Demountable ribbon reel

Claim 2

A reel for windably holding a roll of material and wherein the material may be conveniently installed therein and removed therefrom, said reel comprising: a. a pair of separatable spaced-apart flanges at least a first of which is provided with a central aperture serving as an axis of rotation for said reel and also as engaging means relative to a material utilizing device, b. first means associated with said first flange for holding a spool in fixed angular relationship relative to and intermediate said flanges and for windably activating a second of said flanges in response to the windable activation of said first flange by said material utilizing device, said first means including a pair of cylindrical anchor posts fixed to said first flange and a pair of circular apertures formed in said second flange, and c. second means associated with said second flange and engageably cooperating with said first means to securably hold said spool between said flanges such that said spool defines said spaced-apart relationship therebetween, said second means including a pair of rectilinear recesses formed in said pair of cylindrical anchor posts and resilient latching means operatively coupled to said second flange, said resilient latching means being manually manipulatable to disengage said second flange from said first flange to thereby effectuate removal or installation of said spool, the installation of a said spool being for the purpose of utilizing the material wound therearound and the removal of a said spool being for the purpose of disposing of the utilized material collected therearound.

Claim 3

A reel as defined in claim 1 wherein said pair of cylindrical anchor posts of said first means are fixed to and normally disposed of the planar surface of said first flange adjacent said second flange, and are disposed also in radial straddling relationship to said central aperture of said first flange, said anchor posts being effective for receiving a said spool by means of at least a pair of correspondingly disposed apertures formed therein, and wherein said pair of circular apertures of said first means are formed in said second flange in corresponding radial relationship to said pair of anchor posts fixed to said first flange, said apertures being effective for receiving said anchor posts to thereby effect said windable activation of said second flange in response to the activation of said first flange by said material utilizing device.

Claim 4

A reel as defined in claim 2 wherein said pair of rectilinear recesses of said second means formed in said anchor posts of said first means are of predetermined length and depth and disposed on the side of said anchor posts adjacent said central aperture of said first flange, and wherein said resiLient latching means operatively coupled to said second flange is disposed on the exterior planar surface thereof opposite the surface adjacent said first flange, said resilient latching means being contiguously disposed relative to said pair of circular apertures formed in said second flange and cooperably disposed relative to said rectilinear recesses formed in said anchor posts such that a said spool is securably held between said flanges.

Claim 5

A reel as defined in claim 3 wherein said resilient latching means comprises: a. a generally U-shaped web member attached to said exterior planar surface of said second flange at a predetermined intermediate point along a base portion of said web member, and b. a pair of offset projections integrally formed on the free-end extremities of said U-shaped web member, said projections extending outwardly of the web member in a plane contiguous to and parallel with the plane of said exterior surface of said second flange, said free-end extremities of said web member being yieldably displaceable from a normal set inwardly of said pair of circular apertures formed in said second flange and of said pair of anchor posts fixed to said first flange such that upon termination of said displacement said extremities resiliently return to said normal set wherein said projections thereof latchably engage said pair of rectilinear recesses of said anchor posts and particularly a pair of outermost ledges formed thereby.

Claim 6

A reel as defined in claim 4 wherein said resilient latching means is additionally provided with a protective guide bar fixed to said exterior surface of said second flange, said bar serving to guidably retain and to support the outermost extremities of said offset projections of said U-shaped web member during said yieldable displacement and resilient return thereof, said support serving further to oppose extraneous forces that might be applied to said U-shaped web member and to thereby preserve said attachment thereof to said exterior surface of said second flange.

Claim 7

A reel as defined in claim 4 wherein said U-shaped web member is additionally provided with a pair of manually operable tabs integrally formed on the free-end extremities thereof opposite said offset projections, said pair of tabs being manually contractable to effectuate said yieldable displacement of said free-end extremities and said offset projections to thereby unlatch said offset projections and said second flange from said anchor posts and said first flange.

Claim 8

A ribbon take-up reel for use in a ribbon utilizing device wherein the utilized ribbon may be effectively collected and disposed of, said take-up reel comprising; a. a pair of separatable spaced-apart flanges at least a first of which is provided with a central aperture serving as an axis of rotation for said reel and also as engaging means relative to said ribbon utilizing device, b. a ribbon spool effective for windably collecting said utilized ribbon for effectively disposing of same, said spool having a central aperture coaxially disposed of said central aperture of said first flange and engageable by said ribbon utilizing device, c. first means associated with said first flange for holding said ribbon spool in fixed angular relationship relative to and intermediate said flanges and for rotatably activating a second of said flanges in response to the activation of said first flange by said ribbon utilizing device, said first means including a pair of cylindrical anchor posts fixed to said first flange and a pair of circular apertures formed in said second flange, and d. second means associated with said second flange and engageably cooperating with said first means to securably hold said ribbon spool between said flanges such that said spool defines said spaced-apart relationship therebetween, said second means including a pair of rectilinear recesses formed in said pair of cylindrical anchor posts and resilient latching means operatively coupled to sAid second flange, said resilient latching means being manually manipulatable to disengage said second flange from said first flange to thereby effectuate removal of said ribbon spool and disposition of the utilized ribbon woundably collected therearound.

Claim 9

A ribbon take-up reel for use in a ribbon utilizing device wherein the utilized ribbon may be effectively collected and disposed of, said take-up reel comprising; a. a pair of separatable spaced-apart flanges at least a first of which is provided with a central aperture serving as an axis of rotation for said reel and also as engaging means relative to said ribbon utilizing device, b. a ribbon spool effective for windably collecting said utilized ribbon for effectively disposing of same, said spool having a central aperture coaxially disposed of said central aperture of said first flange and engageable by said ribbon utilizing device, c. first means associated with said first flange for holding said ribbon spool in fixed angular relationship relative to and intermediate said flanges and for rotatably activating a second of said flanges in response to the activation of said first flange by said ribbon utilizing device, said first means including a pair of cylindrical anchor posts fixed to said first flange and a pair of circular apertures formed in said second flange, and d. second means associated with said second flange and engageably cooperating with said first means to securably hold said ribbon spool between said flanges such that said spool defines said spaced-apart relationship therebetween, said second means including a pair of rectilinear recesses formed in said pair of cylindrical anchor posts and resilient latching means operatively coupled to sAid second flange, said resilient latching means being manually manipulatable to disengage said second flange from said first flange to thereby effectuate removal of said ribbon spool and disposition of the utilized ribbon woundably collected therearound.

Claim 10

A reel as defined in claim 7 wherein said pair of cylindrical anchor posts of said first means are fixed to and normally disposed of the planar surface of said first flange adjacent said second flange, and are disposed in radial straddling relationship to said central aperture of said first flange, said anchor posts being effective for receiving a said ribbon spool by means of at least a pair of correspondingly disposed apertures formed therein, and wherein said pair of circular apertures of said first means are formed in said second flange in corresponding radial relationship to said pair of anchor posts fixed to said first flange, said apertures being effective for receiving said anchor posts to thereby effect said windable activation of said second flange in response to the activation of said first flange by said ribbon utilizing device.

Claim 11

A reel as defined in claim 8 wherein said pair of rectilinear recesses of said second means formed in said anchor posts of said first means are of predetermined length and depth and disposed on the side of said anchor posts adjacent said central aperture of said first flange, and wherein said resilient latching means operatively coupled to said second flange is disposed on the exterior planar surface thereof opposite the surface adjacent said first flange, said resilient latching means being contiguously disposed relative to said pair of circular apertures formed in said second flange and cooperably disposed relative to said rectilinear recesses formed in said anchor posts such that a said ribbon spool is securably held between said flanges.

Claim 12

A reel as defined in claim 9 wherein said resilient latching means comprises: a. a generally U-shaped web member attached to said exterior planar surface of said second flange at a predetermined intermediate point along a base portion of said web member, and b. a pair of offset projections integrally formed on the free-end extremities of said U-shaped web member, said projections extending outwardly of the web member in a plane contiguous to and parallel with the plane of said exterior surface of said second flange, said free-end extremities of said web member being yieldably displaceable from a normal set inwardly of said pair of circular apertures formed in said second flange and of said pair of anchor posts fixed to said first flange such that upon termination of said displacement said extremities resiliently return to said normal set wherein said projections thereof latchably engage said pair of rectilinear recesses of said anchor posts and particularly a pair of outermost ledges formed thereby.

Claim 13

A reel as defined in claim 10 wherein said resilient latching means is additionally provided with a protective guide bar fixed to said exterior surface of said second flange, said bar serving to guidably retain and to support the outermost extremities of said offset projections of said U-shaped web member during said yieldable displacement and resilient return thereof, said support serving further to oppose extraneous forces that might be applied to said U-shaped web member and to thereby preserve said attachment thereof to said exterior surface of said second flange.

Claim 14

A reel as defined in claim 10 wherein said U-shaped web member is additionally provided with a pair of manually operable tabs integrally formed on the free-end extremities thereof opposite said offset projections, said pair of tabs being manually contractable to effectuate said yieldable displacement of said free-end extremities and said offset projections to thereby unlatch said offset projections and said second flange from said anchor posts and said first flange.