Modular printer system with depleting ribbon supply roll and heated typeholder

A printer system having a heated typeholder for transferring print from a ribbon onto a substrate, the printer system comprising:

• an unwind reel supplying ribbon from a depletable ribbon supply roll disposed on the unwind reel to a rewind reel,
• a first guide roller;
• a dancer arm pivotal about a pivot member, the dancer arm having a first end portion with a dancer guide roller on a first side of the pivot member, the pivot member disposed intermediate the first guide roller and the unwind reel,
• the ribbon is supplied from the unwind reel to the first guide roller on the second side of the pivot member, to the dancer guide roller, past the typeholder, and to the rewind reel;
• a heater block for receiving the typeholder, a portion of the heater block having an opening to expose at least a portion of the typeholder at least during printing operations;
• an insulator member disposed adjacent at least one surface portion of the heater block,
• whereby the insulator member reduces heat radiated away from the typeholder.

A printer system useable for printing on a substrate, the printer system comprising:

• a main plate assembly having a protruding alignment member;
• a cassette having an unwind reel supplying ribbon from a depletable ribbon supply roll disposed on the unwind reel to a rewind reel, the cassette assembly having an aperture corresponding to the alignment member protruding from the main plate assembly, the alignment member disposeable in the aperture of the cassette assembly to align the cassette assembly with the main plate assembly,
• the cassette assembly is removably mountable on the main plate assembly,
• a recess disposed in the alignment member of the main plate assembly;
• a sliding block having an end portion biased over a portion of an aperture of the cassette assembly for receiving the alignment member having the recess,
• the end portion of the sliding block engageable with the alignment member having the recess to slide the sliding block away from the aperture of the cassette assembly as the alignment member is disposed in the aperture of the cassette assembly,
• whereby the end portion of the sliding block is engageable with the recess of the alignment member to lockingly retain the cassette assembly to the main plate assembly.