Removable cartridge for an inked ribbon and ribbon feed mechanism for printing machines

Claim 2

An inked ribbon cartridge removably fittable on a printing machine, wherein the inked ribbon is wound on two spools rotatable in the cartridge and the printing machine is of the type including a ribbon reversal feed mechanism comprising a support on which the cartridge is fittable; two transport elements rotatably projecting from said support; two sensing elements movable between an operative position in contact with the spools and an inoperative position away from the spools, said sensing elements, in said operative position, sensing a predetermined minimum number of turns of ribbon thereon for rotating one or another of said two transport elements in one predetermined sense of rotation; and a control element projecting from said support and movable thereon between a first and a second position for shifting said sensing elements between said operative position and, respectively, said inoperative position and means for holding said control element in said second position when the cartridge is removed from said support; said cartridge comprising: a container including a top wall and a bottom wall; a side wall interconnecting said top wall with said bottom wall and defining a pair of slots for the passage of said inked ribbon from the one to the other of said spools outside said container; means rotatably supporting said spools in said container about axes substantially perpendicular to said bottom wall; means for accommodating said transport elements concentrically with said spools, said spools being provided with corresponding engaging means for engaging said transport elements in response to the fitting of the cartridge on the machine; at least one aperture in said bottom wall for the access of said sensing elements to said two spools allowing said sensing elements to be freely shifted from said inoperative position to said operative position and viceversa; and an opposing element in said bottom wall for moving said control element from said second position to said first position in response of the fitting of the cartridge on said support, so that the movement of said sensing elements from said inoperative position to said operative position is obtained with the sole fitting movement of the cartridge.

Claim 3

A cartridge as in claim 1, wherein said support comprises a catch element for removably fixing the cartridge on the support and wherein said cartridge comprises a hole in said bottom wall adapted to accommodate said catch element and resilient tongues, disposed in said hole and cooperating with said catch element for keeping said bottom wall arrested against said support, and said control element arrested in said second position.

Claim 4

A removable cartridge as in claim 2 wherein said opposing element comprises a part of said bottom wall which cooperates with said control element when said container is rested on said support and wherein said hole is in a position equidistant from said transport elements.

Claim 5

A cartridge as in claim 3, wherein said at least one aperture comprises a pair of apertures each associated with one of said spools for access of said sensing elements, and wherein said two apertures are disposed on mutually opposite sides with respect to said hole and said opposing element.

Claim 6

An inked ribbon cartridge, wherein the ribbon is wound around two spools and which is removably mountable in printing machine of the type comprising a cartridge support; two transport elements rotatably projecting from said support and each associated with one spool of said spools; two sensing elements associated with said transport elements for sensing that a predetermined minimum quantity of wound ribbon is available for use and each having a lug for cooperating with the ribbon wound on the one associated spool; spring means urging said lugs of said sensing elements from an inoperative position away from said transport elements to an operative position near said spools which cooperate with said ribbon; motive means responsive to the position of each lug for rotating one or another of said two transport elements in one predetermined sense of rotation; a control element projecting from said support and normally maintaining each lug in the inoperative position in opposition to the action of said spring means when the cartridge is removed from said support; and hook means movable on said support between a first and a second position into the path of said sensing elements to arrest and release, respectively, the sensing elements in a position proximate to the inoperative position of said lugs in opposition to the action of the said spring means; said cartridge comprising: a container having a top portion, a bottom portion, a side portion having a pair of openings for the passage of said inked ribbon from the one to the other of said spools outside said container and, means for rotatably supporting said spools inside said container; means for accommodating said transport elements concentrically with said spools being provided with corresponding engaging means for being engaged by said transport elements; at least one aperture in the bottom portion of said container for the access of the lugs of said sensing elements to said two spools; means for removably fixing the container on the support including a snap locking device; an opposing element on the bottom portion of said container cooperative with said control element in response of the fitting of the cartridge on said support for causing said sensing elements to be shifted from said inoperative position toward said operative position; and another opposing element on the bottom portion of said container, for moving said hook means to said second position for causing said spring means to move said sensing elements from the position proximate said inoperative position to said operative position only when the cartridge is correctly mounted on said support by said snap locking device.

Claim 7

An inked ribbon cartridge, wherein the ribbon is wound around two spools and which is removably mountable in printing machine of the type comprising a cartridge support; two transport elements rotatably projecting from said support and each associated with one spool of said spools; two sensing elements associated with said transport elements for sensing that a predetermined minimum quantity of wound ribbon is available for use and each having a lug for cooperating with the ribbon wound on the one associated spool; spring means urging said lugs of said sensing elements from an inoperative position away from said transport elements to an operative position near said spools which cooperate with said ribbon; motive means responsive to the position of each lug for rotating one or another of said two transport elements in one predetermined sense of rotation; a control element projecting from said support and normally maintaining each lug in the inoperative position in opposition to the action of said spring means when the cartridge is removed from said support; and hook means movable on said support between a first and a second position into the path of said sensing elements to arrest and release, respectively, the sensing elements in a position proximate to the inoperative position of said lugs in opposition to the action of the said spring means; said cartridge comprising: a container having a top portion, a bottom portion, a side portion having a pair of openings for the passage of said inked ribbon from the one to the other of said spools outside said container and, means for rotatably supporting said spools inside said container; means for accommodating said transport elements concentrically with said spools being provided with corresponding engaging means for being engaged by said transport elements; at least one aperture in the bottom portion of said container for the access of the lugs of said sensing elements to said two spools; means for removably fixing the container on the support including a snap locking device; an opposing element on the bottom portion of said container cooperative with said control element in response of the fitting of the cartridge on said support for causing said sensing elements to be shifted from said inoperative position toward said operative position; and another opposing element on the bottom portion of said container, for moving said hook means to said second position for causing said spring means to move said sensing elements from the position proximate said inoperative position to said operative position only when the cartridge is correctly mounted on said support by said snap locking device.

Claim 8

A cartridge as in claim 5, wherein said hook means comprise two teeth adapted to arrest the sensing elements in said proximate position and a shoulder cooperating with said second opposing element when said cartridge is rested correctly on said support.

Claim 9

A cartridge as in claim 5, wherein said snap locking device comprises a catch element projecting from said support in a position equidistant from said transport elements, and the container of said cartridge comprises a hole adapted to accommodate said catch element and resilient coupling means, disposed in the said hole, for fixing through a snap action said catch element with said coupling means keeping the bottom portion of said container against said support.

Claim 10

A cartridge as in claim 7, wherein said hole is disposed in the bottom portion of said container and said other opposing element is substantially aligned with said one opposing element and with said hole.

Claim 11

A removable cartridge for an inked ribbon of a printing machine of the type including a ribbon reversal feed mechanism comprising a support, two transport elements rotatably projecting from said support, two sensing elements for rotating one or another of said two transport elements in one predetermined sense of rotation and a control element projecting from said support and movable thereon between a first and a second position for shifting said sensing elements from an operative position to an inoperative position; said cartridge comprising: a container including a top wall and a bottom wall; a side wall interconnecting said top wall with said botton wall; two spools each one fixing an end of the inked ribbon and around which said ribbon is wound in coils, said side wall defining a pair of slots for the passage of said inked ribbon from the one to the other of said spools outside said container; means rotatably supporting said spools in said container about axes substantially perpendicular to said bottom wall; means for accommodating said transport elements concentrically with said spools, said spools being provided with corresponding engaging means for engaging said transport elements; at least one aperture in said bottom wall for the access of said sensing elements to said two spools; means for removably fixing the cartridge on the support; and an opposing element comprising a part of said bottom wall for cooperating and moving said control element from said second position to said first position in response to the fitting of the cartridge on said support for causing said sensing elements to be shifted from said inoperative position to said operative position; means being provided for returning said control element to said first position when the cartridge is removed from said support for causing said sensing elements to be returned from said operative position to said inoperative position, and wherein said support includes a spindle about which said control element is pivoted outside said support, and said bottom wall includes a semi-cylindrical seat for accommodating said spindle of said control element.

Claim 12

A removable cartridge for an inked ribbon of a printing machine of the type including a ribbon reversal feed mechanism comprising a support, two transport elements rotatably projecting from said support, two sensing elements for rotating one or another of said two transport elements in one predetermined sense of rotation and a control element projecting from said support and movable thereon between a first and a second position for shifting said sensing elements from an operative position to an inoperative position; said cartridge comprising: a container including a top wall and a bottom wall; a side wall interconnecting said top wall with said botton wall; two spools each one fixing an end of the inked ribbon and around which said ribbon is wound in coils, said side wall defining a pair of slots for the passage of said inked ribbon from the one to the other of said spools outside said container; means rotatably supporting said spools in said container about axes substantially perpendicular to said bottom wall; means for accommodating said transport elements concentrically with said spools, said spools being provided with corresponding engaging means for engaging said transport elements; at least one aperture in said bottom wall for the access of said sensing elements to said two spools; means for removably fixing the cartridge on the support; and an opposing element comprising a part of said bottom wall for cooperating and moving said control element from said second position to said first position in response to the fitting of the cartridge on said support for causing said sensing elements to be shifted from said inoperative position to said operative position; means being provided for returning said control element to said first position when the cartridge is removed from said support for causing said sensing elements to be returned from said operative position to said inoperative position, and wherein said support includes a spindle about which said control element is pivoted outside said support, and said bottom wall includes a semi-cylindrical seat for accommodating said spindle of said control element.

Claim 13

A removable cartridge for an inked ribbon of a printing machine of the type including a platen; a substantially spherical head carrying types distributed along columns and rows; a support member rotatably supporting said head around a substantially vertical axis for the selection of the columns of types externally to the head; a base pivoting member pivotally supporting said support member with respect to a horizontal axis for selecting the rows of types externally to said support member, said base member being movable with respect to said platen for the printing of the selected types during use of the machine; and a ribbon feed mechanism comprising a support means for lifting said support with respect to said platen, and means for feeding said ribbon in front of said type head; said cartridge comprising: a substantially parallelepipedal container carrying therewithin said inked ribbon and including a top portion, a bottom portion and side portions interconnecting said top portion with said bottom portion; and a pair of arms, each protruding from a side portion of said container and having at an end thereof an opening for the passage of a section of said inked ribbon outside said container in front of said platen, said head being housed between said arms; wherein the ends of said arms converge towards said head as to limit the unguided portion of ribbon outside said container substantially at the columns of types disposed in front of said platen upon lifting of said support; and wherein said top portion includes two shrouds which extend from said top portion inwardly of said arms and each of said shrouds having a first part stepped upwardly with respect to said arms over said pivoting member to protect the same from contact with small objects during use of the machine and a second part sloped down toward the platen to allow the printed characters to be seen.

Claim 14

A removable cartridge for an inked ribbon of a printing machine of the type including a platen; a substantially spherical head carrying types distributed along columns and rows; a support member rotatably supporting said head around a substantially vertical axis for the selection of the columns of types externally to the head; a base pivoting member pivotally supporting said support member with respect to a horizontal axis for selecting the rows of types externally to said support member, said base member being movable with respect to said platen for the printing of the selected types during use of the machine; and a ribbon feed mechanism comprising a support means for lifting said support with respect to said platen, and means for feeding said ribbon in front of said type head; said cartridge comprising: a substantially parallelepipedal container carrying therewithin said inked ribbon and including a top portion, a bottom portion and side portions interconnecting said top portion with said bottom portion; and a pair of arms, each protruding from a side portion of said container and having at an end thereof an opening for the passage of a section of said inked ribbon outside said container in front of said platen, said head being housed between said arms; wherein the ends of said arms converge towards said head as to limit the unguided portion of ribbon outside said container substantially at the columns of types disposed in front of said platen upon lifting of said support; and wherein said top portion includes two shrouds which extend from said top portion inwardly of said arms and each of said shrouds having a first part stepped upwardly with respect to said arms over said pivoting member to protect the same from contact with small objects during use of the machine and a second part sloped down toward the platen to allow the printed characters to be seen.

Claim 15

In a ribbon feed mechanism for inked ribbon for a printing machine of the type comprising two spools carrying said ribbon; a pair of sensing elements for sensing a predetermined minimum number of turns of ribbon on said spools; a pair of transport elements each having a gear wheel rotatable for feeding said ribbon from one to the other of said spools; a ratchet device having a pair of feed elements associated with said gear wheels; means supporting said ratchet device for the movement thereof between a first and a second position causing one of said feed elements to cooperate with one of said gear wheels for the feeding of the ribbon in a first direction and between a third and a fourth position, causing the other of said feed elements to cooperate with the other of said gear wheels, for the feeding of the ribbon in a second direction opposite to said first direction, and a driving member having a cycle reciprocating movement; the combination comprising: means for variably connecting said ratchet device with said driving member in a first and a second reciprocal position for causing said ratchet device to be moved between said first and said second positions and between said third and said fourth positions, respectively, in response to the reciprocating movement of said driving member; spring means keeping said ratchet device in either of said first or second reciprocal positions for causing said driving member, to move said ratchet device through return strokes from said first position to said second position when the ratchet device is in said first reciprocal position and, respectively, from said third to said fourth position when the ratchet device is in said second reciprocal position; means for causing said feed elements to rotate the associated gear wheel only during the return strokes of said ratchet device for the feeding of said ribbon; and stop means, controlled by said sensing elements, for arresting the ratchet device near the first position and, respectively, the third position thereof when the predetermined minimum number of turns wound on a spool is detected, for causing said driving member to be moved against the action of said spring means until the second and, respectively, the first of said two reciprocal positions has been reached, so that said feed elements are moved from cooperation with the one gear wheel to cooperation with the other and the feeding of the inked ribbon is reversed.

Claim 16

In a ribbon feed mechanism for inked ribbon for a printing machine of the type comprising two spools carrying said ribbon; a pair of sensing elements for sensing a predetermined minimum number of turns of ribbon on said spools; a pair of transport elements each having a gear wheel rotatable for feeding said ribbon from one to the other of said spools; a ratchet device having a pair of feed elements associated with said gear wheels; means supporting said ratchet device for the movement thereof between a first and a second position causing one of said feed elements to cooperate with one of said gear wheels for the feeding of the ribbon in a first direction and between a third and a fourth position, causing the other of said feed elements to cooperate with the other of said gear wheels, for the feeding of the ribbon in a second direction opposite to said first direction, and a driving member having a cycle reciprocating movement; the combination comprising: means for variably connecting said ratchet device with said driving member in a first and a second reciprocal position for causing said ratchet device to be moved between said first and said second positions and between said third and said fourth positions, respectively, in response to the reciprocating movement of said driving member; spring means keeping said ratchet device in either of said first or second reciprocal positions for causing said driving member, to move said ratchet device through return strokes from said first position to said second position when the ratchet device is in said first reciprocal position and, respectively, from said third to said fourth position when the ratchet device is in said second reciprocal position; means for causing said feed elements to rotate the associated gear wheel only during the return strokes of said ratchet device for the feeding of said ribbon; and stop means, controlled by said sensing elements, for arresting the ratchet device near the first position and, respectively, the third position thereof when the predetermined minimum number of turns wound on a spool is detected, for causing said driving member to be moved against the action of said spring means until the second and, respectively, the first of said two reciprocal positions has been reached, so that said feed elements are moved from cooperation with the one gear wheel to cooperation with the other and the feeding of the inked ribbon is reversed.

Claim 17

A feed mechanism according to claim 11 wherein the first reciprocal position of said ratchet device is constituted by said first position and said second reciprocal position is constituted by said third position.

Claim 18

A mechanism according to claim 11, wherein said connecting means comprise a rocking lever having two arms and, each of said sensing elements comprises a bail, each associated with one of said spools and one of said arms, each bail having an upper arm for sensing the turns of ribbon on one of said spools and a lower arm, said lower arm cooperating with one of said arms in the first and, respectively, second reciprocal positions of said ratchet device and, each bail on detection of the predetermined minimum number of turns of the wound ribbon, of the associated spool, arranging said lower arm in the path of the associated arm of said rocking lever for arresting the same during the return strokes of said ratchet device to move said ratchet device from one to the other of said first or second reciprocal positions.

Claim 19

A feed mechanism according to claim 11, wherein said connecting means comprises a pin and slot connection between the driving member and the ratchet device, said two reciprocal positions being defined by the stable contact of said pin with one or another end of said slot effected by said spring means.

Claim 20

A feed mechanism according to claim 14, wherein said driving member comprises an oscillating lever fixing said pin and said connecting means comprise a connecting rod in which is formed said slot, which substantially V-shaped and houses said pin and wherein said spring means connect said oscillating lever with said connecting rod.

Claim 21

A feed mechanism according to claim 11, wherein said transport elements are rotatably mounted on a support pivotally mounted in front of a printing point of the machine, wherein said spools are rotatable in a container of an inked ribbon cartridge removably mountable on said support and carrying the ribbon near said printing point, wherein said support is provided with an arm pivotally connected with said driving member and wherein said connecting means comprise a rocking lever pivotally mounted on said pivotable support.

Claim 22

A mechanism according to claim 11, wherein said feed elements comprise two lugs of the ratchet device and said ratchet device comprises a slider moved by said driving member parallel to said gear wheels for engaging the teeth of said wheels selectively, and wherein said means for rotating the gear wheels only during the return stroke comprise two projections of said ratchet device associated with said lugs, and two cam surfaces of said support means cooperating selectively with said two projections so that when said ratchet device is in one of said two positions, only one of said lugs cooperates with one respective gear wheel and the projection associated with the other lug cooperates with the corresponding cam surface to keep said other lug disengaged from the other respective gear wheel and vice-versa.

Claim 23

A feed mechanism for an inked ribbon of a printing machine of the type comprising a support, and two transport elements rotatably projecting from said support; wherein the ribbon is enclosed in a cartridge comprising a container including a top portion and a bottom portion; two spools rotatable in said container and each one fixing an end of the inked ribbon and around which said ribbon is wound in coils, said container having a pair of slots for the passage of said inked ribbon from the one to the other of said spools outside said container; holes in the bottom portion of said container for accommodating said transport elements concentrically with said spools, and said spools being provided with corresponding engaging means for engaging said transport elements; and at least one aperture in said bottom portion for the access to the ribbon coils of said two spools; said feed mechanism comprising two sensing elements each movable between an operative position in contact with the spools and an inoperative position arrested by said support away from said spools, said sensing element in said inoperative position allowing a free fitting of the cartridge on the support and in said operative position sensing a predetermined minimum number of turns of ribbon on said spools for rotating one or another of said two transport elements in one predetermined sense of rotation; spring means biasing the sensing elements towards said operative position; snap action fixing means for removably fixing the cartridge on the support in response to a fitting vertical movement of the cartridge; and a control element movable on said support for shifting said sensing elements from said operative position to said inoperative position against the action of said spring means; said control element comprising a lever cooperative with said sensing elements and pivoted on said support between a raised position and a lowered position; and a spring for normally keeping said lever in said raised position, the action of the spring of said lever prevailing over the action of said spring means acting on the said sensing elements so as to keep said sensing elements in said inoperative position, said lever in said lowered position releasing said sensing elements for the shifting thereof towards said spools under the action of said spring means; and said cartridge comprising an opposing element in the bottom portion of said container for moving said lever from the raised position to the lowered position in response to the fitting of the cartridge on said support against the action of the corresponding spring, so that the movement of said sensing elements from said inoperative position to said operative position is obtained with the sole fitting movement of the cartridge onto said support against the action of the spring of said lever, and the action of said snap action fixing means on said cartridge prevailing over the action of said lever on said cartridge by the spring of said lever.

Claim 24

A feed mechanism for an inked ribbon of a printing machine of the type comprising a support, and two transport elements rotatably projecting from said support; wherein the ribbon is enclosed in a cartridge comprising a container including a top portion and a bottom portion; two spools rotatable in said container and each one fixing an end of the inked ribbon and around which said ribbon is wound in coils, said container having a pair of slots for the passage of said inked ribbon from the one to the other of said spools outside said container; holes in the bottom portion of said container for accommodating said transport elements concentrically with said spools, and said spools being provided with corresponding engaging means for engaging said transport elements; and at least one aperture in said bottom portion for the access to the ribbon coils of said two spools; said feed mechanism comprising two sensing elements each movable between an operative position in contact with the spools and an inoperative position arrested by said support away from said spools, said sensing element in said inoperative position allowing a free fitting of the cartridge on the support and in said operative position sensing a predetermined minimum number of turns of ribbon on said spools for rotating one or another of said two transport elements in one predetermined sense of rotation; spring means biasing the sensing elements towards said operative position; snap action fixing means for removably fixing the cartridge on the support in response to a fitting vertical movement of the cartridge; and a control element movable on said support for shifting said sensing elements from said operative position to said inoperative position against the action of said spring means; said control element comprising a lever cooperative with said sensing elements and pivoted on said support between a raised position and a lowered position; and a spring for normally keeping said lever in said raised position, the action of the spring of said lever prevailing over the action of said spring means acting on the said sensing elements so as to keep said sensing elements in said inoperative position, said lever in said lowered position releasing said sensing elements for the shifting thereof towards said spools under the action of said spring means; and said cartridge comprising an opposing element in the bottom portion of said container for moving said lever from the raised position to the lowered position in response to the fitting of the cartridge on said support against the action of the corresponding spring, so that the movement of said sensing elements from said inoperative position to said operative position is obtained with the sole fitting movement of the cartridge onto said support against the action of the spring of said lever, and the action of said snap action fixing means on said cartridge prevailing over the action of said lever on said cartridge by the spring of said lever.