IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR BORDERING ENVELOPES, PAPER, AND CARDS
Year: 1862

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Richard Summons at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd July 1862.
.I, HENRY RICHARD SUMMONS, of Navarino Terrace, Dalston Road, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR BORDERING ENVELOPES,
PAPER, AND CARDS," to be as follows, viz. :-
This Invention consists in a novel arrangement of machinery or apparatus,
the object of which is to accomplish the bordering of envelopes, paper, and
cards, for mourning or other purposes, with greater rapidity and regularity than
by the method at present adopted, which consists in laying or placing the envo-
lopes or other articles, one over the other in such manner as to expose a certain
extent of the border of each to the action of the brush containing the color to
be given to the edges of the paper or envelopes.
Now, I propose to bolt or screw to a table on standards an iron bed plate,
on which a raised block is fixed, having a smooth flat surface, two sides
or edges, of which correspond with the shape of two edges of the envelope,
paper, or card to be bordered underneath the table, and hinged to the stan-
dards, arrange a treadle, from which extend vertically through the bed plate
I

page_text: connecting rods, one of which is attached to a metal slide fitting against the
two edges of the block, and raised a little above the surface thereof; this slide
acts as a stop, and enables the envelope or other article to be bordered to be
placed on the block by hand exactly parallel with its edges. Another con-
necting rod passes through the opposite end of the bed plate, and draws down
an arm or lever of the second order attached to a hinged fulcrum between two
pillars; the extremity of this lever is furnished with a thin flexible steel plato
which is held above the block, and the edges of which plate, although parallel
to the edges of the block, do not correspond therewith, but are so situated
that when pressed down upon an envelope or other article placed upon the
block, they may leave two sides of the envelope, paper, or card exposed; the
treddle being still further operated, the other connecting rod will draw down
the sliding stop from the edges of the block, and the envelope or other article
is then so exposed that it may be bordered by means of a brush. The steel
plate, which acts as a shield, should be made with its under surface con-
cave, in order that its edges may first come in contact with the article to be
held down on the block. The connecting rod of the lever is to press the
same down by the medium of a spring wound round the rod, in order to afford
an easy and elastic motion to the flexible steel plate. The connecting rod of
the sliding stop is to be furnished with a slot at its upper extremity, through
which the stud of the sliding stop projects, so that the lever does not act upon
the slide until the flexible plate has first been firmly drawn down upon the
article to be bordered, after which the upper surface or bearing of the slot
acts upon the projecting stud of the sliding stop, and in turn draws the same
downwards. Adjusting screws are to be arranged in connection with a sliding
plate on which the pillars are to be raised, in which the fulcrum of the lever,
is borne, so that the position of the lever and its flexible plate may be shifted
with regard to the block in order to enable a wide or narrow edge to be
bordered on the article as desired. Any number of shields may be arranged
in one machine, and the shape of the blocks, slides, and shields may be varied
'to an indefinite extent, in order to suit any possible outlino of article to be
'bordered.
If the stop is placed on that side or edge of the block on which the edge of
the articlo to be bordered is situated, it is necessary to make it a sliding or
descending stop as before stated, but if the stop is placed on the opposite side of
the block, and free from the action of the brush, it may be a fixture. The
machinery may
be worked by power, if desired, by substituting for the treddle
a shaft with cams to actuate the connecting rods, and in lieu of brushing on

page_text: the coloring or ornamental matter by band, rotary or reciprocating brushes
may be attached to a shaft, which may be made to rotate by any ordinary
gearing from the crank shaft.
According to this Invention an ornamental outline or bordering of gold,
silver, bronze, or any color may be supplied to the plain or figured edge or
border of envelopes, paper, or cards..