Signature writer

Claim 2

A ribbon cartridge for receipt in a printer having a cartridge-receiving chamber including a print support surface having a print bar spaced from said support surface to form therebetween a ribbon path and having a raised indiciabearing face shiftable toward said surface, said cartridge comprising: a cartridge frame formed with first and second coextensive webs projecting along said path and spaced apart to form therebetween a paper-receiving slot, said web being formed with confronting windows of sufficient size for passage therethrough of said indicia-bearing face; feed and take-up rollers mounted on one end of said frame from said respective first and second webs; and an ink ribbon having printing ink on one side thereof and feeding off said feed roller along said first web with the ink side thereof facing said first web and extending to the end of said frame opposite said one end to form a first run then turning back to extend along said second web to form a second run and then feeding onto said take-up roller whereby said cartridge may be inserted in said printer as a unit and said paper received in said slot and said printer actuated to shift said print bar towards said paper to engage said indiciabearing surface with said second run of said ribbon and urge it through said second window to engage said paper and urge it into contact with said first run of said ribbon and then press said second run, paper and first run together and against said support surface to print said indicia on the front and back sides of said paper.

Claim 3

A ribbon cartridge as set forth in claim 1 for receipt in a printer having a front wall formed with a cartridge-receiving opening and side walls formed with paperreceiving slits extending rearwardly from said opening and wherein: said cartridge frame includes respective downwardly and upwardly turned flanges on said one end of said webs, said flanges faring in with said front wall and wherein, further, said paper-receiving slot is aligned with said slits.

Claim 4

A ribbon cartridge as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said frame includes downwardly and upwardly turned flanges on said one ends of said first and second webs, respectively, said flanges being turned rearwardly to form ears projecting along the opposite sides of said respective webs; and said feed and take-up rollers being mounted on their respective opposite ends from said respective ears.

Claim 5

A signature writer comprising: case means formed with a ribbon cartridge-receiving compartment and having a paper-receiving opening in one end thereof; base plate means mounted in the lower portion of said compartment and formed with an upwardly facing paper support surface; a signature bar above said support surface and normally spaced therefrom to form therebetween a ribbon path and formed on its lower surface with a raised script defining a selected signature; mounting means mounting said signature bar from said case means for vertical travel thereof; a cartridge including a frame formed with first and second coextensive webs projecting along said path and spaced apart to form therebetween a paper-receiving slot, said webs being formed with confronting windows of sufficient size for passage therethrough of said raised script-bearing face; feed and take-up rollers mounted on one end of said frame from said respective first and second webs; an ink ribbon having printing ink on one side thereof and feeding off said feed roller along said first web with the ink side thereof facing said first web and extending to the end of said frame opposite said one end to form a first run, then turning back to extend along said second web to form a second run and then feeding onto said take-up roller; and an actuating arm pivotally mounted on one end from said case means and projecting over said signature bar to terminate at its free extremity in a handle whereby a paper may be inserted through said opening to overlie said base plate means, said handle depressed to engage said signature bar with said second run of said ribbon to press said ribbon against said paper, said paper against said first run and against said base plate means to impress said signature on both sides of said paper.

Claim 6

A signature writer comprising: case means formed with a ribbon cartridge-receiving compartment and having a paper-receiving opening in one end thereof; base plate means mounted in the lower portion of said compartment and formed with an upwardly facing paper support surface; a signature bar above said support surface and normally spaced therefrom to form therebetween a ribbon path and formed on its lower surface with a raised script defining a selected signature; mounting means mounting said signature bar from said case means for vertical travel thereof; a cartridge including a frame formed with first and second coextensive webs projecting along said path and spaced apart to form therebetween a paper-receiving slot, said webs being formed with confronting windows of sufficient size for passage therethrough of said raised script-bearing face; feed and take-up rollers mounted on one end of said frame from said respective first and second webs; an ink ribbon having printing ink on one side thereof and feeding off said feed roller along said first web with the ink side thereof facing said first web and extending to the end of said frame opposite said one end to form a first run, then turning back to extend along said second web to form a second run and then feeding onto said take-up roller; and an actuating arm pivotally mounted on one end from said case means and projecting over said signature bar to terminate at its free extremity in a handle whereby a paper may be inserted through said opening to overlie said base plate means, said handle depressed to engage said signature bar with said second run of said ribbon to press said ribbon against said paper, said paper against said first run and against said base plate means to impress said signature on both sides of said paper.

Claim 7

A signature writer as set forth in claim 4 wherein: said signature bar mounting means includes means removably mounting said signature bar from said case means whereby said signature bar may be removed and replaced by a different signature bar.

Claim 8

A signature bar writer as set forth in claim 4 wherein: said case means includes a top wall formed at its opposite ends with respective raised and lowered horizontally extending portions, said raised portion being disposed over said signature bar and said portions being connected together by a sloped transition section formed with a pair of longitudinal slots disposed on the opposite sides thereof; and said handle includes a transverse pivot shaft disposed in said raised portion, spaced from said signature bar, said handle including a pair of elongated arms connected on their one ends to the opposite ends of said shaft and projecting horizontally therefrom to overlie the opposite ends of said signature bar and then turning upwardly to project outwardly through said slots and then turning to project horizontally to terminate in respective free ends, said handle further including a transverse press plate connecting said free ends together.

Claim 9

A signature writer as set forth in claim 4 wherein: said case means is formed in its side walls with slots extending from said paper-recieving opening for receiving the transverse dimension of a paper to be signed.