The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 02, 1976
Filed:
Aug. 26, 1974
Andrew B Carson, Jr, Waynesboro, VA (US);
General Electric Company, Waynesboro, VA (US);
Abstract
The object of the invention is to provide a means of circulating inked ribbon into and out of a cartridge where it has been stored as a compact mass of ribbon folds. Means must be provided to prevent this mass of ribbon from jamming the exit port and forming clumps which result in excessive ribbon tension at the exit. This has been accomplished by introducing a plurality of restrictors in the cartridge ahead of the exit port. In one embodiment, the first of these restrictors consists of a single dam positioned such that the mass of folded, compressed ribbon is restrained by this dam. Tension of withdrawal causes a small quantity of ribbon length to separate from the ribbon mass and cross the restrictor in small clumps or folds. The second restrictor which in one embodiment consists of two aligned dams, one above and one below, causes the ribbon to be restrained to the degree that it exits after passage as a single, unfolded ribbon under slight tension. Means are also provided for inverting the ribbon in a relatively small space inside the cartridge for simplicity purposes and to extend the ribbon usefulness and life by alternately presenting the two ribbon edges to a print head for printing purposes.