An Improved Apparatus for Printing from Stencil Sheets.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Printing from Stencil Sheets.
We, JOHN JOFEH, of 2, Willow Street, Chingford, in the County of Essex,
Draughtsman, and JOHN FORDHAM and GEORGE HENRY SMITH, trading as
Fordham & Smith, of 35, Camomile Street, Bishopsgate, in the City and County
of London, Manufacturers of Copying Apparatus, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved apparatus for producing copies of autograph
or typewriting etc. from stencils produced by any of the known processes, the object
being to produce such copies in a rapid and reliable manner.
To this end our machine consists of a suitable frame adapted to hold the stencil
sheet and which is arranged to slide vertically or approximately vertically in guides
in a suitable frame preferably forming part of the box intended to carry the
apparatus. This stencil sheet frame is adapted to be pressed downwards by the
hand of the operator and to be restored to its normal position by suitable springs or
weights.
"
In front of the stencil frame is mounted a roller adapted to bear against the face
of the stencil sheet frame and to receive its rotative motion therefrom by means of
friction or toothed gearing so as to feed the paper on to the face of the stencil sheet
in an even manner.
At the back of the stencil sheet frame is the inking roller which is mounted on a
pair of arms or on a suitable frame hinged, to the frame of the apparatus and pressed
forward against the stencil sheet by means of one or more springs. On to the arms
or frame carrying this inking roller is mounted an arm the bevelled end of which
comes into contact with a finger carried by the stencil sheet frame as the said frame.
reaches the bottom of its stroke and pushes the inking roller back out of contact
with the stencil sheet, the arms or frame carrying the said roller being locked in
its rearward position out of contact with the said sheet by means of an automatic
catch adapted to engage with a pin carried, by the inking roller frame or by the
arm on it, the said catch being automatically released when the stencil sheet frame
reaches the top of its stroke by means of a finger or its equivalent carried by the
said frame.
The inking roller may be inked by means of rollers in the well-known manner,
but we prefer to ink it by means of an inking slab so hinged to the frame carrying
the stencil sheet that it moves up and down therewith and comes into contact with
the inking roller as the stencil sheet frame rises, i.e. when the inking roller is pushed
back out of contact with the stencil sheet, so that the inking roller takes up the ink
from the inking slab during the time that it is not in contact with the stencil
sheet.
To automatically feed the sheets of paper into the apparatus they are placed
on a table in front of the receiving roller, the said sheets being held at their
back ends by means of the usual weights or spring fingers. The sheets of paper
are automatically moved forward by means of a feeding roller so mounted on a
pair of arms pivotted to the frame of the apparatus that when the said roller
is moved towards the stencil sheet the roller becomes locked and cannot rotate
thereby dragging the top sheet of paper forward, but when the arms carrying it
are moved in the opposite direction the roller rotates freely over the surface of
the sheets of paper.
This is conveniently effected by means of a ratchet and
pawl gear.
The reciprocating arms carrying this automatic feed roller are

page_text: operated by the upward movement of the stencil sheet frame through any
convenient mechanism.
Instead of mounting the automatic feed roller direct on to the ends of the
reciprocating arms they may be mounted on a frame hinged to the said arms so
that the roller may be turned back out of contact with the table when it is desired
to place a further supply of sheets of paper thereon. The table for carrying the
sheets of paper is preferably formed out of one of the sides of the box containing
the apparatus.
In use the sheets of papers are automatically fed between the receiving roller
and the face of the stencil sheet during the upward movement of the stencil sheet
frame. This frame is then pressed down by the hand of the operator which presses
the sheet of paper against the face of the stencil and so takes the impression from
it, the sheet of paper automatically falling clear of the stencil sheet when the frame
carrying the stencil sheet reaches the bottom of its stroke. The operator then
releases the pressure of his hand on the stencil sheet frame which rises by the
action of the springs or weights controlling it, feeding at the same time another
sheet of paper into contact with the stencil sheet. The stencil sheet frame is again
pressed printing another sheet, and so on continuously.
Dated this 13th don af Lul 1904
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Printing from Stencil Sheets.
We, JOHN JOFEH, of 2, Willow Street, Chingford, in the County of Essex,
Draughtsman, and JOHN FORDHAM and GEORGE HENRY SMITH, trading as
Fordham & Smith, of 35, Camomile Street, Bishopsgate, in the City and County of
London, Manufacturers of Copying Apparatus, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved apparatus for producing copies of autograph
or typewriting and the like, from stencils produced by any of the known processes,
the object being to produce such copies in a rapid and reliable manner without
practically any wear or damage to the stencil.
To this end our machine consists of a suitable frame adapted to hold the stencil
sheet and which is arranged to slide vertically or approximately vertically in guides
in a suitable frame preferably forming part of the box intended to carry the
apparatus. This stencil sheet frame is adapted to be pressed downwards by the
hand of the operator and to be restored to its normal position by suitable springs
or weights.
In front of the stencil frame is mounted a roller adapted to bear against the face
of the stencil sheet frame and to receive its rotative motion therefrom by means of
friction or toothed gearing so as to feed the paper on to the face of the stencil sheet
in an even manner.
arm the
At the back of the stencil sheet frame is the inking roller which is mounted
on a pair of arms or on a suitable frame hinged to the frame of the apparatus
and pressed forward against the stencil sheet by means of one or more springs.
On to the arms or frame carrying this inking roller is mounted an
bevelled end of which comes into contact with a finger carried by the stencil
sheet frame as the said frame reaches the bottom of its stroke and pushes the
inking, roller back out of contact with the stencil sheet, the arms or frame
carrying the said roller being locked in its rearward position out of contact

page_text: with the said sheet by means of an automatic catch adapted to engage with a
pin carried by the inking roller frame or by the arm on it, the said catch being
automatically released when the stencil sheet frame reaches the top of its stroke
by means of a finger or its equivalent carried by the said frame.
The inking roller may be inked by means of rollers in the well-known manner,
but we prefer to ink it by means of an inking slab so hinged to the frame carrying
the stencil sheet that it moves up and down therewith and comes into contact with
the inking roller as the stencil sheet frame rises, i.e. when the inking roller is
pushed back out of contact with the stencil sheet, so that the inking roller takes up
the ink from the inking slab during the time that it is not in contact with the
stencil sheet.
.
To automatically feed the sheets of paper into the apparatus they are placed
on a table in front of the receiving roller, the said sheets being held at their
back ends by means of the usual weights or spring fingers. The sheets of paper
are automatically moved forward by means of a feeding roller so mounted on a
pair of arms pivotted to the frame of the apparatus that when the said roller
is moved towards the stencil sheet the roller becomes locked and cannot rotate
thereby dragging the top sheet of paper forward, but when the arms carrying
it are moved in the opposite direction the roller rotates freely over the surface
of the sheets of paper. This is conveniently effected by means of a ratchet and
pawl gear.
The reciprocating arms carrying this automatic feed roller are
operated by the upward movement of the stencil sheet frame through any
convenient mechanism.
Instead of mounting the automatic feed roller direct on to the ends of the
reciprocating arms they may be mounted on a frame hinged to the said arms so
that the roller may be turned back out of contact with the table when it is desired
to place a further supply of sheets of paper thereon. The table for carrying the
sheets of paper is preferably formed out of one of the sides of the box containing
the apparatus.
We attain this end in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in
which :-
Figure 1 Sheet No. 1 is a view in sectional side elevation of our improved printing
apparatus.
Figure 2 Sheet No. 1 is a view in back elevation thereof.
Figure 3 Sheet No. 1 is a broken view in plan.
Figure 4 Sheet No. 2 is a sectional view in side elevation of a modification of our
invention, and
Figure 5 Sheet No. 2 is a similar view of another form our invention may
assume.
b
Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
A suitable frame A adapted to hold a stencil sheet X is arranged to slide
vertically, or approximately vertically in guides y, y, formed on or fixed to the
frame or box Y intended to carry the apparatus. The frame A is adapted to be
pressed downwards by the hand of the operator and to be restored to its normal
position by a suitable spring such as the coiled spring (shown in dotted lines in
Figure 1 Sheet No. 1) mounted on one end of a roller B, mounted in suitable
bearings and adapted to bear against the face of the stencil sheet frame A and to
receive its rotative motion therefrom either by frictional contact or rack and pinion
gearing, preferably the latter, in which case racks a' on the two sides of the
frame A gear with toothed wheels b' on the ends of the roller B, as shown by
Figures 1, 4 and 5.
At the back of the stencil sheet frame A is an inking roller C mounted on a
pair of armis D pivotted to the frame or box Y and pressed forward against the
stencil sheet X by means of a spring E-preferably of a flat bow shape-pressing
on a stud d carried by an arm D rigidly connected with the two arms D, as
shown. On to the arms D carrying the inking roller C is mounted an arm F the
free end of which is bevelled or cam shaped and which comes into contact with a

page_text: finger a carried by the frame A as, the said frame reaches the bottom of its
stroke and so pushes the inking roller C out of contact with the stencil sheet X,
the arms D carrying the said inking roller being locked out of contact with the
said stencil sheet X by means of an automatic catch consisting of a pin or stud f¹
mounted on the upper part of the arm F which engages with a notch on a bell-
cranked lever H when the frame A is at its lowest position, and is automatically
released when the frame A reaches the top of its stroke by means of a stud a³ on
the side of the frame A.
To lock the frame A in its lowest position when not in use, a sliding catch or
bolt a is provided on the top of the frame A which engages with a hole in the side
of the case Y.
The inking roller may be inked either by means of one or more rollers G as
shown by Figures 1, 2 and 5, or by means of a slab G as shown by Figure 4. If
a roller is used it is mounted behind the inking roller C in such a position that
when the roller C is drawn back by hand by means of the bar f joining the two
arms F, F, it comes into contact with the inking roller G, as shown by dot and
dash lines in Figures 1 and 5. The inking roller is held in this position by the
finger, on the arm F, engaging with a notch or tooth ' on the lever H. When
the inking rollers are in contact with each other the roller G is turned by hand by
means of a key or handle adapted to engage with the end of the axle G¹ carrying
the said roller, the said roller having an endways movement controlled by a spring g
for more effectually distributing the ink as shown in Figure 2. If an inking slab G
is used as shown by Figure 4, the inking roller C when locked out of contact with
the stencil sheet comes into contact with the inking slab G, which is removably
fixed to and parallel with the frame A so that the inking roller receives a fresh
charge of ink from the slab G each time the frame A rises.
To remove the frame A from the frame or box Y for the purpose of inserting
or removing the stencil sheet, the arms D, D, are drawn or pushed back through
the medium of a bar f, till the finger f¹ engages with the notch or tooth h' of
the lever H, this movement forces the end of the lever H out of contact with the
stop as on the frame A by reason of the lever H having on its side a wedge
shaped piece which engages with the side of the arm F, the lever H being
controlled in its various movements by a spring I. The frame A can then be
simply drawn out of its guides y, y. The frame A is limited in its upward move-
ment by a pin or stud a adapted to engage with the underside of the finger f' on
the arm F and in its downward movement by a stop u between the guides y, y.
The sheets of paper may be fed into the apparatus by hand from a table such
as Z in front of and slightly above the roller B as shown by Figure 1, but we
prefer to automatically feed the sheets of paper into the apparatus by a feeding
device such as is shown by Figures 4 and 5. Referring to the device illustrated
by Figure 4, the sheets of paper are automatically moved forward by means of a
feeding roller K mounted on a pair of arms L connected to two other arms M
pivotted at m to the frame or box Y, the bottom ends of the arms engaging with
the short slotted arms N of bell-cranked levers pivotted to the frame or box Y
at n, the longer slotted arms N¹ of the said levers engaging with studs carried by
the frame A so that the depression of the frame A brings the feeding roller K
into its most rearward position on the table Z as shown by dotted lines. The
roller K is mounted on the axle K' carrying it, but it is connected with the said
axle by a ratchet and pawl gear so that it can rotate when travelling away from
the stencil sheet frame, but cannot rotate when moving towards the said frame,
thereby dragging the top sheet of paper forward and pushing it down the inclined
portion of the table Z. When the roller K is travelling away from the stencil
sheet frame it rotates freely over the surface of the sheets of paper. When it is
desired to place a further supply of sheets of paper on the table Z, the feeding
roller K with its arms L may be turned back clear of the table.
Referring to the device illustrated by Figure 5, the table Z is pivotted at to
a bracket y carried by the frame or box Y and the feeding roiler K is mounted

page_text: on and connected to an axle K¹ by means of a ratchet and pawl gear as herein-
before described, the axle K' being mounted in bearings in brackets y*, y, carried
by the frame or box Y. The roller K receives its rotary motion from the roller B
through chain gearing consisting of chains o and sprocket wheels o¹. At each end
of the roller K are mounted cams which engage with the edges of the table Z.
and depress the same against the action of a spring such as when in the position.
shown. A comb-shaped stop or guide P is pivotted at p to the frame or box Y
near the end of the table Z so as to prevent the sheets of paper from passing
down to the receiving roller B until the proper time, vis, when the frame A is in
its highest position at which time the comb-shaped stop P is raised by means of
a cam-shaped projection on the end of the receiving roller B engaging with it
as shown.
In use the sheets of paper are fed between the receiving roller B and the face-
of the stencil sheet X during the upward movement of the stencil sheet frame A
either automatically or by hand. The frame A is then pressed down by the hand
of the operator which presses the sheet of paper against the face of the stencil X,.
through the medium. of the roller B on its front side, the ink being squeezed
through the stencil by the inking roller C on to its back side and so producing an
impression, the sheet of paper automatically falling clear of the stencil sheet X
when the frame A reaches the bottom of its stroke. The operator then releases.
the pressure of his hand on the frame A which rises by the action of the spring b.
Another sheet of paper is then fed into contact with the stencil sheet X, and the
frame A again pressed downward, and so on continuously until the desired number
of copies have been obtained.
We wish it to be particularly understood that we do not limit ourselves to the
precise details of construction herein before described and illustrated by the
accompanying drawings, but that we hold ourselves at liberty to make such changes.
and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. An apparatus for printing from stencil sheets, as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. An apparatus for printing from stencil sheets consisting essentially of a
reciprocating frame adapted to carry the stencil sheet, of a receiving roller to
guide the sheets of paper against the face of the stencil sheet, of an inking roller
to act on the stencil sheet, as set forth.
3. An apparatus for printing from stencil sheets, consisting essentially of a
reciprocating frame adapted to carry a stencil sheet, of an inking roller to act on
the stencil sheet, and of an ink distributing roller or slab, as set forth.
4. In an apparatus for printing from stencil sheets, the combination of a
reciprocating stencil sheet frame A, a receiving roller B, an inking roller C, an ink
distribution roller or slab G, and of a table Z to hold the sheets of paper, as set
forth.
5. In an apparatus for printing from stencil sheets, an automatic paper-feeding
device as herein before described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
6. In an apparatus for printing from stencil sheets, an automatic paper-feeding
device as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying
drawings.
7. In an apparatus for priuting from stencil sheets, the combination of a receiving
roller such as B adapted to receive a positive motion from the stencil sheet frame A,
of an inking roller such as C pressed into contact with the stencil sheet X by
means of a spring such as E, and of an inking distributing roller or slab such as G,
as set forth.
8. In an apparatus for printing from stencil sheets, the combination of a receiving

page_text: roller such as B adapted to receive a positive motion from the stencil sheet frame A,
of an inking roller such as C pressed into contact with the stencil sheet X by
means of a spring such as E, of an ink distributing roller or slab G, and of a
paper-feeding device consisting of a roller K capable of rotating in one direction
only, carried by a combination of arms and levers and receiving motion from the
stencil sheet frame A, as set forth.
9. In an apparatus for printing from stencil sheets, the combination of a receiving
roller such as B receiving positive motion from the stencil sheet frame A, of an
inking roller such as C pressed into contact with the stencil sheet X by means of
a spring such as E, of an ink distributing roller or slab G and of a paper-feeding
device consisting of a roller capable of rotating in one direction only and receiving
motion from the receiving roller B, of a pivotted table Z adapted to be depressed
by a cam on the feed roller K, and of a stop or guide P adapted to be raised by
a cam on the receiving roller B, as set forth.
10. In an apparatus for printing from stencil sheets, the combination of a receiving
roller such as B receiving a positive motion from the stencil sheet frame A, and of
an inking roller such as C and its controlling mechanism whereby it is pressed into
contact with the back of the stencil sheet X during the downward movement of
the stencil sheet frame A and drawn back clear of the said stencil sheet during
the upward movement of the stencil sheet frame, as and for the purpose set forth.
11. The improved apparatus for printing from stencil sheets, substantially as
herein before described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 Sheet No. 1 of the
accompanying drawings.
12. The improved apparatus for printing from stencil sheets, substantially as
herein before described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.
13. The improved apparatus for printing from stencil sheets, substantially as
herein before described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of Santambor 1001
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.