Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Impressions upon Letters and other articles for Transmission through the Post.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 4th May, 1892-Accepted, 4th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Impressions upon Letters
and other articles for Transmission through the Post.
We, JOHN WALSH, of 36 Throgmorton Street in the City of London, Electrical
Engineer, PERCY RUSKIN ALLEN, of 35 Mall Road, Hammersmith in the County
of London, Electrical Engineer, and Jos GARFORD of 3 Vernon Chambers,
Bloomsbury, in the County of London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for franking stamping or
otherwise impressing letters, circulars, newspapers and the (like hereinafter referred
to as letters) for transmission through the post.
The apparatus is intended more particularly for use in large mercantile
establishments in order to obviate the use of adhesive stamps, and to prevent
peculation.
According to this invention the apparatus is constructed with a stamp and means
for operating it and with dating and numbering mechanism, the arrangement being
such that when the apparatus is operated, it not only impresses a stamp or other
desired impression upon the letter, and a mark distinctive of the box or place where
it is used, but also impresses the date of use and a number which advances one
every time the apparatus is operated, the numbering mechanism being so arranged
that when a certain number is reached the apparatus ceases to operate.
The stamp or other mark impressed upon the letter may be an impression in ink,
or it may be an embossed impression, or it may be partly in ink and partly
embossed. When the impression is wholly or partly in ink, the stamp used for.
making the impression can be of india-rubber or of metal the surface of which is
inked or the stamp can be arranged to work in conjunction with an inked ribbon.
The apparatus may in some cases be constructed with an additional stamp so
constructed and operated that when the first mentioned stamp is operated, it will
impress a number, corresponding to the number stamped on the letter, on a tape or
ribbon of paper which can be removed from the apparatus and taken to the post office
authorities every time the box is cleared, or at certain intervals.
Instead of using
a separate stamp for impressing the tape, the same stamp which impresses the letters
may be adapted to also impress the tape. Instead of recording every consecutive
number. impressed on the letters, every tenth, hundredth or other desired number
may be thus recorded.
Dated this 4th day of Tule. 1001
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Impressions upon Letters
and other articles for Transmission through the Post.
We, JOHN WALSH, of 36 Throgmorton Street in the City of London, Electrical
Engineer, PERCY RUSKIN ALLEN, of 35 Mall Road, Hammersmith, in the County
of London, Electrical Engineer, and JOHN GARFORD of 3 Vernon Chambers,
Bloomsbury, in the County of London, Gentleman, 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 :—
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for franking, stamping or

page_text: otherwise impressing letters, circulars, newspapers and the like (hereinafter referred
to as letters) for transmission through the post. The apparatus is intended more
particularly for use in large mercantile establishments in order to obviate the use
of adhesive stamps' and to prevent peculation.
According to this invention the apparatus is constructed with a stamp carrying
dating and numbering mechanism and with means for operating, the stamp, the
arrangement being such that when the apparatus is operated, it not only impresses
a stamp or other desired impression upon the letter, and a mark distinctive of the
box or place where it is used, but also impresses the date of use and a number
which advances one every time the apparatus is operated, the numbering mechanism
being so arranged that when a certain number is reached the apparatus ceases to
operate. The stamp or other mark impressed upon the letter may be an impression
in ink, or it may be an embossed impression, or it may be partly in ink and partly
embossed. When the impression is wholly or partly in ink, the stamp used for
making the impression can be of india rubber or of inetal the surface of which is
inked, or the stamp can be arranged to work in conjunction with an inked ribbon.
The apparatus is also constructed with an additional or recording stamp so
arranged and operated that when the first mentioned stamp is operated, it will
impress a number, corresponding to the number stamped on the letter, on a tape or
ribbon of paper, which can be removed from the apparatus and taken to the post
office authorities every time the box is cleared, or at certain intervals. Instead of
using a separate stamp for impressing the tape, the same stamp that impresses the
letters may be adapted to also impress the tape. Instead of recording every
consecutive number impressed on the letters, every tenth, hundredth or other
desired number may be thus recorded.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figs. 1 and 2 are sectional elevations at right angles to each other, of apparatus
constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1 but with the various parts in the positions they
assume when the impressing stamp has been lowered to impress a letter.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the apparatus, the top of the box or case being removed.
Fig. 5 is a sectional plan on the line A B Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of the lower part of the apparatus showing the recording
carriage raised.
Fig. 7 is a detail view of the device for throwing the apparatus out of action
when a determined number of impressions has been reached.
Fig. 8 is a detail view of the mechanism employed for feeding the paper on the
recording carriage.
1 is a box or case formed with a recess 2 to receive the letter to be stamped or
impressed. Within this case are arranged two numerical stamps 3 and 4 which are
caused to advance in unison one figure every time the apparatus is operated, and
which are carried by a movable frame 5. The stamp 3 (hereinafter called for
distinction the impressing stamp), is arranged to descend through a hole 6 at the
upper part of the recess 2 and make the impression that franks the letter, and
which impression may either be in ink or be embossed. The stamp 4 (hereinafter
called for distinction the recording stamp) is arranged to descend at the same time
onto a recording carriage 7 provided with a flat upper surface or table 8 over which
a-ribbon or tape of paper intermittently fed as hereinafter described. As the
recording stamp 4 always descends the same distance as the impressing stamp 3,
and as the extent of travel of the latter stamp will depend upon the thickness of
the letter or article being stamped, the recording carriage 7 is mounted upon a
yielding support which may consist of springs 9 surrounding the guide rod 10 upon
which the said recording carriage moves.
11 is a crank disc arranged to actuate the stamp frame 5 by means of a connecting
rod 12 and an intermediate lever 13 which is forked at its free end and, engages a
cross bar 5ª on the frame 5. This crank disc is loosely mounted upon a spindle 14
and its link 11* is formed with ratchet teeth 15 by which it can be engaged with a

page_text: correspondingly formed clutch 16 mounted to turn with but capable of sliding on
the spindle 14 having provided at its outer end a handle 18 by which the apparatus
can be operated. The crank disc 11 at the side opposite to the crank pin 1" is.
formed with a cam path 19 adapted to actuate the short arm 2 of a bell crank
lever the long arm 21 of which is connected by a link 22 to a sliding shutter 23
carrying inking pads 24 for the two stamps 3 and 4. When at rest, the stamps
rest upon these inking pads, and the shutter closes the hole 6 through which the
impressing stamp 3 descends.
The arrangement, as will be seen is such that when the stamps are resting on the
ink pads, the crank pin'11" will be slightly over the centre, so that when the handle 18
is operated, the stamps 3 and 4 will be lifted to a slight extent before they descend
to make the impressions. This movement enables the cam groove to move the
shutter 23 and ink pads 24 out of the way of the stamps before the same descend.
It will also be seen that a part of the cam path 19 is concentric with the centre
of the crank disc and so arranged that the shutter after moving out of the path of
the stamps will remain stationary until the stamps have again risen clear above the
inking pads.
The recording carriage 7 is provided with a feed roll 25 and the paper ribbon 26
upon which a record is to be made is pressed against it by means of a jockey roll 27,
the bearings of which are pressed by suitable means such as springs towards the
feed roll, so that the ribbon is tightly pressed between the two rollers. The ribbon
is arranged to be unrolled off one roll 26" and wound upon another 26. The
spindles of these rolls are free to move vertically, and the surface friction of the
unwinding roll serves to wind up the one upon which the printed ribbon is to be
wound. Motion is imparted to the feed roll 25 by means of bevel wheels 28 29 of
which 28 is fixed to the feed roller shaft. The bevel wheel 29 is fixed to the
spindle of a ratchet wheel 30 that is engaged by a pawl 31 carried by a lever 32
and is also engaged by a detent 33 that is pivoted to the recording carriage and
prevents backward movement of the ratchet wheel. The upper end of the lever 32
is arranged to be actuated from the sliding shutter 23 by means of lugs 34 34°
which strike on alternate sides of the lever as the shutter moves in and out as will
be readily understood from Fig. 8.
At the inner end of the recess 2 to receive the letters to be impressed, is a
window 35 behind which the printed recording ribbon 26 is caused to pass so that
the numbers thereon will be visible from the exterior of the apparatus.
The impressing and recording stamps may be of any suitable construction.
This they may each be constructed as described in the Specification of another
application for Letters Patent filed by us dated 27 June 1891 No. 11006.
The two stamps must be arranged to work in unison. For this reason they may
be regarded as one stamp adapted to perform two functions, one to impress numbers
and dates on the letters, and the other to record the number of such impressions.
In the arrangement shown the unit wheels 36 of the numbering mechanism of the
two stamps are operated by pawls carried by lever arms 37, 37 respectively which
are connected by a link 38 so that the two wheels work in unison. The lever arms
are operated in a direction to move the wheels forward by a fixed lug 39 against
which a stop 40 on a vertically guided rod 40ª pivoted to the lever arm 37 acts
when the stamps are moved upward. The lever arms are operated in the reverse
direction by a spring or by gravity.
The apparatus is provided with suitable means for throwing it out of operation
when a certain number of impressions has been made. Thus when the apparatus is
constructed to register up to 9999, as in the example shown, each stamp is
provided with four wheels 36 36" 36° 36°. The last wheel 36 of the set comprising
the impressing stamp is formed with a cam groove 41 so formed and arranged that
when a given number of impressions has been made and recorded it will lift a
tongue 42 a pin on which works in the cam groove, and causes this tongue to act
on a vertical rod 43 the next time the stamp is lifted, and, by means of a clutch
lever 44 will move the sliding clutch 16 out of gear with the crank disc. A spring 45

page_text: acting on the crank disc serves to partly rotate the same so as to lift the stamps
and close the sliding shutter when the operating handle is released.
When used in large establishments apparatus such as hereinbefore'described may
be combined with a token freed device so that the handle can only be partly turned
to operate the apparatus, after the insertion in the combined apparatus of proper.
tokens issued and checked by a responsible person or persons.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for producing impressions upon letters or other articles for
transmission through the post, wherein numerical impressing and recording stamps
are so constructed and arranged that when the apparatus is operated one of the
said stamps will make a numbered impression on a letter or other article to be
impressed and the other will make a record of such impression substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2. In apparatus of the kind referred to in the preceding claim, the combination
with the impressing and recording stamps, of a yielding carriage or support for the
material whereon.a record is to be made and mechanism whereby the said material
is fed forward to receive the successive impressions of the recording stamp sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In apparatus of the kind referred to in Claims 1 and 2 the combination with
the stamps and the mechanism for operating them, of disengaging mechanism
whereby the apparatus will be automatically thrown out of action after a pre-
determined number of impressions have been made substantially as described.
4. Apparatus for producing impressions upon letters and other articles for
transmission through the post and for making a record of such impressions con-
structed substantially as described and shown, whether combined or not with a
token freed device as set forth.
Dated this 4th day of May 1892.
W. Lloyd Wise,
Per F. J. Brougham,
JOHN WALSH.
JOHN GARFORD.
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.