Stencil printing apparatus

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR STENCIL-PRINTING A THICK FABRIC COMPRISING A HORIZONTAL PERFORATED SUPPORT, A STENCIL HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS IN ITS CENTRAL PART AND WITH IMPERFORATE ENDS ABOVE THE SUPPORT, MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY MOVING A FABRIC OVER THE SUPPORT AND BELOW THE STENCIL, A BOTTOMLESS CONTAINER FOR COLOURING MATTER HAVING A FLEXIBLE LOWER EDGE MEANS FOR LOWERING THE STENCIL AND THE BOTTOMLESS COLOR CONTAINER WHEREBY THE STENCIL AND CONTAINER ARE IN CONSTANT PRESSURE CONTACT DURING THE LOWERING AND WHEREBY THE STENCIL IS PLACED INTO PRINTING POSITION, MEANS FOR TRAVERSING THE CONTAINER OVER THE STENCIL FROM ONE IMPERFORATE END TO THE OTHER WHEREBY COLOURING MATTER CAN PASS THROUGH THE STENCIL OPENINGS DURING THE TRAVERSING BUT IS RETAINED IN THE CONTAINER WHEN IT IS AT EACH END, SEPARATE LIFTING MEANS FOR THE STENCIL AND FOR THE CONTAINER AND MECHANISM OPERATIVE TO CAUSE THE FIRST OF THESE MEANS TO LIFT THE STENCIL TO A GREATER DISTANCE THAN THE CONTAINER IS LIFTED BY THE SECOND OF THESE MEANS WHEREBY A PRESSURE IS MAINTAINED BETWEEN THE STENCIL AND THE FLEXIBLE EDGE TO GIVE A SEALING EFFECT TO SAID EDGE.