US 5,181,465 AGranted

Ribbon guide system for a line printer

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsPatrick J. Fitzgibbons, Ho C. Lee, Lawrence A. Stone, Paul C. Van Note

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Abstract

A printer apparatus has a frame member supporting an endless revolving type band in alignment with a row of print hammers with a gap therebetween. Ribbon spools with ribbon wound thereon are rotatably supported in spool housings at either end and on opposite sides of the frame member. The spool housings each have a receptacle portion and a cover portion which enclose the spool. A gap in the spool houses enables the ribbon to extend between the housing and through the gap. The ink ribbon is guided through the gap in parallel with the row of hammers and at an angle to the print line by a set of guide pins on the cover of one spool housing and a set set of guide pins mounted on the frame member in proximity with the other spool housing. Both sets of guide pins engage the same side of the ink ribbon in a manner whereby touching the ribbon is not required to install or remove the ribbon from the printer apparatus. Individual drive motors for rotating the ribbon spools are mounted on the receptacles of the spool housings.

Claims12

Dependent claims

In a printer apparatus having a print mechanism comprising a row of print hammers, a type carrier drive and an endless type carrier having a portion extending parallel with said row of hammers with a gap therebetween sufficient for passage of a print medium including an ink ribbon therebetween, the combination comprising

a frame member for supporting said type carrier drive with said parallel portion of said type carrier in alignment with said row of print hammers, and
a ribbon drive mounted on said frame member for feeding a strip of ribbon lengthwise between said portion of said type carrier and said print hammers comprising
a pair of ribbon spools with a length of ribbon wound thereon,
a spool housing means mounted on each end of said frame member, each of said spool housing means having a housing member for rotatably supporting one of said spools and a hinged member connected to said housing member for movement between open and closed positions, and
a ribbon guide system comprising a first ribbon guide means mounted on said frame member proximate one of said spool housing means for positioning said ribbon at one end of said type carrier and a second ribbon guide means movable with said hinged member of a second spool housing means for catching and positioning said ribbon at the other end of said type carrier when moved from said open to said closed positions.

2 more elements

A print apparatus comprising a row of print hammers,

a frame member for supporting an endless type band in spaced alignment with said row of hammers with a gap therebetween, and
a ribbon drive mechanism mounted on said frame member for feeding a printing ribbon along a path of travel lengthwise through said gap,
a pair of ribbon spools and a length of ribbon wound on said spools,
housing means mounted on said frame member for housing said spools separately at opposite ends of said type carrier with a portion of said ribbon extending between said spools and lengthwise through said gap,
said housing means comprising receptacle members for receiving and rotatably supporting said ribbon spools and a cover member hingedly connected to each of said receptacle members,
said cover members having an open position for allowing placement of said ribbon spools into and a closed position for retaining said ribbon spools within said receptacle members, and
a ribbon guide system comprising a fixed ribbon guide means on said frame member proximate one housing means for positioning said ribbon at one end of said type carrier and a movable ribbon guide means on said cover member of another of said housing means at said other end of said type carrier for engaging and positioning said ribbon when said hinged cover member is in closed position.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.