Improvements in Apparatus for Stamping Letters, Documents, Tickets, and the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 26th June, 1891-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Stamping Letters, Documents,
Tickets, and the like.
I, JOHN CLARK DOBBIE of 18 Clyde Place, in the City of Glasgow,
Nautical Instrument Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention is a development of the improvements in apparatus for stamping
letters for postage described in the Specification filed with the application for
Letters Patent No. 16907 of 1889 and it has for its object to ensure absolute
accuracy in recording the stamp impressions obtained from the apparatus and to
otherwise improve its action.
The improved stamping apparatus consists of a movable frame carrying a
stamping die and a set of enumerating or counting wheels carried on a spindle and
having on their peripheries type projections to print consecutive numbers. The
movable frame is guided to permit of vertical movement only by the ends of the
spindle and by pins projecting into a vertical slot in the sides of a fixed frame.
The movable frame is carried on the upper ends of two helical springs the
lower ends of which are connected to the fixed frame by adjusting screws
and nuts so that the springs are neither in compression nor tension when the
movable frame is in the normal position of rest. The machine is operated
by a spindle carried by the fixed frame and turned by a handle attached
to said spindle preferably by screwing so that the handle if turned in the
wrong direction will screw off and prevent damage to the mechanism. The
spindle carries a wyper which on the spindle being turned in the proper direction
catches in a recess in a bar connected to the movable frame and depresses said bar
and frame against the resistance of the springs. On still further turning the spindle
the wyper clears the recess in the bar and the movable frame is thrown upward by
the resilience of the springs the momentum of the moving parts being sufficient to
carry the die up through the orifice in the cover of the outer case thereby making
a single impression on the letter or other paper which is held by hand over said
orifice, or by a rubber or other pad carried by a lever which is centred at one end
on a bracket fixed to the outer case of the apparatus, said lever being normally
held by a spring in a slightly raised position to allow of the introduction of the
paper to be stamped between the pad and the cover. The springs immediately
thereafter draw the movable frame back to its normal position of rest in which it is
locked so that the die cannot be moved up to give another impression without
turning the handle and operating the whole machine. This locking is effected by
means of a pawl on the fixed frame catching on the pin which projects through a
slot on one side the fixed frame and which together with the corresponding end of
the spindle carries a cover plate. When the movable frame is drawn back by the
wyper the pawl is thrown back by the spindle acting on its face and when said
frame is thrown upward to impress a stamp the pawl is still clear and the inclined
surface of a wedge piece carried by the cover plate passes the tail of the pawl but
a following wedge piece also carried by the cover plate acts on the tail of the pawl
and puts it in such a position that in returning to its normal position of rest the
corner of the first mentioned wedge piece acting on the tail of the pawl throws said
pawl forward over the pin and so prevents the upward motion of the die.
The numbering wheels act in the same way as the wheels in any of the well
known engine counters the unit wheel being operated by a wyper on a spindle
acting directly on type projections on the unit wheel so as to increase the number

page_text: stamped by a unit at each operation of the wheel, this spindle being operated
synchronously with the wyper spindle through toothed pinions. The type projections
on the numbering wheels project through and are locked in position by a slot in
the stamping die said die being hinged to the movable frame so that it can be
raised sufficiently to clear the type projections and allow the position of the wheels
or the numbers. on them to be changed between each operation of the machine.
A rod fixed to the end of the die and turned down at right angles to it is
held down to lock the die by means of a boss on the wheel operating spindle
said boss having a flat side which on being turned towards the rod leaves it free
and allows the die to rise far enough to clear the type projections as before
mentioned.
The die may be supplied with ink by means of a pad carried on two hinged arms
and operated so as to be passed over the face of the die while the movable frame is
being drawn back, and to be thrown clear of said die during the printing stroke,
or the pad may be operated in any other suitable manner or may be dispensed with
and an inking ribbon provided.
To give access for supplying the pad with ink or for removing it an orifice
covered by a sliding plate is made in the case cover in proximity to or in the form
of an enlargement of the orifice through which the die passes in stamping. In
order to stop the further operation of the machine after a fixed number of
impressions have been taken a projection is fixed to the side of the highest
numbering wheel so that when the wheels are in position to print the highest
number desired, say nine hundred, said projection will be in line with a wire secured
to the fixed frame and passing through the centre of one of the springs and will
come in contact with said wire and thus lock the machine.
Instead of or in addition to the projection and wire a screw operated by a worm
wheel from a worm thread on the wyper spindle may be provided said screw having
a nut adapted to be moved down a guide post when the screw is turned. In the
guide post a small crank is centred and one end of it is inserted between said post
and a wedge on a spring hammer. The nut is provided with an arm which after
the desired number of impressions have been taken pushes the crank from under the
wedge and frees the spring hammer allowing it to spring forward into the path of
the wyper and prevent the operation of said wyper.
The frame which carries the moving parts is fixed on the cover which is screwed
into an outer case and the whole may be locked by a screw pin inserted into the
frame from the bottom of the case an orifice being provided in said case for the
operating handle.
To prevent the possibility of obtaining two or more impressions bearing the same
stamped number from machines similar to that described in the Specification filed with
the application No. 16907 of 1889 such machines may have a sharp prong projecting
from the face of the die block and adapted on depressing the die to pierce the letter
or other paper to be stamped and retain it in position till the stamping mechanism
has been returned to its normal position of rest and the numbering wheels have
been rotated to increase the number stamped by a unit.
In lieu of employing a separate stamping die, dies may be formed on the wheels
between the type projections said dies being arranged to print the same pattern or
design with each number.
Dated this Twenty-fifth day of September 1890.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Stamping Letters, Documents,
Tickets, and the like.
I, JOHN CLARK DOBBIE of 45 Clyde Place, in the City of Glasgow, Nautical
Instrument Maker, 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 is a development of the improvements in apparatus for stamping
letters for postage described in the Specification of Letters Patent Number 16907
of 1889 and it has for its object to ensure absolute accuracy in recording the stamp
impressions obtained from the apparatus and to otherwise improve its action.
As shewn in front and side elevation with the outer case in section at Figures I
and 2, in vertical section at Figure 3, in plan at Figure 4 and in part clevation at
Figure 5 the improved stamping apparatus consists of a movable frame A carrying
a stamping die B and a set of enumerating or counting wheels C carried on a
spindle c and having on their peripheries type projections c¹ to print consecutive
numbers. The frame A, is guided to permit of vertical movement only by the
ends of the spindle c and by pins a, projecting into a vertical slot d in the sides of
a fixed frame D. The frame A is carried on the upper ends of two helical
springs E the lower ends of which are connected to the frame D by adjusting
screws e and nuts e', so that the springs are neither in compression nor tension
when the frame A, is in the normal position of rest as shewn in the drawings. The
machine is operated by a spindle G, carried by the frame D, and turned by a
handle Fattached to said spindle preferably by screwing so that the handle if
turned in the wrong direction will screw off and prevent damage to the mechanism.
The spindle G carries a wyper H which on the spindle G being turned in the
direction shewn by the arrow Figures 2 and 3, catches in a recess i in the bar I
connected to the frame A and depresses said bar I and frame A against the
resistance of the springs E. On still further turning the spindle the wyper H
clears the recess i in the bar I and the frame A is thrown upward by the resilience
of the springs E tlie momentum of the moving parts being sufficient to carry the
die B up through the orifice j in the cover J of the outer case J' thereby making
a single impression on the letter or other paper which is held over said orifice by
hand, or as seen at Figure 5 by a rubber or other pad a, carried by a lever y which
is centred at one end on a bracket fixed to the outer case J' of the apparatiis
said lever being normally held by a spring y', in a slightly raised position to allow
of the introduction of the paper to be stamped between the pad and the cover J.
The springs E immediately thereafter draw the frame A back to its normal position
of rest in which it is locked so that the die cannot be moved up to give another
impression without turning the handle F and operating the whole machine. This
locking is effected by means of a pawl k on the frame D, catching on the pin a,
which projects through the slot on one side of the frame D, and which together
with the corresponding end of the spindle c carries a cover plate l. When the
frame A is drawn back by the wyper H the pawl k is thrown back by the spindle c
acting on its face and when the frame A is thrown upward to impress a stamp the
pawl k is still clear and the inclined surface of a wedge piece / carried by the cover
plate passes the tail of the pawl but a following wedge piece also carried by
the cover plate acts on the tail of the pawl k and puts it in such a position that in
returning to its normal position of rest the corner of the piece acting on the
tail k' throws the pawl forward over the pin a and so prevents the upward motion
of the die. A pin is provided to keep the pawl k from being thrown too far over
the pin a.
The numbering wheels C act in the same way as the wheels in any of
the well known engine counters the unit wheel being operated by the wyper m

page_text: on the spindle M, acting directly on the type projections c' of the unit wheel so as
to increase the number stamped by a unit at each operation of the wheel, the
spindle M being operated synchronously with the spindle G through the toothed
pinions m¹ and g and the idle wheel N. The type projections c¹ on the numbering
wheels C project through and are locked in position by a slot 6 in the stamping
die B said die being hinged at 6' to the frame A so that it can be raised sufficiently
to clear the type projections c and allow the numbers to be changed between each
operation of the machine. A. rod fixed to the end of the die B and turned down
at right angles to it is held down to lock the die B by means of a boss m² on the
spindle M said boss having a flat side which on being turned towards the rod
leaves it free and allows the die B to rise far enough to clear the type projections c¹
as before mentioned. In lieu of employing the separate die B, containing the
slot b, dies may be formed on the wheels C between the type projections c¹, said
dies being arranged to print the same pattern or design with cach number.
The die may be supplied with ink by means of a pad O carried on two arms 01
hinged at o and operated by the pins a acting in slots o' in the arms O¹, so as to be
passed over the face of the die while the frame A is being drawn back, and to be
thrown clear of said die during the printing stroke, or the pad may be operated in
any other suitable manner or may be dispensed with and an inking ribbon provided.
In order to stop the farther operation of the machine after a fixed number of
impressions have been taken, a projection p is fixed to the side of the highest
numbering wheel C so that when the wheels are in position to print the highest
number desired, say 900, said projection p will be in line with a wire q fixed to the
frame D and passing through the centre of one of the springs E and will come in
contact with said wire and prevent the frame A being drawn back sufficiently to
allow the wyper H to clear the recess in the bar I thus locking the machine.
Instead of or in addition to the projection p and wire q, a screw R operated by
the worm wheel r from a worm thread on the spindle G may be provided, said screw
having a nut R' adapted to be moved down the guide post S when the screw is
turned. In the guide post S a small crank s is centred and one end of it is inserted
between said post and a wedge t on a spring hammer T. The nut R' is provided
with an arm which after the desired number of impressions have been taken pushes
the crank s from under the wedge t, and frees the spring hammer T allowing it to
spring forward into the path of the wyper H and prevent the operation of said wyper.
The frame D, which carries the moving parts is fixed on the cover J which is
screwed into the outer case J' and the whole may be locked by a screw pin
inserted into the frame D from the bottom of the case J' an orifice being provided
in said case for the handle F.
To prevent the possibility of obtaining two or more impressions bearing the same
stamped number from machines similar to that described in the Specification of
Letters Patent Number 16907 of 1889, such machines as shewn in side elevation at
Figure 6, may have a sharp prong a projecting from the face of the die block v
and adapted on depressing the die to pierce the letter or other paper to be stamped
and retain it in position till the stamping mechanism has been returned to its
normal position of rest and the numbering wheels have been rotated to increase the
number stamped by a unit.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said. inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of parts constituting the improved apparatus for stamping.
letters, documents, tickets and the like, substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the annexed drawings.
2. In apparatus for stamping letters and the like the combination of the frame (A)
carrying wheels for impressing consecutive numbers and the die (B) arranged to
lock said wheels after each impression substantially as described.

page_text: 3. In apparatus for stamping letters and the like the combination of the frame (A)
carrying wheels for impressing consecutive numbers and the springs E secured to a
fixed frame and operated as described.
4. In apparatus for stamping letters and the like the combination with the
wheel carrying frame A of mechanism for locking it to prevent the taking of an
impression without operating the apparatus substantially as described.
5. In apparatus for stamping letters and the like the screw spindle, traversing
nut and accessories operated from and in unison with the stamp impressing devices
for stopping the action of the apparatus when a fixed number of impressions are
taken substantially as described.
6. In combination with apparatus for stamping letters and the like the pad a,
jointed to the lever handle y as and for the purpose set forth.
7. In combination with apparatus for stamping letters and the like the use of the
prong u for the purpose set forth.
Dated the Twenty-fifth day of June 1891.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.