Squeegee pressing device in a screen printing machine

In a screen printing machine of the type in which a screen plate is reciprocated to and fro and printing paper sheets are supplied to the lower surface zone of the screen plate in timing with forward travel of the screen plate and in which the screen plate is pressed by the squeegee for printing the paper sheets through the screen when the squeegee vertically movable within predetermined stroke distance is at the lowermost stroke position thereof, a device for pressing the squeegee for printing, comprising

• a support shaft rotatable in either directions,
• a first intersecting axis gear mounted on said support shaft and rotatable in either direction independently of the rotation of the support shaft and in timing with displacement brought about by a cam,
• a rotatable member rotatably carrying at least one second intersecting axis gear meshing with said first intersecting axis gear, said rotatable member being carried for rotation about said support shaft and independently of said support shaft,
• a third intersecting axis gear mounted on said support shaft for rotation in unison therewith and meshing with said second intersecting axis gears,
• a pair of pinions mounted on said support shaft for rotation in unison therewith,
• at least one squeegee post meshing with said pinions and vertically movable by being linked with forward and reverse rotation of the support shaft, said post carrying said squeegee at the upper end extremity thereof, and
• drive means for driving said rotatable member,
• said squeegee post being afforded a predetermined downward displacement through the medium of all of said intersecting axis gears and said support shaft by differential displacement brought about by said cam, for pressing said squeegee to said screen plate, said squeegee post being raised a larger distance by said drive means through the medium of said second and third intersecting axis gears and said support shaft when said first intersecting axis gear remains stationary, for lifting the squeegee above the screen plate.