Addressing machine

A hectographic apparatus for printing information on envelopes and similar workpieces from master cards each of which having an information bearing area, comprising a master card holder for receiving a stack of master cards, master card dispensing means for automatically feeding said master cards, card guiding means for translating dispensed master cards from said holder to a printing station and from said printing station to a master card discharge station, a first feed roll defining a workpiece receiving station, workpiece guiding means for translating workpiece from said workpiece receiving station to said printing station and from said printing station to a workpiece discharge station, drive means for rotating said first feed roll throughout every printing cycle, moistening means defining a moistening station upstream of said printing station for applying solvent only over the area of said workpiece to be printed, common actuating means for operating said master card dispensing means and for operating said moistening means in synchronism to insure that in every printing cycle the area of the workpiece being translated over which solvent is applied is in registry with the information bearing area of the master card being translated, sensing means for producing an electrical signal when the leading edge of a workpiece at said workpiece receiving station reaches a predetermined point in said apparatus, and registration adjustment means for adjusting the distance between the leading edge of a workpiece and the area of said workpiece to be printed, said registration adjustment means including a manual control for determining the angular displacement of said first feed roll taking place between the occurence of said electrical signal and the beginning of the operation of said common actuating means, said printing station comprising a second feed roll driven by said drive means, the axes of said first and second feed rolls being parallel to each other the linear speed of said first and second feed rolls being equal and in the same direction, said printing station also comprising a narrow segmented printing roll made of soft material and having a non-circular portion, and secured to an auxiliary shaft which is parallel to and spaced apart from the axis of said second feed roll, said auxiliary shaft being normally freely rotatable, the distance between the axis of said auxiliary shaft and that of said second feed roll being fixed and sufficient to leave a gap between the non-circular portion of said printing roll and the periphery of said second feed roll, but said distance being sufficiently short to ensure substantial flattening of said printing roll by said second feed roll when their circular surfaces meet;

• said apparatus also comprising a printing roll driver for causing engagement of said second feed roll and printing roll by rotating said printing roll a fixed period of time after receiving said electrical signal, and printing roll stop means for setting the starting angular position of said printing roll each time the periphery thereof looses contact with said second feed roll thus maintaining said gap until the next operation of said printing roll driver.