Improved Portable Apparatus for Copying Letters and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1897'
[Communicated from abroad. by PIERRE EMILE CARNAL, of Winterthur, in the Republic
of Switzerland, Gentleman.]
Improved Portable Apparatus for Copying Letters and the like.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F:C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool; and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingbain, in the County, of Warwick, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
he performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention consists of a cheap and portable letter copying device particularly
convenient for any person who requires to travel, and especially for commercial
travellers.
My invention is illustrated in part and by way of example in the accompanying
drawing.
In this drawing
Figure 1 is an end view, and
Figure 2a plan view of one of the ends of the letter copying device.
Referring to these figures, a is a roller of resistant material, preferably light, such
for instance as aluminium; is a cover or envelope which surrounds the roller a, it
is formed of a substance possessing a certain amount of olasticity as for instance of
hardened rubber or of a fabric of any kind. The parts 66 are two cloths which may
be fixed to the roller in any suitable manner; when the cover is made of a fabric
the two cloths 66 and the cover itself may be all of the saune piece with a
longitudinal hem at b. One of the cloths 6 or even both of them may in certain
cases be dispensed with. The part e is an ink holder which closes. one of the cuds of the
roller a it may be fixed' by a screw and a plug or a box may be attached to the other
end of the tube. Between the ink holder c and the plug there may be carried
requisites such for instance as a square ruler, pencils, pens or the like. Around the
roller a there is wrapped a book of copying paper which may be placed between the
cloths when the same are present. In order to copy a letter the copying book
abovementioned is brought into use just as if it were a question of an ordinary letter
copier, the same is pressed with the roller covered with its cover and also.in certain
cases by the cloths 6 6 rolled upon it, upon the book of copying paper rolling the
said roller over the book aforesaid. If the table upon which the operation is conducted
has in its surface hollow portions, the elasticity of the roller a will suffice to convey
pressure even to the parts of the copying book which are over these hollows so as to
secure a perfect impression.
The whole apparatus may be placed in a cardboard box suitable for containing the
game, in such a manner as not to risk the loss of the copying book.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A letter copying device consisting essentially of a cylinder of resistant material
enveloped by a sleeve of sufficiently elastic. material suitable for reproducing in a

page_text: copying book letters written in copying ink by simply rolling the said cylinder over
the book.
2. The letter copying device substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
and shown in the accompanying drawing..
Dated this 30th day of December 1896
W. P. THOMPSON. & Co.,
.Of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.
W. P. THOMPSON. & Co.,
. Of London; Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.