Manual heat press machine

A manually actuated heat press machine for applying a heat transfer to a substrate, the machine comprising:

• a housing;
• a lower platen attached to the housing;
• an actuation handle pivotally connected to the housing and selectively movable between a press position and a release position relative thereto;
• an upper platen attached to the actuation handle and reciprocally movable thereby toward and away from the lower platen, the upper platen being substantially aligned with and disposed in spaced relation to the lower platen when the actuation handle is in the press position;
• a linkage mechanism cooperatively engaged to the housing and to the upper platen for maintaining the upper platen in substantial alignment with the lower platen when the actuation handle is moved between the press and release positions;
• and
• an adjustment mechanism cooperatively engaged to the actuation handle for selectively adjusting the spacing between the upper and lower platens when the actuation handle is in the press position, the adjustment mechanism comprising:
• a first wedge member movably attached to the housing and selectively movable along a first axis relative thereto;
• a second wedge member movably attached to the housing and selectively movable along a second axis relative thereto which extends in generally perpendicular relation to the first axis;
• and
• a linkage member pivotally connected to the first wedge member and to the actuation handle;
• the first and second wedge members being oriented relative to each other such that the movement of the second wedge member along the second axis results in the concurrent movement of the first wedge member along the first axis;
• wherein a decrease in the spacing between the upper and lower platens effectively increases the level of compressive pressure applied to any substrate and heat transfer therebetween when the actuation handle is moved to the press position, and an increase in the spacing between the upper and lower platens effectively decreases the level of compressive pressure applied to any substrate and heat transfer therebetween when the actuation handle is moved to the press position.