Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft

Tally LLC

Tally Printer Corporation

David G Starr

Edward D Bringhurst

Erik Bylund

Greg Peterson

An integrally-formed print element for providing finer dots than previously possible with an impact printer. The dots produced permit the printing of Chinese, Amharic, Devanagari, and like characters, in sizes as small as standard newsprint, and print in books and periodicals, without significant distortion of the characters. The print element has an axis of symmetry and includes in order a cylindrical base with a longitudinal axis corresponding to the axis of symmetry of the print element; a frusto-conical-shaped impact element support with its largest diameter end extending from one end of the cylindrical base; and a cylindrical impact element located on and extending integrally from the other end of the frusto-conical-shaped support. The overall size of the print element is preferably such that it is attachable to standard impact printer hammer tips.

Printer element

An adaptation of an inked ribbon cassette to printers of higher printing speed is achieved where a supply spool is used as inked ribbon storage. Furthermore, the problem of an environmentally proper disposal of used inked ribbon cassettes is solved. At least two rotary drivable spool axles (3, 4) are spaced apart from each other on a base plate (1), open toward the upper side and open on the bottom side, where the spool axles (3, 4) are rotary supported on the base plate (1). The inked ribbon reels (2, 5) can be individually attached onto the spool axles (3, 4). A first inked ribbon guide element (7) is coordinated to one spool axle (3, 4). The inked ribbon (6) is guided from a first inked ribbon reel (2) along the first inked ribbon guide element (7) and parallel to the print path (17) and back via a second inked ribbon guide element (8) onto the second inked ribbon reel (5). In each case, a controllable electrical drive motor (9 ) is disposed on each spool axle (3, 4) at the bottom side (1a) of the base plate (1).

Inked ribbon device for line printers

A capstan driven, endless printer ribbon cartridge comprising an endless ribbon and a flat housing formed of a planar base and an enclosing planar top with downwardly projecting edge walls is disclosed. The housing includes an appendage within which a guide roller, or an inking roller, is located. Ribbon enters the housing via an edge wall slot located adjacent the guide or inking roller and runs around the roller to a relatively large aperture at which a pair of pinch rollers are located. The pinch rollers, when the cartridge is mounted in a suitable printer, press the ribbon against a capstan. The ribbon runs from the pinch rollers to the outer periphery of a rotatable ribbon roll located about a non-rotatable hub integrally formed with the base. The ribbon leaves the ribbon roll via an angle slot formed in the non-rotatable hub. A ribbon leaf spring having a semicircular hook-shaped end extends outwardly from the hub against the inner loop of the ribbon roll to provide tape withdrawal friction (output tension) and to assist in aligning the tape with the angle slot. The endless ribbon has the configuration of a Mobius strip.

Growing community of inventors

Renton, WA, United States of America

David G Starr