[GreenKeys] Teletype Model 43 ribbon

[Charles]

-----Original Message----- 
From: Gabriel Egan
There are no rotating spindles on the ribbon cassette,
so any mechanism to advance it would have to haul
on the ribbon itself, but there doesn't seem
to be any such mechanism. It the printhead
itself supposed to drag the ribbon in some
way as it moves over it?

===================

Yes... the ribbon is moved during carriage return, IIRC. The little rollers 
on the printhead have one-way ratchet mechanisms so they drag the ribbon in 
one direction, and roll in the other.
Another problem with 43 ribbons is that I have found that some are made with 
an excessively long loop of ribbon at the factory, so the spring-loaded 
idler that keeps tension on it runs out of range. A ribbon that is too loose 
will not be advanced by the printhead mechanism.

-Charles