Improvements in Printing Machines for Envelopes.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Printing Machines for Envelopes.
We, GATIEN HIPPOLYTE VIAULT and GEORGES EDOUARD LELEU, Printers, both
of Vendome (Loir-et-Cher), in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows;-
The present invention relates to a machine for printing envelopes for letters,
which machine takes automatically an envelope froni the supply, presents it to the
printing surface, and, when printed, ejects it from the machine.
The machine comprises a printing surface having an up and down movement,
and a carriage for placing the envelope beneath the same, and removing it
again.
The envelopes are piled in a suitable receptacle, which is adjustable according
to the size of the envelope being printed.
The bottom envelope of the pile is drawn onto a table beneath the printing
surface, and again moved on, to be ejected from the machine by means of a
horizontally travelling carriage, furnished with two pairs of hooks so placed
as to engage with the flap of the envelope to be moved.
The first pair of hooks slide beneath the pile, and engage with the lowest enve-
lope, while the second pair engage with an envelope already lying on the table,
if one has previously been removed from the pile for printing.
The advance of the carriage draws forward the envelopes, the first to the
printing table, and the second to a shoot leading from the machine. The return
of the carriage puts it into position to repeat the operation.
The movement of the carriage is so timed with regard to the descent of the
printing surface, that fresh envelopes are regularly presented to the latter at
cach depression, while the printed envelopes are as regularly removed.
Suitable power or hand mechanism is furnished for operating the machine,
which, once started, continues to work automatically, without attention, except such
as is necessary to maintain a supply of envelopes in the reservoir.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants,
We, GATIEN HIPPOLYTE VIAULT and GEORGES EDOUARD LELEU, Printers, both
of Vendome (Loir-et-Cher), in the Republic of France, 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:-
The present application relates to a machine for printing letter envelopes..
FD

page_text: This machine automatically takes an envelope from a feed box or other supply,
makes the impression and when the envelope is printed removes it from the
printing table and ejects it from the machine.
The following is a description of this machine reference being made to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, the parts being in position to move the envelope
to the position for printing it.
Fig. 2 is an end view.
Fig. 3 is a plan view.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the transporter.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same.
Fig. 6 is an elevation like Fig. 1 but with the parts occupying a different
position.
The machine comprises a type block having a reciprocating vertical movement,
under which the envelope, moved by a transporter, is placed. This type block A
is fixed to a piece B moving in the vertical guiding grooves cc in the frame C
of the machine. To the upper part of this piece B is fixed a hollowed piece 1)
through which passes the horizontal shaft E, driven by a flywheel e (by hand
or power) by which the machine is set in motion. To this shaft E is fixed an
arm F ending in a roller f and the distance between the end of this arm and
the axis of the shaft E is such as to be equal to the radius of a space, d d d
in the hollowed piece D, which space is partially circular.
This hollowed piece D comprises besides the circular portion d d d the flat
portion d' d¹.
With such an arrangement, one can see that in a complete revolution of the
shaft E, the piece B, and consequently the type block, are only put in motion
and lowered, during half a revolution, viz., that in which the arm F presses upon
the flat portion dd, the half revolution during which the arm turns through
the circular region d d d making no alteration of the position of the piece D.
The hollowed piece D, with the piece B and the type block, are lifted in an
upward direction by an ordinary compression spring G.
Beneath the type block is a horizontal table H; the envelopes are piled up
on one another in a vertical receptacle or feed box formed of a fixed portion, 1
and a movable portion which allowes the size of the feed box to be regulated
according to the dimensions of the envelopes.
The lowest envelope, to be moved under the type block is caught by a trans-
porter moving horizontally under the table H, which transporter is governed by
the motor shaft E. To this transporter are affixed two pairs of hooks kkk
placed laterally, and fixed to the ends of small arms K K K K¹ traversing the
table H which has slots in it for that purpose. These hooks have their points
turned in the direction in which the transporter moves from the feed box towards
the table H. The envelopes L are placed so that the fold between the body
of the envelope and the flap, is turned towards the table H, the flap being
undermost, so as to be in contact with the table.
Under these conditions, when the transporter J moves towards the envelopes,
the two hooks kk placed at its side, slide under the lowest envelope, then the
transporter returning, the hooks catch in the flap 1, between the flap and the body
of the envelope, with their points on the fold 1, the envelope being thereby
drawn on to the table H. If there is already an envelope on this table, the
other pair of hooks acts upon this envelope in exactly the same way as
the hooks which bring the envelope from the feed box. It is taken by the
hooks and moved forward as far as the shoot M, and when the transporter
moves back and the hooks leave it, it falls onto the shoot M which directs
it to any desired receptacle.
Such is the work of the transporter J; it remains to be seen how this trans-
porter is governed by the shaft E. To obtain this two arms N N pivoted at n n,

page_text: one arm being at each side, connect it to the horizontal shaft O, which lies trans-
versely in the lower part of the general structure.
These connecting arms consist of a rod N, sliding in a sleeve n', so that the
total length can alter to follow the change in the distance between the point n
and the axis of the shaft O, according to the position of the transporter J.
The shaft receives an oscillatory motion by means of the arm o to which
mounted on the motor shaft E. The eccentric is attached to this shaft in such
a position with regard to the arm F engaged in the hollowed piece D that while
this piece D is at its highest position, and the arm F is about to turn through
the semicircular course à d d the transporter J is at the limit of its path on the
side of the pile of envelopes L, in position for the hooks kk to seize one of them,
the eccentric P which regulates it being equally at the limit of its path.
Under these conditions the shaft E turning in the direction indicated, during
a half turn the arm F will revolve through the semicircle of the piece 1), con-
sequently without working it. During this half turn the transporter J is moved
by the eccentric P to its limit before returning with an envelope caught by
the hooks which it also moves onto the table under the printing block, in
position consequently to receive the impression. During this forward move-
ment, the pair of hooks k₁₁ have caught the envelope previously printed, which
was on the table H, and have drawn it to the shoot M.
During the second half revolutioin of the shaft, the arm F', which starts from
the position 2, works upon the part of 1 and so effects the lowering of the
type block which comes in contact with the envelope, and prints it, but it is
risen again to its highest position when the arm is returned to the position 1.
During this time the transporter J is moved back into the position for taking
another envelope from the pile L.
The action is continuous as has been explained.
The shaft E works, by means of the rods Q, a set of ink rollers R which pass
under the type block and the circular inking tables receives a rotary movement
by means of the pawls and ratchet S and a rod S'. This table itself is supplied
with ink by the roller s in contact with the cylinder which dips in the ink
receptacle filled with ink. These rollers are operated by the pawls and
the ratchet wheel mounted on the axle of the roller 3, this pawl and ratchet
are moved by an eccentric rod s fixed upon the arm of the shaft E; in a manner
that is easily understood.
The parts supporting the hooks kkkk are fixed to the transporter so as
to take up different positions transversely permitting the contrivance to be
regulated according to the size of the envelopes to be printed. The hooks are
placed to engage in the fold of the envelope near the edges.
We reserve to ourselves to apply to this envelope printing machine all modifica-
tions of construction which do not change anything in the arrangements con-
stituting our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is-
1. An envelope printing machine essentially consisting of a transporter with
a reciprocating horizontal movement provided with two pairs of hooks adjustable
according to the size of the envelopes to be printed, one pair of hooks delivering
the envelope to the printing table the other pair being provided to take the
previously printed envelope from the table and eject it from the machine, the
hooks having their points turned in the direction of the transporter's movement
from the feed box to the shoot simultaneously to draw forward an envelope to print
und to eject the printed one, the transporter being worked by a shaft which also
raises and lowers the type block, so that the latter falls on the envelope during

page_text: the return journey of the transporter as has been explained with reference to the
accompanying drawing.
2. The arrangement together, and in detail of the envelope printing machine
as described with regard to the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 29th day of December 1899.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants,