Moistening Device for Moistening Gummed Envelopes, Postage Stamps, and for similar uses.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 10th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Moistening Device for Moistening Gummed Envelopes, Postage
Stamps, and for similar uses.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Robert Booraem, of Jersey City, New Jersey,
U.S.A. Inventor,) to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improvement in devices for moistening gums:
envelopes, postage-stamps, etc., and other similar uses; and the object of the same
is to provide a receptacle for holding a supply of water or other liquid which may
be conveniently kept as a part of the paraphernalia of any writing-desk and in
which the supply of liquid for moistening will be constant and readily regulated.
A great number of portable devices have been constructed for the purpose of
supplying mucilage, shoe-blacking, water for cleaning slates, elc., through the
medium of a brush or sponge; but in all of these devices there is either no means
of controlling the supply of the liquid or else the devices employed are of such a
nature as to so diminish the capillary attraction of the particles of moisture at the
point of control that the sponge or brush becomes dry when the article is not in
use, and when the moisture is again admitted some time elapses before the liquid
commences to flow.
The object of my invention, as before stated, is to provide an article in which
these objections are obviated, and I accomplish this by making the receptacle or
bottle containing the water or liquid of a peculiar shape, and I provide a
controlling device or valve in the neck of the bottle which is easily and completely
regulated by the hand.
The bottle or vessel for containing the moisture, may be of any convenient
material, shape, or design. In any case it is imperative to so form the bottle
upon its base that it cannot be placed on end, for the reason that an absence of
water in actual contact with the regulating device will cut off the supply of water
to the sponge or brush entirely; and it will also be found desirable to so form
the bottle that when laid down it will assume a practically-horizontal position,
so keeping the water in its interior in constant contact with the regulating-
valve.
The neck of the bottle is provided with a screw-threaded sleeve or collar, which
may be formed thereon or attached thereto, over which is screwed a hollow
sleeve or nipple, provided on its inner surface with a screw-thread, which sleeve
screws over the screw-threaded collar, so making a tight joint.
In the interior of the sleeve is placed a compression-pad for regulating and
constantly delivering a supply of liquid to the sponge or brush. This pad is
composed of two perforated metal discs which fit into the interior of the sleeve,
and the lower of these discs rests upon lugs or is rigidly fastened in the sleeve in
any convenient manner.
A moisture-absorbing compression-pad is placed between the discs. It may be
composed of cotton, fax, felt, sawdust, paper-pulp, cotton-waste, rubber, hair,
flannel, worsted, sponge, cloth, glass, or slag wool, lamp-wick, asbestos, chamois,
leather or any other suitable material, or any combination of these or similar
materials that will retain moisture.
The vessel is provided with a hollow stopper provided with a screw-threaded
projection at the base and fitted to screw into the upper end of a sleeve. The

page_text: hollow stopper contains a sponge, brush, wick, or other moisture-distributing
medium through which moisture may be drawn by capillary attraction, which
passes through its hollow interior, and is securely fastened and comes in contact
with the upper disc of the compression-pad.
The compression of the pad is effected by screwing down the cap so that the
extremity of the screw-threaded portion of the cap will come in contact with
the upper of the two discs forming the pad and so force the same down. In this
way, the lower disc being held firmly in the neck of the vessel, the pad will be
compressed, and, by compressing the particles of the material composing it, so
bringing them into closer contact with each other, lessens its porosity and the
supply of moistening medium is gradually cut off.
The operation of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing description.
The bottle portion of the device may be filled with the desired liquid by
unscrewing the sleeve at the lower end from the neck of the bottle. After filling,
the sleeve is screwed down tight and the supply of moisture to the sponge is
regulated by turning the cap. The bottle should be kept upon a flat surface so
that the compression-pad shall be kept continually moist, and to prevent the sponge
or brush from conveying moisture to the surface upon which the device rests, a
flange with a milled edge is provided on the cap for raising and supporting the
same.
When it is desired to use the device, it is simply taken in the hand, the
cap is turned so as to allow the compression-pad to expand, and the moisture
will then be supplied continuously through the pad to the sponge or brush, and
from the sponge or brush to the surface where it is desired.
Dated this 8th day of November 1890.
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Moistening Device for Moistening Gummed Envelopes, Postage
Stamps, and for similar uses.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Robert Booraem, of Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Inventor,) 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 an improvement in devices for moistening gums,
envelopes, postage-stamps, etc., and other similar uses; and the object of the same
is to provide a receptacle for holding a supply of water or other liquid which may
be conveniently kept as a part of the paraphernalia of any writing-desk and in
which the supply of liquid for moistening will be constant and readily regulated.
A great number of portable devices have been constructed for the purpose of
supplying mucilage, shoe-blacking, water for cleansing slates, etc., through the
medium of a brush or a sponge; but in all of these devices there is either no
means of controlling the supply of the liquid or else the devices employed are of
such a nature as to so diminish the capillary attraction of the particles of moisture
at the point of control that the sponge or brush becomes dry when the article is
not in use, and when the moisture is again admitted some time elapses before the
liquid commences to flow.
The object of my invention, as before stated, is to provide an article in which
these objections are obviated, and I accomplish this by making the receptacle or
bottle containing the water or liquid of a peculiar shape, and I provide a
controlling device or valve of the neck of the bottle which is easily and
completely regulated by the hand.

page_text: The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying sheet
of drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the device;
Fig. 2, a side view of the same resting upon a flat surface;
Fig. 3, an enlarged view of the neck of the bottle, showing the moisture-
controlling device; and
Fig. 4, a view of a detail of construction.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
In the drawings, A represents the bottle or vessel containing the moisture, which
may be of any convenient material, shape or design. In any case it is imperative
to so form the bottle upon its base that it cannot be placed on end, for the reason
that an absence of water in actual contact with the regulating device will cut off
the supply of water to the sponge or brush entirely; and it will also be found
desirable to so form the bottle that when laid down it will assume a practically-
horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2, so keeping the water in its interior in
constant contact with the regulating-valve.
a,
The neck of the bottle is provided with a screw-threaded sleeve or collar
which may be formed thereon or attached thereto, over which is screwed a hollow
sleeve or nipple B, provided on its inner surface with a screw-thread /, which
sleeve screws over the screw-threaded collar a, so making a tight joint.
In the interior of the sleeve B is placed a compression-pad E for regulating and
constantly delivering a supply of liquid to the sponge or brush. This pad is
composed of two perforated metal discs e e, which fit into the interior of the
sleeve B, and the lower of these discs rests upon lugs or is rigidly fastened in the
sleeve B in any convenient manner. One of these discs is shown in Fig. 4,
the perforations, of which there may be any number, being indicated by o o.
A moisture-absorbing compression-pad e² is placed between the discs, as shown
in the views. It may be composed of cotton, flax, felt, sawdust, paper-pulp, cotton
waste, rubber, hair, flannel, worsted, sponge, cloth, glass or slag wool, lamp-wick,
asbestos, chamois leather, or any other suitable material, or any combination of
these or similar materials that will contain moisture.
The vessel is provided with a hollow stopper D, provided with a screw-threaded
projection d at the base and fitted to screw into the upper end of the sleeve B.
The hollow stopper contains a sponge, brush, wick, or other moisture-distributing
medium C, through which moisture may be drawn by capillary attraction, which
passes through its hollow interior, and is securely fastened and comes in contact
with the upper disc of the compression-pad.
The general arrangement of the disc with reference to the sleeve B and the
stopper D is shown in Fig. 3, e representing the filling or material, which is
compressed. The compression of the pad is effected by screwing down the cap d
so that the extremity of the screw-threaded portion of the cap will come in contact
with the upper of the two discs forming the pad and so force the same down. In
this way, the lower disc being held firmly in the neck of the vessel the pad will
be compressed, and, by compressing the particles of the material composing it, so
bringing them into closer contact with each other, lessens its porosity and the
supply of moistening medium is gradually cut off.
In certain cases, where a maximum amount of moisture is suddenly required, it
may be found desirable to add agencies for causing the two discs to separate by
some force other than the mutual expansion of the filling when the pressure of
the stopper is relieved by unscrewing, in order that the filling may more readily
expand, and so permit the moisture to flow out. In such case a ring of rubber f
may be used, as shown in cross-section in Fig. 3, which ring will be compressed
with the filling by the screwing down of the stopper, and when the pressure is
removed it will expand and resume its original shape and carry the disc e upward
with it, increasing the porosity of the pad and allowing moisture to pass freely.
Instead of this rubber ring any other device that will accomplish the same purpose
may be used-such as a spiral spring placed between the two discs, or one or

page_text: more discs of perforated soft rubber as part of the compression-pad. The addition
of soft-rubber perforated discs to the moisture compression-pad will have two-fold
advantages: first, it will serve as a spring to separate or expand the material
composing the compression-pad, and secondly, when the soft-rubber perforated
discs are compressed or squeezed the perforations or holes between become closed
or partially closed by the protruding rubber, and thus serve to check or partially
check, as may be desired, the flow of water moistening the pad, thus becoming a
valve or regulator in itself.
The operation of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing description.
The bottle portion of the device may be filled with the desired liquid by unscrewing
the sleeve B at the lower end from the neck of bottle A. After filling, the
sleeve B is screwed down tight and the supply of moisture to the sponge is
regulated by turning the cap D. The bottle should be kept upon a flat surface,
as shown in Fig. 2, so that the compression-pad shall be kept continuously moist,
and to prevent the sponge or brush Ċ from conveying moisture to the surface upon
which the device rests a flange d', with a milled edge, is provided on the cap D
for raising and supporting the same as shown in Fig. 2.
When it is desired to use the device, it is simply taken in the hand, the cap D
is turned so as to allow the compression-pad to expand, and the moisture will then
be supplied continuously through the pad to the sponge or brush C and from the
sponge or brush to the surface where it is desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. In a device for moistening gums, envelopes, postage-stamps, etc., and other
similar uses, the combination, with the moisture-containing receptacle, of a stopper
adjustable in its neck, and a compression-pad placed in said neck of the same and
arranged to be compressed by the turning of the stopper.
2. In a device for moistening gums, envelopes, postage-stamps, etc., and other
similar uses, the combination, with the moisture-containing receptacle, of a
compression-pad composed of two perforated discs, combined with a filling, sub-
stantially as described, placed in the neck of the receptacle and arranged to be
adjusted by the turning of the stopper of the receptacle."
3. In a device for moistening gums, envelopes, postage-stamps, etc., and other
similar uses, the combination, with the moisture-containing receptacle of a
compression-pad, substantially as described, placed in the neck of the vessel, and
a hollow stopper arranged to screw upon the neck, containing a suitable distributing
medium, the inner extremity of which passes through its interior and comes in
contact with the compression-pad, so arranged that by screwing the stopper down
or up the pad will be compressed or expanded and the supply of moisture regulated
or cut off, as may be desired.
4. In a device for moistening gums, envelopes, postage-stamps, etc., and other
similar uses, the combination, with the moisture-containing receptacle A, provided
with the screw-threaded neck a, of the screw-sleeve B, the compression-pad F in
the interior of the sleeve, the hollow screw-stopper D, screwing into the sleeve,
and the distributing medium C, passing through the stopper D, for the purpose
set forth.
5. In a device for moistening gums, envelopes, postage-stamps, etc., and other
similar uses, the combination, with the moisture-containing receptacle having a
stopper longitudinally adjustable in its neck, of a compression-pad, substantially as
described, arranged to be adjusted by the movement of the stopper, having one or
more elastic substances in its interior, for the purposes set forth.
6. In a device for moistening gums, envelopes, postage-stamps, etc., and other
similar uses, the combination, with the moisture-containing receptacle having a
stopper longitudinally adjustable in its neck, of a compression-pad, substantially
as described; arranged to be adjusted by the movement of the stopper, having one

page_text: or more discs of soft rubber within and forming a part of the same, for the purposes
set forth.
7. In a device for moistening gums, envelopes, postage-stamps, etc., and other
similar uses, the combination, with the moisture-containing receptacle, of a com-
pression-pad placed in the neck of the vessel, composed of two perforated discs
containing between them one or more perforated soft-rubber discs, combined with
a filling, substantially as described, and arranged to be adjusted by turning the
stopper of the receptacle.
Dated this 8th day of August 1801
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant.