IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING ANDING STAMP
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Twigg and Arthur Lucas Silvester,
of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturers, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Twigg and
Arthur Lucas Silvester at the Office of the Commissioners of.
Patents, with their Petition and Declaration, on the 29th
January 1858, pursuant to the 9th section of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852.
We, GEORGE TWIGG and ARTHUR LUCAS SILVESTER, of Birming..
ham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturers, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CUTTING AND AFFIXING STAMPS AND LABELS," and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, to be as follows, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, (that is to say):
The Invention consists of improvements in apparatus more par-
ticularly applicable to the purpose of attaching postage stamps to

page_text: Sheet (A) Figure 1, is an elevation of the apparatus.
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Figure 2, a plan view of the top.
Sheet (B) Figure 3, a longitudinal section.
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Figure 4, a plan from the under side.
Sheet (C) Figure 5, a longitudinal section, shewing another mo-
dification of the same apparatus.
39
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Figure 6, a plan of same.
We now proceed to describe the working parts. (A) Figure 1)
is an oblong box screwed to the stand (B). (C) is a bracket fitting
the outside of the box for the purpose of supporting the bolster D.
E is a plate having the flange F, Figure 3, on each side pro-
jecting into and fitting the inside of the box (A), for the purpose
of carrying various parts herein-after to be described. This plate
E, with the bracket C, are firmly secured to the sides of the box
(A), as shewn at (G, G), Figure 1). The horizontal shaft (H),
mounted in bearings (I,I), receives motion from the lever handle
(J). Upon this shaft (H) a lever (K) is fixed, which acts on the
under side of the sliding block or piston (L) Figure .3), working
vertically in the box (M) secured to the plate (E). At one side
of this square piston (L), is attached a steel cutter (N), the face
or cutting side working against a steel plate (0) Figure 3), and is
kept in close contact by the spring (P), which is secured to the box
(M), and presses the side of the piston (L). In the steel plate (0)
there is a slot, the upper edge of which acts also as a cutter in con-
nection with the corresponding cutter (N). In the piston (Q) is
a carriage for feeding the machine with continuous strips of postage
stamps or labels which have been previously cut to the width of
one stamp or label. The under part of this carriage fits easily,
and slides in a slot (R) formed in the plate (E) Figure 2), and
works in the following manner:-The end of a strip of stamps is

page_text: introduced between the under side of the spring (S) and the face
of the carriage (Q) Figure 3), and is pushed forward to the vertical
sliding piece (T). The distance that the carriage (Q) travels is
precisely the length of the stamp or label, but may be regulated by
the adjusting screw (U), on the end of which is the small stop (V),
which prevents the carriage working too far. By raising the lever
handle (J), the shaft (H) makes a partial revolution, which moves
the cam (W), fixed on the shaft (H), and brings the cavity (X) of
the said cam immediately under the vertical sliding plate (T); and
this sliding plate is then caused to fall into the cavity of the cam by
a small spring (Y), that is attached to the under side of the plate
(E), and acts on the stud (Z) fixed in the sliding plate (T). The
vertical sliding plate (T) works in a slotted plate (2) secured to
the end (3) of the plate (E), the slot being of sufficient width to
allow a postage stamp or other label to pass easily through. As
soon as the vertical sliding plate (T) descends, the stud (4) in the
lever (K) comes in contact with the (L) shaped piece (5) under-
neath the piston (L), causing the piston to descend; the parts of
the machine being so adjusted, that when the piston (L) has de-
scended to its proper place, the lever (6) fixed on the shaft (H)
comes in contact with the spring (7) secured to the under side of
the plate (E), which acts as a stop to the lever or bracket (8)
under the carriage (Q). The lever (6) presses the spring (7), and
allows the carriage charged with stamps to be moved forward by
the spring (9) as far as the small stop (V) carrying the strip of
stamps through the cutting plate (0) to the proper distance to be
cut off, the spring (S) in the carriage pressing gently on the
strip to prevent its shifting. The stamp is then ready to be cut off,
which is done by pressing the handle (J) downwards, reversing the
motion of the shaft (H), and causing the cam to raise the vertical
sliding plate, and fastening the strip between the upper edge of the
sliding plate (T) and the slotted plate (2), thus holding the strip
whilst the carriage returns to its original position. The lever (6)
then liberates the spring (7), and the curved arm (10) Figure 3),
fixed to the lever (K), presses the lever or bracket (8), and forces

page_text: the carriage back to its original place, where it is retained by the
spring (7). At the same time the lever K, working on the piston
(L), causes it to ascend and cut off one stamp or label.
.
Those parts shewn in red in the Drawings represent a reservoir
attached to the machine, and which consists of a box containing in
it a roller covered with flannel or some soft and absorbent material,
as shewn at (13). This roller revolves on a spindle as at (14), and
-is always partially immersed in the water with which the reservoir
is partly filled. The letter or paper to which the stamp or label is
to be affixed, having been passed over the top of this roller; is
pressed slightly on it by the spring (15), exerting just sufficient
.pressure to allow the one corner of the letter, to absorb some slight
moisture from the wet roller; the damp part is then placed between
the bolster (D) and the piston (L) with its face to the piston, by a
motion of the lever hands (J) the operations herein-before men-
tioned are then performed, and a stamp having been cut off is
brought up by the piston (L), and attached to the face of the
.letter.
Figures 5 and 6 show views of another modification of the same
machine, save that the operations are peformed by the worm on the
main shaft, and by crank instead of lever.
(A)-Figure 5, is a worm-formed lever, something similar to a screw
fan, on the main shaft; and as this shaft revolves by the motion of the
.crank handle the worm acts on the stud (B) fixed on the under side of
the feeding carriage (Q), pressing it forward for the purpose before
described. The carriage being returned to its original position by
the spring (C),. the square piston (L) is worked upwards in manner
similar to that in the machine before described, but is brought down
by the spring (E) working on the small stud (D) fixed into the
piston (L). (J) is a spiral spring, allowing a slight resiliency to
the bolster (D), and thereby regulating the pressure; the damping
apparatus being the same as that already mentioned.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, we wish it to be
understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details

page_text: herein specified; but what we claim is, the general arrangement and
combination of the various mechanical contrivances herein-before
set forth in producing apparatus for the purpose of cutting and
affixing stamps and labels.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Twigg and Arthur
Lucas Silvester, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Twenty-sixth day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-three.
GEORGE
(L.S.) TWIGG.
ARTHUR LUCAS (L.s.) SILVESTER.