IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COPYING LETTERS
Year: 1885

page_text: We HERBERT CHURCHILL CAPEL of No 34 Arminger Road Shepherds Bush W:
and WILLIAM GASKILL of Newlands New Wandsworth in the County of Surrey
Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR COPYING LETTERS to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object improvements in the construction of apparatus
for Copying Letters to reduce the time and labor required by apparatus now in
general use.
For this purpose we connect by suitable means the top and bottom pressure
plates or pieces between which the letter book is pressed, when it is desired to
take a copy of a letter, in such a manner to a foot lever or levers below, that
when the said lever or levers are depressed, the said pressure plates or pieces are
brought nearer together, and power applied to produce the desired copy.
Our improved apparatus is conveniently arranged on a small wooden frame,
supported on four legs, two of which are connected near the ground by a bolt
passing through them, the said bolt forming fulcrums of two levers which are
connected together at their front ends by a foot board. At a point near the other
end of each of these levers rods or bars are connected, which passing up freely and
directly through the said small wooden frame, and the bottom pressure plate, or
top table of frame, are also connected rigidly to the top pressure plate, which is
kept in its highest position by springs, or counter-balance weights, thus when the
lever is depressed by the foot, the top pressure plate is drawn down on to copying
book, previously placed on bottom pressure plate, and when the foot is removed
from lever the reaction of the said springs or counter-balance weights causes the
top pressure plate to instantly rise to its heighest position, so that the copying
book is readily withdrawn.
We sometimes make the top pressure plate a fixture, and raise the bottom
pressure plate by the action of the foot lever, in this case the springs or counter-
balance weights, are unnecessary, as the weight of the lower or movable pressure
plate is sufficient to bring it back to its lowest position, after the foot is removed
from the lever.

page_text: We HERBERT CHURCHILL CAPEL, and WILLIAM GASKILL, Newlands, Harbut
Road, New Wandsworth, London, 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:-
The object of our invention is to provide a copying press which can be operated
more rapidly and with less labour than the copying presses heretofore constructed.
An essential feature of our said invention is the arrangement of the movable
platen to be operated by foot power, instead of by hand power as heretofore. Our
said invention, moreover comprises various improvements hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a press constructed according to our invention.
Figure 2 is a vertical central section of the same, and,
Figure 3 is a vertical central section illustrating a modification of our invention.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the Figures
a is the frame of the press, 6 the fixed platen, and c the movable platen.
d is a treadle which is preferably composed of two side levers d³, d, united by:
a front cross-bar d'; and which is pivotted upon a rod e fixed in the frame a.
In the modification of our invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, this treadle is
connected directly with the movable platen c, by means of the rods. or bars f, f;
arranged in an approximately vertical position. These rods extend upward
through slots g, g in the fixed platen b, which slots serve to maintain the said
rods in a vertical position. The rods or bars f, f are connected at their lower ends
to the levers d d by the 'rod: h, upon which they are pivotted. The movable
platen c is provided with. trunnions or the like which fit into holes in the upper
ends of the rods or bars ff.
To the bar h is attached one end of a spiral spring i, the other end of which is
attached to the underside of the fixed platen b. This spring normally holds the
treadle in a raised position, so that it is always. ready to be depressed by the foot.
A stop k, provided with an india-rubber collar, is attached to the frame a to avoid
shocks and noise in the operation of the press; and to prevent the treadle from
being moved too far upward by the spring i.
The front cross-bar of the treadle is preferably roughened to afford a firm foot-
hold thereon.
The operation of the press hereinbefore described is as follows, that is to say; the
copying book, with the letter to be copied, is placed on the fixed platen 6; pressure
is then applied to the treadle d by means of the foot, whereby the rods ƒ ƒ and the
platen care moved downwardly, and the book is forcibly pressed between the
platens. As soon as the pressure is removed from the treadle, the spring i raises
the said treadle d and the platen c, so that the book can be removed.

page_text: Instead of using the spring i for raising the treadle and movable platen, we
sometimes employ a counterweight attached to an extension of the treadle behind
its fulcrum, or attached to one end of a cord passing over a pulley secured to the
underside of the platen b, which cord is attached, at its other end, to the bar h.
If it is desired to continue the pressure for a considerable time we provide the
treadle with any suitable means for holding it in its lower position, thereby
avoiding the necessity for retaining the foot thereon.
Instead of making the upper platen movable, it may be fixed, and the lower
platen be caused to move upwardly towards it. In this case, however, the treadle,
instead of being a lever of the second order, as shown, must be a lever of the first
order, the rods ff being attached to the treadle behind its fulcrum.
By our invention we are enabled to conveniently and advantageously combine
with the press a book-rack at the sides of, and above, the platens, and a desk in
front thereof, as the space around and above the said platens is unobstructed by
the screw and its supports usually employed in copying presses operated by hand.
We prefer to arrange a book-rack 1, drawers m and desk or table n in com-
bination with the press, as shown in the drawing; this arrangement, however, is
not essential and may be dispensed with or varied according to requirements.
A water-tank and brush o are also attached to the apparatus in any suitable
manner.
It is obvious that we can provide other means than those above described for
operating the movable platen by foot-power. In the modification shown in
Figure 3 we use cams p, one on each side of the press. These cams are arranged
beneath the fixed platen 6 upon the rods ff which carry the movable platen at
their upper ends, and which fit, at their lower ends, between guides q. One
extremity p of each cam p is connected by a rod f¹ to the treadle, the other
extremity p³ of each cam bearing upon a pin r fixed in the frame a.
The spring i is attached at its lower end to the treadle and at its upper end to
the underside of the platen, as herein before described. This spring serves to
retain the treadle in its raised position.
The operation of this press is as follows:-By depressing the treadle, the rods f¹,
the cams p, and the rods f are drawn down, until the platen c rests upon the
copying book.
During this downward movement the only movement of the parts
relatively to each other is a slight rotation of the cams upon their axes, by reason
of the contact of their extremities p' with the pins r. As soon, however, as the
platen c bears upon the book, its downward movement is arrested; the continued
downward movement of the treadle then causes the rotation of the cams upon their
axes, the working surface of the said cams being caused to bear against the under-
side of the platen 6, thereby causing a downward pressure upon the cam-pivots and
a consequent tension upon the bars f, f. The platen c is thus caused to bear
forcibly upon the book. As soon as the treadle is released, the spring i causes the
return movement of all the parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained, the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is;
First. A copying press in which the movable platen is operated by a treadle, for
the purpose specified.
Second. In a copying press, the combination of a fixed platen, a movable platen,
a treadle connected therewith by side levers, and means for effecting the return
movement of the parts, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
r
Third. The modification of our invention wherein we combine with the press a
book-rack and desk, substantially as set forth.

page_text: (
Fourth. The modification of our invention wherein the upper platen is fixed
and the lower platen movable, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The improved press consisting of the parts constructed, and combined
substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or to Figure 3 of the
accompanying drawing, and operating as and for the purpose, specified.