Printer with ribbon fold out mechanism and plastic ribbon clutch

A printer ribbon transport mechanism comprising:

• a reversible drive mechanism,
• a take up torsion spring,
• a take up clutch consisting of a first take up clutch plastic disk and a second take up clutch plastic disk;
• a take up spool coupled to the reversible drive mechanism by means of the take up clutch and the take up torsion spring to thereby maintain tension on a ribbon attached to the take up spool as the ribbon and the take up spool are being intermittently advanced by the drive mechanism,
• a mechanism frame;
• a supply torsion spring,
• a supply clutch consisting of a first supply clutch plastic disk and a second supply clutch plastic disk;
• a supply spool coupled to the frame by means of the supply clutch and the supply torsion spring to thereby maintain tension on the ribbon even when the ribbon is being unwound from the up spool by the drive mechanism being operated in a reverse direction,
• each said first plastic disk comprising a first plastic and each said second plastic disk comprising a second plastic different from said first plastic;
• said first and second plastic disks of each said clutch defining respective engagement surfaces adapted to press against each other;
• said first and second plastic disks of each said clutch having a relatively low static coefficient of friction relative to each other;
• and a relatively high dynamic coefficient of friction relative to each other;
• and
• said each first disk rotating each said second disk by interaction forces due to coefficient of friction between their respective engagement surfaces as the first disk is pressed against the second disc.