Hot die roll leaf marking apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING MARKINGS FROM HOT ROLL LEAF STAMPING TAPE TO A WEB ADVANCED INTERMITTENTLY ALONG A PATH OF MOVEMENT, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING BACK-UP MEANS DISPOSED BELOW SAID PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE WEB TO SUPPORT THE LATTER DURING THE MARKING THEREOF, HEATED DIE MEANS MOUNTED ABOVE SAID BACK-UP MEANS FOR SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE LATTER, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID HEATED DIE MEANS DOWNWARDLY TOWARD SAID BACK-UP MEANS FROM AN INOPERATIVE POSITION RAISED FROM THE LATTER AND FOR RETURNING SAID DIE MEANS TO SAID INOPERATIVE POSITION DURING INTERVALS BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE ADVANCEMENTS OF THE WEB, FIRST AND SECOND UPWARDLY OPEN, SUBSTANTIALLY SEMICYLINDRICAL TROUGHS MOUNTED ABOVE SAID PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE WEB, AT LEAST ONE SUPPLY ROLL OF FRESH HOT ROLL LEAF STAMPING TAPE RESTING IN SAID FIRST TROUGH FOR UNDWINDING OF FRESH TAPE THEREFROM, A TAKE-UP ROLL IN SAID SECOND TROUGH FOR EACH SUPPLY ROLL IN SAID FIRST TROUGH AND ON WHICH USED TAPE IS REWOUND, GUIDE MEANS LEADING THE TAPE FROM EACH SUPPLY ROLL IN SAID FIRST TROUGH ALONG A PATH EXTENDING TO THE RELATED TAKE-UP ROLL IN SAID SECOND TROUGH AND WHICH INCLUDES AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION BETEEN SAID DIE MEANS AND SAID PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE WEB, WHICH INTERMEDIATE PORTION IS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE INTERMITTENT ADVANCEMENT OF THE WEB, CONTINUOUSLY ROTATED TAKE-UP ROLLER MEANS PROJECTING INTO SAID SECOND TROUGH AND PERIPHERALLY ENGAGING EACH TAKE-UP ROLL IN THE LATTER TO URGE SAID TAKE-UP ROLL TO REWIND USED TAPE THEREON, AND FEEDING ROLLER MEANS ENGAGING EACH TAPE AT A LOCATION ALONG SAID PATH OF THE LATTER BETWEEN SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION AND SAID SECOND TROUGH, SAID FEEDING ROLLER MEANS BEING TURNED IN RESPONSE TO THE RETURN OF SAID DIE MEANS TO SAID INOPERATIVE POSITION, THEREBY TO DRAW A PREDETERMINED LENGTH OF EACH TAPE FROM THE SUPPLY ROLL FOR EXPOSING UNUSED TAPE TO SAID DIE MEANS.