International Business Machines Corporation

Robert A Sebrosky

William D Thorne

Stephen S Harding

Wentzle R DeBoskey

Laura P Misenheimer

Walter Rudolph Wagner

Richard A Halbeisen

Heard Kilpatrick Baumeister

Laura G Bulson

Electromagnets and spring-damper units respectively impart forward movement and rearward movement to slider members having hammer faces at their forward ends and armatures intermediate their lengths. The electromagnets and spring-damper units are mounted by the frame of the print mechanism for independent longitudinal adjustive movement. Adjustive movement of the spring-damper assemblies effects lateral alignment of the hammer faces at the forward ends of the sliders. Adjustive movement of the electromagnets effects adjustment of the forward movement characteristics of the sliders. Clamping forces are preferably imposed upon the electromagnets pending and during their adjustive movement. Anchoring of the electromagnets in their final positions preferably is accomplished by laser welding. An inexpensive frame plate restrains lateral movement of the sliders, maintains desired spacing between the pole faces of confronting electromagnets, and provides a surface upon which adjustive movement of the electromagnets can readily occur.

Impact printer print mechanism and method of manufacture

A print mechanism has a laterally spaced longitudinally driven actuator or slider mounted between two electromagnets. By selective actuation of the electromagnets the slider is driven forward to strike a print element and produce printed information. A unique dampener assembly is provided to absorb recoil energy and maintain a fixed start position. The dampener assembly includes a return spring and a three layer damper that absorbs the excess recoil energy without experiencing permanent deformation.

Electromagnetic actuator having improved dampening means

Disclosed is an improved form of a mosaic printer of the bar helix type. The helical raised threads on the printer drum instead of being continuous are broken into segments which are offset axially on the drum. This produces a significant increase in throughput by reducing waiting time for the drum to rotate a section of continuous thread into alignment with a hammer at the start of a new helical pattern.

Segmented drum bar helix printer

A wire matrix print head mechanism is disclosed in which a wear and impact resistant, flexible, smooth, tough and economical metalloid element filament material is utilized as the impact print wire. The wire material's flexibility eliminates many of the problems of breakage and brittleness failures encountered in previous designs. The lower coefficient of friction and greater smoothness of the wire material lowers the magnet forces required to push the wires through wire guides in the print head. The extreme hardness of the metalloid material combined with its high flexibility and toughness facilitate the production of impact and wear resistant, easily assembled long life wire matrix print heads.

Metalloid filament wire matrix print head

An improved means for attaching print wires in a wire matrix print head mechanism is disclosed which enables the use of brittle wire materials having long wear life, such as tungsten carbide, to be attached to a moving armature in a manner which eliminates or reduces the flexural stresses so that the wires will not be broken in use. A flexural hinge means is utilized to connect the moving armature to the printing wire, the hinge being of a unitary piece of high strength, flexible material having a lower stiffness than the printing wire.

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Charlotte, NC, United States of America

Robert A Sebrosky