Improvements in Post-marking and Stamp-cancelling Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by CHARLES FREEMAN BROWN, of 41, Prospect
Street, Reading, in the County of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts,
United States of America, Gentleman.]
Improvements in Post-marking and Stamp-cancelling Machines.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement':-
This invention relates to machines for stamp-cancelling and post-marking mail-
matter wherein the mail-matter is deposited piece by piece in a suitably formed
hopper and thence fed automatically to marking devices, and after being marked,
is stacked in regular order automatically..
There are certain recognized essentials to a successfully operating machine of
this character. There must be a feed which will so time the mail-pieces in their
escape from the hopper as to positively ensure a uniformity in their presentation to
the marking devices so that each piece will receive the cancelling marks at the
same place. Again coaction of the marking devices to mark an interposed piece
must be controlled by the approaching piece so as to avoid the possibility of these
marking devices coming into co-operative relation in the absence of interposed
matter which would result in deposit of ink from the marking die onto the impression
surface er backing and subsequent smooching of the backs of letters. The stacking
mechanism should always be ready to receive a marked letter and immediately add
it to the stack; and to absolutely ensure the stacking of the letters in the order in
which they are marked, there should be provision for holding up the stack while
the new piece is received. Finally to secure a perfect operation of the machine
as a whole all its moving parts should be relatively timed with great accuracy.
These things are of special importance from the fact that these mail-marking
machines to be profitable must be capable of high speed.
All points above enumerated have been taken into consideration in evolving the
present invention, and a complete machine is here shown and described: which
fulfills every requirement as to speed, accuracy, and cleanliness.
Of the accompanying drawings which illustrate the machine and form part of
this Specification,--
Figure I shows a plan view of the complete inachine.
Figure 2 shows a plan view on an enlarged scale of the feed mechanism, with the
parts positioned as when a letter is first taken by the grippers.
Figure 3 shows a similar view, with the grippers advance.l.
Figure 4 shows the feed mechanism in front elevation.
Figure 5 shows the same in end elevation, with some parts in section.
Figure 6.shows on an enlarged scale a partial plan and partial section of the
mechanism for controlling co-operative relation of the marking devices, the parts
appearing in their normal positions.
Figure 7 shows a similar view illustrative of the change effected by an
approaching mail-niece.

page_text: Figure o snows the impression roll and its adjuncts in elevation as viewCU IONE
the side toward which the impression pad or bed faces.
Figure 9 shows an elevation of said roll as viewed at right angles to the direction
of vision in Figure 8.
Figure 10 shows an axial section of this roll.
Figure 11 shows a cross-section on line 11-11 of Figure 8.
Figure 12 illustrates a modification in the construction of the impression roll,
being a section similar to that in Figure 6.
Figure 13 shows a top plan view of that part of the machine having the improved
stacking mechanism.
Figure 14 shows a section on line 14-14 of Figure 13.
Figures 15, 16, and 17 are views similar to Figure 13, illustrating different
positions of parts:
The letter a designates a horizontal table having a longitudinal opening occupied
by the horizontal upper stretch of a conveyer-belt & forming the bottom of the
hopper, the sides b' and 62 of which are erected on the table. At some distance
from the discharge end of the hopper, the printing and impression cylinders c and e
are located, the former being in fixed bearings and the latter in bearings on a
pivoted spring-pressed frame. These cylinders are connected by gearing so as to
have a fixed relation of movement.
Just beyond the discharge end of the hopper, there are located a pair of feed-
rollers d and d², the former of which is positively driven through gearing connecting
it with the impression cylinder, and is journalled in bearings on a framed pivotally
connected with the frame and spring-held to create pressure of the roller d
against the roller d' which is an idler in fixed bearings.
It will now be seen that the feed-rollers have a fixed relation in their movements
to the printing and impression cylinders, so that the place of marking a letter can
be determined by the time of entrance of that letter between the feed-rollers.
The feed-roller d has a segmental portion of its periphery cut away, as shown at ḍ"
in Figures 2 and 3, for a purpose hereinafter explained.
One feature of the invention resides in means for positively entering the letter
between the feed-rollers at that exact time, and we will next describe the means
here shown for accomplishing that result. There is a fixed abutment in the form
of an arm e fastened to a post e rising from the table a just beyond the roller d',
and to one side of a central longitudinal line of the machine. The said arm
extends obliquely toward said line, and has an end face e extending transversely
to the centre line and terminating close beside the same, this line being the normal
Jetter-path. A pair of arms and are pivoted to ears on the hopper-sides b
and 6 respectively, and they converge toward the abutment-arm e and are bifurcated
at their ends to embrace the latter. The arm is pressed toward the arm 1 by a
comparatively light spring, and the latter arm has a heel-piece fs which is held
in contact with a pointed cam * by a spiral spring f³. The said cam is affixed on
a shaft, which is in gear with the printing cylinder and rotates synchronously
therewith, and in each revolution of these parts the cam moves the arm f
inward to the end of the abutment-face e³, the arm being pushed back by its
mate f¹.
Fl
The two arms constitute a switch, which by its vibration times the escape of a
letter past the abutment, said switch at just the proper moment arriving at the end
of the abutment-face and at all other times diverting a letter fed into it against
the said face.
Simultaneously with the arrival of the switch at the end of the abutment-face,
certain grippers close on the letter, said grippers being of the following description:
Slide-ways g and g are pivotally supported on opposite sides of the hopper, so as
to move in a horizontal plane, and springs o² connecting their rear ends with the
hopper-sides act to press the forward ends of the slide-ways outward. Rectangular
frames h and have shanks h² and which fit in the slide-ways and g¹, and the
said frames are actuated rearwardly in said ways by spiral springs. Each frame
'

page_text: has a web which is widened on the inner, side, there being formed at this part a
forked gripping foot whose gripping faces are covered with rubber to secure a
better effect. The forked gripping feet of the two frames face each other above
and below the abutment-arm e and switch-arms and f¹. The gripping and feed
movements. of the grippers are produced by cams which are constructed, and
arranged as follows: The frames h and embrace the shaft f and the shaft.d' of
roller d, respectively, and affixed to these shafts are cams and which act against
the two inner sides of the frames to move the grippers toward each other, the, said
cams having extended acting surfaces so as to hold the grippers closed during their
feed-movement. On the shafts and below the eams and there are affixed
other cams; and which act against pendent portions of the front sides of the
frames to move the grippers forward.
the
The operation of the grippers is as follows: At the exact moment the switch
arrives at the inner end of the abutment-face e2 under impulse of the cam f
grippers are closed by the cams i and and they are beld closed while the cams j
and move them forward (see Figure 3). When the limit of the feed-motion is
reached, the high portions of both sets of cams are carried past the surfaces of the
frames which they act against, and the springs g and then open the grippers
and draw them back to position for gripping the next letter.
The feed movement of the grippers carries an interposed letter positively between
the feed-rollers d and d'; and as the movement of the feed-roller is much faster
than the movement of the grippers, said roller is cut out as at d", so that it does not
engage the letter until the grippers release it. This avoids crumpling the letter.
It will now be seen that the invention provides positive means for timing the
departure of the letters from the hopper.
An arm, k, is pivoted concentrically with the arm ƒ and extends into the letter-
path, and a bell-crank lever k¹ bears against said arm k. These devices constitute
a trip for releasing the marking mechanism.
The roll e carries the usual segmental cancelling die and post-marking die and
these receive ink from a roller g¹². Both rolls e and c¹ are rotated continuously in
á forward direction and their peripheries are normally in contact. In order to
prevent transfer of ink from the marking dies to the impression roll, coaction of the
marking dies and the impression-bed must be controlled by the approaching mail-
pieces, and this is accomplished by the construction which will next be described.
The impression roll above referred to is made up of a pair of separated discs 10
fixedly mounted on a spindle 10, which is the journal of the roll, and between these
discs there are clamped a pair of blocks, h", which form a diametrical slide-way.
The impression-bed or pad is a rubber-faced segment 10, having a shauk-portion
fitting the slide-way ", and of skeleton form so as to embrace the spindle 410, and
permit the required movement of the segment. Said segment is normally held back
from the periphery of the roll by spiral springs 2 attached at one end to a rod, ³,
extending across the shank and the other end to one of the discs forming the
roll. The back side of the segment seats against the ends of the blocks
clearly shown in Figure 6. On the spindle there is loosely mounted a sleeve 10
which extends up into the roll and is there formed with a cam j" of segmental form
which is designed to coact with a stud 12 projecting from the back side of the
segment to project the latter in a manner hereinafter described, and bring its
periphery out flush with that of the roll.
as
The sleeve 10 is formed at its lower end (see Figures 8 and 11), with a flange j¹³,
having a projection ", which provides a stop-shoulder, as will hereinafter appear;
and a pin fastened in said projection and pendent therefrom has one end of a
spiral spring 10 fastened to it, said spring loosely surrounding the spindle and being
fastened at its opposite end to a collar affixed to the spindle. It will be seen..
that this spring constitutes an elastic connection between the sleeve and spindle.
which will cause said sleeve to be carried around with the spindle in the absence of
sufficient resistance. A pin 12 fastened in the spindle projects across the pin j
which normally bears against it so as to ensure rotation of the sleeve and spindle as

page_text: though fixedly connected.. As long as this condition obtains, the impression-segment
will be held back from the periphery of the discs 10 as there is theu no
coaction of the cam with said segment. It will be seen however that if the
cam is held stationary the segment will then be moved outward by reason of its
stud riding upon the cam. We therefore arrange a movable abutment to be
thrown into the path of the projection 14 by means rendered operative to
accomplish this purpose, by an approaching mail-piece. The arrangement is best
illustrated by Figures and 7 and is of the following description. The movable
abutment is in the form of an arm m pivoted at one end to a stationary support
so as to swing in a horizontal plane, and having near its opposite end a notch
providing a stop-shoulder m¹ for the projection to abut. In conjunction with
this arm m there is arranged a compound lever composed of a primary member n
pivoted to a stationary support at n¹ and a secondary member o pivoted inter-
mediate of its ends to one end of the primary member at o'. This latter or
secondary member of the compound lever is connected with the arm m by a link o.
A roll on one end of the member engages a cam-groove o³ in a continuously
rotating disc o, and the opposite end of this member o is formed to hear against
the end of a bar p, which is pivoted intermediate of its ends to a fixed support,
and normally held by a spring p' in a position with its outer end directly in front
of the lever o and its inner end in the letter-path at the point of meeting of the
peripheries of the feed-wheels. Or this lever o will bear against the bell-crank
lever (see Figure 1) the latter then taking the place of the lever p. While
this normal condition obtains (see Figure 6), vibration of the lever-member o on its
own centre of is so restricted by the bar p which then constitutes a fulcrum for this
lever-member, that the abutment-arm m is kept out of the path of the projection 1¹*
The motion transmitted by the cam-groove o³ is taken up for the most part by
the primary member n of the compound lever, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 6.
A spiral spring gexerts itself to hold the primary member n against a stop q¹ so that
when the member o is free to do so, it will partake of its full vibration and there
will be no motion of the member n.
72
An approaching mail-piece by acting against the inner end of the bar p displaces
its outer end from in front of the lever-member o, which will then partake of its
full movement and carry the arm m inward so as to bring its shoulder m¹ in the
path of the projection. The abutment of the latter against said shoulder causes
the cam to be held stationary so that the continued rotation of the discs 10
brings the segment to out to the periphery of the discs (see Figure 7). When the
mail-piece has passed the bar p the latter is drawn into the path of the lever-
member 0, the arm m is retracted, and the spring quickly restores the sleeve je
to its normal position, the springs 2 drawing in the impression segnient.
In the modification illustrated in Figure 12 the springs for retracting the impression
segment are dispensed with and the sleeve carries a disc r with a cam-groove r³,
formed in its upper side. An ear on the rear side of the segment carries
in said cam-groove.
roller
Heretofore it has been common to vibrate the impression roll to take it into and
out of co-operative relation with the printing roll, but this has been found objection-
able as producing a jarring of the machine and being noisy, and also hard on the
type of the dies. It is to be particularly noted that this objectionable feature of
prior machines has been done away with, and there is no such disastrous impact of
the impression bed against the printing dies as formerly.
+
The stacking mechanism will next be described. Beyond the marking devices
and to one side of a central longitudinal line between them, the casting which
forms the table is depressed, forming an enclosure do for the stack of letters. At
the inner side of this enclosure the table forms a ledge el on which the letters
land when they issue from between the printing and impression cylinders. A
guard rises from the ledge and is carried around the end of the table and
along the enclosure as at to prevent the escape of a letter. Transverse
slots go are made in the table, the ledge, the guard, and the back-wall and bottom

page_text: of the enclosure, for the stacking devices, which are of the following description:
They are in the form of cams having bosses by which they are fastened on
a shaft 15, and each cam comprises two sections and 30. The acting face of
the section 20 comprises a slightly curving portion 40 extending outward from
the centre, and a more nearly concentric portion 50 which, however, gradually
increases in distance from the centre and terminates in a blunt point . A similar
blunt point of the section is the only part of that section which acts in
stacking, and the two sections of the cam are here shown as separated by a
throat 80.
The cams are continuously rotated in the operation of the machine, through
connection with the driving-shaft ix, the connections here shown comprising
gears and.20, sprocket-wheels j* and j, and chain 120.
The operations is as follows, considering that a number of letters have already
been stacked against the sliding back-rest 15: A letter, as 2, issuing from between
the printing and impression cylinders lands on the ledge e, when the cams are
wholly back of the guard (see Figure 14). The cams in advancing act with
their faces against this newly arrived letter 2, and move it off the ledge so that
it falls into the enclosure 10 (see Figure 15), its lower edge lodging in the V
formed between the faces 50 of the cams and the stack 3. These faces 50 of
the cams push back the stack and the back-rest 15, but their action there-
against is graduated so that there is not a direct impact. The object of
terminating the cam-section 20 in the blunt point he is to insure the descent of
each letter to the bottom of the enclosure. It will be seen by reference to
Figure 16 that in the rotation of the cam this blunt end is carried past the edge
of the letter, and the latter will then follow said end. The similar end of the
cam-section 30 acting against the latter presses it against the stack, and also has a
tendency to move it down.
It will be seen that by the construction above described the stacking of letters
in the order in which they are marked is insured, and there is no direct impact
against the stack such as to cause the back-rest to move farther than desired.
1111
To prevent the letter from falling flat when it arrives on the ledge, I arrange a
guard in which is fastened to a rod ml projecting from the end-portion full of the
guard f
As a preventative against a letter's being pinched between the cams and the
bottom of the enclosure do, ribs 10 are formed at the sides of the slots g10, said ribs
rounding out from the ledge downward.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:
1. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a hopper, a conveyer therein,
a fixed abutment for letters issuing from the hopper under impulse of said
conveyer, a timing switch vibrating transversely of the abutment and adapted to
direct letters against the same and time their departure therefrom, and grippers
adapted to close on the letter at the moment it is free of the abutment and to then
advance the letter.
2. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a hopper, a conveyer therein;
means for timing a letter in its departure from the hopper, opposed grippers each
movable in a substantially rectangular course, said grippers adapted to close on a
letter and advance it, and means for imparting to the grippers motion of the
character above named.
3. In a nail-marking machine, the combination of a hopper, a conveyer therein,
a fixed abutment for letters issuing from the hopper under impulse of said conveyer,
vibrating switch-arms yieldingly held in contact and movable together transversely
of the abutment, and means applied to one of said arms for vibrating it.
4. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a hopper, a conveyer therein,
means for timing a letter in its departure from the hopper, grippers having a

page_text: +
compound gripping and feed motion, and feed-rollers between which the letter is
taken by the grippers, one of said rollers being positively driven and having a
segmental portion of its periphery cut away, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
5. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a hopper, a conveyer therein,
a fixed abutment for letters issuing from the hopper under impulse of said conveyer,
a timing switch vibrating transversely of the abutment and adapted to direct letters
against the same and time their departure therefrom, feed-rollers beyond the
abutment, grippers arranged to close on the letter at the moment it is free of the
abutment, and advance it between the feed-rollers, and printing and impression
cylinders beyond the feed-rollers.
6. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a rotary support located at
one side of the letter-path, a segment carried by said support and movable toward
and from the centre thereof, said segment being normally retracted, an opposed
support for coaction with the segment in marking a mail-piece, and letter-controlled
means for projecting the segment for engagement with the passing mail-piece.
7. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a printing and an impression
roll having letter-engaging segments, that on one roll being movable toward and
from the centre of that roll and normally retracted, and letter-controlled means for
projecting said segment for engagement with the passing mail-piece.
8. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a continuously rotating
printing roller, a continuously rotating opposed roller, a segmental impression-pad
carried by the latter and normally retracted from the periphery thereof, and letter-
controlled means for projecting said pad for coaction with the printing dies in
marking a passing mail-piece.
9. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a printing and an impression
roll having letter-engaging segments, that on one roll being movable toward and
from the centre of that roll and normally retracted, a sleeve loose on the journal of
said roll and carrying a cam to project the segment and having a stop-projection,
an elastic connection between the journal and the sleeve, aud a letter-controlled
abutment for coaction with the stop-projection to render the cam operative,
substantially as described.
10. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a printing and an impression
roll having letter-engaging segments, that on one roll being movable toward and
from the centre of that roll and normally retracted, a sleeve loose on the journal of
said roll and carrying a cam to project the segment and having a stop-projection,
an elastic connection between the journal and the sleeve, a movable abutment for
coaction with the stop-projection to render the cam operative and normally retracted
from the path of said projection, a compound lever connected with said abutment,
means for constantly vibrating one member of said lever, and a movable support
which normally constitutes a fulcrum for said member and limits vibration thereof
on its own pivot effecting vibration of the lever on its other pivot, said support
adapted to be displaced by a passing mail-piece to permit full vibration of the
aforesaid member of the compound lever and a consequent movement of the
abutment into the path of the projection.
'
11. In a mail-marking machine, a depressed enclosure for a stack of mail-pieces,
a sliding back-rest on the bottom of said enclosure, an unbroken horizontal ledge
extending along the receiving end of the enclosure and on which the marked mail-
pieces land singly, and a stacking cam rotating in a vertical plane across the ledge
and into the enclosure, said cam adapted to move a mail-piece off the ledge into the
enclosure and to take it against the back-rest or the previously stacked letters.
12. In a mail-marking machine, a depressed enclosure for a stack of mail-pieces,
a sliding back-rest on the bottom of said enclosure, a ledge extending along the
receiving end of the enclosure and on which the marked mail-pieces land singly,
and a stacking cam rotating in a vertical plane across the ledge and into the
enclosure, said cam having two sections, one adapted to move a mail-piece off the
ledge and to act against the stack and having an end for the said mail-piece to follow

page_text: in its descent into the enclosure, and the other adapted to take said piece against
the back-rest or the previously stacked pieces.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.