Proportional vertical and horizontal ribbon tracking for impact printers

摘要

A method of and apparatus for proportional ribbon (23) tracking on a printer (20), the printer (20) including a carrier (30) upon which implements of printing, for example the printwheel (25), ribbon (23) and hammer (28) are all mounted for translation opposite a platen (21). Ribbon lift mechanism is provided for effecting elevation of a ribbon (23) to multiple predetermined positions or tracks (1-10) (FIG. 3B) intermediate a printwheel (25) and a platen (21) so that indicia or character may be printed on print receiving medium (22) held thereby. In essence, an input means (11) receives a character to be printed. The microprocessor (13), in conjunction with the ROM (15), characterizes the character in accordance with a predetermined plurality of characteristics. In accordance with ribbon lift and feed algorithms, a particular characteristic of the character to be printed is added to a position on the ribbon upon which at least one prior character has been printed. In this manner a new print position is determined. Thereafter, the new track print position is outputted to the ribbon lift and feed means for effecting elevation of said ribbon (23) to one of a multiple of predetermined positions to thereby approximately maximize the number of predetermined positions of said ribbon with characters thereon which may be printed without character overlap.