Abstract: There is disclosed a replaceable inking cartridge for a printer. The inking cartridge includes an arrangement for indicating when the inking medium of the cartridge has been spent. The indicating arrangement is non-resettable so that the user is prevented from using a spent cartridge for additional printing. The indicating means is useful for signalling the user or the printer about the spent condition of the cartridge.

Abstract: Rather than repeatedly using the entire length of a multi-color print ribbon in an impact printer until the reaching of a lower quality threshold requires replacement of the ribbon, this invention causes only a subsection of limited length of the ribbon to be used until the lower quality threshold of any one of the color tracks of this subsection is reached, after which the ribbon is advanced to enable use of a fresh subsection.The quality status of the currently used subsection may be monitored by counting the number of impacts on each individual color track and comparing that number with a predetermined, stored value, or by shining light through the ribbon and optically comparing the passing light with a preset value. The method is flexible enough to permit manual advance of the ribbon to a fresh subsection in case a printing job requires highest possible quality.

Abstract: A reinking thermal printer is disclosed having a continuous band 1 receiving ink lamination 23 from supply 21. Ink supply 21 has a lamination 25 which is stripped from the ink lamination 23 and directed through guide slot 43. Ink lamination 23 is transferred to band 1 at rolls 29 and 31. The reinked band 1 is then printed from by thermal printing element 7. Lamination 25 enters rolls 35 and 37 with its rough side encountering the remaining ink on band 1 to effect cleaning. Lamination 25 is then stuffed in chamber 39.

Abstract: An ink ribbon cartridge comprises a cartridge housing, an endless length of ink ribbon received in the housing, and a take-up roller and a pinch roller for transporting the ribbon and guiding the ribbon in a repetitively folded manner, characterized in that at least one of said take-up and pinch rollers consists of a compressed body of flexible or semi-rigid polyurethane foam. The use of compressed flexible or semi-rigid polyurethane foam results in improved rollers which have the good ribbon driving performance and driving stability.

Abstract: A cartridge for the inked ribbon of a calculating or other office machine, of the type comprising a platen, a plurality of printing styli disposed in front of the platen at a short distance therefrom, a motive shaft, two fixed stops for transverse positioning of the cartridge with respect to the platen and a longitudinal positioning block. The cartridge comprises a container of substantially parallelepipedal form having a larger side provided with a recess defining two lateral arms. An inked ribbon closed in a loop is disposed inside the container and extends therein between an inking roller and a ribbon tensioning element. The ribbon has a substantially rectilinear portion which emerges from the said lateral arms and spans the recess, parallel to the larger side.

Abstract: Typing ribbons stored in cartridges are reinked by the use of an apparatus having a plurality of drive devices arranged to pull the ribbon through the reinking mechanism and return the ribbon to the cartridge without placing stress on the cartridge case or rewinding mechanism. The apparatus includes a bracket for securely mounting the cartridge with the ribbon threaded over a self-inking drum. A drive system is provided for rotating the inking drum and pulling the ribbon by a drive capstan to maintain a taut condition. A variable speed motor is included for returning the ribbon to the cartridge through its reloading mechanism. Sensors and an electrical control circuit are provided for automatically stopping the reinking process at its completion or if a defect in the ribbon is detected.

Abstract: A novel inking method and apparatus particularly well suited for the re-inking of used fabric ribbons such as of the chain-printer type. The apparatus preferably contains means for moving a fabric ribbon through an inking station onto a take-up roll, means in advance of the inking station for adjusting the edge-alignment of the ribbon, embossed or gravure inking means for supplying ink directly to the ribbon without compression of the ribbon, illumination means to facilitate the inspection of the ribbon for flaws and for uniformity of ink, and shut-off means for stopping the movement of the ribbon at any desired position.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning and re-inking a fibrous printer ribbon carried on first and second reels and having foreign matter thereon comprising a frame, first and second pairs of rotatable spindles mounted in the frame so as to define parallel axes and capable of holding the first and second reels, first and second motors for rotating the first and second pairs of spindles, an elongated inking roller rotatably mounted in the frame between and parallel to the axes for contacting and applying ink to the printer ribbon, a metering roller rotatably mounted in the frame parallel to the inking roller for metering ink onto the inking roller, a trough disposed beneath the inking roller for containing ink and providing such ink to the inking roller, a reservoir capable of holding ink for supplying ink to the trough, an elongated brush rotatably mounted in the frame intermediate the second pair of spindles and the metering roller for contacting, forcibly removing the foreign matter and opening the fibers of the ribbon,