28,714. Deleuil, S. June 7, [Convention date]. Stencilling-apparatus; platen presses; inking- apparatus; printing-surfaces.-A machine for printing in relief on plates or sheets comprises a reciprocating carriage in which a platen is mounted, the movements of the carriage operating to raise and lower a piston which forces ink through a perforated printing-plate on to which the sheets are pressed by the platen. The sheets to be printed are placed on rubber bands 11 attached to a frame 9, which is raised by springs 10 encircling rods 8 guiding the frame. The platen 13 is normally kept raised by a spring 25 acting on an arm on a shaft 17 connected by links to the platen and by an adjustable connecting-rod to an operating-handle 21. The platen is mounted in a carriage 15 formed with rollers 37 moving over tracks 38 on a frame 1, which also supports a cylinder 2 formed with a cap 3 supporting a grating 4 above which is a cover-plate 7 and a perforated printing-plate 5 with cut-out characters 6, or with characters formed as shallow depressions with holes which form ink-ways connected to the under face of the plate 5. The carriage 15 is moved to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 to allow sheets to be placed on the bands 11, and then the carriage returns to bring the platen over the sheet to be printed. Before actual printing occurs, the piston 26 is lowered, the cylinder 2 is filled with a viscous ink, and the level of the ink is adjusted to the top of the plate 5. An impression is then taken. The movement of the carriage 15 outwards and backwards then feeds an amount of ink sufficient for the next impression, this feed and its adjustment being effected as follows. The piston 26 is fitted with a split screw 27 prevented from rotation by a pin 29 and engaged by a readily detachable nut 32, which is normally driven first in one direction and then reversed by worm gearing from a shaft 36. This causes the piston first to drop a little and then to rise to a slightly greater extent. The dropping movement is caused by rotating the shaft 36 in a counter-clockwise direction, Fig. 1, as the carriage 15 moves outwards by the action of an inclined slot 55 on the carriage on a lever 53, which is slotted at one end to engage a joint pivot 48 on an adjustable connecting-rod 46 adjustably connected to a tail 44 of a catch 42 on a freelymounted arm 40, to the hub of which is connected a weight 56 and an arm 59 fitted with an adjustable stop 57 for controlling a catch 43 on a second arm 41 freely mounted on the shaft 36. During the downward movement of the rod 46. the catch 43 engages a wheel on the shaft 36 at a time that is controlled by the stop 57, and on the return movement the catch 42 engages the wheel and rotates it in the reverse direction. By adjusting the stop 57 the quantity of ink delivered is controlled. The wheel is held by a detent 60.