Automatic marking machine

Claim 1

IN A MARKING MACHINE, A NORMALLY HORIZONTAL BASE PLATE PROVIDED WITH AN OPEN-ENDED SLOT THERETHROUGH, THE SLOT HAVING A NARROW INNER ZONE AND A WIDER OUTER ZONE, THE OUTER ZONE BEING BOUNDED BY PARALLEL INNER EDGES OF THE BASE PLATE, A PLATEN PLATE DISPOSED IN THE OUTER ZONE AND MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID EDGES FOR PERMITTING INSPECTION THROUGH SAID SLOT WHEN SAID PLATEN PLATE IS MOVED IN ONE DIRECTION AND FOR CLOSING SAID SLOT WHEN SAID PLATEN PLATE IS MOVED IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, A RECIPROCATORY MEMBER CONSTRAINED TO MOVE OVER THE UPPER FACE OF THE BASE PLATE AT THE MARGINAL PORTIONS OF THE NARROW ZONE OF THE SLOT AND IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION THEREOF, A FRAME RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, A YOKE CARRIED BY SAID FRAME FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID PLATEN, A VERTICALLY MOVABLE HANDLE CONNECTED TO SAID YOKE FOR ACTUATING THE SAME, MEANS CONNECTING SAID YOKE AND SAID RECIPROCATORY MEMBER WHEREBY SAID RECIPROCATORY MEMBER IS ACTUATED BY SAID YOKE, AND PRINTING MEANS MOVABLE WITHIN SAID FRAME AND CARRIED BY SAID YOKE FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PLATEN WHEN SAID PLATEN IS CLOSING SAID SLOT AND SAID HANDLE IS ACTUATED.