US1550893A - Printing machine - Google Patents

Description

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Aug'. 25, 1925. 1,550,893 s. ELLlo'rT l 4PRINTING MAcgINE Fired Dec. 24, 1920 e sheets-sheet* 1 Y1 ff 3L. J

.13 Aug. 25, 1925. 1,550,893 -g s. ELLIQTT PRINTING MACHINE Filed Dee. 24, 1920 6 sheets-sheet 2 j l i 20 [yf Y a? 230 2er Aug. z5, 1925.

Filed Dec. '24, 1920 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 fTIM. WWEMTHM Aug. z5, 1925. 1,550,893

S. ELLIOTT PRINTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 24, 1920 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Aug. z5, 192s. 1,550,893

. IS. ELLIOTT PRINTING MACHINE Filed De. 24, 1920 e sheets-sheet e l llllllfllll'lllllll'l Hmmm itil,

e au u rl Patented Aug. 25, 1925'.

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PATENT OFFICE.

STERLING ELLIOTT, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS; HARRIET AD-ELL ELLIOTT, EXECUTRIX OF SAID STERLING ELLIOTT, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE ELLIOTT ADDRESSING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORP`0RA TION OF MAINE.

PRINTING MACHINE.

Application filed December 24, 1920. Serial No. 432,961.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, STERLING ELLIOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Printing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for printing by the use of a plurality of stencils which are adapted to be successively moved into printing position and is especially adapted for such work as printing upon relatively wide and long sheets, as pay-rolls, and relatively narrow and long sheets as mailer lists and also for printing upon such matter as envelopes, magazines and the like.

Heretofore the width of a paper sheet that could be printed upon by a machine of the type above set forth was restricted; and the position of the printed impression on the Sheet with relation to a margin of the sheet also was restricted.

An object of the present invention is to provide a machine arranged to receive a sheet of any desirable width and to print upon it at any desirable location thereon with respect to a margin of the sheet.

For this purpose, those elements of the machine disposed above the bed or table adapted to support the sheet are so supported thereabove as to provide an unobstructed space above the bed which extends from the printing center to the extreme right hand edge of the machine; and the paper sheet orother work is adapted to be inserted in said space and may extend indefinitely to the right beyond the machine. Said unobstructed space extends also suitably to the left, if the printing center to permit impressions to be made on the sheet at any desirable distance from the left hand margin of the sheet. Provision is made fo-r extending the sheet yet further toward the left of the printing center, when desired; and this constitutes another object of the invention.

A further object of the invention is to provide means to receive a sheet, and especially a wide sheet, as it is fed under the printing head, and cause it automatically and llty its own movement to be formed into a ro The receiving and roll-forming means comprises, -essentially, a stationary scrollshaped device into which the sheet is guided and by which it is caused to be ieXed into roll form and the movement of the paper sheet 1s utilized to build up the roll. The roll forming means, in some instances, may serve also as a holder from which the paper sheet, in roll form, is withdrawn to be printed upon.

For printing upon wide sheets, a plurality of paper feed-rolls are provided, located on opposite sides of the printing head, and the paper is adapted to be fed, step by step, past the printing head and into the rollforming scroll by said feed rolls. For printing narrow sheets, as mailer lists, it is desirable to employ other sheet feeding means more advantageously disposed with respect to the printing head; and this constitutes a further object of the invention.

In carrying out this feature of the invention, the narrow sheet feeding roll is placed in line with the printing center of the machine and means are provided whereby the roll is actuated to feed the sheet outwardly from the scroll. All feeding rolls are arranged to be operated from a common operating member and means are provided for rendering one orl the other set of rolls inoperative at will.

It is desirable to print the individual characters borne by the stencils on a sheet with predetermined spacing thereof and it may be desirable to vary the spacing, for separate sheets.

Consequently, a further object of the invention is to provide sheet feeding means by which the feeding of the sheet may be minutely adjusted; and the sheet may be fed forward in small or large steps, as desired, throughout a comparatively great variationof distance, as for instance, from one eighth inch to four inches.

A further object of my invention is the provision of means by which the machine is automatically adjusted to print upon sheets or Work which may vary greatly in thickness, as from a single sheet to a thick maga- Zine, and to print uniformly upon all work regardless of the thickness thereof.

Brieliy the means by which this result is attained comprises a power-actuated variable-stroke anvil adapted to engage the work to be printed upon and move it upwardly into printing position and against an abutment.

A further object is to provide a print-ing head adapted so to receive a numbering or dating attachment that the characters borne by it may be printed either before, after, or bet-Ween characters printed from the stencils.

A yet further object of the invention is the provision of an ink-spreading device arranged both for automatic and manual operation.

As above set forth, it may be desirable to feed sheets to be printed upon past the printing head in opposite directions and in this connection it is desirable that the impressions printed thereon be made to read in the proper order.

Consequently, a further object of this invention is the provision of means by which the stencils may be deposited from trays into the machine and moved past the printing head in relatively reversed positions and replaced in trays in the order in which they were originally removed therefrom.

The means by which this result is attained comprises a stencil holder in which the stencils are received from the trays always in the same relative position, but which is reversible so that the stencil may be fed from the holder past the printing` head relatively reversed in position.

A receiver for the used stencils is also adapted to be reversible so that the used stencils may be deposited therein always in the same relative position: that is the top edge of the stencil will be at the front face of the receiver, and the stencils may be replaced in trays always in the same order.

A further object is to: provide the reversible stencil receiver with means adaptingl it to be inclined relatively to its support whereby to facilitate the removal of stencils; and manually controlled means to lock it in upright position to its support- A further object of the invention is generally to improve the construction and operation of a machine of the class described.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a printing machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional elevation along` lines 2 2 of Fig. 1 with the lower portion of the machine broken away.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bed of the inachine taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vert-ical sectional detail of the printing head and anvil taken along line 4 4 of F 2.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional detail of the printing head and anvil taken along line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. (5 is a sectional plan detail of the stencil receiver and its locking device, taken along line (iw-6 of Fig. l.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail of the friction clutch connecting the movable anvil with its actuating means.

, Fig. 8 is a sectional detail along line 8 8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a sectional detail of the ratchet clutch interposed between the paper feed rolls and the actuating means therefor.

Fig. 10 is an end detail of the clutch of Fig. 9 with the end plate and gear removed.

Figs. 11 and 12 are side and transverse sectional details, respectively, of the printing head platen and its clamping means.

Fig. 13 is a transverse sectional view of the platen.

Fig. 14 is a plan detail of the platen.

Fig. 15 is a side view of a numbering attachment adapted removably to be secured to the printing head.

Fig. 16 is a side view of a dating` or other printing attachment adapted removably to be secured to the printing head.

Fig. 17 isa detail illustrating the printing head inking device.

Fig. 18 is a detail illustrating the reciproeatory ink-spreading roll.

Fig. 19 is a plan detail of the supporting frame for the feeding-rolls.

As here shown the printing machine einbodying my invention includes the bed or table 10 supported upon the frame 11. A vertically reciprocable printing head 12 and a vertically reciprocable anvil 13, both hereinafter more fully to be described, are disposed on opposite sides of said bed and to one side of the middle thereof and are adapted to receive between them the stencils and the work upon which the. characters borne by the stencils are adapted to be impressed.

Stencils are adapted to be retained in a vertical pile in a stencil holder disposed in line with the printing head and anvil on the opposite side of and above said bed and stencils are adapted to be abstracted one b v one from the bottom of the pile and moved into printing position between the printing head and anvil and subsequently moved to and deposited in a stencil receiver arranged on the left of the printing head.

Said stencil holder is formed 0f the two vertical corner members 14- secured in spaced relation to the front and rear bottoni plates 15 and adapted to engage the top and side edges of the stencils. A verticallyextended plate 1G rises from the rear bottom plate 15 and is adapted to engage the ra arenaria edge of the bottom stencil. A. bracket 17 is secured to the front faces of said corner members 14 and a guide member 18 is hinged thereto which is adapted to be moved into engagement with the top of the stencils, normally contained in a stencil holding tray, and then moved together with the tray and its stencils, into a vertical position, whereby to guide the stencils from the tray into the holder.

The stencil holder is supported in position over the bed of the machine by the plate 19 which extends forward from the rear bar 20 which bar is supported by the frame of the machine somewhat above the level of the bed 10.

For printing on pay roll sheets and the like, for instance, the sheet may be fed forn ward into the machine. For printing mailer lists for instance, the sheet may be fed outward from the machine. Consequently, it is desirable that the stencils be moved through the machine with their top edges, say, directed toward the front of the machine, for printing on sheets fed in one direction, and be moved through the machine with their top edges directed toward the rear of the machine for printing on sheets fed in the opposite direction.

For this purpose the stencil holder is removably secured to said supporting plate 19 by the two bolts or screws 21, and said bolts are so disposed that the holder may be reversed in position on said plate by removing said bolts and secured thereto in reversed position by the same bolts.

Said supporting plate 19 is formed with the lateral extension 22 formed with the slidegroove 28 therein which extends beneath the stencil holder, and a slide 24 is movably received in said groove. Said slide is formed with the raised side-portions 25 which extend above the top of said supporting plate. Said raised portions are formed with the substantially vertical forward edges 25a adapted to engage the end of the lowermost stencil in the holder and push it from the pile into grooves in a stencil track. Said slide is formed with the somewhat upwardly inclined faces 25b to the rear of said stencil engaging edge 25a the function of which is to raise the pile of stencils above the lowermost stencil whereby to facilitate the removal of the lowermost stencil from the pile and prevent the catching of the lowermost stencil with the one next above. The slide is also formed with the longitudinal groove or depression 26 between the two raised portions 25 adapted to receive the window of the stencil and prevent its contact with the body of the slide. Said slide holder is adapted to be reciprocated by connections with the horizontal shaft 28 mounted in bearings carried by the frame of the machine; and said shaft is adapted to be angularly reciprocated to actuate all of the operating` elements of the machine.

The power-actuated means by which said shaft 28 is reciprocated comprises the motor device 80, old in the art, and is or may be essentially the same as that illustrated in my Patent No. 935156. Said device 30 has the connecting rod 31 which is pivotally con nected with the arm 32 extended from and fixed to said operating shaft 28. Said device 80 is adapted to reciprocate said connecting rod and thereby reciprocate said shaft 28.

The means operatively connecting said shaft 28 with the slide 24 includes the gearsector 38 fixed on the end of said shaft 28; and said sector meshes with a corresponding gear-sector 34 fixed to the end of a vertical shaft 35 supported in bearings 36. Said vertical shaft 35 extends above the bed of the machine and an arm 87 is fixed thereto which extends above said slide 24. The end of said arm is formed with the slot 38 therein having the parallel side-walls 382L therein; and said slot forms guide ways for a slide block 39 pivoted on the pin 40 which is fixed in and extended above said slide 24. It is obvious that as said arm 87 is reciprocated said slide 24 also will be reciprocated.

The stencils are pushed from the stencil holder into a track comprising the two parallel spaced rails 41 having the stencil-receiving grooves 42 in their opposite side faces; and the bottoms of said grooves are substantially in line with top face of said plate 19. The rails comprising said track are secured to said plate and extend to and are disposed on each side of and between said printing head and anvil and spaced above the bed to admit the passage of the work to be printed on. Said track extends beyond said printing head and anvil toward the left of the machine and terminates in the member 45 secured by bolts 46 to the bed of the machine, and into which the stencils are projected to fall into a stencil receiver.

The stencil receiver is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 47 fixed in the member 48 and said member is pivoted on the pin 49 to the supporting bracket 50 carried by the frame of the machine. The construction is such that the receiver may be tilted about its pivot for the convenient removal of stencils therein contained.

The stencil receiver comprises the base member 51 rotatably disposed on said shaft 47 and resting on said member 48. A similar intermediate member 52 is spaced above said base member and is rotatably disposed on the upper end of said shaft. Pairs of spaced side bars 53 are secured to the front and rear faces of said base and intermediate members and single end-bars 54 are secured to the side faces of said members and extend above said intern'iediate member to form a skeleton container in which the stencils are deposited.

The bars e3 of each pair of side members are connected at the top by the cross members 53a which are adapted to engage the front and rear outer -faces of said memlgier 45 whereby laterally to retain the receiver in vertical position beneath said member'.

A stencil supporting platform 55 is freely movable within said guide bars and is supported by the rod 56 which extends upward from the block 57 to which said rod is secured. Said block 57 is slidable between the rear pair of side guide bars and the weight of the platform and stencils supported thereon is adapted to be counterbalanced by the tensile spring 5S which is connected between said block 57 and the rear cross member 53, rllhe arrangement is such that said spring 5S is adapted to yield in proportion to the weight, and consequently min'iber, of stencils supported on the platform so that the top of a pile containing any number of stencils within the capacity of the receiver is maintained practically at a fixed distance below the top thereof.

The stencil receiver is adapted to swing outwardly about its pivot 49 for the removal of the stencils, and is adapted also to be rotated about the supporting shaft 457, when desired, to facilitate the replacement of the stencil-s in proper order in the stencil holding trays. A centering member 59 is extended laterally from the frame of the machine and has the slot 60 therein adapted to receive one of said end guide bars -'t thereby properly to align the receiver in stencil receiving position.

The stencil receiver is locked in upright position by the bell crank lever pivoted to the fran'ie of the machine at 6l and having a` locking arm 62 with its projections 62 adapted to engage one of said side guidebars 54 to lock the receiver in position (see Fig. 6); and spring 63 serves removably to hold said locking` arm in engagement with the receiver. The other arm 64E of said bell crank lever extends in the path of movement of an arm 65 fixed to the end of a vertical rod 66 wl ich is journalled in bearings 67 carried by the frame of the machine, and is provided with the handle 68 at its upper end. By rotating said rod in a clockwise direction, the arm 65 carried by it is caused to engage the arm 64 of the bell crank lever and thereby move the other arm 66 away from locking engagement with the stencil receiver. A pin 69 engages a projecting component of said arm 65 there-- by to limit the movement of said bell crank lever in a locking direction.

1t will be noted that the stencil holder and its supporting plate, and the stencil track is spaced above the bed of the machine so that an unobstructed space is provided in which the paper sheet or other matter adapted to receive the impressed characters may be inserted; and the extent to which the paper sheet or other work may extend to the right of the printingr head is not limited. On the left of the printing head the sheet may extend to the member 45. Ordinarily the space between the printing head and member 45 is ample for all practical requirements. However, for extraordinary conditions the stencil receiver may be detached from the machine and its distance from the printing head further extended by interposing suitable rail extensions and supporting device not necessarily shown.

iin important feature of the invention is the means for receiving a sheet fed into the machine and automatically guiding it to assume roll form by the movement of the sheet itself. For this purpose a slot or opening 75 is provided between the rear edge of the bed 10 and the back bar 20 of the machine through which the sheet is adapted to pass, and the roll-forming means is disposed below said slot. The roll-forming means comprises a plurality of scrollshaped members formed of strip material and having the circular portions 76 adapted to flex the sheet into roll form and support it. rThe scroll members are provided with end portions 77 which are extended through the slot 75 and forwardly directed above the bed 10. A sheet is adapted to be guided between the ends 77 of the scroll members into the scrolls. As the sheet is fed therein the shape of the scrolls causes the end thereof to be flexed into circular form and eventually into a roll. The movement of the sheet causes the successive turns of the roll to be formed, and the roll may comprise several turns or layers which will be more or less loosely formed. The ends 76il of the scroll members serve to prevent the sheet from leaving` the scroll at the entrance thereto.

The adjacent faces of the bed 10 and bar 2O are formed with the grooves 78 therein and each scroll member is formed with the projecting components 79 adapted to be slidably received in said grooves. The resiliency of the strips comprising each member is suflicient to cause the members frictionally to be retained in any adjusted position below said slot 75. Any desirable number of scroll members may be employed and ordinarily three or four are sufficient. Said members may be relatively closely or widely spaced, as desired, to receive either narrow or wide sheets. The printed and rolled sheet may be withdrawn from the roll-forming means from one end thereof, or it may be easily removed by drawing it back toward the operator.

When the paper is fed in the reverse direction, or outwardly from the machine, the rolled sheet may be placed in the roll-forming means to be unrolled and fed between the printing head and anvil; or a roll of paper may be suspended below the slot 75.

Relatively wide sheets, as used for pay rolls, and also relatively narrow sheets, as mailer lists, are adapted to be engaged by feeding mechanism and advanced beneath the printing head; and two sets of feed rolls are provided which ar-e so arranged that when one set is used the other set may be moved away from operative position.

For feeding the paper step by step forward into the machine two feed rolls 80 having knurled paper-engaging faces are provided which, when in work-engaging position, protrude through slots 81 in the bed of the machine on opposite sides and somewhat to the rear of the printing head and anvil. In this connection it will be noted that the bed 10 is formed with a plurality of ribs 81a adjacent the printing head and anvil which are extended in the direction of feed of the paper and serve to support the paper and raise that portion adapted to receive the impression above the bed and in proximity to the stencils in the stencil track.

Said feed rolls 80 are fixed to the shaft 82 which is journalled in a feed roll carrier comprising the hub-portion 84 and the parallel arms 83 integral with and extended from the ends of said hub-portion. Said carrier is supported for reciprocation on the feed roll operating shaft 85; and said shaft is journalled in bearings 86 of the frame 87 secured to the under side of the bed. rfhis construction is more clearly shown 1n Fig. 19.

A gear 82a is fixed to the end of said feed roll shaft 82 beyond one of said arms and is in mesh with an idler gear 88 journalled on the pin 89 extended from said arm. Said idler gear, in turn, is in mesh with a driving gear 90 fixed to that portion of said driving shaft 85 which extends beyond said arm 83. It will be seen that as said shaft 85 is rotated, the feed rollers also will rotate.

For feeding mailer strips and the like a single feed roll 92 is' disposed mainly below the bed of the machine and in front of and in line with the center of the printing head. The bed is formed with a depression 10a therein and said roll 92 extends through a slot 93 therein sufficiently to engage the paper strip and yet be below the main surface of the bed 10. Said feed roll is fixed to a shaft 95 which is rotatably supported in bearing member-s 86L depending from the underside of the bed 10. Said shaft eX- tends toward the left of the printing center of the machine and a gear 97 is fixed to its end-portion. Said gear is in mesh with a gear 98 fixed to the end portion of the feed roll operating shaft 85; and the arrangement is such that said driving shaft causes both the feed roll 92 and the feed rolls 80 ,simultaneously to be actuated, although in relatively reversed directions.

Said reverse feed roll 92 is adapted to remain rotatably fixed in the position above described and is caused to engage a paper sheet only when desired, by means of an attachment hereinafter to be described. The feed rolls 80, however, are adapted to be raised and lowered to and from sheet-engaging position by rocking said arms 83 about the operating shaft 85. Since the arms are concentric with the drive shaft a change in angular position of the arms is accomplished without change in alignment of the gears connecting the operating shaft with the feed rolls. One of said arms has an extension 83a which is adapted to engage a. stop 99 depending from the under side of tie bed. An extension 100 of said arm is forwardly directed and serves as a handle member by which said feed roll carrier may be rocked to move said feed rolls into and out of operative position. Said extension is provided with a pin which is disposed in an Lshaped slot 101 in a latch-member 102 pivoted to the supporting ear 103 disposed below the bed of the machine. Said latch member serves to lock the feed roll carrier with the feed rolls in raised position and said carrier and feed rolls will drop by gravity to assume a low position in which the feed rolls are out of operative position when the latch member is tripped; and the latch member will hold the feed rolls from further downward movement.

Printing on narrow sheets of paper may be accomplished by feeding the sheet outwardly from the machine by the single feed roll 92 and for this purpose said forward feed rolls 8O will have been lowered. A spring-pressed follower roll 10-1 is employed to engage the paper sheet and press it in engagement with said feed roll 92. Said follower roll 104 is pivoted between the arms 105 of a supporting member which is fixed to and extends from a shaft 105. Said shaft is rotatably supported in the arms 107 of a bracket 108 which is removably .secured by the screws 109 to the top face of the'. bed 10. A spring 110 encircles said shaft 106 between said arms 107 and has one end connected to said bracket and the other end connected to said shaft by which a tension is applied to cause the yielding engagement of said follower roll 1/04 with a sheet over the said feed roll 92. A handle 111 fixed to the end of said shaft provides means by which the shaft may be rotated against the action of said spring to raise said follower roll 104 from engagement with the paper sheet. Said shaft 106 extends from said bracket 108 sufficiently to admit the impression to be recorded a suitable distance in from the edge of the sheet; and this distance may be increased by the provision of a longer follower roll supporting shaft and securing the bracket 108 further to the left of the printing center of the machine. When not in use the attachment above set forth may be removed.

An important feature of the invention is the means by which the feeding of the sheet under the printing head may be minutely adjusted throughout a wide range.

Toaccomplish this result said feed roll operating shaft is arranged to be angularly moved step by step, always in the same direction, by the shaft 28 which is adapted to reciprocate throughout a fixed angular displacement by the actuating device 30. For this purpose a ratchet clutch is arranged on the end of said shaft 85. Said clutch comprises the housing fixed to said shaft and formed with the annular recess 116 in which the other component of the clutch is received. Said component comprises the disc 117 having a plurality of notches 118 therein (see Fig. 10) in which spring-pressed rollers 119 are disposed; and the arrangement is such that the two clutch components will be clutched together for clockwise rotation (Fig. 9) and the disc 117 will be free to rotate in the opposite direction independently of said housing. Said l disc 117 is rotatably supported on the hub 120 of the housing within the recess 116 and a cover plate 121 is adapted to enclose said disc therein. Said disc 117 is formed with a hub 122 extended through an axial aperture in the cover plate and a gear 123 is fixed thereon which is in mesh with an internally-toothed sector 124 pivotally mounted on a pin 125 extended laterally from the sector-supporting arm 126 of the frame 87. Said sector is adapted to be oscillated about the pin 125 and at each movement in one direction will move the shaft 85 and at each reverse movement it will move independently of said shaft, due to the interposed ratchet clutch.

The hub 127 of said sector is formed with the brake-sector 128 and a brake shoe 129 is held in yielding engagement with the periphery thereof by the spring 130 carried by the rod 131 adjustably threaded into said arm 126 and serves to prevent undesired motion of the sector independent of its actu ating mechanism.

The actuating mechanism is arranged to admit of the precise control of the extent of the sheet fed per stroke. Said hub 127 of the sector is formed with the non-radial lug 132 into which the threaded rod 133 is fixed. A member 134 having conically recessed end-faces is slidably received on said rod 133 and is adapted to be clamped in any position along the length of said rod by and between the two check nuts 135 threaded on said rod. Said check nuts have conically shaped end faces which enter the corresponding recesses in said member 134 to hold it against lateral as well as axial movement. A connecting rod 136, bent to clear other components of the machine, is pivotally connected with said member by the pin 137 and extends to and is removably connected by the pin 138 to the arm 139 fixed to the operating shaft 28. Said arm is provided with a plurality of holes 140 therein adapted to receive said pin 138 whereby said connecting rod may be connected with said arm at varying leverages therewith, by which thel coarse adjustments of the paper feed are obtained. It is obvious that, if said connecting rod is moved from connection with said arm at an upper hole to connection therewith at a lower hole, the connecting rod will be reciprocated through a greater distance than at an upper hole and consequently the sector 124 will be oscillated through a greater angular displacement.

Minute adjustments of the paper feed are carried out by varying the position of said member 134 on said rod 133 and inasmuch as the thread on said rod is comparatively fine., exceedingly minute adjustments of the feed may be obtained. A change of feed beyond the capacity of said rod is carried out by changing the point of connection of said connecting rod 13G with said arm 139 and the final accurate adjustment may then be obtained on said rod 133.

The paper sheet or other work on which the stenciled characters are to be impressed, as before stated` is adapted to be placed beneath the stencil tra'ck and over the anvil 13. The printing head and the anvil are so arranged that the thickness of the work may vary within wide limits. as from a single thin sheet to a plurality of sheets or a magazine one half inch or more in thickness and yet a uniform printing pressure will be applied, so that, for any thickness of work the impressed characters will be of uniform legibility. To accomplish this result the anvil is arranged to have a variable extent of movement and to be automatically responsive to variations in thickness of the work whereby to hold the surface of the work to be printed on always in a fixed position for receiving the stencil characters impressed by the printing head. which latter is arranged to have a uniform, though manuallyadjustable` extent of movement.

The anvil 13 is vertically movably disposed beneath the bed 10 of the machine and is adapted to` be moved upwardly through a slot in said bed to engage the work and raise and hold the work in proper position itl il' beneath the stencil to receive the impression. Said anvil has the enlarged upper end portion 1116 which is formed with a dove-tailed slot 147 therein adapted removably to receive a resilient anvil pad. Said pad co1nprises the block 148 of rubber or other suitable resilient material, preferably having` side-walls tapering inwardly and upwardly from its base. Said block is secured to a rigid backing strip 149 which has a plurality of perforations 150 adapted to be filled with the material composing the block whereby an integral structure results; and the side walls o-f said strip 148 are tapered to [it within the tapered slot in the anvil.

A vertical slot 151 is formed in the anvil below the head or pad end thereof and the parallel side walls 151a thereof slidably engage the guide block 152 which is disposed in said slot and secured by the screw 153 to the arm 154, depending below the bed of the machine. This arrangement admits of the guided vertical movement of the anvil; and the anvil is further supported by its dispoe sition between the face 154eL of said arm 15a and the washer' 155 arranged on said screw 153.

Said anvil is arranged to he reciprocated in a vertical plane by the shaft 156 which is adapted to be angularly oscillated by means hereinafter to be described. An an vil-operating cam 157 having' a scroll-shaped cam face is fixed to said shaft 156 in line with the vertical axis of the anvil; and the anvil is formed with the two arms 158 between which said cam is disposed. Said arms 158 terminate in the forked extensions 159 which straddle said shaft 156 on each side of the cam; and said forked ends of the anvil and said shaft cooperate to guide the anvil for movement in a vertical plane.

A wear block 16() of wood, libre or the like is vertically adjustably disposed between said arms 158 of the anvil and is adapted to engage with the cam face of the cam 157. The position of said block within said slot and consequently the distance of the anvil face below the bed of the machine is adjusted by the thrust-screw 161 threaded into the body of the anvil and having the lat head 161CL which engages the top face of said block and which is adapted to receive the thrust of the cam. Said wear block is secured in the anvil by the bolt 162 which passes through an elongated slot 163 in the block and serves to clamp the block against a back plate 164:, which plate is secured to the arms 158 of the anvil by the screws 165.

lhile said cam 157 is so arranged as to provide for moving the anvil through its extreme extent of vertical movement, means are interposed in the connections between said shaft 156 and the operating shaft 28, which is arranged to oscillate through an invariable angular displacement, whereby to permit a variable extent of oscillatory movement of said latter shaft 156 governed by the pressure exerted by the anvil upon the work, for the purpose of obtaining a uniform printing impression upon work which may vary greatly in thickness. Said means includes a friction clutch interposed in the connection between said shaft 156 and said shaft 28.

Said friction clutch is carried by said shaft 156 at one end thereof and includes the inner clutch component comprising the drinn 166 fixed to said shaft, and the outer clutch component or shell 167 having the internal recess 168 in which said drum 166 is rotatably received. Said shaft 156 bcyond said drum is formen with the reduced end portion 156a which is rotatably received in the bushing 169 which fits within recess of the frame of the machine and is secured thereto by screws 170 passed through the outwardly extended fiange 171 of the bushing and threaded into said frame. 1n this connection it should be noticed that the external diameter of the body-portion of said bushing, and consequently the recess in the frame in which said bushing is received, is greater than the diameter of the body portion of said shaft, or any integral enlargement thereof, whereby the shaft may be inserted and withdrawn from the machine through the bushing aperture in the frame.

Said shell 167 of the clutch is freely ron tatably mounted on the reduced end-portion 1565L of said shaft and a pinion 172 is fixed to its hub 173. Said pinion is in mesh with a gear sector 171- fixed to said operating shaft 28 and consequently as said shaft and its sector are oscillated, said shell 167 will be correspondingly oscillated.

Said drum 166 is formed with two diametrical, parallel sided recesses 175 in its periphery and two friction blocks 176, of wood, fibre or the like are received therein; and said blocks are formed each with an arcuate face 176iL adapted frictionally to engage yieldingly the inner peripheral face 168aN of said Shell. Said blocks are pressed into yielding engagement with said shell by the compression spring 177 which is received in a recess 178 and engages the bottom faces of said blocks.

The strength of said spring` 177 is arranged to be such that normally the frictional engagement between the two clutch components through the blocks 17 6 is sufi",- cient to move the two components in unison, without slipping: and consequently the shaft 156 will be oscillated with the operating shaft 28. "When, however, said shaft 156 offers a predetermined amount of resistance to rotary movement, then slipping is designed to take place between the clutch components and the shaft 28 will continue its movement without a further movement of said shaft 156.

The anvil is provided with a laterally extended pressure finger 180 which is disposed beneath the rear rail 41 of the stencil track and slightly below the face of the pad 1-1-8.

The material to be printed, as the sheet A, Figs. 4E and 5, is raised by the anvil and moved upwardly toward a stencil supported in the stencil track. Vhen the sheet has been so moved as to dispose its top surface in close proximity to or engagement with the stencil, said finger 180 is adapted to eugage the sheet and compress: it against a stencil rail 41. Previous to this compression, the anvil has offered a negligible resistance to the rotary movement of said shaft 156 and consequently both clutch components will have rotated without relative slipping. A continued rotary movement of said shaft in the same direction, however, will cause said pressure nger forcibly to compress the paper sheet against the stencil rail and consequently to offer such resistance to further upward motion of t-he anvil as to cause the slipping of the clutch. The shaft 156 consequently will not be rotated further while the shaft 28 will continue to move to its limit of movement in one direction. Before said shaft 28 is moved in the reverse direction the printing head is arranged to descend and impress on the sheet the characters borne on the stencil. When the shaft 28 is moved in the reverse direction, the shaft 156 will also be reversely moved and the anvil consequently will move downward by its weight, and the sheet A may be advanced or withdrawn from between the printing head and anvil. It will be noted that, with any thickness of work, the anvil and printing head will move outwardly at the same instant.

A stop member having the extended arm 181 is fixed to said shaft 156 and may engage the resilient disc 182 carried by the pin 183 fixed to the frame of the machine whereby positively to hold the shaft 156 from rotation beyond fixed limits.

With the arrangement above set forth it may be seen that the thickness of the work printed on may vary within wide limits, say from the thinnest sheet to a magazine or a letter one half inch or more in thickness, yet the upper surface of the work will always be moved into proper relation with the stencil for printing and therefore the printed impression will be made with substantially equal pressure and consequently will be uniform for all thickness of work within the range of the machine.

The printing head 12 is vertically movably supported above the bed of the machine, and above the anvil, by the arms 185 which are secured to the back bar 19 and extend upward and forward over said bed.

Said arms terminate in the opposed guideways 186 having the vertical grooves 187 therein in which the printing head is slidably received.

The printing head 12 comprises a rectangular frame having the top member 121L and bottom member 12b, and the two side niembers 12e. Said members are formed with the vertical tongues 12d which arel slidably received in the grooves 187 of the guide-ways 186 and by which the printing head is supported and guided for movement in a vertical plane.

Said printing' head is reciproeated in its guideways by the` lever 188 which is fixed to the shaft 189 journalled in the arms 185. One end of said arm is downwardly extended to the rear of the back bar 20 of the machine, and is pivotally connected by the pin 190 to the adjustable yoke 191, the other end of which yoke is pivotally connected by the pin 192 to the arm 193 fixed to the operating shaft 28 and by which said lever is reciproeated. The other end of said lever 188 extends within the frame of the printing head and is disposed between and pivotally connected by the pin 194 to the two arms 195 of the yoke 196. The other end of said yoke also is formed with two spaced apart arms 197 between which the adjusting screw 198 is disposed and to which the yoke is pivotally connected by the pin 199 which is passed through said arms and screw. Said adjusting screw is adjustably disposed in the top member 12a of the printing head and is locked in position thereon by the lock nuts 200 disposed on opposite sides of said top member. rlhe position of the face of the printing head with respect to the stencils in the stencil track, and consequently the printing pressure, may be adjusted by raising and lowering the printing head by means of said adjusting screw.

Said pivot pins 194 and 199 are free for axial movement within thearms of said yoke 196 but extend beyond the yoke sufficiently to engage the inner face of the side members 12c of the frame upon a slight axial displacement, whereby to be retained in position without the usel of pins or the equivalent.

A cover plate 201 is secured to the front face of the frame to conceal the mechanism therein disposed; and a plate 202 is also secured to the front faces of the guide ways 186.

rlhe bottom member 12b of the frame is formed with the dove tailed tongue 203 adapted removably to receive a printing pad, and for some purposes, printing characters, or both.

The printing pad is similar in construction to and may be interchangeable with the ranvil pad and comprises a resilient block or strip 2011 of rubber or the like of lil a length sufficient to cover the window in the stencil or any suitable portion of it, and is secured to the metallic backing strip 205 which has a plurality of perforations 206. The block, here shown as formed of rubber, has projections entering said perforations and the block is vulcanized with the backing strip in place whereby to form an integral structure.

Said printing pad is secured removably to the lower member 12b of the frame by the clamping member comprisino the two clamping plates 20-7 formed with complemental dove-tailed groove-portions 208 in their lower faces adapted to receive the backing strip 205 of the printing pad; and are also formed with complemental grooveportions 209 in their upper faces adapted to receive the tongue 203 of the frame. Said plates 207 are secured to both the pad and the frame by the clamping screws 210 connecting the plates at the middle thereof, and the screws 211 connecting the plates at the top thereof. Compression springs 212 encircle said screws 211 and tend to separate the plates about the pivotal line formed by said screws 210 whereby said clamping member with the printing pad may be removed from the printing head without disengagement of the printing pad.

For some purposes it is desirable to print on the work not only the characters borne by the stencil but, in addition, other characters as dates, numbers, which may be consecutive; and the like; and such printing may be performed through suitable openings in the stencils.

Fig. 16 illustrates an attachment adapted to be removably secured to the printing head for printing one or more fixed characters, and Fig. 15 illustrates a similar attachment for printing consecutive numbers and the like.

In Fig. 16 the printing characters are carried by the plate 213 secured to the angle member 2132 A fiXed clamping member 214 is secured to the top of said angle member and a movable clamping member 215 is carried by screws 216 threaded in said fixed clamping member. Said clamping members have complementary dove-tail groove-portions 217 engageable with the tongue 203 of the printing head.

In Fig. 15 a date or number wheel or wheels 218 and the operating lever 219 are shown; the structure being otherwise similar to that illustrated in Fig. 16.

The attachments above described may be placed to occupy any position in the printing face either at one end, as in Fig. y1, or in. the middle, and when in the latter position, two shorter printing pads (not necessarily shown) may be placed on opposite sides of the attachment.

The numbering attachment is illustrated applied to the machine in Fig. 1 with mechanism for advancing it one or more numbers each stroke of the printing head.

Inking mechanism is provided by which the face of the inking pad, and also the face of any printing characters carried by the printing head may be inked at every stroke of the printing head. Said inking mechanism is in the form of a unitary device which is applicable to and removable from the machine as a unit. The components of said device are carried by and between the arms 225 of a frame removably disposed above and between the arms 185 supporting the printing head and its associated mechanism and secured to said arms 185 on the step-portions 226 thereof.

The inking-device includes the ink reservoir in the form of a hollow perforated cylinder 227 within which ink is adapted to be contained; the intermediate or spreading roll 228 and the ink roll 229. Said ink roll and reservoir are both driven from the spreading roll 228 with which they are in rolling contact at their peripheries.

The construction of the ink reservoir 227 is similar to that shown and described in my Pate-nt No. 1,036,202, dated August 20, 1912. Said ink reservoir 227 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 230 which in turn is rotatably disposed in the open forks 231 of the arms 225 whereby the reservoir may be lifted out of the frame when desired. A wiper, not shown, is fixed to said shaft 230` within the cylinder and is arranged to force ink through perforationsin the cylinder; and the shaft and cylinder are adapted to be rotated at slightly different angular speeds. For this purpose a gear 232 is fixed to said cylinder 227 which meshes with a. gear 233 fixed to the shaft 234, which shaft is rotatably mounted in the bracket 235. A second gear 236 of slightly different pitch diameter than said gear 233 is also fixed to said shaft 234 and consequently is rotatable with said gear 233. Said gear 236 meshes with a gear 237 fixed to the shaft 230 of the ink cylinder. The gearing ratio betweenI said pairs of gears 232 and 233, and 236 and 237 is arranged to be slightly different so that a differential effect is produced, whereby the rotation of the ink cylinder will cause a slightly different speed of rotation of the shaft 230. Said shaft 234 is adapted t0- slide axially in its bearings whereby the gears 233 and 236 may be unmeshed from their cooperating gears associated with the ink-roll, when desired.

The inking roll 229, having the customary resilient surface, is carried on the shaft 238 which is rotatably supported in the arms 239 of the frame of the inking device.

Said spreading roll 228 is arranged positively to be rotated in o-ne direction and also to be manually rotated. Said roll is lfixed llO Zito

on the shaft 240 which is rotatable and also axially movable in the arms 225. A pinion 241 is fixed to the end of said shaft 240 and is of considerable axial length whereby it may be in driving mesh with the gear 242 in any axially moved position of its shaft 240. Said gear 242 is rotatably supported onv the stub shaft 243 carried by one of said arms 185 and one component of a ratchet clutch 244 is fixed thereto. A pinion 245 is also rotatably mounted on said stub shaft and is fixed to the other component of said clutch. Said pinion 245 is in mesh with the gear-sector 246 fixed to and oscillable with the shaft 189. It will be understood that with this arrangement the rolls of the inking device will be intermittently rotated always in the same direction for movements of said gear sector 246 in both directions. The arrangement also admits of the manual rotation of the inking rolls.

The spreading roll 228 is arranged automatically and slowly t0 be reciprocated axially as it is rotated whereby to spread evenly on the ink roll 229 the ink delivered to it from the ink reservoir 227. The mechanism by which this result is attained includes the worm 247 fixed to said shaft 240 of the spreading roll. Said worm is in mesh with a worm gear 248 rotatable on the screw post 249 fixed to frame 250. Said frame is supported by said shaft 240 and has two arms 251 disposed on opposite sides of said worm 247 and in which arms said shaft is rotatable. Said frame 250 is also supported by and is slidable on the rest 252 which is secured to the frame of the inking device. A link 253 is eccentrically pivotally connected with said worm gear 248 by the screw post 254. Said link is also pivotally connected with the arm 225 of the frame of the inking device by the screw post 255.

rThe arrangement above described is such that as the shaft 240 is rotated,r the worm gear 248 and link 253 push and pull said shaft 240 axially in its supporting bearings and consequently axially reciprocate the spreading roll.

A handle 256 is fixed to the end of said shaft 240 beyond the worm 247 and the worm gear frame 250` by which the spreading roll may be rotated manually.

Ink is transferred from the ink roll 229 to the face of the printing head by the transfer roll 266 fixed to the shaft 261 which is rotatably supported in arms 262 disposed on opposite sides of the printing head; and said arms are fixed to the shaft 263 disposed above the spreading roll 228 and between it and the printing head, and pivotally supported in extensions 264 of the arms 225. An arm 265 is fixed to and extended from said shaft 263 and a spring 266 connected with said arm and the pin 267 fixed in one of the guide ways for the printing head serves normally to maintain the transfer roll in and return it to its outermost position illustrated in Fig. 2.

rfhe transfer roll is arranged to roll over and deposit ink on the face of the printing pad as said roll is moved inwardly to engage with and receive a new coating o-f ink from the inking roll 229, and as said printing head is moving downward; and also as said roll is returned to its outermost position and said printing head is moving upward. The mechanism by which the transfer roll is moved between its two extreme positions includes the downwardly extended arm 268 (Fig. 17) fixed to said shaft 263 which has the cam roll 269 pivotally mounted on the pin 270 fixed in its outer end-portion. A cam-arm 271 is fixed to and oscillated by said shaft 189. Said arm is formed with the hooked-portion 272 upwardly extended about said cam roller 270; and said portion is formed with the cam-face 273 with which said cam roller 270 is maintained in contact by the spring 266. Said cam face is so shaped that` as said cam arm is moved in a downward direction it will move the transfer roller from its outermost position into engagement with the inking roll 229; and the movements of said cam arm and printing head are so timed that as said roller and printing head are moved downward the roller will be in Contact with and roll over the face of the printing pad, thereby to deposit ink on the face of the pad.

Said cam face 273 joins the cam face 274 formed in the upper part of the hooked-portion 272 of the cam arm and is so shaped as to maintain the transfer roll 260 in rolling contact with the inking roll 229 during the remaining portion of the. downward movement of said arm. When said cam arm 271 is again moved upwardly the transfer roll will be returned by the spring 266 to its outermost position, its rate of movement being controlled by said cam-arm, and will again roll across the face of the printing pad carried by the printing head and deposit ink thereon.

Arms 280 are downwardly -extended from the frame bearing the printing head and inking mechanism. Said arms are disposed on opposite sides of the printing` head and are in contact with the inner rail 41 of the stencil track to receive the pressure exerted by the anvil against the work to be printed on and support the rail against vertical displacement. Other arms 281 have bell-crank levers 282 pivoted thereto, the outer ends of which to carry the pressure rollers 283 disposed above the feed rolls 8O and adapted t-o press the paper sheet to be printed on into firm engagement with said feed rolls. Springs 284 connected between the inner fil l itt l lil ends of said bell crank levers and the frame bearing the printing head serve to provide the necessary pressure for said rolls.

The timing of the various components of the machine is such that the printing head and the anvil move practically together and the anvil is arranged to be moved into proper position before the printing head is moved into contact with the stencil. After the impression is fo-rmed, both the printing head and the anvil will move away from each other practically Simultaneously; the feed rolls will operate to advance the work and the stencil slide will push forward a new stencil and a used stencil will be deposited in the stencil receiver.

I claim:

l. A stencil printing machine comprising a table, a stencil track disposed in approximately parallel relation with and spaced above said table, a stencil holder carried at one end of and above said track, a support for said track and holder disposed in the rear of and in spaced relation with said table and having an extension extended forwardly and connected with said track and holder, the space between said track and table being unobstructed in onel lateral direction therebeyond, whereby a sheet of indefinite width may be inserted between the table and track, and stationary sheet-engaging and roll-forming means disposed between said table and support and beneath said support-extension and constructed and arranged to receive the paper sheet from between the track and bed and shape it into roll form.

2. A stencil printing machine comprising a table, a stencil track disposed in approximately parallel relation wit-h and spaced above said table, a stencil holder carried at one end of and above said track, a support for said track and holder disposed in the rear of and in spaced relation with said table and having an extension extended forwardly and connected with said track and holder, the space between said track and table being unobstructed in one lateral direction therebeyond, whereby a sheet of indefinite width may be inserted between the table and track, and a scroll open at at least one end disposed between said table and support and beneath said support-extension and in position to receive a sheet from between the. track and table and shape the sheet into roll form.

3. A stencil printing machine having th-e combination of printing platens, means to feed stencils intermittently between said platens, means to feed paper sheets of varying widths between the stencils and pla-tens for the printing of the sheets, and a stationary scroll having a plurality of axially spaced scroll elements arranged to receive and engage the moving paper sheet and cause it to assume roll form, means to support said scroll elements in axial alignment, and means to hold said scroll elements releasingly in axially adjusted positions.

4. A printing machine having printing means, means to feed a paper sheet past the printing means, an axially extensible roll forming means adapted to receive sheets of variable width and form them into rolls, and means tol hold said roll-forming means yieldingly in axial extensions thereof.

5. A printing machine having printing means, means to feed a paper sheet past the printing means, an axially expansible and contractible stationary roll forming means arranged to receive the paper sheet and form it int-o a roll, and means to hold said rollforming means releasingly in extended and also in contracted positions thereof.

6. A printing machine having a bed formed with a slot in it, printing means disposed above the bed in front of the slot and having supporting means extended above the bed and slot and connected with the bed at the rear of the slot, a scroll disposed mainly beneath said slot and having its outer end extended through said slot and above and directed toward the front of said bed, and means to feed a paper sheet over the bed past the printing means and into said scroll.

7 A printing machine having a bed formed with a slot in it, a plurality of scroll elements disposed mainly below said bed and having their outer ends extended freely through the slot and directed forwardly and above said bed, means to support said scroll elements in upright position in axial alignment and for axial adjustment, said supporting means including frame members having parallel and opposed spaced grooves therein, and resilient members carried by said scroll-elements and disposed in yielding frictional engagement with the walls of said grooves, printing m-eans disposed forwardly of said slot, and means to feed a sheet over said bed and past said printing means into said scroll element.

8. A printing machine having printing means, two sheet-feeding means selectively engageable, at will, with the paper sheet to feed it past the printing means, and common actuating mechanism for both sheet feeding means.

9. A printing machine having printing means, two sheet-feeding rolls arranged to move a sheet past the printing means in opposite direction, common operating means for said rolls, and means to move one of said rolls into and away from sheet engaging-position.

10. A printing machine having a printing head adapted to reciprocate vertically between fixed limits, a vertically reciprocable anvil disposed beneath said printing head adapted to engage the work and move it upward into position for printing, and means governed by the thickness of the work to be printed to vary the stroke of said anvil.

11. A printing machine having a printing head adapted to reciprocate vertically between fixed limits, a vertically reciprocable anvil disposed beneath said printing head adapted to engage the work and move it upward into position for printing, and means to vary the stroke of said anvil.

12. A printing machine having a printing head adapted to reciprocate vertically between fixed limits, a vertically reciprocable anvil disposed beneath said printing head adapted to engage the work and move it upward into position for printing, and means governed by the thickness of the work to be printed on to vary automatically the stroke of said anvil.

13. A printing machine having a printing head adapted to reciprocate vertically between fixed limits, a vertically reciprocable anvil disposed beneath said printing head adapted to engage the work and move it upward into position for printing, and means to vary automatically the extent of upward movement of said anvil.

14. A printing machine having a printing head adapted to reciprocate vertically between fixed limits, a vertically reciprocable anvil disposed beneath said printing head adapted to engage the work and move it upward into position for printing, and means to vary automatically the extent of upward movement of said anvil, comprising an operating member for said anvil, and means including a friction clutch connecting said member and anvil.

15. A printing machine having a printing head adapted to reciprocate vertically between fixed limits, a fixed abutment disposed below said printing head, a vertically reciprocable anvil disposed below said printing head adapted to move the work to be printed on upwardly into engagement with Isaid abutment and means governed by pressure on said anvil to prevent further upward movement of said anvil.

1G. A printing machine having a printing head adapted to reciprocate vertically between fixed limits, a fixed abutment dis posed below said printing head, a vertically reciprocable anvil disposed below said printing head adapted to move the work to be printed on upward into engagement with said abutment, and means governed by pressure on said anvil to prevent further upward movement of said anvil comprising an operating member and connections including a friction clutch between said operating member and anvil.

17. A printing machine comprising a stencil guide, a printing head disposed above said guide adapted to reciprocate vertically into and away from contact with a stencil held in said guide, a vertically reciprocable anvil disposed beneath said guide adapted to engage the work to be printed on and move it upward into position beneath a stencil and against the guide, and means governed by the pressure between the guide and anvil to prevent further upward movement of said anvil.

18. A printing` machine having a vertically reciprocable printing head, a vertically reciprocable anvil disposed beneath said printing head adapted to engage the work and raise it into position for printing, and means to limit the extent of upward movement of said anvil comprising an abutment against which the work is raised, an operating member for said anvil, and means connecting said member and anvil including a clutch adapted to slip when a predetermined pressure on the anvil is reached.

19. A printing machine including a vertically reciprocable printing head, a vertically reciprocable anvil disposed beneath said printing head, an angularly oscillable operating member, and means including a slipping clutch connecting said member and anvil.

20. A printing machine including a vertically reciprocable printing head, a vertically reciprocable anvil disposed beneath said printing head, a cam shaft having a cam surface in engagement with said anvil, a slipping clutch having one element fixed to said shaft and its other element free thereon, a gear carried by said free element, an angularly oscillable shaft, and a gear sector fixed to said shaft meshing with said gear.

21. A stencil printing machine having the combination of a bed over which a paper sheet is adapted to be passed to be printed, winding means for the paper sheet, printing means and stencil feeding means both disposed forwardly of said winding means and above and free from said bed, and supporting means for said printing and stencil feeding means disposed at the rear of and extended forwardly over said winding means.

22. A stencil printing machine having a bed, an arm carried by one end of said bed and extended forwardly thereover, printing means carried by said arm and disposed over and spaced free from said bed, and winding means for a paper sheet disposed under said arm and behind said printing means, said arrangement providing means to print and wind a paper sheet of unrestricted width.

23. A stencil printing machineJ having the combination of a bed, a printing platen disposed above the bed, means to contain a llO stack of stencils at one side of said printing platen and above and free from said bed, roll-forming means disposed behind said platen and stencil container, and supporting means for said stencil container disposed to the rear of said roll-forming means, whereby to provide an unobstructed space over said bed and beneath said stencil container.

24. A stencil printing machine including a stencil receiver adapted to hold stencils in a predetermined relation therein, means to deliver used stencils to said receiver in such relation and also in a relatively reversed relation, and means to reverse the position of said receiver for the reception of relatively reversed stencils, whereby to receive all stencils in the same predetermined relation and ,hold them in such relation therein.

25. A printing machine including a bed, printing means and a stencil holder disposed above said bed, means to guide stencils from said holder past said printing means into a stencil receiver, a normally vertical stencil receiver and means supporting said stencil receiver arranged to permit it to be inclined from the vertical at Will.

26. A printing machine including a bed, printing means and a stencil holder disposed above said bed, means to guide stencils from said holder past said printing means into a stencil receiver, a normally vertical stencil receiver, means supporting` said stencil receiver arranged to permit it to be inclined from the vertical at Will, and means to lock said receiver in vertical position.

27. A printing machine including a bed, printing means and a stencil holder disposed above said bed, means to guide stencils from said holder past said printing means into a ste-neil receiver, a normally vertical stencil receiver, means reversibly supporting said stencil receiver pivotally arranged to permit it to be inclined from the vertical about its pivot and reversed in position, and means to lock said receiver in vertical position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

STERLING ELLIOTT.

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