Claims
- 1. A ribbon loading container for loading a pre-selected length of printer ribbon in a cartridge, comprising:
- an elongated housing forming an envelope and having front and rear open ends;
- a ribbon dam slidingly received within said envelope of said housing and having a slot therethrough for the passage of the ribbon; and
- said ribbon dam further including first tension means for maintaining frictional engagement with the ribbon and second tension means for maintaining frictional engagement with said housing whereby the ribbon may be introduced into said front open end and become housed within said housing against the back pressure of said ribbon dam due to said second tension means.
- 2. The ribbon loading container of claim 1 wherein said first and second tension means are tension springs mounted on said ribbon dam.
- 3. The ribbon loading container of claim 2 wherein said tension springs are two U-shaped clips disposed adjacent each other on said ribbon dam having interior sides frictionally engaging the ribbon adjacent said slip and exterior sides frictionally engaging said housing.
- 4. The ribbon loading container of claim 1 further including cooperative alignment means disposed on said housing and ribbon dam to guide said ribbon dam within said envelope of said housing.
- 5. The ribbon loading container of claim 4 wherein said cooperative alignment means includes a channel in said housing receiving a guide on said ribbon dam.
- 6. The ribbon loading container of claim 1 further including front and rear end caps mounted on said ends of said housing and including open apertures to allow the passage of the ribbon.
- 7. The ribbon loading container of claim 6 wherein said housing and end caps have an elongated slot therethrough.
- 8. The ribbon loading container of claim 7 further including an end cover and guide slots in said front end cap for slidingly receiving the sides of said end cover.
- 9. The ribbon loading container of claim 1 further including an end cover for said front open end.
- 10. The ribbon loading container of claim 8 wherein said end cover includes a latch for latching said end cover closed on said front open end.
- 11. The ribbon loading container of claim 10 wherein said latch includes a gate cut into said end cover having a molded lip which engages said end cap upon closure.
- 12. A ribbon loading apparatus for loading a length of printer ribbon in a cartridge, comprising:
- an elongated ribbon container having an envelope for housing the ribbon and front and rear open ends for the passage of the ribbon;
- a ribbon dam slidingly received within said envelope and having a slot therethrough for the passage of the ribbon;
- said ribbon dam further including first tension means for maintaining frictional engagement with the ribbon and second tension means for maintaining frictional engagement with said housing whereby the ribbon may be introduced into said front open end and become housed within said housing against the back pressure of said ribbon dam due to said second tension means;
- a support plate for supporting said ribbon container;
- position means for positioning said ribbon container on said support plate; and
- a drive roller and a driven roller rotatably mounted on said support plate outside of said ribbon container and having a portion of said rollers projecting into said front open end of said ribbon container for driving the ribbon into said envelope of said ribbon container against a back pressure provided by said ribbon dam.
- 13. The ribbon loading apparatus of claim 12 wherein said drive roller and driven roller drive the ribbon against a ribbon dam slidingly received within said ribbon container.
- 14. A ribbon loading apparatus for loading a length of printer ribbon in a cartridge, comprising:
- an elongated ribbon container having an envelope for housing the ribbon and front and rear open ends for the passage of ribbon;
- a support plate for supporting said ribbon container;
- position means for positioning said ribbon container on said support plate;
- a drive roller and a driven roller projecting into said front open end of said ribbon container for driving the ribbon into said envelope of said ribbon container;
- said drive roller and driven roller driving the ribbon against a ribbon dam slidingly received within said ribbon container;
- said driven roller being rotatably mounted on an end of an arm rotatably disposed on said support plate.
- 15. The ribbon loading apparatus of claim 14 wherein said arm includes adjustment means for adjusting the positioning of said driven roller with respect to said drive roller.
- 16. The ribbon loading apparatus of claim 15 wherein said adjustment means includes an eccentric shaft on which said arm is rotatably disposed on said support plate whereby rotation of said eccentric shaft adjusts the positioning of said driven roller.
- 17. A ribbon loading apparatus for loading a length of printer ribbon in a cartridge, comprising:
- an elongated ribbon container having an envelope for housing the ribbon and front and rear open ends for the passage of the ribbon:
- a support plate for supporting said ribbon container;
- position means for positioning said ribbon container on said support plate;
- a drive roller and a driven roller projecting into said front open end of said ribbon container for driving the ribbon into said envelope of said ribbon container;
- said drive roller and driven roller driving the ribbon against a ribbon dam slidingly received within said ribbon container; and
- strippers disposed on said support plate adjacent said rollers for ensuring that the ribbon does not wrap around said rollers.
- 18. The ribbon loading apparatus of claim 17 wherein said rollers include a plurality of elastomeric annular surfaces and said strippers include a plurality of curved fingers that project into annular spaces between said elastomeric annular surfaces of each of said rollers.
- 19. A ribbon loading apparatus for loading a length of printer ribbon in a cartridge, comprising:
- an elongated ribbon container having an envelope for housing the ribbon and front and rear open ends for the passage of the ribbon;
- a ribbon dam slidingly received with said envelope and having a slot therethrough for the passage of the ribbon;
- a support plate for supporting said ribbon container;
- position means for positioning said ribbon container on said support plate;
- a drive roller and a driven roller rotatably mounted on said support plate and projecting into said front open end of said ribbon container for driving the ribbon into said envelope of said ribbon container against a back pressure provided by said ribbon dam;
- said position means including at least one guide disposed on said support plate and engaging a side of said ribbon container.
- 20. The ribbon loading apparatus of claim 19 wherein said ribbon container includes an end cover for closing said front open end and said guide includes a slot for housing said end cover during the loading of the ribbon into said ribbon container.
- 21. The ribbon loading apparatus of claim 20 wherein said guide includes detent means for releasably holding said end cover in position within said slot.
- 22. An apparatus for loading a ribbon, comprising:
- a pallet;
- an accumulator disposed on said pallet and having a chamber for receiving a leader for the ribbon, said chamber having an inlet and outlet therethrough for the passage of the leader and ribbon;
- means for drawing a measured length of leader into said chamber;
- a ribbon container having an envelope for housing the ribbon and positioned on said pallet;
- a ribbon dam slidingly received within said envelope and having a slot therethrough for the passage of the ribbon;
- said ribbon dam further including first tension means for maintaining frictional engagement with the ribbon and second tension means for maintaining frictional engagement with said housing whereby the ribbon may be introduced into said front open end and become housed within said housing against the back pressure of said ribbon dam due to said second tension means;
- a drive roller and driven roller rotatably mounted on said pallet outside of said ribbon container and having a portion of said rollers projecting into said envelope of said ribbon container for stuffing ribbon into said ribbon container against a back pressure provided by said ribbon dam.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said means includes a drive roller and driven roller rotatably disposed on said pallet adjacent said inlet.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said accumulator includes strippers adjacent said rollers thereby preventing the leader ribbon from wrapping around said rollers.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 22 further including a pair of rollers rotatably disposed on said pallet adjacent said outlet and outside of said ribbon container.
- 26. An apparatus for loading a ribbon comprising:
- a pallet;
- an accumulator disposed on said pallet and having a chamber for receiving a leader for the ribbon, said chamber having an inlet and outlet therethrough for the passage of the leader and ribbon;
- means for drawing a measured length of leader into said chamber;
- a ribbon container having an envelope for housing the ribbon and positioned on said pallet:
- a driver roller and driven roller rotatably projecting into said envelope of said ribbon container for stuffing ribbon into said ribbon container; and
- clamping assemblies disposed on said pallet for clamping and holding the ends of the ribbon.
- 27. A method of loading ribbon into a ribbon loading container, comprising the steps of:
- sliding a ribbon dam within the ribbon loading container to the front end of the ribbon loading container;
- threading the ribbon between a drive roller and a driven roller;
- threading the ribbon through the envelope of the ribbon loading container and through a slot in the ribbon dam;
- rotating the drive roller;
- stuffing the ribbon into the envelope of the ribbon loading container and against the ribbon dam;
- providing a back pressure against the ribbon by the ribbon dam;
- sliding the ribbon within the envelope as the ribbon overcomes the back pressure of the ribbon dam; and
- continuing the stuffing of the ribbon until the ribbon has slid the ribbon dam the length of the envelope to fill the envelope with ribbon.
- 28. A method of loading ribbon into a ribbon loading container, comprising the steps of:
- passing a pre-selected length of leader ribbon in an accumulator;
- threading the leader ribbon through a drive assembly, the envelope of the ribbon loading container, and a ribbon dam within the envelope;
- welding the end of the leader to the end of the ribbon;
- pulling the leader through the envelope and actuating the drive assembly to stuff the ribbon into the envelope against the ribbon dam;
- continuing the stuffing of the ribbon into the envelope until a predetermined length of ribbon is housed within the envelope;
- cutting the leader from the ribbon;
- cutting the ribbon; and
- welding the free ends of the ribbon to form a continuous loop.
- 29. The method of claim 28 further including the steps of:
- unloading the ribbon from the ribbon loading container by sliding the ribbon dam the length of the container; and
- loading the ribbon into a ribbon cartridge as the ribbon is pushed through the open end of the ribbon loading container.
RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation division continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 07/608,563 filed on Nov. 02, 1990, which is a continuation-in-part application of pending U.S. application Ser. No. 07/324,941 filed Mar. 17, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,636, entitled "Measured Leader Length Delivery System".
US Referenced Citations (19)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
608563 |
Nov 1990 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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324941 |
Mar 1989 |
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