Card Printer by Means of a Card Feeding and Type Selecting Printing Method

1. A printer comprising: (a) a platen; (b) a type receiving case containing a plurality of types in a linear array, each one of said plurality of types being independent movable towards said platen in a printing direction, said plurality of types being spaced from one another by a uniform distance corresponding to the pitch of the symbols to be printed; (c) first means for independently driving each one of said plurality of types in the printing direction, said first means comprising: (i) a plurality of driving armatures, each one of said plurality of driving armatures being operatively connected to a corresponding one of said plurality of types; (ii) a plurality of solenoids, each one of said plurality of solenoids being operatively connected to a corresponding one of said plurality of driving armatures; and (iii) a plurality of armature springs, each one of said plurality of armature springs being operatively connected to a corresponding one of said plurality of driving armatures; (d) second means for incrementally feeding a printing medium between said platen and said type receiving case in stepwise fashion in a direction perpendicular to the printing direction of said plurality of types, said second means feeding the printing medium one pitch distance, then stopping the printing medium, then feeding the printing medium by another pitch distance, and so on, said second means comprising: (i) a first pulse motor; (ii) a first capstan roller mounted upstream of said type receiving case; (iii) a second capstan roller mounted downstream of said type receiving case; (iv) a timing belt driven by said first pulse motor and operatively connected to said first and second capstan rollers; (v) a first pinch roller sized, shaped, and positioned to cooperate with said first capstan roller to drivingly engage the printing medium; and (vi) a second pinch roller sized, shaped, and positioned to cooperate with said second capstan roller to drivingly engage the printing medium; and (e) third means for incrementally feeding a print ribbon in stepwise fashion between said plurality of types and a printing medium fed by said second means, said third means feeding the print ribbon by the same pitch distance, then stopping the print ribbon, then feeding the print ribbon by another pitch distance, and so on, said third means comprising: (i) a second pulse motor operated independently of said first pulse motor; (ii) a third capstan roller operatively connected to said second pulse motor; and (iii) a third pinch roller sized, shaped, and positioned to cooperate with said third capstan roller to drivingly engage the print ribbon, whereby each one of said plurality of types can be independently driven in the printing direction as a printing medium and a print ribbon are stationary in front of said type receiving case, thereby forcing the printing medium against said platen and printing a desired sequence of symbols on the printing medium.

2. A printer as recited in claim 1 wherein said second means comprise a pulse motor adapted to move the printing medium by one pitch during each pulse, whereby a fresh space on the printing medium on which a symbol may be printed is presented in front of each one of said plurality of types after each movement of the printing medium effected by said pulse motor.

3. A printer as recited in claim 2 wherein said second means comprises means for feeding cards past said type receiving case.

4. A printer as recited in claim 1 wherein: (a) each one of said plurality of armatures is mounted for pivotal movement about a corresponding one of a plurality of armature pivots; (b) actuation of each one of said plurality of solenoids causes the corresponding one of said plurality of armatures to move away from said platen; and (c) each one of said plurality of armature springs biases the corresponding one of said plurality of armatures towards said platen.