[rescue] Entertaining printers

[Phil Stracchino]

Charles Shannon Hendrix wrote:
> Thu, 05 Jul 2007 @ 11:38 -0700, Mr Ian Primus said:
> 
>> The DataProducts 600LPM band printer has this paper
>> puller motor that runs at all times, even when the
>> printer isn't printing (or on-line), and will
>> eventually melt away the puller rollers or burn up the
>> motor. Ribbon drive pulleys also like to melt. Weird
>> ribbon cartridge design.
> 
> It wasn't that kind then, because this one would spool up and run for
> abotu 2 minutes after the last job, and then shut down.

I wish I could remember which particular printer it was that implemented
the HCF instruction.  My memory says it was a DEC printer.

My recollection is that it used a capstan-and-pinch-roller arrancement,
like a cassette tape drive, to advance the paper.  If you sent it a
continuous stream of <CR>s without associated <LF>s, the paper-advance
capstan (which had rubber drive rollers) would spin against the paper,
but the pinch roller was not engaged and the paper did not advance.
After about two minutes of this, the friction would heat the paper to
ignition and the printer would catch fire.


-- 
        Phil Stracchino                CDK#2
 Renaissance Man, Unix ronin, Perl hacker, Free Stater
 phil.stracchino at speakeasy.net   alaric at caerllewys.net
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