Ribbon feed cartridge

Claim 2

A ribbon feed cartridge for use with a chain printer or the like, including a longitudinally extending array of adjoining type carriers, an imprint medium adjacent to said type carriers, and selectively operable hammer means in juxtaposition to said imprint medium and said type carriers for effecting imprinting, said cartridge comprising: an elongated cartridge support plate, spaced inked ribbon storage spools mounted on one side of said plate and supporting an inked ribbon therebetween, a plurality of guide rolls, each mounted on the other side of said plate from said spools and supporting a portion of said ribbon in the form of a loop surrounding said array of type carriers with portions crossing and recrossing from one side of said plate to the other, said loop including a large longitudinal run which lies beneath said crossed ribbon portions and extends parallel with said type carriers and between said imprint medium and said adjoining type carriers.

Claim 3

The ribbon feed cartridge as claimed in claim 1 for use in a chain printer further comprising: a type carrier support plate, and wherein adjoining type carriers define an endless loop carried by said type carrier support plate and said printer further comprises: means for moving said ribbon relative to said type carriers, and means for coupling said elongated cartridge support plate to said carrier support plate with said longitudinal run of said inked ribbon lying in juxtaposition to said array of type carriers.

Claim 4

The ribbon feed cartridge as claimed in claimed in claim 2, wherein said type carrier loop is driven by longitudinally spaced sprockets rotatably mounted on said carrier support plate and positioned on one face thereof, and said means for coupling said plates together comprises mounting pins extending laterally from said one face of said carrier support plate and corresponding mounting and locking slots carried by said cartridge support plate for receiving said mounting pins.

Claim 5

The ribbon feed cartridge, as claimed in claim 3 wherein said means of said printer for moving said ribbon relative to said type carriers comprises a power driven capstan positioned to drivingly engage said ribbon loop on the side of said cartridge support plate carrying said plurality of guide rolls, and said cartridge support plate further includes elongated slot means, and a pressure roll mounted on said cartridge support plate on the side carrying said guide rolls in contact with said ribbon for pressing said ribbon about the periphery of said capstan to ensure driving movement of said ribbon during rotation of said capstan, said pressure roll having support pins slidable within said elongated slot means whereby said pressure roll is shiftable on said cartridge support plate by driving contact of said ribbon by said capstan.

Claim 6

The ribbon feed cartridge as claimed in claim 4, wherein said cartridge support plate has four corners and an inboard end, said guide rolls being carried by said cartridge support plate at said four corners including corners proximate said inboard end thereof to define a generally rectangular ribbon loop including a portion extending between said guide rolls on said corners proximate said inboard end of said cartridge support plate, and said capstan makes contact with said portion of said ribbon loop extending between said guide rolls on said inboard end of said cartridge support plate, and said elongated slot means for said support pins of said pressure roll for carrying said pressure roll lies inside said ribbon loop parallel to said portion of said ribbon loop extending between said guide rolls on said inboard end of said cartridge support plate, said elongated slot means being located for spacing said pressure roll from one of said guide rolls at one of said corners proximate said inboard end of said cartridge support plate a distance which causes said pressure roll to be shifted by said capstan upon insertion of said cartridge into said printer whereby said ribbon is caused to be frictionally wrapped about said power driven capstan.

Claim 7

A ribbon feed cartridge drive system comprising: a fixed cartridge locator block; a ribbon feed cartridge comprising an elongated, generally rectangular cartridge support plate carrying longitudinally spaced spools positioned on one side of said plate for rotation about their axis normal to said plate and supporting a ribbon therebetween, said cartridge support plate having an inboard end locatable in substantial abutment with said locator block, a plurality of fixed guide rolls, each mounted for rotation about its axis and carried on the opposite side of said cartridge support plate, with the axes of rotation of said guide rolls and said spools being generally parallel, said fixed guide rolls including certain guide rolls in the vicinity of said inboard end of said cartridge support plate, said ribbon crossing and recrossing from said one side of said cartridge support plate to said opposite side and contacting the periphery of said guide rolls to define a single ribbon loop on said opposite side of said cartridge support plate, said ribbon loop including a portion on said guide rolls in the vicinity of said inboard end of said cartridge support plate, said cartridge support plate further having elongated slot means; mounting means for mounting said cartridge support plate at a fixed position with respect to said fixed cartridge locator block with said inboard end of said cartridge support plate in substantial abutment with said locator block; a power-driven capstan mounted for rotation about a fixed axis in front of said cartridge locator block for contacting said ribbon exteriorly along said portion of said ribbon loop in the vicinity of said inboard end of said cartridge support plate; and a pressure roll carried by said cartridge support plate in contact interiorly with said ribbon loop, said pressure roll having support pins slidable in said elongated slot means of said cartridge support plate whereby said pressure roll is shiftable by said capstan upon movement of said cartridge support plate into substantial abutment with said locator block, and means mounted on said locator block for biasing said pressure roll in opposition to shifting by said capstan whereby during abutting contact of said inboard end of said cartridge support plate and said fixed cartridge locator block, said pressure roll causes a high frictional wrap of said portion of said ribbon in the vicinity of said inboard end of said cartridge support plate about the periphery of said capstan.

Claim 8

A ribbon feed cartridge drive system comprising: a fixed cartridge locator block; a ribbon feed cartridge comprising an elongated, generally rectangular cartridge support plate carrying longitudinally spaced spools positioned on one side of said plate for rotation about their axis normal to said plate and supporting a ribbon therebetween, said cartridge support plate having an inboard end locatable in substantial abutment with said locator block, a plurality of fixed guide rolls, each mounted for rotation about its axis and carried on the opposite side of said cartridge support plate, with the axes of rotation of said guide rolls and said spools being generally parallel, said fixed guide rolls including certain guide rolls in the vicinity of said inboard end of said cartridge support plate, said ribbon crossing and recrossing from said one side of said cartridge support plate to said opposite side and contacting the periphery of said guide rolls to define a single ribbon loop on said opposite side of said cartridge support plate, said ribbon loop including a portion on said guide rolls in the vicinity of said inboard end of said cartridge support plate, said cartridge support plate further having elongated slot means; mounting means for mounting said cartridge support plate at a fixed position with respect to said fixed cartridge locator block with said inboard end of said cartridge support plate in substantial abutment with said locator block; a power-driven capstan mounted for rotation about a fixed axis in front of said cartridge locator block for contacting said ribbon exteriorly along said portion of said ribbon loop in the vicinity of said inboard end of said cartridge support plate; and a pressure roll carried by said cartridge support plate in contact interiorly with said ribbon loop, said pressure roll having support pins slidable in said elongated slot means of said cartridge support plate whereby said pressure roll is shiftable by said capstan upon movement of said cartridge support plate into substantial abutment with said locator block, and means mounted on said locator block for biasing said pressure roll in opposition to shifting by said capstan whereby during abutting contact of said inboard end of said cartridge support plate and said fixed cartridge locator block, said pressure roll causes a high frictional wrap of said portion of said ribbon in the vicinity of said inboard end of said cartridge support plate about the periphery of said capstan.

Claim 9

The ribbon feed cartridge drive system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said biasing means includes at least one pressure arm pivotally mounted on said locator block and extending outwardly therefrom to releasably engage at least one of said support pins of said pressure roll, and a spring normally biasing said pivotable pressure arm toward said capstan, whereby, in response to movement of said ribbon into contact with the periphery of said capstan upon movement of said cartridge into abutment with said locator block, said capstan causes said pressure roll to pivot said pressure arm against the bias of said spring to thereby maintain frictional contact between the periphery of said capstan and said ribbon wrapped thereabout.

Claim 10

The ribbon feed cartridge drive system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said fixed cartridge locator block includes a recess within the face thereof facing said inboard end of said cartridge support plate, and means for sensing the motion of said cartridge support plate into and out of abutting contact with said cartridge locator block comprising a microswitch positioned within said recess and having a plunger element extendable beyond said face of said block for depression thereof to actuate said microswitch upon contact with said inboard end of said cartridge support plate.