Improvements relating to Printing and Registering Mechanism for Use in Connection with Letter-boxes, Chiefly Designed for Pre- venting Fraud by Postmen and other Persons.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1886
Complete Left, 11th Feb, 1887
Complete Accepted, 7th Apr., 1887.
Improvements relating to Printing and Registering Mechanism for
Use in Connection with Letter-boxes, Chiefly Designed for Pre-
venting Fraud by Postmen and other Persons.
I, CARLE BUSCH, of Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The present invention has for its object to provide a letter-box, in which letters and
the like are automatically marked at the moment of insertion into the box.
The mark printed upon the posted articles can contain any desirable indications,
such for instance as the date, or the number of the collection of the day, according to
requirements. This apparatus accordingly provides means for safely checking the
public, the postmen, and Post Office employees generally.
In carrying my said invention into practice I provide two bearing plates or discs
adapted to be rotated on their axis and united by six rods having pointed projection.
The said plates are also provided with slots which serve as bearings for the printing
rollers or cylinders. The inking-roller is placed centrally between these six rollers.
A journal is fixed at the centre of one bearing plate or disc and its prolongation
enters a socket formed in the inking cylinder the journal of the inking-roller passes
freely through the other plate or rather through an extension attached to said plate.
This arrangement permits the inking-roller to be easily removed from filling it,
without dismounting any part of the mechanism except the said extension.
The impression roller is freely suspended between two rods and is arranged in such
a manner that in its normal situation it constantly tends to press against the printing
roller which is momentarily uppermost. The said impression roller may be either

page_text: solid or hollow, but it must be heavy enough to exert a sufficient pressure to cause the
printing roller to produce a clean impression. The pressure produced by the natural
weight of the said impression roller can be augmented by means of one or more
springs acting upon the suspending rods or otherwise. This roller is covered with a
blanket, flannel, or the like.
The six printing rollers are so arranged that the surfaces which print the indications
are placed alternately in order to obviate any possible collision between these surfaces.
The holes which serve as bearings for these rollers are of oblong form to permit the
rollers to recede more or less from the inking roller when they are not in operation.
This arrangement has for its object to lessen the work of the inking roller, which bears
only upon the printing-roller in operation.
Upon the prolongation of the journal outside the frame is mounted a ratchet-wheel
provided with as many teeth as there are printing-rollers. With the teeth of this
wheel engages a spring pawl.
Upon the second journal is mounted also on the outside of the frame a toothed
wheel which engages with a pinion actuated by clockwork placed below the printing
cylinders. A stop is firmly connected to the pivotted valve or door which serves to
close the mouth of the letter-box when no letters are being inserted.
A weak spring serves to return the door and catch to their normal position after a
letter has been posted.
When the apparatus is to print the date as well as the time of collection, I arrange
the printing rollers as follows, that is to say the collection time printing rollers are
divided into three parts, mounted on a rigid frame similar to that hercinbefore
described divided into three compartments. In the present instance, however, the rods
are placed quite close to the inking-roller, and are provided with projecting teeth only
upon the parts which move into the interior of the compartments, whilst the other
parts are smooth and pass under the dating rollers which they lift slightly upon their
passage, but which fall automatically into place under the pressure of the impression
rollers, to which they are subjected, in the same manner as the collecting-rollers.
The dating rollers are mounted freely upon a special frame.
This frame swings freely upon pivots fitted in the frame and is arranged in such a
manner that when at rest and when the inking-roller operates, the dating rollers
occupy, in the direction of the axis, exactly the same plane as the collection-time
rollers, with which they would form a piece without the intervals between the several
compartments.
In this manner the dating-rollors operate exactly as the collection-time rollers and
are inked by the same roller.
Upon the prolongations of the journals, on both sides can be mounted drums or
wheels serving to indicate externally the times of collection and all other indications.
These indications are presented before openings formed in the external casing.
The dimensions of the combined mechanism are such that even a visiting card
envelope cannot pass without receiving all the necessary impressions.
The impressions are usually made on the back of the cover or envelope, as letters
are generally posted with the address uppermost owing to the public examining
addresses before posting. But in order to obviate any injurious maculation or
blotching of the address an ink of very light or non-opaque colour can be used.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows: When the person who intends to post
a letter lifts the door either with the hand or with the letter or the like he intends to
post the stop is disengaged from the toothed and permits the clock mechanism to
operate. The envelope then passes between the printing and impression rollers and
passes without hindrance over the projecting teeth which move towards the interior.
If after having introduced the envelope into the apparatus attempts are made to draw
it back, it is firmly held between the said teeth and the impression roller so that it is
quite impossible to draw it back without completely destroying it.
When the envelope has passed the rollers, the door falls back, the stop engages
again into the driving wheel and the apparatus stops. The same operation is repeated
indefinitely.

page_text: For changing the time of collection indication the same key is used which serves to
wind up the clock work; it is turned with care until a pawl has entered between the
desired teeth, which, if required, is verified by looking through a corresponding
opening.
In case of mistake, it is only necessary to continue the motion until the whole drum
has returned to the desired point. Any error is thus easily and rapidly rectified
without deranging or damaging the apparatus in any manner.
I may combine the mechanism with a counting apparatus indicating the number of
envelopes inserted if necessary or with mechanism for automatically changing the
collection time indications at the desired hours, I may also make other modifications
without departing from the nature of my invention.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements relating to Printing and Registering Mechanism for
Use in Connection with Letter-boxes, Chiefly Designed for Pre-
venting Fraud by Postmen and other Persons.
I CARLE BUSCH, of Paris, France, 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 present invention has for its object to provide a letter-box, in which letters, and
the like are automatically marked at the moment of insertion into the box.
The mark printed upon the posted articles can contain any desirable indications,
such for instance as the date, or the number of the collection of the day, according to
requirements. This apparatus accordingly provides means for safely checking the
public, the postmen, and Post Office employees generally.
In the accompanying drawings I have represented by way of example only, a letter-
box adapted to give indications for six different collections."
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the said letter-box.
Figure 2 is a side view of the internal mechanism, drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figures 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3° represent the rollers for printing the indications for the
different collections.

page_text: 5
Figure 4 is a front view of the internal mechanism the gripers for seizing the
letters, or the like, and preventing them from being withdrawn from the box being
removed.
Figures 5 and 6 show the two uprights of the frame carrying the printing rollers,
and mechanism for operating the same.
Figure 7 represents the front view of the mechanism for indicating the date at the
same time as the collection.
Figure 8 represents the special frame upon which the dating rollers are mounted.
Figure 9 represents the said frame in side-view.
Figure 10 represents a griper bar in front view, and
Figure 11 the same bar in sectional side-view.
A A (figure 4) are two bearing plates or discs united by six rods a a² a² having
pointed projections i and forming a rotary frame in which the cylinders B, B1, B2, B3
13, 15 for printing the various indications for the different collections are mounted,
their bearings being supported in slots b.
c is the inking-roller which is placed centrally between these six printing rollers.
CC are journals of the said rotary frame. The journal Cis fixed upon the plate A
(figure 4) and its prolongation Centers a socket formed in the inking roller; the
journal on the contrary forms part of the inking-roller and passes freely through
the plate A' or rather the part A" attached to the said plate A. This arrangement
permits the inking-roller to be easily removed for filling it, without dismounting any
part of the mechanism except the said part A".
The said rotary frame is mounted in bearings in a frame H.
D (figure 2) is an impression roller which is freely suspended between two rods d
and is arranged in such a manner that in its normal situation it constantly tends to
press against the printing roller which is uppermost. The roller D may be either solid
or hollow, but it must be heavy enough to exert a sufficient pressure to cause the
printing roller to produce a clean impression. The pressure produced by the weight
of the roller D, can be augmented by means of one or more springs acting upon the
suspending rods d or otherwise. This roller is covered with a blanket, flannel or
the like.
The six printing rollers, figures 3, 3", 35, 30, 34, 3ª are so arranged that the surfaces
which print the indications are placed alternately, as in figure 4, in order to obviate
any possible collision between the surfaces.
The slots which serve as bearings, for these rollers are of oblong form, to permit
the rollers to recede more or less from the inking roller when they are not in operation.
This arrangement has for its object to lessen the work of the inking roller, so that it
shall bear only upon the printing-roller in operation.
Upon the journal C outside the frame H is mounted a ratchet-wheel G, Figure 5,
provided with as many teeth as there are printing rollers. With the teeth of this wheel
engages the pawl g having the spring g'.
Up
Upon the journal C, figure 6, and outside the frame H, is mounted the pinion E
which engages with the toothed wheel F, actuated by clockwork placed below the
printing cylinders.
A stop or catch is rigidly connected by the rod f¹ to the valve or door H¹ which is
pivotted at hand which serves to close the mouth of the letter-box when no letters are
being inserted, so that when a letter is inserted the said catch is moved out of
engagement with the wheel F.
A weak spring serves to return the door and catch to their normal positions after
a letter has been inserted.
When the apparatus is to indicate the date as well the collection, I arrange the
printing rollers as shown in figure 7, that is to say the collection indicating rollers are
divided into three parts, mounted on a frame similar to A A', divided into three com-
partaments, but forming a rigid whole. In the present instance, however, the rods aa
are placed quite close to the inking-roller and are provided with projecting teeth only
upon the parts which move into the interior of the compartments, whilst the other parts
are smooth and pass, at the time of the change of collections, under the dating rollers

page_text: which they lift slightly upon their passage, but which fall automatically down in their
place under the pressure of the roller D, to which they are subjected in the same
imanner as the collection-indicating rollers.
The dating rollers II, which may be of any suitable construction are mounted
freely upen a special frame, figures S and 9.
This frame swings freely upon pivots K fitted in the frame H of the apparatus; and
is arranged in such a manner that when at rest and when the inking-roller operates,
the dating rollers occupy in the direction of the axis, exactly the same plane as the
collection-rollers, with which they would forin a piece without the intervals between
the several compartments.
In this manner the dating rollers operate exactly as the collection-rollers and are
inked by the same roller.
Upon the prolongations of the journals, on both sides can be mounted drums or
wheels serving to indicate externally the times of collection and all other indications.
These indications are presented before openings formed in the external casing as
shown in figure 1.
The dimensions of the combined mechanism figure 7 are such that, even a visiting
card envelope, cannot pass without receiving all the necessary impressions.
The impressions are usually made on the back of the cover or envelope as letters are
generally posted with the address uppermost owing to the public examining addresses
before posting.
But in order to obviate any injurious maculation or blotching of the address an ink
of very light or non-opaque colour can be used.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows. When the person who intends to
post a letter lifts the door H either with the hand, or with the letter, or the like, he
intends to post, the stop is disengaged from the wheel F and permits the clock
mechanism to operate. The various rollers then turn in the direction indicated by
the arrow, figure 2. The envelope then passes between the rollers B and D and passes
without hindrance over the teeth i which project towards the interior. If after having
introduced the envelope into the apparatus attempts are made to draw it back it is
firmly held between the said teeth and the roller D so that it is quite impossible to
draw it back without completely destroying it.
When the envelope has passed the rollers the door H₁ falls back, the stop f engages
again into the wheel F and the apparatus stops. The same operation can be repeated
indefinitely.
For changing the rollers to indicate a different collection the same key is used
which serves to wind up the clock work; it is turned with care until the pawl g has
entered between the desired teeth, which if required is verified by looking through
a corresponding opening. In case of mistake it is only necessary to continue the
motion, until the whole drum has turned to the desired point. Any error is thus
easily and rapidly rectified without deranging or damaging the apparatus in any
manner.
may combine the mechanism with a counting apparatus indicating the number of
envelopes inserted, if necessary; or with mechanism for automatically changing the
collection-indicating rollers at the desired hours. I may also make other modifications
without departing from the nature of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. Mechanism comprising one or more printing rollers, serving to mark
envelopes or the like at the moment of their being put into a postal letter box.
Second. The arrangement of the inking-roller in the centre of the printing rollers
and turning independently of the frame of the latter.
Third. The slots b formed in such a manner as to enable the inking-roller to act
upon one printing-roller only, at a time, and to facilitato the rotation thereof.
Fourth. The arrangement of the roller D for exerting a pressure by its own weight
or by means of auxiliary springs.

page_text: Fifth. The door H' combined with the stop or catch for setting in operation and
automatically stopping the apparatus.
and which serve as guides for
Sixth. The arrangement of the rods having teeth
the envelopes on their introduction into the box, but which prevent their being drawn
back.
Seventh. The ratchet wheel G serving to change the rollers for the different
collections.
Eighth. The mechanism represented in Figure 7 for effecting the inking of the
dating rollers upon the same inking-roller which serves for the collection rollers.
Ninth. The special frame for carrying the dating rollers.
Tenth. The whole arrangement of apparatus designed to be applied to letter boxes,
for indicating the date and the hour at which letters are posted, the said mechanisni
operating automatically, essentially, as described, and represented, in the accompanying
drawings.
Eleventh. The improved apparatus arranged substantially as described, with
reference to Figures 1 to 11 of the drawings.
11: 11th d af Watu 1907
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.