Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
Apparatus for feeding ribbon from a take-up reel to a supply reel, each adapted to support a portion of an inventory of ribbon running from the supply reel to the take-up reel characterized in that it comprises : means for driving said take-up reel at selected one of plurality of different rotational velocities, means for sensing the portion of said inventory of ribbon on one of said reels and for producing an electrical signal representative of the radius of said portion, and means for selecting one of said rotational velocities in response to said signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
95 words
Apparatus for feeding ribbon from a take-up reel to a supply reel, each adapted to support a portion of an inventory of ribbon running from the supply reel to the take-up reel characterized in that it comprises : means for driving said take-up reel at selected one of plurality of different rotational velocities, means for sensing the portion of said inventory of ribbon on one of said reels and for producing an electrical signal representative of the radius of said portion, and means for selecting one of said rotational velocities in response to said signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that said sensing means are capacitive sensing means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said sensing means include a follower member tensioned against the periphery of the portion of said ribbon inventory on one of said reels.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus according to claim 3 characterized in that said sensing means include a capacitive transducer for sensing the movement of said follower with respect to the axis of said reel to thereby provide an indication of the radius of said inventory of ribbon on said reel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
111 words
Apparatus according to claim 4 characterized in that said capacitive transducer comprises first and second spaced pluralities of elements, means for applying an alternating electrical signal to one of said plurality of elements, and means connected to the second plurality of elements for sensing the capacitive effect induced in said second plurality of elements by said electrical signal, said first and second plurality of elements being arranged so that relative motion between the two pluralities of elements varies the capacitive effect produced, and one of said pluralities of elements is connected to said follower whereby the movement of said follower produces a concurrent relative motion between said two pluralities of elements.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus according to claim 5 characterized in that the plurality of capacitive elements connected to said follower is moved in direct relationship to changes in ribbon inventory on the reel while the other plurality of capacitive elements remains stationary.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 characterized in that said sensing means sense the portion of said inventory on said supply reel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to claim 7 characterized in that the portion of said inventory on said supply reel is unused ribbon.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus according to claim 7 or 8 characterized in that the follower member is tensioned against the periphery of the portion of said ribbon inventory on said supply reel so as to maintain a tautness on the ribbon running from the supply reel to the take up reel.