US 5,511,889 AGranted

Ribbon inking device

AssigneeT-3 Enterprises Inc.

InventorGladys J. Tokar

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Abstract

Disclosed herein is ribbon inking apparatus for inking such ribbon comprising an ink supply in the form of an ink cartridge with a motor actuated piston forcing the ink onto a porous inking wheel which is also the main ribbon drive. A cartridge with ribbon to be inked has an adapter placed thereon to suit the type of cartridge and is inserted into the inking apparatus where it is held in engagement with a friction drive. Puller arms actuated from the main gear box have puller fingers which grasp the ribbon from the cartridge and place a portion thereof against the porous inking wheel for inking. A pinch roller, ink sensor, unit is pivoted into a position where the pinch roller forces the ribbon against the inking wheel and the ink sensors straddle the ribbon to detect the presence of ink and to control the application of ink to the inking wheel.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A ribbon inking device for inking an endless ribbon movably mounted in a ribbon cartridge with a loop of the ribbon exposed from the cartridge and a drive member on the cartridge for feeding the ribbon from the loop back into the cartridge, the device comprising a base, main drive means mounted on the base, ink applying means mounted on the base and including an ink supply, ribbon driving means for driving said ribbon from said loop over said inking means, said ribbon driving means being driven from said main drive means, ribbon positioning means for grasping said ribbon at said loop and for moving the ribbon into position for driving by said ribbon driving means, cartridge drive means for driving said drive member on the cartridge, cartridge support means including a support table mounted on said base and means for moving the cartridge drive means to a required location for engagement with said drive member of said cartridge on said cartridge support means.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.