GB2226527A - Ribbon cartridge re-inking apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for re-inking printing ribbons, comprising a mount (1) on which a cassette of the type including a ribbon guided around the cassette along a path including an exposed portion where the ribbon is used for printing, and an ink applicator (15) in the form of a freely rotatable roller including within its body a reservoir for ink. Two spaced parallel guide pins are positioned on the mount so as to be disposed behind the exposed portion of the ribbon of a mounted cartridge. The apparatus also includes a lid to be closed over the cartridge and closure of the lid causes the ink applicator to pass from a rest position spaced from the cassette partly through the two spaced guide pins (13) picking-up the ribbon as it travels. The ribbon is thus wrapped around part of the surface of the roller. A motor (5) is provided to drive the ribbon around the cartridge and over the surface of the ink roller, the ink roller being rotated by friction with the moving ribbon and its surfaces re-inked with ink from its internal reservoir. <IMAGE>

Description

"RIBBON CARTRIDGE RE-INKING APPARATUS" This invention relates to a device for re-inking a print ribbon used in a typewriter, printer or the like and in particular to a device which can re-ink the endless ribbon loop of ribbon cartridges used in such machines.

In older typewriters and printers the inked or graphite-covered ribbon used for printing was, in general, passed between two spools which were individually mounted on the machine. However, it was found fiddly to replace the ribbon when it was exhausted. Systems were therefore developed in which the ribbon is housed in a rigid casing or cartridge which can simply be mounted on and removed from the machine as a simple unit. In many modern cartridges the ribbon is an endless loop of ribbon material which passes around the cartridge and thus it is possible for the same part of the ribbon to be used for printing a number of times. Eventually, however, the ink or graphite on the ribbon becomes exhausted and it is therefore necessary either to replace the cartridge and ribbon or to re-ink the ribbon.

It has been proposed to provide a reservoir of ink within the cartridge itself in order to extend the life of the cartridge but, clearly, the reservoir itself becomes exhausted after a certain time and, again, the cartridge must then be replaced. A machine has also been proposed in which the ribbon may be re-inked by pulling the ribbon out of the cartridge and threading it around an inking roller.

Since one of the objects of the cartridge was to avoid the need to thread the ribbon, the need for the threading operation to some extent reduces the advantages of using a cartridge.

The present invention provides an apparatus for re-inking an ink ribbon in a cartridge in which the ribbon is re-inked without requiring manual threading of the ribbon through the apparatus.

The term re-inking is intended to include the application of a printing substance, e.g. ink or graphite, in liquid, paste or powder form, to a print ribbon so that the print ribbon can be re-used.

The ribbon may be inked by an ink roller pressed into contact with it and conveniently the inking roller can be driven by friction with the ribbon while the ribbon is driven. This may be achieved by freely rotatably mounting the inking roller on a carriage mounted on a base on which the ribbon cartridge is temporarily placed for inking and arranging for there to be relative movement between the carriage and cartridge to bring the inking roller into contact with the ribbon.

Preferably when positioned to be re-inked the cartridge is retained in a fixed position and the ink roller is moved towards the cartridge to bring it into contact with the ribbon.

The apparatus may be provided with a lid and be adapted so that closing the lid causes the ink roller to move towards the cartridge into the inking position.

Conveniently the ink roller is raised away from the cartridge towards a rest position and is moved towards the cartridge by cam-like legs on the lid.

The apparatus may also be provided with two ribbon guide pins disposed so as to be on the opposite side of the ribbon to the ink roller when the ribbon cartridge is positioned for re-inking, the inking roller being moveable into an inking position where its inked surface is between the guide pins. The guide pins will therefore cause a part of the ribbon to wrap at least partly around the inking roller.

Preferably the apparatus includes means for driving the ribbon around the cartridge so that all parts of the ribbon pass over the inked roller. Conveniently the inking roller is adapted to store ink in a reservoir formed within its body, holes being provided to allow the ink to flow to its inking surface which, conveniently, is a felt pad wrapped around the roller.

Thus, with the present invention, there is no need for the operator to manually thread the ribbon around the inking mechanism of the apparatus. Instead the cartridge is simply placed in position on the base and the ribbon is inked within the housing of the cartridge by being guided by the guide pins provided behind the ribbon and around the inked roller. Furthermore, the apparatus is easy to use because the inking roller is moved from a rest position to an inking position simply by closing the lid. The apparatus may therefore be used "one-handed" and does not require any great degree of skill or dexterity in its use.

The invention will be further described by way of non-limitative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of apparatus (partly disassembled) according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a further side view of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of part of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a diagrammatic top view of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a further diagrammatic top view of the apparatus of Figure 1.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the apparatus comprises a base 1 on which is hingedly mounted a lid or cover 3. The base 1 houses an electric motor 5 retained behind a cover 7 which includes a cable grip 10 for the cable (not shown) for supplying power to the motor. The motor is controlled by a switch 11 and is mounted so that its output drive shaft 9 drives a drive capstan 9 which, in use, is used to drive the ribbon in a cartridge positioned on the base.

In an alternative embodiment, the operation of the motor can be controlled by a detector which detects the closure of the lid 3 and/or the presence of a cartridge on the apparatus.

The base 1 is provided with means for guiding the ribbon of the cartridge around the inking roller 15. These means comprise two guide pins 13 mounted on the base spaced from and parallel to each other and perpendicular to the base. The inking roller 15 is mounted to be freely rotatable on an axle 17 parallel to the guide pins 13 and mounted on a sliding carriage 19 so that it may be slid from a retracted or rest position at the rear of the base to an inking position, where the ink surface of the roller is between the guide pins. The carriage 19 is mounted for sliding motion in slots 21 and 23 formed in the base and is spring-biased towards its rest position.

As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, in this apparatus the ink roller 15 on the carriage 19 is arranged to be slid into the inking position by the action of closing the lid 3.

This is achieved by providing legs 24 on the lid 3 with actuating surfaces 25 which abut the rear edge 26 of the carriage 19. The edges 25 are configured so that as the lid is closed, from the position in Figure 2 to the position in Figure 3, the carriage 19 is pushed towards the front of the base bringing the inking roller 15 into a position between the two guide pins 13.

The inking roller 15 is illustrated in more detail in Figure 4 and comprises a central body 42 around which is wrapped a felt washer or pad 40 which, in use, is impregnated with ink and transfers the ink to the ribbon of the cartridge. The body 42 is shaped to include a reservoir 46 for ink and holes 48 are provided through which the ink can pass into the felt pad 40. The felt pad 40 is retained on the body by a washer 44. An axial bore 49 is provided in the underneath of the body 42 by which the roller 15 is freely rotatably mounted on the axle 17.

Referring also to Figures 5 and 6, in order to use the apparatus a ribbon cartridge 50 which is to be re-inked is placed on the base with the drive capstan 9 engaged with the ribbon drive in the cartridge. On a standard printer cartridge the guide pins 13 will pass through holes in the casing of the cartridge and behind the ribbon 52. The cartridge is, of course, placed on the base with the lid open and thus the inking roller 15 is in its rest position as shown in Figure 5 and the ribbon passes without deflection between the guide pins 13 and the roller 15. As the lid is closed the inking roller 15 is moved towards and into its inking position between the guide pins 13 and thus comes to bear on the ribbon 52, the guide pins 13 and roller 15 cooperating so that part of the ribbon 52 is wrapped around the roller in contact with its felt pad 40 as shown in Figure 6. A suitable amount of ink is placed in the reservoir 46 and this will flow through holes 48 to impregnate the pad 40. Motor 5 may then be activated to drive the ribbon around the cartridge so that all parts of the ribbon pass over the inking roller 15. The inking roller 15 is caused to rotate by friction between the ribbon and felt pad 40.

As the ribbon passes over the felt pad 40 ink is transferred from the felt pad to the ribbon thus re-inking the ribbon and the operation may be continued until the supply of ink in the felt pad and reservoir 46 has been exhausted or until a sufficient amount of ink has been transferred to the ribbon.

At present, most ribbon cartridges must be driven in one direction, but, if desired, the motor may be reversible and/or a further drive capstan may be provided on the other side of the inking roller so that the ribbon may be driven in either direction. Clearly, the position of the pins 13 and drive capstan 9 and also the size and path of the inking roller 15 depend on the structure of the cartridge, but these may be varied to adapt the apparatus to a different cartridge.

Claims (1)

1. Apparatus for applying a printing agent to a ribbon in a cartridge of the type comprising a plurality of guides around which, in use, the ribbon is driven along a path including an exposed portion where the ribbon is used for printing, the apparatus comprising: a mounting for a cartridge; a drive for driving the ribbon of a cartridge on the mounting; and an applicator for applying the printing agent to the ribbon as it passes the exposed position, the applicator being so positioned in relation to the normal path of the ribbon through the cartridge that it can apply said printing agent without manual threading of the ribbon around the applicator.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, including means for moving the applicator from a position spaced from the exposed portion of the ribbon into a position where it deflects the ribbon to apply the printing agent by contact with the ribbon.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, including a lid to close over the cartridge during application of the printing agent, closure of the lid activating the said movement of the applicator.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising a support positioned on the mount to be on the opposite side of the ribbon to the applicator when a cartridge is mounted on the mount and against which the ribbon is pressed during application of the printing agent.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the support comprises two spaced pins and the applicator contacts the ribbon by moving at least partly between the pins so that the ribbon wraps around at least part of its surface.

6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the applicator is a freely rotatable roller rotated, in use, by friction with the ribbon.

7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the applicator includes an ink reservoir within its body and channels to allow ink to flow from the reservoir to the surface of the applicator.

10. Apparatus constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

11. A combination of printer ribbon cartridge of the type comprising a plurality of guides around which, in use, a ribbon is driven along a path including an exposed portion where the ribbon is used for printing and apparatus for applying a printing agent to the ribbon, the apparatus comprising: a mounting for a cartridge; a drive for driving the ribbon of a cartridge on the mounting; and an applicator for applying the printing agent to the ribbon as it passes the exposed position, the applicator being so positioned in relation to the normal path of the ribbon through the cartridge that it can apply said printing agent without manual threading of the ribbon around the applicator.

12. A method of applying a printing agent to a ribbon in a cartridge of the type comprising a plurality of guides around which, in use, the ribbon is driven along a path including an exposed portion where the ribbon is used for printing, the method comprising: mounting the cartridge on a mounting, tensioning and driving the ribbon as for use and positioning an applicator in relation to the normal path of the ribbon through the cartridge to apply printing agent to the ribbon without manual threading of the ribbon around the cartridge.