Improved Machines for Holding Movable Figures, Letters, or Marks, and for Stamping and Marking Goods therewith.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 2 th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Machines for Holding Movable Figures, Letters, or Marks,
and for Stamping and Marking Goods therewith.
I, AARON JOSIAH JACKSON, of Kingswood, near Bristol, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to new or improved machines for stamping and marking
goods with movable letters or figures, and has for its object to simplify the
appliances by which the figures are placed and retained in the machine, so that
they may be more readily removed or exchanged, and also to lessen the cost of
manufacture.
With the stamping machines now in use, the movable figures, (whether numerals,
letters, or marks,) are placed in the slots or grooves provided for them and held in
position by set-screws, one for each row of figures and the work of exchanging the
figures is somewhat complicated; by my invention, the whole of the figures,
whether in one or more rows, are held in position by a powerful spring, which is
controlled by a lever, easily moved by the operator, so that when the slots or chases
are full of figures, and held firmly by the spring, a slight pressure of the lever will
loosen the grip of the spring, and permit any of the figures to be quickly removed
or exchanged.
My machines may be made for use as hand stampers or as treadle or power
machines, the construction of the frame which holds the figures and the spring that
grips them being practically identical in each case: the holder is made with a face
plate which covers a fixed outer chase in which an inner sliding chase is fitted, with
a space for a row or rows of figures in each chase, a spring acting on the figures in
the sliding chase presses the angular projections of that chase against the figures
in the outer chase, and this holds each row tightly in position: a lever is attached
to the spring, which in the hand-stamper is conveyed to the end of the handle to
be loosened by pressure on the counter or table, thus presenting the face of the
stamps to the operator, with the tension of the spring removed so that the figures
can be exchanged with treadle or power machines the stamp holder is inserted in
a vertical sliding frame and is pressed upward by the action of a treadle, crank, or
the like, against a stop block on the upper part of the machine, this stop block is
adjustable, which allows the stamper to be raised a little higher than when it is in
work, and the lever which is conveyed to one side of the sliding frame to be
engaged by a lug and held down to withdraw the tension of the spring while the
figures are rearranged.
:
My invention is carried into effect in the following manner: for one row of
figures, a single slot is made in the face of the stamping block, and a spring set to
operate against one end of the figures in the slot, which holds them firmly in
position: but for more than one row of figures, an inner or sliding chase is fitted
within an outer or fixed chase, the angular projections of one forming grips for the
figures placed between them and similar projections on the other, and the pressure
of the spring against the figures in the sliding chase forces that forward against the
figures in the other rows, and thus tightens all the figures. In a hand machine, a
spindle is conveyed through the handle from the lever which controls the spring,
and by pressing the end of the spindle on a counter or table, the tension of the
spring is removed, allowing the figures to be easily re-arranged: with treadle or
power machines the stamping frame is inserted with the figures upward in a vertical
slide, and is pressed against an adjustable stop block put on the upper part of the
machine by the action of the treadle, the lever which controls the spring is carried

page_text: to one side of the sliding frame and when it is required to exchange the figures,
the stop block is removed and the stamper raised by the treadle a little higher than
when it is in use, a catch or lug at the side of the fixed frame engages the lever
and loosens the spring, the figures being re-arranged and the stop block re-adjusted,
the machine is again ready for work.
Dated this 95th day of March 1803
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Machine for Holding Movable Figures, Letters, or Marks,
and for Stamping and Marking Goods therewith.
I, AARON JOSIAH JACKSON, of Kingswood, near Bristol, 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:-
My invention relates to new or improved machines for holding movable figures,
letters, or marks, and for using the same on goods of any kind; and has for its
object to simplify the appliances by which the figures are firmly retained in the
machine, and yet permit them to be quickly exchanged; also an improved means
for stamping and marking goods therewith.
My invention consists in providing a series of chases or grooves acting in
combination, in which figures, whether numerals, letters, or marks, may be placed,
all held in position and tightly gripped by a powerful spring and lever, under the
control of the operator, so that when required, the action of the spring may be
removed from the figures and the exchange made in an expeditious manner; the
stamping may be either done by hand or treadle, the appliances for holding and
liberating the figures being practically identical in each case.
The invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying
sheet of drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of'a hand stamper, (front view), and Fig. 2 is an
end elevation of the same;
Fig. 3 is a section of the chases holding the figures in position;
Fig. 4 is a side view of a treadle machine, Fig. 5 a front view, and Fig. 6 a plan
of the same.
Similar letters indicate similar parts in all the figures, and as before mentioned,
the appliances for gripping the figures are the same for haud and treadle use,
therefore many of the details shown in the Figs. 1, 2, and 3, are not repeated in
Figs. 4 and 5; the difference being that the holder is shaped for the hand and
cylindrical for the treadle machine, and different means adopted for loosening the
figures.
A is a holder with a tubular chamber, the extension at B containing the stamp
holding appliances, C is a bellcrank lever, pivotted at c and attached to a rod D
passing into the holder, controlled by a helical spring E, projecting through a
screw stop F, the end of the rod being pressed to remove the tension from the
figures; at the end of the lever C is a stud g which engages in a driver G; H is a
fixed chase attached to the base B of the holder, a sliding chase I with shoulders i
is placed within the fixed chase, and when the driver G is forced forward, the
chase I with the shoulders i will be also advanced, and the opposite shoulders and i
will grip any figures put between them, while the central row will be tightened
directly by the driver to remove the pressure so as to exchange any of the figures,
the holder is turned upside down, and the projection d pressed against a table,
which will open the chases and permit a change to be made.
K is a platform or stand, which may conveniently be fixed on the under side of a

page_text: counter or table, holes being cut therein for the central standard and stamper to
project through; the central standard L carries a revolving block M which forms
a stop against which the figures are pressed when used; to prevent the figures
coming direct on the hard stop when no material is interposed, a piece of leather,
rubber, or other soft substance m is inserted; this also serves to deaden or equalise
the force of the blow: the arm M is normally in position over the stamper B, but
to alter the figures, the arm is turned partly round out of the way; to keep it
steady in any desired position, two or more holes n are countersunk in the
standard L, and in these a check pin in the boss N controlled by a spring will engage
and keep the arm in place: attached to the platform K are two or more sockets O,
and in these a cylindrical holder A_containing the chases and appliances for
gripping the figures is placed: a lever P pivotted at Q is attached to the cylinder
at p, and a cord or rod at the end of the lever is connected to a treadle, by which
the figures are pressed upwards against the stop or any article placed between :
when it is required to exchange the figures, the stop is turned out of the way
and the holder pressed upwards a little higher than the stop would have permitted,
an arm R projecting from the crank lever (shown also in dotted lines in Fig. 1),
is retained by a slot in projection S which is attached to a socket and the platform,
and this retention presses down the arm and the tension of the spring on the figures
is removed, aud while the holder is kept in this position, the operator can readily
exchange the figures; when the arm is turned into its original place, the stamping
can be resumed.
In the drawings, the holder is shown to contain three rows of figures, this number
may be increased or decreased as required.
The various parts being provided and fitted as described and shown, their
operation will be readily understood without further description.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The construction of holders for figures which will automatically grip and
retain them in position by means of a crank lever and spring, as herein described
and shown.
2. In the construction of stamping machines, the insertion of a sliding chase or
chases within an outer fixed chase, the whole being actuated by a driver attached
to the stud of a lever, forming receptacles for movable figures, substantially as
shown and described.
3. In the construction of stamping machines, the removal of the pressure of
the spring from the figures or chases by pressing the end of the rod or the arm
attached to a crank lever, for the ready exchange of the figures, substantially as
shown and described.
4. In the construction of treadle stamping machines, placing a revolving arm or
stop on a central standard, with a spring check pin to retain the arm in any desired
position, substantially as shown and described.
5. The construction of hand or treadle machines for holding movable figures and
stamping goods therewith, as and for the purposes herein set forth and described,
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.