IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CANCELING POSTAGE STAMPS AND POST-MARKING LETTERS AND PAPERS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Timothy Gideon Palmer, of Shultzville, and Henry Frost
Clark, of Poughkeepsie, both in the State of New York, United States of
America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CANCELING
POSTAGE STAMPS AND POST-MARKING LETTERS AND PAPERS."
Sealed the 20th February 1877, and dated the 26th September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Timothy Gideon Palmer and
Henry Frost Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th
September 1876.
TIMOTHY GIDEON PALMER, of Shultzville, and HENRY FROST CLARK, of Pough-
keepsie, both in the State of New York, United States of America.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR CANCELING POSTAGE STAMPS AND POST-MARKING LETTERS AND
PAPERS."
This Invention relates to a machine in which there is a continually revolving
motor shaft, an impression roller, and a printing roller, and there is a stop against
which the letter or paper is pressed as it is inserted, and this brings into action a
coupling device that connects the power to the printing mechanism, so that the
letter is carried through between the impression and printing rollers and the stamp
cancelled or the post mark printed,. or both, and then the letter or paper is moved
aside laterally and delivered from the machine by the action of fingers that are
moved by a cam and lever.
The impression roller is stopped by a locking lever at the time that the couplings
are disconnected, so as to prevent the inertia turning the roller too far, and then the
printing roller is arrested by a stop upon the mutilated gear wheel that drives it,
but just before this stop to the printing roller comes into action the stop lever is
moved to liberate the stop of the impression roller, so that the latter is free to be
turned by the act of inserting the next letter, and thereby bring into action the
coupling that connects the power to the roller, as aforesaid.
The impression roller is in yielding bearings to allow for varying thicknesses of
letters or papers, and the motor gearing is arranged so as to remain in gear and
allow of this movement.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Timothy Gideon Palmer and Henry Frost Clark in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 26th March 1877.
TIMOTHY GIDEON PALMER, of Schultzville, and HENRY FROST CLARK, of Pough-
keepsie, both in the State of New York, United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR CANCELING POSTAGE STAMPS AND POST-MARKING LETTERS AND
PAPERS."
This Invention relates to a machine in which there is a continually revolving
motor shaft, an impression roller, and a printing roller, and there is a stop against
which the letter or paper is pressed as it is inserted, and this brings into action a
coupling device that connects the power to the printing mechanism, so that the
letter is carried through between the impression and printing rollers and the stamp
canceled or the post mark printed, or both, and then the letter or paper is moved
aside laterally and delivered from the machine by the action of fingers that are
moved by a cam and lever.
The impression roller is stopped by a locking lever at the time that the couplings
are disconnected, so as to prevent the inertia turning the roller too far, and then the
printing roller is arrested by a stop upon the mutilated gear wheel that drives it,
but just before this stop to the printing roller comes into action the stop lever is
moved to liberate the stop of the impression roller, so that the latter is free to be
turned by the act of inserting the next letter, and thereby bring into action the
coupling that connects the power to the roller, as aforesaid.
The impression roller is in yielding bearings to allow for varying thicknesses of
letters or papers, and the motor gearing is arranged so as to remain in gear and
allow of this inovement.
In the Drawing,―
Fig. 1 is a side view of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a section of the printing and inking rollers and bed and elevation of the
gearing.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the stop lever and gear wheels at the line x, x.
And Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the same at the line y, y.
The shaft a is in suitable bearings b, and it is revolved continuously by any
suitable power, such as a foot treadle or a pulloy b¹ and band to a fly wheel driven
by an engine or other motor, or by a treadle. The frame a¹ of the machine is
preferably a casting having a slide c in which is a box c¹ carrying the shaft c of the
impression roller fand a stud 2 for the intermediate pinion d. The box c¹ can slide
in the slide c if the roller fis pressed down by the thickness of the letter or paper
inserted into the machine, and there is a spring 4 to press the roller f up again. The
pinion d gears into and is continuously revolved by the gear upon the shaft a, and
the slide c being vertical the pinion d can move up and down at the side of the
pinion h without the gear teeth becoming separated.
h
There is a gear wheel k upon the end of the impression roller shaft, and this is
not a complete gear, but it is mutilated by the removal of several teeth, so that the
impression roller can stop when the mutilated portion is contiguous to the gear d,
although the said gear d continues to revolve by the power. If this impression
roller is partially turned, the teeth of its wheel k are brought into contact with the
revolving wheel d, and it is turned thereby. We provide a stop pin i, off set, or
projection upon the impression roller f, so that the edge of the letter or paper being
moved against it turns the said roller and its mutilated gear sufficiently to couple
the same to the power by bringing the gear teeth of d and k together. This
character of coupling is very simple and easily operated, but we do not limit
ourselves to the use of the mutilated gears to couple the impression roller to the
power, but intend to use any suitable coupling actuated by the edge of the letter
or paper.

page_text: The printing roller is made in any desired manner. If it is only to cancel the
stamp there may be bars only, as seen in Fig. 1, to print lines across the stamp. If
the roller is to print the post mark it is to have suitable types and removable
number types to print the date, &c. This printing roller is of usual character,
except that the printing surface is segmental, the other portion being removed to
give room for inserting the letter.
The inking roller m is covered with felt or similar material and it receives ink
from the fountain n above it, and there is a gate n¹ that serves to regulate the
amount of ink passing from the fountain to the roller m.
The shaft of the printing roller has on the back end of it the gear wheel o,
which is not complete, but mutilated by the removal of teeth. The gear wheel p
upon the motor shaft a gives to the wheel o and printing roller its revolution, and
the latter stop when the mutilated portion of o is adjacent to the wheel p. It is
preferable to place the box of the shaft a that is near the wheel p in spring bearings,
to prevent injury if the points of the gear teeth strike together instead of passing
into the intermediate spaces. The locking lever r is upon a fulcrum 6, and there
are three stops 7, 8, and 9, upon the shaft c of the impression roller, also a stop 10
upon the mutilated wheel o. These stops are so placed that when the parts are at
rest the flat end of the stop 10 rests against the stop 9 at the end of the shaft e,
and the wheel o stands with the mutilated part adjacent to p.
When the impression roller is moved by the insertion of the letter, as aforesaid,
the gears d and k, interlock and revolve together and turn the shaft e, the stop 9 turns
down out of the way of 10, and the finger or stop 8 comes up against the projecting
pin 11 on the stop 10 and turns the mutilated gear o sufficiently to engage its teeth
with p, and the printing roller f is revolved to give the impression; the impression
roller is stopped by the stop 7 coming against the lever r, as in Fig. 3, and the
further movement of the mutilated gear o brings the pin 11 under the lever 1, to
lift it clear of the stop 7, and the wheel o is stopped by the contact of 10 with 9,
and the parts are ready for another letter, but do not move until one is inserted.
After the printing and before the printing roller has stopped the slide fingers t
are moved to discharge the latter laterally. These slide fingers t are upon bars u
and operated by a lever v that is made as a fork extending at each side of the frame
of the machine and connected to the fingers by links 14, and the lever moves upon
the fulcrum 15, and it is provided with an arm 16 that enters a cam groove in the
face of the wheel o, and this groove is shaped so as to operate the lever at the
proper time to deliver the letter or paper laterally, as aforesaid.
Having now described the nature of this Invention, and particularly ascertained
the mode or manner in or under which the same is or may be used or carried
practically into effect, we would observe in conclusion that without confining our-
selves to the exact details of construction or mechanism where they are capable of
obvious modifications, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-
First. In a stamp-canceling or post-marking machine a pressure roller provided
with a stop to be moved by the letter or paper as inserted in combination with a
continuously revolving motor, a printing roller, and a coupling that is moved to
connect the motor to the printing mechanism, substantially as set forth.
Second. The combination with the impression roller f and printing roller of the
locking lever and stops, substantially as specified, for arresting the movement of
the impression roller, then stopping the printing roller, and then liberating the
impression roller, substantially as described.
Third. The combination in a stamp-canceling or post-marking machine of the
laterally moving delivery fingers t, their actuating lever v, and cam, with the
printing and impression rollers and the stop movements of the same, substantially
as set forth.
Fourth. The combination in a stamp-canceling or post-marking machine of the
continuously revolving motor, mutilated gears, and intermediate pinion d, with the

page_text: impression roller f and yielding bearings c³, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Timothy Gideon Palmer and Henry Frost
Clark, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventh day of February,
AD 1877
Witnesses,
S. A. PALMER.
J. M. SCHULTZ.
(L.S.)
TIMOTHY G. PALMER.
HENRY FROST CLARK. (L.S.)