Removable cartridge for the inked ribbon for typewriters, calculating machines or other office machines

Claim 2

A removable cartridge for an inked ribbon for an office printing machine of the type including a supporting platform, two motive shafts rotatably projecting from said platform, a ribbon reversal feed mechanism including two sensing elements for rotating one or another of said two motive shafts in one predetermined sense of rotation, a closure plate including a central tongue, an engaging tongue projecting from said platform, said closure plate being fulcrumed on said platform between an inoperative location and an operative location for causing said central tongue to engage said engaging tongue in correspondance with said operative location of said closure plate, and means connecting said closure plate with said two sensing elements for moving said sensing elements from inoperative positions away from said motive shafts in correspondence with said inoperative location of said closure plate of operative positions of said sensing elements near said motive shafts, in correspondence with said operative location of said closure plate, said cartridge comprising a. a container including a main wall, a series of side elements connected to said main wall perpendicular to said main wall, two ribbon spools, means rotatably supporting said spools in lateral spaced relation within said container about an axis perpendicular to said main wall, means for accomodating said motive shafts concentrically with said spools, and an inked ribbon having ends fixed to said spools and wound in coils on said spools, one of said side elements defining a pair of slits for the passage of said inked ribbon from the one to the other of said spools outside said container, and said spools being provided with corresponding engaging means for engaging said motive shafts; b. aperture means on said container for causing said sensing elements during the movement thereof from said inoperative positions to said operative positions to bear against said coils of ribbons wound on said spools, and sense the amount of coils of ribbon wound on said spools; and c. first means defining a recess between said two spools in said main wall for cooperating with said tongue of said closure plate in correspondence with the operative location of said closure plate for fixing said Container on said platform jointly to the bearing of said sensing elements against said coils.

Claim 3

In an inked ribbon cartridge including a parallel-epipedal container having top and bottom walls interconnected by side walls, a pair of ribbon spools variably winding coils of inked ribbon thereon, said spools being in lateral spaced relation within said container, and means included in said container for rotatably supporting said spools about axes perpendicular to said top and bottom walls, one rear wall of said side walls including a pair of slots for the passage of a portion of said ribbon from the one to another of said spools outside container, and said bottom wall having a pair of openings therethrough concentrically aligned with said ribbon spools for causing a pair of spindle means of a printing calculating machine to engage said pair of spools, the combination comprising a. a pair of arm members projecting from said rear wall adjacent to said pair of slots for guiding said portion of ribbon parallel to said rear wall a predetermined distance from said rear wall along a line of said printing calculating machine, said spindle means being supported by a platform fixed to said printing calculating machine, and said arm members and said ribbon defining a space accomodating a printing head of said calculating machine in correspondence with movement of said printing head along said printing line; b. means defining apertures in a front wall of said side walls opposite to said rear wall for freely receiving two sensing levers of a ribbon reversal feed mechanism pivoted on said platform of said printing calculating machine, said two spools being accessible by said sensing levers through said apertures to be sensed for a predetermined amount of coil wound thereon to cause said feed mechanism to drive said pair of spindles in one sense and the other sense respectively in dependence on said amount; c. a pair of covering portions disposed above said spools and included in said top wall for covering said pair of spools; and d. means defining a supporting surface in said container adjacent to said pair of covering portions and recessed therein for cooperating with a tongue of a closure member pivotally supported by said platform for preventing undesired movement of said container and said ribbon jointly with the sensing of said coils by said sensing levers.

Claim 4

In an inked ribbon cartridge including a parallel-epipedal container having top and bottom walls interconnected by side walls, a pair of ribbon spools variably winding coils of inked ribbon thereon, said spools being in lateral spaced relation within said container, and means included in said container for rotatably supporting said spools about axes perpendicular to said top and bottom walls, one rear wall of said side walls including a pair of slots for the passage of a portion of said ribbon from the one to another of said spools outside container, and said bottom wall having a pair of openings therethrough concentrically aligned with said ribbon spools for causing a pair of spindle means of a printing calculating machine to engage said pair of spools, the combination comprising a. a pair of arm members projecting from said rear wall adjacent to said pair of slots for guiding said portion of ribbon parallel to said rear wall a predetermined distance from said rear wall along a line of said printing calculating machine, said spindle means being supported by a platform fixed to said printing calculating machine, and said arm members and said ribbon defining a space accomodating a printing head of said calculating machine in correspondence with movement of said printing head along said printing line; b. means defining apertures in a front wall of said side walls opposite to said rear wall for freely receiving two sensing levers of a ribbon reversal feed mechanism pivoted on said platform of said printing calculating machine, said two spools being accessible by said sensing levers through said apertures to be sensed for a predetermined amount of coil wound thereon to cause said feed mechanism to drive said pair of spindles in one sense and the other sense respectively in dependence on said amount; c. a pair of covering portions disposed above said spools and included in said top wall for covering said pair of spools; and d. means defining a supporting surface in said container adjacent to said pair of covering portions and recessed therein for cooperating with a tongue of a closure member pivotally supported by said platform for preventing undesired movement of said container and said ribbon jointly with the sensing of said coils by said sensing levers.

Claim 5

A removable cartridge for an inked ribbon of a calculating machine of the type including a supporting platen, a printing head movable transversely of said platen, a supporting platform transversely stationary with respect to said platen, two motive shafts projecting from said platform and rotatably supported therefrom, a ribbon reversal feed mechanism, two sensing levers fulcrumed on said platform and operatively connected to said feed mechanism for rotating one or another of said two motive shafts in one predetermined sense of rotation, a closure plate including a central tongue having a detent lug, an engaging tongue having a shoulder a projecting from said platform, said closure plate being fulcrumed on said platform between an inoperative and an operative location, resilient means for causing said dentent lug of said central tongue to engage said shoulder of said engaging tongue in corresponding with said operative location of said closure plate and means connecting said closure plate with said two sensing levers for position said sensing levers from inoperative positions away from said motive shafts in correspondence with said inoperative location of said closure plate to operative positions of said sensing levers near said, motive shafts in correspondence with said operative location of said closure plate, said cartridge comprising: a. a container including a main wall, a series of side walls connected to said main wall perpendicular to said main wall, two ribbon spools, means rotatably supporting said spools in lateral spaced relation within said container about axes perpendicular to said main wall, and an inked ribbon having ends fixed to said spools and wound in coils in said spools, one side wall of said side walls defining a pair of slits for the passage of a portion of said inked ribbon from the one to the other of said spools outside said container, and said spools being provided with corresponding engaging means for engaging said motive shafts; b. a pair of arm members projecting from said one side wall for guiding said portion of inked ribbon parallel to said platen and accomodating said printing head along the transverse movement thereof; c. aperture means in said container for causing said sensing levers in said operative positions to be rotated in response to the amount of coils of inked ribbon wound on said spools; d. first means defining a recess in said main wall between said axes for cooperating with said central tongue, in correspondence of the operative location of said closure plate, and fixing said container on said platform; and e. second means defining a space in said one side wall adjacent said recess for accomodating said engaging tongue and said detent lug of said central tongue in the operative location of said closure member, aligning said dentent lug with said one side wall.

Claim 6

A removable cartridge for an inked ribbon of a calculating machine of the type including a supporting platen, a printing head movable transversely of said platen, a supporting platform transversely stationary with respect to said platen, two motive shafts projecting from said platform and rotatably supported therefrom, a ribbon reversal feed mechanism, two sensing levers fulcrumed on said platform and operatively connected to said feed mechanism for rotating one or another of said two motive shafts in one predetermined sense of rotation, a closure plate including a central tongue having a detent lug, an engaging tongue having a shoulder a projecting from said platform, said closure plate being fulcrumed on said platform between an inoperative and an operative location, resilient means for causing said dentent lug of said central tongue to engage said shoulder of said engaging tongue in corresponding with said operative location of said closure plate and means connecting said closure plate with said two sensing levers for position said sensing levers from inoperative positions away from said motive shafts in correspondence with said inoperative location of said closure plate to operative positions of said sensing levers near said, motive shafts in correspondence with said operative location of said closure plate, said cartridge comprising: a. a container including a main wall, a series of side walls connected to said main wall perpendicular to said main wall, two ribbon spools, means rotatably supporting said spools in lateral spaced relation within said container about axes perpendicular to said main wall, and an inked ribbon having ends fixed to said spools and wound in coils in said spools, one side wall of said side walls defining a pair of slits for the passage of a portion of said inked ribbon from the one to the other of said spools outside said container, and said spools being provided with corresponding engaging means for engaging said motive shafts; b. a pair of arm members projecting from said one side wall for guiding said portion of inked ribbon parallel to said platen and accomodating said printing head along the transverse movement thereof; c. aperture means in said container for causing said sensing levers in said operative positions to be rotated in response to the amount of coils of inked ribbon wound on said spools; d. first means defining a recess in said main wall between said axes for cooperating with said central tongue, in correspondence of the operative location of said closure plate, and fixing said container on said platform; and e. second means defining a space in said one side wall adjacent said recess for accomodating said engaging tongue and said detent lug of said central tongue in the operative location of said closure member, aligning said dentent lug with said one side wall.

Claim 7

A removable cartridge for an inked ribbon for an office machine, comprising a container and two ribbon-carrying spools rotatable therein in either direction of rotation, said container having at least a main wall to which the axes of said spools are perpendicular, a series of side walls perpendicular to said main wall, a pair of slits in one of said side walls for the passage of the ribbon from the one to the other of said spools along a path which, between the slits, lies outside said container, wherein said machine is of the type including two spindles for engaging said spools, two sensing elements pivoted on said machine, parallel to said axes for sensing the amount of ribbon carried by said spools, a feed reversal mechanism connected to said sensing elements for driving said two spindles in response to the position of said sensing elements, and means for attaching said cartridge to the machine, wherein the improvement comprises: a pair of apertures in a side wall opposite said one side wall, each of said apertures being associated with one of said spools, said sensing elements entering said container thru said apertures to sense said amount of ribbon on said spools, and said attaching means comprising a closure member, pivot means supporting said closure member on the machine for movement between a first position in which said closure member holds said cartridge fixed on the machine and a second position in which said cartridge is free to be taken off said machine, and a coupling mechanism arranged on said closure member in order to act on said sensing elements for withdrawing said sensing elements from said apertures when said closure member is in said second position.

Claim 8

A removable cartridge for an inked ribbon for an office machine, comprising a container and two ribbon-carrying spools rotatable therein in either direction of rotation, said container having at least a main wall to which the axes of said spools are perpendicular, a series of side walls perpendicular to said main wall, a pair of slits in one of said side walls for the passage of the ribbon from the one to the other of said spools along a path which, between the slits, lies outside said container, wherein said machine is of the type including two spindles for engaging said spools, two sensing elements pivoted on said machine, parallel to said axes for sensing the amount of ribbon carried by said spools, a feed reversal mechanism connected to said sensing elements for driving said two spindles in response to the position of said sensing elements, and means for attaching said cartridge to the machine, wherein the improvement comprises: a pair of apertures in a side wall opposite said one side wall, each of said apertures being associated with one of said spools, said sensing elements entering said container thru said apertures to sense said amount of ribbon on said spools, and said attaching means comprising a closure member, pivot means supporting said closure member on the machine for movement between a first position in which said closure member holds said cartridge fixed on the machine and a second position in which said cartridge is free to be taken off said machine, and a coupling mechanism arranged on said closure member in order to act on said sensing elements for withdrawing said sensing elements from said apertures when said closure member is in said second position.

Claim 9

A removable cartridge according to claim 4, wherein said sensing elements comprise a pair of scissor levers mounted on a pivot on the machine and biased by a spring to rotate in opposite senses, thereby entering the two apertures respectively, said coupling mechanism acting on said levers to rotate said levers against the action of the spring, and said cartridge container having a recess in said opposite wall accommodating said pivot.

Claim 10

A removable cartridge according to claim 5, wherein said closure member comprises a tongue, said tongue, in said first position of said closure member, being received within a recess of said main wall of said cartridge container and being swung away from said main wall recess on movement to said second position of said closure member.

Claim 11

A removable cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the free end of said tongue remote from said pivot means of said closure member ends in a V-shaped projection, said projection carrying a detent lug for engaging a shoulder fixed to the machine, thereby holding said closure member releasably in the first position, and said cartridge wall is recessed to accomodate said projection and shoulder.

Claim 12

A removable cartridge according to claim 7 to said ribbon slits to guide said ribbon outside said container over a path spaced from said one side wall, said two arms projecting from said one side wall for defining a space between said ribbon and said one side wall, within which a printing head of the machine is movable, said V-shaped projection and said shoulder being outside the path of movement of said printing head.

Claim 13

A inked ribbon feed mechansim for an office machine comprising: a. a cartridge including a container, two spools rotatable in said container, and inked ribbon having one end attached to one of said two spools and the other end attached to the other of said two spools, said ribbon being wound in coils over said spools, two slits in said container for the passage of said inked ribbon from the one to the other of said two spools outside said container and means defining a passage in said container; b. supporting means for removably supporting said container on said office machine; c. two spindle means rotatable on said supporting means about parallel axes and engageable by said two spools for respectively rotating said spools in either direction of rotation; d. two sensing elements movably supported by said supporting means between an inoperative position away from said spools and an operative position wherein said sensing elements bear against said coils of ribbon wound on said spools; e. a ribbon reversal mechanism operatively connected with said sensing elements when in said operative position for driving one of said two spindle means in a predetermined sense of rotation upon sensing a predetermined amount of said coils being wound on one of said spools; f. a closure member movably supported by said supporting means between a first position wherein said closure member fixes said container over said supporting means and a second position wherein said closure member releases said container for allowing said container to be taken off said supporting means along a direction parallel to said axis, said passage defining means of said cartridge lying in a path outside said sensing elements positioned in said inoperative position; and g. a coupling mechanism connecting said closure member with said two sensing elements for causing said sensing elements to be positioned in said inoperative position when said closure member is in said second position, so that said container can be freely taken off.

Claim 14

A inked ribbon feed mechansim for an office machine comprising: a. a cartridge including a container, two spools rotatable in said container, and inked ribbon having one end attached to one of said two spools and the other end attached to the other of said two spools, said ribbon being wound in coils over said spools, two slits in said container for the passage of said inked ribbon from the one to the other of said two spools outside said container and means defining a passage in said container; b. supporting means for removably supporting said container on said office machine; c. two spindle means rotatable on said supporting means about parallel axes and engageable by said two spools for respectively rotating said spools in either direction of rotation; d. two sensing elements movably supported by said supporting means between an inoperative position away from said spools and an operative position wherein said sensing elements bear against said coils of ribbon wound on said spools; e. a ribbon reversal mechanism operatively connected with said sensing elements when in said operative position for driving one of said two spindle means in a predetermined sense of rotation upon sensing a predetermined amount of said coils being wound on one of said spools; f. a closure member movably supported by said supporting means between a first position wherein said closure member fixes said container over said supporting means and a second position wherein said closure member releases said container for allowing said container to be taken off said supporting means along a direction parallel to said axis, said passage defining means of said cartridge lying in a path outside said sensing elements positioned in said inoperative position; and g. a coupling mechanism connecting said closure member with said two sensing elements for causing said sensing elements to be positioned in said inoperative position when said closure member is in said second position, so that said container can be freely taken off.

Claim 15

An inked ribbon feed mechanism according to claim 9 wherein said container includes a main wall rotatably supporting said two spools about axes perpendicular to said main wall, a series of side walls perpendicular to said main wall, said two slits being included in said side walls and said two sensing elements being in said inoperative position away from said container.

Claim 16

An inked ribbon feed mechanism according to claim 9, wherein said supporting means comprise a platform of said machine and said two sensing elements comprise a pair of scissor levers mounted on a pivot fixed to said platform, said pair of scissor levers being biased by a spring to rotate in opposite senses toward said two spools when in said operative positions; and said coupling mechanism acting on said pair of scissor levers to rotate said pair of scissor levers against the action of said spring in said second position of said closure member.

Claim 17

An inked ribbon feed mechanism according to claim 9, wherein said closure member includes a T shaped plate having two arms and a central tongue and wherein said supporting means comprise a platform, pivot means of said platform pivotally mounting said two arms of said T shaped plate, and a shoulder projecting from said platform, one end of said central tongue of said T shaped plate including a V shaped projection and said projection carrying a detent lug for engaging said sHoulder in the first position of said closure member, and fixing said container over said platform.

Claim 18

An inked ribbon feed mechanism according to claim 9, wherein said ribbon reversal mechanism comprises a reversal member engaging, between a first position and a second position, a corresponding drive element of a ribbon drive mechanism in order to effect drive of said ribbon spools in one sense and the other sense, respectively, a reversal spring and means carrying said reversal spring for causing said reversal spring to bias said reversal member from said first position towards said second position and vice-versa a pair of latches for arresting said reversal member in said first position and in said second position against the action of said reversal spring, each of said pair of latches cooperating with a corresponding one of said two sensing elements in order to disengage said reversal member when the inked ribbon on the corresponding spool has reached a minimum quantity such as to require reversal of the inked ribbon, thereby causing said reversal spring to move said reversal member from said first position to the second position and vice-versa and a reload element responsive to the movement of said reversal member for repositioning said carrying means for causing said reversal spring to bias said reversal member from said second position back towards said first position and vice-versa.

Claim 19

An inked ribbon feed mechanism according to claim 13 wherein said ribbon drive mechanism comprises two spool gears coupled to said two spindle means, respectively, and a train of further gears driven by a drive shaft rotatable in a single direction, two oppositely rotating ones of said further gears being parallel to and coaxial with said two spool gears, respectively, and said drive elements including two pinions freely rotatable on said reversal member, said reversal member, in said first position and in said second position causing a corresponding one of said pinions to be meshed with a corresponding one of said spool gears and with the further gear coaxial with said spool gear.

Claim 22

A device according to claim 15, wherein said coupling mechanism comprises: cam means on the closure member and wherein said sensing elements comprise a pair of scissor levers biased by a spring for bearing against said ribbon on said two spools, respectively, said cam means being arranged to transmit thrust to said levers, in order to rotate said levers against the action of said spring when the closure member is moved from said first position to said second position.

Claim 23

A device according to claim 16, wherein said cam means transmit thrust to said levers through two rocking levers pivotally mounted on the machine.