Ribbon cassette and ribbon advance

Claim 1

An ink ribbon cassette for a printer having a print head which travels in a first direction and in a second direction opposite to said first direction over a record media for printing alphanumeric characters thereon comprising: a housing having an entrance and an exit; an inking ribbon in the form of a mobius loop having at least a portion of its length located within said housing and entering therein by way of said entrance and leaving therefrom by way of said exit; a first chamber in said housing containing a portion of said ribbon and into which said entrance opens; inking means in said first chamber contacting at least a portion of the ribbon located in said first chamber to transfer ink thereto; a second chamber in said housing for the storage of inked ribbon therein and including said exit; ribbon driving means located between said first chamber and said second chamber for transporting said ribbon from said first chamber and stuffing the same in random convolutions in the second chamber; one way clutch coupled to said ribbon driving means and having a latch arm extending therefrom into the path of travel of said print head; and means on said print head for alternately engaging said latch arm of said one way clutch during at least a portion of the travel of said printhead to move said latch arm in said first direction and then in said second direction opposite to said first direction to actuate said ribbon driving means during movement of said latch arm in one of said directions to thereby increment said ribbon in and out of said cassette as said printer traverses said record media.