Marking machine

Claim 1

A machine for imprinting upon fabric work pieces such as cloth or the like in a permanent fashion comprising a base having an upstanding work support platen extending forwardly therefrom and side members, a cross shaft extending between the side members, a print plate carrier comprising a first pair of spaced arms pivoted on and extending forwardly from the cross shaft over said platen, a heater including a heat plate carried on said arms above said platen, a print plate having raised printing faces and mounted in heat transfer relation to said heat plate, a print ribbon carrier comprising second pair of arms pivoted on said shaft extending over said platen, said ribbon carrier arms having a print ribbon supply roll support, and each terminating in an inverted U frame configuration with depending arms disposed behind and in front of and extending below said print plate, ribbon guide rollers journalled in said depending arms, in front of and behind, and below said print plate and adapted to guide a print ribbon in a plane below and spaced from said heat plate, a ribbon take up means mounted on said ribbon carrier arms, means for moving said first pair of arms and said second pair of arms together about said shaft from retracted positions to a preprint position, with the ribbon plane in spaced relation to said heat plate, to bring the ribbon plane substantially in the plane of the platen to said preprint position, stop means for said second set of arms to limit the downward movement beyond the preprint position, and power means responsive to further movement of said first pair of arms beyond the preprint position to move said heat plate under pressure toward said ribbon plane, timer means for terminating the operation of said power means after a predetermined time, and means for retracting both pairs of arms to retracted position.