Impact printing apparatus and ribbon cartridges
OwnerMichael J. Smith, George R. W. Sully +1inventors
InventorsMichael J. Smith, George R. W. Sully, Martin Crisp
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A ribbon cartridge for printing apparatus is provided selectively with a color selection mechanism, when the cartridge is loaded with a multi-color ribbon, operated by moving the printer-carriage to a position beyond the print line limit and with a peg arranged to engage a cam mechanism on the print carriage, when the cartridge is loaded with a single color ribbon, to enable the full width of the ribbon to be utilized. The peg is formed integrally with the cartridge and is removed when a multi color ribbon is to be loaded in the cartridge.
Claims12
A print ribbon cartridge, for removable mounting on a printer provided with a print head, comprising:
- a cartridge body;
- a print ribbon housed in said cartridge body, said ribbon having a plurality of longitudinally extending bands;
- guide means on the cartridge body operative to guide the ribbon along a path extending through a printing position exterior of the cartridge;
- and
- control means carried by said cartridge body for engagement by an abutment on said printer to position the cartridge body relative to the printer, said control means including a cam movably mounted on said cartridge body, said cam having a cam face for engagement by said abutment on said printer;
- and
- a cam operator selectively operable to move said cam relative to said abutment thereby selectively to set the position of the cartridge body relative to the printer to present a selected one of said longitudinally extending bands at the printing position to said print head of said printer.
A print ribbon cartridge as claimed in 6 wherein said cam is movable in a series of steps in said first direction by repeated displacement of said cam operator through said first extent.
A print ribbon cartridge comprising a cartridge body;
- a print ribbon housed in said cartridge body, said ribbon having a plurality of longitudinally extending bands;
- guide means on the cartridge body operative to guide the ribbon along a path extending through a printing position exterior of the cartridge;
- a cam mounted for linear sliding movement in the cartridge body, said cam projecting through an aperture in the cartridge body and having a cam surface thereon exterior of the cartridge body;
- spring means urging the cam in a first direction;
- detent means for retaining the cam in any one of a series of positions;
- a series of ratchet teeth on said cam;
- a cam operator mounted for sliding movement in the cartridge body;
- a pawl on said cam operator engagable with said ratchet teeth;
- movement of the cam operator through a first extent being effective to engage the pawl with one of said ratchet teeth to move the cam in a second direction, opposite said first direction, against the spring means, from one to a succeeding one of said series of positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.