U.S. patent number 3,814,231 [Application Number 05/354,056] was granted by the patent office on 1974-06-04 for stuffed ribbon cartridge.
This patent grant is currently assigned to SCM Corporation. Invention is credited to Samuel D. Cappotto.
United States Patent |
3,814,231 |
Cappotto |
June 4, 1974 |
STUFFED RIBBON CARTRIDGE
Abstract
A shroud is positioned near the exit area of a stuffed ribbon
cartridge for a typewriter or similar machine to prevent more than
one strand of a ribbon from being withdrawn from the storage
chamber of the cartridge at a time. The shroud is a ridge on the
floor of the storage chamber with the distance from the top of the
ridge to the ceiling less than the width of the ribbon. The shroud
is formed around the exit area in an arc shaped so that the single
strand of ribbon being withdrawn from the storage chamber will
cross the shroud substantially at right angles to the shroud from
any direction that it is pulled from inside the storage
chamber.
Inventors: |
Cappotto; Samuel D. (Syracuse,
NY) |
Assignee: |
SCM Corporation (New York,
NY)
|
Family
ID: |
23391714 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/354,056 |
Filed: |
April 24, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
400/208;
400/196.1; 400/248 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B41J
33/10 (20130101); B41J 32/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B41J
33/10 (20060101); B41J 33/00 (20060101); B41J
32/02 (20060101); B41j 033/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;197/151,168
;226/168 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12,870 |
|
1913 |
|
GB |
|
29,235 |
|
1913 |
|
GB |
|
Other References
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, "Ribbon Cartridge and Drive
Assembly," Wanek, Vol. 11, No. 4, Sept. 1968, p. 377. .
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, "Endless Fold Ribbon Cartridge,"
Gardineer, Vol. 15 No. 2, July 1972, p. 543..
|
Primary Examiner: Wright, Jr.; Ernest T.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Taylor; John A. Wolson; Milton
M.
Claims
Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimed
is:
1. An improved stuffed ribbon cartridge for a ribbon, the cartridge
having a storage chamber for the ribbon with a floor and a ceiling
substantially perpendicular to and farther apart than the width of
the ribbon and an exit area for a single strand of the ribbon to
exit from the storage chamber, wherein the improvement comprises a
shroud on the floor of the storage chamber near the exit area and
an inclined surface on the shroud rising from the floor toward the
exit area until the distance from the top of the shroud to the
ceiling of the storage chamber is slightly less than the width of
the ribbon to restrain all but the single strand of ribbon from
being fed from the storage chamber.
2. The cartridge of claim 1 in which the inclined surface on the
shroud rises from the floor of the storage chamber toward the exit
area at a substantially uniform angle.
3. The cartridge of claim 2 in which the shroud is formed in an arc
near the exit area.
4. The cartridge of claim 3 in which the shroud is formed around
the exit area in an arc shaped so that the single strand of ribbon
being fed from the storage chamber will cross the shroud
substantially at right angles to the shroud from substantially any
direction that the single strand of ribbon is pulled from inside
the storage chamber.
5. The cartridge of claim 4 in which the exit area includes a
roller to change the direction of the single strand of ribbon
exiting from the storage chamber and the shroud is formed around
the roller.
6. The cartridge of claim 5 in which the cartridge has an entrance
area for the ribbon to enter the storage chamber and a feed roller
near the entrance area to stuff the ribbon into the storage
chamber.
7. An improved stuffed ribbon cartridge for a ribbon, the cartridge
having a storage chamber for the ribbon and an exit area for a
single strand of the ribbon to exit from the storage chamber,
wherein the improvement comprises a shroud formed in an arc near
the exit area for confining the width of the ribbon to a space less
than the width of the ribbon to restrain all but the single strand
of ribbon from being fed from the storage chamber.
8. The cartridge of claim 7 in which the storage chamber has two
substantially parallel surfaces greater than a ribbon's width apart
to confine the ribbon in the storage chamber with the width of the
ribbon substantially perpendicular to the surfaces, and the shroud
is a ridge on one of the surfaces with the distance from the top of
the ridge to the other surface less than the width of the
ribbon.
9. The cartridge of claim 8 in which the shroud has an inclined
surface extending from one of the surfaces of the storage chamber
toward the storage area.
10. The cartridge of claim 9 in which the shroud is formed around
the exit area in an arc shaped so that the single strand of ribbon
being fed from the storage chamber will cross the shroud
substantially at right angles to the shroud from substantially any
direction that the single strand of ribbon is pulled from inside
the storage chamber.
11. The cartridge of claim 10 in which the exit area includes a
roller to change the direction of the single strand of ribbon
exiting from the storage chamber and the shroud is formed around
the roller.
12. The cartridge of claim 11 in which the cartridge has an
entrance area for the ribbon to enter the storage chamber and a
feed roller near the entrance area to stuff the ribbon into the
storage chamber.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to stuffed ribbon cartridges and more
particularly to an improved stuffed ribbon cartridge for machines
such as typewriters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typewriter stuffed ribbon cartridges of the type disclosed in the
copending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 288,830 of Samuel D.
Cappotto et al., filed Sept. 13, 1972, provide a new way for
quickly changing the ribbon in a typewriter without ever having to
manipulate or touch the ribbon. Projections positioned along the
walls of the exit ramp prevent the flow of convolutions of ribbon
from the storage chamber. However, because of the widely varying
coefficients of friction of typewriter ribbon even from the same
supplier, sometimes the exiting strand of ribbon will drag
convolutions of ribbon along with it into the exit area. If enough
convolutions of ribbon are dragged into the exit area, the exit
area can become clogged. Because of the increased tension on the
ribbon caused by the clogged exit area, the ribbon can break or
become frayed along its heat-sealed top edge and break later. Using
eight yards of ribbon instead of the maximum capacity of ten yards
to decrease the pressure in the storage chamber does not eliminate
clogging completely.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, a primary object of the invention to provide an
improved stuffed ribbon cartridge for a ribbon in which the ribbon
cannot clog the exit from the storage chamber.
Another object of the invention is to provide a stuffed ribbon
cartridge for a ribbon in accordance with the foregoing object in
which the ribbon will not break.
Another object of the invention is to provide a stuffed ribbon
cartridge for a ribbon in accordance with the foregoing objects in
which the ribbon will not fray.
Another object of the invention is to provide a stuffed ribbon
cartridge for a ribbon in accordance with the foregoing objects
capable of using all kinds of ribbons such as ribbons having widely
varying coefficients of friction, widely varying kinds and amounts
of ink, and widely varying kinds and qualities of material.
Another object of the invention is to provide a stuffed ribbon
cartridge for a ribbon in accordance with the foregoing objects
capable of storing a maximum length of the ribbon.
Another object of the invention is to provide a stuffed ribbon
cartridge for a ribbon in accordance with the foregoing objects in
which a single strand of the ribbon will always exit from the
storage chamber with very little disturbance of other portions of
the ribbon in the storage chamber.
Another object of the invention is to provide a stuffed ribbon
cartridge for a ribbon having an exit shroud in accordance with the
foregoing objects in which a single strand of the ribbon will
always exit from the storage chamber substantially radial to or at
right angles to the shroud.
In order to accomplish the objects of the invention, a shroud is
positioned near the exit area of the cartridge. The shroud is a
ridge on the floor of the storage chamber. The distance from the
top of the shroud to the ceiling of the storage chamber is less
than the width of the ribbon so that only one strand of the ribbon
will be withdrawn from the storage chamber at a time. The shroud is
formed around the exit roller in an arc shaped so that the single
strand of ribbon being withdrawn from the storage chamber will
cross the shroud substantially at right angles to the shroud from
any direction that it is pulled from inside the storage chamber so
that none of the ribbon remaining in the storage chamber will be
greatly disturbed. Convolutions of ribbon in the storage chamber
remain poised in an arc around the shroud. Stuffed ribbon
cartridges incorporating the invention have used ribbons with high
coefficients of friction and the maximum length of ten yards of
ribbon without clogging the exit areas and without fraying.
Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention can be
had by referring to the description and claims taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of a stuffed
ribbon cartridge embodying the invention.
FIG. 2 is a detail view of the cartridge of FIG. 1 with the ribbon
extended around the exit roller.
FIG. 3 is a section view taken substantially along with line 3 -- 3
in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a section view taken substantially along the line 4 -- 4
in FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to FIG. 1 of the drawing, the invention is shown
embodied in a stuffed ribbon cartridge for a machine such as a
typewriter. The typewriter is not shown except for part of a
cartridge support 10 and part of a feed mechanism 12. The feed
mechanism 12 has a gear 14 for interaction with the cartridge as
hereinafter described.
The cartridge is of the type disclosed in the copending U.S. Pat.
application Ser. No. 288,830 of Samuel D. Cappotto et al., filed
Sept. 13, 1972. The cartridge has an arm 16 for guiding an endless
loop of ribbon 18 toward a print point, which is not shown, of the
typewriter. The arm 16 is connected to a housing 20.
The housing 20 includes a base 22 and a cover 24 connected to the
base 22. A platform 26 is mounted on the base 22 to provide a
storage chamber, indicated generally at 28, for the ribbon 18. The
platform 26 has a wall 30 and 32 around most of its periphery to
confine the ribbon 18 in the storage chamber 28. The inner surface
of the platform 26 serves as a floor 34 for the storage chamber 28,
and the inner surface of the top of the cover 24 serves as a
ceiling 36. The distance between the floor 34 and the ceiling 36 is
only slightly greater than the width of the ribbon 18.
The housing 20 also has an entrance area, indicated generally at
38, and an exit area, indicated generally at 40. The entrance area
38 has a knurled feed roller 42 and an integral gear 44 rotatably
mounted on the housing 20 with the gear 44 in mesh with the gear 14
of the feed mechanism 12 of the typewriter when the cartridge is in
operating position on the support 10 on the typewriter. A knurled
idler roller 46 is rotatably mounted on a bell crank 48 that is
pivotally mounted on the housing 20. The idler roller 46 is biased
in a counterclockwise direction against the feed roller 42 by a
spring lever 50 on the bell crank 48. The idler roller 46 squeezes
a strand 18a of the ribbon 18 entering the storage chamber 28 from
the arm 16 against the feed roller 42.
The exit area 40 has a barrel-shaped exit roller 52 rotatably
mounted on a vertical pin 54 on the floor 34 of the platform 26. As
shown in FIG. 2, the roller 52 is used to change the direction of a
strand 18b of the ribbon 18 being withdrawn from the storage
chamber 28. After passing the roller 52, the strand 18b of ribbon
18 traverses an exit ramp, indicated generally at 56, on its way to
the arm 16. Projections 58 are formed along the sides of the exit
ramp 56 to guide the exiting strand 18b of ribbon 18.
In order to prevent convolutions of ribbon 18 from being pulled out
of the storage chamber 28 by the exiting strand 18b ribbon 18, a
shroud 60 is formed around the exit roller 52. The shroud 60 is a
ridge on the floor 34 of the storage chamber 28. As shown in FIGS.
3 and 4, the distance from the top of the shroud 60 to the ceiling
36 of the storage chamber 28 is less than the width of the ribbon
18. In one embodiment of the invention, the height of the storage
chamber 28 is 0.355.+-. 0.010 inch, the height of the shroud 60 is
0.070.+-. 0.005 inch, and the width of the ribbon 18 varies from
0.305 to 0.320 inch. At the worst condition, the distance (0.365 -
0.065 = 0.300 inch) from the top of the shroud 60 to the ceiling 36
of the storage chamber 28 is 0.005 inch less than the minimum width
of the ribbon 18. The foregoing dimensions are, of course, only an
example, and numerous variations can be used without departing from
the invention.
The shroud 60 also has an inclined surface 62 sloping toward the
storage chamber 28 at a 20.degree. angle. The angle also is only an
example. However, if the angle of the inclined surface 62 is too
gradual, the shroud 60 has to be very wide and thus will take up
too much space from the storage chamber 28. If the angle is too
steep, convolutions of ribbon 18 in the storage chamber 28 will be
too tightly packed around the shroud 60. It is best to have a
moderate angle so that each convolution of ribbon 18 will find its
own level on the shroud 60 and not all of them will be at the same
level. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the shroud 60 is formed around
the exit roller 52 in an arc shaped so that the strand 18b of
ribbon 18 being withdrawn from the storage chamber 28 will cross
the shroud 60 substantially radial to or at right angles to the
shroud 60 no matter what direction it is pulled from inside the
storage chamber 28 so that none of the ribbon 18 remaining in the
storage chamber 28 will be greatly disturbed.
In operation, with the cartridge in operating position on the
support 10 on the typewriter, the gear 44 of the feed roller 42 is
in mesh with the gear 14 of the feed mechansim 12 of the typewriter
as shown in FIG. 1. After each impact at the print point of a type
character, not shown, the feed roller 42 pulls the strand 18a of
ribbon 18 one character width from the arm 16 and stuffs the strand
18a, of ribbon 18 into the storage chamber 28 of the housing 20.
The strand 18a of ribbon 18 forms the convolutions of ribbon 18 in
the storage chamber 28. The convolutions of ribbon 18 form an
arcuate front with the crest of the arc pointing toward the exit
area 40.
At the same time that the strand 18a of ribbon 18 is being fed into
the storage chamber 28 from the arm 16, the strand 18b of ribbon 18
is being pulled from the storage chamber 28 to the arm 16 at the
exit area 40. The strand 18b of ribbon 18 is pulled across the
shroud 60 substantially radial to or at right angles to the shroud
60 no matter what direction it is pulled from inside the storage
chamber 28. Since the strand 18b of ribbon 18 crosses the shroud 60
substantially at right angles to the shroud 60, the convolutions of
ribbon 18 remaining in the storage chamber 28 are only slightly
disturbed by the withdrawal of the strand 18b of ribbon 18. In
crossing the shroud 60, the strand 18b of ribbon 18 might collapse
to conform to the cross section of the shroud 60 as shown in FIG. 3
or might warp or tilt slightly. Since the convolutions of ribbon 18
remaining in the storage chamber 28 have no tensile pull to cross
the shroud 60 and the frictional force of the exiting strand 18b of
ribbon 18 is insufficient to pull them across the shroud 60, they
remain poised in an arc around the shroud 60, each finding its own
level on the inclined surface 62 of the shroud 60. Tests conducted
using cartridges with the shroud 60 have shown very favorable
results. The cartridges have used ribbons 18 with high coefficients
of friction and the maximum length of ten yards of ribbon 18
without clogging the exit area 40 and without fraying.
Although the invention has been described in its preferred form
with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the
present disclosure of the preferred form has been made by way of
example and that numerous changes in the details of construction
and the combination and arrangement of parts can be resorted to
without departing from the spirit and the scope of the
invention.
* * * * *