US3904017A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ribbon cassettes with prethreaded vibrator and ribbon feed means
Assignee: Western Atlas Inc
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Filing: 1974-06-03
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Granted: 1975-09-09
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Expires: 1994-06-03
Abstract
Abstract Interchangeable ribbon cartridge constructions for housing, for facile mounting in a typewriter, an endless composite two color fabric ribbon, an endless fabric and an error correction ribbon, or a carbon ribbon and an error correction ribbon. The cartridges comprise left and right housings and front and back rigid connecting members extending between ribbon openings in the housings. The front connecting member includes prethreaded ribbon vibrator and guide means which automatically couples to ribbon elevating means when a selected cartridge is top loaded in the typewriter. The cartridges include pull type ribbon drive systems which freely track ribbon through the vibrator means from supply spools or supply compartments. Spent carbon and error correction ribbons are housed in storage compartments. Fabric ribbon is packed randomly accordian fashion in a supply compartment of one housing and freely tracks continuously through the other housing and the vibrator means. Cartridges accommodating an error correction ribbon and either a fabric or a carbon ribbon house the ribbons in vertically spaced compartments with the error correction ribbon moving opposite the inked ribbons when selected for operation.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas E Frechette
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 15:48
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J32/00; B41J32/02; B41J35/00; B41J35/04; B41J35/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
A ribbon cartridge to be operatively mounted in a typewriter having ribbon drive means and ribbon elevating means, said cartridge comprising a first and a second housing, ribbon mounted in said first and second housings, and housing connectors having ribbon passageways communicating with openings in said housings, said connectors joining said housings in spaced apart relationship defining an opening between housings, prethreaded ribbon vibrator means slidably mounted midway of one of said connectors and engagable with and elevatable by said ribbon elevating means, and ribbon feed means mounted in said first housing, said feed means being engagable with and drivable by said ribbon drive means to pull said ribbon from housing to housing through said vibrator means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
A ribbon cartridge to be operatively mounted in a typewriter having ribbon drive means and ribbon elevating means, said cartridge comprising a first and a second housing, ribbon mounted in said first and second housings, and housing connectors having ribbon passageways communicating with openings in said housings, said connectors joining said housings in spaced apart relationship defining an opening between housings, prethreaded ribbon vibrator means slidably mounted midway of one of said connectors and engagable with and elevatable by said ribbon elevating means, and ribbon feed means mounted in said first housing, said feed means being engagable with and drivable by said ribbon drive means to pull said ribbon from housing to housing through said vibrator means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
A ribbon cartridge as recited in claim 1, wherein said ribbon is an endless fabric ribbon randomly packed in said first housing, and said ribbon cartridge further includes means in said first housing for controlling the movement of said fabric ribbon from housing to housing through said vibrator means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
78 words
A ribbon cartridge as recited in claim 2, said means for controlling the movement of said fabric ribbon including a first, restricted passage in the first housing mounting said feed means leading from said feed means thereby to stuff ribbon in said first housing, and a second wider passage connected to said first, restricted passage to allow expansion of stuffed ribbon whereby said fabric ribbon can be easily pulled through said second housing and through said vibrator means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
A ribbon cartridge as recited in claim 1, wherein said ribbon is carbon ribbon spooled in said second housing, and having means in said first housing for storing spent carbon ribbon.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
A ribbon cartridge as recited in claim 1, wherein said ribbon mounted in said first and second housings includes inked ribbon and error correction ribbon, and said second housing includes correction ribbon feed means operatively associated with said ribbon drive means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
75 words
A ribbon cartridge as recited in claim 1, said first and second housings each having upper and lower compartments, said ribbon comprising a supply of inked ribbon in an upper housing compartment, and a supply of error correction ribbon in a lower housing compartment, and each housing having ribbon feed means associated with said ribbons, both of said ribbon feed means being selectively operable to pull associated ribbon from said supplies into opposite housing compartments.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
A cartridge as recited in claim 6, wherein said inked ribbon is a fabric ribbon whose supply is housed in said first housing, and wherein the supply of said error correction ribbon is housed in said first housing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
A cartridge as recited in claim 6, wherein said inked ribbon is carbon ribbon whose supply is housed in said first housing, and wherein the supply of error correction ribbon is housed in said second housing.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
A cartridge as recited in claim 6, said ribbon feed means including a pair of meshing gears in each of said housings.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
A cartridge as recited in claim 9, including ribbon shedders located at the outlet nip of said gears.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-09-08 | 1979-03-10 | 1979-09-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-09-08 | 1983-03-10 | 1983-09-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-09-08 | 1987-03-10 | 1987-09-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |