Ribbon lift mechanism for typewriters and the like machines

Claim 1

A typewriter having a ribbon lift mechanism for alternatingly lifting a ribbon from a lowered position to first and second elevations relative to a printing line comprising a support frame, a shaft supported on said frame, a powered lever rotatably mounted on said shaft for cyclic movement from a rest position to an active position and return to rest position to effect ribbon lift, a lift control wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft, said lift control wheel having a cam ring and a ratchet wheel, said lever including a pawl for engaging and indexing said ratchet wheel incident to cyclic movement of said lever, said cam ring having alternating low and high lift cams separated by valleys, a ribbon supporting lift lever pivotally mounted on said frame and biased to its lowered position, a cam follower directly mounted on said ribbon lift lever engaging said cam ring for alternatingly lifting said ribbon lift lever from a lowered position to first and second elevations incident to indexing of said control wheel by said pawl, a locking lever pivotally mounted on said frame, a spring normally biasing said locking lever toward locking engagement with said ribbon lift lever for holding it in said first and second elevated positions, said locking lever having an inclined edge, and an arm on said powered lever overlying said inclined edge of said locking lever for normally holding said locking lever against the bias of its spring out of locking engagement with said ribbon lift lever and movable incident to cyclic movement of said powered lever for releasing said locking lever for lockingly holding said ribbon lift lever at said first and second elevations and for returning said locking lever whereby said ribbon lift lever is released for return to lowered position incident to each cyclic movement of said powered lever.