Ribbon advance monitor

In an arrangement for monitoring the condition of print ribbon means in a printing apparatus including control means, ribbon advance means wherein print-command signals are issued to the advance means and wherein the advance means is required to advance the ribbon at least d minimum distance prior to each said print-command, the combination therewith of:

• detect means adapted to monitor the advance-motion of said ribbon and issue a prescribed "GO" signal to said control means to enable printing upon sensing ribbon-advance of at least "d" distance, in the absence of which said advance means is adapted and controlled by said control means to execute a "retry", the result of which will either be issuance of said "GO" signal or of a "fault condition" signal at said control means, which is adapted to responsively prevent printing.