Improved Device for Holding Rolls of Paper, Tearing same into Lengths, Printing thereon, and also for Holding String or Twine and Severing same.
Year: 1888

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Device for Holding Rolls of Paper, Tearing same into
Lengths, Printing thereon, and also for Holding String or Twine
and Severing same.
I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, which
has been communicated to me from abroad by the Merchants Roll Paper Printer
and Cutter Company (Incorporated), of Louisville, Kentucky, United States of
America, 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 this invention is to provide a holder or reel, for wrapping and other
paper, that shall combine devices for revolubly mounting one or more rolls of paper,
for neatly tearing off any desired length from either roll, for printing automatically
a business card, or the like, upon each piece torn off, and for holding and cutting
twine to he used in securing the wrapping paper upon packages.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 shows the apparatus in plan.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the lower portion of the apparatus.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the printing roller.
A A are standards, to each of which is rigidly secured an inclined shelf B, that
thus unites them. B₁ is a second shelf, parallel to the first, secured to the standards A¹
with its front edge in the plane of the lower ends of all, so that with them it forms
a broad base for the support of the working parts of the device. Rolls CC of paper
are revolubly supported between the standards A A A¹ A' and a little above the
shelves B, B', respectively.
When ready for use the free ends D of the paper from the several rolls pass beneath
vertically adjustable bars E E upon the shelves, respectively, and the revolution of
the rolls by inertia, after the revolving force due to drawing the free end of the paper
forward ceases to act, is prevented by light springs F, which, whether the roll is
large or small, press gently upon its surface. The bars E may be toothed or serrate
to facilitate tearing the paper, but as this is, for most papers, unnecessary, they are
not so shown. They are retained in place by passing their perforated ends over
bolts fixed in the shelves B B, and screwing the wing-nuts down upon them.
Springs G, beneath these ends, react against the wing-nuts, and thus the bars may

page_text: be adjusted to various kinds of paper. Now when the paper is drawn forward
beneath the bar E a sudden, oblique, upward movement of the hand is sufficient to
tear it neatly along the front edge of the bar The end is caused to project again by
slightly rotating the roller, by applying the hand just in the rear of the bar E, or in
the case of the lower roller, by means yet to be described.
A box K, open upon its lower and rear sides, is hinged at its front edge to the
shelf B¹, and within it is revolubly mounted a printing roller, L, tangent to the paper
passing from the lower roll along the surface of the shelf. Beneath the paper at the
line of tangency is an auxiliary plain roller M, which, like the printing roll, is rotated
only by the friction of the passing paper. The surface of the printing roll bears in
relief the matter to be imprinted upon the paper, and above and in contact with it
are two inking rolls, N, N, mounted on removable blocks, O, secured in the box by
any suitable means. In inverting or removing the lower roll, the box K is swung
back, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, when the roll may be readily passed into or
out of position, its end gudgeons passing along suitable slots, P, (Fig. 3,) in the
inner face of the standards, A. When thus thrown back the inking rollers may also
be readily withdrawn, with their blocks, O. The roller shaft, J, bears upon its end
a milled head, I, which affords a convenient means for rotating the shaft, and thus
advancing the paper.
The upper rolls are placed in position in the same manner as the lower one, and
require no further description.
To render the apparatus complete for use upon the counter or elsewhere, the
standard, A, bears a support, Q, for a ball or spool, R, of twine, a guide, S, for the
twine, and a blade, T, which forms an acute angle with its edge and serves to sever
the twine when necessary.
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 paper reel the combination with standards, A, adapted to receive paper rolls
of different widths, of shelves, B, B', uniting said standards and approximately
parallel to a plane tangent to the lower side of said rolls, and vertically adjustable
tearing bars fixed upon the upper surfaces of said shelves, respectively; whereby
paper from said rolls passing along the surfaces of the shelves and beneath the bars
may be drawn forward to any desired extent and then be torn off along the edge
of the bar.
2. In a paper reel, the combination with a paper roll revolubly mounted in suitable
supports, of a support for the paper when unrolled, a suitably mounted printing roller
approximately tangent to said support, and adapted to be revolved by the paper
passing between it and said support and to imprint designs upon said paper, and
inking rollers revolubly mounted in contact with said printing roller.
3. The combination with a paper roll, C¹, mounted in supports provided with
grooves, P, of the shelf, B', for supporting the unrolled paper, the open box, K,
hinging to said shelf and containing the revolubly mounted printing roller, L, and
ink-pad rollers, N, the auxiliary roller, M, and the tearing bar, E, mounted upon
said shelf between springs, G, and wing-nuts, H, substantially as set forth.
4. In a paper reel, the combination with a paper roll mounted upon a rotary axis
and a support for the paper coming from said roll, of a swinging printing roller
adapted to rest upon the paper passing over said support, to be rotated by the move-
ment of the paper, and to be swung out of contact with the paper when desired.
Dated this 21st day of August 1888
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.