Improvements in Apparatus for Distributing Cards for Advertising, applicable also for other purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Distributing Cards for Advertising,
applicable also for other purposes.
I JOSEPH BUATIER of S5 Rue de la Pompe, Passy, Paris, in the Republic of
France, Gentleman, 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 chief object of this invention is to provide an apparatus by which fancy cards
and business cards generally may be projected to great distances for the purpose
of advertising, the apparatus being applicable also for projecting or discharging missiles
of various kinds.
In the accompanying drawing,--
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus constructed for the purposes of this
invention;
Fig. 2 is a plan view, and
Fig. 3 a cross section on the line of Fig. 1.
The apparatus consists of a body, which may be composed of two side pieces A A'
attached to a bandle A². The side pieces are secured together at their outer ends, and
are grooved longitudinally on their inner face to form guides for a slide B. To the
front end, and on either side of the borly, a spring C, preferably of vulcanised india
rubber, is secured, the opposite ends of the springs being attached to a ring C,
intended, when the springs are distended, to take over a bent D arranged to slide
vertically in a recess in the body. The bent D is kept up by a spring D', secured on
the underside of the body, and a trigger E is adapted to the bent, by which it may
be lowered to release the springs.
The slide B may consist of a narrow piece of wood of suitable length, having
projections on either side, which work in the grooves of the parts A A¹, as seen in
Fig. 3.
A saw cut B'is made longitudinally of this piece of wood B, for about half its depth,
to receive the card to be projected.
At the rear end of this piece B, at a point about half the depth, a transverse saw
cut B2 is made for a convenient distance forward, and the portions B* above the saw
cut B² are thinned down, or tapered off, to give an amount of spring.
Attached to the front end of the slide B, and on either side, is a spring F, preferably
of india rubber, the other ends of the springs F being attached to a piece of wire G,
which may be bent to a wedge shape, as shown in the drawing, which will act so as to
draw the springy ends of the piece B together, and cause them to grip the card H to
be projected, and which is placed between them. J is a trigger (shown in dotte.l
lines), one end of which, as the slide is driven forward, strikes against the pin or
bar K, by which means the trigger is rocked on its pivot, and the other end, which
underlies the wire G, is tipped up, and pushes the wire off its catch, thus releasing the
springs F. In front of the body A, may be placed a block of in lia rubber L, to act
as a buffer to receive the shock of the slide as it is driven forward.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The springs are first distended, and
the ring C is placed over the bent D. The slido B is then drawn back close to the
ring C, and the springs F are distended, the wire G being placed round the ends of
the portions B. The card H is next placed in the saw cut B', and is drawn back
close to the wire G; the apparatus is now ready for use, which is the position of the
parts as shown in the drawing.
On pulling the trigger E, the springs C are released, and the slide B carrying the
card is driven forward with considerable force. This will give an initial velocity to the
card.

page_text: As the slide B is driven forward, the point of the trigger J strikes against the
pin K, and the springs F are released in turn.
The springs Fact on the card H, which is driven forward edgeways with great
forco, having a rotary motion imparted to it, which causes it with facility to cleave
tho air.
In this way, a card may be made to fly a comparatively great distance, and its
flight may be directed with a considerable amount of precision.
I use the double arrangement shown in the drawing for long flights, but for short
distances, and for ordinary purposes, I may employ either the body A or the slide B
apart and separately, in which case the body A might be employed to distribute many
cards at one time, and the part B for distributing single cards. The body A might
also be used for single cards, if the parts A A² are brought closer together, so as to
grip the single card.
would hore remark that I do not confine myself to the exact details as shown and
described, as these may obviously be modified without departing from the nature of
the invention; for instance metal springs might be used, placed in a cylindrical recess
in the body or the slide.
When distributing large cards, I may find it desirable to employ an extra support,
which may consist of a piece of wire secured to the side or other part of the body A,
so as not to interfere with the action of the springs C.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An apparatus for distributing cards for advertising purposes, in which provision
is made to securely hold the card preparatory to its being propelled forward edgeways,
by having rotary motion imparted to it by the action of a spring or springs, as set
forth.
2. An apparatus for distributing cards or propelling missiles, substantially as
herein shown and describel.