Imprinting machine with controlled imprinting force

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR IMPRINTING DOCUMENTS OF VARIABLE THICKNESS: AN IMPRINTING MEMBER; A PLATEN MEMBER COOPERABLE THEREWITH; AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MEMBERS BEING ARRANGED FOR IMPRINTING MOVEMENT TOWARD THE OTHER; MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID ONE MEMBER TOWARD THE OTHER TO IMPRINT A DOCUMENT ADAPTED TO BE PLACED THEREBETWEEN WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT MAXIMUM IMPRINTING FORCE OF A GIVEN MAGNITUDE INDEPENDENT OF THE THICKNESS OF SAID DOCUMENT; SAID DRIVING MEANS COMPRISING: (A) ACTUATING MEANS COMPRISING A DRIVEN MOVABLE DRIVE LINK ON WHICH SAID ONE MEMBER IS MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF PRINTING CONTACT WITH SAID OTHER MEMBER, AND (B) MEANS COUPLING SAID ACTUATING MEANS TO SAID ONE MEMBER SAID COUPLING MEANS COMPRISING (1) CAM MEANS HAVING A RECESSED PORTION AND BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID MOVABLE DRIVE LINK FOR MOVEMENT FROM AN EFFECTIVE POSITION WHEREIN SAID FIRST MEMBER ENGAGES SAID RECESSED PORTION SO AS TO BE DRIVEN INTO PRINTING CONTACT WITH SAID OTHER MEMBER, AND TO AN INEFFECTIVE POSITION WHEREIN SAID FIRST MEMBER IS DISENGAGED FROM SAID RECESSED PORTION AND SAID CAM DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY SUBSTANTIAL DRIVING FORCE TO SAID FIRST MEMBER, AND (2) MEANS TO AUTOMATICALLY MAINTAIN SAID CAM MEANS IN SAID EFFECTIVE POSITION WHEN THE IMPRINTING FORCE IS LESS THAN SAID MAXIMUM IMPRINTING FORCE AND TO PERMIT SAID CAM MEANS TO MOVE TO SAID INEFFECTIVE POSITION WHEN SAID MAXIMUM IMPRINTING FORCE IS EXCEEDED.