The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 01, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 03, 1999
James Gabriel Brewington, Raleigh, NC (US);
Richard Hunter Harris, Raleigh, NC (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A gear drive system for a printer designed to print upon a continuous roll of paper and having a blade used to cut off printed portions of paper from the paper roll is implemented. The gear drive system consists of a drive shaft 330, a slip clutch 401, a clutch gear 116, a fixed gear 110, and a staggered gear 112 which controls the paper cutter blade 106. During printing, clutch 401 allows the drive shaft 330 shaft to slip relative to the clutch gear 116. When printing stops, clutch 401 locks clutch gear 116 which is engaged with the first portion of staggered gear 112 and causes staggered gear 112 to rotate until the second portion of staggered gear 112 engages the fixed gear 110. Staggered gear 112 is then driven by the fixed gear 110. A cutter blade is controlled by staggered gear 112, with the blade cutting off the paper as the fixed gear 110 is in reverse rotation. After the paper is cut, fixed gear 110 resumes its forward rotation, rotating staggered gear 112 and consequently, rotating cutter blade 106 away from the paper. After the blade has been rotated, staggered gear 110 continues to turn, until the fixed gear disengages with the second portion of the staggered gear. Full torque is applied to both cutting and opening rotations of the cutter blade.