Ribbon cassette with bi-color capability

Abstract

A ribbon cassette having a body portion and a nose portion which pivots with respect to the body portion to obtain bi-color printing capability. The cassette also includes hinges and a fracturable member interconnecting the body portion and the nose portion. The fracturable member retains the nose portion in fixed relationship with respect to the body portion; however, upon removing the fracturable member, the nose portion is free to pivot between first and second positions with respect to the body portion and thereby present first and second colors of inked ribbon to an associated print means.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A ribbon cassette comprising: a body portion for storing a ribbon;   a support means for supporting said ribbon in an operating plane;   first means enabling said support means to pivot with respect to said body portion; and   second means connecting said support means with said body portion to selectively enable said support means to be operated in a first mode in which said support means is fixed relative to said body portion to obtain single color ribbon printing capability, and a second mode in which said support means is free to pivot via said first means to obtain bi-color ribbon printing capability;   said second means being a removable member which enables said support means to be operated in said first mode when said removable member is present and which enables said support means to be operated in said second mode when said removable member is removed.   
     
     
       2. The cassette as claimed in claim 1 in which said support means pivots between first and second positions when operated in said second mode and in which said cassette further includes resilient means for biasing said support means to said first position, and said support means includes a contact area to enable an external member to return said support means to said second position against the bias of said resilient means. 
     
     
       3. The cassette as claimed in claim 2 in which said first means comprises hinge means which are integrally formed with said support means and said body portion, and said removable member is integrally formed with said support means and said body portion and is fracturable to facilitate its removal when it is desired to operate said support means in said second mode. 
     
     
       4. The cassette as claimed in claim 3 in which said support means has first and second, spaced, opposed channel means thereon to facilitate the movement of said ribbon to an operating plane, and to receive a print means therebetween. 
     
     
       5. A cassette for an endless inked ribbon comprising: a body portion having a chamber for storing said ribbon;   a support means for supporting said ribbon in an operating plane;   hinge means integrally formed between said support means and said body portion to enable said support means to pivot with respect to said body portion;   a fracturable member, integrally formed between said support means and said body portion to selectively enable said support means to operate in a first mode in which said support means is fixed relative to said body portion and to operate in a second mode upon the removal of said fracturable member to enable said support means to pivot between first and second positions on said hinge means;   means for feeding said ribbon from said chamber to said operating plane in said support means and for returning said ribbon to said chamber;   a cover secured to said body portion to retain said ribbon in said chamber;   said cover having a resilient means for biasing said support means to said first position when said support means is operated in said second mode; and   said support means having a contact area thereon to enable an external member to return said support means when operated in said second mode to said second position against the bias of said resilient means.   
     
     
       6. The cassette as claimed in claim 5 in which said body portion, support means, hinge means, chamber, and fracturable member are formed into a single piece of plastic material. 
     
     
       7. The cassette as claimed in claim 6 in which said hinge means and said fracturable member are positioned generally perpendicularly to said operating plane. 
     
     
       8. The cassette as claimed in claim 7 in which said support means has first and second spaced, opposed channel means thereon to facilitate the movement of said ribbon to said operating plane and to receive a print means therebetween. 
     
     
       9. The cassette as claimed in claim 8 in which said hinge means comprise first and second planar segments which are positioned adjacent to said first and second channel means, respectively. 
     
     
       10. The cassette as claimed in claim 9 in which said first and second channel means each have first and second ribbon guide edges which cooperate with said body portion to limit the movement of said support means at said first and second positions. 
     
     
       11. The cassette as claimed in claim 5 in which said body portion has expandable spaced mounting lugs on one side thereof to enable said cassette to be secured to a mounting plate having holes therein to receive said mounting lugs, and further comprising a "U"-shaped member having lugs passing through said cover, body portion, and mounting lugs so as to detachably secure said cover to said body portion and said cassette to said mounting plate. 
     
     
       12. The cassette as claimed in claim 5 further comprising a bi-color ribbon mounted in said cassette so that a first colored portion of said ribbon is in operative proximity with a print means at said operating plane when said support means is in said first position, and a second colored portion of said ribbon is in operative proximity with said print means at said operating plane when said support means is in said second position. .Iadd. 13. A ribbon cassette comprising a body portion for storing a multicolor ribbon and having a cover portion thereon, support means for supporting said ribbon in an operating plane, means enabling said support means to pivot with respect to said body portion between first and second operating positions, and   cantilever means connected with and extending from said cover portion and biasly engageable with a surface on one side of said support means to cause said support means to be moved to a normal position and to be operated in said first operating position wherein said support means is inclined relative to said body portion to obtain printing in one color and wherein said support means includes a contact area on a side opposite said one side engageable by an external member to return said support means from said normal position against the bias of said cantilever means for operation in said second operating position to obtain printing in another color. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 14. The ribbon cassette of claim 13 wherein said enabling means includes hinge means which are integrally formed with said support means and with said body portion. .Iaddend..Iadd. 15. The ribbon cassette of claim 13 wherein said cantilever means comprises an elongated resilient member integrally formed with said cover portion and biasly movable to enable operation of said support means in either said first operating position or in said second operating position. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. The ribbon cassette of claim 13 wherein said cantilever means comprises a leaf spring member having a portion biasly engageable with said one side surface of said support means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. The ribbon cassette of claim 13 wherein said external member includes a solenoid for engaging the contact area of said support means..Iaddend.