Printing machine

A hot printing machine comprising:

• a printing platten for supporting an item to be printed,
• means for reciprocatably mounting said platten between a forward loading and unloading position and a rearward printing position,
• a downwardly movable printing head with a plate mounted thereto for pivotal movement between a downward facing printing orientation and an upward facing setting orientation, said plate capable of carrying a printing die, a prop mounted on the platten for pivotal movement to and from a support position at which it is coupled to said plate to hold said plate in its setting orientation,
• heating means included in said head for heating said plate in its printing orientation and a die carried by said head,
• link means for linking the downward movement of said printing head with rearward movement of said platten so that, before contact of said die with said item to be printed, said platten has been moved to its rearward printing position, and
• means for supporting a length of printing foil beneath said heated die so that when said die is pressed by said head against said item to be printed, the foil is sandwiched therebetween to give the printing effect required.

A hot printing machine comprising:

• a printing platten for supporting an item to be printed,
• means for mounting said platten for reciprocal movement along a substantially horizontal first axis between a forward loading and unloading position and a rearward printing position,
• a printing head reciprocally movable along a substantially vertical second axis, and with a plate mounted thereto for pivotal movement between a downward facing printing orientation and an upward facing setting orientation, said plate capable of carrying a printing die,
• a prop mounted on the platten for pivotal movement to and from a support position at which it is coupled to said plate to hold said plate in its setting orientation,
• heating means included in said head for heating said plate in its printing orientation and a die carried by said head,
• a handle mounted on the machine for pivotal movement about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane containing said first and second axes,
• link means for linking movement of said handle with movement of said printing head and with movement of said platten so that, before contact of said die with said item to be printed, said platten has been moved to its rearward printing position,
• means for supporting a supply roll of printing foil forwardly of said second axis, and means for guiding said foil along a path substantially in the plane containing the first and second axes which passes beneath said heated die to a take-up mechanism so that when said die is pressed by said head against said item to be printed, the foil is sandwiched therebetween to give the printing effect required, and
• a gear coupled to the take-up mechanism, and a rack urged against the gear, the rack and gear forming a ratchet by which the rack rotates the gear to draw a length of said foil along said path during movement thereof in one direction, and slides over the gear during movement thereof in the other direction, such reciprocal movement being coupled to the handle such that a length of foil is drawn along said path as the handle is pivoted in one direction but not in the other.