Improvements in Apparatus for Damping and Closing Letter Envelopes or Wrappers.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Nov., 1895-4ccepted, 9th Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Damping and Closing Letter
Envelopes or Wrappers.
A communication to me from BARON VON DER GOLTZ, of Villa Ilse, Schwerin,
in the Empire of Germany.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 65 and 66, Chancery Lane, 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, and accompanying drawing, that is to say :-
This invention has for its object, a novel machine or apparatus to be worked by
hand, for damping and closing the gummed edges of envelopes or wrappers, a
single movement of a handle effecting both operations.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of the novel apparatus, Figure 1
being a vertical section with the pressure board open; Figure 2 a side view
showing it closed; Figure 3 an end view; and Figure 4 a detailed view of one of
the parts.
The new
or improved apparatus consists of mechanism arranged upon a
foundation-plate m between two vertical sides c, c', and having for its object, by means
of a single operation of a handle, to damp the gummed edge of an envelope or
wrapper and then to close down and fasten such gummed edge or flap. This is
effected as follows:-
The envelope, with its contents, is laid upon a supporting block k which turns
upon a pivot at h, and is provided with springs s to ensure the proper working with
different thicknesses of letters and envelopes. A pressure board y is attached to
the block k by hinges at i, and rests upon a roller f. On the other or inner side
of 9. rests a roller o which is coated with a suitable absorbent material, and is
carried by the double lever n which turns upon centres l. The lever n is so shaped
and arranged, that the roller o passes over the whole inner surface of the board g,
when the latter is turned upon its hinge or centre i.
The board g is operated by a roller which turns upon centres or pins e moving
and guided in horizontal slits p in the sides c, c' of the apparatus. These pins e
are themselves moved backward and forward in the slits p by a forked lever b the
arms &, which turn upon a spindle a and are provided with slots b', 6' at their
lower ends, in which the pins e fit. The other or upper end of the forked lever b
is fitted with a handle d, by which the lever can be readily moved by hand. In
slots 6, 67, upon the arms b, b, fit pins r and which carry a water reservoir
with an open pan v which is preferably filled with a suitable absorbent material v
and communicates with the interior of the reservoir by one or more tubular
syphons 2
The reservoir g and the pan vare moved backward and forward parallel to the
roller, by means of suitable guiding slots s' in which the pins r, r work. Below
one of the slits s' a bell-crank lever w, w', is arranged, turning at t upon a pivot
carried by the side frame c', its vertical arm being acted on by a projection b
carried by the arm 6, and its horizontal arm w resting upon a stop u.
The bell-
crank lever w, w¹, is so constructed that the part w resting upon the stop u is
connected to the end of the other part w' by a hinge, so that when the handle

page_text: is moved in the direction of the arrow (Figure 1) the projection 6' raises the
arm w.
On the return stroke w' can give way, so that b³ can pass.
The entire manipulation, which is effected by the handle b, is as follows:-
After the envelope has been laid upon the support k and the board g, so that
the flap or edge to be damped rests upon g and the fold of the former is as nearly
as possible over the hinge i, the roller o is held by w in the position shown by full
lines. By a slight movement of the handle in the direction of the arrow (Figure 1),
the projection 63 strikes the arm w' and the arm w is raised and releases the
roller o which falls upon the board g and upon the inner side of the flap of the
envelope which rests upon the latter. By the further movement of the handle
the horizontally guided roller f presses against the back of the hinged board g and.
turns it over so that it lies upon k. The damping roller o simultaneously passes
over the gummed edge of the envelope or wrapper and damps it sufficiently.
When the board 9 reaches a vertical position so that it can come down upon k, the
roller o has been raised so high that it falls down upon the edge of the damping
pan v.
When the roller o has reached its highest position, the water reservoir g and the
pan have in the meantime been brought forward, the wedge-shaped edge of the.
latter raising the roller, and then allowing it to roll, over the soaked material v¹..
The roller o is in this way prepared for the next damping operation, whilst the
board g presses down the damped gummed flap of the envelope and closes the latter
securely.
An elastic band or a spring hinge connects the roller and the board g, so that
at the return stroke of the handle 6 the board g is automatically brought back'
into its original position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
The apparatus for damping and closing envelopes and wrappers, consisting of
two rollers, one of which is made to move in a straight line backward and
forward by means of a hand lever, a hinged board g upon which the gummed part
of the envelope or wrapper rests being first raised by the roller, then turned over
and pressed down toward a spring support upon which the body of the envelope
or wrapper is carried, whilst the second roller o acts as a damping device and by
the raising of the hinged board g passes along the gummed edge of the flap of the
envelope or wrapper, and is then raised from the latter and is finally again damped
by a damping pan arranged and operated by the continued movement of the
handle, substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 11th day of November 1896.
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant: