Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
.~Z~'753
1 BACK~ROUND OF THE INVENTION
2 This invention relates to impact prin~ers and,
3 more particularly, to LmpaCt printers wherein a ribbon moves
4 between ~ ribbon storage area and a print point to continuous-
ly supply fresh ribbon to a position betwee~ a character ele-
6 ment and a print receiving medium.
7 In printsrs of this type inc:Luding typewriters~
8 the ribbon ~torage h s been provided by a cartridge. ~hese
9 cartridges ~re removable so as to permit the ribbon supply
to be replenished by merely replacing the ribbon cartridge,
11 In various prlnters including typewriter~ ~uch as
12 those manufactured by IBM and SCM, the platen which supports
13 the print receiving medium in the impact printing position
14 remains stationary and the rharac~er printing element~ move
along the platen t~ the various prin~ing positions. In
16 these printers the cartridge has been mounted for mov~ment
17 with the character elements and the print point so as to
18 continuously supply fresh xibbon to the print point as the
19 character elements advance. Typically, the cartridge has
been supported on a carriage w~ich moves linearly along the
21 platen where the character elements may be mounted on a ball
22 or wheel often~imes referred to as a daisy. Where the printer
23 i~ to operate at high speeds as in the case of a typewriter
24 operating in an automatic memory mode, ~he carriage mu~t be
capable of very high acceleration and deceleration rates
26 which places a substan~ial demand on the motors, drivers and
27 power supplies for the carriage~ Where the carri~ge also
28 accelerates and decelera~es the ribbon,cartridge which is
29 moun~.ed on ~he carriage, the demands on the carrlage motor,
driver and power supply can become very substanti~l.
31 In order to minimize these demands, ribbon car-
32 tridges which are mounted on ~he carriage have had a limited
- 2 - ~
1 ribbon capaci~y. Although this hss aehieved the objective
2 of limiting the weight which must be accelerated and decel-
3 erated as the carriage and the print point move, there have
4 been certain, significant penaltles. First, the cartridge
must b~ changed more frequently whçre the ribbon capacity
6 is small. This is of course time-consuming f~r the opera-
7 tor of the printer or typewriter and also presents some ri~k
8 that the print receiving medi~ may be in some way defaced
9 by removing and replacing the cartridge, e.g., smearing is
10 not at all uncommon in such circumstances. second9 the
. . .
11 smal~er ribbon cartridges include a rather complex mechanism
12 w~ich is quite costly when one considers that the cartridge
13 is in effect disposable. Where the ribbon capacity is ~uite
14 l~mited, the cost of the mechan~sm relative to the ribbon
of the cartridge becomes quite substantial and the overall
L6 cost of the cartri~ge per strlke becomes high.
17 As descrlbed ln copending applicat~on Serial No.
18 310,36~ filed August 30~ 1978 assigned to the as~ignee
19 of this invention, these dlfficulties of the prior art have
2~ been overcome by providing a laterally movable character
21 printing means such as a prlnt wheel which is juxtaposed to
22 a support means su~h as a platen or a print receivlng medium
23 such as paper in comblnatlon with a stationary storage means
24 for a ribbon carrying a prlnting rnedium where the ribbon ls
advanced pas~ the movable print point in printing relation-
26 ship with the print receiving medium while maintain~ng a
27 substantially constant ribbon path length rom th,e stationary
28 ribbon storage means to the movable print point.
29 In a preferred embodiment of the a~oresaid inven-
tion, the substantlally constant ribbon path length ls
31 achieved by means of a flrst flexible leader w~lch extend~
_ 3 _
~a~
~ 5 3
1 from the ribbon storage means ~o the prin~ polnt and a second
2 ~lexible leader which extends from the print point to the
3 ~torage means. The ribbon is supported by and moves along
4 these flexible leadersO
However, such flexible 1eaders tend to disturb
6 the printing medium, l~e,9 the ink, o the ribbon as the rib~
7 bon moves therethrough. Thi~ is partlcularly true whe~e th~
8 flexible le~ers a~sumed compo~nd or Eeverse curvature so
9 that the ~ide of the ribbon be~ring the ink or printing medi-
um necessarily ru~ against the flexible leader. Where the
11 printing medium or ink is of the correctible or lift-off
12 type, the ink may be e~sily disturbed so as to impair the
13 printing operatlon. Furthermore, ~he flexible leaders may
14 be unruly and produce irregular curvatures which in~erfere
with the operation of~the printer components.
16 5UMM~RY OF THE INVENTION
17 It is an object o~ thi~ invention to assure that
18 flexible leaders associa~ed with a ribbon storage means do
19 not adversely affect ~he printing medium on the ribbon.
I~ is a further o~ject of this invention to assur~
21 ~ha~ such flexible leaders do not in any way interfera with
22 other componen~s o a printer utilizing such a ribbon s~or-
23 age means.
24 In a pre~er~ed embodl~ent o the invention, the
printer comprises mean~ adaptçd to support a pri~t recelving
26 medium, la~erally mov~ble char~c~er printing means juxtaposed
27 to said support means for establishing a laterally movable
28 print poln~ and a ribbon comprising a printing medium adapted
29 ~o ~dvance pas~ the movable print poln~ ln printing r~lationw
30 ship with the prin~ receiving medium and the character means.
31 A stationary ribbon storage means stores the r~bbon before
3~ and after the ribbon ~s mnved pas~ the print point.
_ 4 ~
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1 In accord~nce with one import~nt aspect of the in-
2 vention, ~he ribbon is supported in ~ts p~th with mov~ment
3 to and ~rom the print point by flexible leader means wh~ch
4 maintains the curvature in a single direction a~ th~ p~int
point moves.
6 In accordance with another import~nt aspeçt Qf the
7 invention, the flexible leader means m~~n~;~ins ~ substanti~
8 ly constant radius o curvature as the print point moves
9 and the leader bends although the pos~tion of the curvature
on the le~der may moveO
11 In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the
12 leader means maintain~ a curvature in a concave direction
13 with respect to the print point wi~h the inked ~ide of ~he
14 ribbon facing generally toward the print point at the print
point and the un~nked side facing generally outwardly away
16 from the print pointO
17 In accordance with one importa~t aspeet of the in-
18 vention, the flexible leader i8 characterized by a radius of
lg CUrVAtUre transverse ~o the length of ~he leader in a sub-
st~ntially ~traight line ~egment of the leader. The ~rans-
21 ver~e curvature i8 convex with r~spec~ to the center of curv-
22 ature of the leader w~ich tends to travel along the length
23 o the leader as the print point movesO
24 In accordance wl~h Another important aspect of
the lnvention, the l.e~der compri~e~ a s~eel portion with a
26 1exihle cover extending ~cro~s and along the st.e~l portion
27 ~nd movable rel~tive ~h2retoO The cover forms a channel
28 for guldlng the ribbon such that ~he inked 8ide i~ alway~
29 spaced fro~ ~he cover and the uni~ked ~ide is in contact
with the steel portion on the inside o the r~dius o curva-
31 ture of the le~derO The steel portion resembles a carpen-
32 ter's rule and provides the tran6verse curva~ure ~which is
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53
characterized by a first beam when the leader is substantial-
ly straight and a second beam when the leader has the sub-
stantially constant radius of curvature.
In accordance with a particular embodiment of the -
invention, a cartridge for use with a printer comprises: a
ribbon having a printing medium disposed thereon, ribbon storage
means for storing said ribbon, and leader means within which said
ribbon can move between said storage means and a print point in
said printer, said leader means maintaining a substantially con-
stant ribbon path length fr~m said ribbon storage means to said
print point, said leader means flexibly supporting said ribbon
and maintaining curvature of said leader means in a single direc-
tion as said movable print point moves.
In accordance with a further particular embodiment,
a printer comprises means adapted to support a print receiving
medium, character printing means juxtaposed and laterally mova-
ble with respect to said support means for establishing a later-
ally movable print point, a ribbon comprising a printing medium
adapted to advance laterally past said movable print point in
printing relationship with said print receiving medium and said
character printing means, ribbon storage means mounted in stat-
ionary relationship to said support means for storing said ribbon,means for moving said ribbon incrementally between said storage
means and said print point~ and means for maintaining a substan-
t;.ally constant'ribbo'n ~at'h .Length between said ribbon storage
means and said print point as said character printing means and
said print point move laterally relati.ve to said support rneans,
and said ribbon storage means, said means for maintaining said
ribbon path length including flexible leader means shaped for
supporting said ribbon and for maint-aining curvature in a single
direction as said print point moves.
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.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF '~IE D~AWINGS
.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a typewriter embody-
ing the invention,
Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cart-
ridge and the cartridge holder shown in Fig. 1,
Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of the
cartridge shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the cartridge taken
along lines 4-4 of Fig. 3,
Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectlonal view of the ri~bon
take-up drive,
Fig. 6 which is on the same sheet of drawings as Fig.
2 i5 a sectional view of the cartridge shown in Fig. 3 take~ along
line 6-6;
Fig. 7 is an end view of the cartridge,showing the
ribbon and flexible leaders in the stowed position;
Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the cartridge shown in
Fig~ 7 taken along line 8-
~
Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a portion of the cartridge
shown in Fig. 8 taken along line 9-9,
Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the flexible leader and
ribbon of Fig. 9 taken alony section line 10-10,
Fig. 11 is a plan view of the typewriter shown in Fig.
1 with the print point centrally located with respect to the
platen,
Fig. 12 is a plan view of the typewriter shown in Fig.
1 showing the print point at different locations along the platen,
Fig. 13 which is on the same sheet of drawings as Fig.
1 is an enlarged view of a portion of the typewriter shown in
Fig. 1,
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1 Fig. 14 is a perspec~ive view of ~ne side of the
2 fle~ible leader with the leader in the straight; uneurved
3 condition;
4 Flg. 15 is an elevational view of the other side
of the flexible leader wlth the leader in the straight, un-
6 curved condition~ and
7 Fig. 16 is an enlarged view of Fig. 10.
8 DE~AI~ED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRE~ EMBOM MENT
9 A printer comprising a ~ypewritQr shown in Fig. 1
includes a keyboard 10 having a multiplicity of key~ correæ-
11 ponding to various characters which, upon depression, con-
12 trQl the position of a rotatable character array in the form
13 of a print wheel 12 juxtaposed between impact means in thQ
14 for~ of a hammer 14 and a platen 16. The platen L6 is a-
dapted to support a print receiYing medium i~ the form of
16 paper 18 which is contacted by the marking medium in the
17 form o~ an ink ribbon 20 which i5 loca~ed between the prin~
18 whcel 12 and the paper 18 so as to leave a mark in ink cor-
l9 responding to the particular character of the print wheel
which is in position between t~e hammer 14 and the paper 18.
21 As shown in Fig. 1, the print wheel 12 and the
~2 hammer 14 are mounted on a carriage 22 which is adapted to
23 move in a lateral direction parallel with the surface of the
24 platen 16 ~o as to posi~ion the print wheel 12 at various
positions along the paper 1.8 in response to the depression
26 key~ on the keybo~rd 10. As the carriage ~2 is moved, t~e
27 print wheel 12 rotates so as to position the proper charac-
28 ter element at the end of a radially extending spoke 24 in
29 ~ printing position aligned with the print hammer 14. The
lateral movement of the carriage 22 along the support sur-
31 faces 26 may be achieved by various means known in the art
32 including a linear stepper motor such as that shown in
. 7
~Z~7S3
1 U. S. Patent ~. 4,1989582 o~ Matthias and Thornton~ which is
2 assigned to the assigne~ of this invention.
~ In accordance with the aforesaid copending appli-
4 catiOn Serial No. 310,366 assigned to the assignee o this
invention, the ribbon 20 is stored wlthin a $ta~ionary car~
6 tridge 28 which is received, as best ~hown i~ Fig. 2, by a
pocket 30 in an integrally molded receptacle 32. As shown
in Fig. 1, the ribbon path length between the prin~ poin~ :
g as determined by the position of the carriage 22 and the
cartridge 28 is maintained constant over a substantiai por-
11 tion thereof by a irst flexible leader 34 which e~tends
12 from the cartridge 28 to the carriage 22 and a second flex
13 ible leader 36 which extends from the carriage 22 to the
14 cartridge 280
The leaders 34 and 36 which are constructed in
16 accordance with this invention ~o be described hereinafter
17 are secured to the cartridge 28 by mountlng brackets 38 and
18 40. At the carriage 22, the free ends of ~he leaders 34 and
19 36 are fastened to carriage posts 42 and 44. The ribbo~ 20
is then exposed as it spans the gap between the posts 42 and
21 44 w~ich includes guides 46 and 48. It will be understood
22 that the dista~ce from the post 42 to the print point re-
23 mains constant as does the distance from the print point to
24 the post 44.
By providlng a constant ribbon path length between
26 a sta~ionary cartridge and the movable print polnt as shown
27 in Fig. 1, the rlbbon may be continuously advanced as pr~nt-
28 ing proceeds without any necessity for reversing the ribbon
29 as the prin~ point moves in diff~rent directions a and b
thereby assuring fresh segment of rlbbon for the print
31 point where ~he segment is guided by the leaders 34 and 360
x~ 8-
1, ,' . .
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753
1 In this regard, reference i~ m~de ~o Fig~. ll and 12 wherein
2 various print point positions relative to the sta~ionary
3 c~rtridge are shown~ I~ Fig. 11, ~he carriage 22 is subst~n-
4 tially centered on the platen and the o~erall ribbon path
S length from the cartridge 28 ~long the leader 34 to the
6 print polnt a~ the h~mmer 14 i~ subst~n~i~lly equal to the
7 overall path length from the print point along the leader 36
8 to ~he cartridge 28. In Fig, 12, ~he carriage 22 as shown
9 in full is moved to the far left o~ the platen 16 while rib-
bon path lengths tv the print point alon~ the leader 34 and
11 ~he leader 36 remain equal even ~hough the leaders 34 and 36
1~ have substantially different configuration~. When the ca~-
13 riage 22 is advarlced in a ~ireS~tion indicated by the arrow
14 b to a position ~hown in phenatom7 the overall ribbon path
leng~h~ along ~he leaders 34 and 36 remain the same al~hough
16 the configuration~ of the leaders 34 and 36 of necessity
17 change.
18 As clearly ~hown ~n Figs. 1~ 11 and 129 the ~lex-
19 ible leaders 34 and 36 do not extend the full ribbon path
length to the print point. Rather, the ribbon 20 is ~ulled
~1 taut between pos~s 42 and 44 past ~he prin~ point at ~he
22 hammer 14 without any suppor~ by ~he leaders 34 ~nd 36. How-
23 ever, since the po~itlon of the print point 14 with respect
24 to the posts 42 and 44 remains constant and ~he overall
l~ngth o the le~ders 34 atld 36 remain~ con~tan~, the over-
26 ~11 ribbon pa~h length between the cartridge 2~ and ~he mov-
27 able print polnt remain~ constant.
28 In order to maintain khe overall ribbon path
29 leng~h constan~9 it is impor~ant tha~ the flexibla leaders
34 and 36 wh~ch include loops 52 which are wrapped around
31 the posts 42 and 44 respectively do not ro~a~e on the posts
~lZ~L'753
42 and 44. Elir[lination of any rotation as the carriage moves
is accomplished by means of keying the loops 50 and 52 to
the posts as shown in Fig. 13. In this connection, a keying
projection 54 at the base of post 42 is received by a notch
56 in the loop 50. A similar keying projection on the post
44 is provided which cooperates with a similar notch on the
loop 52. Ihe posts may also be provided with a slight head
58 which serves to hold the flexible leaders down on the
posts once the leader is snapped in placeO
Reference will now be made to Figs. 3-6 for a des-
cription of the manner in which the ribbon 20 is stored
within the cartridge 28. As best understood with reference
to Fig. 6, the cartridge 28 comprises a supply reel 60 which
is mounted on a common axis 6 2 with a take-up reel 64. Re-
ferring to Fig. 3, the ribbon 20 moves from the supply reel
62 through the interior of the cartridge to an outlet 66 at
the bracket 38 mounting the leader 34. The tape then moves
to the movable print point at the harnmer 14 along a fixed
path length including the leader 34 and returns to the cart-
20 ridge 28 along the return fixed path length established in
part by the leader 36 which is mounted on the bracket 40
at the inlet 68 of the cartridge 28. From the inlet 68, the
ribbon is returned along the path indicated by the arrows
to the take-up reel 6~.
Drive means is associated with the supply reel 60 so as
to meter the ribbon out frorn supply reel 60 and a take-up
drive means is associated with the take-up reel 64 so as to con-
tinuously supply a fresh segrtlent of ribJ?on to the print point.
Tension control means associated with the metering drive
30 means and
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75i3
1 ~he take-up drive means control the drive of the take-up
2 drive means relative to the meter~ng drive means thereby
3 controlling tension on the ribbon as it passes flexible
4 leaders 34 and 36 so as to control t~e frietion encountered
by the ribbon as it moves to and from the movable prin~
6 point alo~g the ~ixed path leng~h.
7 As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the metering drive
8 means comprises a riction drive wheel 70 which is covered
9 with rubber or snother suitable material capab~e of provid-
ing sufficient friction so as to pull the ribbon 20 fro~
11 the supply reel 60. As ~hown in Fi~s. 4 and 6, the wheel
12 70 mounted on a shaf~ 71 is driven through a ~ear train
13 comprising a gear 72 mounted on the same shat with the
14 wheel 70 and a gear 74 which engages the gear 72~ The gear
74 is suitably driven so as ~o con~inuously rotate the wheel
16 70 as the carriage 22 and the movable print point move.
17 The take-up drive means as shown in Figs. 4 and 5
18 comprises a wheel 76 which includes 8 plurality of circum-
19 ferentially spaced spikes 78. The wheel 76 i~ mounted so
2Q as to be juxtaposed to the take-up reel 64 and permit.the
21 spikes 78 to penetrate the ribbon 20. In order to provide
22 a tight packlng o the ribbon 20 orl the take-up reel 64, the
23 spikes 78 have sufficient length to actually penetrate
24 through the first layer of the ribbon 20 and into the second
layer of the ribborl 20 on the take-up ree~ 64. Since the
26 diameter o:E the outer layer on the take-up reel 64 is greater
~7 than the diameter of the interior or second layer on the
28 take-up reel 64, a mechanical advantage is provided which
29 assures that the r~bbon may be as tightly packed on the take~
up reel 64 afi it is originally packed on the supply reel 60.
.. ~.............................................................. .
~Z~753
The take-up drive means provided by the spiked wheel 7G tends
to be overdriven with respect to the metering dr.ive means
provided by the friction wheel 70. This is accomplished by
driving the take-up drive means wheel 76 with a belt which i.s
coupled to the shaft 71 on which the wheel 70 is mounted. As
shown in Fig~ 4, the diameter of t~e groove 82 in the shaft
71 which is engaged by belt 80 is substantially larger than the
groove 84 in the wheel 76 which is engaged by the belt 80. As
a.consequence, there is a substantial mechanical advantage and
10 the wheel 76 tends to be driven with respect to the tire 70.
However, the overdriving condition is limited by slippage
between belt 80 and the grooves 82 and 84 of the shaft 7I and
the wheel 76. It will therefore be understood that the belt 80
serves in effect, as a clutch, associated with the take-up
drive of the wheel 76.
The take-up drive wheel 76 is mounted on an arm 86
which is pivotally attached to a wall 88 of the cartridge 28
at a pin 90. The arm 86 is bia,sed upwardly against the take- :
up reel 64 regardless of the amount of ribbon stored on the take-
20 up reel by means of the tension on the belt 80. The arm 86
also carries an idler pulley 92 which includes a pair of side-
by-side grooves 94 which are engaged by the belt 80. The pulley
92 holds the belt 80 away from the supply reel 60.
A dynamic brake is associated wit}i the supply reel.
60. As shown in Fig. 6, the brak~ comprises a brake arm 95
which pivots about a point 96. A tension spring 97 at the point
96 biases a 'braking surface comprising a cellular :foam
pad 99 against the outermost ribbon
-- 12 --
53
1 on the reel 60 so as to contxol the ten~ion on the ribbon
2 fr~m the reel 60 to the fri~tion wheel 70 even though ~he
3 inertia of the supply reel tends to continue rotation of the
4 reel causing slippage between the outer layer of the ribbon
S in contact with the pad 94 and the inner layers o the reel
6 60. In order to limit rotation of the reel 60 under these
7 circumstances, a second friction pad 104 ~s provided in the
8 wall of the cartridge 28 which contacts the edge o~ the rib-
9 bon on the supply reel as shown in Figs. 3 and 6.
As shown in Fig. 3, the cartridge 28 also includes
11 a rlu~ber o other idlers and ribbon guides. In ~he path
12 from the me~ering drive wheel 70 to the outlet 66, corner
13 pin guides 98 are provided which space the ribbon 20 out-
14 wardly away from the arm 86 as well as the accurnulated rib-
15 bon 20 on the take-up and supply reels 64 and 60. In addi-
16 tion, an idler pulley 100 is provided in this path adjacent
17 the outlet 66 so as to rotate the ri.bbon 90 for aLign~ent
18 wi~h the bracket mounting 38 and the leader 34,
19 In the path to the take-up reel 64, a guide pin 102
20 adjacent the inle~ 68 ro~ates ~he ribbon 20 90 prior ~o
21 passage by an idler pulley 104 which maintalns the ribbon 20
22 outwardly spaced from the accumulated ribbon on the take-up
23 and supply reels 64 and 60.
24 In at,cordance with this invention, t~le flexible
25 leaders 3l~ and 36 3hown in Figs. 10, 14 and 16 comprise a
26 steel portlon 120 resembling a carpenter's rule and having
27 a radius o curvature transverse to or across the length o
28 the leaders 34 and 36. A cover 122 cooperates with the
29 steel portion 120 so as to form a channel 124 which receives
30 the rib~on 20. As best shown in Fig. 15, the covex 122 co~-
31 prises a channel base 128 and channel walls 130 wi~h the ex-
- 13 ~
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1 tremiti~s of the walls 13û which are spaced fr~m the base
2 128 contacting the steel portion 1200 The ends 1~6 of the
3 cover 122 wrap around the edges of the steel portion 120 so
4 ~s to secure the cover 112 to the ~teel port:ion 120. Th~
crossed curved steel portial 120 achieves two important func-
6 tiorls.
7 First, the steel portion 120 serves to maintain
8 a curvature in a single d~rection, i.e~, thPre are no re~
~ verse bends or curves i~ the leaders 34 and 36. It will be
10 understood that this is particùlarly impor~ant in order to
11 prevent the inked surface of the ribbon 20 which is iwc~a-
12 posed to the plast:ic member 122 from coming into co~tact
13 with the pls.stic member 12~
14 Second, the cross curved steel portion 1~0 seryes
15 ~o maintain a substantially constant radills of eurvature f~r
16 the flexible leaders 34 and 36. T~is allows the flexib~e
17 leaders 34 and 36 to ass~une the various posi~ions shown in
18 Flgs. 11 a~d 12 without having the flexible leaders extend
19 into a position of interference with the various portions
20 o~ ~he printing apparatus~ ~ote tha~ the curva~ure in each
21 o leaders 34 and 36 essentially tr~vels 210ng tha le~ders
22 as ~he carri~ge 22 moves w~lle the radius remains constan~.
23 In order for the cross curved steel por~ion lZ0 to
24 serve thig ~unctlon, lt ~s necessary that ~he eover 1~2 be
permitted ~o slide on the cross curved steel portion 120.
26 By creating this slidl.ng relationship be-tween the cover 122
~7 and the s~eel portion 120, the steel por~ion 120 is capabl~
28 of assuming two beam heights without intererence by the
29 cover 122. A first beam height which is shown in ~ig. 10
3~ is ~ssumed when the leader is substantially stralght. A
31 second and lesser beam height is assumed when the leader 34
- 14
ï~Z~L753
1 or 36 has a curvature shQwn 1n Figs. 11 and 12. Note that
2 the transverse curvature is convex with respect to the
3 traveling center of curvature oX the leaders 34 and 36.
4 In order to assure that the ribbon 20 remains
spaced from the cover 122, the leaders 3~ and 36 must main-
6 t~in a curvature which is concave wi~h respect ~o the print
7 point. This ~equires that the steel portion 120 of the
8 leaders 34 and 36 be positioned on the inside of the curva-
9 ture with the uninked slde of the ribbon 20 in contact wi~h
the side of the steel~portian 12Q facing away from ~he
11 center c such that the uninked sîd:e faces generally out~ardly
12 away from the print point`at the print point a~d the inked :
13 slde of the ribbon 20 spaced ~rom the cover 122 faces ~en
14 erally toward the print point at the print point.
l$ : Ref~erring now tQ Figs. 7-9, it will be seen ~hat
16 the leaders 34 and 36 are~attached to the cartridge 28 b~
11 the brackets 38 and 40 which include projections 140 whiah
18 are inserted into 810ts or recesses 142 of the stçel ~ortion
19 120 in the leaders 34 and 360 The plastic over l~Z may ~hqn
~0 extend up to the bracket 40 or the bracket.~8. Aæ sh~wn in
21 Fig~ 89 the bracket 40 comprises two portions 144 and 146
22 whic~ tend to sandwich the leader 36 in place wlth ~he key-
23 ing projection 140 properly loca~ed with respec~ ~o the re-
24 cesses 142, As also shown in Fi~. 8, the cartridge~28 in-
cludes stowing posts 148 which are adapted to receive the
~6 loops 50 when the le~der8 34 and 36 are in the stowed posi-
27 tion. The posts 148 include he~ds 150 which connec~ thç loops
28 ~0 ~o the case o~ the cartridge 28 when the le~ders 34 and 36
2~ ~re stowed as shown in Fig. 70 : :
Referring again to Fig. 2, it will be seen tha~
31 the car~ridge 28 with the leaders 34 and 36 in th~ stowed
~2 po~ition may be lnserted into the pocket 30 o~ the l~tegral-
- 15 -
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1 ly molded receptacle 32. No~e further that the receptacle 32
2 includes integrally molded fingers 1~ whi~-h a~e adapted to
3 engage the wal~ of the cartridge 28. Rç~errin~ to Fig. 3,
4 it will be seen that the fingers 160 are adapted t~ slide
alon~ the wailg 162 of the cartridge ~8. The bottom of
6 the pocket 30 includes a projection 164 which is received
7 b~ an opening 166 ln the kottom of the cartri~ge 28 so as to
8 properly locate ~he cartridge within the recep~acle 32.
~ Al~hough a particular cartridge has been shown and
descrlbed, various modifications may be made in ~he c~rt-
11 ridge itself. Fo~ ex~mple~ ~he ~upply reel and ~he take-up
12 reel may be mounted o~ separate axes, Or in the alternative~
13 the cartridge may be of tha stu~ed type withou~ utilizing
14 reels o~ any kind.
It ~ill therefore be understood t~at a preerred
16 embodim~nt o the invention has been shown ~nd described and
17 varlous modifications may be made which ~all within the true
18 spirit and sc~pe of the invention as set ~orth in the
19 appended claims.
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