Reversible ribbon cartridge for a high speed impact printer

Abstract

In a high speed impact printer having means for receiving a ribbon cartridge and for driving the ribbon in said cartridge, the improved apparatus comprising a ribbon cartridge to be inserted in said receiving means and adapted to be reversed one time only which comprises a cartridge housing with first and second reels rotatably mounted in said housing; each of the reels is adapted to support a portion of inventory of a ribbon web which is being driven from one reel to the other reel by the impact printer means for driving said ribbon. A keyed tenon projects from said housing and has an initial position and a second position; the keyed tenon is switchable from the initial position to the second position but irreversible from said second position. The receiving means in the printer includes means for exclusively receiving the tenon keyed in its initial position wherein the ribbon is driven from the first reel to the second reel and means for exclusively receiving the keyed tenon in its second position wherein ribbon is driven from the second reel to the first reel.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.