A printing method and a printing device are provided, whereby a uniform amount of solder can be coated, printing quality can be improved, variations in adjustment between operators are eliminated, adjustment time is shortened, and productivity can be improved. By keeping the amount of deformation of the end sections of a squeegee constant by maintaining a uniform state of contact between the squeegee and a stencil, there is no occurrence of such problems as unsatisfactory wiping away of a solder paste, which causes the solder paste to be left on the stencil, incomplete filling of the solder paste into the pattern opening, or an increase in the deformation of the end sections of the squeegee, causing solder paste filled into the pattern opening to be scraped away.

A manually operated silk screen printing apparatus having a printing bed and a chase overlying the printing bed for removably mounting a screen in alignment with the overlying printing bed. Preferably, a single ball-shaped handle or joystick is mounted on the top of the squeegee carriage for pushing or pulling to slide a squeegee carriage mounted on a lever arm over the center of the screen. The carriage travels on a three-point bearing arrangement with a guide or track surface on the lever arm. Flipping of the handle through an overcenter position reverses the squeegee and the carriage for the respective flood and print strokes. More specifically, the lever arm includes a generally horizontal guide track overlying the chase and extending approximately the length of the screen. The guide track is centered with respect to the chase and guides the carriage. The squeegee blade is centered in perpendicular relationship along its length to the guide track and is movable through a predetermined angle with respect to an axis perpendicular to the surface of the stencil screen for both the print and return stroke.

A flexible squeegee for use in round or irregularly shaped screen-printing frames, whose design permits it to sweep all, or substantially all, of the screen surface.

A squeegee arrangement for use with silkscreen printers includes a squeegee and an arrangement for effecting relative movement between the squeegee and a stencil. The squeegee may be raised and lowered away from and onto the stencil. The squeegee and the raising and lowering arrangement are carried by a carrying device (6). The carrying device is rotatably supported at its end parts. An arrangement is also provided for varying the setting angles of the squeegee in relation to the stencil.

An automated screener in which print and flood squeegees are sequentially driven across a stencil screen framed in a chase. After a print stroke, the print squeegee is retracted and the chase is raised a short distance to make contact with the flood squeegee, which is driven in a flood stroke, whereupon the chase is raised further to an open position for removal of the stenciled workpiece. Means are provided for adjusting the print and flood squeegees and for limiting upward movement to predetermined levels during operation of the screener. Particular details relate to an arm carrying the print and flood squeegees over the chase screen. To prevent relative vertical movement between the chase and arm, both are pivoted around a common axis. Translation of the arm across the chase is accomplished by connection to a motor drive chain by means of a hingedly connected pin bearing member which permits the arm to be readily released from the chain when the arm is swung away from the chase.