Abstract: A reversing device for the longitudinal advance of a ribbon on type printers for the alternating drive of two reels by means of a feed shaft which is selectively drivingly connectable to one of the gears respectively connected to the reels for the ribbon. The drive from the respective winding-up reel to the respective unwinding reel is reversible by a feeler lever controlled by the ribbon coil, by a second lever adapted to be controlled by the feeler lever while being displaceably guided by an interengaging pivot-slot arrangement, and by an eccentric rotating in synchronism with the feed shaft. The eccentric is arranged on a stationarily journalled drive shaft continuously drivingly connected to the feed shaft. The displaceable second lever is designed as a pendulum lever displaceable about perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the feed shaft and is pivotal about parallelly to the longitudinal axis of the feed shaft.