Claims
- 1. A variable data imprinting machine comprising an elongated flat printing bed section providing a document supporting surface and including a print wheel pack adjacent said surface formed of rotatable, coaxial side-by-side closely adjacent print wheels each having circumferentially spaced raised-number-bearing imprint block formations separated by notches about their peripheries for imparting impressions to a document on said surface, an imprinting carriage movable from a parking position at one end of said surface through advance and return strokes longitudinally along the document support surface having a roller platen for transfer of imprinted characters to the document during one of said strokes, an elongated rack housing portion underlying and extending beyond the printing bed section defining a rack adjustment control panel projecting from a side of the printing bed section, a plurality of toothed racks slidable longitudinally in said rack housing portion with teeth of each of the racks engaging notches of the respective print wheels to rotatably index the print wheels to selected number-printing positions, means slidably supporting and guiding the toothed racks for longitudinal wheel-indexing movement subjacent the print wheels of the wheel pack, said racks having downwardly facing centering notches along their lower edges in predetermined positional relationship to said teeth, a rack centering mechanism including a blade member underlying the racks having a blade movable into and out of said notches and lifting means for raising said blade member and a control leg, a pivoted quadarant member of generally sector-shaped elevational profile located subjacent said parking position and pivoted adjacent the lowermost portion thereof about a pivot axis located below the plane of said supporting surface, said quadrant member having generally arcuate convex peripheral surface portions movable circumferentially of said pivot axis adjoining shoulder formations defining an intercept surface in the path of advancing movement of said carriage from the parked position and a stop shoulder engageable with said control leg to latch the quadarant member in a blocking position restraining the carriage in said parking position, means moving the control leg from latching abutment with said stop shoulder responsive to adjustment of the toothed racks to new settings, and means positioned to be activated by movement of said carriage during a pre-imprinting part of its advance stroke to insert said blade into said centering notches of each rack for precisely aligning the print wheels to insure proper fine adjustment registration of the imprinting numbers at the printing positions.
- 2. A variable data imprinting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said control panel includes an upwardly facing top wall having rectilinear parallel slots extending substantially the length thereof paralleling and corresponding in number to the racks, said toothed racks have upwardly projecting end formations extending through said slots having knobs thereon disposed at accessible positions overlying the control panel for manual adjustment thereof to number-setting positions, and said slots being disposed sufficiently wide apart for non-interfering manipulation of the respective knobs.
- 3. A variable data imprinting machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said panel includes a sight opening adjacent an end of each of the control panel slots, a plurality of number bearing rigid slide strips connected respectively to the rack end formations and supported in slideways beneath said top wall for rectilinear movement paralleling said slots to register their numbers with each sight openings signifying the positions for the knobs to achieve coarse adjustment location of corresponding print wheel numbers at the printing positions, the racks having detent notches for the number setting positions of said knobs, and spring-biased detent means engageable in said detent notches for releasably restraining the racks at the number setting positions.
- 4. A variable data imprinting machine as defined in claim 3, wherein said centering notches of said racks are downwardly divergent substantially V-shaped notches in the lower edges of the racks in predetermined positional relationship to said teeth, and said blade member is a lever pivoted about a horizontal pivot axis having said blade on an end thereof insertable into said centering notches of each rack to fine adjust the racks to insure proper fine adjustment registration of the imprinting numbers at the printing positions.
- 5. A variable data imprinting machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said centering notches of said racks are downwardly divergent substantially V-shaped notches in the lower edges of the racks in predetermined positional relationship to said teeth, and said blade member is a lever pivoted about a horizontal pivot axis having said blade on an end thereof insertable into said centering notches of each rack to fine adjust the racks to insure proper fine adjustment registration of the imprinting numbers at the printing positions.
- 6. A variable data imprinting machine as defined in claim 5, wherein said quadrant member has abutment surfaces in the path of movement of portions of the carriage to assume blocking and release positions responsive to carriage movement, means urging said lifting means to a position raising said blade into fine adjustment centering insertion into the notches, and flexible linking means interconnecting said sensing member and lifting means to raise the blade into said notches when the carriage sensing member is moved to its release position upon movement of the carriage through said pre-imprinting part of its advance stroke and for withdrawing lifting force from said blade when the carriage nears its parking position at completion of its return stroke.
- 7. A variable data imprinting machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said quadrant member has abutment surfaces in the path of movement of portions of the carriage to assume blocking and release positions responsive to carriage movement, means urging said lifting means to a position raising said blade into fine adjustment centering insertion into the notches, and flexible linking means interconnecting said sensing member and lifting means to raise the blade into said notches when the carriage sensing member is moved to its release position upon movement of the carriage through said pre-imprinting part of its advance stroke and for withdrawing lifting force from said blade when the carriage nears its parking position at completion of its return stroke.
- 8. A variable data imprinting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said centering notches of said racks are downwardly divergent substantially V-shaped notches in the lower edges of the racks in predetermined positional relationship to said teeth, and said blade member is a lever pivoted about a horizontal pivot axis having said blade on an end thereof insertable into said centering notches of each rack to fine adjust the racks to insure proper fine adjustment registration of the imprinting numbers at the printing positions.
- 9. A variable data imprinting machine as defined in claim 8, wherein said quadrant member has abutment surfaces in the path of movement of portions of the carriage to assume blocking and release positions responsive to carriage movement, means urging said lifting means to a position raising said blade into fine adjustment centering insertion into the notches, and flexible linking means interconnecting said sensing member and lifting means to raise the blade into said notches when the carriage sensing member is moved to its release position upon movement of the carriage through said pre-imprinting part of its advance stroke and for withdrawing lifting force from said blade when the carriage nears its parking position at completion of its return stroke.
- 10. A variable data imprinting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said quadrant member has abutment surfaces in the path of movement of portions of the carriage to assume blocking and release positions responsive to carriage movement, means urging said lifting means to a position raising said blade into fine adjustment centering insertion into the notches, and flexible linking means interconnecting said sensing member and lifting means to raise the blade into said notches when the carriage sensing member is moved to its release position upon movement of the carriage through said pre-imprinting part of its advance stroke and for withdrawing lifting force from said blade when the carriage nears its parking position at completion of its return stroke.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 146,098, filed May 2, 1980, abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
964922 |
Mar 1975 |
CAX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
146098 |
May 1980 |
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