Automatic stencil feeding and making device

Abstract

In a stencil printer, a master making device has a body and a roll holding section. To load the roll holding section with a new stencil roll, the operator should only pull out the roll holding section from the body of the device. The operator sets the new roll in the roll holding section and pushes the holding section into the device body as far as a preselected operative position. Then, rotary drive apparatus rotates the roll in a direction for paying out the leading edge of a stencil. At the same time, peeling apparatus adjoins or contacts the periphery of the roll in accordance with the varying diameter of the roll and automatically peels off the leading edge of the stencil from the roll. The leading edge is paid out toward master making apparatus. The stencil can therefore be surely paid out and brought to a stand-by position. This facilitates the loading of the stencil and allows it to be fully automatically paid out from the roll. The printing operation is simple and frees the operator from troublesome manipulation. The roll holding section can be moved into and out of the device body without requiring a document reading section arranged on the top of the printer to be slid. The device is therefore simple, light weight, and low cost, compared to a printer having a conventional master making device.