Abstract: A spool retainer prevents the spools of a tape cartridge from unwinding during shipping or storage and also serves as an installation aid that remains on the cartridge during installation into a printing mechanism to retain and precisely locate the ribbon within the cartridge during installation. The retainer includes a substantially flat back wall; two spaced apart tabs projecting in a direction perpendicular to the back wall; and a protruding wall extending in the direction from a lower end of the back wall substantially parallel with the tabs. The two spaced apart tabs are adapted for mating with splines within spools of a ribbon cartridge and fixedly engage the splines to prevent relative movement between the spools. The protruding wall protects exposed ribbon during both storage and installation.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printer including: a carriage 5 provided for causing reciprocatory motions along a platen 2; a thermal head 6 disposed on this carriage 5; a ribbon cassette 21 accommodating an ink ribbon 14 therein and detachably installed on the upper surface of the carriage 5; a head operating mechanism 30 for supporting the thermal head 6 on the carriage 5 and bringing the thermal head 6 into contact with or releasing it from the platen 2; a driving motor for driving this head operating mechanism 30; a peeling roller 20 brought into contact with or released from the platen 2 in order to change a distance between a printing portion by the thermal head 6 and a peeling portion where the ink ribbon 14 is peeled off after finishing the printing operation; and a peeling lever 19 mounting the peeling roller 2 at the distal end thereof and including an engaging pin 50 which is pressed to engage with the head operating mechanism 30 in accordance with a kind of the ribbon cassette 21.

Abstract: A dye ribbon package for use with a thermal printer and containing for that purpose in spaced parallel relation therein a supply spool wound with dye ribbon and a take up spool for rewinding the dye ribbon as it is unwound from the supply package, a leading end of the dye ribbon on the supply spool being attached to the take up spool, each spool having a winding core with a free end portion, in which the package has a bottom wall and at each of the opposite sides of the bottom wall normal to the spool axes upstanding lateral wall integral with the bottom wall. Each lateral wall has two laterally spaced apart panels, both cut out downwardly from their edges opposite the bottom wall to removably receive the free end portions of the spool cores and permit free access to the end faces of the spool cores.

Abstract: An ink ribbon cassette includes an ink ribbon unit, first and second housings, and coupling mechanisms, and holding mechanisms. The ink ribbon unit is replaced while an ink ribbon film is wound around a supply bobbin and a take-up bobbin. The first housing has a pair of first semi-cylindrical bobbin housing portions in which the supply and take-up bobbins of the ink ribbon unit are housed parallel to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval. The second housing has a pair of second semi-cylindrical bobbin housing portions in which the supply and take-up bobbins are housed parallel to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval. The coupling mechanisms couple the second housing to the first housing while the first bobbin housing portions are caused to correspond to the second bobbin housing portions, respectively.

Abstract: An ink ribbon cartridge is composed of an ink ribbon unit having an ink ribbon, and a spool member on which the ink ribbon is wound includes a first identifying portion to identify the type of the ink ribbon wound thereon; and a holder to house the ink ribbon unit therein, having a base portion, a pair of wall portions facingly extended from the base portion to support the ink ribbon unit by establishing an engagement therewith, and plurality of second identifying portions to identify the type of the holder having the same appearance as the first identifying portion. The first and second identifying portions may be colored portions. The second identifying portions may be formed in labels adhered on the holder on which a method for housing the spool member into the holder is provided. The ink ribbon unit can be provided from a package on which a third identifying portion having the same color as the first and second identifying portions is formed.

Abstract: An improved thermal ribbon cassette is detachably mounting to a thermal printing postage meter. The thermal ribbon cassette has an opening, a plurality of posts. Some of which posts are located to each side of the opening, a take-up spool and a supply spool rotatively mounted in the housing, and a thermal ink transfer ribbon supply wrapped around the supply spool and extending to the take-up spool threaded from and between the post and extending through the opening. The opening is located to receive a thermal print head therein such that the transfer ribbon traverses below the print element of the thermal print head. Slots are formed in the respective forward and rear wall, a first post to the take-up side of the aperture is positionably mounted in the slots such that the angle downstream of the opening may be selectively changed.

Abstract: To reduce the cost of a cassette case by simplifying the design, a cassette case 10 is made up of a case body 26 and a case cover 27 fitted to the upper surface of the case body 26, a ribbon guide 28 is fitted to the outside of the cassette case 10 in such a way that it is free to slide in the longitudinal direction, and at times of printing color changeover the required color band of the multiple color ink ribbon 11 is guided over the end of the printing head by this ribbon guide 28. The ribbon guide 28 is provided with guide portions 36, 37 facing both of the side surfaces of the case cover 27, and the movement of the ribbon guide 28 in the direction of the length of the cassette case 10 is guided by these guide portions 36, 37 sliding along the side surfaces of the case cover 27.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printer in which printing is performed by melting ink from an ink ribbon and transferring the molten ink to a printing sheet, and which is capable of erasing printed characters as desired by attaching the transferred ink to the ink ribbon and drawing the ink ribbon to separate the ink from the printing sheet. At least one ribbon feed roller having its surface formed of a material of a large friction coefficient is provided in a ribbon cassette housing the ink ribbon. The ribbon feed roller is rotated by a drive shaft provided on a carriage to assist in separating the ink ribbon from the printing sheet, thereby enabling the ink ribbon to be separated and wound up constantly with stability during each of the printing and correction operations.

Abstract: Reservoirs (11, 12) for printing equipment whether they are ink reservoirs, inked ribbon cassettes or toner reservoirs comprise an electronic memory means (14) in the form of a chip in which information about the current fill status of the reservoir and/or other status data, for example expiration date of the printing medium, that are relevant for the printer operation are stored. The used status of printing medium is acquired via the central controller (16) of the printing equipment and is communicated to the chip (14). The chip at the reservoir counts consumption until the supply of printing medium (ink fluid, inked ribbon, toner) exhausted to such an extent that the reservoir must be replaced. A reprogramming of the chip and, thus refilling of the reservoir is not possible.

Abstract: An ink sheet cassette of reduced size and a recording apparatus for loading the ink sheet cassette therein are provided. The ink sheet cassette includes an ink sheet, a first reel capable of winding the ink sheet around itself, a second reel capable of winding the ink sheet around itself, and a frame holding the first reel and the second reel, bent orthogonally with respect to an ink layer surface on the ink sheet. The recording apparatus includes a loading portion capable of loading the above ink sheet cassette therein, a recording head capable of recording from the ink sheet in the ink sheet cassette loaded in the loading portion to thereby record an image on a recording medium and feed means for feeding the recording medium. The frame of the ink sheet cassette also has a guide portion to guide feeding of a recording medium when the ink sheet cassette is loaded in the recording apparatus.

Abstract: A device for displaying a residual amount of cartridge ribbons in a color video printer. The rotational period of a supply reel or a take-up reel, is detected and the detected rotational period is compared with previously stored reference periods. A present residual amount is displayed based on the comparison so that a user can know how many more sheets can be printed with the ribbon cartridge.

Abstract: A tape cassette has a prohibiting member which prevents the tape cassette from being loaded into a tape printing device without a mode appropriate for the tape cassette. When an operator tries to load the tape cassette into a printing device without a mode for the tape cassette, a prohibiting member provided on the main body of the tape cassette abuts an installation member of the tape printing device thus preventing improper loading. The prohibiting member also has a function as a reinforcement member and a positioning member for reinforcing the cassette case and ensuring proper loading in the device.

Abstract: A thermal printing machine is provided with a releasably attachable tape cassette which holds the tape on which an image is placed. The cassette includes a memory circuit component which includes at least 2 separate memory areas. The first area contains a first value which is read by the printing machine; the second area contains a second value which is placed on the cassette as a result of the first value having an algorithm applied to it. When the cassette is installed in the machine, the machine applies the algorithm to the first value and checks this against the second value. This process is followed in order to see it the cassette contains a compatible tape for that machine.

Abstract: A printing device for selectively printing a normal posture character image or reverse posture character image on a tape like image receiving member by using a thermal head. In the normal posture character image printing, a non-lamination type printing tape is used in which an imaging surface is exposed to an atmosphere, and in the reverse posture character image printing, a lamination type printing tape is used in which the imaging surface is protected by a transparent tape. A tape cartridge which stores the non-lamination type printing tape and another tape cartridge which stores the lamination type printing tape are both commonly assembleable to an accommodation portion of the printing device. In accordance with the kind of the assembled tape cartridge, normal or reversed character image is printed on the tape.

Abstract: A label tape printer has a more-or-less conventional label tape cassette gear train mechanism except that the main motor has a clutching means that can disengage the motor when the motor is not on and turning. This allows the motor loads to turn the gear trains without any tendency of the motor to hold the gear train frozen by its advantage through the gear reduction. Therefore a pull on the label tape end will result in the entire gear train turning and thereby preventing the ink ribbon from forming a loose loop that can get sucked into an adhesive tape sandwich (with catastrophic results). The label tape cassette is provided with a guide roller having deep grooves, giving the appearance of a piece of machine screw threaded stock, that is positioned to keep the adhesive tape from sticking to the inside walls if the tape reels loosen. The adhesive tape has a reduced surface area on the guide roller to become stuck on it also.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printing is carried out in a printer. A cassette case housing a thermal transfer printing film is inserted into the printer and set in position. The cassette case has an outer surface provided with a plurality of marking positions to one of which a reflective mark is applied to indicate the usage and/or ink characteristics of the printing film in the cassette case. For printing, printing sheets are fed into the printer. Each sheet has a sheet mark indicating the usage and/or ink characteristics adapted to it. The reflective mark and the sheet mark are detected in the printer, and only when it is determined that the detected marks are of the same usage and/or of the same ink characteristics, the printer is allowed to operate.

Abstract: A ribbon cartridge comprises a substantially cylindrical cartridge body comprised of upper and lower casing halves. A ribbon supply reel is rotatably housed in the cartridge body having an ink ribbon wound therearound. Affixed to a leading edge of the ink ribbon, a pull sheet is attached which includes an opening allowing easy chucking of the ribbon cartridge in a printer. Also provided on the pull sheet are cut-out portions so arranged as to prevent creasing of the ink ribbon during use. When the ink ribbon has been completely used, the used ribbon is retracted back into the cartridge for easy removal from the printer.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory is mounted on a cartridge for a thermal printer and includes color correction and carrier defect data which are used by the printer to make prints.

Abstract: A thermal printer has a body with a carrying mechanism for carrying a printing sheet, a driver for driving a narrow ink ribbon, a serial-type printing head for printing on the printing sheet and a controller for controlling the carrying mechanism, the driver and the printing head. An expendable cartridge is attached on the body for housing a narrow thermal ink ribbon and cut or rolled printing paper sheets in respective compartments thereof. The ribbon is exposed partially and is able to be wound up and let out. In this way, when the cartridge is attached on the body, the carrying mechanism confronts the printing sheet, the printing head confronts the exposed portion of the ink ribbon, and is engaged with the ink ribbon driver.

Abstract: A cassette comprises a base part and a closure member (202). The base part and closure member each have mating guide members which, when they mate, form and enclosed guide for tape housed in the cassette. In this way, construction of the cassette is simplified.

Abstract: A ribbon cassette has a first tension spring located at an exit port of a cavity of the cassette and a second tension spring located at one corner of the cassette which provides a correct tautness of the ribbon as it travels past the line of printing. The cassette also has a ribbon shield which is positioned relative to printing elements to maintain the ribbon in a straight plane along the line of printing.

Abstract: A label printer comprises a supporting frame having a pair of side plates facing each other. A print head and a platen roller are arranged between the side plates. Above the print head is arranged a ribbon supply device for running a transfer ribbon between the print head and the platen roller. The ribbon supply device includes a ribbon unit supported on a supporting mechanism, and a ribbon drive section attached to the side plate so as to drive the ribbon unit. The supporting mechanism includes a fixed arm fixed to the side plate, and a slider mounted on the fixed arm. The slider supports the ribbon unit thereon and is slidable between a first position where the ribbon unit engages the ribbon drive section and a second position where the ribbon unit is situated outside the supporting frame.

Abstract: A mounting mechanism for a ribbon cassette for mounting the ribbon cassette on a carrier of a printer having a pair of resiliently deformable arms which are formed in such a manner as to extend forwardly along the opposite side walls from a rear end of the ribbon cassette, and a pin is formed in an integrated relationship on each of the arms. A pair of holes for receiving the pins are formed on the carrier side of the printer, and the ribbon cassette is mounted onto the carrier by resiliently deforming the arms to fit the pins into the holes of the carrier.

Abstract: A ribbon cassette used for both a fabric ribbon and a film ribbon has a first slit through which a fabric ribbon is passed and a second slit through which a film ribbon is passed, the slits being provided in a wall member which partitions a downstream end of a ribbon storage chamber for storing an endless ink ribbon in a meandering state. The second slit is disposed upwardly of the first slit, and a rib for applying a load to the travel of the fabric ribbon is formed on a bottom surface in the vicinity of the upstream side of the first slit at the same position as the second slit or downstream thereto. The second slit is provided at a position biased in a direction opposite to a projecting direction of the pull-out arm and the pull-in arm from the transversely central position of the ribbon storage chamber.

Abstract: A printer of a ribbon cassette fixed type, to which a ribbon cassette is detachably mounted, has a main body and a cassette mounting portion provided on the main body. The mounting portion has a cassette loading plate for loading the cassette thereon. The cassette includes two spools in parallel winding an ink ribbon therebetween. The printer includes a feed reel disposed at the loading plate and adapted to engage with one of the spools for feeding the ribbon, and a take-up reel disposed at the loading plate and adapted to engage with the other of the spools for taking-up the ribbon. A carriage is mounted in the main body movably along a printing direction. A print head is disposed on the carriage, to which a portion of the ribbon is set, for printing by using the ribbon discharged from the cassette by a movement of the carriage in the printing direction.

Abstract: A printing machine is disclosed for printing an image on an image receiving tape. The present invention includes a novel tape cassette. The cassette includes a housing with a tape spool and ribbon spool disposed within the housing, and electrical circuit elements which are disposed to electrically engage electrical connectors carried by the printing machine. The circuit elements are selected to cooperate with the circuitry of the printing machine to indicate desired characteristics of the cassette. The desired characteristics may be varied such that the electrical elements identify the size of the tape or the type of tape carried by the casette.

Abstract: A thermal printer which always performs a satisfactory printing operation regardless of whether a ribbon cassette mounted for printing houses an ink ribbon for hot release mode printing or an ink ribbon for cold release mode printing. Hot release mode printing is satisfactory for printing normal printing papers, while cold release mode printing is satisfactory for printing OHP (overhead projection) papers. The printer is capable of sensing the difference between ribbon cassette having an ink ribbon for hot release mode printing and a ribbon cassette having an ink ribbon for cold release mode printing, when mounted on the printer for printing. The printer upon sensing the type of ribbon cassette mounted, then adjusts its components, if necessary, so that they are configured in locations appropriate to perform satisfactory printing according to the type of ink ribbon housed in the ribbon cassette mounted.

Abstract: A constant tension device for peeling an ink ribbon away from a printing medium during a correction operation in which ink printing produced by a thermal transfer printer is erased, a roller mounted on the printer is pressed against another roller mounted on a ribbon cassette, an ink ribbon is trained over the roller mounted on the ribbon cassette and between the two rollers, and the ink ribbon is stretched by the rotation of the roller mounted on the ribbon cassette which is rotated with a constant speed so as to provide a constant tension so that the ribbon is reliably peeled away from the printing medium.

Abstract: A cassette for a printing ribbon comprises a casing accommodating a supply spool which has a tube on which the printing ribbon is wound. An anti-unrolling element of plastics material comprises two portions of elongate shape, which are connected by means of an integral elastic hinge. The first portion performs a guiding and positioning function and is accommodated by means of a slot within the casing. The second portion has a blocking function with regard to the tube, and is movable on the outside of the casing, by means of the elastic hinge, from an inoperative position in which it is aligned with the first portion to an operative position in which it is rotated through 180.degree. and is substantially in superposed relationship with the first portion.

Abstract: An inked ribbon cartridge having a cassette housing, a printing roller in a roller bracket, and a carrier member. The carrier member has an inked ribbon stored on two winding reels that lie parallel to the printing roller, and is separately removable from the cartridge. The cartridge has at least one locking mechanism with an actuation element to both unlock and remove the carrier member from the cassette housing. The carrier member also has a guard member preventing unintentional contact with the ribbon, and through which the printing roller extends.

Abstract: An imprinting apparatus for imprinting checks, money orders and like negotiable instruments includes adjustable type segment members having type characters thereon for printing the dollar and cents amount of the money order in conventional arabic characters and in characters which are readable by an optical character recognition device, the apparatus including two platen assemblies operated by a common operating lever to simultaneously imprint the money order with both conventional arabic and optical character readable information, one of the platen assemblies being operable to effect impact movement of an associated platen in imprinting the form. The apparatus employs a replaceable inked ribbon cartridge including a ribbon bearing a dye-based ink which permeates the money order from front to back as a deterrent to alteration of a dollar amount imprinted thereon.

Abstract: In a tape holding case including two or three tapes in wound states and at least one of tapes is arranged to be fed out and the other of tapes is arranged to be taken up in the case, a visually distinguishable portion is provided at a trailing end of the tape to be fed out. The distinguishable portion is fed out before the other of tapes is completely taken up within the tape holding case.Thus, the one of tapes is not travelled without taking up operation of the other of tapes if an operator ceases the feeding operation after confirming the fed out predetermined portion.

Abstract: A receptacle for a holder of a ribbon of a typewriter or similar machine. The holder has a base plate on which laterally pivotable retaining elements are disposed. The retaining elements support drive, braking and tensioning elements for the ribbon. If the retaining elements are pivoted away, a holder, e.g. in the shape of a ribbon cassette, can be inserted into the device. When the retaining elements have again been pivoted back, they surround the holder of the ribbon in the form of a shell. The drive, braking and tensioning elements then automatically take up their functionally correct positions. The device has the advantage that only the holder with the used-up ribboon need be discarded, while the drive, braking and tensioning elements remain in the device and thus can be repeatedly used. Manufacture of the holder with the ribbon is made considerably more economical this way and the value of the material to be discarded is reduced.

Abstract: A pivotally journalled ink ribbon cassette and an ink ribbon fork are coupled to the carriage of a printing head and arranged so as to be displaceable transversely to the line direction, in a simple manner such that both a multi-color and a single-color mode of operation are obtained. The ink ribbon fork is arranged at its free end so as to be pivotable and longitudinally displaceable on a guide rod journalled in guide arms of the ink ribbon cassette, and in that with respect to the position of the printing roller and of the printing head both means for transverse displacement of the ink ribbon fork and means for oblique positioning of the ink ribbon cassette with ink ribbon are provided.

Abstract: A tape cassette is disclosed, in the housing of which are provided accommodation sections accommodating an ink ribbon, an image receiving tape and an adhesive tape, respectively. The tape cassette is set in a tape printer, and printing is done in a mirror image transfer mode on the printing surface of the tape from the printing head via the ink ribbon. After the printing, the tape is fed out together with the adhesive tape applied to the printing surface.The cassette housing can be used for a label tape cassette and also for an instant lettering tape cassette, and the image transfer mode of the tape printer is never changed irrespectively of the types of tape cassettes used with the tape printer.

Abstract: Ribbon cassettes for typewriters or office machines of similar construction are subject to differnt structural requirements and primarily they are to be easily exchangeable in a one-hand operation. Since additionally the ribbon cassettes are also designed as disposable components, many still functional individual parts are also discarded. To avoid this, ribbon cassettes are known which have exchangeable ribbon spools. It is the object of the invention to provide a reloadable ribbon cassette in which the exchange of ribbon spools (4, 5) is possible with few manipulations. The removal of the spent ribbon spools (4, 5) should here be possible without soiling the fingers.

Abstract: An ink sheet/recording paper cassette for use in a thermal printer includes a case in which a roll of an ink sheet and a roll of recording paper are contained. A take-up spool is also provided in the case and the leading end of the ink sheet is fixedly attached to the take-up spool so that the ink sheet when supplied from the roll is used for recording information on the recording paper supplied from the roll and then wound around the take-up spool. The provision of a roll of an ink sheet and a roll of recording paper in the same cassette case significantly eases handling of expandable supplies of a thermal printer.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus for recording on a recording sheet an image corresponding to an information signal which apparatus comprises a first housing having a recording sheet holding device for holding the recording sheet, a conveyor for conveying the recording sheet, and a holding member for holding the recording sheet conveyed by the conveyer. A second housing is divisibly openable relative to the first housing and has an ink sheet cassette loading portion for loading thereinto an ink sheet cassette integrally having an ink sheet carrying thereon ink to be transferred and a support member for supporting the ink sheet, the ink sheet cassette being removably mountable with respect to the body of the apparatus.

Abstract: A plotting device for typewriters or office machines of similar construction which comprises a motor driven carriage; a record carrier; a print head; a ribbon in a cassette; a reversible, controllable drive motor for moving the record carrier up and down; the motor driven carriage being movable along the record carrier; the ribbon being housed within the carriage with a portion of the ribbon extending outside of the carriage for being contacted by the print head; the print head being operatively connected to the carriage so that the print head can strike the ribbon and produce a full set of alpha-numeric characters on the record carrier; an X-Y plotting mechanism equpped with styli and being disposed on the cassette; and a control system for moving the styli from a detent position into an operating position with respect to the record carrier.

Abstract: A friction device, preferably for printer-typewriter ribbons, intended to provide engagement between a drive roller and the ribbon and wherein a counter pressure roller is supported by a flexible shaft in the form of a helical spring which is mounted at a distance from the peripheral driving surface of the drive roller which is less than the radius of the counter pressure roller.

Abstract: A shell-type printing apparatus is equipped with a link mechanism for loading and unloading an inksheet cassette from the printing apparatus. The link mechanism comprises a support frame which supports an inksheet cassette and two pairs of links which have one end pivotably mounted on the base of the printing apparatus and the other end pivotably connected to the support frame. The link mechanism rotates the support frame between a first and a second position. In the first position, the support frame is disposed above and to the front of the base of the printing apparatus so that an inksheet cassette can be mounted on the support frame. In the second position, the support frame is disposed inside the base and the inksheet cassette is disposed in the proper position for printing.

Abstract: A cassette for an inked ribbon has a ribbon storage region, in which the ribbon is stored in tightly packed random folds, between two parallel walls spaced apart by a distance slightly in excess of the width of the ribbon. The storage region is bounded by ridges projecting from one or both walls to retain the ribbon within the storage region. This has the advantage compared with side walls for the storage region of lower frictional constraint on the ribbon thereby allowing the ribbon to be more tightly packed in the storage region.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ink sheet cassette which can change the path of an ink sheet from one to another depending on the properties of the ink sheet, that is, can vary a timing or angle at which the ink sheet is separated from a recording medium after being recorded such that an image can be recorded depending on the properties of the ink sheet, and an image recording apparatus using such an ink sheet cassette.

Abstract: The electronic postage meter includes a microcomputer controlled thermal head opposite a scavenging roller and suitable means of cleaning the scavenging roller. A cassette containing a thermal transfer tape coated on one side with a thermal sensitive ink is received within a cartridge slot in the postage meter. The thermal tape is threaded within the cartridge to journal from a feed reel beyond a guide roller, between a thermal head and scavenging roller, to a transfer roller and be received by a take-up reel, the scavenging roller and thermal head being constituent of the postage meter. The mailing machine includes a back-up roller bias peripherally opposite the transfer roller. An image is traced on the thermal tape by the thermal head in response to a microcomputer constituent to the postage meter.

Abstract: A printer of heat-sensitive transfer type has a horizontally arranged ink ribbon cassette to print a sheet of printing paper with the ink ribbon. The printer comprises: a platen for holding thereon the printing paper; a horizontal printing head made movable along the platen for bringing the ink ribbon into close contact with the printing paper held on the platen to thermally transfer the ink of the ink ribbon onto the printing paper; and a carriage made movable longitudinally of the platen, while carrying the printing head thereon, in accordance with the printing operation of the printing head. An ink ribbon peeling member is arranged horizontally on the sides of the printing head and carried together with the printing head by the carriage for sequentially peeling off that portion of the ink ribbon, which has been used for the printing operation, from the printing paper.

Abstract: Disclosed is a heat-transfer type thermal recording device capable of recording/printing color pictures by heating an ink tape using a thermal line head and transferring ink from the ink film tape to a continuous sheet of recording paper where the ink film tape and recording paper are conveyed simultaneously, consisting of a vertical cassette unit with an ink-tape supply reel and a take-up reel which allows both to freely rotate by suspending them between two side panels of the cassette unit, with such a configuration in which the ink tape from the supply reel is continuously retrieved by the take-up reel through an inferior aperture in the cassette unit after the ink tape is drawn through a superior aperture in the cassette unit. The cassette unit is installed in a designated position inside the thermal recording device to enable easy loading and unloading and to simplify positioning of the ink film tape between the thermal line head of the recording device and the recording paper platen reel.

Abstract: A thermal printer (10) has a thermal transfer medium (28) fed past a thermal printhead (21) at a substantially constant velocity by a feed roll (82) engaging the thermal transfer medium just prior to the printhead to maintain a portion of the thermal transfer medium between the printhead and the feed roll relatively stiff. The feed roll is mounted on a cartridge (30) having the thermal transfer medium supplied therefrom. A drag brake (70) is disposed in the feed path of the thermal transfer medium prior to the feed roll to cause a substantially constant premetering tension to be applied to the thermal transfer medium irrespective of the coefficient of friction between the drag brake and the thermal transfer medium. A carrier (14), which supports the printhead and a feed roll driver (90), is driven separately from the feed roll driver so that various ratios between the velocities of the thermal transfer medium and the carrier are obtained to produce various print qualities.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for applying a multicolor image to a sheet with transfer material including successive sections of coloring agents of different colors. When the size of the sheet or the region on the sheet in which the image is to be formed is less than half the size of each section of coloring agent, only a portion of each of the sections is used to form a first image. A different portion of each of the sections is then used to form a second image on a second sheet, thus conserving the transfer material. The coloring agent may be heat-fusible ink and may be transferred by means of a thermal head.

Abstract: A ribbon cartridge having a self-contained ratchet assembly and drive gear assembly. Three principal components are provided: a drive gear; a ratchet gear spool connected by a ring gear formed thereon to the drive gear; and a take-up spool having internal teeth which are rotatably mounted on a ratchet formed on the external diameter of the ratchet gear spool. The drive gear is driven by a simple printer motor at a constant speed, which, in turn, drives the ratchet gear spool at a constant speed. This action, in turn, drives the take-up spool through the flexible plastic ratchet at a speed that varies with the amount of ribbon accumulating on the take-up spool.

Abstract: A ribbon cassette incorporates a locking mechanism which acts to prevent both rotational spool movement and axial displacement or "treeing" of the coils of ribbon wound on a single flange supply spool prior to mounting for use in a typewriter. The locking mechanism is automatically released when the cassette is mounted for use in a typewriter or like machine.