Improvements in Stamps Applicable for Recording the Date and the Time of Day.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stamps Applicable for Recording the Date and the
Time of Day.
A communication from abroad by CHARLES H. SHAW, of Brooklyn, in the County
of Kings, and State of New York, United States of America.
1. WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex Civil
Engineer, 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 invention relates to that class of hand stamps whereby not only the date but
also the time of day is recorded on the paper or document stamped.
A time stamp embodying the improvement in detail will now be described and the
novel features will be then particularly pointed out in the claims.
..
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side view of portions of a stamp embodying the improvement, showing
a case in which the same is partly enclosed and also a support for the stamp, the
latter being shown in section.
Figure 2 is a similar view taken from the opposite side and showing the support
for the stamp in full lines.
Figure 3 is a plan or top view of the stamp and its support, with the case
removed.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the stamp, showing the same with the case
removed.
Figure 5 is a bottom view of the same.
Figure 6 illustrates an impression which may be made with the improved stamp.
Corresponding parts in the figures are denoted by the same letters of reference.
Referring to the drawings, A designates an endless band or ribbon. This ribbon
may be made of india-rubber, metal or other suitable material. Upon one side of it
are shown raised letters, figures and marks indicating divisions of the time of day, as
for instance, M., A.M., and P.M., indicating divisions relative to the meridian and
Figures 1 to 12 inclusive indicating divisions according to the hours and marks, and
figures between said hour figures indicating divisions according to minutes. The
figure 30 has been shown between the figures designating the hours to indicate half
bours. The marks between the hour figures indicate periods of five minutes each.
The arrangement of marks and figures shown is convenient, but it is not to be herein
understood as being limited to such arrangement.
The band A is constantly moving, movement being imparted to it by time mechanism,
here shown as a clock. B designates the clock. It may be of any suitable kind. As
it does not form part of the invention its construction will not be described. The
clock shown has a circular case, and is partly contained within an aperture formed
in an upright part a of the portion A', forming a base piece for the stamp. On the
hour-band shaft of the clock is rigidly mounted a wheel A². This wheel makes one
complete rotation every twelve hours. The periphery of this wheel is shown as
grooved. The band A passes the wheel within said groove. Said band also passes
about pulleys b õ¹ b². The pulley bis mounted upon stud 63 extending from the
upright part a on the base-piece. The pulleys 6162 are mounted upon shafts, b* 65
journaled in suitable bearings in the base-piece. The pulleys 61 62 are shown as in
the same plane and as occupying such position that the band A in passing about
them will be caused to pass beneath the base piece A. By this construction the
band A has an extended printing portion between the pulleys 61 62 so that two or

page_text: more hours of the day and fractions thereof may be printed, the pointer (indicating
the correct time. The band A is caused to move by frictional contact with the
wheel A2..
In practice it is preferable to provide a series of pins or studs around the periphery
of the belt-driving-wheel, which engage corresponding perforations in the belt or
band, whereby an absolute movement is insured and all liability of "creeping" and
gaining or losing time is entirely obviated. This provision of pins or studs is
rendered desirable in view of the fact that the wheel mechanism, being attached to
the main shaft of the clock, has considerable power and if no engaging pins were
provided to engage the belt or band the clock and wheel mechanism would keep
running even if the belt were accidentally caught or held, thus varying the time
and stamp.
These pins or studs are, however, not an essential element of the
invention.
As shown, the band has a substantially continuous motion and is of such length
that it makes one complete movement about the wheel A² and pulleys b² every
twenty four hours. The letters, figures and marks on the band are, therefore, such
in this example of the improvement as to indicate divisions of time for the twenty
four hours of the day. A convenient means of doing this is shown in Figure 5,
namely: Beneath each figure indicating the hour appear the letters A. M., M. or P. M.
indicating the time relatively to noon or the meridian. The band A in passing
beneath the portion A¹ of the frame travels adjacent to a plate B³, which is made
of rubber or other suitable material and if desirable, bears raised letters or other
marks. It is shown bearing letters in Figure 5. This plate is secured to the under
side of the base-piece A' of the frame and is provided with an aperture through
which extend portions of a stamp bearing the year, the month and the day of the
month. On the plate B₁ is a fixed pointer c. This pointer indicates the time of day
as the band A moves past it. It is raised from the surface of the plate and an
impression is taken of it when the stamp is used. In Figure 6 a supposed impression
of the stamp is shown in which the mode of indicating the time is clearly shown.
Assuming that the band A is travelling from left to right, the time indicated is ten
minutes after 1 p.m.
The stamp for indicating the year, month and day of the month may be of any
suitable kind. An ordinary one is shown comprising endless rubber bands, bearing
the necessary raised letters and gearing for changing the position of said bands as
necessary. Shafts d upon which the gears for moving the bands are mounted may
extend to the outside of the casing to facilitate moving the bands. A hand-piece C
extends upwardly from the stamp, which may be grasped when it is desired to ink
the stamp or take an impression. As the stamp for indicating the year, month and
day of the month does not, broadly considered, constitute part of the invention, it is
described thus briefly.
A case D may be used to enclose the parts and protect them from dust or accident,
if desired. Upon the case D may be arranged a clock dial D¹. By extending the
hour and minute shafts of the clock B through the case and the dial and attaching
thereto hands in the usual manner, time will be indicated as in an ordinary clock.
Such an arrangement is shown in Figure 2.
The portion A¹ of the frame is shown as hinged at its rear end to a sliding
piece Jadapted to slide in grooves, e, formed in a portion A³ of the support for the
stamp. At the ends of the grooves e are stops el consisting of plugs by which a too
extended movement of the sliding piece J is prevented. The portion A5 of the support
is, as shown, made integral with a portion A thereof, which latter forms a support
for an impression bed for the stamp. Part of the portion A5 is shown as elevated
somewhat above the portion A. In this part are formed the grooves for the
sliding piece J. In the portion A below the elevated part thereof and beneath the
sliding piece J, is formed a recess finto which may be set an inking pad I. When
it is desired to ink the pad, the hand-piece is grasped and the stamping device
moved backwardly until the stamp proper is above the pad I. The stamp may be
then swung downwardly against the pad to ink the letters and other characters..

page_text: It is then moved out into a position to impress the stamp upon the paper or
document.
There is shown upon the under side of the base-piece A', a spring 9 whereby the
letters and other characters of the stamp will be supported above the impression
bed.
G designates an impression bed which it will be advantageous to use with this
stamp. It is made to tilt or rock so that it will form a bed approximately parallel
with the faces of the letters or figures from which the impression is made, when
the impression is taken. This arrangement is advantageous because when an im-
pression is made upon a thick paper or document, the stamp will be brought down
at more or less of an angle to the surface of the paper resulting in an imperfect
impression of the stamp, unless means is provided for establishing an approximate
parallelism between the paper and stamp.
The portion A of the support for the stamp is provided with a recess 97, having as
shown vertical ends and a curved bottom and sides.
It
The impression bed G is of approximately the same shape and has a flat upper side.
It is supported in the recess g' preferably so as not to come in contact with the walls
of the recess.
It extends a short distance above the surface of the portion* A*.
is supported in the recess and permitted to rock therein upon pins or projections g³,
extending from the ends of the impression bed, and into arc-shaped slots 92, formed
in the portion A6 formed in the ends of the recess. A spring is arranged in a
recess in the portion A6, and upon which bears a projection on the impression
bed G. This spring may be used, if desired, to assist in returning the impression
bed G to its normal position, after it has been rocked.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a stamp applicable for recording the date and time of day the combination,
with time mechanism, of an endless travelling band moved by said time mechanism
and bearing letters, figures or characters to indicate the time of day, substantially as
specified.
2. In a stamp applicable for recording the date and time of day, the combination
with time mechanism, of a wheel rotated thereby and making a complete rotation
every twelve hours, and an endless band, bearing letters figures or characters to
indicate the time of day, moved by said wheel of such length that it will make one
substantially continuous and complete traverse every twenty-four hours, substantially
as specified.
3. In a stamp the combination with a stamp for indicating divisions of time greater
than parts of a day, of time mechanism, an endless travelling band moved substantially
continuously by said mechanism and bearing letters, figures or characters to indicate
the time of day, and a fixed indicator or pointer adjacent to said travelling band,
substantially as specified.
4. In a stamp the combination with a base piece upon which the stamp is supported
of a sliding piece hinged to said base piece, a support for the sliding piece and an
inking pad below said sliding piece, substantially as
and for the purpose
specified.
5. The combination with time mechanism, of an endless band having a twenty-four
hour movement requiring one traverse of said band, said band being provided with
printed characters indicating the divisions M., A.M., and P.M. and divisions of hours
and fractions thereof, substantially as specified.
6. In a stamp applicable for recording the date and time of day, the combination
of an endless band, having printed characters thereon moved by time mechanism, and
a hand stamp having printed characters thereon, the said endless band and hand stamp
having a common yielding support, substantially as specified.
7. In a stamp applicable for recording the date and time of day, the combination
of an endless band moved by time mechanism and having printing characters thereon

page_text: and a hand stamp having printing characters, the said endless band and hand stamp
being mounted on a common support, substantially as specified.
8. In a stamp, an endless movable band having an extended printing portion
indicating hours of the day and fractions thereof, substantially as specified.
Dated this 14th day of October 1889.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.