Improvements in or connected with Envelope-folding Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 12th Sent., 1892-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Envelope-folding Machines.
I, FREDERICK MAY, of 2 Butterley Villas, East Dulwich Grove, Dulwich,
in the County of Surrey, Stationer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
to be as follows:-
"
The improvements which form the subject of the present invention relate more
especially to that kind of envelope-folding machine known as the "Simplex
machine, but the invention is more or less applicable to other envelope-folding
machines.
The object of the invention is to provide means whereby one or more lines of
printed matter may be impressed on the envelope blank during the process of
folding, such as the words "On Her Majesty's Service” for example.
In machinery of the kind above referred to, the envelope blank is laid by hand
under a vertically reciprocating plunger plate with bevilled upper edges, which
plate in its descent forces the central portion of the said blank on to a yielding
plate which recedes before the plunger plate and allows certain folding devices to
act on the four flaps of the paper blank to bend them over the bevilled upper edges
of the plunger plate, which latter then rises, the folding devices retire, and the
creased blank is removed from the machine by hand.
In applying my invention to the above described envelope-folding machine for
example, I mount the required printing type on the upper end of a vertical slide or
other suitable mechanical device fitted underneath the before mentioned yielding
plate, which latter has an opening or openings formed therein for the admission of
the said printing type to the paper blank while the said blank is being folded, and
I provide in connection with the said type suitable inking devices. The various
parts may be operated by any suitable means, for example the slide, or other part
carrying the type, may be actuated by means of a rocking lever which receives
motion from a crauk-plate or cam on the main shaft or other suitable moving part
of the machine, and a prolongation of this lever may carry a vertical link which
communicates a rocking motion to a lever or frame to which is connected the
inking roller which is thereby caused to roll over the type at each operation of
the machine. In order to regulate the pressure of the inking roller on the type,
the vertical slide may be provided with an adjustable stop in such manner that the
length of its stroke may be varied independently of the movement of the rocking
lever which imparts motion thereto.
Dated thie 0th day of December 1901
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Envelope-folding Machines.
I, FREDERICK MAY, of 2 Butterley Villas, East Dulwich Grove, Dulwich,
in the County of Surrey, Stationer, do hereby declare the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described'
and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
"
The improvements which form the subject of the present invention relate more
especially to that kind of envelope-folding machine known as the "Simplex'
machine; but they are more or less applicable to other envelope-folding machines.
ΓΟ

page_text: The object of the invention is to provide means whereby one or more lines of
printed matter may be impressed on the envelope blank during the process of
folding, such as the words "On Her Majesty's Service" for example.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I will now
proceed to describe the same with the aid of the annexed three sheets of drawings
in which
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation taken at line 1-1 of Figure 2 of so much of
a "Simplex" envelope-folding machine as is necessary for the elucidation of my
invention,
Figure 2 is an elevation of same taken at right angles to Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a sectional plan taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.
In machinery of the kind above referred to and illustrated in the drawings the
envelope blank is laid by hand under a vertically reciprocating plunger plate A
with bevilled upper edges, which is operated from the main shaft B of the machine
by devices not shown in the drawing as they are well known to persons conversant
with such machinery and form no part of my invention. The said plate, in its
descent, forces the central portion of the said blank on to a yielding plate A' which
recedes into the recess C in the table D before the plunger A. and allows the
ordinary well known folding devices to act on the four flaps of the paper blank to
bend them over the bevilled upper edges of the plunger plate, which latter then
rises as the folding devices retire and the creased blauk is removed from the
machine by hand.
The type E to print the required matter on the envelope is mounted on the
upper end of a vertical slide F adapted to work in guides on a cross bar G of the
machine below the above mentioned yielding plate, which latter has an opening H
formed therein for the admission of the said printing type to the paper blank while
the same is being folded.
The type slide F is actuated by a rocking lever I which receives motion from a
crank plate J, on the main shaft B through the connecting rod K connected at its
lower end by a double pin-joint K to the outer end of the lever I and passing at
its upper end through an eye in the end of a crank pin J2 which is free to turn
in a bush bearing J³ secured in the crank plate J by the nut J. The upper end
of the connecting rod K is screwed and is fitted with lock nuts K2 by which the
effective length of the red K can be adjusted to give the proper amount of motion
to the type slide F. A compression spring K³ encircling the upper part of the
rod K bears at its upper end against the eye J', and at its lower end against a
collar K that can be secured by a set screw at any desired height on the rod K.
The lower end of the type slide F is fitted with an adjustable set screw F', the
head of which comes to rest on the floor (or on a suitable stop provided to receive
it) when the slide is in its lowest position, the adjustable set screw F1 enables the
face of the type E on the upper end of the slide F to be adjusted in height to suit
the inking rollers. The rear part of the lever I comes against friction roller F
turning on the pin F in order to raise the type slide F. A tension spring F is
connected at one end to the pin F on the type slide and at the other end to the
lever I, the said spring constantly tending to draw the slide F downward and to
keep the lock nuts K2 constantly pressed against the crank pin eye J¹.
L is an ink trough or duct, M an ink roller dipping into the ink contained
therein. M' is a lever oscillating on the axis M² of the roller M. M' is a ratchet
wheel fixed on the axis M2, M is a pawl carried on a pin on the lever M' and
pressed by a spring M into gear with the said ratchet wheel. Me is a link pin-
jointed at one end to the lever M' and at the other end adjustably to the lever I.
N is an ink transfer roller the circumference of which is kept in contact with that
of the ink roller M, the two rollers revolving together by means of the toothed
wheels M N P is a curved ink distributing table or slab fixed to the frame of
the machine and having a slot through it at its upper part through which the type
slide F passes, the face of the type standing slightly above the table when the
type slide is in its lowest position, to enable the inking rollers to ink the said type.

page_text: QQ are inking rollers, the axes of which turn in side carriages Q' which carry
pins Q on which take the forked upper ends of rods Q which are free to slide
longitudinally in lugs on the levers Q Springs Q' surrounding the sterns of
the rods Qtend constantly to press the latter in the direction of the arrows, thereby
keeping the inking rollers QQ pressed against the ink distributing table or slab P.
The levers Q turn on fixed fulcrum pins Q and the outer ends of these levers are
connected together by a cross bar Q. A connecting rod Q is jointed at its
upper end to the middle of this cross bar and at its lower end to the lever 1.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The plunger plate A having descended,
forcing the central portion of the envelope blank with the yielding plate into
the recess C, the crank-pin J pushes down the connecting rod K by means of
the spring K turning the lever I on its fulcrum 1*. The lever I first turns the
levers on their fulcra by means of the connecting rod Q. This causes the
inking rollers Q to roll over the face of the type E and then over the face of
the distributing table or slab until the leading inking roller Q comes in contact
with the ink transfer roller N so as to take ink therefrom. After the inking
rollers have passed over the type E the lever 1 comes against the friction
roller F and raises the slide F so that the type E on its upper end comes in
contact with the part of the envelope face that is exposed through the opening in
the yielding plate, the spring K³ transmitting an elastic pressure to the type, the
necessary elastic resistance being afforded by an india-rubber or other elastic pad A'
in the plunger plate A. The crank pin J having passed its lower dead point
begins to draw up the connecting rod K by the lock nuts K; the lever I then
allows the type slide F to fall, the spring F assisting its descent. When the
slide F has reached its lowest position the lever I quits contact with the roller F
and continuing its movement draws down the connecting rod Q thereby turning
the levers Qin the reverse direction, restoring the inking rollers Q to the position
shown in the drawings, causing them to pass a second time over the face of the
type E. The movement of the lever I produced by the revolution of the crank
pin Joperates the link M and lever M so as to cause the pawl M' to move
the ratchet wheel M³ one or more teeth, thereby delivering ink to the ink trans-
mitting roller N which is also rotated to a proportionate extent by the toothed
wheels M' N so as to offer a fresh supply of ink to the inking roller Q at the next
operation. Each revolution of the main shaft B and crank plate J produces a
similar cycle of operations, the folded and printed envelope being removed and a
fresh blank supplied by hand or otherwise at each operation.
In the above description the printing and inking devices are described and shown
as being operated directly from the main shaft of the envelope-folding machine.
It is obvious however that the printing and inking devices may be operated from
any other suitable moving part of the machine so long as the operations are
effected at the proper times in relation to the other movements of the envelope-
folding machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. In an envelope folding machine the combination, with such machine, of
apparatus for printing on the envelope substantially as herein before described, and
illustrated in the drawings.
Second. In an envelope folding machine, a printing appliance and a type inking
apparatus combined, arranged and operating substantially as herein before described,
and illustrated in the drawings.
Third. In printing apparatus applied to an envelope folding machine, the
mechanism for actuating the printing type and the inking rollers which consists of
the type slide F the levers Q and M and the connecting links Q¹º and M' all
operated by a single lever I which receives its motion from the main shaft or other

page_text: suitable moving part of the envelope folding machine substantially as herein before
described, and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 10th day of September 1892.
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.