AN IMPROVED LABEL AND STAMP SETTER
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Beard, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED LABEL AND
STAMP SETTER."
Scaled the 26th June 1855, and dated the 16th April 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Beard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th April 1855.
I, GEORGE BEARD, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED LABEL AND STAMP SETTER" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in an apparatus for setting or affixing in their proper
places labels, postage or receipt stamps (of the label kind), &c. which have
been previously gummed or cemented on one side thereof.
On a suitable sole plate is mounted a water box, with a cushion at top, and
a sponge or other means of raising the fluid therein for keeping such cushion
continually wet; above the cushion is a small platten at the end of a spring
plunger (to be actuated by the pressure of the fingers.
On the same sole plate is another box (provided with a lock and key), such
box containing the labels, gum, tickets, &c., the capacity whereof may be such
as to hold a given quantity only, when the apparatus will act as a tell-tale.
This box should be telescopic in form, that is to say, the upper part should
slide over the lower part, and the lower part should have a false bottom with a

page_text: spring beneath, connected with the upper part of the box, to ensure that part
finding its proper position; above this box is a platten at the end of a spring
plunger of the same character as that of the water box.
In use, the part of the envelope, letter, sheet of paper, &c. to which the
stamp, label, &c. is to be affixed is placed on the cushion; the plunger is then
brought down upon it in order to ensure its being properly brought in contact
with the cushion and wetted, which baving been done, the wetted part is
placed on the top of the label or stamp (presented with its gummed surface
uppermost) in the label or stamp box, and its plunger brought down upon the
same, whereby a label, stamp, &c. is set or affixed to such envelope, sheet of
paper, &c.
I may remark that the water box, together with its spring,
plunger, and platten, might be found very useful without the other parts of
this apparatus; and I would also remark that instead of two boxes, as I have
described, several might be used in combination.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Beard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th October 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
BEARD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Beard, Her special licence that I, the said George Beard,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Beard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED LABEL
AND STAMP SETTER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Beard, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed

page_text: in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Beard, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereto annexed:-
(I.) The nature of my said Invention consists in an improved apparatus for
setting and affixing in their proper places labels, postage or receipt stamps (of
the label kind), &c. which have been previously gummed or cemented on the
affixing side thereof, which apparatus is of the following construction:-On a
suitable sole plate is affixed a water box, with a cushion at top, and a sponge
or other means of raising the the fluid therein for keeping such cushion wet;
above this cushion is a small platten at the end of a plunger (working in a
suitable guide), and to be actuated by the pressure of the fingers; on the same
sole plate is another box provided with a lock and key, such box being for the
reception of the labels, tickets, or stamps. The last-mentioned box is telescopic
in character, that is, the outer or upper part slides over the inner or under part,
which inner or under part should have a plate or top for receiving the stamps
or labels, with a spring beneath connected with the outer or upper part, in order
to bring it up to its work. Above the last-mentioned box is also a platten at
the end of a plunger, similar to that for the water box. Instead of having only
one water box and one label or stamp box on this sole plate, there might be
one or more water boxes and several label or stamp boxes, so as to contain
labels, postage stamps, receipt stamps, &c.
3
In use, the part of the envelope, letter, sheet of paper, &c. to which the
stamp, label, &c. is to be affixed is placed on the cushion; the plunger is then
brought down upon it in order to ensure its being properly brought in contact
with the cushion and wetted, which being done, the wetted part is placed on
the top of the stamp box, in which the labels or stamps are laid with the
gummed surfaces uppermost, and its plunger brought down upon the same,
whereby a label or stamp is set on or affixed to such envelope, letter, sheet of
paper, &c. I might remark that the water box, together with its plunger and
platten, might be found very useful without the other parts of this apparatus.
(II.) Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, as required
by the aforesaid condition in the said Letters Patent contained, I now proceed
particularly to describe and ascertain in what manner the same is to be
performed or put in practice, wherein I shall refer to the accompanying
Drawings, as follows:-

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the apparatus, shewing the water box; Fig. 2,
another elevation, shewing the stamp box; Fig. 3, a plan; Fig. 4, vertical
section of the water box open; Fig. 5, vertical section of the stamp box
open; Fig. 6, vertical section of the stamp box closed; Fig. 7, plan of part of
stamp box, shewing lock; Fig. 8, view of part of stamp box, shewing slot,
also the hole serving for the lock bolt to pass through. In these Drawings
the same letters of reference denote the same parts wherever they appear
thereon.
A denotes the base or sole plate, upon which is the pillar B, secured to the
said sole plate by a screw passing through same and terminating in the hollow
under part thereof, where it is fastened by a screw nut. The pillar B supports
the guide piece C, secured to the top thereof by the screw nut D on a screw at
top of the said pillar; E denotes the water box, secured to the sole plate by
screw and nut, as shewn at Fig. 4; it is provided with a sponge F, connected to
the under part of the cushion G in the lid I of the box. One side of this box
at rises above its top, forming a guide for regulating the proper descent of
the platten I, belonging thereto. K is the plunger, of which the said platten
is one termination, the other being the screw nut L, screwed on to a screw at
top of the said plunger at K. This plunger is of increased thickness, forming
a collar or shoulder, preventing the plunger rising too high. This plunger
works through an orifice in the guide part C, which at C' has a collar or
shoulder piece, against the top of which one end of the helical spring (shewn
by the lines drawn across the said plunger) coiled round the said plunger (K)
abuts, the other end abutting against the shoulder of the screw nut (L). N is
the plunger belonging to the stamp box, similar in every respect to that just
described, except that it has no collar or shoulder piece (as at K in the other
plunger, and that to its platten N¹ is attached a piece of metal, which depends
therefrom, forming a guide for its proper descent, and is used in locking up
the same, for which purpose a hole is provided therein, serving as a staple
for the lock bolt. C2 denotes the collar or shoulder, similar in character and
action to that marked C', and herein-before described; N is a little screw
passing through this platten, the point of which is intended to mark on the
envelope, letter, &c. the extreme limit of one postage stamp, &c., so that it
may be known where to place any others; 0 denotes the stamp box, of
telescopic character, as aforesaid, being in two parts, (viz.,) an inner or lower
part P, of smaller diameter than the outer or upper part Q, which slides over

page_text: the lower part (P), which has a lid or top P', on which the stamps or labels
are to be laid with their gummed surfaces uppermost. The upper part (Q) is
connected to the lower part by a bar R, fastened to the upper part, and which
passes through slots R* in the lower part. To this bar is connected one end
of a coiled spring (coiled around a prolongation of the head of the screw which
secures the stamp box to the base A), whereby the upper part may be made to
rise or fall by the certain action of the platten thereon, so that when only a few
stamps, &c. are in the box they may be as well acted upon as if there were
S is a band round the upper part, which at S is at some distance from
the side, leaving an opening into which the part Q drops when it is required
to lock the box. The operation of this apparatus having been explained in
the outset of this Specification, and in the description just given, it will be
unnecessary to add anything with regard thereto.
(III.) Having now particularly described the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would add that I do not
confine myself to the precise details exhibited in the Drawings, and described
with reference thereto, as they are shewn and described only in illustration of
my Invention; what I claim as my Invention being, the improved label or
stamp setter or affixer, the nature and character whereof is set forth in the
outset (I.) of this my Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Beard, have hercunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of October, One thousand eight hundred and