Printing media feed and retaining apparatus for a thermal ink jet printer/plotter

A printer/plotter having a chassis, a platen roller, a print head carriage and a bearing mounted on said chassis, said bearing having an axis normal to and intersecting an axis of rotation of said platen roller, said printer/plotter further comprising:

• a pinch roller support member having an arcuate media guide surface thereon, said support member being moveable into and out of a pinching position adjacent a platen roller;
• said pinch roller support member having a plurality of pinch rollers freely rotatably mounted on at least two spaced parallel axles affixed to said print roller support member;
• said pinch roller support member having a support and actuation arm extending therefrom on a side thereof opposite said arcuate media guide surface, said arm being positioned substantially in the middle of a polygon-shaped member having each of said pinch rollers at intersections of sides of the polygon-shaped member;
• at least one motion limiting abutment shoulder on the side of said pinch roller support member opposite said arcuate media guide surface for limiting movement of said pinch roller support member in a direction away from said pinching position;
• wherein said support arm has a free end and an axis extending therethrough, said axis of said support arm intersecting the center of curvature of said media guide surface, with a circular support bearing surface on said free end for permitting rotation of said pinch roller support member about said axis of said support arm.