Claims
- 1. A printer/plotter apparatus for use in combination with a source of data signals identifying a first color and a first pattern to be printed in said first color and a second color and a second pattern to be printed in said second color, said apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of substantially identical individually actuatable dot hammers mounted for impacting along a line defining a print station;
- paper control means for moving an elongated paper web selectively in first and second opposite directions along a path extending substantially perpendicular to said print station line;
- ribbon control means including an elongated ribbon comprised of at least first and second zones of different first and second colors, each zone extending along a different portion of the length of said ribbon, and means for moving said ribbon along a path extending between said print station line and said paper path, said ribbon control means including means responsive to said first color identified by said data signals for moving said ribbon to position said first zone of said ribbon adjacent said print station line and responsive to said second color identified by said data signals for moving said ribbon to position said second zone of said ribbon adjacent said print station line; and
- hammer driver means responsive to said data signals for selectively actuating said dot hammers to cause the actuated hammers to impact said ribbon and paper to print substantially identically shaped dots on said paper along said print station line;
- said paper control means including means for incrementally moving said paper web in said first direction past said print station to sequentially print said first pattern when said ribbon first zone is adjacent said print station line and said second pattern when said ribbon second zone is adjacent said print station line and including means for moving said paper web in said second direction prior to printing said second pattern whereby said first and second patterns can be printed within the same area of said paper web.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ribbon carries identification information thereon identifying each zone; and wherein
- said ribbon control means includes means for sensing said identification information.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said identification information is defined by holes formed in said ribbon.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said sensing means comprises a light sensor.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said ribbon control means further includes:
- means for comparing the color identified by said data signals with said sensed identification information; and wherein
- said means for moving said ribbon along a path is responsive to said comparing means.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said ribbon control means further includes:
- means for comparing the color identified by said data signals with said sensed identification information; and wherein
- said means for moving said ribbon includes means responsive to said comparing means for moving said ribbon along said path selectively in either of two opposite directions.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1 including identification means carried by said ribbon proximate to the boundary between adjacent zones identifying said zones;
- said means for moving said ribbon including means for moving said ribbon along said path selectively in either of two opposite directions;
- said ribbon control means further including sensing means responsive to said identification means for determining the direction of movement of said ribbon and the identification of the zone between said hammers and paper path;
- said means for selectively moving said ribbon in said opposite directions being responsive to said sensing means and said color identified by said data signals.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said identification means is defined by holes formed in said ribbon.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said sensing means comprises a light sensor.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 9 including first and second drive means for respectively engaging paper on opposite sides of said line of hammers for pulling paper therepast; and
- means for selectively activating said first and second drive means.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said data signal source provides paper feed command signals; and wherein
- said means for activating said first and second drive means is responsive to said paper feed command signals.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 1 including:
- a shuttle member mounted for reciprocating movement along said print station line; and
- means mounting said plurality of hammers on said shuttle member.
- 13. An apparatus responsive to input data signals for producing a multiple color image on a web surface by successively printing dot patterns of first and second different colors, said apparatus comprising:
- means for mounting an elongated web for bidirectional movement along a path coincident with the direction of elongation of said web;
- a plurality of substantially identical individually actuatable dot hammers mounted for bidirectional movement along a line slightly spaced from said web path and extending substantially perpendicular to said direction of elongation of said web;
- means for mounting a ribbon having at least first and second different color zones thereon each extending along a different portion of the length of said ribbon for bidirectional movement along a defined elongated path extending between said hammer line and said web path;
- ribbon control means responsive to input data signals identifying a first color for moving said ribbon along said ribbon path to position said first color zone between said hammer line and said web and responsive to input data signals identifying a second color for moving said ribbon along said ribbon path to position said second color zone between said hammer line and said web;
- hammer control means responsive to input data signals identifying a dot pattern for actuating said hammers as they move along said line to impact against said ribbon and web to print substantially identically shaped dots on said web with the color of the impacted ribbon zone; and
- web control means for moving said web in a first direction along said elongated path after completion of said hammer movement along said line and in a second direction between said sequential positioning of said ribbon whereby dot patterns of said first and second colors can be printed within the same area of said web.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 13 where said ribbon carries identification information thereon identifying each zone; and wherein
- said ribbon control means includes means for sensing said identification information.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said identification information is defined by holes formed in said ribbon.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 13 including identification means carried by said ribbon identifying said zones;
- said ribbon control means further including sensing means responsive to said identification means for determining the direction of movement of said ribbon and the identification of the zone between said hammers and paper path and ribbon drive means responsive to said sensing means and said color identified by said data signals.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said web control means includes first and second drive means for respectively engaging said web on opposite sides of said hammer line for respectively pulling said web in opposite first and second directions; and
- means for selectively activating said first and second drive means.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said plurality of individually actuatable hammers are mounted on a common shuttle member; and
- means for reciprocally moving said shuttle member along said line.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 31,076 filed Apr. 18, 1979, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,069.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2325662 |
Nov 1973 |
DEX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Skinner et al., IBM Tech. Discl. Bulletin, vol. 4, No. 5, 10-78, pp. 1828-1829. |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
31076 |
Apr 1979 |
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