Entrust Datacard Corporation

James A Kalthoff

Arthur Joseph Paulson

Patrick C Cronin

Alexander Kelly Zaborowski

Bryan D Hoeve

A ribbon supply includes a supply spool and a ribbon material wound onto the supply spool. A tack down bond prevents unwinding of the ribbon material from the supply spool. A leader film extends from the tack down bond, with the leader film having a length that is sufficient to allow installation of the ribbon supply and connection of the leader film to a take-up spool without detaching the tack down bond.

Leader film on a ribbon supply roll

A mounting of a ribbon supply on a re-useable cartridge is described where the mounting is designed so that the supply friction, supply and control of the ribbon supply are substantially independent of the cartridge. When the supply rolls are initially mounted on the cartridge, the supply rolls are frictionally engaged with the cartridge to reduce the tendency for the supply rolls to rotate or move prior to being loaded into the printer, which would loosen the ribbon material by unwinding, thereby reducing slack in the ribbon material. When the cartridge is loaded into a card personalization machine, features on the card personalization machine automatically reduce the frictional engagement between the supply rolls and the cartridge, permitting the supply rolls to rotate substantially freely relative to the cartridge so that the supply friction, supply and control are substantially independent of the cartridge.

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Shakopee, MN, United States of America

James A Kalthoff