Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
--1--
SELF REG[]LATING RIBBON RE-INKING DEVICE
Back~round of the Invention
In the field of ink ribbons for printers, a
ribbon supply spool and a ribbon take-up spool generally
have been provided on opposite sides of a typing or
printing station, together with means for reversing the
direction of travel of the ri~bon for repeated use
thereof in an arrangement for the purpose of obtaining
longer ribbon life. Also, the ink ribbon has been made
to travel along a line of printing wherein the spools
are positioned beyond the ends of the printing line and
the ribbon is caused to travel at an angle relative to
the print line to utilize a greater portion of the
ribbon width. However, in the case of certain high
speed printers, a ribbon substantially as wide as the
line of printing may be used and caused to travel in a
direction normal to the print line and along with the
record media~ Additionally, it has been common to
provide ink carrying or containing means operably asso-
ciated with the ribbon for maintaining or replenishiny asupply of ink therein for proper and extended lie
printing operation.
In present day printers, it is also common
practice to provide and use a ribbon cassette carrying
an endless ribb~n which is caused to be driven past the
printing station, and wherein the printing ribbon is
either a pre-inked and disposable ribbon or a ribbon
which is to be continuously or frequently re~inked
during the printing operation. The ribbon cassette it-
self may be of the stuffing-box type wherein the ribbon
is contained within the cassette in random manner and
such ribbon is unfolded at the cassette exit and caused
to be driven past the printing station and then guided
back into the cassette tc be folded again in random
manner therein.
Additionally, a ribbon may be utilized in a
mobius loop configuration within the cassette wherein
,~
~æ~
-2-
the ribbon is in substantially continuous contact with
an inking core or like member, or the ribbon may have a
plurality of coils thereof around a central core for
controlled inking or re-inking of the ribbon.
Representative documentation relating to
ribbon cassettes or cartridges and to inking or re-
inking the ribbon therein includes United States Patent
No. 3,831,731, issued to R. H. Mack et al. on August 27,
1974, which discloses a ribbon cartridge having tension-
ing means, a print wheel and a friction feed roller
along with porous re-inking means and wherein the ribbon
tensioning means comprises a plurality of ridge-like
deformations.
United States Patent No. 3,837,056, issued to
J. H. Lehmann on June 3, 1975, discloses a ribbon car-
tridge having adjustable tensioning means and a plural-
ity of pre-inked porous foam rollers with one of such
rollers being urged by spring means into frictional
contact against the other rollers for re inking the
ribbon.
United States Patent No. 4,046,247, issued to
R. E. LaSpesa et al. on September 6, 1977, shows a
ribbon cartridge which has an ink roll pivotally mounted
and spring urged into frictional contact against a
transfer roll for re-inking the ribbon.
United States Patent No. 4,071,133, issued to
H. Scherrer et al. on January 31, 1978, discloses a
ribbon cassette with an ink cylinder having a wick
disposed in contact with a transfer roll for re-inking
the ribbon.
United States Patent No, 4,091 ! 914, issued to
A. D. Stipanuk on May 30, 1978, discloses a ribbon
cassette having a source of marking fluid adjacent the
ribbon and a wear-actuated device to cause delayed
contact of marking fluid with the ribbon.
And, United States Patent No. 4,175,877,
issued to J. E. Randolph on November 27, 1979, shows a
3~
ribbon cartridye having a sponge roller urged by spring
means into contact with a transfer roller for re-inking
the ribbon.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention relates to rlbbon
cassettes, and more particularly to means for inking or
re-inking the ribbon therein for the purpose of extend-
ing the life of the ribbon and to maintain the ribbon in
a properly inked condition at all times.
An initial approach in the process for re-
inking the ribbon was applicants' use of a re-inking
canister having a wick disposed in contact with the
ribbon and, in certain areas, similar to the arrangement
disclosed in the above-mentioned Scherrer et al. patentO
The structure provided for re-inking the ribbon by
direct contact of the wick with the ribbon rather than
through an ink transfer roller.
Another approach of applicants was to use an
ink-saturated porous rubber roll mounted on a pivoted
carriage and spring-urged into contact with an ink
transfer roll; and also to use a ribbon tensioner to
provide the required drive tension for the two asso
ciated rolls.
A third method of applicants used the ink
saturated porous rubber roll mounted on a pivoted
carriage and spring urged into contact with an ink
transfer roll in the manner as mentioned just above.
Further, a plurality of ribbon guide posts, disposed
within the cassette~ served to increase the ribbon wrap
around the transfer roll to improve drive forces thereto
and also to increase the ribbon tension.
A final approach for re-inking the ribbon and
for overcoming certain problems of the prior concepts is
disclosed in the structure and function of the present
invention. In accordance with the present invention,
there is provided self-regulating ribbon reinking means
:
- 3a -
in a cassette including an enclosure having a body and a
cover therefor, an endless ribbon within said enclosure,
and means for driving said ribbon for use in printing
operations, said ribbon reinking means comprising ink
supply means comprising a poro~s roll rotatably sup~
ported at a fixed location from said body within the
enclosure, and ink transfer means comprising a carriage
rotatably supporting a transfer roll within the en-
closure and engageable by said ribbon to be rotated
thereby and rockably supported in relation to said ink
supply means roll whereby sa d transfer roll is moved
with increased ribbon engagement pressure against said
ink supply means roll upon depletion of ink in said
ribbon and effects increased transfer of ink from said
ink supply means roll to said ink transfer means roll
and to the ribbon, and whereby said transfer roll is
moved with decreased ribbon engagement pressure against
said ink supply means roll upon saturation of ink in
said ribbon and effects decreased transfer of ink from
said ink supply means roll to said ink transfer means
roll and to the ribbon.
A re-inking mechanism, which is small in size
and insensitive to orientation, includes a porous rubber
ink roll journaled on a fixed location or position
~/
/
/
/
` .. : ' ~
--4--
shaft and operably associated with an adjacent ink
transfer roll carried and journaled on a pivotable or
rockable carriage. The ribbon is wrapped partially
around the ink transfer roll by means of a guide post
positioned with respect to the transfer roll to provide
proper drive tension or force to the transfer roll and
also to the ink roll.
The pivoting of the transfer roll relative to
and into pressure contact with the ink roll utilizes the
ribbon itself to maintain such contact. As the ink in
the ribbon is used or depleted therefrom, the ribbon
tension increases by reason of the drying condition,
which increased tension, in turn! causes the ribbon to
urge the transfer roll against the ink roll with a
greater force and thereby cause more or faster transfer
of ink from the ink roll to the transfer roll. As the
transfer roll becomes more saturated with ink/ the
ribbon tension decreases by reason of the ink wetting
condition thereof and relieves the urging of the trans-
fer roll against the ink roll in a manner which regu~lates the amount of ink that is transferred from the ink
roll to the transfer roll. The result is less re inking
in the case of a saturated ribbon condition and more re-
inking as the ink is depleted from the ribbon. In this
manner and arrangement, it is seen that the re-inking
mechanism provides for self-regulation and control of
the amount of ink which is transferred from the inking
roll to the transfer roll so as to maintain a properly
inked ribbon.
In view of the above discussion, the principal
object of the present invention is to provide re-inking
mechanism in a ribbon cassette for extending the useful
life of the ribbon.
Another object of the present invention is to
provide a ribbon cassette with re-inking mechanism
contained therein arranged to operate in any orientation
thereof.
,:
--5--
An additional object of the present invention
is to provide a re~inking mechanism wherein the drive
force for rotating both the inking and transfer rollers
i~ obtained from travel of the ribbon in contact with
the transfer roller.
A further object of the present invention is
to provide ribbon re-inking mechanism wherein an inking
roll is fixed and an ink transfer roll is rockable
thereagainst for maintaining proper inking of the ribbon.
Still a further object of the present inven-
tion is to provide a ribbon cassette with re-inking
mechanism wherein the re-inking of the ribbon is sel-
regulating by pivotally mounting the ink transfer roll
relative to the inking roll~
Additional objects and advantages o the
present invention will become apparent and fully under-
stood from a reading of the following specification
taken together with the annexed drawing.
Brief Description of the Drawing
Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a
ribbon cassette illustrating an early design of a ribbon
re-inking mechanism;
Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a later
design of a re-inking mechanism;
Fig. 3 is a similar view of the ribbon cassette
of Figs. 1 and 2 but illustrating a ribbon re-inking
mechanism incorporating the subject matter of the present
invention;
Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the body of a
ribbon cassette having the cover removed ~o show the
interior structure;
Fig. 5 is a front elevational view ta]cen along
the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;
Fig~ 6 is a side elevational view taken along
the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;
Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevational view of a
portion of the re-inking mechanism shown in Fig. 4;
~ -6-
Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the cover of the
cassette shown in Fig. 4;
Fig. 9 is a side elevational view taken alony
the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;
Fig. 10 is a plan view of the underside of the
cassette cover shown in Fig. 8; and
Fig. 11 is a side elevational view taken along
the line 11-11 of Fig. 10.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
As briefly mentioned above, the early approach-
es and efforts to provide a re-inking mechanism in a
ribbon cassette or other like support means, designated
generally as 10 in Fig. 1 r included a porous rubber ink
roll 12 which is suitably journaled and mounted on a
pivoted carriage 14 and biased or urged by a spring 16
connected at one end thereof to the carriage and at the
other end to the cassette. An ink transfer roll 18 is
journaled in fixed position or location adjacent the ink
roll 12 and a ribbon 20 is caused to be trained or
guided around a portion of the periphery of the transfer
roll 18. The spring 16 tends to rotate the ink roll 12
in a clockwise direction around a pivot 19 and causes
the ink roll to be urged against and to remain in firm
surface contact with the transfer roll 18. This early
arrangement required a specific level of ribbon tension
in order to drive both the transfer roll 18 and the
inking roll 12 by means of the ribbon 20 itself, and as
a consequence of such required tension level, a ten-
sioner member 22 was provided to form a channel between
the tensioner member and a wall of the cassette 10
wherein the ribbon 20 traveled along a precise path
prior to being inked by the transfer roll 18. The
problems experienced with this early arrangement were
the inconsistent drive of the mechanism by the tensioned
ribbon 20, the edge wearing of the ribbon by the ten-
sioner m~mber 22, and an orientation problem affecting
function of the cassette due to the greater mass of the
ink roll 12 as compared with the transfer roll 18.
~3~3~
7--
A later design is shown in Fig. ~ wherein the
ink roll 12 is mounted on the carriage 14 and is biased
by the spring 16 to tend to rotate the ink roll around
the pivot 19, in similar manner as shown in Fig. 1. A
large portion of the periphery of the ink transfer roll
18 is wrapped by the ribbon 20 after traveling a ser-
pentine path around a plurality of guide posts 24. The
posts 24 are specifically and precisely positioned
relative to the transfer roll 18, to effectively replace
the tensioner member 22 in Fig. 1, and to provide for
the increase of the ribbon wrap around the portion of
the periphery of the transfer roll for the purpose of
improving the driving force for such roll and also to
provide for an increase in the ribbon tension. However,
it was found in this later arrangement that the ribbon
tension was extremely high and, as such, created an
excessive drive torquec
Another design resulted in the present inven-
tion that provides for an arrangement wherein, as shown
in Fig. 3, the cassette 10 provides space for a re r
inking mechanism which includes the porous rubber inking
roll 12 journaled on a fixed-position shaft or spindle
329 The transfer roll 18 is rotatably mounted on and
carried by a carriage 36 which is journaled on a pivot
or spindle 3B and which roll 18 is normally in surface
contact with the inking roll 12. A single guidepost 40
is provided upstream of the transfer roll 18 to cause
the ribbon 20 to travel along a path just short of
halfway around the periphery of the transfer roll 18.
3G While the concept of the present invention
includes certain elements for practicing same, it is
seen that the arrangement of the re-inking mechanism
within the cassette 10, as specifically shown in Fig. 3,
could be of any one of a number of different forms,
depending upon the particular design of the cassette.
The arrangement provides for self-regulation of the
transEer of ink by mounting the ink transfer roll 18 on
a pivotable carriage 36 and using the ribbon 20 itself
to provide the tension and drive torque for the ink
transfer roll so as to ca~lse such roll to enable and to
effect an increase or a decrease in the transfer of ink
thereto from the inking roll 12, all in a manner depen
dent upon the ribbon tension and the resultant pressure
of the transfer roll 18 against the inking roll 12.
Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the body of a
ribbon cassette having the cover removed therefrom to
show the interior structure and the various components
thereof in a preferred arrangement of the subject matter
of the present invention. Such cassette body 50 is
preferably of molded plastic material and takes the
shape of a generally rectangular flat case for support-
ing the ribbon thereof and which is adapted to fitadjacent or along the printing station of a printer.
As shown, the cassette body 50 includes a large cavity
or chamber 52 formed in part by an outer wall starting
at the right side of the cassette and having a wall
portion 54 curving toward the rear of the cassette, a
wall portion 56 running along the rear of the cassette,
and a wall portion 58 curving toward the front of the
cassette near the left side thereof. A generally
centrally-located wall 60 extends for a distance through
the cassette body 50 and a slanted or inclined wall 62
is connected with and is directed from one end of the
wall 60 at an angle downwardly and toward the front of
the body of the cassette. The wall 62 continues to form
a wall portion 64 along the front of the cassette body
and toward the right side thereof. A short wall portion
66 and another wall portion 68 are located between the
wall portion 64 and the start of the wall portion 54.
A plurality of latch members or lugs 70 are
formed as an integral part of the cassette body and are
positioned generally at the four corners thereof for
connection and attachment to mating receptacles in the
cover of the cassette. A front guide or locating finger
3P~
_9_
72 is provided as an integral part of the cassette body
50 for aid in connecting the cassette cover with such
body. It is understood, of course, that the cassette
includes the body 50 with the cover (later described)
connected to form the enclosure for the ribbon.
The internal components of the body 50 of the
cassette include a pair of rollers 80 and 82 which are
positioned to cooperate with each other in driving a
ribbon 84 at the entrance end of the cassette, in the
direction indicated by the arrow 86, and into the cavity
or chamber 52. It is, of course, to be noted that,
while the ribbon 84 is shown as a single strand within
the cavity 52, the ribbon is folded many times in a
stuffing manner to substantially fill the cavity. The
roller 82 is preferably the drive roller and is con-
nected to a drive member (not shown) while the idler
roller 80 is maintained in a hiased position against
such roller 82 by means of a spring 88 wrapped around a
stud or pin 90 and having one end thereof engageable
against one end of a support arm 92 pivoted on a spin-
dle or a shaft 94. The other end of the spring 88
engages an extension 36 of the wall 62, whereby the arm
92 is thus urged against the idler roller 80 which, in
turn, is urged against the drive roller 82 by action of
the spring 88 to provide a precise drive for the ribbon
84. As is well-known in the art, the support arm 92 may
include a plurality of stripper bearings which are
positioned to mate with and extend between the several
ribbon driving portions of the idler roller 80.
A ribbon re inking mechanism is provided and
supported within the cassette body 50 adjacent the
ribbon 84 exit at the right side thereof. A porous-
rubber inking roll 100 is rotatably carried or journaled
on a hub 101 supported from a spindle 102 positioned in
a cavity or chamber 104 formed by the walls 60, 62 and
64. An ink transfer roll 110 preferably of plastic
material is supported from and carried on a carriage 112
at the right of inking roll 100. The carriage 112
~3~
-10~
includes a spindle 114 at one end thereof for rotatably
carrying the transfer roll 110 and includes a hub 116 at
the other end thereof seated on a pivot pin or spindle
118. A roller or like bearing 119 is positioned and
journaled on a spindle 120 adjacent the wall portion
54. The carriage 112 with the ink transfer roll 110
thereon is journaled or pivoted on the spindle 118 to
enable the transfer roll to surface engage with the
inking roll 100 in increasing or dPcreasing pressure
conditions.
The ribbon 84 is contained within the cavity
or chamber 52 in a random or stuffing manner and is
caused to be pulled across a lower ridge or dam 115 and
then directed by a wall portion 122 formed as an end of
the wall 60 to take a path around the bearing 119. From
such bearing 119, the ribbon 84 is directed around a
guidepost 1~4 and then around the transfer roll 110 with
sufficient tension therein to cause rotation of the
transfer roll along with rotation of the inking roll
100. The spindle 114 provides a loose fit for ease of
rotation of the transfer roll 110. The ribbon 84 is
directed past the exit of the cassette body 50 and along
the printing station (not shown) and then is positioned
between the rollers 80 and 82 to be driven thereby and
back into the storage chamber 52. The path of the
ribbon is shown along with an indication of the direc-
tion of rotation of the several rollers by means of
appropriate arrows in Fig. 4.
~igs. 5 and 6 show elevational views of the
body 50 of the cassette wherein the front view (Fig. 5)
illustrates a two-degree angle of the ribbon path with
respect to the line of printing for the purpose of
making better use of the ribbon width. The cassette
body 50 is formed to provide the entire ribbon path,
including that portion of the ribbon 84 in the storage
chamber or cavity 52 as well as the portion past the
printing station, in a plane at two degrees from the
line of printing, all as more specifically described in
~3~
U.S. Patent No. 4,209,261. The side view in Fig. 6 also
shows the latch members or lugs 70 along with the spin-
dles or hubs for the several rollers. It should be
noted that the several spindles, pivot pins, and the
S like are generally molded as an integral part of the
body 50 of the cassette.
Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevational view of a
portion of the re-inking mechanism shown in Fig. 4 and
better illustrates the carriage 112 which has the up-
10 standing hub 116 journaled on the pivot pin 118, the
latter shown as being an integral part of the cassette
body 50 The ink transfer roll 110 is freely journaled
on the spindle 114 at the other end of the carriage 112
and is caused to be moved in a rockable manner toward
and away from the ink roll 100 (Fig. 4~ around the pivotpin 118. It must be realized, of course, that the
extent of the rockable motion is relatively small as
required by the amount of ink on the exterior periphery
of the ink transfer roll 110 for re-inking the ribbon 84
and as determined by the tension in the ribbon 84 for
providing the torque for rotating the transfer roll 110
and also the inking roll 100.
Fig. 8 illustrates the top plan of a cover 130
for the cassette which fits onto the cassette body 50~
25 shown in Fig. 4. The cover 130 has a ribbed portion 132
covering approximately the upper half of the cover and
which portion generally matches the outline of the body
50. The ribbed portion 132 provides a design to present
a pleasing appearance across the top of the cover 130
relative to the two-degree angle of the configuration of
the cassette and of the path taken by the ribbon 84.
The front portion 134 of the cover is generally plain
and provides space for and covers the printing mechanism
which may take the form of print wire solenoids, as more
35 fully described in U.S. Patent No. 4,209,261. The front
portion 134 also includes a tear-off edge 136 r and
several receptacles 138 are provided in the cover 130
for receiving the lugs 70 (Fig. 4)O A recess 140 is
-12-
provided in the cover 130 for accommodating the ribbon
idler roller 80 while a further recess 142 in the cover
accommodates the porous inking roll 100. As briefly
alluded to earlier herein, the cassette includes the
body 50 (Fig. 4) with the cover 130 (Fig. 8) fitting
thereon to form the enclosure for the ribbon 84O
Fig. 9 illustrates the shape of the cassette
cover 130 as viewed in the direction from the right side
of Fig. 8. The ribbed portion 132 covers th~ cassette
body 50 and the plain portion 134 extends beyond the
body to cover generally the printing mechanism (not
shown) with which the ribbon cassette is associatedO
Fig. 10 shows the underside of the cassette
cover 130 in an orientation opposite from the top plan
view thereof in Fig. 8. The underside of the ribbed
portion 132 of the cover 130 also shows the location of
an upper ridge or dam 144 for association with the
body 50 carried lower ridge or dam 115, of the inking
roll recess 142 and of the idler roll recess 140 along
20 with the receptacles 138 for receiving the lugs 70 on
the cassette body 50. The frontal portion 134 and the
tear-off edge 136 are also shown in the elevational view
in Fig. 11 which is viewed from the right side of Fig. 10.
In the operation of the ribbon cassette and
the re-inking mechanism therein, the ribbon 84, which is
preferably one-quarter inch wide and formed in a loop
approximately eighteen feet long, is loaded or stuffed
into the cavity 52 but with a portion of the loop ex-
tending in the path around the roller 119 and around the
ink transfer roll 110, along the printing station or
line of printing generally in the vicinity of the tear-
off edge 136, and then between the idler and drive
rollers 80 and 82, which preferably drive the ribbon in
continuous manner, and back into the chamber 52.
As the ribbon 84 is being subjected to impact
by the printing elements (such as print wires) during
the printing operation, the ink in the ribbon is being
used or consumed in such operation~ As ink is depleted
-13-
from the ribbon 84, the ribbon is less saturated, or may
become dry in a relative sense, and the frictional force
between the less saturated ribbon and the ink transfer
roll 110 increases along with a corresponding increase
in ribbon tension resulting from the pull of the idler
and drive rollers 80 and 82 and the increased frictional
force. The increased ribbon tension, in turn, causes
the ribbon 84 to increase the pressure on or against the
ink transfer roll 110 and to push or ease such roll
in rockable manner against and in surface contact with
the inking roll 100 with a greater force to effect an
increased transfer of ink to the transfer roll and
therefrom to the ribbon.
As the ribbon 84 becomes more saturated with
an increased transfer of ink thereto, the ribbon tension
decreases in relative terms by reason of the ink satur-
ated or wet condition since, in effect, such ribbon does
not have as much frictional force in rotating the ink
transfer roll 110. The effect of decreased ribbon
tension and decreased frictional force reduces the
amount or rate of ink transfer from the inking roll 100
to the transfer roll 110 by reason of the transfer roll
110 rocking or easing away from the inking roll 100. It
is seen that a lesser amount of ink is transferred or
lesser re-inking is necessary when the ribbon is rela-
tively saturaked and that a greater amount of ink is
transferred or more re-inking is required when ink be-
comes depleted from the ribbon or when the ribbon is
relatively less saturated. In this manner of operation,
the re-inking process is self-regulating and, in effect,
automatically re-inks the ribbon, dependent upon the
ink saturated condition thereof.
It is thus seen that herein shown and des-
cribed is a ribbon cassette having a re-inking mechanism
therein which utilizes increased and decreased tension
in the ribbon itself to effect an increase and a de
crease in the pressure of an ink transfer roll bearing
against an inking roll in the manner of rocking motion
~2~
-14-
of the ink transfer roll relative to the stationary
inking roll. The mechanism of the present invention
enables the accomplishment of the objects and advan-
tages mentioned above, and while a preferred embodi-
ment and a modification have been disclosed herein,other variations thereof may occur to those skilled in
the art. It is contemplated that all such variations not
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention
hereof are to be construed in accordance with the fol-
lowing claims.
