate paper path in advance of said printhead thereby being located to push the paper toward the printhead;
• and
• means for driving said tractor set in each of said tractor set positions thereby to push the paper along the respective alternate paths toward said printhead.

A printer comprising:

• a printer frame;
• a printhead carried by said frame for printing on paper;
• means carried by said frame defining first and second paper paths for feeding paper to a position enabling the printhead to print on the paper, including a tractor set for engaging and advancing paper along said paths;
• means for releasably mounting said tractor set on said frame housing for movement thereof between positions for feeding paper along said first and second paper paths, respectively, said tractor set in each of said positions thereof being located along said first and second paper path in advance of said printhead thereby being located to push the paper toward the printhead;
• and
• means for driving said tractor set in each of said positions thereby to push paper along the respective first and second paths toward said printhead.

A printer comprising:

• a printer frame;
• a printhead carried by said frame for printing on paper;
• means carried by said frame defining alternate paper paths for feeding paper to a position enabling the printhead to print on the paper, including a tractor set for engaging and advancing paper along said paths toward said print position;
• means mounting said tractor set for movement between positions for feeding paper along said alternate paper paths;
• means for driving said tractor set in each of said tractor set positions;
• said tractor set including a drive gear, said frame carrying a drive gear, and means for coupling said frame carried drive gear and said tractor set drive gear when said tractor set is moved into each position thereof such that said frame carried drive gear drives said tractor set through said tractor set drive gear in each said tractor set position;
• said mounting means including means defining a pivotal connection between said frame and said tractor set for pivotal movement of said tractor set about an axis between said alternate positions;
• and
• said coupling means including a pair of idler gears spaced one from the other and connected to said frame carried drive gear, said tractor set drive gear in one alternate position engaging one of said idler gears and in the other alternate position engaging the other of said idler gears whereby said tractor set drive gear is driven by said frame carried drive gear through a respective idler gear in the respective alternate positions of said set.

A printer comprising:

• a printer frame;
• a printhead carried by said frame for printing on paper;
• means carried by said frame defining alternate paper paths for feeding paper to a position enabling the printhead to print on the paper, including a tractor set for engaging and advancing paper along said paths toward said print position;
• means mounting said tractor set for movement between positions for feeding paper along said alternate paper paths;
• means for driving said tractor set in each of said tractor set positions, said tractor set including a drive gear, said frame carrying a drive gear, and means for coupling said frame carried drive gear and said tractor set drive gear when said tractor set is moved into each position thereof such that said frame carried drive gear drives said tractor set through said tractor set drive gear in each said tractor set position, said mounting means including means defining a pivotal connection between said frame and said tractor set for pivotal movement of said tractor set about an axis between said alternate positions, means for detenting said tractor set in each of said alternate positions, said detent means including a socket carried by one of said frame and said tractor set and a spring-biased pin carried by the other of said frame and said tractor set whereby, on movement of said tractor set into each of said alternate positions, said pin engages in said socket and upon movement of said tractor set out of said alternate positions, the pin is retracted against its bias to release said tractor set.

A printer comprising:

• a printer frame;
• a printhead carried by said frame for printing on paper;
• means carried by said frame defining first and second paper paths for feeding paper to a position enabling the printhead to print on the paper, including a tractor set for engaging and advancing paper along said paths;
• means for releasably mounting said tractor set on said frame housing for movement thereof between positions for feeding paper along said first and second paper paths, respectively;
• means for driving said tractor set in each of said positions;
• and
• said tractor set including a pair of drive gears, said frame carrying a pair of drive gears, one of said tractor set drive gears engaging one of said frame carried drive gears when said tractor set is in position for feeding paper along said first path, the other of said tractor set drive gears engaging the other of said frame carried drive gears when said tractor set is in position for feeding paper along said second path.

A method of operating a printer having a housing, a printhead and a tractor set for advancing paper toward said printhead comprising the steps of:

• providing first, second and third discrete paper paths for supplying paper to said printhead;
• providing feed means for feeding continuous paper along said first and second paper paths to locate the paper fed along said first and second paths into position relative to said printhead for printing;
• providing feed means for feeding cut-sheet paper along said third path into position relative to said printhead for printing;
• selectively actuating said feed means for feeding paper along one of said feed paths into position relative to said printhead for printing;
• providing at least one tractor set for engaging and feeding paper, releasably mounting said tractor set in said housing for movement between first and second positions for feeding paper along said first and second paper paths, respectively, locating said tractor set in each of said first and second positions along said first and second paper paths in advance of said printhead and thereby being located to push the paper toward the printhead and driving said tractor set when located in said respective positions to push the paper along the first and second paper paths, respectively, and toward said printhead.