A cartridge (6) for a multistrike typing ribbon (21) for printing machines engages a single drive shaft (51) for unidirectional advance movement of the multistrike ribbon (21) and comprises a container having a bottom (8) and two arms which project from a rear wall and which each have an aperture for the ribbon to pass therethrough. An epicyclic transmission arrangement (40) is disposed on the bottom (8) and comprises a series of toothed gears (48, 52 and 53) which are coplanar with each other and parallel to the bottom (8). The drive shaft (51) is engaged with a feed sleeve (49) of the cartridge and is coaxial with the feed roller (42) for the ribbon (21). The feed sleeve (49) is fixed with respect to the sun gear (52) of the arrangement (40), the sun gear being engaged with the planet gear (48) which in turn is rotatable on an eccentric pin (47) of a plate (46). The plate (46) is fixed with respect to a second sleeve (44) which is rotatable about the sleeve (49) and on which the feed roller (42) is fixed. The gear (48) is always engaged with an internally toothed ring (53) which is provided on the bottom (8) and constitutes the fixed annulus gear of the arrangement (40). The transmission ratio as between the gears (48, 52 and 53) is such as substantially to reduce the number of turns of the feed roller (42) with respect to the turns of the drive shaft (51).