Rolling contact printer with retractable inking wheel

A printing device for printing a continuous strip of indicia on a material, the device having a forward end, a rear end, and a longitudinal center axis the printing device comprising:

• a. a housing comprising a handle and an operating end portion attached to the handle, the operating end portion defining a print wheel cavity;
• b. a print wheel having an outer circumferential printing surface, adapted to be mounted in the housing in the print wheel cavity for rotation about a wheel axis;
• c. an inking assembly comprising an ink housing and an inking roller rotatably mounted in the ink housing, the ink housing having an open front portion, the inking assembly being moveable between a first forward position where the inking roller is in contract with the print wheel and a second retracted postion where the inking roller is spaced from the print wheel;
• d. spring means mounted in the housing adapted to urge the inking roller toward the first forward position;
• e. releasable retaining means positioned on the ink housing adapted to hold the inking assemble in the second retracted position, said releasable retaining means comprising:
• i. a lever means positioned on the ink housing for moving the inking assembly away from the print wheel;
• ii. a catch means postioned in the housing adapted to secure the inking assembly in its retracted position;
• and
• iii. said ink housing being moveable laterally to come into and out of engagement with said catch means.