Ink ribbon winding and reversing assembly

An ink ribbon cassette for use in an ink ribbon winding and reversing assembly in a printer including detecting means for reversing ribbon winding direction, said cassette comprising a cassette housing having two ink ribbon spools rotatably mounted in said housing and including two opposed arm portions extending substantially parallel outward from each ink ribbon spool, said ink ribbon wound from one ink ribbon spool through one of said arm portions to said other arm portion, an exposed length of ink ribbon therebetween, and wound through said second arm portion to said other ink ribbon spool;

• said housing portion including an opening between said ink ribbon spools for receiving and detecting means of the ribbon winding and reversing assembly, and said opening in said cassette housing including inwardly facing opposed guide surfaces for receiving and guiding upwardly extending projections on the detecting means of the winding and reversing assembly when said cassette is being mounted on the assembly;
• whereby the detecting means extends into the cassette.

In an ink ribbon winding and reversing assembly in a printer including a first and a second rotatably mounted ratchet wheel spaced apart from each other and winding means operatively engaged with one of said ratchet wheels for winding an ink ribbon thereon, the improvement which comprises a detecting lever comprising an elongated central arm extending between said ratchet wheels having ribbon-sliding portions on the opposed side edges thereof for riding on the outer surface of an unwinding ink ribbon and two outer elongated wing portions extending substantially parallel to said central arm, one of said wing portions engageable with said winding means at completion of winding in one direction for selectively engaging said winding means with the other of said ratchet wheels and upwardly extending projections for aligning said detecting lever to a position intermediate to said ratchet wheels when an ink ribbon cassette including two ink ribbon spools is being mounted on the assembly;

• whereby said detecting lever extends into the cassette.

An ink ribbon cassette comprising a cassette housing having two ink ribbon spools rotatably mounted in said housing and including two opposed arm portions extending substantially parallel outward from each side of said housing, said housing portion including an opening between said ink ribbon spools for receiving a displaceable detecting means of an ink ribbon winding and reversing assembly, said opening in said cassette housing including inwardly facing opposed guide surfaces for receiving and guiding the detecting means for the winding and reversing assembly to the center of said housing by engaging projections formed on the detecting means in camming fashion, when said cassette is being mounted on an ink ribbon and winding assembly;

• whereby said detecting means extends into the cassette between the ribbon spools.