Xerox Corporation

Verbatim Corporation

Information Terminals Corporation

George W Bowers

Richard G Crystal

Andrew Gabor

John C Dunfield

An impact mechanism for an improved serial impact printer for delivering a printing force to drive a character element against a platen by means of a print tip movable toward and away from the platen. The print tip is supported upon a carriage mounted upon the printer for reciprocating movement in a path substantially parallel to the axis of the platen. The impact mechanism includes a bail bar extending substantially across the printer and mounted for rocking movement toward and away from the platen, its axis of rocking being substantially parallel to the axis of the platen. A prime mover is connected to the bail bar for imparting controlled rocking movement thereto. The print tip and the bail bar are interconnected so as to move the print tip toward and away from the platen as the bail bar is rocked.

Impact mechanism for quiet impact printer

An impacting element for an impact printer having a platen, selectable character elements and means for driving the impacting element to impart a printing force to a selected character element, to drive it against said platen for a contact period, the impacting element including a sensor thereon for generating a signal indicative of the initiation of the contact period.

Print tip contact sensor for quiet impact printer

A tape cartridge of the belt drive type, wherein an elastomeric member is coupled to the drive belt to be continually deformed by the drive belt, so that hysteresis energy losses in the elastic member create drag on the drive belt. In one cartridge, the belt guide rollers, about which the belt extends, have rubber-like cores. In a second cartridge, a thick rubber-like auxiliary belt extends around the belt guide rollers so that the auxiliary belt is driven by the drive belt as it rotates the guide rollers. In a third cartridge, a rubber-like auxiliary roller presses against a belt guide roller.

Belt drive cartridge

Magnetic recording media called diskettes comprise a flexible magnetic disk which is enclosed in a jacket. The jacket has at least two openings therethrough. One of them is at the center on each side to enable the diskette to be engaged by a hub for rotating it, the other two are at opposite sides and comprise elliptic shaped openings which afford access for the reading head and for the pressure pad to opposite surfaces of a diskette. This invention provides doors which automatically cover the head and pressure pad access openings, except when a diskette is inserted into the reading mechanism at which time the door is automatically opened to enable the indicated access to the disk surfaces.

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Hayward, CA, United States of America

George W Bowers