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US 4,397,574 AGranted
Reloadable ribbon cassette
AssigneeNCR Corporation
InventorGary A. Wojdyla
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ribbon cassette is fastened on one side of a printer and is operator reloadable. The endless ribbon is loaded in coil form and is driven from the cassette in a path past the printing station of the printer and back into the cassette where it assumes a random form corresponding to a stuffing type cassette.
Claims14
In a printer, a ribbon cassette having an
- enclosure for receiving a coil of endless ribbon,
- means for training an end loop portion of said ribbon in a path from an exit of said cassette and across the printer along a path spaced from and then past a printing station,
- leaf spring means for tensioning said ribbon when training the end loop portion thereof from the cassette exit,
- roller means operably connected with the printer for driving the ribbon through an entrance of and back into the cassette and forming the ribbon in random folds within the enclosure of said cassette after driving the ribbon through the entrance thereof while unwinding ribbon from the coil, and
- cam means rotatably journaled and connected with said cassette for releasing said leaf spring means and for disengaging said roller means during loading of said ribbon cassette.
2 more elements
In a printer including a printing station, a reloadable ribbon cassette having a
- chamber for receiving a coil of endless ribbon with a loop portion,
- means for guiding said loop portion from an exit of said chamber along a path spaced from and then past the printing station and thence into an entrance of the chamber,
- leaf spring means for tensioning the ribbon when guiding the loop portion from the chamber exit,
- drive and driven roller means operably connected with the printer for driving the ribbon through the chamber entrance and forming random folds of ribbon within the chamber while unwinding ribbon from the coil, and
- cam means rotatably journaled and connected with said cassette for releasing said leaf spring means and for disengaging said drive and driven roller means during loading of said ribbon cassette.
2 more elements
A ribbon cassette for use in a printer and comprising an
- enclosure for receiving a coil of endless ribbon having a loop portion,
- means for training the loop portion from the enclosure along a path across the printer and past a printing station and thence back into the enclosure,
- spring means for tensioning the ribbon when training the loop portion from the enclosure,
- roller means operably associated with the printer for driving the ribbon back into the enclosure and forming random folds of ribbon within the enclosure while unwinding ribbon from the coil, and
- cam means rotatably journaled on the enclosure for releasing the spring means and for disengaging the roller means during loading of ribbon in the cassette.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.