Plate feed and storage means in an addressing machine

Claim 1

IN AN ADDRESSING MACHINE WHICH INCLUDES A CASING, AN INTRODUCTION CHUTE FOR STEP-WISE FEEDING OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR PRINTING PLATES INTO A HORIZONTAL GUIDE PATH, A PRINTING STATION DISPOSED ALONG THE GUIDE PATH, A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED LAYING OFF CHUTE LOCATED AT THE TERMINAL END OF AND BENEATH THE GUIDE PATH TO RECEIVE SAID PRINTING PLATES DROPPED ONE AT A TIME FROM AN ENLARGED OPENING IN THE TERMINAL END OF THE GUIDE PATH, SAID LAYING OFF CHUTE COMMUNICATING TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE CASING, HORIZONTAL GUIDE RAIL MEANS IN SAID LAYING OFF CHUTE, AND AND OPEN-TOPPED PLATE RECEIVING DRAWER FRICTIONALLY ENGAGED UPON SAID GUIDE RAIL MEANS WITHIN SAID LAYING OFF CHUTE, THE HEREIN INVENTION COMPRISING, MEANS FOR EFFECTING STEP-WISE DISPLACEMENT OF THE DRAWER WITH THE ENTRY THEREINTO OF EACH PRINTING PLATE FROM THE TERMINAL END OF THE GUIDE PATH, SAID STEP-WISE DISPLACEMENT BEING EQUAL TO THE THICKNESS OF SAID PRINTING PLATE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING STATIONARY GUIDE PLATE MEANS WITHIN SAID LAYING OFF CHUTE BENEATH THE TERMINAL END OF THE GUIDE PATH FOR DIRECTING THE PRINTING PLATES ONE AT A TIME FROM THE GUIDE PATH TO A TILTED POSITION UPON ONE EDGE THEREOF IN THE DRAWER, RECIPROCATING PRESSURE PLATE MEANS ARRANGED TO ENGAGE A FACE OF SAID PRINTIN PLATE IMMEDIATELY UPON ENTRY THEREOF INTO THE DRAWER TO MOVE SAID PLATE TO A VERTICAL POSITION ANDD TO THEN DISPLACE THE DRAWER ALONG THE GUIDE RAIL MEANS A DISTANCE EQUAL TO THE THICKNESS OF THE PRINTING PLATE, AND SPRING BIASED HOOK MEANS ARRANGED CENTRALLY AND ABOVE SAID LAYING OFF CHUTE TO ENGAGE THE FACE OF THE PRINTING PLATE TO RETAIN THE PLATE IN A VERTICAL POSITION WHEN THE PRESSURE PLATE IS CAUSED TO RETRACT, THE DRAWER THEREBY BEING AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED STEP-BY-STEP BY EACH SUCCESSIVE PRINTING PLATE FOR THE ENTIRE LENGTH THEREOF.