The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-06-29
MECHANICAL FINGERS.
Barton S. Moiyneux Invents a Ma
chine Which Has Nearly HUI
man Fingers.

Much space has been given of re-
cent date in the American press to in
ventions, the larger portion OF which
have been Improvements along given
lines. 1t has often been said that the
time was not far off when men would
invent machines to practically bring
back life. An article was written re-
Gently on an invention in which the
inventor claimed that for cost of
S10.000,000 a series of reflectors could
be so set as to make night into day.
We could go on telling Of many won
derful things that are being created
daily by the hands of men, but we
will not do so, as the intention Of this
article is to convey TO the reader that
everlastingly sticking to project will
assure it's success.
Some seven years ago Mr. Barton S.
MolyneuX of Buffalo, n. Y, was pos
sessed of the Idea that the greatest
need in this country today CONNER
cially was machine for proper han
ding of mall He went TO work on
the subject and within the month a
private exhibition Of what he has ac-
tory at Buffalo.
He has created a machine known as
the MolyneuX Automatic Envelope En-
closing Machine. This machine is ar
ranged to pick up circulars, fold them,
address them. stamp them, seal them
and count them. One cannot but bd
impressed when looking at the ma
chine in operation as 10 how many
hours Of worry and study was re-
quired to accomplish this most won
derful feat. The machine resembles
large steel table. on one end OF
which are arranged six compartments,
which are for six piles of different
circular manner Six hands working
mechanically pick up a circular from
each and lay them in six piles on the
movable table just back of the main
table, When the six hands pick an.
other set of six different circulars, the
side section of the table moves over
one, the six hands come back and
lay down on top of the previous six
piles an additional circular. making
six piles, and so ON until the first
pile nearest the machine proper con-
tains six different circulars, and each
of the other piles contains five, four.
three. two and one circular. In this
automatic way the six sets Of clrcu-
lars are assorted out by the so-called
fingers and are placed on the movable
table in proper form and position to
be put in an envelope. Another So
called hand tages tho first pile on the
end Of the machine and lifts II up
ready to insert into an envelope The
next move is an envelope opener,
which lifts up and opens the flap and
separates the envelope. which natu,
rally lays very fat then the hand
that picked up the pile of six circu-
lars moves along one The next move
is the insertion of the circulars into
the envelope the next move that the
machine makes is the conveying Of
the envelope around the side of q
cylinder, where two separate attach
mentS are connected, one for inserting
the flap and the other a sealing de-
vice If 1t is required that the flap
he inserted for onecent postage. an
other hand protrudeS and pushes down
the flap inside the envelope: If it -
desired to seal the envelope, this at
tachment is removed from the ma
chine before ii Is started, and the sec
ond device is brought into action,
which includes a movable sponge for
the first move. which rubs along the
paste on the flap, and the next move
is double move First hand bend
ed over the flap of the envelope closes
some. and the second, a compressor.
to push the same tight Right here 1t
is well to remember that by the use
of this machine envelopes are properly
sealed which is much more than can
hn ,,f ttra h,H hnn
ter the above operation the envelope
is conveyed around further along the
cylinder and compartment contain
ing the desired addresses overhead
drops an address into place, and the
type is properly rubbed by little
mixer. and on the final move 1t is com
pressed aainst the envelope, address
Ing the same, the type being conveyed
in carrier automatically back into
the pile of used addresses The next
operation that the envelope goes
through is TO be licked" on the cor
ner by an automatic sponge prepara-
tory for putting on the stamp. and at
this point it may be well to state that
Uncle Sam has consented To give the
MolYneuX system strip stamps in large
quantities These stamps come down
through compartment and with each
move OF the machine one stamp is set
I'm place and a small air compressor
closes up against il and pushes 1t
against the portion of the envelope
that has been previously licked" The
stamp is then properly placed on the
envelope. The next move the envelope
makes around the cylinder is to come
TO an opening where IL passes against
little catch and is counted and slips
either into an open compartment or
into United States mailing pouch,
for which an attachment is provided
thereby taking the envelopes and cir
culars from their crude state and de-
livering them to Uncle Sam without
the touch of a human finger If one
could only stand and watch these fin
gers work. the title OF this article
would be better appreciated. as they
all seem to have absolute feeling, they
are so accurate IN performing the duty
required OF them, and one cannot help
but be impressed with the fact that
he is proud that he is a man. because
1t was man. Barton c. Molyneux.
who created this wonderful machine
The entire machine Is run by elec-
trlcity
What This Machine Means
Commercially.
This machine will handle 1000 en-
velopes an hour or in other words
VIII handle the work Of 100 girls. Can
anybody question its commercial value