Hammer assembly for use in impact printers

Abstract

An improved hammer assembly is disclosed for use in impact printers having a print station comprising a continuously rotating print wheel and an adjacent hammer mechanism for selectively impacting print stock and an interposed ink ribbon against a raised element on the print wheel to thereby imprint a character on the print stock. The hammer assembly includes an elongated hammer having a hammer surface at one end and an actuating surface at the other end which is engaged by a hammer actuating device in the hammer mechanism having a controllable, substantially reciprocative movement. The elongated hammer is supported for substantially reciprocative, planar movement with respect to a similarly elongated first support member by a pair of linear leaf springs which extend between the elongated hammer and the first support member in a spaced-apart, parallel manner. A second support member is provided for rigidly securing the hammer assembly to a support means in the hammer mechanism and is connected to the first support member by a flexure which is located on the first support member at a location offset from but adjacent to a first end thereof. A pin is located on the first support member at a location offset from but adjacent to a second end thereof and extends at right angles from the first support member and through an aperture in the support means. A cam is rotatable on the pin and engages the aperture in the support means to permit adjustable rotation of the first support member, and accordingly the elongated hammer, with respect to the fixed second support member to insure that the hammer surface is vertically aligned with respect to the print wheel.