Cartridge Assembly Apparatus for Typewriters

The present invention relates to typewriter ribbon and erase tape cartridges which are connected together to form an assembly and more particularly relates to apparatus for securing a ribbon cartridge and erase tape cartridge together so as to act as a single rigid structure and yet be easily separated by the operator.

In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 801,286, filed May 27, 1977, by John O. Schaefer and owned by the assignee of this application, is disclosed a Cartridge Assembly For A Typewriter, the assembly including a ribbon cartridge to which is mated a severable and separate erase tape cartridge, the cartridge assembly being adapted for insertion and use in a typewriter. In the above identified application, the tape cartridge is severably connected to the ribbon cartridge as by pins and apertures. While such a connection is acceptable, multiple separation and reconnection or rejoining of the two cartridges together can result in the ability of one of the cartridges to move relative to the other cartridge. Moreover, with a simple projecting pin and aperture design for securing the ribbon cartridge to the erase cartridge, some difficulty in securing the one cartridge to the other does occur because of difficulty in aligning the pins on one of the cartridges with the apertures on the other cartridge.

In view of the above, it is a principle object of the present invention to provide apparatus for securing a ribbon cartridge and erase tape cartridge together so as to act as a single rigid structure (assembly) and yet be easily separable for replacement of one or the other of the cartridges forming the assembly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide novel apparatus for inhibiting any relative motion between joined together ribbon and erase tape cartridges when a simple latch is in place, but which, upon actuation of the latch, will permit the cartridges to pop apart thereby facilitating separation and replacement of one or other of the cartridges.

Other objects and a more complete understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following specification and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the bottom of a cartridge assembly connected together by apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 as viewed from line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2A--2A of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 and as viewed along line 3--3;

FIGS. 4A-4C are sequential diagrams illustrating how the cartridges are placed together to form a substantially rigid cartridge assembly;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in plan illustrating in solid lines a portion of the apparatus contained in one of the cartridges and as viewed along line 5--5 of FIG. 4B and in dotted lines the coaction of a portion of the apparatus contained in the other of the cartridges;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the coaction of the dotted line portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 5 in solid lines as to its mating with the solid lined portion of the structure illustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the solid line portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 5 and as viewed in the dotted line portion illustrated in FIG. 4A; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the coacting portion of the apparatus on one of the cartridges which mates with the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 7 and as best shown in FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawings, and especially FIG. 1 thereof, a cartridge assembly 10 for use in typewriters and the like is illustrated therein. As shown, the assembly 10 comprises a ribbon cartridge 11, and an erase tape cartridge 30, the cartridges being positioned in superimposed overlapping relation to form the assembly 10, and releasably connected together by the apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention. While the cartridges shapes or geometry are generally unimportant with regard to the apparatus of the present invention, it should be noted that the view of the assembly 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is a view of the bottom of the assembly, the cartridge 11 being loaded with, for example typewriter ribbon, while the cartridge 30 may be loaded with erase tape and the like. The ribbon cartridge 11 has a top surface 12 and a bottom surface 13 while the erase cartridge 30 includes a top surface 14 and a bottom surface 15 (see FIG. 4), the bottom surface 15 of the erase cartridge 30 adapted to be mated face to face with the bottom surface 13 of the cartridge 11.

The purpose of the hinge means 9, the trunnion 8, and the coaction the drive of a typewriter with both the ribbon cartridge 11 and erase tape cartridge 30 for ribbon 7 and tape 6 advancement are the subject matter of co-pending patent application Ser. No. 801,286, filed on May 27, 1977 by John O. Schaefer and owned by the assignee of the present invention. However, it should be recognized that the apparatus of the present invention is suitable for any cartridge configuration as long as freedom from relative movement between the cartridges is desired.

In accordance with the invention, the ribbon and tape cartridges 11 and 30 respectively, are placed together in bottom to bottom relation and by the apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention are secured together so as to act as a single rigid structure or assembly and yet be easily separated as desired.

To this end, the apparatus cooperates so as to inhibit relative movement of the cartridges in either a first direction 16 or second direction 17. As illustrated best in FIGS. 3 and 4, one of the cartridges, in the present instance, the ribbon cartridge 11, includes tab means 18 which project from the plane of the bottom surface 13 so as to embrace, on opposite sides of the opening 11a associated with the ribbon and tape cartridges 11 and 30, a portion of the tape cartridge 30. As illustrated, the tab means form a pair of spaced apart converging and upstanding members which tend to embrace the side walls of the forward portion of the cartridge 30. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tab means 18 includes means defining a slot 19 therein, the slot being generally tear shaped in design having a narrow opening 20 for reasons which will be more clearly understood hereinafter. The other of the cartridges, in the illustrated instance the erase cartridge 30, includes fin means 31 thereon which are movable into the slot 19 for engagement with at least a portion of the means defining the slot, as at the narrowed portion 20 of the slot. In essence, the fit between the fin means 31 on either side of the opening 11a associated with the cartridges and the associated slots 19 formed in the tab means 18 is essentially an interference fit which serves to press down a portion of one of the cartridges against the other of the cartridges so as to hold the same together, at least at the forward end portions adjacent the openings 11a of the cartridges.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the direction arrow 16 has two arrowheads labelled 16a and 16b. In order to limit the relative movement of said cartridges in a first direction, for example in the direction 16a (erase cartridge 30 with respect to ribbon cartridge 11), mutually engageable means on the cartridges limit the relative movement of the cartridges in the first direction 16a with respect to each other. To this end, the mutually engageable means on the cartridges comprises first shoulders 32 which project from opposite sides of the periphery of the cartridge 30 which engage second shoulders 21, in the present instance the rearward terminal edges of the tab means 18. Thus when the shoulders 32 engage the shoulders 21, further movement forward of the cartridge 30 against the shoulder 21 is inhibited thereby preventing motion of the cartridge 30 relative to the cartridge 11 in the direction 16a.

In order to inhibit motion of the cartridge 30 relative to the cartridge 11 in the direction 16b (opposite 16a), while helping to force the shoulders 32 against the shoulders 21, a camming surface on one of the cartridges and a cam follower on the other of the cartridges engage to effect relative movement between the cartridges in the first direction (16a) until the mutually engageable means inhibit further relative motion. To this end, and referring first to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 in the present instance the cartridge 11 is provided with a cam and catch means 22 which projects from the bottom surface 13 of the cartridge 11. The cam and catch 22 includes a camming surface 23 (FIG. 7) which is adapted to receive a cam follower 33 (FIG. 8) connected to the cartridge 30 and specifically lying within an opening 15a in the bottom 15 of the cartridge 30, the opening 15a adapted to align with the cam and catch 22. As illustrated best in FIG. 6, the cam follower 33 upon striking the camming surface 23 will tend to move the cartridge 30 forward until the mutually engageable means, i.e., the shoulders 32 abutt the shoulders 21 on the respective cartridges 30 and 11. Thus the cam follower 33 serves to effect advancement of the cartridge 30 in the direction 16a until a solid engagement is effected between the shoulders 32 on the cartridge 30 and the shoulders 21 on the cartridge 11. Preferably, the cam follower 33 is composed of a resilient material which causes the follower to deflect as best illustrated in FIG. 6, until the bottom surfaces 13 and 15 of the cartridges 11 and 30 are in bottom to bottom relation such as illustrated schematically in FIG. 4C. Moreover, the action of the cam follower 33 against the camming surface prevents movement of the cartridge 30 relative to the cartridge 11 in the direction 16b.

In order to inhibit motion of the cartridge 30 relative to the cartridge 11 in the direction of the arrow 17, cooperating means are provided on the cartridges to limit relative motion between the cartridges in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction. To this end, the cooperating means comprises a slot 24 in the cam and catch 22, the slot extending forwardly through the camming surface 23, and being dimensioned to receive a member 34 which is substantially perpendicular to the cam follower 33 and adjacent thereto. In this manner, the member 34 may enter the slot 24 and thereby inhibit lateral movement of the after end of the cartridge 30 relative to the cartridge 11, the cooperation of the fins 31 and tabs 18 (slots 19 and interference fit of the tab and fins as at 20) preventing lateral movement of the cartridge 30 relative to the cartridge 11.

In order to retain the cartridges together in the position shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4C, a simple latch means 36 may be incorporated. In the illustrated instance the latch may including a tenon 37 which forms a part of the outer portion of the cartridge 11, and includes an upstanding member 38 including a hook 39 which engages a web or catch portion 26 on the cartridge 30. The catch 26 and hook 39 are arranged as shown because the cam follower 33, when the cartridges 11 and 30 are placed in mating relation, assumes the position illustrated in FIG. 6 causing a biasing action which tends to separate the cartridges. Thus the catch 26 and hook 39 are positioned so that the member 38 is in tension. In this manner, upon depressing the handle portion of the latch 36, and removal of the hook 39 from the catch portion 26 effects a popping apart of the cartridges 30 and 11 due to the biasing action and deformation of the cam follower 33. In this manner, the cartridges of the present invention are placed together and held in place while relative motion between the cartridges is inhibited.

Although the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed: