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EP0118238A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Ribbon cartridge for printing machines

Assignee: Olivetti SpA
•
Filing: 1984-02-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-02-10
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Abstract

Abstract 0 The ribbon (17) has an external run between the type element (25) and platen of a daisy-wheel typewriter. This run stretches between terminal members (59) which protrude from side arms (33 and 34) of the cartridge casing (18) and are fixed to the distal ends of arms (39, 41) pivotally mounted in the casing (18) at (52). The arms (39, 41) are biased downwardly by wire springs (67) to expose the typing line. Ribbon lift levers of the typewriter raise the arms simultaneously to position a selected one of three tracks on the ribbon at the level of the typing point. The terminal members (59) slide on guides (62) at the ends of the side arms (33, 34), constraining the external ribbon run to lie always within and translate within a single plane. The edges of the guides (62) are curged so that the tilt of the terminal members (59) varies as they move up and down, in such a way as to maintain the ribbon tension uniform across the width of the ribbon (17). The arms (39, 41) are flexible and have pivotal play to permit these constraints on the terminal members (59).

Inventors

  • 👤 Boris Ukmar
  • 👤 Mario Trompetto

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 10:44
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J33/00; B41J33/14; B41J33/24; B41J33/26; B41J32/00; B41J33/52; B41J35/00; B41J35/04; B41J35/10; B41J35/20

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim 125 words
L. A ribbon cartridge for a typewriter or other printing machine, comprising a typing ribbon (17) having a plurality of tracks which can be selected for the printing operation, a casing (I8) for the ribbon and a pair of terminal members (59) between which a portion of ribbon stretches outside the casing in front of the point of printing, and wherein the terminal members are movable with respect to the casing for selecting one of the plurality of tracks, characterised by a pair of guide supports (62) adapted to modify the relative position as between the terminal members (59) in response to the selection movement thereof, in such a manner as to make the tension in each track of substantially independent of the selected track.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 30 words
A cartridge according to claim 1, characterised in that the guide supports (59) cause the ribbon (17) to follow a substantially straight path which is independent of the selected track.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 32 words
A cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the terminal members .(59) are carried by respective oscillatory arms (39, 41) which are pivoted and slidable in the casing (18).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 46 words
A ribbon cartridge according to claim 2 and claim 3, characterised in that each of the oscillatory arms (39, 41) has a flexible portion (58) which is capable of compensating for the straight movement of the terminal members (59) with the movement of the oscillatory arms.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 45 words
A ribbon cartridge according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the oscillatory arms (39, 41) extend within the casing (18) and are pivoted on parts (53) of the casing which.are disposed at the maximum distance from the ribbon (17) where it is outside.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 30 words
A ribbon cartridge according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the guide supports (62) alter the relative inclination of the terminal members (59) of the said pair.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 47 words
A ribbon cartridge according to claim 6 insofar as dependent on claim 3, characterised in that the oscillatory arms (39, 41) are flexible and can yield to the torsion forces to compensate for the variations in inclination as between the terminal members (59) and the pivots (53).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 61 words
A ribbon cartridge according to claim 6 or 7, insofar as dependent on claim 2, characterised .in that the terminal members (59) of the pair have corresponding support edges (64) for the ribbon (17) which converge downwardly in the ribbon position in which printing is visible and converge.upwardly in the position in which the lowest track of the ribbon is selected.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 39 words
A ribbon cartridge according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pairs of guide supports (62) and terminal members (59) co-operate by means of cams having two parallel faces which are engaged by corresponding U-shaped elements.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 41 words
A ribbon cartridge according to claim 8 and claim 9, characterised in that the cams (62) have a shaped edge which co-operates with the bottom portion (63). of the U-shaped element to define the variable inclination of the terminal members (59).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 35 words
A ribbon cartridge according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by spring elements (67) for urging the pair of guide terminal members (59) to a preferential position in which the printing point is visible.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 62 words
A ribbon cartridge according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the casing (18) is provided with a pair of side arms (33, 34) which are arranged partially to accommodate therebetween a type-bearing element (25), when the cartridge is fitted on the machine, and in which each guide support (62) is carried by the end of a corresponding side arm.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 41 words
A cartridge according to claim 3 and claim 12, characterised in that the side arms (33, 34) are provided with cover means (26) which permit movement of the oscillatory arms (39, 41) and which leave only the terminal members (59) exposed.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 131 words
A ribbon cartridge for a typewriter or other printing machine, comprising a. typing ribbon (17) having a plurality of tracks which can be selected for the printing operation and a casing (18) for the ribbon which is provided with two side arms (33, 34) substantially perpendicular to the platen roller and capable of partially accommodating therebetween the type-bearing member (25) when the cartridge .is fitted on the machine, characterised by two guide supports (62) which are respectively carried by. the ends of the side arms (33, 34) and by two terminal members (59) which are adapted to stretch a portion of ribbon outside the casing and which in turn are guided movably by the guide supports to displace the ribbon along a substantially straight path which:is independent of the selected track.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 26 words
A ribbon cartridge according to claim 14, characterised in that the two terminal members (59) are carried by a corresponding pair of oscillatory arms (39, 41).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 39 words
A ribbon cartridge according to claim 15, characterised in that each oscillatory arm (39, 41) has a flexible portion (58) capable of compensating for the straight movement of the terminal members (59) with the movement of the oscillatory arms.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 33 words
A ribbon cartridge according to any of claims 14 to 16, characterised by spring elements (67) for urging the terminal members (59) to a preferential position in which the printing point is visible.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 134 words
A ribbon cartridge for a typewriter or other printing machine, comprising a typing ribbon (17) having a plurality of tracks which can be selected for the printing operation and a casing (18) for the ribbon which is provided with a pair of arms (33, 34) substantially perpendicular to the platen roller and capable of partially accommodating the type-bearing member (25) when.the cartridge is fitted on the machine, characterised by a pair of guide terminal members (59) adapted to . stretch a portion of the ribbon (17) outside the casing (18) , a pair of oscillatory arms (39, 41) which carry the guide terminal members.(59) and which extend within the casing, and portions (53) of the container which pivotally mount the oscillatory arms at the maximum distance from the portion of ribbon outside the casing.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 34 words
A cartridge according to claim 18, characterised by a cover (26) for the arms (33, 34) of the casing (18) , which protect the oscillatory arms (39,.41) while leaving the terminal members (59) exposed.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 45 words
A ribbon cartridge according to claim 18 or 19, characterised in that the oscillatory arms (39, 41) are provided with second guide means (48, 49, 51) for the ribbon (17) adjacent to the region in which the arms are pivotally mounted on the casing (18).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 115 words
A ribbon cartridge for a typewriter or other printing machine, comprising a casing (18) having a bottom portion (19) and a cover portion (26) for supporting a feed spool (81) and a take-up spool (91) and in which the feed spool is provided with a flange (86) co-operating with a spring-type positioning means (88) and the take-up spool has no flange, characterised in that the take-up spool (91) is provided with a tooth configuration 194) at one axial end and one of the bottom portion (19) and cover portion (26) is provided with a tongue (96, 97) co-operating with the tooth configuration to prevent unwinding of the ribbon which is wound on the take-up spool.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 164 words
A ribbon cartridge for a typewriter or other printing machine having a single drive shaft for the uni-directional advance movement of the ribbon and in which the cartridge comprises a casing, a take-up spool (191) for the ribbon (117) and a-pressure roller (202) and drive roller (127) which can be coupled to the drive shaft of the printing unit for uni-directional advance movement of the ribbon, characterised by a toothed wheel (128) forming part of a transmission between one of the rollers (127) and the take-up spool (191) which has a hub member (132) coaxially with the toothed wheel (128) and a friction clutch (131) between the hub member (132) and the toothed wheel (128) comprising a resilient ring (138), support elements (137) on the wheel or on the hub member which tension the resilient ring, causing it to assume an elongate shape, and a pulley (137) on the hub member or on the wheel respectively, which .is frictionally nipped in the resilient ring.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 92 words
A ribbon cartridge for a typewriter or other pringing machine, comprising a casing (218) for the ribbon (217) and a pair of arms (239; 241) which oscillate with respect to the casing and which stretch a portion of ribbon outside the .casing, characterised by a bend (243) .in at least one of the arms and by a spring element (244) which engages the ribbon adjacent to the bend, acting as a variable slack take-up means during the advance movement of the ribbon (217) and the oscillatory movement of the arms (239, 241).
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 142 words
A ribbon cartridge for a typewriter or other printing machine, comprising a casing (18) , a feed spool (81) on which the ribbon (17) to be used .is wound, one end of the ribbon being fixed thereto, and guide elements (59, 51, 102, 98) which cause the ribbon to follow a predetermined internal path, characterised by means (94, 96) which permit uni-directional advance movement of the ribbon, a spring-type positioning means (87, 88) for intermittent movement of the feed spool and an opening (111) in the casing (18) adjacent to two of the guide elements (51, 98) and arranged to permit access to a spring lever (112) of the machine having the double function of a variable slack take-up means for-the advance movement of the ribbon and as a ribbon end cut-out means when the feed spool is left without any ribbon.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 150 words
A ribbon cartridge for a typewriter or other printing machine, with an external ribbon run (17) extending between two terminal members (59) which are movable relative to the casing (18) of the cartridge by a mechanism of the printing machine to select one of a plurality of tracks on the ribbon for printing, characterised in that the terminal members (59) are guided by guide members (62) on the casing (18) which on the one hand constrain the terminal members to movement such that the external ribbon run (17) always lies in and translates in a single plane and on the other hand cause at least one of the terminal members to tilt, as it moves, about an axis perpendicular to the said plane in such a manner that the tension in the ribbon remains substantially uniform across the width of the ribbon, in all positions of the external ribbon run.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 66 words
A ribbon cartridge according to claim 25, wherein the terminal members (59) are carried by arms (39, 4l) pivotally mounted in the cartridge, characterised in that the arms are flexible and pivotally mounted with play to permit the movement to which the terminal members are constrained, and in that at least one arm can flex torsionally to permit the tilting of the corresponding terminal member (59).

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