Printing ribbon cartridge

Abstract

An improved, U-shaped printing ribbon cartridge adapted for use with either film or woven printing ribbons of widely varying thicknesses. The printing ribbon feeds from one terminal end of the cartridge, across the open mouth of the 'U' wherein it may be contacted for printing and into the other terminal end of the cartridge. Within the base of the U-shaped cartridge, located to one side thereof, the ribbon passes between a toothed driving wheel and a meshing, toothed pinch wheel for advancing the ribbon under tension. The pinch wheel is pivotably mounted and spring loaded against the driving wheel. Bearings located about both terminal ends of the toothed segment of the driving wheel are received by apertures formed in opposite walls of the cartridge. The driving wheel may be rotated from outside the cartridge by a splined shaft inserted thereinto or turned manually by a conically-shaped terminal end thereof. A ribbon storage compartment extending almost the full length of the base of the U-shaped cartridge stores either the bulk of a continuous loop of a woven ribbon or the spent portion of a film ribbon. Located at the end of the storage compartment opposite to the toothed wheels is either a supply roll of film ribbon or a mobius assembly for cloth ribbon. An aperture formed through a wall of the ribbon cartridge, closed by the mobius forming assembly, permits sensing the end of ribbon condition for cartridges filled with film ribbon.