US2895586A

US2895586A - Ribbon inserter

Info

Publication number: US2895586A
Application number: US661487A
Authority: US
Inventors: Luco Eugene Di
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-05-24
Filing date: 1957-05-24
Publication date: 1959-07-21
Anticipated expiration: 1976-07-21

Description

July 21,1959 E, D1 LUCO 2,895,586

RIBBON INSERTER Filed May 24, 1957 -/4 u INVENTOR. 49 21 2! Eugene Dz'laco MM An 1%,,

ATTORNEY United States Patent" RIBBON INSERTER Eugene Di Luco, North Brunswick, NJ.

Application May 24, 1957, Serial No. 661,487

8 Claims. (Cl. 197172) My invention relates generally to a ribbon inserter, and specifically, to ribbon inserters for typewriters in the form of a ribbon cover that enables a typewriter ribbon to be inserted into the ribbon carrier of the typewriter without soiling ones fingers, and further, permits the easy removal of the ribbon inserter.

It is an object of my invention to provide a typewriter ribbon inserter which enables the correct and rapid insertion of a typewriter ribbon into a ribbon carrier.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a typewriter ribbon inserter which is rapidly removable.

Yet a further object of my invention is to provide a ice Referring now to the drawings in detail, my ribbon inserter 11 is formed from a sheet of relatively thin, relatively tearable material. The transparency of this material is optional. The material may be a relativelythin, tearable paper, or a relatively thin, tearable plastic, or even a fabric. The tearable quality of the sheet is not absolutely essential to my invention, but that quality may add materially to the facility of its use. The sheet is formed with a back portion 12 of slightly greater width than the width of the ribbon so that the ribbon 13 may lie on the back portion. The central area of the back 12 is provided with arcuate cuts 14, 1.4 at both the top and the bottom so that a narrow area or central constriction 15 is formed, whose extent is approximately sufiicient to extend beyond the ribbon carrier. It is this central constricted portion 15 which fits into the ribbon carrier 16 and by reason of its small extypewriter ribbon inserter which has a minimum of bulk,

in order to facilitate the insertion of the ribbon into the ribbon carrier, and minimize the risk of deforming the ribbon carrier beyond its elastic limits.

Yet a further object of my invention is to provide a typewriter ribbon inserter which is removable with the greatest of ease. t

A still further object of my invention is to provide. typewriter ribbon inserter which will provide complete protection from soiling for the fingers of the person inserting the ribbon.

These objects and advantages, as well as other object and advantages, may be achieved by the device illustrated in the drawings in which: i

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective, showing the position of the fingers on a typewriter ribbon provided with my ribbon inserter; the ribbon inserteris still on the typewriter ribbon, which has been inserted into the ribbon carrier.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of my typewriter ribbon inserter embracing a typewriter ribbon.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of my typewriter ribbon inserter embracing a ribbon.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of my typewriter ribbon inserter unfolded, with the position of the ribbon shown by the dotted lines.

Attention has been directed by many to the problem of installing typewriter ribbons and particularly including provision for a clean installation. To that end, many forms of sheath for the ribbon have been devised, so that it may be handled with impunity. Many styles of covers for the typewriter ribbon have been devised. While such covers do provide a convenient means for holding the ribbon during the process of insertion into the ribbon carrier, they are often of such bulk that they are diflicult to insert into the ribbon carrier, and during the course of insertion cause a deformation of the ribbon carrier. Actually, the part of the ribbon inserted into the ribbon carrier need not be covered for it is only necessary to cover the ribbon at the point where the ribbon is grasped by the fingers. Furthermore, the ribbon inserter, once its purpose has been accomplished, may be difiicult to remove from the ribbon and ribbon carrier and in the process of removal, a certain amount of unfolding must be done, which inevitably leads the inserter to contact with the ribbon and the soiling of the fingers.

l writer ribbon is simple.

tent provides a minimum of interference with the ribbon carrier 16. The top edge of the back 12 is provided with upwardly extending, triangular top tabs 17 17 or enlargements, above the fold lines 18. These enlargements 17 are formed on either side of the arcuate cuts 14. On the bottom of the back 12 somewhat

trapezoidal enlargements

19, 19 or bottom tabs are formed, extending downwardly from the

fold lines

20, 20. These

enlargements

19, 19 are provided with

longitudinal slits

21, 21 proportioned to receive the

ends

23, 23 of the tabs 17, 17 when the tabs 17, 19 are folded toward each other. At the center of the constriction 15, a transverse score or tear-line 22 is provided.

The application of my ribbon inserter 11 to a type- The inserter 11 is disposed, as shown in Fig. 4, with the ribbon 13 lying across it. The ribbon is preferably wound, in part, on two spools and the ribbon inserter 11 is applied to a central portion of the ribbon. The

enlargements

19, 19 are folded upwardly, along the

fold lines

20, 20. The enlargements 17, 17 are folded downwardly along the

fold lines

18, 18. The

ends

23, 23 are inserted in the corresponding opposite slits 21, '21. The ribbon is then wound on each of the spools in my ribbon inserter 11 disposed substantially at the central point where the ribbon traverses the space between the spools 24, .24.

When it is desired to insert my ribbon into the ribbon carrier 16 (there are numerous forms of ribbon carriers), the two

spools

24, 24 on which the ribbon is supplied are placed upon the spool carriers and the ribbon inserter 11 is positioned over the ribbon carrier 16. The inserter 11 is grasped between the index fingers and thumbs as shown in Fig. 1. Thereupon, by moving the inserter 11 behind the ribbon carrier the ribbon is easily maneuvered into the slots in the ribbon carrier and the job of insertion is complete.

There remains only the operation of removing the ribbon inserter 11 which is achieved in the following manner. Since the ribbon inserter is made of a relatively light, thin, tearable sheet material, the thumb and index finger are pressed firmly on the ribbon inserter portions shown between them in Fig. l and the hands are moved away from each other. This causes a tearing of the constricted portion 15 of the ribbon inserter usually at its center. The relatively tearable quality of the material of which the ribbon inserter 11 is made insures this because the central portion is its narrowest and Weakest point. In order to insure tearing or separation at the central portion, the score line 22 is applied. The ribbon inserter 11 will then tear at this particular point. When the respective halves of the ribbon inserter have been caused to separate from each other and are pulled out from between the prongs of the ribbon carrier 16, a slight upward movement of the thumb with respect to the index finger will cause each tab 17 to disengage itself from the slot 21, and the ribbon inserter 11 may have its two halves easily lifted ofi of the ribbon 13.

It will be seen that with my device, no bulky central portion impairs the ease of insertion of the ribbon into the ribbon carrier 16. Furthermore, the tabs 7.,.17 enable the rapid and easy removal of the ribbon inserter from the ribbon.

It is to be recognized that the score line, or the use of relatively tearable strip material are equivalent expedients, either of which will enable the ribbon inserter to tear or separate into two parts at its mid point.

It is further recognized that the ribbon inserter is useful on all types of inked ribbons or tapes, whether for typewriters or other printing, mathematical, or recording instruments, where a ribbon must be inserted in a ribbon carrier.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described, They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being within the scope of the appended claims, although they are not specifically catalogued herein.

I claim:

1. A ribbon inserter comprising a strip having a central portion dimensioned to fit into a ribbon carrier, two pairs of opposed top and bottom tabs on the strip, the one pair being spaced apart from the other pair a distance substantially the width of a ribbon carrier, the tabs overlying the strip in general parallelism.

2. A ribbon inserter comprising a strip, and two pairs of opposed top and bottom tabs on the strip, the one pair being spaced apart from the other pair a distance substantially the width of a ribbon carrier, one of each pair of tabs having a slit therein, and the opposite tab being insertable in the slit.

3. A ribbon inserter comprising a strip having a central portion dimensioned to fit into a ribbon carrier, two pairs of opposed top and bottom tabs on the strip, the one pair being spaced apart from the other pair a distance substantially the width of a ribbon carrier, and a narrow central area on the strip between the pairs of tabs, the tabs overlying the strip in general parallelism.

ascribes 4. A ribbon inserter comprising a strip having a central portion dimensioned to fit into a ribbon carrier, two pairs of opposed top and bottom tabs on the strip, the one pair being spaced apart from the other pair a distance substantially the width of a ribbon carrier, said strip being relatively thin and unresistant to tearing, the tabs overlying the strip in general parallelism.

5. A ribbon inserter comprising a strip, two pairs of opposed top and bottom tabs on the strip, the one pair being spaced apart from the other pair a distance substantially the width of a ribbon carrier, and a ribbon disposed on the strip, the opposite tabs folded over the ribbon in pairs in overlapping relation to each other.

6. A ribbon inserter comprising a strip, two pairs of opposed top and bottom tabs on the strip, the one pair being spaced apart from the other pair a distance substantially the width of a ribbon carrier, and a score line near the center of the strip defining a line for tearing.

7. A ribboninserter comprising a strip of material relatively unresistant to tearing, a first pair of top and bottom tabs on the strip, a second pair of top and bottom tabs on the strip separated from the first pair, a narrow portion on the strip between the first and second pairs of tabs, one of each pair of tabs having a slit into which the opposite tab is insertable when the tabs are folded toward each other, and a score line near the center of the strip defining a line for tearing.

8. A ribbon inserter comprising a strip of material relatively unresistant to tearing, a first pair of top and bottom tabs on the strip, a second pair of top and bottom tabs on the strip separated from the first pair, a narrow portion on the strip between the first and second pairs of tabs, one of each pair of tabs having a slit into which the opposite tab is insertable when the tabs are folded toward each other, a score line near thev center of the strip defining a line for tearing, and a ribbon disposed with its ends on two spools and the portion between the spools having the strip disposed thereon with the tabs folded over the ribbon in pairs in overlapping relation to each other.

Palmer Mar. 30, 1948 Spiegel Apr. 9, 1957