Improvements in Machines for Printing Copies from a Stencil Sheet, commonly known as a Mimeograph Machine.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1897-Accepted, 28th May, 1898
Improvements in Machines for Printing Copies from a Stencil Sheet,
commonly known as a Mimeograph Machine.
I, LESLIE IRVING COGGINS, of 214, Pine Street, San Francisco, California, United
States of America, 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 my invention is to provide an improvement in machines for print-
ing copies from a stencil sheet commonly known as a mimeograph machine, by
which the sheets to be printed upon can be placed in a pile below the stencil sheet
and automatically fed upward as fast as each top sheet is printed upon and removed
from the pile.
It consists in providing a box or well for containing the paper in a pile and
in supplying the box with an independent bottom for the pile of papers to rest
upon and a feeding mechanism either to raise the said bottom the thickness of
a sheet of paper at each operation, or to lower or depress the sides of the box
in said ratio so that the uppermost sheet of the pile is always in proper position
to be printed upon through the stencil sheet.
In the drawings:
-
Fig. 1, is a perspective view of my improved mimeograph, part of the side
being broken away to show the inclines that raise the movable_bottom;
Fig. 2, is a horizontal section taken on the dotted lines X-X of Fig. 3, the
movable bottom being removed;
Fig. 3, is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the dotted line y-y of Fig. 2,
and
Fig. 4, is a view of the plunger, pawl and ratchet.
For the purposes of description, with reference to the drawings, I will let the
letter A, designate the paper holding well. This has a permanent and a movable
bottom A, on which the paper rests. This latter bottom is provided with the
double incline cleats A³, A2. The cleats A2, A3, rest on the double wedges B,
which have the inclined surfaces or edges B1, B2. These are connected by the
cross brace B³, on which is mounted the internally threaded plate E³, to receive
the screw E, by which the wedges B, are advanced and receded
The well A, is provided with the front partition, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4
of drawings, which is provided with slots or openings through which the forward
ends of the wedges extend when drawn forward. The screw E, is extended through
this front partition and is provided on the end with the ratchet E, upon which
operates the pawl F. The pawl is spring actuated, and pivotally connected to
the plunger G. This plunger is provided with a spiral spring to maintain it
in a raised position. The plunger is mounted in guide slots in the turned ends
of the plate G³, and is provided with the head G₁, which is raised by the spiral

page_text: spring to strike under the stencil frame C³, to be depressed by it when lowered
for printing.
The stencil frame C3, is hinged to the frame C, which is mounted on the
base C. The base C, is designed to hold the wall A³, which it does by means of
the lugs A5, which are extended from the well over the projections C¹, of the base
and to which it is secured by the screws Aº. The ratchet and pawl are con-
cealed by the hinged door D, in the top of which is cut a slot to pass the head G¹
of the plunger.
In its operation the well is loaded by lowering the door D, throwing off the
pawl F, from the ratchet, E, and reversing it to wind the screw to recede the
wedges B, to their full extent. This recedes the inclined edges B and B³, and
allows the cleats A2, to fall with the bottom A¹. The paper to be printed on
is now laid in the well until the top sheet rests under the retaining lugs A5,
which prevents the top sheet rising with the stencil frame.
When the paper is now laid in the well, as described, the stencil frame C³,
carrying the usual mimeograph stencil sheet, is lowered until the stencil rests
on the sheet. As it is lowered the frame strikes on the head, G³, of the plunger
and depresses it. This plunger carries the pawl F, down and rotates the ratchet E,
sufficient to rotate the screw E, to draw the cross brace B³, and wedges B, forward
to raise the bottom, A', the thickness of the sheet of paper.
P, P, are guide rods arranged on each side of the box above the well, and
adapted to serve as guides for the printing roller and to keep the material quite
flat so that an even pressure will be exerted by it when the roller passes over
the stencil sheet. The said guide rods P, Pi, are provided with clamping
heads in which holes are made so that they may be adjustably moved along
the rods or wires 2273 and clamped in any desired position by the screws p
A central guide rod P having but one clamping head is capable of being moved
along the rod P as shown. These guide rods are preferably hinged at one end of
the box (not shown on the drawings) so that they can be thrown upward, but
they may be made stationary and placed far enough outside the well to be out
of the way.
When the print has been made, the stencil frame is raised, releasing the plunger
and allowing the pawl to run back on the ratchet the required distance to repeat
the operation above described when the printed sheet has been removed and the
stencil frame is again lowered. It is quite apparent that the sides of the box may be
arranged to drop the thickness of a sheet at each impression instead of raising the
bottom. This adaptation can readily be supplied by any ordinary mechanic.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
:-
1. In a mimeograph, the combination of a well for holding paper in sheets,
with a movable bottom for said well, a stencil frame to fall over said well and
raising and lowering mechanism for said movable bottom adapted to be operated
by the said stencil frame, substantially as described.
2. In a mimeograph, the combination of a well for holding paper in sheets,
with a movable bottom for said well, a stencil frame to fall over said well, a screw
extended into said well, and adapted to be rotated by the said frame, and inter-
mediate connections between the said bottom and screw to raise the said bottom
as the said screw is rotated, substantially as described.
3. In a mimeograph machine, guide rods P, P, arranged on each side of the well,
and adapted to guide the printing roller with a uniform pressure, substantially
as described.
4. In a mimeograph, the combination of a well for holding paper in sheets,
with a movable bottom having inclined surfaces secured to the under side, a
wedge shaped movable frame to receive the said movable bottom, a screw engaging
the said wedge shaped frame and provided with a ratchet, and a plunger extended

page_text: into the path of the said stencil frame and provided with a pawl to engage the
said ratchet to operate the said screw, substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of October 1897.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Patent Agents.