Character selecting mechanism

Abstract

A character selecting mechanism for a printer having a plurality of type wheel units arranged axially on a shaft. The character selecting mechanism comprises a plurality of electromagnetic clutches each having a solenoid, a sleeve rotatably received in the center hole of the solenoid and rotated continuously during a printing cycle, and a pair of selector plates resiliently pressed against the opposite end surfaces of the sleeve, respectively, so as to be attracted to the sleeve and to be turned by the sleeve when the solenoid is energized, having tongues facing opposite to each other to form part of a magnetic path for the magnetic lines of force of the solenoid with a small gap therebetween an in contact through a small contact area with a driving disk for applying an assistant force to the selector plates in turning the selector plates in a character selecting direction. Each electromagnetic clutch controls a pair of type wheel units to stop the respective type wheels of the pair of type wheel units individually to position the selected characters of the type wheels at the printing position. Small projections are formed in the opposite surfaces of the tongue of the selector plates so that the tongues are in contact with the driving disk through a small contact area so that the selector plates are able to be turned individually.