Ribbon supply apparatus
US5374007A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 22, 1993 |
| Grant date | Dec 20, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 22, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65H75/30
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A ribbon supply apparatus including a support in which a ribbon supply spool and a take-up spool are rotatably mounted. The supply and take-up spools and the support are designed so that these spools can be mounted in the support in only one way, the correct way. The ribbon is supplied on a tubular core member which is mounted on a cylindrical member which is part of the supply spool. The ribbon supply spool has a large gear thereon which is used in a braking and feeding mechanism which is used to incrementally feed the ribbon to a print station associated with the apparatus. The ribbon take-up spool is identical to the ribbon supply spool, but the ribbon take-up spool is mounted in a reversed manner when compared to the ribbon supply spool. A driving gear, coupled to the large gear on the take-up spool is part of the braking and feeding mechanism which also includes a "dancer arm". The dancer arm controls a loop of ribbon which is fed to the print station. A metering roller is used in providing a predetermined amount of ribbon to the print station by enabling the take-up spool to pull ribbon from the loop of ribbon.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.