Ink ribbon feeding and reversing assembly

Claim 2

An ink ribbon feeding and reversing assembly for controlling the feeding of an ink ribbon, comprising: a first ribbon carrier, a first drive spindle for driving said first ribbon carrier, a second ribbon carrier, a second drive spindle for driving said second ribbon carrier, drive means, clutching means for drivingly connecting said drive means either with said first drive spindle to wind said ink ribbon onto said first ribbon carrier or with said second drive spindle to wind said ink ribbon onto said second ribbon carrier, said clutching means including (a) a shiftable clutching device selectively shiftable between a first position in driving engagement with said first drive spindle and a second position in driving engagement with said second drive spindle, (b) a control member actuable to shift said clutching device to either of its first and second positions, said control member drivingly connected to said drive means, (c) means for rotably and shiftably mounting said control member, and (d) a drive connection between said control member and said clutching device, and sensing means responsive to the position of said ribbon for shifting said control member.

Claim 3

An ink ribbon feeding and reversing assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said sensing means includes a first sensing lever responsive to an eyelet at one marginal end of the ink ribbon, a second sensing lever responsive to an eyelet at the other marginal end of the ink ribbon, a switch actuatable by said first sensing lever, electromechanical means responsive to actuation of said switch for shifting said control member to effect shifting of said clutching device from its first position to its second position, latch means for holding said control member in its second position, tripping means responsive to said second sensing lever for tripping said latch means, and a return means for shifting said control member and hence shifting said clutching device from its second position to its first position when said latch is tripped.

Claim 4

An ink ribbon feed and reversing assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive means includes a driving gear and a driven gear meshing with said driving gear, said driven gear being secured to and shiftable together with said control member, said gears being sufficiently wide to maintain driving engagement therebetween when said control member and said driven gear are shifted.

Claim 5

An ink ribbon feeding and reversing assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said clutching means includes pin means selectively locking said clutching device either to said first drive spindle or to said second drive spindle.

Claim 6

An ink ribbon feeding and reversing assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said clutching device includes first and second disks, pin means carried by each of said first and second disks, a first member joined to said first spindle and having first apertures with which said pin means of said first disk is alignable and engageable when said clutching device is in its first position, a second member joined to said second spindle and having second apertures with which said pin means of said second disk is alignable and engageable when said clutching device is in its second position, and urging means between said disks tending to urge said disks apart, said urging means serving to enable said clutching device to be shifted to either of said first or second positions before the respective pin means are aligned with their respective first or second apertures.

Claim 7

An ink ribbon feeding and reversing assembly for controlling the feeding of an ink ribbon, comprising: a first ribbon carrier, a first drive spindle rotatable about an axis for driving said first ribbon carrier, a second ribbon carrier, a second drive spindle coaxially received by said first drive spindle for driving said second ribbon carrier, drive means, means for rotatably mounting said first and Second drive spindles, and selective connecting means for selectively connecting said drive means with either said first drive spindle or said second drive spindle, said selective connecting means including clutch means rotatable about said axis, power means operable for shifting said clutch means to change the drive from one to the other of said first and second drive spindles, and control means responsive to said ink ribbon for initiating operation of said power means.

Claim 8

An ink ribbon feeding and reversing assembly for controlling the feeding of an ink ribbon, comprising: a first ribbon carrier, a first drive spindle rotatable about an axis for driving said first ribbon carrier, a second ribbon carrier, a second drive spindle coaxially received by said first drive spindle for driving said second ribbon carrier, drive means, means for rotatably mounting said first and Second drive spindles, and selective connecting means for selectively connecting said drive means with either said first drive spindle or said second drive spindle, said selective connecting means including clutch means rotatable about said axis, power means operable for shifting said clutch means to change the drive from one to the other of said first and second drive spindles, and control means responsive to said ink ribbon for initiating operation of said power means.

Claim 9

An ink ribbon feeding and reversing assembly as defined in claim 6, wherein said control means for initiating operation of said power means includes a first sensing lever pivotally mounted about said axis and responsive to an eyelet at one marginal end of said ink ribbon, and a second sensing lever pivotally mounted about said axis and responsive to an eyelet at the other marginal end of said ink ribbon.

Claim 10

An ink ribbon feeding and reversing assembly as defined in claim 6, wherein said selective connecting means includes a shiftable control member and a pivotally mounted shift lever operated by said power means.

Claim 11

An ink ribbon feeding and reversing assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein said first sensing means is responsive to an eyelet at one marginal end of said ink ribbon for operating said electromechanical device, and said second sensing means is responsive to an eyelet at the other marginal end of the ink ribbon for releasing said latch means.

Claim 12

An ink ribbon feeding and reversing assembly for controlling the feeding of an ink ribbon comprising: a first ribbon carrier, a second ribbon carrier, drive means, selective connecting means drivingly connected to said drive means and operable to normal and operative states, said selective connecting means connecting said drive means to said first ribbon carrier whenever said selective connecting means is in its normal state and connecting said drive means to said second ribbon carrier whenever said selective connecting means is in its operative state, a first sensing means for sensing when said ink ribbon has been wound almost completely onto said second ribbon carrier, and power means responsive to said first sensing means for operating said selective connecting means, said power means including an electromechanical device responsive to said first sensing means to operate said selective connecting means to said operative state, a spring means connected to said selective connecting means, a latching means to maintain said selective connecting means in its operative state, and a second sensing means for sensing when said ink ribbon has been wound almost completely onto said first ribbon carrier, said second sensing means releasing said latch means so that said spring means returns said selective connecting means to its normal state.

Claim 13

An ink ribbon feeding and reversing assembly for controlling the feeding of an ink ribbon comprising: a first ribbon carrier, a second ribbon carrier, drive means, selective connecting means drivingly connected to said drive means and operable to normal and operative states, said selective connecting means connecting said drive means to said first ribbon carrier whenever said selective connecting means is in its normal state and connecting said drive means to said second ribbon carrier whenever said selective connecting means is in its operative state, a first sensing means for sensing when said ink ribbon has been wound almost completely onto said second ribbon carrier, and power means responsive to said first sensing means for operating said selective connecting means, said power means including an electromechanical device responsive to said first sensing means to operate said selective connecting means to said operative state, a spring means connected to said selective connecting means, a latching means to maintain said selective connecting means in its operative state, and a second sensing means for sensing when said ink ribbon has been wound almost completely onto said first ribbon carrier, said second sensing means releasing said latch means so that said spring means returns said selective connecting means to its normal state.