Ribbon cartridge with pivotable ribbon guide arms

A ribbon cartridge for use in a printing machine, said cartridge including a body within which is housed a supply of ribbon and used ribbon, an opening in said body through which a portion of said ribbon exits said cartridge from said supply and an opening in said body through which said used ribbon reenters said cartridge, and a pair of ribbon support arms secured to said body for pivotable movement, each arm having one end over which said portion of said ribbon is guided to define an active marking region between the two edges of said ribbon, the cartridge being characterized by comprising:

• pivot means on the opposite ends of said support arms and said support arms for compound movement, said pivot means being oblique to an axis extending between said arms at said opposite ends, so that as said one ends move in a plane generally normal to the plane to said body they also swing toward and away from each other so as to define paths of movement of equal length for said two edges of said ribbon.