Screen printing apparatus

Claim 1

In a screen-squeegee printing mechanism of the type for use with a printing press machine, for applying indicia to various articles, including a screen member, a squeegee member positioned for intermittent contact with the screen member, the screen member being pivotally mounted on the machine for arcuate movement to contact the article to be printed, and the squeegee member being pivotally mounted on a pair of longitudinal shafts, said squeegee including a support rod upon which the squeegee is mounted on said longitudinal shafts for reciprocating movement on the shafts and the screen member and squeegee member being so mounted and positioned as to move at varying rates of travel with respect to one another, the improvement comprising in combination, the squeegee member including compression spring adjustment means bearing against the support rod for the squeegee member, for adjusting the pressure exerted by the squeegee member against the screen member, the support rod further including adjustable screw stop means bearing against the support rod for limiting the path of travel of the support rod and working against the pressure exerted by said compression spring adjustment means, said screw stop means being offset along said support rod with respect to said compression spring adjustment means such that the axis of work pressure applied by said compression spring adjustment means against the support rod is offset with respect to the axis established by said screw stop means with respect to the support rod, whereby said compression spring adjustment means and screw stop means are each adjustable to limit and control the path of movement of the support rod for the squeegee member, and thereby control the pressure exerted by the squeegee member against the screen member.