Printer

Abstract

A printer includes a print wheel having an outer circular row of typefaces comprising digits and punctuation signs and an inner circular row of typefaces comprising symbols, and hammer apparatus for actuating the typefaces of the print wheel to effect printing. The type wheel and the hammer apparatus are mounted on a carriage which travels along a path defining a left-hand group of printing positions and a right-hand group of printing positions. A cam extending along the path of the carriage functions to pivot the type wheel between a position wherein the outer row of typefaces is aligned with the hammer apparatus when the carriage is aligned with the left-hand group of printing positions and a position wherein the inner row of typefaces is aligned with the hammer apparatus when the carriage is aligned with the right-hand group of printing positions. A drive motor is mounted on the carriage and functions both to continuously rotate the print wheel and to continuously propel the carriage back and forth along the path. The print wheel includes a plurality of radially extending arms each mounting a type font comprising one typeface of the outer row and one typeface of the inner row, a shield plate engaging the arms and comprising a plurality of apertures each receiving one of the type fonts, and a damper disk which cooperates with the shield plate to dampen vibrations of the arms following actuation of the hammer apparatus.