Printing device having a sliding carriage

A printing device of the type to be operated in conjunction with a printing plate such as a credit card, the combination comprising:

• a housing having at the upper portion thereof a pair of parallel, longitudinally extending openings,
• a longitudinally extending rod disposed within said housing below the first of said openings,
• a longitudinally extending anvil member, operative to receive and hold a printing plate, fixedly received within the second of said openings, said anvil having at its lower portion thereof a longitudinally extending aperture with upturned ends,
• a U-shaped carriage having a base and a pair of arms extending laterally from said base, said base being received within said first opening and slidably and pivotably supported upon said rod, the first of said arms extending outside said housing and over said anvil, the second of said arms extending within said housing, said first arm at its end distal from said base rotatably supporting a printing roll over said anvil, said second arm at its end distal from said base rotatably supporting a guide roll which is received within said aperture, the axis of said printing roll and said guide roller being parallel to one another, said printing roll and said guide roller being vertically aligned relative to one another and perpendicular to said anvil,
• whereby said carriage is operative to be slid along said rod and to be pivoted upwardly when said guide roller is received within said upturned ends of said aperture thereby maintaining said printing roll is printing engagement with said anvil when located intermediate said aperture ends and disengaging said printing roll from said anvil when said guide roll is received by one of the said aperture ends.