APPARATUS OR MECHANISM FOR VARYING AT WILL THE FORMS AND RELATIVE POSITIONS OF LETTERS OR OTHER PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to The Honorable John Hay, commonly called Lord
John Hay, of Saint James' Place, Middlesex, a Post Captain in Her
Majesty's Navy, for the Invention of "APPARATUS OR MECHANISM FOR
VARYING AT WILL THE FORMS AND RELATIVE POSITIONS OF LETTERS OR OTHER
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said The Honorable John Hay
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the.
24th June 1864.
I, The Honorable JOHN HAY, commonly called Lord John Hay, of Saint
James' Place, Middlesex, a Post Captain in Her Majesty's Navy, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention for "APPARATUS OR MECHANISM FOR.
VARYING AT WILL THE FORMS AND RELATIVE POSITIONS OF LETTERS OR OTHER.
MARKS PRODUCED BY STAMPING," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a mode of varying at will. the forms and relative
positions of letters or other marks produced by stamping with a view to the
verification or identification of such stamped letters or marks, and rendering
them less easy of imitation, thereby serving as a protection against forgery. As
applied to an autograph stamp, for example, it is proposed, according to this
Invention, to make some or all of the letters on the stamp moveable or
capable of having their relative positions slightly varied, but without actual
interchange of position or transposition, in addition to which, if desired, some.

page_text: or all of the letters may be made capable of slight variation in their shape or
form. For this purpose those letters or parts of the autograph which are
intended to be susceptible of variation in position or form are to be made
flexible, being composed of thin blades of any suitable metal, whilst the rest
of the letters on the stamp may be constructed in the well known manner, so
as to be immoveable. This autograph stamp is fitted on to the surface of
any convenient hollow case or holder, the moveable or adjustable letters being
each secured to the holder by a pin or pivot, round which the letter is free to
play or turn slightly. Holes are made in the surface plate which carries the
autograph stamp, and through these holes project one or more small eccentric
pins or cams which bear against the sides of the moveable letters. Any suitable
mechanism inside the hollow case will cause one or more of the moveable
letters to vary their positions laterally as regards each other, such letters
turning on the pivots or centres herein-before referred to. By placing cams
inside the loops, or between the up-and-down strokes of the letters it is obvious
that, on turning such cams, the loops may be opened or closed, more or less,
or the up-and-down strokes brought closer together or wider apart, thus
varying slightly the shape or form of a letter without necessarily changing its
position with relation to the adjoining letters of the autograph. These
eccentric pins or cams may be either arranged so as to be capable of separate
and independent adjustment, or their respective axes may be geared together
by toothed wheels or sectors of any relative dimensions according to the order
in which the changes are to be made, the whole of the mechanism being actuated
from the first of the series of axes by a key for that purpose. The same
means which are employed for varying the forms and positions of some or all
the letters of an autograph are equally applicable to the variation of the
position or form of the dash or florish under an autograph, or to the variation
of a trade mark or private sign or symbol. To facilitate the use of this
apparatus it should be accompanied by a permutation chart or key, shewing
various combinations of the positions of the eccentric pins or cams in relation
to each other, each combination producing a certain known variation in
the stamped autograph or other mark. The combinations should be changed
from time to time, taking note of the particular one used during any given
period, or on any specified date. So that, by comparing accurately an alleged
forgery with the autograph produced by the combination used at the date of
such forgery, it will be at once obvious whether the signature is genuine or
not. This power of varying slightly, but without changing the general
character of the autograph is a most effective protection against forgeries,
as with the use of only five eccentric pins or cams and suitable actuating

page_text: gearing upwards of two hundred and forty different variations in the signature
or autograph may be obtained, and, of course, by the application of any
greater number of eccentric pins or cams any desired number of changes may
be effected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said The Honorable John Hay in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, The
Honorable John Hay, commonly called Lord John Hay, of St. James'
Place, Middlesex, a Post Captain in Her Majesty's Navy, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Honorable John Hay, Her special license that he,
the said Honorable John Hay, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Honorable John Hay, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "APPARATUS OR MECHANISM FOR VARYING AT WILL
THE FORMS AND RELATIVE POSITIONS OF LETTERS OR OTHER MARKS PRODUCED BY
STAMPING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Honorable
John Hay, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Honorable John Hay, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to a mode of varying at will the forms and

page_text: relative positions of letters or other marks produced by stamping with a view
to the verification or identification of such stamped letters or marks and
rendering them less easy of imitation, thereby serving as a protection against
forgery. As applied to an autograph stamp, for example, it is proposed,
according to this Invention, to make some or all of the letters or marks on
the stamp moveable, or capable of having their relative positions slightly
varied, but without actual interchange of position or transposition, in addition
to which, if desired, some or all of the letters may be made capable of slight
variation in their form. For this purpose those letters or parts of the
autograph which are intended to be susceptible of variation in position or
form are to be made flexible, being composed of thin blades of any suitable
metal, whilst the rest of the letters on the stamp may be constructed in the
well known manner so as to be immovable. This autograph stamp is fitted
on to the surface of any convenient hollow case or holder, the moveable or
adjustable letters being each secured to the holder by a pin or pivot about
which the letter is free to play or turn slightly. Holes are made in the
surface plate which carries the autograph stamp, and through these holes
project one or more small eccentric pins or cams which bear against the sides
of the moveable letters. Any suitable mechanism inside the hollow case
operating upon the eccentrics will cause one or more of the moveable letters
to vary their positions laterally as regards each other, such letters turning
about the pivots or centres herein-before referred to. By placing cams inside
the loops, or between the up-and-down strokes of the letters, it is obvious
that, on turning such cams, the loops may be opened or closed, more or less,
or the up-and-down strokes brought closer together or wider apart, thus
varying slightly the shape or form of a letter without necessarily changing
its position with relation to the adjoining letters of the autograph. These
eccentric pins or cams may be either arranged so as to be capable of separate
and independent adjustment, or their respective axes may be geared together
by toothed wheels or sectors, or other suitable means of any relative dimen-
sions, according to the order in which the changes are to be made, the whole
of the mechanism being actuated from any of the series of axes by a key for
that purpose. On each of the aforesaid axes a disc or locking plate is fitted
which is divided on its periphery into a number of parts corresponding to the
number of variations intended to be performed upon the letter or mark, which
is actuated through the eccentric or cam carried by the axis on which such
locking plate is fixed. A spring detent takes into each of the notches in the
disc, and each detent, excepting the one in connection with the axis to which
the key is intended to be applied, is made of a V or other suitable shape,

page_text: which enables it to yield on the application of a rotatory force through the
intervening axes; but the locking plate on that axis of the series which it is
intended shall be operated by the key is fitted with a detent, which will not
permit of any rotatory movement until the detent be lifted out of the notch
by the key, thereby preventing any accidental movement of the eccentrics or
cams, and of the letters or other marks which are operated by them. The
same means which are employed for varying the forms and positions of some
or all of the letters of an autograph are equally applicable to the variation of
the position or form of the dash or flourish under or about an autograph, or
to the variation of a trade mark or private sign or symbol. To facilitate the
use of this apparatus it should be accompanied by a permutation chart or
key shewing various combinations of the positions of the eccentric pins or
cams, or letters in relation to each other, each combination producing a
certain known variation in the stamped autograph or other mark. The
combinations may be changed from time to time, taking note of the particular
one used during any given period or on any specified date, so that, by com-
paring accurately an alleged forgery with the autograph produced by the
combination used at the date of such forgery, it will be at once obvious
whether the signature is genuine or not. This power of varying slightly,
according to a known order, which may itself be varied indefinitely, but
without changing the general character of the autograph, is a most effective
protection against forgeries; as with the use of only five eccentric pins or
cams and suitable actuating gearing two hundred and forty-three absolutely
different variations in the signature or autograph may be obtained, and, of
course, by the application of any greater number of eccentric pius or cams, any
desired number of changes may be effected.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the saine, and for that purpose I shall refer
to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corresponding
Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a plan of the upper part of my
autograph stamp drawn to a scale of twice the real size; Figure 2 is a plan
of the impressing surface shewing the adjustable or variable autograph thereon ;
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the stamp shewing the internal mechanism;
Figure 4 is a sectional plan taken along the line 1, 2, in Figure 3; Figure 5
is a similar view taken along the line 3, 4; Figure 6 is another horizontal
section taken along the line 5, 6; and Figure 7 is a complete end elevation
of the stamp; the rest of the Figures are details and diagrams which I shall

page_text: herein-after more fully refer to. The autograph, Figure 2, is here represented
as having the whole of the letters therein as well as the dash or flourish made
capable of variation in their relative positions or forms, such parts being
made flexible for that purpose and attached to the plate a by means of small
screws or rivets b, about which they are free to play or turn slightly. The
plate a is secured to the bottom of any convenient hollow case or holder c,
which may be provided on its upper surface with a handle d. The mechanism
for varying the autograph is enclosed within the case c, and consists of a series
of vertical spindles, numbered in the Drawing from 1 to 10 inclusively, each
spindle carrying toothed segment wheels fast thereon, which gear periodically
into those of the adjoining spindles and so impart motion to some or all of
them, as the case may be. The spindles turn in holes or bearings in the
plates, a, e, and f, and are each provided at their lower extremities which pass
through the plate a with an eccentric pin g (Figure 2), the several eccentric
pins being so disposed in the convolutions or loops of the autograph that when
rotated they will cause the letters to vary slightly their forms or their positions
latterally as regards each other according to the position which each eccentric
pin is made to assume. In the Drawings annexed each pin g is capable of
being turned into three different positions, namely, to the right, to the left,
and to the dead centre or intermediate position midway between the other two,
and consequently each part of the autograph so acted upon is susceptible of
three displacements, which displacements, when ten eccentric pins are used,
as here represented, are capable of giving fifty-nine thousand and forty-nine
different combinations or changes in the autograph but without altering its
characteristic features. Motion is imparted to the first or driving spindle 1 of
the series by means of a peculiar key shewn on an enlarged scale in Figures
8, 9, 10, and 11, herein-after described, which key is fitted on to the square end
of the spindle 1, and serves to impart a partial revolution thereto, a partial
rotatory motion being thence transmitted when required to one or more or to
the whole of the series of spindles by the aid of some or all of the several
toothed segments h, according to the positions which they may occupy as
regards each other, as I shall herein-after explain. On the top of each of the
several spindles is fixed a disc or locking plate i, which is provided on its
periphery with a number of notches corresponding to the number of variations
intended to be made upon the letter or mark actuated through the eccentric
pin 9, on the spindle which carries the locking plate. In the present case
three notches are shewn, that being the number of variations or changes made
in each letter, but of course other numbers may be used. In practice,
however, it is not found expedient to use more than five notches, as with a

page_text: greater number the movements or changes of the eccentric pins would be so
slight as to render any change in the letters exceedingly difficult of detection.
A spring detent k, takes into the notches in each of the locking plates, and
each detent and notch, excepting those in connection with the spindle 1, to
which the key is intended to be applied, is made in a V, or other suitable
shape, which enables them to yield on the application of a rotatory force
through the intervening spindles. The locking plate on that spindle of the
series which it is intended shall be operated upon by the key is fitted with
a detent and notches, which will not permit of any rotatory movement until
the detent be lifted out of the notch by the key, thereby preventing any
accidental movement of the eccentric pins g, and of the letters or other parts
of the autograph stamp which are operated by them. When the autograph
is in what I term a "neutral" position, the whole of the eccentric pins are on
their dead centres or mid position, and in order to indicate clearly the
positions which they occupy, a line is engraved on the surface of the locking
plates in such a direction that when the eccentric pins are in their neutral
positions or on their dead centres, the middle notches of the whole of the
locking plates being at the same time engaged with their detents, the said
lines will be in a vertical or other determined position. Hence, by observing
the direction of the line or mark the position of the eccentric pin will be
ascertained. This will be clearly understood on referring to the enlarged
diagram, Figure 12, where i represents the locking plate of spindle 1; 1, 2, 3,
the notches thereon; 1, the line or mark for indicating the position of the
eccentric ping, the eccentric pin in its different positions on the end of the
spindle or axis, and k the detent. The parallel dotted lines, 1, 2, 3, indicate
the lateral displacement of the eccentric pin obtained by engaging the cor-
respondingly numbered notches with the detent k. The full lines in this
Diagram represent the eccentric pin in its neutral or mid position corresponding
to the central dotted line 2. It will be seen from this diagram that three
distinct impulses are required to make a complete revolution of the spindle.
The first impulse of a quarter of a revolution brings the notch 1 opposite to
the detent, and moves the eccentric pin to the right or on the dotted line 1.
The next is a half revolution engaging the notch 3 with the detent, and
moving the eccentric pin over to the left on
a quarter of a revolution, returns it to its
again engaging the notch 2 with the detent.
is to bring the pin 9 past the opposite dead
equivalent to the neutral position already obtained. The segmental gearing
(a portion of which I have given an enlarged diagram of at Figure 18) is
the line 3, and the last, which is
original or "neutral" position,
The object of the half revolution
centre, which position would be

page_text: constructed in accordance with the movements above described, namely, so as
to transmit from spindle to spindle either a quarter or a half revolution at each
impulse as the case may be. The vertical red lines in Figure 13 indicate
the three first of the series of spindles, 1, 2, 3, et cetera, and the segments h
respectively carried by them are shewn in plan in the positions they occupy as
regards each other when the autograph is in its neutral state. The first
spindle 1 of the series carries two segments h¹, h2, which gear respectively into
the segments h³ and h* on the spindle 2. This spindle, as well as the remaining
eight, carries four segments which are mere repetitions of those just referred
to, the segments on the spindles 4, 6, 8, and 10 being precisely the same both
as regards size and position as those on the spindle 2, whilst the spindles 5,.
7, and 9 are repetitions of spindle 3. The pitch lines of the several segments
are indicated by the curved red lines and are represented as quarter and
half circles, but in cutting the teeth of these segments care must be taken to
omit the first two or three teeth at each extremity of the segments so that they
shall cease to gear and come into gear again exactly at the completion and
commencement of each quarter or half revolution. The spindle 1 is first
turned a quarter of a revolution in the direction of the arrow from its neutral
position, which has the effect of moving the corresponding eccentric pin to
one side, but bas no effect on the spindle 2. The next motion is that of a
half revolution, which brings the eccentric pin over to the opposite side and
the quarter segment h¹ into gear with the half segment h³ on spindle 2. The
third movement of spindle 1 to the extent of a quarter of a revolution
transmits an equal movement to spindle 2 through the half segment h³, the
segments h¹ and hs being both of the same radius. By this time it will be
seen that the eccentric pin of the second spindle has been moved a quarter of a
revolution whilst that of the spindle 1 has been brought back to its neutral
position again. The spindle 1 is then turned a quarter of a revolution, and
a half revolution, before it is again brought into gear with the spindle 2. The
next quarter of a revolution of spindle 1 imparts a half revolution to spindle
2, as the quarter segment 2 is double the radius of the half segment ht. The
spindle 1 then makes a quarter of a revolution and a half of a revolution,
which brings the quarter segment h³ again into gear with the half segment h³
of the same radius, so that the next quarter of a revolution of the spindle 1
will also impart a quarter of a revolution to the spindle 2, thereby bringing
both the eccentric pins into their "neutral" position again. The spindle 1
has thus made three revolutions for one revolution of the spindle 2. The last
quarter of a revolution of the spindle 2 has at the same time imparted a
quarter of a revolution to the spindle 3 through the segments h³ and he. The

page_text: spindle 3 receives a half revolution by means of the segments h7, hs, by the time
the spindle 2 has completed its second revolution, when the segments h³ and
ho will be brought into gear successively with spindle 4, and so on through-
out the series, each driving spindle making three revolutions for one of the
driven spindle, and consequently the spindle 1 has to make fifty-nine thousand
and forty-nine revolutions before the tenth spindle has completed a single
revolution. Figure 8 represents an elevation of the key twice the real size
employed in changing the autograph; Figure 9 is a sectional elevation at
right angles to Figure 8; Figure 10 is a sectional plan taken along the line
1, 2, in Figure 8, and Figure 11, is a plan of the bottom of the key. This
key is made in two parts, a and b, the part 6 being capable of turning slightly
inside the part a, and is provided with a square socket to fit on to the cor-
respondingly shaped end of the spindle 1; a pin or stud c is fitted into the
part b, and passes through a slot made in the outer part a of the key so as to
allow the part 6 to turn more or less when applied according to the length of
this slot; d is a coiled spring which serves to bring back the part 6 to its
original position again when the key is removed from the spindle. On one
side of the outer part a of the key, and at the extremity thereof, is fixed a cam
e, which is intended to lift the detent out of its notch in the locking plate
before any impulse is imparted to the spindle, the play of the inner part 6,
being sufficient for this purpose, but by the time the detent is pushed out of
the notch and the locking plate thereby released, the pin c has arrived at the
opposite end of its slot, and by continuing the motion of the key the spindle
with its locking plate is carried round until the detent drops into the next
Before a further impulse can be given to the spindle 1 the key must
be removed and again fitted on to the square end, it being necessary that the
came should be placed in close proximity to the detent before each action of
the key; Figure 14 represents a portion of the permutation chart or key
which should accompany each stamp, such chart shewing the whole of the
different changes of which the stamp is susceptible, each change being
numbered in consecutive order as shewn by the vertical column of Figures.
The numbers on the horizontal row indicate the corresponding spindles in the
stamp herein-before described. The circles indicate the several locking
plates, and the straight line from the centre of each circle to its circumference
corresponds with the line or mark 1 on the face of the locking plate. As in
the autograph stamp above described, each of the letters or portions of letters
can be adjusted to three different positions; the mark on each locking plate
has three corresponding positions, making thirty positions in all for the ten
moveable parts of the autograph. The direction in which each of the ten
notch.

page_text: moveable parts of the autograph is moved by the eccentric pins is ascertained
by the corresponding position of the mark on the locking plate, and written
down on the chart, so that the position of those marks being found by
inspection the corresponding position of each letter is known on referring to
the chart. The neutral position of the autograph is indicated by Number 1
on the chart, wherein the whole of the marks are in a vertical position, as
herein-before described in reference to the locking plates. As the autograph
is changed in its general character by effecting slight changes in particular
letters, and as such variations can proceed in no other order than that which
is laid down on the chart, it is only required to furnish the means of ascer
taining with what particular combination a given document has been stamped.
In order to accomplish this object it is preferred to use one combination for
all the documents stamped on a given date, changing such combination daily
through any number of intermediate combinations at will, providing such
changes are effected in some regular order, which the owner of the autograph
may remember sufficiently well to repeat daily and to record on commencing
to use the stamp the date and corresponding position of the marks on the
locking plates. He may then, by counting or ascertaining the number of
days which have elapsed from the date at which he observed and recorded the
positions of the marks on the locking plates, find the position of those marks
for the current or any intermediate date, or in signing documents of more than
ordinary importance he may adopt or assign one combination wholly to any
such document, but in such cases it would be advisable to mark on the chart
the nature or name of the document opposite the combination which has been
stamped upon it, by which means the departure from the sequence or order
is notified, and the various combinations which have been stamped on docu-
ments and which depend for their identification upon their corresponding with
the date upon them may be readily ascertained. In order to detect an
alleged forgery an accurate tracing of the autograph, with all its moveable
letters in their neutral position, is graven on glass or any transparent and
otherwise suitable material. As the position of the marks on the locking
plates can be ascertained for any given date, it is only necessary to find the
position of those marks corresponding to the date on the alleged forgery and
the exact particulars in which the autograph of that date must differ from the
neutral autograph on the glass or other tracing will be seen. By placing the
tracing of the neutral autograph over the alleged forgery, it will be seen
whether it differs from it exactly in the order indicated by the marks or other-
wise, and failing to comply with such deviations from the neutral autograph
establishes the fact beyond doubt that forgery has been committed. The

page_text: following provisions are made in order to prevent accidental derangement of
the stamp, or in the event of such occurring the fact can be ascertained by the
following means:―
The movements of the letters are effected by a key of peculiar construction
(as described) which renders it impossible to turn the machinery the wrong
way, or more than sufficient to effect one change in the autograph without
withdrawing the key altogether, and deliberately making one change more.
This key may also be made to operate simultaneously with the machinery of
the autograph any counting or registering apparatus combined with the
stamp as shewn at m (Figure 7) by which the number of changes are
registered, such number corresponding to the number in the chart. I do
not, however, claim the combination of the registering apparatus with the
stamp as forming any part of my present Invention.
The machinery of the autograph is also capable of moving backwards, if a
special key with its cam reversed be provided, so that, by turning it in the
reverse direction through as many movements as have been communicated to it
from the date of the last occasion on which the position of the marks on the
locking plates were observed and recorded. The marks will again occupy the
same position, and thus the instrument will verify its own accuracy.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the constructing of autograph or
other stamps wherein the position or form of one or more of the letters, or
marks, or parts of the autograph or other stamp is varied by means of
eccentric pins or other equivalent device actuated substantially in the manner
and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lord John Hay have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four.