IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PRINTING AND MAKING LABELS, TAGS, AND SIMILAR A
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Arnold Briggs, of Providence, Rhode Island,
one of the United States of America, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR PRINTING AND MAKING LABELS, TAGS, AND SIMILAR
A
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Arnold Briggs at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th January 1882.
THOMAS ARNOLD BRIGGS, of Providence Rhode Island one of the United
States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PRINTING AND MAKING
LABELS, TAGS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES."
This Invention has reference to improvements in machines for making, printing
or embossing labels, tags or other analogous articles from a sheet of paper, or
other suitable material automatically supplied to the machine, and completing the
same whether printed in one or more colors, embossed in part or whole, and supplied
with eyelets, if required, at one continuous operation.
The said Invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction of the machine,
and in the novel combination of the parts, by which one, two, or more, printing,
stamping, or embossing devices are made to operate on a continuous, and automatically
'supplied, sheet of paper or other suitable material, cut up into the desired form by
devices operated automatically, and, if desired, bronzed and eyeleted, so as to deliver
the complete article, and allow of the ready adjustment of the co-operating devices
to ensure accurate work and prevent waste.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a frame or standard on
which the mechanisın is supported; also two printing presses. The sheet of paper
or other material passes from a roll of the same, over a fixed roll placed nearly on
a line with the bed of the machine, thence down under a tension-roll, the shaft of
which rotates in a vertical slot so that the roll inay adjust itself to the tension on
the sheet, and by its weight maintain an even tension on the same. The sheet
now passes upward over another roll and thence horizontally over the platens of
the printing-presses to longitudinal cutters where, by incans of rotary cutters, the
sheet is subdivided longitudinally. There is a cutter-knife by which the sheet is
10.11

page_text: cut transversely, and a packing device by which the cut pieces are deposited in
the packing case.
A bronzing machine is provided which may be located between the two printing
presses, but it is obvious that the same may be located beyond the second printing
press if it is desired to bronze the matter printed by both presses.
The machine is driven from a countershaft on which a pulley is fixed to which a
belt or other means impart rotary motion; a pinion on this shaft gears into a
larger gear-wheel placed on the main driving shaft and imparts rotary motion
thereto, and from this shaft power is transmitted to all the working parts of the
machine, so that all the parts work in their proper relation to each other governed
in their speed by the speed of the driving shaft.
This description refers to the machine as used for printing any kind of matter
on a continuous sheet delivered from a roll which is to be sub-divided into sheets
of less width than the sheet delivered, such as labels, tickets, cards and other articles.
I provide a double rack, each rack operating a pinion; one such double rack is
placed on each end of the machine, and they gear into pinions which connect and
disconnect by means of a clutch with the rolls by which the sheet is moved; on the
receiving end, the feed rolls are so connected, and on the delivery end, the shafts of
the rotary cutters are connected in the same manner. The sheet is thereby held
at the delivery end by the rolls on which the cutters are secured and on the
receiving end by the feed rolls.
The racks are connected by a rod, and this connection is made so that it can be
readily adjusted; reciprocating motion is imparted to the two racks by connecting
the same to a crank on which the length of reciprocation can be regulated.
If a label, ticket, or similar article is to be printed on both sides,
arrange the
machine so as to carry the sheet by means of rolls around the first printing
machine upward, on the feeding side over the printing machine, down on the
opposite side and across the platen of the printing-press where it received the first
impression, thence under the platen to the platen of the second printing-press, so
that the first printing-press prints on the lower side of the sheet, and the second on
the upper side of the same.
When, in one of my improved machines, two or more printing-presses are used,
then the printing-press near the delivery end is permanently secured to the bed
or frame of the machine, and the others are made so that they can be adjusted
relative to their distance one from the other. By thus adjusting the presses and
the length of the sheet delivered, labels and cards varying considerably in length,
can be printed, cut, and packed automatically, and a large amount of work
delivered, far beyond the capacity of printing-presses as heretofore constructed.
The presses
I construct in the following manner:
I place on the main driving-shaft an excentric and connect the same with toggle-
jointed levers one of which pivotted in a bracket and the other on the bed of the
press which is hinged on the lower part of the bracket; a pair of inking-rolls are
held to the face of the type in the bed of the press by means of coiled springs
supported in arms which are pivotally connected with the upper part of the bracket.
The inking table is constructed in the usual manner so as to rotate automatically
and distribute the ink evenly when taken up by the inking rolls, which, as the bed
descends, roll over the type and over the table, being held in contact therewith by
the coiled springs.
The ink-fountain is supported on hinged arms and held against the inking table
by means of a coiled spring placed between two arms at their pivotal connection.
There are two ink-delivery rolls, by which the ink is raised from the fountain
and delivered to the inking table. At each complete motion of the printing press
the ink-delivery roller which is partly immersed in the ink, is rotated by means of
a pawl working into a ratchet placed on the shaft of this roll, the ratchet being
operated by an arm, the end of which is adjustably connected with a rod, and this
rod hinged in a bracket; at each oscillation of the ink-fountain and the arms, the
pawl will push on the ratchet one or more teeth and rotate the inking-roll.

page_text: The longitudinal division of the sheet is accomplished by drawing the sheet
between rolls which firmly hold each side of the sheet, and guiding the sheet by
guides which can be adjusted to the required position by means of set screws;
these guides are made with knife-edge bearings where they touch the paper so as
not to injure the newly printed matter.
The rotary cutters are secured by screw-threaded sleeves or may be secured by
collars so as to be readily adjusted to the different widths of the labels, tickets,
tags or other articles; and these cutters are set in pairs, one passing by the side of
the other, to form shears by which damp paper can be readily cut. The whole
is mounted in a frane in which, by means of set screws acting on coiled springs, a
yielding pressure is exerted and the top roll firmly held against the lower roll and
the intervening sheet.
The packing device consists of a table from the lower side of which a large
number of wire points project, the ends of which bear on the newly printed matter
and press the same gently on the previously deposited sheets; the object of the
wire points being to prevent the blotting of the newly printed matter.
This packing table may be operated in a variety of ways but I prefer to connect
a pawl to the knife and provide the lever by which the table is operated with a
spring latch so that as the knife descends, the pawl will pass by the lever com-
pressing the latch, and in the act of rising will encounter the arm and raise the end,
thereby depressing the packing table and packing the sheets.
The bronzing device differs from the usual devices of this kind and produces
a more even bronzing with less loss It consists of a case in which the bronzing
powder is deposited provided with an opening in which a roll revolves and carries
the bronze powder on the printed sheet which carries the same until it encounters
two rolls which, turning in the direction opposite to the direction of the moving
sheet, lift the bronze-powder from the same and carry it into the case where the
revolving brush-cylinders wipe off the powder and deposit it in the forward part
of the case near the roller to be again used. The rollers are usually made of plush
or some other material suitable for this purpose.
When this improved machine is to be used for the manufacture of card tags,
or similar articles into which metal eyelets are to be inserted, an eyeleting device
is placed on the machine between the last printing-press and the cutters, so that
the printed sheet will be delivered to, and pass under, the eyeleting device in order
that during the interval of rest the eyelets may be inserted.
The device comprises a vertically-reciprocating plunger carrying a punch and
anvil. The plunger is operated by means of an excentr.e placed on the main-shaft
operating a pair of toggle-jointed levers, the eyelets being guided to the anvil by
means of ways extending from the receptacle to the anvil.
The eyelet so delivered is pushed through the material of the sheet and secured
by upsetting the tubular end of the eyelet, by means of a clinching plunger operated
by a cam.
A number of the receptacles, ways, plungers, anvils and clinchers may be arranged
to operate simultaneously and thus eyelets may be secured to a number of sheets,
cards, tags, or similar articles automatically, and before they are delivered from the
machine.
The up-setter or clincher consists of a spring-pressed thorn surrounded by the
clinching cone. The thorn first enters the eyelet, and when the clincher follows
and yields to the pressure, the clincher firmly fixes the eyelet in the material; the
eyelet, tags, or cards are now separated from the sheet by the cutters heretofore
described and packed into bundles for delivery.
This improved machine for printing, cutting, and packing labels, tickets, cards,
tags, and similar articles, enables ine to manufacture these articles at greatly reduced
cust and of superior quality; and the various improvements facilitate the adjustment
of the parts, so that every label, ticket, or other printed article is cut exactly on the
line and presents a neat and finished appearance in all the sheets, which cannot be

page_text: produced by any other method of cutting now practised, except at great cost and
by the employment of skilled labor.
A swinging arm is hinged below the bearing of a toggle-jointed lever, and the
object of thus pivotting the same is to secure a greater traverse of the inking-rolls
and a better distribution of the ink than would otherwise be the case.
The peculiar construction of the shafts carrying the revolving knives, enables me
to adjust these knives so accurately face to face, that the damp paper, however
thin it may be, and when just from the press, will be cut with a clean sharp edge.
The screw-threaded collars can be set up tightly against the knives, and may
be clamped with a set-screw; but if a fine thread is cut on the shaft and the
collar is well set up, they will firmly hold the slitting knives without the uso of
set-screws.
A single printing press may be used in combination with the cutting devices,
and also with or without the eyeleting devices; or two or more printing-presses
using the same collar, and each printing the same matter, may be used and the feed
regulated so as to produce a greater quantity of printed matter, so that one
attendant can turn out two, three or more times the quantity of printed matter
from one machine as compared with what was heretofore possible.
In place of one or all the printing-presses, embossing presses may be used and
embossed work thus produced with all tho advantages incident to the printing
processes herein before described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Arnold Briggs in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th July 1882.
THOMAS ARNOLD BRIGGS, of Providence, Rhode Island, one of the United States of
America, "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PRINTING AND MAKING LABELS,
TAGS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES."
My Invention has reference to improvements in machines for making, printing
or embossing labels, tags, or other analogous articles, from a sheet of paper or other
suitable material, automatically supplied to the machine, and completing the same;
whether printed in one or more colors, embossed in part or whole, and supplied
with eyelets if required, at one continuous operation. The Invention consists in
the peculiar and novel construction of the machines and in the novel combination
of the parts, by which one, two, or more, printing, stamping, or embossing devices
are made to operate on a continuous and automatically supplied sheet of paper or
other suitable material, cut up into the desired form by devices operated auto-
matically, and if desired, bronzed and eyeleted, so as to deliver the complete article,
and allow of the ready adjustment of the co-operating devices to ensure accurate
work and prevent waste. Referring now to the Drawings, Figure 1, is a front view
of my improved machine for manufacturing labels, tags, and other articles from a
sheet of material which is to be subdivided into smaller sheets, each having letters,
figures or designs printed on it; showing the roll of material, the intermittent
feeding device, the printing, bronzing, and cutting devices. Figure 2, is an end
view of the same machine, the balance-wheel and part of the gear-wheel being
removed, so as to show the construction of the printing mechanism inore clearly.
Figure 3, is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, through the centre of the
printing-press, showing the means for operating the same, and also the inking
device. Figure 4, is a sectional view of the ink-fountain, Figure 5, is a sectional
view of the device for delivering bronze powder to the printed sheet. Figure 6, is
a sectional view of the adjusting mechanism by which the delivery of the printed
sheet to the cutters is adjusted. Figure 7, is an enlarged view of the device by
which the sheet is reversed after one side has been printed, so that the opposite
side may also be printed, showing the sheet passing around one printing machine
to have one side printed upon, and thence to another printing machine to print the
opposite side. Figure 8, is an enlarged view of the intermittent feed mechanism
by which the sheet is delivered automatically whilst the press is off the sheet, and
at rest when the sheet is being printed or embossed, showing the double rack at
one end and the driving mechanism at the opposite end.
Figure 9, is a sectional view of the double clutch by which the double rack
shown in Figure 8, is operated upon, so as to impart reciprocating motion to the
rack and intermittent motion to the sheet to be operated upon. Figure 10, is a
view of the clutch showing three cams and three balls which come in contact with
the rim when turned in one direction and are free to roll near the abutment when
turning in the opposite direction. Two sets of such cams and balls are used in the
same clutch, but placed in opposite directions, each set operating a gear-wheel
which engages with one of the rack-bars of the double rack shown in Figure 8.
Figure 11, is a view, partly in section, of the rotary cutters by which the sheet is
subdivided longitudinally, showing the manner of adjusting the same, and the
guides by which the sub-divided sheet is held in place. Figure 12, is an end view
of part of the machine showing the means employed to pack the tags or labels
when they are cut off from the sheet and press them on the sheets already

page_text: delivered; as this device is operated by the knife cutting the sheet cross-wise, a
counter mechanism, such as is well known. in the art, may be applied to register
the number cut and packed. Figure 13, is a sectional view showing the rotary
cutters, the cross-cutting knives, and their relation to the packing device; it also
shows the manner in which the adjustable guides are secured to the frame.
Figure 14, is a front view of the eyeleting device by which the strips of paper or
other material, are provided with a metal eyelet. Figure 15, is a side view of the
same partly in section, showing the means for operating the eyeleting devices.
Figure 16, is an enlarged view, showing the punch in the act of punching a hole
into the tag. Figure 17, is an enlarged sectional view of the upsetting or
clinching device by which the eyelet is secured to the tag. Figure 18, is a
plan or top view showing the relative positions of the punching and clinching
devices, and the discharging apparatus. Figure 19, is a view, partly in section,
showing the receptacle for the eyelets and the delivery device, by which the
same are supplied to the clinching device. Figure 20, is a plan or top view
of the eyelet receptacle, and the way or guide by means of which the eyelets
are delivered to the clinching device. Similar letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in all the Figures. In the Drawings A, is the frame or
standard on which the mechanism is supported. B. B. are two printing presses.
C, is a roll of paper or other suitable material on which the labels, tags, tickets or
other similar articles are printed. d is the sheet passing from the roll C, over a
fixed roll placed nearly on a line with the bed of the machine, thence down under
a tension roll, the shaft of which rotates in a vertical slot so that the roll may
adjust itself to the tension on the sheet and by its weight maintain an even tension
on the same. The sheet now passes upward over another roll and thence hori-
zontally over the plattens of the printing-presses, to the longitudinal cutters D.
where, by means of rotary cutters, the sheet is sub-divided longitudinally. E, is
the cutter knife by which the sheet is cut transversely, and F, the packing device
by which the cut pieces are deposited in the packing case. G, is the bronzing
machine, which in Figure 1, is shown located between the two printing presses,
but it is obvious that the same may be located beyond the second printing press
if it is desired to bronze the matter printed by both presses. The machine is
driven from the countershaft K on which a pulley is fixed, to which a belt or other
means imparts rotary motion; a pinion on this shaft gears into a larger gear-wheel
placed on the main driving shaft K, and imparts rotary motion thereto, and from
this shaft power is transmitted to all the working parts of the machine, so that all
the parts work in their proper relation to each other, governed in their speed by
the speed of the driving shaft K. This description refers to the machine when
used for printing any kind of matter on a continuous sheet delivered from a roll
which is to be subdivided into sheets of less width than the sheet delivered, such as
labels, tickets, cards and other articles. Before describing the details of construc-
tion, I will now describe the operation. L, is a double rack, each rack operating a
pinion; one such double rack is placed on each end of the machine, and they gear
into pinions which connect and disconnect, by means of a clutch, with the rolls by
which the sheet is moved; on the receiving end, the feed rolls, L, L, are so connected
and on the delivery end the shafts of the rotary cutters are connected in the same
manner. The sheet is thereby held at the delivery end by the rolls on which tho
cutters are secured, and on the receiving end by the rolls 1, l. The racks L, L, are
connected by a rod, and this connection is made so that it can be readily adjusted;
reciprocating motion is imparted to the two racks by connecting the same to a
Crank on which the length of reciprocation can be regulated. Power being now
applied to this machine, as shown in Figures 1, and 2, a length of the sheet d, equal
to the length of the reciprocation of the racks L, L, is delivered; the first printing
press now makes one impression whilst the racks L, L, are returning to the first
position, the clutch having released the feeding rolls, and whilst the first printing
press rises the second descends and also makes an impression, thus completing one
revolution of the main driving shaft. The process now repeats itself the sheet is
n

page_text: moved forward and the printed matter brought under the bronzing machine (if it
is desired to bronze the same) and a clean sheet is delivered to the two printing
presses; the second press filling in the blank space left by the first when only one
color is to be used in printing; or when two colors are to be used, the second will
print the second color on the same space printed on by the first; the length of
the sheet supplied, depending on the length of the reciprocation of the racks
L, L, which can be adjusted with great nicety, so that any desired length of
the sheet will be delivered automatically to the printing presses. The printed
sheet is now passed between the rolls D on which the rotary cutters are secured
so that they can be adjusted readily to cut the sheet longitudinally into as
many strips as the size of the labels, tickets, or other articles require; and these
strips now pass forward and are cut off by the knife E, placed at right angles to the
path of the sheet, and as this cross-cutting knife is operated in connection with the
reciprocating racks L, L, the length cut off can be accurately adjusted by adjusting
the length of the sheet fed at each reciprocation of the racks. The cut off labels,
tickets, or other similar articles are now delivered by the packing device into a
proper receptacle. If a label, ticket, or other similar article is to be printed on
both sides, I arrange the machine as is shewn in Figure 7, and carry the sheet d, by
means of rolls as shown, around the first printing machine B, as is shown by the
arrows in this figure, upward, on the feeding side over the printing machine, down
on the opposite side and across the platen b, of the printing press where it received
the first impression, thence under the platen b, of the second printing press, as
indicated by the arrows, so that the first printing press prints on the lower side of
the sheet, and the second on the upper side of the same; the rolls by which the
paper is thus guided are marked 3, in the Drawings. When in one of my improved
machines, two or more printing presses are used, then the printing-press near the
delivery end is permanently secured to the bed or frame of the machine, and the
others are made so that they can be adjusted relative to their distance one from the
other. By thus adjusting the presses and the length of the sheet delivered, label<
and other cards varying considerably in length, can be printed, cut, and packed
automatically, and a large amount of work delivered, far beyond the capacity of
printing presses as heretofore constructed. The presses I construct and operate in
the following manner:-I place on the main driving-shaft K, the eccentric K', and
connect the same with the toggle-jointed levers K², K2, one of which is pivoted in
the bracket A', and the other on the bed K³, of the press; the bed of the press is
hinged on the lower part of the bracket A¹. KK are a pair of inking rolls held
to the face of the type in the bed of the press, by means of coiled springs supported
in the arms K³, which are pivotally connected with the upper part of the
bracket AM is the inking table constructed in the usual manner so as to rotate
automatically and distribute the ink evenly when taken up by the inking rolls K'
which, as the bed descends, roll over the type and over the table, being held in
contact therewith by the coiled springs. N, is the ink-fountain supported on the
hinged arins o, o, and held against the inking table M, by means of a coiled spring
placed between the two arms o, o, at their pivotal connection. n, n, are two ink-
delivery rolls, by which the ink is raised from the fountain and delivered to the
inking table M. At each complete motion of the printing press, the ink-delivery-
roller N which is partly immersed in the ink, is rotated by means of a pawl
working into a ratchet placed on the shaft of this roll, the ratchet being operated
by the arin o, the end of which is adjustably connected with the rod o³, and this
rod is hinged in the bracket o'; at each oscillation of the ink fountain and the
arms o, the pawl will push on the ratchet one or more teeth and rotate the inking-
roll. The longitudinal division of the sheet is accomplished by drawing the sheet
between the rolls d², d, which firmly hold each side of the sheet, and guiding the
sheet by the adjustable guides d', d', which can be adjusted to the required position
by means of set-screws; these guides are inade with knife-edge bearings where
they touch the paper, so as not to injure the newly printed matter. The rotary
cutters d³, d³, are secured by screw-threaded sleeves, or may be secured by collars, so

page_text: as to be readily adjusted to the different widths of the labels, tickets, tags or other
articles; and these cutters are set in pairs, one passing by the side of the other to
form shears by which damp paper can be readily cut. The whole is mounted in a
frame in which, by means of set-screws acting on coiled springs, a yielding pressure is
exerted and the top roll firmly held against the lower roll and the intervening sheet.
The packing device consists of the tablo F, from the lower side of which, a large number
of wire points project, the ends of which bear on the newly printed matter, and press
the same gently on the previously deposited sheets; the object of the wire points being,
to prevent the blotting newly printed matter. This packing table may be operated in
a variety of ways, but I prefer to connect the pawl e, to the knife E, and provide the
lever by which the table F, is operated, with the spring latch el, so that as the knifo
descends, the pawl e, will pass by the lever, compressing the latch e¹, and in the act of
rising will encounter the arm and raise the end, thereby depressing the packing
table F, and packing the sheets. The bronzing device differs from the usual devices
of this kind and produces a more even bronzing with less loss. It consists of a
case in which the bronzing powder is deposited, provided with an opening in which
the roll g, revolves and carries the bronze powder on the printed sheet d, which
carries the same until it encounters the two rolls g¹, g', which, turning in the
direction opposite to the direction of the moving sheet, lift the bronze powder off
from the same, and carry the bronze powder into the case where the revolving
brush cylinders wipe off the powder and deposit it in the forward part of the case
near the roller g, to be again used. The rollers g, and g¹, are usually made of plush
or some other material suitable for this purpose. When this improved machine is
to be used for the manufacture of cards, tags, or similar articles, into which metal
eyelets are to be inserted, the eyeleting device shown in Figure 14, is placed on
the machine between the last printing press and the cutters, so that the printed
sheet will be delivered to, and pass under the eyeleting device, so that during the
interval of rest, the eyelets may be inserted. This device consists of the vertically
reciprocating plunger p, carrying the punch q, and anvil r. The plunger is operated
by means of an eccentric placed on the main shaft K, operating a pair of toggle-
jointed levers, as is shown in Figure 15, the eyelets being guided to the anvil r, by
means of ways, r¹, extending from the receptacle, to the anvil. A section of these
ways, is shown in Figure 20. The eyelet so delivered is pushed through the
material of the sheet, and secured by upsetting the tubular end of the eyelet, by
means of the clinching plunger, operated by the cam³. A number of the
receptacles,ways r', plungers, anvils and clinchers, may be arranged to operate
simultaneously, and thus eyelets may be secured to a number of sheets, cards, tags,
or similar articles automatically, and before they are delivered from the machine.
The upsetter or clincher 24, is shown more clearly in Figure 17, in section; it consists
of a spring-pressed thorn, surrounded by the clinching-cone. The thorn first enters
the eyelet, and when the clincher follows and yields to the pressure, the clincher
firmly fixes the eyelet in the material. The eyeleted tags or cards are now
separated from the sheet by the cutter hereinbefore described, and packed into
bundles for delivery. The improved machine for printing, cutting, and packing
labels, tickets, cards, and other similar articles, enables me to manufacture these
articles at greatly reduced cost and of superior quality; and the various improvements
facilitate the adjustment of the parts, so that every label, ticket, or other printed
article is cut exactly on the line, and presents a neat and finished appearance in all
the sheets, which cannot be produced by any other method of cutting now practised,
except at great cost and by the employment of skilled labor. In referring to
Figures 2 and 3, it will be observed that the swinging arm K³, is hinged below the
bearing of the toggle-jointed lever K2, the object of thus pivoting the same, is to
secure a greater traverse of the inking-rolls, and a better distribution of the ink.
The peculiar construction of the shafts carrying the revolving knives d³, d³, enables
me to adjust these knives so accurately face to face, that the damp paper, no matter
how thin, and just from the press, will be cut with a clean, sharp edge. The
screw-threaded collars can be set up tightly against the knives, and may be

page_text: clamped with a set screw; but if a fine thread is cut on the shaft and the collar is
well set up, they will firmly hold the slitting knives without the use of set-screws.
A single printing press may be used in combination with the cutting devices, and
also with or without the eyeleting devices; or, two or more printing-presses using
the same collar, and each printing the same matter, may be used and the feed
regulated so as to produce a greater quantity of printed matter, so that one
attendant can turn out two, three, or more times the quantity of printed matter
from one machine, than was heretofore possible. In place of one, or all the
printing-presses, embossing presses may be used, and embossed work thus produced
with all the advantages incident to the printing processes hereinbeforo described.
Having thus described my Invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by
Letters Patent,
First: In a machine for printing labels and other articles, the combination with
one or more flat printing presses, of a sheet delivered from a roll and moved
through the machine, with periods of rest, by means of an adjustable, double rack,
engaging with feed rolls at, or near, both ends of the machine as described.
Second: The combination with the feed mechanism, consisting of two recipro-
cating racks and pinions connected by clutches to the feed rolls, of one or more
printing presses, a set of rotary slitting knives, and one or more cross-cutting
knives, the whole constructed to print matter on an intermittently supplied sheet,
and separate the same into smaller sheets as described.
:
Third One or more printing machines in combination with a nearly continuous
feed, receiving the paper uniformly, and with an intermittent feed, and with
provisions for taking up the slack, and with an adjusting device connected to the
mechanism, so that the length of the sheet supplied, and the speed, can be
regulated as described.
Fourth In a machine for making labels, tickets, and other printed articles from
a sheet supplied automatically, the combination with one fixed printing machine,
of one, two, or more, printing machines, arranged to bo adjustably connected with
the bed of the machine, so that the distance between the same can be adjusted as
described.
Fifth The combination with a machine for printing labels, cards, or other
matter on an automatically supplied sheet, of a cutting device, consisting of two
shafts provided with discs, between which the sheet is held, and screw-threaded
sleeves, by which the rotary knives are secured, so that the same may be accurately
adjusted as described.
:
Sixth The combination with a cutting device consisting of two shafts, on which
rotary cutters are mounted, of the guides d', constructed to support and guide the
sheets between the cutters as described.
Seventh: In a machine for making cards, tags, or similar articles, provided with
metallic eyelets, the combination with the main driving shaft, of eccentrics secured
to the shaft, and constructed to operate the bed or beds of the presses, and the
eyeleting device directly as described.
Eighth The bronzing mechanism consisting of a case or receptacle for the
bronze powder, a roll constructed to deliver the bronze to the automatically
supplied sheet, and one or more rolls turning in the direction opposite to the
moving sheet, arranged to wipe off the surplus powder and raise it into the
receptacle where it is removed by means of revolving brushes as described.
Ninth The combination, as herein set forth, of the following instrumentalities ;
one, two, or more, printing machines constructed to print from flat beds of type or
electrotype on a sheet automatically and intermittently supplied, a set of rotary
cutters arranged to cut the sheet longitudinally, and draw the sheet through the
cutters; a knife arranged to cut the longitudinally separated sheets into rectangular
sheets, and a feeding mechanism consisting of two racks connected together and to
a crank, by which they are made to reciprocate horizontally, and two sets of rolls
connected with the two racks by pinions and clutches constructed to move the sheet
intermittently with periods of rest as described.

page_text: Tenth In combination with the above instrumentalitics, the bronzing device
herein shown and described, constructed to bronze the newly printed matter
automatically as described.
Eleventh The combination with two printing presses and an automatically and
intermittently moving sheet, of the rollers 62, b, arranged to carry the sheet around
one of the printing presses and over the platen so as to print one side, and thence
under the same and to the next printing press, to print the other side of the same
sheet, or vice versa as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Arnold Briggs, have hereunto get
my hand and seal, this 28th day of February, in the year of our Lord 1882.
THOMAS ARNOLD BRIGGS. (L.S.)