wheel 12 which preferably comprises a plurality of spokes having character elements formed at their ends and adapted to be impacted by a hammer 14 in order to drive a selected character element against a platen 16 over which a sheet of paper or other print receiving medium 18 may be interposed although other character print and paper support means are within the scope of the invention a print ribbon 20 is interposed between the character element 12 and the paper 18 so as to leave an inked impression corresponding to the character elements selected it will be observed that in fig1 the ribbon is shown being disposed at rather below the print point defined by the position of the hammer 14 this is so that the operator of the typewriter can see what he or she has typed in operation the ribbon 20 is raised by lifter means not shown when the hammer 14 is about to impact the character element 12 and juxtaposed with respect thereto the ribbon is carried by locator means 180 which is provided with an uplifted portion 181 under which the hammer and character element may pass on their way to the paper 18 the locator means 180 is mounted by means of posts 44 on a moving cartridge 22 desirably driven by a linear stepper motor 26 the ribbon is then passed through flexible leaders 34 and 36 which are connected in turn to a ribbon cartridge 28 which is mounted within a receptacle 30 in this way when the carriage 22 moves back and forth with respect to the frame of the typewriter and the paper 18.