Dual printer system

Abstract

A printing system comprises:(x.sub.1) a source of A data and B data to be separately printed; a first printer connected with that source to receive the A data for printing it on a first sheet, such as an envelope, and to pass the B data; and a second printer connected with the data source via the first printer, and to print the B data on a second sheet, such as a letter, the first printer including:(a) a feed plate adjacent which the first sheet is fed in a longitudinal feed direction,(b) a print head for printing the A data on the first sheet,(c) a first drive at one longitudinal side of the print head, and a second drive at the opposite longitudinal side of the print head, the drives adapted to move the first sheet longitudinally forwardly, and then longitudinally reversely, to enable the print head to print on relatively spaced zones on the sheet.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to printing of data supplied from a single source onto different sheets (such as envelopes and letters); and more particularly concerns a system to achieve such separated printing of the data.

When letters are to be printed and mailed, it is necessary to print envelopes for the letters. When data B contents of the letters are supplied from a data source (such as a computer), which also supplies data A mailing addresses, it has been the practice to use a printer to first print the letters on continuous form sheets and then the envelopes on a typewriter, and to match them up later; also, it was necessary to print out a series of the addresses, and then apply them to envelopes, along with other information, as required, since the different information to be applied to the envelopes may be located at different locations or zones on the face of the envelopes; also, it was then necessary to match up the addressed envelopes with the letters, for mailing.

There is a need for a system which can print A data addresses on the envelopes as the corresponding letters are printed with B data, so that matching is easily completed; and there is a need for A data printing on different face zones of the envelopes.

In addition, certain disadvantages and problems with current commercial printers are listed as follows:

(1) Current printers are limited to a 40-alphanumeric-character print line which is normally 3.3 to 3.6 inches long;

(2) Current printers have feed rollers positioned behind the print platen or head, and do not allow for convenient entry and feeding of relatively small forms;

(3) Current printers are constructed with a formentry slot or opening at the left side of the printer (relative to a user addressing the machine from the front), which does not allow for printing on the left extent of a form which is more than 3.3 inches wide;

(4) Conventional line spacing is accomplished by means of a ratchet feed mechanism which does not permit complete flexibility of printing of relatively large characters (i.e., taller than the seven-dot matrix head).

In addition, prior printers do not provide the unusually advantageous features and combinations of structure, function, and result embodied in the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a major object of the invention to provide a printing system that meets the above-described need.

Basically, the system of the invention includes a source of A data, and B data, to be printed, and the system also comprises:

(x.sub.1) first printer means operatively connected with said source of A and B data to receive the A data for printing on a first sheet and to pass the B data, and

(x.sub.2) second printer means operatively connected with with said source of A and B data, via the first printer means, to receive the B data passed thereby, and to print the B data on a second sheet.

As will be seen, the first printer means advantageously includes:

(a) a feed plate adjacent which said first sheet is fed in a longitudinal feed direction,

(b) a print head for printing A data on the first sheet,

(c) first drive means at one longitudinal side of the print head, and second drive means at the opposite longitudinal side of the print head, said drive means operable to move the first sheet longitudinally forwardly and then longitudinally reversely to enable the print head to print on relatively spaced zones on the first sheet.

In the above, the A data for example comprises address data (forward and return) to be printed at different zones of an envelope; and the B data for example comprises letter data to be printed on a letter-size sheet of paper.

It is another object to provide the first printer means first drive to include first drive rollers, and the second drive to include second drive rollers.

As will be seen, the first drive rollers or roller means typically comprises laterally spaced-apart rollers, and the second drive rollers or roller means also comprises laterally spaced-apart rollers. In addition, first pinch roller means may be located to urge the first sheet against the first drive roller means, and second pinch roller means located to urge the first sheet against the second drive roller means. Actuator means are also provided to selectively urge the first and second pinch roller means relatively toward the first and second drive roller means, respectively.

It is another object of the invention to provide for the control of the drive of the first and second drive rollers. To this end, a first sensor is positioned to sense the edge of a sheet or envelope that has passed longitudinally forwardly between the first drive roller means and first pinch roller means, and operatively connected with the actuator means to cause the actuator means to urge the first pinch roller means toward the first drive roller means to pinch the sheet therebetween, whereby the first drive roller means then drives the sheet longitudinally forwardly. Also, a second sensor is positioned to sense the edge of the sheet that has passed longitudinally forwardly between the second drive roller means and second pinch roller means, and operatively connected with the actuator means to cause the actuator means to urge the second pinch roller means toward the second drive roller means to pinch the sheet therebetween, whereby the second drive roller means then drives the sheet longitudinally forwardly.

In addition, the drive means to drive the rollers typically comprises a stepper motor operable to alternatively travel the sheet or envelope forwardly or rearwardly during travel intervals, and to arrest its advancement during arrest intervals, to enable printing on the sheet by the print head during the arrest intervals.

The printer typically includes a dot matrix printer characterized in that the dots printed on the sheet to delineate an alphanumeric character are successively located to merge with one another and form character lines. In addition, the printer and apparatus may be further characterized in that the character-forming dots form first portions of a line of characters during an arrest interval in forward travel mode, and the dots form other portions of said line of characters during an arrest interval in reverse travel mode.

As a result, the following unobvious advantages or results are provided:

(a) the invention permits the provision of a longer print line (as for example 4.25 inches) and more (such as 51-55) characters per line, as compared with a standard printer;

(b) the dual-drive roller feature of the invention allows sheets to be fed into the printer over front rollers prior to feeding under the print head, so that sheets can be printed over substantially all of the sheet area;

(c) the sheets can be positioned either to the left or to the right of the print line, permitting printing on the left or right side of each sheet;

(d) use of a stepper motor for the feed roller drive enables use of software control, permitting complete flexibility of line spacing, i.e., larger or smaller line widths, in the direction of sheet feeding;

(e) a highly efficient, compact, versatile, and flexible printer construction is provided, as will appear.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which:

DRAWING DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one type of form to be printed;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 3 is a first elevational view taken on lines 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view taken in section on lines 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram;

FIGS. 6a-6c are enlarged plan views of formation of an alphanumeric character, by printed dots;

FIG. 7 is a modification;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspectives;

FIG. 10 is a view of a printing system;

FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram; and

FIG. 12 is a logic diagram.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring first to FIG. 10, the system 50 illustrated includes a source 51 of both A data and B data. For example, the source 51 may comprise a computer having a keyboard 52 input in which letter address data A and letter content data B is keyed into computer memory. Cable 153 connects a serial or parallel data output terminal 54 of the computer with an input terminal 55 of an envelope (form) printer 15 (i.e., the first printer means). Cable 57 connects data output terminal 58 of the first printer with an input terminal 59 of a second printer 60 (second printer means).

The first printer 15 receives both A and B data from computer 51, prints the A data on an envelope 10 (form or sheet), and passes B data to second printer 60, for printing on a letter 62. A letter feeder is indicated at 63, and the printer 60 is of standard known construction, as for example a Xerox 860 printer. The computer 51 may, for example, comprise a Xerox 860 word processor, and the cable data channel connections 53 and 57 may be of the type that connects an 860 word processor with an 860 printer.

The first printer 15, to be described in detail herein, has associated circuitry, indicated at 65 in FIG. 11, which effectively discriminates as between the A and B data, passing the A data to the print head 18 (see FIG. 2). Such circuitry to discriminate between a data stream A including an address data block, and a remaining data stream B, is well known, and is represented for example by the source code logic block 66 seen in FIG. 12. Each of the sub-blocks 67-71 may be considered as a logic means (reducible to machine-readable code) to perform the functions stated in the sub-blocks.

The operator may hand-feed envelopes 10 to a feed plate 16 on the printer 15, and to be described, for subsequent automatic printing of address data onto different zones (forwarding and return address zones, for example) on the envelope face as it passes forwardly and reversely in the printer. As the envelope is printed with data A, it is returned to the front side of the printer, by the feed plate 16, to be picked up by the operator who then retrieves the B data printed letter 62, for assembling the letter into the envelope. Feeding of the envelope into the printer 15 may serve to activate sensors (to be described) to trigger operation of the software 66. See control line 66a, in FIG. 11.

The form shown at 10 in FIG. 1 (which may comprise an envelope, or a sales draft, for example) has longitudinally spaced, laterally extending printed lines of printed alphanumeric characters. See longitudinal directional arrows 11, and lateral directional arrows 12. By way of illustration, the number "7" in the scan line 13 of characters may be formed by printed dots which merge together, as seen in FIG. 6. The dots appear at 60a.

Extending the description to FIGS. 2-4, the form 10 (sheet or envelope) is shown as being fed forwardly, in the longitudinal direction of arrow 11a by or in a form,, printer apparatus 15. The latter includes a feed plate 16 on which the form is placed downwardly, the plate extending horizontally. To this end, the edge 10a of the form may be placed in engagement with longitudinally forwardly extending guide flange 16a shown in FIG. 4, that flange carried by the plate. The plate is in turn carried by frame structure 17 which includes a lower portion 17a, an upper portion 17b, and structure 17d interconnecting the portions 17c and 17b. Upright structure 17c is confined to a forward zone beyond drive roller means (to be described), whereby lateral movement of the form on the feed plate, and over the drive roller means is essentially unobstructed (The guide flange 16 may be repositioned or removed, to allow such form lateral movement, whereby all surface areas of the form may be printed, if desired Thus, the frame has a "C"-shaped construction, as is clear from FIG. 2.

A print head 18 is carried by the printer frame, and in particular by upper portion 17b thereof, so as to print on the form located on the feed plate. Note the lower print end 18a of the head, directly over the form extent 10b in FIG. 2. A print platen may be located at or associated with that portion of the plate indicated at 16b, beneath the print head. The print head is supported to traverse laterally over the form, to print thereon as during "dwell" intervals, defined as intervals of nonadvancement or non-retraction of the form. Such support may be provided as by a follower sleeve 19 carried on a lateral feed screw 20 supported by the vertical end walls 17d of the frame structure portion 17b. The screw 20 is rotatably driven as by motor 21 and transmission 22 (including gears 22a-22d). Helical external cam shoulders 23 on the screw mesh with corresponding interior shoulders (not shown) on the follower, to travel the follower back and forth along the screw, during operation of the print head. See also lateral guide bars 24 and 25 between which the print head structure travels. The print head may be dot-matrix-impact type, one representative model being M-400 produced by ETN Printer Products of Riverton, Wyo. Another is Model 542 produced by Epson Company of America.

In accordance with the invention, first drive roller means 27 (as for example laterally spaced drive rollers 27a and 27b on common shaft 28) is located at one longitudinal side of the print head; and second drive roller means 29 (as for example laterally spaced drive rollers 29a and 29b on common shaft 30) is located at the longitudinally opposite side of the print head, the drive rollers adapted to displace or move the form 10 longitudinally. The shaft axes appear at 28a and 30a, in FIG. 4, and they extend in parallel relation, laterally, and are longitudinally spaced apart The rollers project upwardly in openings 31 and 32 in the feed plate 16, as shown, to engage the underside of the form 10.

Also provided is drive means to drive the rollers 27 and 29 in one mode (as for example counterclockwise in FIG. 2) to feed the form 10 longitudinally forwardly under the print head (to enable printing of all or widely spaced areas of the forms), and then longitudinally reversely, for form retrieval, and/or additional printing on the form. The drive means may advantageously comprise a stepper motor, shown at 130, operable to alternately drive the form forwardly and reversely during travel intervals, and to arrest form advancement (or retraction) during arrest intervals to enable printing on the form by the print head and during the arrest intervals. The motor is typically connected with both drive rollers, as for example by the gearing at 32, and including gears 32a and 32b and 32c. Operation of the motor (ON, OFF, FORWARD and REVERSE) is controlled as via lead 33 by controller 34, shown in FIG. 5.

Also provided is first pinch roller means (as for example pinch rollers 36 on shaft 37) located directly above the first drive rollers 27a and 27b to urge the form against the latter; and second pinch roller means (as for example pinch rollers 38 on shaft 39) located directly above the second drive rollers (29a and 29b) to urge the form against those second drive rollers, and pinch the form therebetween, whereby one or the other of the drive rollers urges the form longitudinally forwardly and longitudinally reversely (depending upon the direction of rotation of the drive rollers). For this purpose, the pinch rollers may be carried by a yoke 40 which is rocked about lateral axis 41a (see lateral shaft 41 in FIGS. 2 and 3) as by a solenoid 42. The latter has a plunger and link 42a connected with arm 43 which is integral with the yoke arms 40b and 40c. When the solenoid 42 is activated (as by controller 34 and lead 44) in one direction, the yoke 40 is rocked clockwise in FIG. 2, to cause pinch rollers 36 to urge the form 10 against the rollers 27a and 27b, whereby the form is driven by such rollers; and when the solenoid is activated in the opposite direction, the yoke 40 is rocked counterclockwise in FIG. 2, to cause pinch rollers 38 to urge the form 10 against the rollers 29a and 29b, whereby the form is driven by those rollers. Rollers 38 are retracted relative to rollers 29a and 29b when rollers 36 are urged toward rollers 29a and 29b, and vice versa, leaving the form gripped by rollers 27a and 27b, or by rollers 29a and 29b, to ensure precision drive and form location relative to the print head. (In FIG. 2, both rollers 38 and 36 are shown in engagement with rollers 29a and 29b for simplification of the drawing).

A first sensor 50 is positioned to sense the passage of form forward edge 10f past the sensor (upon manual insertion of the form between rollers 27 and 36). That sensor is connected at 51 with the controller 34, and the latter with the actuator 42, to cause rocking of the yoke 40 and positive forward driving of the form by rollers 27a and 27b. When form leading edge 10f advances over rollers 29a, it is sensed by a second sensor 53 at gap 32. That sensor is connected at 54 with the controller which causes rocking of the yoke 40 in the opposite direction to initiate further positive forward driving of the form to bring its near edge 10g under or nearly under the print head. In this way, the entirety (or near-entirety) of the form is brought under the print head for printing thereon.

When the leading edge of the form reaches a sensor 60 (at which time rear edge 10g is near the print head as described), that sensor 60, connected at 61 with the controller, causes the controller to reverse the rotation of the drive motor 30, which then reversely drives the rollers 29a, 29b, 27a, and 27b, to reversely drive the form from the printer.

The controller 34 may incorporate suitable fixed software 90 (or hardware) to command the print head motor 21, stepper motor 30, solenoid 42, in response to sensing of the form edges as by sensors, 50, 53, and 60; and suitable variable software 91 to command the variable data printing accomplished by the print head 18. In regard to the latter, the printer and the variable software may be characterized in that character-forming dots form a first portion of a character (or line of characters) during an arrest interval (or intervals) in travel mode of the printer in one transverse direction; and the dots form other portions of the line of characters during an arrest interval (or intervals) in travel mode of the printer in the opposite transverse direction. See in this regard FIG. 6a wherein printed dots indicated at 60a are formed during an arrest interval of the form 10 while the print head 18 is traveled to the right (arrow 70a) by feed screw 20 (see FIG. 3) and on guide bars 24 and 25; and printed dots 60b are formed during a subsequent arrest interval of the form 10 in FIG. 6b while the head 18 is traveled to the left (arrow 70b) by screw 20. Dots 60a are spaced apart, but dots 60b merge with dots 60a to form a solid character, due to the indexing of the form 10 in the direction 11a . This is shown by the distance "d" of the printer from the form edge 10c in FIG. 6a, and the distance d+.DELTA.d of the printer from the form edge 10c in FIG. 6b, where .DELTA.d is the indexing distance. The controller 34 controls the drive 21 for the printer 18, as shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 6c shows dots 60a and 60b formed on a form as described above. Also, dots 60c are formed during a later rightward pass of the print head, and intermediate dots 60d are formed during a leftward pass of the print head (corresponding to formation of dots 60b). Thus, all the dots 60a-60d form one character, in response to two complete back-and-forth passes of the print head.

FIG. 7 schematically shows the two pinch rollers 36 and 38 operated by solenoids 136 and 138, as via levers 136a and 138a, suitably pivoted as at 136b and 138b. A print ribbon 140 is shown between the print head 18 and the form 10.

The stepper motor and controller 34 monitor the exact location of the form 10 relative to the print head to enable such exact printing, as facilitated by the precision engagement and drive of the form under the control of one or the other of the drive rollers, at all times.

In FIG. 2, a print ribbon (not shown) typically passes between the bottom 18a of the print head and the form.

Variations of the invention include the alternate drive of the print head 18 as by a belt drive, instead of the drive screw 20. Also, the frame can be constructed without closed ends. Other means for alternately driving the pinch rollers can also be provided; further, in view of the locating of the pinch rollers at opposite sides of the print head lower end 18a, and provision for oppositely rotating the pinch rollers, a form to be printed can be inserted or fed at either end of the feed plate, i.e., front or back. Finally, the device is accommodated to printing documents that are OCR (optical code readable) scannable--i.e., a carbon copy is scannable.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are rear and front perspectives of a typical housing 200 for the apparatus of FIGS. 1-3. Rear and front entrances and exits (depending on document direction of feed) appear at 201 and 202.

Claims

1. In a printing system, including a source of A data and B data to be printed, the combination comprising

(x.sub.1) first printer means operatively connected with said source of A and B data to receive the A data for printing on a first sheet and to pass the B data, and

(x.sub.2) second printer means operatively connected with said source of A and B data, via the first printer means, to receive the B data passed thereby, and to print the B data on a second sheet,

(x.sub.3) first said printer means comprising:

(a) a feed plate adjacent which said first sheet is fed in a longitudinal feed direction,

(b) a print head for printing A data on the first sheet,

(c) first drive means at one longitudinal side of the print head, and second drive means at the opposite longitudinal side of the print head, said drive means operable to move the first sheet longitudinally forwardly and then longitudinally reversely to enable the print head to print on relatively spaced zones on the first sheet,

(d) the first drive means including first drive roller means, and the second drive means includes second drive roller means, there being drive means to drive said roller means in one mode to feed the sheet longitudinally forwardly and then in a second mode to feed the sheet longitudinally reversely to enable the print head to print on spaced zones on the sheet,

(e) the first printer means also including:

(i) first pinch roller means located to urge the first sheet against the first drive roller means, and second pinch roller means located to urge the first sheet against the second drive roller means, and actuator means to selectively urge the first and second pinch roller means relatively toward the first and second drive roller means, respectively,

(ii) a first sensor positioned to sense the edge of the first sheet that has passed longitudinally forwardly between the first drive roller means and first pinch roller means, and operatively connected with the actuator means to cause the actuator means to urge the first pinch roller means toward the first drive roller means to pinch the first sheet therebetween, whereby the first drive roller means then drives the first sheet longitudinally forwardly,

(f) the first roller means comprising laterally spaced apart rollers, and the second drive roller means also comprising laterally spaced apart rollers,

(g) the drive means for the drive roller means comprising a stepper motor operable to alternately travel the first sheet forwardly or reversely during travel intervals and to arrest first sheet advancement during arrest intervals, to enable printing on the first sheet by the print head during the arrest intervals, the stepper motor connected to both first and second drive roller means,

(h) there being a second sensor positioned to sense said edge of the first sheet that has passed beyond the second drive roller means and second pinch roller means, and operatively connected with said actuator means to cause the actuator means to urge the second pinch roller means toward the second drive roller means to pinch the first sheet therebetween whereby the second drive roller means then drives the first sheet further longitudinally forwardly, thereby to bring a rear section of the first sheet into registration with the print head,

(i) and a third sensor positioned to sense said edge of the first sheet that has passed further beyond the second drive roller means and second pitch roller means, and to a point corresponding to said registration of the rear section of the first sheet with the print head, and operatively connected with said drive means for causing the drive means to drive the roller means in said second mode,

(j) the first printer means comprising an envelope printer, and said second printer means comprising a letter printer, and including an envelope on the feed plate and under the print head.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the print head includes a dot matrix pointer.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the print head includes a dot matrix printer characterized in that the dots printed on the first sheet to delineate an alphanumeric character are successively located to merge with one another and form character lines.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the printer is characterized in that the character-forming dots form first portions of a line of characters during an arrest interval in travel mode of the printer in one transverse direction, and the dots form other portions of said line of characters during an arrest interval in travel mode of the printer in the opposite transverse direction.

5. The combination of claim 4 including a frame carrying the printer for said transverse travel thereof, and other drive means to effect said travel of the printer in said one direction while the first sheet is in a first arrested position, and to effect said travel of the printer in said opposite direction while the first sheet is in a second and subsequent arrested position.

6. The combination of claim 1 including a frame having a lower portion carrying the drive roller means, and an upper portion carrying a print head, and structure connecting said upper and lower portions of the frame, said structure confined to a zone beyond the drive roller means in said forward feed direction, whereby lateral movement of the first sheet on the feed plate is unobstructed.

7. The combination of claim 1 including rocking structure operatively connected between the actuator means and the pinch roller means to be rocked in one direction by the actuator means to urge the first pinch roller means toward the first drive rollers, and to be rocked in the opposite direction by the actuator means to urge the second pinch roller means toward the second drive rollers.

8. The combination of claim 1 including structure operatively connected between the actuator means and the pinch rollers to be displaced by the actuator means to first urge the first pinch roller means toward the first drive rollers, and to subsequently urge the second pinch roller means toward the second drive rollers.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein the first printer means includes a drive operatively connected with the print head to travel the print head laterally over the first sheet to print A data thereon during intervals of rear-travel of the first sheet, longitudinally.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said drive includes cam and follower elements with helical intermeshing shoulders, above the longitudinal path of travel of the first sheet between said first and second drive roller means.

11. The combination of claim 1 including a housing enclosing said (b) through (d) elements, the housing having front and rear walls and openings in said walls via which the first sheet passes through the housing, the (a) feed plate being in general registration with said openings.