Abstract: A ribbon cartridge comprises a housing including a main body with upper and lower substantially planar main surfaces and ribbon inlet and outlet apertures at one side of the main body and two ribbon guide arms extending upwardly and outwardly from the ribbon inlet and outlet apertures at the one side with the termini spaced apart to form a gap and such that the upper and lower surfaces of the ribbon guide arms at the termini thereof are higher than the upper and lower main surfaces respectively.

Abstract: A ribbon cartridge construction and method of assembling same includes providing a housing with a ribbon access window at the outer perimeter thereof between ribbon inlet and outlet apertures for exposing a run of ribbon for use in printing on an oppositely facing surface and shielding all but a predetermined portion of the exposed ribbon from an oppositely facing surface. The shielding comprises providing a resiliently flexible planar shield including a shielding portion configured to cover the exposed ribbon and having a printing aperture corresponding in size to said predetermined portion of the exposed ribbon and two elongated mounting arms extending outwardly from the shielding portion in opposite directions.

Abstract: A ribbon cartridge construction and a ribbon cartridge loading adapter for use with a ribbon cartridge having a substantially planar top surface. The adapter has a substantially planar body portion and is cooperative with the top surface of the ribbon cartridge for slidably mounting same on the top surface of the ribbon cartridge for movement between an extended and a retracted position. The adaptor has two substantially planar spaced apart arms extending outwardly from the body portion parallel thereto and has downwardly depending portions at the termini thereof for releasably retaining a run of ribbon for insertion in a ribbon guide when in the extended position.

Abstract: A ribbon cartridge of the type having a body portion wherein an endless ribbon is contained in a fan-folded condition during use, includes a removable partition which is extendable entirely across and through the body portion between the inlet and outlet apertures thereof for separating the body portion into a first compartment at the outlet aperture side wherein the ribbon can be contained in a fan-folded condition prior to the first use of the cartridge and the second compartment at the inlet aperture side and including the entire drive aperture of the cartridge.