AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DAMPING GUMMED STAMPS, TICKETS, LABELS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philipp Schäfer and Frederick Schäfer, both of Brewer
Street, in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturers, for the Invention of
AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DAMPING GUMMED STAMPS, TICKETS, LABELS,
Sealed the 15th August 1856, and dated the 26th February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philipp Schäfer and
Frederick Schäfer at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition on the 26th February 1856.
We, PHILIPP SCHÄFER and FREDERICK SCHÄFER, both of Brewer: Street, in:
the County of Middlesex, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for." AN IMPROVED, APPARATUS FOR DAMPING GUMMED STAMPS,
TICKETS, LABELS, AND ENVELOPES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists of an, apparatus in which both the top and under-
side of the stamp, label, or envelope are damped at the same time. In a small-
case, suited to the size of the label or article to be damped, we place a reserve
for water, in the shape of a bottle or otherwise, and we place over this reserve.
a sponge or other, absorbent, and cover this, for the sake of neatness, with
a piece of linen or other textile material; we hinge, or otherwise fit a cover.
to the apparatus, and fit in the, cover a piece of cloth or other suitable
material. Supposing the damper, to have been charged with water, and the
bottom sponge to have become wet or moistened, we close the cover, whereby.

page_text: the upper cloth will also take up or imbibe moisture by capillary attraction,
or by the apparatus being reversed. In this state the damper is ready for
use. Raise the lid, place a label, stamp, or envelope, with the gummed side on
the under pad, close the lid, and on raising it the stamp will be found
wetted on the under, and moistened on the upper side. We place a drawer
or recentacle for stamps at the bottom of the apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by
the said Philipp Schäfer and Frederick Schäfer in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, PHILIPP
SCHÄFER and FREDERICK SCHÄFER, both of Brewer Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said Philipp Schäfer and Frederick Schäfer, Her special licence
that we, the said Philipp Schäfer and Frederick Schäfer, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Philipp Schäfer and
Frederick Schäfer, our 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, exer-
cise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPA-
RATUS FOR DAMPING GUMMED STAMPS, TICKETS, LABELS, AND ENVELOPES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Philipp Schäfer and Frederick
Schäfer, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing, under
our or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent,"
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Philipp Schäfer and Frederick Schäfer
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
annexed, that is to say

page_text: Our Invention consists of an apparatus in which both the upper and under
sides or surfaces of a stamp, label, or envelope are damped at the same time.
In a small case, suited to the size of the label or other article to be damped,
we place a reserve for water, in the shape of a bottle or otherwise, and we fit
over this reserve a sponge or other absorbent, which we cover for the sake of
neatness with a piece of linen or other textile material. We hinge or other-
wise connect a cover to the apparatus, and fit in the cover a piece or pad of
cloth or other suitable material. The Drawings annexed exemplify the manner
in which our Invention may be carried into effect.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for damping postage and
receipt stamps constructed according to our Invention; Figure 2 is a section of
the same.
A is the outer case; B, its lid or cover; C is a reserve for holding
water screwed into a socket a, in which is fitted a pad D made of some
absorbent material, such as velvet, and having pieces of thread b, b, attached
to its under surface, which being immersed in the water in the reserve C, act
as conductors to raise the water by capillary attraction to the pad D, or instead
of the pad a sponge may be employed if preferred. E is a pad, of velvet or
cloth, fitted into the under side of the lid B; c is a spring, which throws up
the lid on pressing on the catch d in order to open the box; e, catch or spring
for shutting up the box.
The apparatus is employed in the following manner:-The reserve is
unscrewed from the socket a and charged with water; the pad D will then
become wet or moistened by capillary attraction through the conductors b, b.
We close the cover B, when the upper cloth or pad E will also imbibe moisture
from contact with the under pad. In this state the damper is ready for use.
We raise the lid B, place a stamp on the under pad D with the gummed sido
in contact therewith, and close the lid B; on raising it the stamp will be
wetted on the under or gummed surface, and moistened on the upper surface,
thus ensuring a perfect adhesion. On pressure being removed from the top of
the lid the spring c will force it open, and the stamp will be left on the top
on the pad ready to be applied. When, after using the box, it is desired to
close it completely in order to place it in the pocket, or elsewhere, the lid
is to be pressed down, and the catch e must be pushed down until it takes
into the catch d, and thereby shuts the box up tightly. The stamps being
damped on both sides, a perfect adhesion is insured, whereas if only wetted
on the gummed side they have a tendency to become detached from the
paper on which they may be applied. A drawer may be fitted in the lower
part of the case to hold stamps, labels, &c.

page_text: And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim as constituting
our said Invention the improved apparatus herein-before described for damping
stamps, labels, tickets, and envelopes, especially in so far as regards the
arrangements or contrivances for damping the article on both its upper and
under surfaces at the same time.
In witness whereof, I, the said Philipp Schäfer, for myself, and on
behalf of the said Frederick Schäfer, have hereunto, set my band
and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.
PHILIPP SCHAFER (L.S.)