IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PRINTING AND EMBOSSING
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Samuel King, of the firm of Smith, Elder,
and Company, of Cornhill, in the City of London, Stationers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PRINTING AND EMBOSSING." A
communication
Sealed the 29th April 1856, and dated the 28th January 1856..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Samuel King
at the Office of the Commissioners' of' Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th January 1856.
I, HENRY SAMUEL KING,. of the firm of Smith, Elder, & Company, of
Cornhill, in the City of London, Stationers, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PRINTING AND EMBOSSING,
to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the stamping upon paper and
other surfaces of devices of various kinds (whether consisting of ornamental
or other designs or of numerals or letters) in black or colored inks, and at the
same time embossing the printed surface, in cases where that operation is
required to be performed. For this purpose, the printing block or stamp
is attached to a vertical sliding rod, which is carried by a swinging arm
supported on a pillar rising up from the bed plate of the stamping apparatus.
Fitted to the bed plate and on the same level are removable inking and
pressing pads. The sliding rod is borne up above the level of the pads by a
coiled spring, or its equivalent, and it is capable of being readily depressed by
the hand of the operator to bring the block first into contact with the inking
pad to receive ink or color upon its surface, and subsequently to impress the

page_text: paper which is to be stamped (and for that purpore is laid on the pressing pad,
with the device on the block. Instead of a single swinging arm with its
sliding rod and stamp, there may be two or more arms carried by the same
centre pin, and also ink or color pads, provided with different tints to produce
imprints of designs in two or more colors. In such case the blocks will each
carry only a given portion of the design or device, the combined portions
making up the complement of the design. When imprints are to be made
in more than one color, it will be requisite to provide stops or guides, to ensure
a perfect registry in the printing, and generally this provision may facilitate
operations. In order to emboss, it will be requisite to substitute a counter die
for the pressing pad.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Samuel King in the Great Seal Patent. Office on
the 28th July 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
SAMUEL KING, of the firm of Smith, Elder, and Company, of Cornhill, in the
City of London, Stationers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Henry Samuel King, Her special license that I, the said Henry
Samuel King, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such other's as
1, the said Henry Samuel King, my executors, administrators, and 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 Iм-
PROVED APPARATUS POR PRINTING AND EMBOSSING, being a communication from
abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that 1, the said Henry Samuel
King, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 Henry Samuel King, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: .
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of mechanism for stamping
upon paper and other surfaces devices of various kinds (whether consisting of
ornamental or other designs or of numerals or letters) in black or colored
inks, the chief objects being to provide a ready means for printing the
indorsement upon bills of exchange, for obliterating stamps, and for perform- .
ing, other like official and mercantile operations. It is well known that in
stamping with a hand stamp very imperfect impressions are usually obtained,
by reason of the block or printing surface being unevenly inked and afterwards
pressed on the document to be marked, in a manner that brings only a portion
of the printing surface into close contact therewith. To avoid this inconve-
nience and insure a clear. and sharp impression of the device, I mount the
printing block or stamp in the manner shewn in the accompanying Drawing,
and operate it by hand, as hereafter described.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the stamping apparatus; Fig. 2 is a plan view
of the same; and Fig. 3 is a section taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 2. a is the
block or stamp provided with any suitable device; this block is attached to a
vertical sliding rod b, which is carried by a rigid swinging arm c, supported
on a pillar d, that stands up from the bed plate e of the stamping apparatus.
Fitted to the bed plate e, which I prefer to make of cast iron, to give steadiness
to the apparatus, are two removeable pads f and g, arranged upon the same
level. The pad f is supplied with ink, which is absorbed by the covering of
the pad, and yields it up sparingly to the face of the stamp when the stamp
is pressed down upon it. The other pad g, which may be termed a pressing
pad, is intended to act merely as a cushion to receive the paper or other
substance to be stamped, and by slightly yielding to the pressure of the print-
ing block or stamp to ensure a satisfactory impression being obtained. Coiled
around the sliding rod b, and enclosed in the socket of the arm c, is a spring h,
the upper end of which bears against the under side of a shoulder or other
projection on the sliding rod, and thereby keeps the block or stamp in a raised
position or above the level of the pads. The sliding rod is capable of being
readily depressed, to bring the block which it carries first into contact with the
inking pad f, to receive ink or color upon its surface, and subsequently to
impress the paper which is to be stamped (and for that purpose is laid on the
pressing pad g) with the device on the block. This descent of the block is
effected by the operator pressing his hand on the handle 6* at the top of the
rod b. Under this pressure the coiled spring becomes compressed, but imme-

page_text: diately on the pressure. being removed, the spring will expand and raise the
block clear of the pad. It will now be understood that by reason of the rod. b
sliding in the socket at the extremity of the rigid arm c; the parallel descent of
the block, both when taking up ink. and giving an impression, is ensured, and
thus the obtaining of a clean and sharp impression must nécessarily follow so
long as the inking: pad is properly supplied and the surface of the pressing
pad is kept even. I would remark, that instead of a single swinging arm withi
its sliding rod and stamp,, there may be two or more arms carrying printing
blocks (in the manner above. described); and supported on the same centre pin
In such case two sets of pads will be required; and. the apparatus will then
permit of two operators working with it simultaneously. Or the inking pads
may be provided with different tints, to produce imprints of designs. in two or
more colors: When this. arrangement: is: adopted;. the: blocks will each carry
only a given portion of the design;.. the combined. portions making up the
complement of the design. It will be necessary when making: imprints: in
more than one color to provide adjustable stops or guides on the table of
the apparatus for the 'blocks: to abut. against: when: brought up to position,
and thus a perfect register in the: printing will be readily obtained,, and
generally. this provision will facilitate: operations. This stamping: apparatus;
it will be seen, may also when needed bes applied to embossing, the only
elinnge required being to replace. the. printing block. with: a dies (which
admits of ready. attachment. to the sliding, rod: b), and fitting the beds withi
a counter die: .
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention: communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I would remark that I lay no claim to the exclusive use of a swinging
arm for carrying the printing surface; nor indeed to any other part of the
apparatus when taken separately; but what I claim under the above in part
recited Letters Patent is; the: combination of parts:as, herein described,, and
constituting my improved apparatus for printing, or embossing..
"In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Samuel King, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of July; in the y year of our
Lord One thousand eight' hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,."
HENRY SAMUEL KING. (L.8.)-
Tios: NOLAN; 66, Chancery. Lane:.