SELF-TENSIONING AND RE-INKING RIBBON CARTRIDGE FOR ENDLESS RIBBONS

A ribbon cartridge having self-contained tensioning and re-inking means is provided with a plurality of cylindrical interior compartments effective for receiving the print wheel and a friction feed roller of an impacting printing device, the cartridge being removably attachable to the printing device by means of a supporting platform such that the print wheel is operably disposed within a first of said cylindrical compartments and the friction feed roller is operably disposed within a second of said compartments, the self-tensioning means of the cartridge serving to hold the ribbon in a taut state in a printing position adjacent the print wheel and to hold the ribbon in frictional contact with a cylindrical re-inking member disposed in a third cylindrical compartment. The inked ribbon in the form of an endless loop is movably disposed within an interior peripheral channel formed in the cartridge and communicating with discontinuities formed in the walls of each of the three cylindrical compartments, the self-tensioning means being comprised of a plurality of ridge-like deformations formed in the channel.