Marking machine with character wheels rotatable about a stationary member

Claim 1

A MARKING COMPRISING ROTATABLE UPPER AND LOWER CHARACTER WHEELS SUPPORTED AND BEING RELATIVELY ROTATABLE UPON A VERTICAL SHAFT FIXED WITH RESPECT TO THE MACHINE, SAID CHARACTER WHEELS BEING SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER AND BEING PROVIDED WITH MATING CHARACTER ELEMENTS, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CHARACTER WHEELS COMPRISING A CLUTCH MOUNTED CONCENTRICALLY UPON SAID FIXED VERTICAL SHAFT AND COOPERATING WITH SAID WHEELS, AND MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID CHARACTER ELEMENTS COMPRISING AN OPERATING ARM ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID CHARACTER WHEELS AND POSITIONED TO STRIKE A CHARACTER ELEMENT, EACH OF SAID OPERATING ARMS BEING PIVOTED UPON THE VERTICAL SHAFT, ONE AT THE TOP AND THE OTHER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SHAFT, AND EACH OF SAID HAVING CONTACT MEANS AT ONE END FOR STRIKING THE CHARACTER ELEMENT AND RECIPROCATING OPERATING MEANS AT AN END OPPOSED TO THE CONTACT MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING THE OPERATING ARM ABOUT ITS PIVOTED SUPPORT, A CARRIAGE FRAME PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR MOVING IT HORIZONTALLY ACROSS THE MACHINE AND A WORKPIECE HOLDER MOUNTED UPON THE CARRIAGE FRAME PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR ADVANCING A WORKPIECE TOWARD SAID CHARACTER WHEELS.