Abstract: A ribbon cartridge is disclosed for typewriters and similar office machines which require frequent changes of the ribbon. The ribbon cartridge includes a tub-shaped base and cover and an integral sealing member by means of which the openings in the ribbon cartridge can be hermetically sealed for shipping and storage and which is easily removable prior to insertion in the holding device of the office machine.

Abstract: Ribbon cartridges for typewriters or similar office machines must meet various design requirements, especially, must be easily exchangeable without soiling one's fingers, must be inexpensive to manufacture, and must dampen the noise in the printing area. To be avoided in addition is a soiling of the machine components when using the cartridge, through ribbon rub-off dropping through the holes in the bottom of the cartridge, and a smooth ribbon drive must be possible. These various problems are inventionally solved in that the cup-shaped base component of the cartridge casing features on the inside of the bottom protruding stiffening ribs which likewise serve to support the spools of the flangeless supply and take-up reels and/or prevent ribbon rub-off accruing in the cartridge casing from dropping out of the openings.

Abstract: In a system including a cassette containing a print wheel arranged to cooperate with holding devices provided in an impact printer having a rotatable setting shaft to which the print wheel can be releasably fastened for rotation therewith, the cassette is formed to enclose the print wheel on all sides except the region where it is to be acted upon by a printing hammer, and the cassette and printing wheel can be provided with elements which cooperate to hold the printing wheel in a predetermined angular position in the cassette when the printing wheel is disconnected from the setting shaft. The printer can be provided with a detent mechanism cooperating with countendetent elements in the cassette to hold the cassette in a fully inserted position in the printer.

Abstract: In a type disc composed of: a hub; a plurality of spokes extending radially from the hub and spaced apart about the circumference of the hub to form slits between the spokes, each spoke carrying, at its end remote from the hub, a type face arranged to be driven against a record carrier by a printing hammer; and a damping arrangement associated with the spokes for damping vibrations, the arrangement is constituted by a mass of a selected material partially filling each slit and connecting together the spokes adjoining each slit, the material being selected to have a composition which is more elastic than the material of each spoke.

Abstract: A method and an arrangement for filling out a form by means of a processor-controlled typewriter or similar machine which includes a form memory. The text keyed in, which is to be printed in a text field on the form defined in the form memory, is stored in a text memory of the machine. The size of the area required for printout of the text, considering a given line and character spacing, is compared with the area available in the intended text field. If necessary, the line and/or character spacing is automatically changed before printout so as to adapt the text to the boundaries of the text field. With a suitable printing mechanism, it is also possible to change the size of the characters.

Abstract: In a system including a cassette containing a print wheel arranged to cooperate with holding devices provided in an impact printer having a rotatable setting shaft to which the print wheel can be releasably fastened for rotation therewith, the cassette is formed to enclose the print wheel on all sides except the region where it is to be acted upon by a printing hammer. The printer can be provided with a detent mechanism cooperating with counterdetent elements in the cassette to hold the cassette in a fully inserted position in the printer. The cassette can additionally be provided with an outwardly curved collecting funnel positioned for catching dirt released in the region where the type faces of the printing wheel strike a printing medium.

Abstract: A method for constructing ideographic characters by means of a character generator and displaying such characters within a standard character area of a display device coupled to the character generator. The method includes storing data in the character generator corresponding to (a) character components used for forming the ideographic characters, (b) information regarding the position within the standard character area of the character components associated with each ideographic character and (c) information regarding the size of the ones of the character components associated with each ideographic character.

Abstract: Method for resetting the print head of a typewriter or similar machine to a starting position. In a processor-controlled typewriter or similar machine, the steps of a vertical repositioning of the recording medium are added and stored. If the added value indicates an upward movement of the recording medium, this value is cancelled as a character is printed. If, contrarily, a downward movement of the recording medium is indicated, the value is retained. Moreover, the current horizontal position of the printing head and, when it is repositioned horizontally, also the position of the last printed character, are stored. Upon initiation of an automatic reset function of the printing head to the end of the printed text, after a repositioning in horizontal and/or vertical direction, for instance for purposes of a correction, the stored information is evaluated for activation of the printing head drive and the recording medium drive.

Abstract: A cassette containing a printing head removably installed in an ink jet printing machine. The cassette includes a housing which encloses the printing head in a protective manner when the cassette is removed from the machine and when the cassette is installed in the machine and the printing head is in an inoperative position. The head and housing are provided with locking elememts for securing the head in the housing when the cassette is to be removed.The machine includes a carriage for moving the printing head past a record carrier during printing operations, locking elements for locking the printing head onto the carriage when the cassette is installed in the machine, a receptacle for holding the housing in the machine, and a mechanism for releasing the locking elements when the printing head is in the inoperative position to permit removal of the cassette from the machine.

Abstract: A method of displaying types of script whose characters are arranged next to one another in rows or underneath one another in columns, by means of a raster-type display device or a vectorially controlled display device which receives its control signals from a character generator which can be controlled so that its output signals to the display device cause the displayed characters to be either upright or rotated by 90.degree. (lying down) horizontally next to one another. With the latter mode of operation, a record carrier taken from a recording device and rotated by 90.degree. (or a video screen rotated by 90.degree.) then shows the printed text in the desired shape in which the characters are arranged underneath one another in columns.

Abstract: A printer has an optical printing head for a line-by-line image forming of design and text information. The printing head has spaced light emitting elements arranged in a row and each having a light emitting surface. The printing head further has an optical device for reproducing the light, emitted by the light emitting elements, in one line on a light sensitive surface. The light emitting surface of each light emitting element has, parallel to the feed direction of the light sensitive surface, a dimension several times the length of image dots to be reproduced on the light sensitive surface. The optical device has an image reproducing first optical lens and a second optical lens situated between the first optical lens and the light sensitive surface for reducing the image of the light emitting surface of each light emitting element to a required light dot size on the light sensitive surface.

Abstract: An optical printing device for generating a linear light pattern which is applied to a moving photosensitive recording medium, which device is composed of a plurality of subassemblies each located for providing a respective segment of the linear light pattern, each subassembly including: a unit composed of a row of generally parallel optical fibers arranged to conduct light from a light source to their output ends, and a photocoupler composed of a thin transparent plate extending transversely of the direction of light propagation by the optical fibers and having a light entrance surface coupled to the output ends of the optical fibers to receive light therefrom, a light exit surface to which light is conducted from the light entrance surface, and lateral surfaces spaced apart in the direction of the linear pattern and extending between the light entrance and light exit surfaces.

Abstract: An optical printing head for a printer for the line-by-line recording of graphics and text in successive parallel lines on a photosensitive record carrier disposed at a printing location, the head including: a plurality of actuatable optical components disposed adjacent one another in the direction of the recording lines and each constituting a source of dot-like light elements; objective lenses disposed between, and having optical axes extending between, the optical components and the printing location for projecting the light elements provided by each optical component onto the printing location along a portion of each printing line; and members operatively associated with the lenses for adjustably positioning the lenses relative to the optical components in at least one direction in a plane transverse to the optical axes.

Abstract: An optical printing head for recording graphic and text information line by line, including a plurality of juxtaposed, actuatable optical components, including picture dot elements, from which light is transmitted in dots by means of objective lenses along the length of a line to be recorded on a photosensitive record carrier, and cross-section converters for conducting light from a light source to the light switching components.

Abstract: Method for altering the supply of characters which are represented by data stored in the character generator of an ideographic typewriter and which can be displayed, under control of the character generator, in at least one standard character area of a display device for the display of ideographic characters, which method includes: displaying, in the standard character area, a first character for which data is already stored in the character generator; reducing the size of the first character displayed in the standard character area with respect to at least one dimension of the character if required; displaying, in the standard character area, at least one further character for which data is already stored in the character generator, to create a new character constituted by the first and further characters as thus displayed; and storing in the character generator data representing the new character which then forms part of the supply of characters.

Abstract: A paper guiding device and operating method for use in an office writing machine, the device including a platen carried by a shaft and constituting a paper support, the platen shaft and platen being rotatable in a first direction for insertion of a paper sheet in the machine and in a second direction opposite to the first direction, a paper holding rail disposed adjacent the platen and carrying a plurality of pressure rollers which are pressed toward the platen, a rocker member supporting the rail and mounted to undergo pivotal movement about the axis of rotation of the platen shaft between a paper insertion position and a normal printing position; and a coupling member coupling the rocker member and platen such that rotation of the platen in the second direction effects pivotal movement of the rocker member into the paper insertion position for insertion of the leading edge of a paper sheet between the rollers and the platen and rotation of the platen in the first direction effects pivotal movement of the ro

Abstract: A fluid coupler for making a leakage-free connection between first and second fluid-containing members. One half of the coupler comprises a plate having a conical opening in one surface across which an elastic sealing membrane is stretched by a clamping ring, the elastic sealing membrane having a slit at its center which is kept closed by the stretching action of the clamping ring. The other half of the fluid coupler comprises a hemispherical member having an axial aperture and a valve which is positioned within the aperture. When the two coupling halves are brought together, the hemispherical member presses against the elastic sealing membrane thereby opening the slit and expelling any air present in the coupling region.

Abstract: Apparatus for editing and processing a text printed on a record carrier, composed of a memory for storing representations of the next characters and of function information relating to the text, a control unit connected for controlling transfer of representations to and from the memory; and a text editing unit composed of a digitalization panel presenting a surface for receiving the record carrier and including a circuit connected to the control unit for producing signals representing the location of elemental regions on the surface, and an input pen for placing markings on the record carrier and for actuating the signal producing circuit to produce signals representing the location of each elemental region contacted by the pen. The control unit is arranged to receive the signals produced by the signal producing circuit, to convert those signals.

Abstract: A printing apparatus which comprises a carriage that is movable along a record carrier, an ink printing head for applying ink to the record carrier, and a stationary reservoir mounted adjacent the carriage for storing ink to be applied to the carrier. An intermediate container which, together with the ink printing head, is attachable to the carrier is flow-connected to the ink printing head for supplying ink obtained from the reservoir. The intermediate container includes a hollow housing having upper and lower portions defining an ink storage chamber and a bladder containing air which is suspended within the ink storage chamber, the interior of the bladder being connected to the atmosphere through an opening in the housing.

Abstract: A feed mechanism for advancing an ink ribbon, supported in a cartridge which is inserted into a typing machine, in feeding steps whose length is determined in dependence upon the type of the ribbon, the mechanism including: a feed roller rotatably mounted in the cartridge for engaging the ribbon to advance it in feeding steps, the roller being selected from a plurality of rollers having respectively different diameters on the basis of the type of the ribbon; a driving device mounted in the machine and including a pressure roller movable into a position against the feed roller when the cartridge is inserted in the machine; and a mechanism for rotating the feed roller in angular steps for advancing the ribbon in corresponding feeding steps, which mechanism is settable for causing each angular step of rotation of the feed roller to have a selected one of at least two different magnitudes, each magnitude corresponding to a respectively different ribbon feeding step length, and is coupled to the pressure roller in