IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR STAMPING OR PRINTING TRADE MARKS, DEVICES, WORDS, FIGURES, OR HEADINGS UPON FABRICS WHICH ARE FOLDED OR IN THE PIECE; ALSO APPLICABLE FOR STAMPING OR PRINTING UPON OTHER FOLDED OR MADE-UP Goods
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nicholas Sherwood Symons, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
STAMPING OR PRINTING TRADE MARKS, DEVICES, WORDS, FIGURES, OR
HEADINGS UPON FABRICS WHICH ARE FOLDED OR IN THE PIECE; ALSO
APPLICABLE FOR STAMPING OR PRINTING UPON OTHER FOLDED OR MADE-UP
Goods."
Sealed the 25th January 1878, and dated the 8th October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nicholas Sherwood Symons
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th October 1877.
NICHOLAS SHERWOOD SYMONS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster. "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR STAMPING OR PRINTING TRADE MARKS, DEVICES,
WORDS, FIGURES, OR HEADINGS UPON FABRICS WHICH ARE FOLDED OR IN THE
PIECE; ALSO APPLICABLE FOR STAMPING OR PRINTING UPON OTHER FOLDED OR
MADE-UP GOODS."
My Invention relates to self-acting mechanism for stamping or printing upon
fabrics which are folded or in the piece, and which is also applicable for stamping
or printing upon other goods made up in parcels of uniform size.
According to one mode of carrying out my Invention I employ an endless apron,
creeper, or feeder, forming a table, upon which the "pieces "are placed against a guage
or ledge, which endless apron or creeper has intermittent motion imparted to it, so
that at each movement it will bring the pieces in succession under a stamp to
receive the impression, the apron or creeper being stationary while the impression
is given, and then moving on to the delivery end of the endless apron, the length of
which may vary as desired, to give more or less time to allow the printed impression
to dry. In order to hasten this drying, however, hollow plates heated by steam or
other means may be placed over the apron and just above the piece; and a current
of air may also be employed, if desired, produced by a centrifugal fan or other
Price 1

page_text: means. When the stamped or printed "piece" has arrived at the delivery end of the
apron it is removed.
The stamps or blocks for stamping or printing are secured upon a cross beam, and
such blocks or stamps are arranged to be readily removed or changed, and so as to
be adjusted by spacing pieces.
The beam carrying the blocks is made to slide upon rods or in guides, and can
be moved up and down vertically by means of rods connected with levers on an
oscillating shaft passing across the framing, the levers on this shaft having bowls on
them which work against cams on a cross shaft. These cams are so shaped as to
lift the beam carrying the printing blocks and hold it up while the piece comes
under, and then allow it to drop and stamp the impression on the piece or parcel,
and then again to lift the beam to allow the inking pad to come under the stamp,
which is caused to descend again by the cams to get charged with ink or color from
the pad; the beam is then lifted again slightly by the cams, and held up while the
ink or color pad retires, and then descends on to the next piece or parcel, which by
this time has been brought forward by the endless apron.
The inking or color pad is arranged on horizontal slides, the lower side of the
box carrying the pad being just clear of the piece, which can pass under.it and
the box carrying the pad is moved to and fro as required by a cam or cams on the
cam shaft, before referred to, by connections with levers on a oscillating shaft,
which shaft is actuated by a rod having a bowl or bowls in it, acted upon by the
said cam or cams.
The intermittent feed motion to the endless apron is given from the last-named
oscillating shaft for the inking or color pad by a rod acting upon a lever, having a
ratchet pawl which acts upon a ratchet wheel; giving motion to gear driving the
roller for the delivery end of the endless apron.
The ink or color is supplied to the inking pad from a cistern extending across
the pad, which cistern has a narrow slit having a strip of felt in it, and screws are
provided for increasing or diminishing the size of the slit to regulate the discharge
of ink or color to the pad as required. This cistern is hinged so as to be turned
from a vertical to a horizontal position; in the latter position the flow of the ink
or color will cease. The blocks may be inked by rollers made to travel under them,
or by other suitable arrangements.
According to another modification of my Invention the printing blocks are
secured to a cylinder which is continually rotated, the type or block being inked
by rollers as well known in printing. The endless apron in this case has either a
continuous or intermittent motion, accordingly as the type or blocks are arranged to
fill the entire or only part of the circuinference of the roller or cylinder, the endless
apron being geared to move at the same speed as the surface of the type or block
on the printing cylinder when making its impression.
The endless apron may be arranged to move continuously when the printing type
or block only extends over part of the circumference of the printing cylinder, the
pieces or articles to be printed being placed upon the endless apron at the required
distance apart, in which case a lifting gauge actuated by a cam may be used to
facilitate the placing of the pieces upon the endless apron.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Nicholas Sherwood Symons in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th April 1878.
NICHOLAS SHERWOOD SYMONS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR STAMPING OR PRINTING TRADE MARKS, DEVICES,
WORDS, FIGURES, OR HEADINGS UPON FABRICS WHICH ARE FOLDED OR IN THE
PIECE; ALSO APPLICABLE FOR STAMPING OR PRINTING UPON OTHER FOLDED OR
MADE-UP GOODS."
My said Invention relates to self-acting mechanism for stamping or printing upon
fabrics folded or in the piece, and which is also applicable for stamping or printing
upon other goods made up into parcels of uniform size, and it consists of a peculiar
combination and arrangement of mechanism to be herein-after described, whereby
the pieces or parcels of goods to be printed are fed into the machine at one end
thereof upon an endless travelling apron, creeper, or feeder, by which they are
conducted beneath stamps or printing blocks, and after receiving an impression
are conveyed to the opposite end of the machine to be removed by hand or
otherwise.
The stamps or blocks for stamping or printing the pieces or parcels of goods are
secured by means of spacing pieces and clamping screws upon a cross beam so as to
be capable of being readily adjusted or removed when required.
The beam carrying the stanips or printing blocks is caused to slide vertically upon
rods or in or upon suitable guides by means of rods and levers actuated by cams so
shaped and timed as to cause the said stamps or printing blocks to rise at the
requisite time to admit of a piece or parcel of goods being brought beneath them,
and then to descend and stamp or print an impression on the piece or parcel, and
then to again rise to admit of an inking pad being brought beneath them to descend
again and receive a supply of ink or color from the pad, to again rise slightly so as
to admit of the ink or color pad retiring, and then to descend again on to the next
piece or parcel, which by this time has been brought forward to beneath the
stamps or printing blocks by the endless apron herein-before referred to.
The inking or color pad, which is supplied with ink or color from a suitable
reservoir attached to the machine, is arranged to slide to and fro horizontally in or
upon suitable guides by means of a cam, or cams and levers suitably timed to bring
it under and remove it from beneath the stamps or printing blocks at the requisite
times; or the stamps or printing blocks may, if desired, be inked by means of rollers
caused to travel beneath them, or by any other suitable arrangements.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the
several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating correspondence parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a longitudinal section of a
machine constructed according to my said Invention for stamping or printing words,
trade marks, or other devices upon pieces or parcels of fabrics and other goods;
Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the machine; Figure 3 is an elevation of the feeding
end; and Figure 4 is a half transverse section and half elevation of the delivery
end of the machine.
A is the main framing, in which is mounted in suitable bearings the driving shaft
B fitted with pulleys B' for receiving motion from any suitable prime mover, and
transmitting it to the various parts of the machine in the manner herein-after
described; C is an endless apron, creeper, or feeder passed round and supported upon
four rollers D, D, D, and E, working in bearings in the framing A. This apron
which forms a table upon which the pieces or parcels to be printed are placed
against a lateral guage b, Fig. 1, receives an intermittent travelling motion (in the
manner herein-after described), so as to cause the pieces or parcels of goods placed
thereon to be successively brought into position to be printed to remain stationary

page_text: during the printing operation, and then to conduct the printed pieces or parcels to
the delivery end of the machine to be removed by hand or otherwise.
This intermittent motion of the apron may be obtained by means of a pawl and
ratchet wheel arrangement, if desired, but I prefer to effect it in the following
manner: Immediately beneath the roller E under which the apron is passed I
mount in suitable bearings a roller E' having a portion of its periphery cut away, as
shewn at a, Figure 1, to the extent of, say, about one-third of its circumference.
This roller, which may, if desired, be geared with the roller E, and fitted with
weighted levers or springs for increasing adhesion, receives rotatory motion from
the shaft B by means of gearing F, G, H, I, and as it rotates causes the apron to
travel forward during say two thirds of its revolution by nipping the apron between it
and the upper roller E. The apron is thus caused to travel forward to an extent equal
to about two thirds of the circumference of the roller E¹, which is sufficient to bring
a piece or parcel of goods placed on the feeding end of the apron at b into a position
for printing beneath the stamps or printing blocks K. The apron and the piece or
parcel of goods then remains-stationary during one third of a revolution of the roller
E' in consequence of the reduced portion at a of its periphery coming opposite the
roller E and thus releasing the apron, but so soon as the said reduced portion has
passed the roller E the apron is again nipped by the larger portion of the periphery
of the roller E engaging with the apron, and thereby propelling the same forwards.
During the time that the reduced portion of the roller E¹ is passing the roller E, and
the piece or parcel of goods is remaining stationary the printing or stamping of the
parcel is effected. This operation is performed in the following manner: The
stamps or printing blocks K (which are secured by means of spacing pieces c,
cramping plates d, and screws e to a chase f in such a manner as to be capable of
being readily adjusted or removed as required) are carried on a cross beam Lattached
to two sockets or pieces M fitted to slide vertically up and down rods N, carried on
the framing of the machine. To each of the sockets M is connected the upper end
of a rod O, the lower end of which is connected to the outer or free end P of a lever
Qwhich is centered at h to the main frame A.
The lever Q is provided with a friction bowl i engaging in a cam groovek formed
in one side of the wheel G, which is mounted upon the second motion shaft R, and
actuated by the pinion F, keyed on the shaft B. On the outer end of the shaft R
is also secured the wheel H, in gear with the wheel I, fast on the axis of the roller
E for imparting motion thereto, as herein-before described.
The wheel G is so fitted upon the shaft R as that during a portion of the time
the rollers E, E', are propelling the apron forward and conveying a piece or parcel
of goods into a position to be printed, the beam L carrying the stamps or printing
blocks K, is maintained in its highest position by the cams K acting upon the levers
Qand connecting rods O in order to admit of a color or inking pad S being brought
beneath the said stamps or printing blocks. This color or inking pad is fitted to
slide in guides l, on the opposite sides of the main framing of the machine, and is
supplied with color or ink as required from a reservoir T, mounted in brackets U, so
as to be capable of being partially rotated therein for the purpose of discontinuing
the supply of ink or color to the pad when required. The necessary to-and-fro
motion is imparted to the pad S by means of a cam groove m formed in the oppo-
site side of the wheel G to that of the cam groove, and having engaging therein
a friction bowl n, carried on a lever V, which is centered at its lower end o to the
framing A, and connected at its upper end to the frame or box carrying the inking
pad. The cam m is so shaped and timed with reference to the cam kas to cause
the inking pad S to be brought into position beneath the stamps or printing blocks
K, and to remain there while the latter descends on to it to receive a supply of ink
and rise again into their highest position, and then to return the pad to its original
position. By this time the roller E¹ will have completed two-thirds of a revolution
and the apron C will have conducted a piece or parcel of goods placed thereon at b
to beneath the stamps or printing blocks K, which are then caused to descend by
the action of the cam groove m on to and print the said piece or parcel, and rise

page_text: again to the highest position. The roller E' by this time has completed a revolu-
tion, and again engaged with the apron A, causing the latter to travel forward in
the manner herein-before described, so as to convey the printed piece or parcel from
beneath the stamps or printing blocks towards the delivery end of the machine, and
at the same time to conduct a fresh piece or parcel of goods placed upon the apron
at the feeding end 6 of the machine into position to be printed, the inking pad S
being then again brought into action, and the printing effected by a repetition of.
the series of operations herein-before described, and so on in succession during the
working of the machine.
In order to afford facility for changing the various colors of the ink as required,
the box or frame carrying the inking pad is provided with a removable frame p,
over which is stretched a sheet of waterproof cloth covered by a thin sheet of felt,
thus forming a kind of tympanum upon which the ink is supplied from the reser-
voir T, through one or more slits or openings with which it is provided.
When it is required to employ a different color it is simply necessary to remove
the tympanum and replace it by another, the ink reservoirs being also provided
with the required color or ink.
The ink is spread over the tympanum by means of a strip of felt, or a brush, or
both, connected to the reservoir in such a manner as to be capable of adjustment to
regulate the passage of ink from the reservoir on to the pad.
The endless apron may be made to extend to any desired distance beyond the
stamps or printing blocks. If desired the drying of the printed pieces or parcels
may be facilitated by employing hollow plates, heated by steam or otherwise, and
placed in such a position that the printed parcels shall be caused to pass beneath
them. Or if preferred currents of air may be directed on to the printed pieces or
parcels for the purpose of drying them. The beam L carrying the stamps or printing
blocks may be so fitted as to be capable of turning or swivelling on the sockets M,
so as to bring the face of the stamps or blocks upwards, or at a convenient angle for
cleaning them, without the necessity for removing them from the beam.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is, the general arrangement and combination of parts
constituting an apparatus for feeding pieces or parcels of fabrics or other goods
beneath a stamping or printing device, and stamping or impressing the same with
words, figures, trade marks, or other devices, and finally delivering the said pieces
or parcels of goods so stamped or printed from the machine, the whole constructed
and fitted with accessories so as to operate substantially in the manner herein-before
described, and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nicholas Sherwood Symons, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Fourth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight