Stencil gripping apparatus for a duplicating machine

In a duplicating machine having a rotatable printing drum comprising a cylindrical segment adapted to support a stencil, and a peripheral recess between the leading and trailing edges of the cylindrical segment and the ends of the drum, apparatus for gripping the apertured head end of a stencil sheet comprising:

• a take on plate in said recess having an ascending outer surface which increases in distance from the drum axis toward and terminates adjacent the leading edge of said cylindrical segment, said surface having a first section adjacent said leading edge which is initially engageable with an impression roll to guide said impression roll over said leading edge onto said cylindrical segment, said surface having a second section remote from said leading edge with a series of stencil aperture engaging studs thereon, said studs being disposed within said recess closer to the drum axis than said first section enabling an impression roll to engage said first section while clearing said studs;
• means for removably fastening the apertured head end portion of a stencil sheet to said studs in a position where it is protected against ink-staining and automatically alignable with the drum axis, said means including a stencil plate mounted on arms at opposite ends of the drum spaced apart a distance less than the width of a standard stencil sheet, said arms having leading edges abuttable, along a line parallel to the axis of said drum, edgewise with the head end edge of a stencil sheet engaged with said studs, said arms being pivotally supported within said recess about an offset axis located radially inwardly from said take on plate, whereby pivotal closing movement of said stencil plate about said offset axis is characterized by radially inward movement of said stencil plate to press the head end portion of the stencil sheet onto said take on plate and by simultaneous edgewise movement of said arms against the head end edge of the stencil sheet to automatically align said head end edge of the stencil sheet with the drum axis.