804,375. Labelling machines. TEXTILE MARKING MACHINE CO., Inc. Sept. 15, 1955 [Sept. 30, 1954], No. 26426/55. Class 73 [Also in Group XVI] Relates to a laundry marking machine in which tags, formed by severing tape coated with heat-actuated adhesive, are first printed with identifying indicia and are then heat sealed to garments. According to the invention, a garment supporting platen 71, Fig. 1, is movable from a first position Fig. 14, in which a part of the garment is placed on the platen, to a position adjacent a fixed heat-sealing iron 85 such movement initiating automatically the following sequence:- (a) a printing platen 63, Fig. 1, is moved to press the tag tape 62 against selected type segments 30 covered by a ribbon to print the tag; (b) the feeding of tape 62 from a roll 60 to bring the printed tape end in front of the heating iron 85; (c) severing of the end of the tape to form the tag by a cutter 195 just prior to the pressing of the garment covered platen against the tag; (d) on reaching the position adjacent the heating iron 85, fluid pressure means is brought into operation to press the garment platen 71 against the tag and iron 85 to seal the tag to the garment. Simultaneously a non-adhesive tab 200, Fig. 17, severed from a tape is fed between the platen 71 and iron 85 so as to be sealed to one end of the adhesive side of the tag T, the tab facilitating subsequent removal of the tag from the garment. These tabs may be of different colours to convey information as to routing, processing &c. The platen 71 is mounted on an arm 73, Fig. 14, having a pair of laterally extending handles 80 and fixed to a shaft 74 journalled in the machine frame. The arm 73 is provided at its lower end with a pair of spaced ear portions 84 and intermediate its ends with a pair of arcuate plates 89 each carrying a pin 90. The iron 85 is mounted on the upper end of an arm 86, the lower end of which is positioned between the ear portions 84 and is formed with a concavity to receive the shaft 74. On moving the arm 73 manually towards the iron 85, the Dins 90 engage latch members 91 which operate through a system of levers, a switch 106 causing a valve 113 to open and admit fluid pressure from a supply line 114 to a cylinder 115, the piston rod 116 of which moves upwardly. The upper end of the piston rod engages a system of levers which pulls the platen 71 under pressure against the iron 85 through the latch members 91. The amound and duration of pressure are adjusted by a regulator 105 and a timer 110. The printing platen 63, Figs. 1, 6, is mounted on an arm 64 pivoted at 66 and is operated by a solenoid 68 which is energized by a switch 250. This switch is closed by an angle lever pivoted at 251 and engaged in turn by a member 254 pivotally connected to an arm 255 fixed to the main shaft 74 of the platen 71. The feed mechanism for the tape 62 (see Group XVI, Class 100(1)) is operated by a fluid pressure cylinder 175, Fig. 10, supplied through a conduit 176 connected to a valve 177. An arm 180 fixed to the shaft 74 carries a roller 183 adapted to engage a lever 184 which controls the valve 177. The arrangement is such that when the shaft 74 is rotated on forward movement of the platen 71, the valve 177 opens to admit air to the cylinder 175, effecting forward movement of a feed carriage 150. Upon rearward movement of the platen 71 the arm 180 on the shaft 74 moves the roller 183 from the lever 184 which permits the valve 177 to close, connecting the conduit 176 to exhaust and a spring within the cylinder 175 operates its piston rod to return the carriage 150. The cutting mechanism for the tape 62 comprises a movable blade 195, Fig. 2, pivoted on a fixed blade 193 and having a rear portion 196 connected by a link 197 to an arm 198 on the garment platen arm 73. The arangement is such that when the platen 71 is moved into proximity to the heating iron 85, the blade 195 coacts with the blade 193 to sever the printed portion of the tape.