US3771034A

US3771034A - Linear electric motor and displacement process

Info

Publication number: US3771034A
Application number: US00252697A
Authority: US
Inventors: A Wallskog
Original assignee: Teletype Corp
Current assignee: AT&T Teletype Corp
Priority date: 1970-05-28
Filing date: 1972-05-12
Publication date: 1973-11-06
Anticipated expiration: 1990-11-06

Abstract

A pair of electrical coils are constrained for movement in different directions in the flux field of a magnet and are coupled together for producing a combined output in a single path responsive to the simultaneous magnetomovement of the coils.

Description

NOV. 6, 1973 United States Patent [1 1 Wallskog LINEAR ELECTRIC MOTOR AND DISPLACEMENT PROCESS [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS [75] Inventor: Alan G. Wallskog, Prospect Heights,

[73] Assignee: Teletype Corporation, Skokie, 11].

3,497,730 2/1970 Doolittle......,....,................... 3,457,482 7/1969 Sawyer........ 3,449,754 6/1969 [22] Filed: May 12, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 252,697

Primary Examiner-Gerald Goldberg Attorney.l. L. Landis Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 41,335, May 28, 1970, Pat. No.

[57] ABSTRACT A pair of electrical coils are constrained for movement in different directions in the flux field of a magnet and are coupled together for producing a combined output in a single path responsive to the simultaneous magnetomovement of the coils.

13 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures MooUMoo /6 6 1 1 843 1 1 3 3 1 2 l 2 0 l 8 3H .0 18 "M7 1 3 n .3 5 n "W 7 m m "m n 8 11. 3 m mh n "r n u .e m L 0 a S Ld I i U h F 1 1] 2 l8 5 55 rt [I PAIENIEBnnv 61975 377L034 SHEET 2 nr Q as 50 62 2a sea- COLUMN COUNTER |Q8 IP72 r94 H0 H21 24 5 DELAY IMPELLER 2s PATENTEI] NEW 6 I973 FIG. 6

FIG. 7

3771.034 SHEET 3 BF 3 VERTICAL POSITION ADDER I42 I ADDER I FEED |94 BACK A SUBTRACTO l: FEED 9 A K L 68 l80 |14 I82 HORIZONTAL P REGISTER POSITION E553 |o4 1 I70 h PRIME 24 CHARACTER 26 GEN R DELAY IMPELLER TRIGGER LINEAR ELECTRIC MOTOR AND DISPLACEMENT PROCESS This application is a division of application Ser. No. 41,335, filed May 28, 1970, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,204.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to teleprinters. Particularly the invention relates to a mechanism in a teleprinter for controlling a carrier to present any selected die supported thereby at each in a succession of printing stations for reproducing a line of intelligence.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A teleprinter adapted as a terminal is often associated with an intelligence storage or bank for intelligence translation. Conventionally, a teleprinter has a carrier for dies of a plurality of symbols or characters from which selection is made for printing. The dies are arranged selectively to be driven at a printing station by an impeller into a printing mode.

In one class of teleprinters, the web on which intelligence is reproduced is immobilized from horizontal shifting during printing. To effect printing then, the impeller is adapted for translocation in steps to successive adjoining horizontally aligned stations. At each successive station a selected die is presented; and to that end means are adapted for moving the die carrier to successive stations and for adjusting the carrier to align a selected die with the impeller.

In the art of intelligence recovery, significant resources have been and currently are being invested to increase the speed of intelligence reproduction to maximize the availability of intelligence bank or storage facilities or the intelligence contained therein. Production costs of improvement which heretofore have been developed parallel increase in speed the speed of intelligence recovery achieved thereby and accordingly, tend to limit exploitation of the innovations.

The disclosure of the present invention is related to material disclosed and claimed in two contemporaneously-filed applications now U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,035 in the name of G. Cless and U.S. Pat. 3,641,583 in the name of G. Cless and J. L. DeBoo.

It is an object of the present invention rapidly to translate intelligence.

It is another object of the invention to minimize the cost of intelligence translation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved terminal for a data storage system.

Moreover, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved teleprinter.

7 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To effect the foregoing and other objects which shall become apparent from ensuing description, the present invention has been adapted for a teleprinter. A plurality of dies which comprise the printing means of the teleprinter are supported in a plurality of rows and columns from a carrier which is moveably arranged for disposition at a printing station. A linear electric motor with a combination output having axial components in a plurality of dimensions is adapted for adjusting the carrier to present any selected die at the printing station.

From another aspect, the foregoing objects are achieved according to the invention summarized as aforesaid with means for moving any selected die between passive and printing modes and additional means associated with the motor for translocating said moving means to successive printing stations.

From still another aspect, the foregoing objects are achieved according to the present invention by algebraically combining a spacing position signal with a signal representative of the horizontal or column position within the type carrier of the desired type die and using this combined signal to energize a type-carrier moving means to bring the desired type die to the printing station.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the ensuing detailed description, reference is had to the accompanying drawings on which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention embodied in a teleprinter and looking toward the front thereof from its platen;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the teleprinter looking from the front thereof toward the platen, parts being broken away for illustration;

FIG. 3 is a view according to the section line 3-3 on FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view according to the section line 4-4 on FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an electrical scheme for the teleprinter;

FIG. 6 is a partial view the teleprinter showing an alternate embodiment of the type carrier positioning mechanism;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a logic system for operating the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6;

Detailed Description First Embodiment Referring now to the accompanying drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 5, inclusive, a teleprinter 10 is referred to. This teleprinter 10 is more fully described and is claimed in the above-mentioned G. Cless application, which is incorporated herein by reference. However, sufficient of the disclosure of the G. Cless application is reproduced herein for purpose of convenient illustration of the present invention. The teleprinter 10 comprises a platen 12 which may be of conventional construction and cylindrical configuration and is immobilized from lateral or horizontal shifting'. The platen is adapted for supporting a web 14 (FIG. 3), such as paper or the like on which intelligence' is reproduced and isrotatable about its longitudinal and horizontally extending axis for shifting the web vertically a line at a time in a conventional manner. Means (not shown) which may be conventional are arranged for supporting an inked ribbon 16 longitudinally of the axis of platen 1'2 and spaced slightly forwardly of the web 14.

A box or carrier 18 is disposed slightly forwardly from ribbon l6; and is arranged for movement horizontally, longitudinally of the axis of platen 12. The carrier supports a font of type or dies 20 (FIG. 1) which are arranged in horizontal rows 19 and in vertical columns 21 only some of which are numbered. In accordance with conventional practice, the dies may be faced with alphanumeric characters and selected other designs or symbols; and each has an exposed shank 22 which extends forwardly from the carrier.

By means not shown, each of the dies 20 is biased or urged forwardly to a non-print or passive mode in which its printing face is spaced slightly forwardly from ribbon 16. However, each die is mounted for movement horizontally transversally of the axis of platen 12 between its passive or non-print mode and a print mode in which it has been driven rearwardly against its normal bias into contact with ribbon 16 for printing in a conventional fashion on web 14.

Means for moving dies 20 between passive and printing modes comprises an impeller or solenoid 24 whose driven member terminates in a striker 26. The latter is normally biased or urged to a withdrawn or forward position and is arranged for movement in a path coincident with the path of movement of a selected die. Moreover, the dimensions of the striker are such that when the impeller is actuated, only a selected die will be driven toward a print mode.

Carrier 18 is arranged for adjustment vertically as well has horizontally; and the parts are proportioned such that at any adjusted position a single one of the dies 20 will be disposed suitably for printing at a printing station. Teleprinter is adapted for a printing station which moves horizontally a space at a time, whereby a succession of symbols can be formed to print a line of intelligence. Accordingly, impeller 24, the position of which defines a printing station, isarranged for successive horizontal movements.

In accordance with the present invention, a linear electric motor, generally designated 28, comprises means for adjusting carrier 18 along a vector having values referable to a pair of orthogonal coordinates (herein being vertical and horizontal) is a planar or two-axis system to select a die for printing. Moreover, said motor comprises means for moving said carrier to successive printing stations; and said motor also comprises means for translocating impeller 24 to successive printing stations simultaneously with movement and adjustment of carrier 18.

Motor 28 is comprises of a permanent magnet 30 and a magnet loop defining a magnetic circuit. The latter is fashioned from a pair of horizontally extending parallel magnetic bars or

rails

32 and 34 which are preferably of equal length. They have opposed

end portions

36 and 38 which are connected by a magnetic bridge 40 and

opposed end portions

42 and 44 which are connected by a magnetic bridge 46.

Rails

32 and 34 and

bridges

40 and 46 are fabricated from a material of low magnetic reluctance and retentivity, such as soft iron, said rails being magnetic segments in said magnetic circuit between which a non-magnetic or air gap 48 is formed.

As illustrated, the permanent magnet may be a rectangular block which is disposed within the magnetic loop. It is magnetized through its thickness (its North and South poles being conventially designated N and S) with one of its polar faces secured by a suitable cement to the inner face of rail 32 and its opposite polar face parallel to the inner face of rail 34. Thereby, a magnetic flux field is generated across gap 48.

In accordance with the teachings of the abovementioned contemporaneously filed application of G. Cless and J. L. DeBoo, a pair of

electrical coils

50 and 52, respectively, have

coil segments

54 and 56 which are disposed in air gap 48 whereby upon development of an electrical effect in said coils, they become inductively coupled in the magnetic flux field. Coil 50 is circumposed about rail 34 with the direction of its winding in segment 54 cutting the lines of flux in air gap 48 such that when a current passes through said coil a magnetomotive force is generated impelling coil 50 longitudinally of said rail in a horizontal path defined thereby and parallel to rows 19 of said dies. The coil 52 is used to move the type carrier 18 vertically.

Coil 50 is physically connected to a coupler fashioned as a trolley 58 which has a body 60 from which are supported a plurality of upper and lower guide rollers 62. They engage a pair of opposed ribs 63 fashioned on and longitudinally of the upper and lower surfaces of rail 34 for moving the trolley longitudinally, thereof. Coil 50 is rigidly secured to body 60 and, when said coil is motivated, trolley 58 will be caused to move horizontally and in a direction, to or fro, corresponding to the direction of current flowing in said coil.

Means associated with motor 28 for translocating impeller 24 to successive printing stations comprises an electrical coil or winding 68. It is circumposed about rail 34 and has a vertical segment with strands extending transversely of said rail 34 and disposed in air gap 48 such that upon production of an electrical effect in said coil, a magnetomotive force will be generated causing coil movement in a horizontal path longitudinally of rail 34.

A bracket 72 which supports impeller 24 is rigidly secured to coil 68 for translocating said impeller horizontally, parallel to rows 19, the direction of translocation being according to the direction of current flow in said coil. Translocation of the impeller is facilitated by a pair of opposed rollers 74 which are carried from bracket 72 and engage ribs 63 for guiding the impeller longitudinally of rail 34.

Exemplary means for simultaneously adjusting carrier 18 whereby any selected die is disposed at a printing station and for stepping or moving said carrier to successive printing stations and also for correspondingly translocating impeller 24 comprises circuitry 76 (FIG. 5). This circuitry is described more fully in the above-mentioned G. Cless application.

In consequence of the foregoing, through the agency of a linear electric motor with plural outputs, simultaneously carrier 18 can be adjusted vertically and horizontally for bringing a die corresponding to an available character into a printing position while the carrier is also moved horizontally to a proper position of succession corresponding to a printing station, and while impeller 24 is stepped or advanced from an existing to the next ensuing printing station. Moreover, in the present embodiment adjustment and movement of carrier 18 will be along a vector comprised of a pair of values corresponding to intersecting coordinates in a planar, two-axis system and correlatable to effects generated in

coils

50 and 52.

Second Embodiment Scissors Positioning Mechanism Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawing, there is shown in FIG. 6 an alternative embodiment of the present invention wherein the

coils

54 and 56 and their associated mechanical arrangements cooperating to position type carrier 18 have been replaced by a pair of coils and 142 which are mounted on two

trolleys

144 and 146. The two trolleys are mounted on the magnetic rail 34 in much the same way that the trolley 58 is mounted on the rail 34 in FIG. 2. The

coils

140 and 142 are independently operable.

A scissors mechanism 150 is pivotally attached to the

trolleys

144 and 146 at two

pivots

152 and 154, respectively, which are at the ends of two bars 156 an'd 158 of the scissors mechanism 150. One of the bars 156 is pivoted at approximately its midpoint to the other bar 158. The other end of the bar 156 is pivotally mounted to the type carrier 18 at a pivot 162, and the other bar 158 is slidably mounted in a slot 164 in the type carrier 18.

It can be seen that, if the

trolleys

144 and 146 are made to move horizontally across the magnetic rail 34 but always remain the same distance apart, the type carrier 18 will be adjusted horizontally but not vertically. It can also be seen from the scissors mechanism 150 that, if the

trolleys

144 and 146 are moved closer together, the scissors mechanism 150 will cause the type carrier to raise in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 6. Similarly, if the

trolleys

144 and 146 are made to move away from each other, the scissors mechanism 150 will cause the type carrier 18 to move down in a vertical direction as shown in FIG. 6.

Referring now to FIG. 7, in order to adjust the positions of the

trolleys

144 and 146 along the rail 34 in FIG. 6, signals representative of the location of the desired type die within the type carrier 18 are generated at an output terminal 170 by a character generator circuit 172. The horizontal component of this type element location signal is delivered to a horizontal positioning register 174. The vertical position signal designating the vertical position within the type carrier 18 of the desired type die is delivered to a vertical position register 176.

At a desired timing instant, a trigger signal is generated at an output terminal 178 of the character generator 172. This trigger signal is delivered to the horizontal position register 174, the vertical position register 176, and to a space register 180. The space register contains information representative of the position along the platen 12 at which printing is to occur, that is, the location of the printing station. The output of the spacing register 180 is delivered to a feedback amplifier 182 which drives the coil 68 that is connected to the impeller bracket 72 in order to position the impeller 24 (FIG. 2) at the printing station. The feedback circuit 104 provides the feedback signal for the feedback amplifier 182, as explained in connection with FIG. 5.

The spacing signal from the space register 180 is also supplied to an adding circuit 184 which adds the space signal with the horizontal type die location signal from the horizontal position register 174 to arrive at an algebraic sum of the printing station signal and the signal representative of the horizontal location or column of the die within the type carrier 18. The output of the adder circuit 184 is delivered to another adder 186 and to a subtractor circuit 188. The output of the vertical position register is also delivered to the adder 186 and the subtracter 188. Therefore, the output of the vertical position register is added to the horizontal position signal from the adder 184 in the adder 186 and the output of the vertical position register is subtracted from the output of the adder circuit 184 in the subtracter circuit 188.

The outputs of the adder 186 and the subtracter 188 are delivered to a pair of

feedback amplifiers

190 and 192 which are connected to the

coils

142 and 140 of the mechanism of FIG. 6..

Suitable feedback circuits

194 and 196 are also connected to the

feedback amplifier

190 and 192. It can readily be seen from FIG. 7 that the position of the coils and 142 and with them their associated

trolleys

144 and 146 represent the sum of the horizontal spacing and horizontal type carrier position. The difference between these two coils (and their associated trolleys) represents the vertical position of the desired type die within the type carrier 18.

The trigger signal from the output terminal 178 is also delivered to a delay circuit 198. When vertical and horizontal movements of the type carrier 18 have been accomplished, the delay circuit 198 will have completed its delay interval and will send a signal to the im peller 24 to cause its striker 26 to move the selected type die to its printing mode.

Although various specific embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and described in the foregoing specification it will be understood that invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described, but is capable of modification and rearrangement and substitution of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A linear motion device comprising:

a core structure defining a gap having substantially perpendicular longitudinal, lateral, and vertical dimensions;

a permanent magnet having substantially perpendicular longitudinal, lateral, and vertical dimensions and having parallel pole faces spaced by said magnet vertical dimension;

means supporting said permanent magnet on said core structure for establishing a magnetic field across said gap extending substantially parallel to said gap vertical dimension and of substantially uniform intensity along said gap longitudinal dimension;

a rigid drive coil structure comprised of a plurality of turns of a first conductor elongated in the direction of said gap lateral dimension and at least partially disposed in said gap; and

means supporting said drive coil structure for reciprocal movement in the direction of said magnet and gap longitudinal dimensions, the dimension of said drive coil structure in a direction parallel to said longitudinal dimensions being smaller than said magnet longitudinal dimension.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said gap longitudinal dimension is substantially larger than said gap vertical dimension.

3. A linear electric motor comprising:

a magnetic flux field;

a pair of electrical coils, each coil mounted in said flux field for movement simultaneously with and in a direction different from the direction of movement of the other coil in response to an electrical signal;

means for constraining the movement of said coils to a single dimension; and

means for coupling the simultaneous movement of said coils to produce a combined output.

4. A motor according to claim 3 further characterized by a pair of spaced apart magnetic segments defining a magnetic circuit with an air gap between said segments, said coils having portions disposed in said air gap.

5. A motor according to claim 3 having means for generating a pair of simultaneous effects in said coils and driving said coupling means in a path having changing values relatable to intersecting coordinator in a two axis system.

6. A linear motor comprising: two independent outputs having simultaneous output motions in different directions in the same linear dimension; means for coupling the output motions; and means responsive to the coupling means for displacing a member simultaneously lineally and in a dimension intersecting the path of lineal displace ment by distances which are functions of the movements of said outputs. 7. A motor according to claim 6 further having: means for generating a magnetic flux field; two conductive coils comprising said outputs mounted in the flux field; and means for separately passing electric current through said coils in accordance with the desired position of the member. 8. A motor according to claim 7 wherein the field generating means comprises a permanent magnet.

9. An apparatus-according to claim 7 wherein the coupling means is connected to said coils.

10. A motor according to claim 6 wherein the coupling means comprises a scissors mechanism having a pair of pivotally interconnected bars, one end of one of said bars pivotally connected to one of said outputs,

one end of the other of said bars pivotally connected to the other of said outputs, and the other ends of said bars connected to said displacing means.

11. A process for displacing a member to any selected position in a plane and comprising the steps of:

applying a pair of signals, separately, to a pair of electrical coils magnetomotively disposed in a flux field; moving the coils simultaneously in different directions in the same dimension through selected dis tances governed individually by and in response to the two signals; and translocating the member in a plane in a path having values relatable to a two axis system in response to the movement of the coils. 12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the translocating step comprises:

displacing the member relative to a first axis parallel to said dimension for a distance which is a function of the distances through which the said coils move; and displacing the member relative to a second axis which intersects said first axis a distance which is a function of the difference between the distances through which the coils move. 13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the displacings occur simultaneously.

Claims

1. A linear motion device comprising: a core structure defining a gap having substantially perpendicular longitudinal, lateral, and vertical dimensions; a permanent magnet having substantially perpendicular longitudinal, lateral, and vertical dimensions and having parallel pole faces spaced by said magnet vertical dimension; means supporting said permanent magnet on said core structure for establishing a magnetic field across said gap extending substantially parallel to said gap vertical dimension and of substantially uniform intensity along said gap longitudinal dimension; a rigid drive coil structure comprised of a plurality of turns of a first conductor elongated in the direction of said gap lateral dimension and at least partially disposed in said gap; and means supporting said drive coil structure for reciprocal movement in the direction of said magnet and gap longitudinal dimensions, the dimension of said drive coil structure in a direction parallel to said longitudinal dimensions being smaller than said magnet longitudinal dimension.

3. A linear electric motor comprising: a magnetic flux field; a pair of electrical coils, each coil mounted in said flux fiEld for movement simultaneously with and in a direction different from the direction of movement of the other coil in response to an electrical signal; means for constraining the movement of said coils to a single dimension; and means for coupling the simultaneous movement of said coils to produce a combined output.

6. A linear motor comprising: two independent outputs having simultaneous output motions in different directions in the same linear dimension; means for coupling the output motions; and means responsive to the coupling means for displacing a member simultaneously lineally and in a dimension intersecting the path of lineal displacement by distances which are functions of the movements of said outputs.

7. A motor according to claim 6 further having: means for generating a magnetic flux field; two conductive coils comprising said outputs mounted in the flux field; and means for separately passing electric current through said coils in accordance with the desired position of the member.

8. A motor according to claim 7 wherein the field generating means comprises a permanent magnet.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the coupling means is connected to said coils.

10. A motor according to claim 6 wherein the coupling means comprises a scissors mechanism having a pair of pivotally interconnected bars, one end of one of said bars pivotally connected to one of said outputs, one end of the other of said bars pivotally connected to the other of said outputs, and the other ends of said bars connected to said displacing means.

11. A process for displacing a member to any selected position in a plane and comprising the steps of: applying a pair of signals, separately, to a pair of electrical coils magnetomotively disposed in a flux field; moving the coils simultaneously in different directions in the same dimension through selected distances governed individually by and in response to the two signals; and translocating the member in a plane in a path having values relatable to a two axis system in response to the movement of the coils.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the translocating step comprises: displacing the member relative to a first axis parallel to said dimension for a distance which is a function of the distances through which the said coils move; and displacing the member relative to a second axis which intersects said first axis a distance which is a function of the difference between the distances through which the coils move.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the displacings occur simultaneously.