a recording deice includes a cylinder of heat - sensitive ink ribbon , a rewinding cylinder , and a marking header . the device prevents unused segments of ribbon being left between markings . the device has a moving support guiding the ribbon along an additional path , a braking mechanism for the cylinder . when the ribbon is tractioned and the cylinder is braked , the support is forced to move against the action of an elastic element , reducing the additional path . thus , after a marking the ribbon and the support move back to so that the next marking is made immediately after the first marking . the braking mechanism , after one or more markings , are released , unrolling a length of ribbon from the cylinder , then braking again , with the process repeated .