US4373823A — Ribbon guide for an inked ribbon cartridge

Claim 1

Independent Claim 495 words

A cartridge for an inked ribbon for a typewriter of the type comprising a platen including a printing point, type bars individually selectable to strike the printing point, and a support for said cartridge pivoted on an axis substantially perpendicular to said platen for raising the cartridge, wherein said cartridge comprises a container mountable on said support which stores internally the inked ribbon and includes a bottom wall, a cover spaced from the bottom wall a little more than the height of the inked ribbon and two side walls converging toward a narrow area; and a terminal member projecting from the narrow area of the cartridge for guiding a length of the inked ribbon to the exterior of the container from a side of said narrow area to be struck by a selected type bar and to re-enter the container at the same height as that of the internal inking ribbon; wherein said terminal member comprises: a fixed end mounted on said container and which defines together with said two side walls of the container an entrance slit and an exit slit for the inked ribbon; a free end opposite to the fixed end and which includes two converging edges; an intermediate thin portion connected between the fixed end and the free end and which includes a window and a part lying below said window and the bottom wall of the container, said intermediate portion having an inclined edge; and a further thin portion projecting from said fixed end which defines a gap between said further thin portion and said intermediate thin portion, said further thin portion including a re-entering edge; wherein said converging edges guide a portion of said length of inked ribbon along a path which comprises a first part wherein the inked ribbon emerges from the exit slit and crosses the window and a second part wherein the inked ribbon lies in front of said part of said intermediate thin portion and below the first part of said path; wherein the inclined edge of said intermediate thin portion defines an upward path of the inked ribbon which is bent upwardly with respect to the direction of the second part of said path wherein a part of said inked ribbon is confined in said gap between said further thin portion and said intermediate thin portion; wherein the re-entering edge of said further thin portion defines a lateral path of the inked ribbon which is bent laterally with respect to the direction of said upward path of the ribbon and wherein the ribbon reenters said container at the same height of the internal ribbon; and wherein the intermediate thin portion of said terminal member is configured to lie generally parallel to said platen when the cartridge is mounted on its support and to cause the ribbon crossing said window to be positioned in front of the printing point upon the raising of the cartridge and the window to freely accommodate the striking type bar.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 495 words

A cartridge for an inked ribbon for a typewriter of the type comprising a platen including a printing point, type bars individually selectable to strike the printing point, and a support for said cartridge pivoted on an axis substantially perpendicular to said platen for raising the cartridge, wherein said cartridge comprises a container mountable on said support which stores internally the inked ribbon and includes a bottom wall, a cover spaced from the bottom wall a little more than the height of the inked ribbon and two side walls converging toward a narrow area; and a terminal member projecting from the narrow area of the cartridge for guiding a length of the inked ribbon to the exterior of the container from a side of said narrow area to be struck by a selected type bar and to re-enter the container at the same height as that of the internal inking ribbon; wherein said terminal member comprises: a fixed end mounted on said container and which defines together with said two side walls of the container an entrance slit and an exit slit for the inked ribbon; a free end opposite to the fixed end and which includes two converging edges; an intermediate thin portion connected between the fixed end and the free end and which includes a window and a part lying below said window and the bottom wall of the container, said intermediate portion having an inclined edge; and a further thin portion projecting from said fixed end which defines a gap between said further thin portion and said intermediate thin portion, said further thin portion including a re-entering edge; wherein said converging edges guide a portion of said length of inked ribbon along a path which comprises a first part wherein the inked ribbon emerges from the exit slit and crosses the window and a second part wherein the inked ribbon lies in front of said part of said intermediate thin portion and below the first part of said path; wherein the inclined edge of said intermediate thin portion defines an upward path of the inked ribbon which is bent upwardly with respect to the direction of the second part of said path wherein a part of said inked ribbon is confined in said gap between said further thin portion and said intermediate thin portion; wherein the re-entering edge of said further thin portion defines a lateral path of the inked ribbon which is bent laterally with respect to the direction of said upward path of the ribbon and wherein the ribbon reenters said container at the same height of the internal ribbon; and wherein the intermediate thin portion of said terminal member is configured to lie generally parallel to said platen when the cartridge is mounted on its support and to cause the ribbon crossing said window to be positioned in front of the printing point upon the raising of the cartridge and the window to freely accommodate the striking type bar.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 50 words

A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the inclined edge of said intermediate thin portion and the re-entering edge of said further thin portion are substantially parallel and inclined at 45° with respect to the direction of the first part of the path of said length of the inked ribbon.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 24 words

A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said terminal member comprises a plate whereon said converging edges and said thin intermediate part are provided.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 23 words

A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said further thin portion is in one piece with said fixed end of said terminal member.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 50 words

A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said container comprises two parts wherein a first part comprises the bottom wall and a second part comprises the cover and wherein said fixed end of said terminal member comprises an element fitted between the bottom wall and the cover of said container.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 71 words

A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein a typewriter on which the cartridge is mountable includes a type bar guiding fork for a selected type bar, wherein said container is of elongated shape and is directly mounted on the support of the cartridge and wherein only said part of said intermediate portion of said terminal member is disposed below the printing line between said type bar guiding fork and the platen.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 83 words

A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said container comprises a magazine of elongated shape which receives the ribbon in a random state, wherein said magazine at its two opposite ends, is provided respectively with a pair of rollers disposed in a median zone of the magazine for feeding the ribbon and introducing the ribbon into the said median zone, and with friction means for tensioning the ribbon in a striking zone thereof during the feed of said ribbon caused by said rollers.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 119 words

A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the support of said cartridge of the typewriter has a rectangular base provided with two vertical teeth adjacent to the platen and two lugs displaced from the platen, wherein the container comprises two recesses on one of said side walls, an opening on said bottom wall and two teeth projecting from the bottom wall toward the cover wall inside said opening, wherein, in use, the vertical teeth of the support for said cartridge cooperate with said two recesses and wherein said two lugs enter in said opening and cooperate with the two teeth of said container for locating the thin portions of said terminal member parallel to the platen of the typewriter.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 383 words

A ribbon guide for an inked ribbon cartridge of type bar typewriters, wherein the cartridge comprises an inked ribbon, a container which stores internally the inked ribbon and includes a bottom wall, a cover spaced from the bottom wall a little more than the height of the inked ribbon and a rear wall and wherein said ribbon guide guides an external length of the inked ribbon to emerge from the container up to a printable area and from the printable area to re-enter the container at the same height as that of the emerging ribbon, said ribbon guide comprising: a fixed end secured to said container; a first plate member substantially parallel to the rear wall of said container and provided with a window for the inked ribbon, wherein said plate member comprises a part lying below the bottom wall of the container and including an inclined edge; a free end including two converging edges wherein one edge of said converging edges guides the external length of the inked ribbon along a transversal upper section which starts from the container and crosses said window to said one edge to define the printable area of said inked ribbon and wherein another of said converging edges guides the external length of the inked ribbon along a transversal lower section which starts from said other edge to said inclined edge of said first plate member and wherein the transversal lower section of the inked ribbon lies below said transversal upper section; a second plate member located adjacent to the container which defines a channel with respect to said first plate member, wherein said channel lies between said window and said container, wherein said second plate member includes a re-entering edge lying above said inclined edge of said first plate member; wherein said inclined edge of said first plate member bends upwardly an upward section of the external length of the inked ribbon towards the re-entering edge of said second plate member and confines said upward section of inked ribbon in said channel; and wherein said re-entering edge bends laterally a lateral section of the external length of the inked ribbon and causes said lateral section to re-enter the container at the same height of the transversal upper section of the external length of the inked ribbon.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 383 words

A ribbon guide for an inked ribbon cartridge of type bar typewriters, wherein the cartridge comprises an inked ribbon, a container which stores internally the inked ribbon and includes a bottom wall, a cover spaced from the bottom wall a little more than the height of the inked ribbon and a rear wall and wherein said ribbon guide guides an external length of the inked ribbon to emerge from the container up to a printable area and from the printable area to re-enter the container at the same height as that of the emerging ribbon, said ribbon guide comprising: a fixed end secured to said container; a first plate member substantially parallel to the rear wall of said container and provided with a window for the inked ribbon, wherein said plate member comprises a part lying below the bottom wall of the container and including an inclined edge; a free end including two converging edges wherein one edge of said converging edges guides the external length of the inked ribbon along a transversal upper section which starts from the container and crosses said window to said one edge to define the printable area of said inked ribbon and wherein another of said converging edges guides the external length of the inked ribbon along a transversal lower section which starts from said other edge to said inclined edge of said first plate member and wherein the transversal lower section of the inked ribbon lies below said transversal upper section; a second plate member located adjacent to the container which defines a channel with respect to said first plate member, wherein said channel lies between said window and said container, wherein said second plate member includes a re-entering edge lying above said inclined edge of said first plate member; wherein said inclined edge of said first plate member bends upwardly an upward section of the external length of the inked ribbon towards the re-entering edge of said second plate member and confines said upward section of inked ribbon in said channel; and wherein said re-entering edge bends laterally a lateral section of the external length of the inked ribbon and causes said lateral section to re-enter the container at the same height of the transversal upper section of the external length of the inked ribbon.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 50 words

A ribbon guide according to claim 9, wherein said window is defined by a first edge of said first plate member substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall of the container, by a second edge substantially parallel to said inclined edge and by a third edge parallel to said bottom wall.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 82 words

A ribbon guide according to claim 9, wherein said window is delimited by a vertical edge of said first plate member having a notch, wherein said converging edges start from a common vertex having another notch, further comprising a protective plate protecting the inked ribbon adjacent to said converging edges which is fixed to said free end by means of two hooks of said protective plate which cooperate with the notch of said vertical edge and the notch of said common vertex.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 137 words

A cartridge according to claim 9, wherein said container comprises a body of parallelepipedal form delimited by said rear wall and ending with a lateral projection, wherein said lateral projection is delimited by the rear wall of the container and by a front wall converging toward said rear wall and connected with the body of the cartridge, wherein the fixed end of said ribbon guide is internal to the container and defines two slits with said front wall and said rear wall for the passage of the inked ribbon, wherein said window is laterally defined by a window edge parallel to the inclined edge of said first plate member and wherein said window edge and said inclined edge are adjacent to one of said slits and said re-entering edge is adjacent to the other of said slits.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1986-02-14	1986-08-16	1987-02-15	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1990-02-14	1990-08-16	1991-02-15	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1994-02-14	1994-08-16	1995-02-15	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Ribbon guide for an inked ribbon cartridge

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