GB1033667A - Improved means for feeding copy ribbons in typewriting machines - Google Patents

Abstract

1,033,667. Ink - ribbon mechanisms. GRAPHIC TECHNOLOGY Ltd. Oct. 12, 1962 [April 19, 1963; July 31, 1963], Nos. 38655/62, 15475/63 and 30333/63. Headings B6B and B6F. Apparatus for feeding an inked, carboned or once only ribbon parallel to the axis of the platen 13 of a tabulator or like typewriting machine, and which may be detachable, comprises a supply spool 20 mounted for free rotation, turner plates 26, 27 for causing the ribbon to travel along the platen 13 parallel to the platen axes, feed rollers 29, 30 for drawing the ribbon from the supply spool, at least one of which rollers has a convex operative surface to centre the ribbon, a take-spool spool 22 having a slipping drive, and means 24 to maintain the tension in the ribbon at a substantially constant value. As shown, in an arrangement particularly suitable for " once only" ribbons and for printing on continuous stationery fed by a pin-wheel device 14, two ribbons 10, 11 are employed to obtain two copies, the ribbons being fed from large supply spools 21, 20 respectively, mounted freely on axes on the outside of one frame plate 15 and rewound on take-up spools 23, 22 respectively on the outside of another frame plate 16, the plates 15, 16 being situated at opposite sides of the machine and being rigidly connected. Each ribbon passes through a tensioning device 24, over a turner plate 26 with a 45 degrees guiding edge and having a hole 48, Fig. 6 (not shown), to reduce friction, along the platen 13, over a turner plate 27 similar to the plate 26, upwardly to the feed rollers 29, 30 and finally to its take-up spool. Each tensioning device 24 comprises a fixed rod 40, and two freely mounted rollers 38, 39, around which a ribbon passes as shown, the roller 39 being pressed axially by a spring against a fixed abutment so that it is braked. One or both of the feed rollers 29, 30 are driven from a continuously-running electric motor, and the convex surfaces thereof may be knurled. The roller 30 is spring-pressed towards the roller 29. The two ribbons 10, 11 may pass directly into the nip of the feed rollers or may first pass over the top of the roller 29, then into the nip and finally around the roller 30. The take-up spools 22, 23 are driven from the roller 29 by spring belts 36, 37 which constitute the slipping drive. The device may be an attachment to or part of a machine, and the plates 15, 16 may be pivoted adjacent to their rear edges 28 to permit the moving of the guide members 26, 27 and ribbons clear of the platen for inserting new ribbons &c.