Spliceless ribbon structure having leader and trailer and method of manufacture therefor

A bulk transfer type printer ribbon having an ink impermeable substrate having a first side and a second side and a marking ink on said second side forming a composite, said composite having an inner end and an outer end and wound on a hub to form a ribbon disc with an uninked leader on the outer end of said wound composite and an uninked trailer on said inner end, the improvement comprising said leader and trailer comprising a foil of an uninked material adhesively attached on said second side only, said uninked material adhesively attached to said second side of said substrate, said substrate having said marking ink locally adhesively removed therefrom prior to said adhesive attachment.

The method of making and winding small printer useable rolls of bulk transfer type ribbon having an ink impermeable substrate and a layer of bulk transfer marking material on one surface of said substrate from bulk rolls of said ribbon wherein the improvement comprises providing an uninked foil selectively adhesively removing said marking material in a region adhesively engageable by said uninked foil to provide adhesive engagement between the end of said foil and said substrate, adhesively applying to said ribbon over said marking material and said region an uninked foil to form a laminate of a substrate, a marking material on said substrate and said uninked foil, subsequently slitting said ribbon and said laminate, winding said slit ribbon and laminate on plurality of spools to form printer useable rolls of ribbon with a leader and trailer and severing said roll at said laminate.

A spliceless single use bulk transfer type printing ribbon comprising:

• a length of spliceless ribbon substrate having two ends;
• a layer of transferrable ink;
• a deinked region proximate each of said ends having said layer of ink removed from said ribbon substrate, adhesive attaching means adhesively engaged with said deinked regions and having adhesive surfaces exposed for attachment to spools.

The method of making a spliceless bulk transfer type printer ribbon comprising the steps of providing a ribbon composite comprising an ink impermiable substrate and a layer of bulk transfer type ink marking material thereon, selectively removing at least a zone of said ink marking material from said substrate and adhesively applying an adhesive attaching means to said substrate in said region where said ink marking material has been removed.