IMPROVEMENTS IN NUMBERING MACHINES
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Craig and David Carlaw
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the
6th March 1865.
We, THOMAS CRAIG, Paper Ruler, and DAVID CARLAW, Machinist, both of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN NUMBERING MACHINES," to
be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object to render numbering machines more con-
venient in use, more certain and accurate in action, and less liable to get out
of order.
In common numbering machines of the kind to which the present improve-
ments are applicable the numbering wheels are carried by a slide which
moves vertically, and in rising the wheels are very much in the way of the
operator in turning over the pages or sheets which are being numbered, 'wbilst
at the same time the joints and working parts are very apt to get loose and
out of order. By the present Invention the wheel carrier is held and actuated
by levers on two horizontal rocking spindles set one above the other in
bearings in the fixed framing. Two parallel levers on the lower rocking
spindle are jointed one to each side of the lower part of the wheel carrier,
whilst two levers on the upper rocking spindle, and parallel to the lower
levers are jointed one to each side of the upper part of the wheel carrier.
This arrangement forms a kind of parallel motion, which, whilst in rising it
keeps the wheel carrier vertical, at the same time carries it a little from the
operator, so that the leaves or sheets can be turned much more conveniently.
The arrangement is also much steadier in working, and much less liable to

page_text: become loose, and to increase the steadiness short levers connected by links
are placed on the rocking spindles in positions at right angles, or nearly so, to
the other parallel levers. The numbering wheels with the ratchet wheel and
catches for turning them are arranged much as usual, excepting that thin
metal washers are placed between the wheels to prevent one wheel from
The ratchet wheel is turned
moving another round when it should not do so.
by means of the usual lever catch, but the adjustment to make this lever take
two teeth or one tooth as required is not effected by shifting loose stop pius,
but by turning a permanent pin, which is shaped to act on the catch lever
differently according to the position in which it is turned. When numbers
are to be repeated a suitable cam wheel is brought into play to act on the
catch lever to prevent its falling into gear, excepting after the required
repetition of each number. The cam wheel is on a spindle behind the upper
end of the catch lever, and the lever is formed with a bent point to rest on
the edge of the cam wheel. The cam wheel spindle is turned by means of a
ratchet wheel and catch a tooth at every stroke, but the cam wheel is notched
to correspond to every second tooth for example, and the catch lever falling
into each notch causes the number to be changed at every second impression
only. There may be several cam wheels on the spindle notched for two,
three, or more repetitions, and the one that is required is brought into action
by shifting along the spindle to bring it opposite the catch lever. The cam
wheel spindle is prevented from moving too much or too little by a wheel
fixed upon it, and formed with faces corresponding to the ratchet teeth, and
against which faces a spring bears. The inking details are the same as in
common machines, excepting that the bell cranks for moving the inking roller
are worked by links jointed to the lower parallel levers, and that the inking
roller is formed or fixed upon a tube, so that it can be more conveniently
adjusted upon the spindle. A tape is employed as in common machines to
receive any markings from the under sides of the pages when the second side
is being numbered, this tape being gradually moved along to present fresh
surfaces continually, but in the improved machine a much greater length of
tape is introduced, and the trouble of changing it lessened by passing it
several times up and down between the table of the machine and the floor
round suitable guide pulleys at top and bottom.