Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Perforated Stencils.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left. 20'h Aug., 1891-Accepted, 10th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Perforated Stencils.
I, HERBERT FOX STANDING of Cadogan Moor, Church Road, Bournemouth in
the County of Hants, Missionary, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
.:
My invention relates to apparatus for producing perforated stencils such as are
used for the reproduction of writing or designs, in which apparatus a reciprocating
needle carried in a holder is made to reciprocate rapidly so as to finely perforate
the paper or other material forming the stencil, while the holder traces the
characters or designs. According to my present invention I effect the requisite
very rapid motion of the needle by pneumatic action in the following manner.
In bearings on the lower end of a tubular holder I mount the axis of a small
vane-wheel or turbine to the periphery of which is or are presented a more or less
tangentially placed nozzle or nozzles communicating with the interior of the holder,
the upper end of which is connected by a length of flexible tubing to the receiver
of a bellows which is by preference worked by the foot.
Or the side of the vane wheel or turbine is fixed an excentric or crank pin or
pins taking into a loop or loops capable of vertical reciprocating motion in guides
and carrying or forming part of the perforating needle.
Thus on causing a jet or jets of air from the nozzle or nozzles to impinge upon
the vane wheel, this is put in very rapid rotary motion, and consequently imparts
very rapid reciprocating motion to the needle.
I prefer to construct the vane wheel or turbine of a disc of hard wood, ebonite,
ivory metal or other material on the periphery of which are cut a considerable
number of fine but deep and more or less tangential serrations or notches, such
notches being afterwards closed at the sides by suitable material so as to form the
middle part into narrow but deep cells presenting a sharp edge to the nozzle so that
the air jet in acting very effectually upon such cells is enabled to impart an
exceedingly rapid rotation to the wheel. Or the vanes or pockets of the wheel
may be closed at the periphery and at one side, the air jet being made to impinge
in an oblique direction at the opposite open side. The vanes are in this case by
preference placed obliquely to the axis of the wheel so that the air jet may impinge
at an angle more or less acute to the face of the wheel. The arrangement of the
excentric or crank and reciprocating part for imparting the motion of the wheel to
the needle may be variously modified. Thus according to one arrangement, the
lower end of the holder carries an E shaped frame, the central projection of which
forms a fixed axis on which the wheel revolves, between the upper and lower limbs ;
the latter project beyond the wheel and have perforations through which slide the
upper and lower ends of the needle, thus forming the guides, for this. On the outer
face of the wheel is fixed an excentric which is embraced by the two ends of a
forked piece to which the needle is attached, so that the motion of the excentric is
imparted to the needle by the forked piece. The attachment of the needle to the
forked piece may be effected in various ways by screws, spring clamps, or otherwise,
but by preference I employ for this purpose a perforated piece of caoutchouc which
is attached to the forked piece and through which the needle is pushed so as to be
grasped tightly thereby. This mode of clamping or attaching the needle may also
be adopted with any of the following arrangements.
According to another arrangement, the vane wheel is fixed on an axis which
rotates with it within a'looped frame of the holder, and the steel wire that forms
the needle has its upper end bent firstly into the shape of an open loop or fork, that
embraces an excentric on the vane wheel, and another part thereof is bent into a

page_text: narrow vertical loop through which the axis of the vane wheel passes so as to act
as a guide, while a second lower guide is afforded by the lower part of the looped
frame through a hole in which the lower end of the needle passes.
According to another modification 1 employ in place of an excentric a crank pin,
or there may be two opposite crank pins that work in two loops formed of or fixed
to the needle or there may be two double ended crank armis arranged at right
angles to each other and each working against a separate loop, so that at each
complete revolution one crank imparts two up and the other two down strokes to
the needle so as to cause this to work at double the speed of the vane wheel; or in
place of two such crank arms, two pairs of crank pins at right angles to each other
may be used.
According to another arrangement, the needle is made in the shape of an elbow
lever, pivotted at its elbow to the holder, the one arm being formed with a loop
embracing the excentric or crank, while the end of the other arm is bent at a
suitable angle to the lever arm for being presented vertically to the surface to be
perforated thereby.
According to another arrangement, I attach the needle to the end of a spring
arm, and I act upon such arm, by one or more crank pins on the side of the vane
wheel so as to cause it to vibrate rapidly, the intervals between the impulses
imparted by the crank pin being by preference made coincident with or in a simple
ratio to the period of vibration of the spring.
In either of the above constructions I prefer to provide the instrument with a
light spring support which rests upon the stencil so that by pressing the instrument
downward to a greater or less degree, the needle is made to perforate the stencil
more or less deeply thereby producing thick and thin lines in the copies.
The said spring support may be constructed in various ways; thus it may
consist of a small metal ring or eye through which the perforating needle passes
and which is either connected by a spring arm to the handle, or which slides in a
socket containing a spiral spring, or it may be a simple tapering blade spring which
may be split so as to be similar to an ordinary steel pen the needle being either
made to pass through an enlargement of the slit at the point of the pen or spring,
or it may work just in front of the end of the point passing into the cleft of the
latter on its depression.
In addition to the above spring support I prefer to attach a guide or sheath to
the lower part of the frame which carries the bearings of the vane wheel.
By this means, when for certain classes of work (as geometrical or mechanical
drawing) it is desired temporarily to dispense with the use of the spring support,
the latter may be removed, and the above mentioned sheath may by a screw
adjustment be brought down to touch the surface of the stencil.
When however the said spring support is in use this sheath may be screwed up
out of the way and then forms the lower guide of the needle, and also, by coming
in contact with the spring support, serves to regulate the extent to which the needle
is allowed to penetrate the stencil.
When it is required to describe circles or circular arcs with the instrument, the
handle thereof may constitute the one leg of the compass and if necessary a short
second compass leg may be pivotted to the handle near its lower end for describing
small circles or arcs.
Or the holder of the instrument may be made as a spring socket or sleeve to fit
on the leg of an ordinary compass, or the hollow may be removed and the lower
frame or bearing be formed into or provided with a stem to fit into the socket of a
compass like an ordinary pen or pencil.
Dated this 16th day of December 1890.
ABEL & IMKAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Perforated Stencils.
I, HERBERT FOX STANDING, of Cadogan Moor, Church Road, Bournemouth,
in the County of Hants, Missionary, 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 :-
My invention relates to apparatus for producing perforated stencils such as are.
used for the reproduction of writing or designs in which apparatus a reciprocating
needle carried in a holder is made to reciprocate rapidly so as to finely perforate
the paper or other material forming the stencil while the holder traces the
characters or designs. According to my present invention I effect the requisite
very rapid motion of the needle by pneumatic action in the following manner :-
In bearings on the lower end of a tubular holder I mount the axis of a small vane
wheel, or turbine to the periphery of which is or are presented a more or less
tangentially placed nozzle or nozzles communicating with the interior of the holder,
the upper end of which is connected by a length of flexible tubing to the receiver
of a bellows which.is by preference worked by the foot.
On the side of the vane wheel or turbine is fixed an excentric or crank pin or
pins taking into a loop or loops capable of vertical reciprocating motion in guides
and carrying or forming part of the perforating needle.
Thus on causing a jet or jets of air from the nozzle or nozzles to impinge upon
the vane wheel, this is put in very rapid rotary motion and consequently imparts
very rapid reciprocating motion to the needle.
I prefer to construct the vane wheel or turbine of a disc of hard wood, ebonite,
ivory, metal or other material on the periphery of which are cut a considerable
number of fine but deep and more or less radial serrations or notches, forming
narrow but deep cells presenting a sharp edge to the nozzle so that the air jet in
acting very effectually upon such cells is enabled to impart an exceedingly rapid
rotation to the wheel.
Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings shew the construction of the said
apparatus which I prefer to employ.
Figure 1 shews a side view, Figure 2 a longitudinal section through handle and
a vertical cross section of
casing without the cover, needle and wheel. Figure
casing needle and wheel. Figure 4 a sectional front view taken on line W, W
Figure 3 of the casing needle and wheel. Figure 34 a vertical section through the
cover H detached. Figure 3B a section on line X X Figure 3A. Figure 5 a hori-
zontal section and Figure 5A a section on Z, Z. Figures 3, 34, 3B, 5 and 5^ being
shewn to an exaggerated scale. A is a tubular holder or handle of any suitable
material such as wood, ebonite, ivory, metal &c. &c. if made of a light material
it may advantageously have a piece of metal B let into its lower end as at Figure 2
the inertia of which will minimize the slight vibrations produced by the wheel and
which will also tend to bring the centre of gravity lower. Into the upper end of
the tubular passage of the holder is inserted a bent tube C for the attachment of a
flexible tube through which the air under pressure is supplied or the flexible tube
may be provided with a small cap fitting on to the end of the holder. Into the
lower end of the said passage is fitted a tube D projecting tangentially from a
cylindrical casing E the interior of the latter being in communication with D
Into the
through a small hole drilled almost at a tangent through the case.
casing E is fitted a disc or wheel F of hard wood, ebonite, ivory, metal or other
material having an axis G with hard steel ends fitting small central bearings formed
on the casing E and in the separate cover H which merely fits tightly into the open
side of the casing. The wheel is provided with a considerable number of small
deep notches on its periphery constituting cells, placed at a slight angle to the
radius and which are more or less closed at the sides by the casing and the cover

page_text: and into which the air jet entering through the hole e impinges, thereby imparting
to the wheel an exceedingly rapid rotation. From experiments it has been found
that the greater is the number of such cells the more rapid is the speed of rotation;
thus with a wheel of about in. diameter and 1 in. thick 80 notches on the
periphery give, with moderate wind pressure about 400 revolutions per second and
the perforations of the needle at this speed give lines which at a medium rate of
writing are indistinguishable from continuously drawn lines. On the one side of
the wheel is formed a small excentric I which imparts a rapid up and down motion
to the perforating needle J. This is formed of a piece of steel wire finely pointed
at the lower end while the upper end is bent into the looped form shewn at Figure 4
in which loop the excentric I works. The needle is guided in its motion firstly by
its lower part passing through a small hole in the bottom of the cover H and
secondly by the sides of the loop being made to work between guides h formed on
the inner face of the cover H such guides being conveniently formed by punching
and bending up two strips of the metal of the cover, as shewn at Figures 1 and 5.
By preference the cover H is formed with a recessed part p Figures 3ª 3B for the
needle to work in.
In order to afford the instrument an elastic action, similar to that of an ordinary
pen whereby the writing is capable of being effected with thick and thin strokes.
provide a spring nozzle K at the underside of the casing through which the
needle works and which in writing with the instrument is made to rest upon and
slide over the stencil, so that by pressing the holder more or less downward against
the action of the spring nozzle, the tapered needle point will be made to penetrate
to a greater or less depth through the stencil and consequently, in forming larger
or smaller perforations produce thicker or thinner strokes in the copies. The
nozzle is for this purpose attached to one end of a blade spring L the other end of
which is fixed in a pin M that turns with friction in a hole in the bracket N so
that by turning the pin slightly in one direction or the other, the position of the
nozzle relatively to the needle when in its lowest position and consequently the
degree of penetration through the paper can be accurately regulated.
bracket N might be formed on the case E but by preference I form it on the cover
as shewn more clearly at Figure 5^. The arrangement of the spring for the nozzle
may be variously modified, thus it might be of the form shewn at Figure 6 or it
might consist of a ring L situated inside the cover as shewn in sectional front view
on Y Y and cross section at Figures 7 and 7ª and connected to the nozzle by a bar
passing through a slot in the cover, while at top it rests upon two small
supports OO projecting from the cover, and is acted upon by a screw P screwing
through the top of the cover so that by screwing this more or less inwards it will
flatten the ring and thereby raise the nozzle more or less.
The
It will be seen that by providing the guides for the needle and the attachment
for the spring nozzle all on the cover H the casing with the holder can be turned
into any position relatively to these parts, for varying the angular position of the
holder relatively to the vertical position of the needle.
The nozzle is by preference formed with open sides, or partly cut away, as shewn
in front and side views at Figures 8 and 9 or open on one side only as at Figure 10,
in order to prevent the interior thereof becoming clogged with wax or varnish from
the stencil.
The nozzle might be dispensed with and the blade spring L be formed so as to
rest with its end upon the stencil immediately behind the needle, or it may have a
bossed hole as indicated at Fig. 20 through which the needle slides freely.
The air jet entering the casing through the hole e after passing round with the
wheel escapes through openings el e' in the casing.
Although I prefer to construct the instrument in the manner above described,
yet its construction is capable of being variously modified while still retaining
thorough efficiency. Thus instead of enclosing the wheel F in a casing, it may .be
carried in an open frame, as shewn in front view and cross section at Figures 11
and 12, in this case the frame Q passes partly round the wheel F the axis of which

page_text: is carried in recesses formed in the two screws R the frame being secured by a
bar S to the holder A. The tube D of the latter is in this case formed with a
nozzle having a small hole through which the air jet impinges upon the cells of the
wheel F. These cells may in this case be closed at the sides so as to form small
buckets into which the air jet enters. The eccentric I works in the loop of a
needle J of the form shewn at Figure 15, the upper end being guided in a hole in
the frame Q while the lower end is guided in the nozzle K which is here shewn
adjustably screwed into the frame, without spring action, but which might also be
carried in a spring support as in the preceding case. Figures 13 and 14 shew front
and side elevations of another modification in which the frame Q only passes round
the underside of the wheel the connecting bar S being carried to one or both sides.
In the arrangement at Figure 16 the wheel F is carried loose on a pin W projecting
from the side of the frame Q, in this case the eccentric I can be replaced by a
crank pin as at T, Figure 17 the end of which takes into a small socket U which
is fixed adjustably on the straight needle J by a set screw V.
In all the above described constructions the cells or buckets of the wheel or
turbine F might be formed obliquely and closed at one end and also, if necessary at
the periphery as shewn at Figure 18, the nozzle D being in that case arranged in a
corresponding angular position at the side thereof.
Instead of making the entire holder A. tubular for the passage of the air current
only the lower part may be made tubular with a branch tube at an intermediate
point of its length for the attachment of the flexible supply pipe; or the holder may
be entirely solid and the air supply tube be attached to the side of its lower end.
The instrument may be employed for describing circular arcs, in which case
either the holder A may constitute one leg of a compass, or part thereof, or a short
compass leg may be pivotted to the lower end of a holder, in a similar manner to
that now frequently employed with lead pencils, or again, the case may be formed
with a spring socket or sleeve, for fitting on to the leg of an ordinary compass. Or
the air tube D, or a separate short stem may be secured in the pencil socket of a.
compass, as at Figure 19.
I am aware that it has already been proposed to actuate needles for perforating
stencils by means of vane wheels or turbines rotated by a jet of air, the said
turbines being arranged at the upper end of a tubular stem forming the holder down
which the needle passes, and I do not claim such an arrangement of parts.
These arrangements. are more or less inoperative firstly because of the compari-
tively great length of the needle which has to extend through the whole length of
the holder, whereby it requires to be of such a strength and weight as to prevent
the possibility of imparting thereto the great speed required for producing
writing &c. consisting of continuous lines and not dots; secondly, the use of
ordinary vane wheels with comparatively few vanes or buckets such as have
heretofore been proposed also prevent the attainment of any high speed; thirdly
the necessity for holding the stem in the vertical position which is required for the
needle to act properly prevents the writer from writing rapidly in his ordinary
handwriting, and lastly, the absence of the spring support resting upon the stencil,
such as is used in the present invention prevents the formation of thick and thin or
graduated strokes as in ordinary writing and drawing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for producing perforated stencils consisting of a disc or wheel
having a considerable number of small notches or recessed cells on its periphery
carried by a frame or casing and actuating a reciprocating perforating needle by
an eccentric cam or crank pin, the frame or casing being attached to the lower end
of a stem constituting the holder and extending upward at an angle to the vertical
line of the perforating needle the said wheel being rotated by a jet of air issuing
from a nozzle attached to the said holder, substantially as described.

page_text: 2. Apparatus for producing perforated stencils, consisting of a tubular stem
acting both as a holder and as an air duct, at the lower end of which is carried a
wheel having a considerable number of small cells on its periphery and that receives
rapid rotary motion from a current of air passing through the said stem or part
thereof, the rotary motion of the wheel being imparted to a perforating needle by
means of an eccentric, crank or cam, substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for producing perforated stencils such as is referred to in the
preceding claims, constructing the perforating needle of steel wire bent at its upper
part so as to form a yoke within which works the eccentric or crank of the turbine
wheel, substantially as described.
4. In apparatus for producing perforated stencils by means of a rapidly recipro-
cating needle, providing a spring rest by which the perforating instrument bears
upon the stencil so that by pressing more or less upon such rest the tapered point
of the needle may be made to perforate the stencil to a greater or less degree, thus
producing lines of varying fineness, substantially as described.
5. In apparatus for producing perforated stencils, the combination of a tubular
holder A, casing E. H, air tube D, notched wheel F, eccentric I, needle J and
spring nozzle K, L, arranged and operating substantially as described with reference
to Figures 1 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.
6. Apparatus for producing perforated stencils constructed and operating as
described with reference to Figures 11 to 20 of the drawings.
Dated this 20th day of August 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.