IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR AFFIXING' POSTAGE STAMPS, LABELS OR THE LIKE
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Charles Stuart Wallace of Bayswater in the
+
-
County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR AFFIXING' POSTAGE STAMPS, LABELS OR THE LIKE"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Charles Stuart
Wallace at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd November
1883.
JAMES CHARLES STUART WALLACE of Bayswater in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR AFFIXING POSTAGE STAMPS LABELS OR THE
LIKE
"
My Invention has for its object to provide a simple and convenient apparatus
for rapidly fixing postage stamps and other adhesive stamps or labels onto envelopes
or other surfaces without the necessity for handling the stamps or of damping
them with the tongue as is the usual practice.
In carrying my Invention into effect I employ stamps or labels in the form of
strips or ribbons which may be wound onto a holder which may consist of a reel
or bobbin fitted to rotate freely in a suitable frame or bearings to admit of the
ribbon unwinding as the stamps or labels are used. The loose end of the strip or
ribbon is led from the holder to beneath a pusher or propeller hinged to a rocking
lever and consisting of a blade having by preference a roughened or serrated edge
which is caused to bear on the surface of the said strip or ribbon of stamps or
labels in such a manner that when the rocking lever is depressed the propeller
moves the said strip or ribbon forward over a damping roller brush or surface into
a position to cause a block or plate on the rocking lever when the said lever is
fully depressed to sever the end stamp or label from the strip or ribbon and
it onto the envelope or other surface.
--
press
Upon removing pressure from the rocking lever it will be caused (by a spring
or the like) to rise again and carry with it the propeller, causing it to recede over
the strip or ribbon of stamps or labels into a position to again propel it forward
upon the next depression of the rocking lever.

page_text: The distance to which the propeller is caused to recede should be equal to the
width or length (as the case may be) of one stamp or label. A spring finger or
retainer may be provided to prevent the ribbon from being drawn back by the
backward motion of the propeller.
The damping of the stamps or labels is effected by causing them to pass over a
damped surface as they are moved forward. This may be done by means of a
brush, roller or other surface mounted on a lever or levers or equivalent device
operated by the rocking lever in such a manner as to cause the damping surface to
rise into a position to come into contact with the gummed surface of the front or
end stamp in its passage to the position for fixing and then to fall again as the
rocking lever rises. The end stamp may be severed from the ribbon by a cutting
edge which may be the edge of the block or plate on the rocking lever when
depressed acting in the manner of a shear blade against the edge of the surface
over which the ribbon is caused to travel.
Instead of employing a serrated propeller as hereinbefore described the ribbon
of stamps or labels may be propelled by means of a roller or wheels provided or
not with pins to engage with the ribbon and actuated from the rocking lever by
means of a pawl and ratchet wheel and suitable gearing or otherwise so as to propel
the ribbon the requisite distance at each depression of the rocking lever.
The Invention may be used for attaching stamps to letters or labels to luggage
or for any other analogous purpose to which it is or may be applicable and in order
to provide for the lever having an equal stroke to feed forward an equal portion of
the strip or ribbon at each time whatever thickness of letter may be stamped the
platform may be made to yield and the said lever be made to come down to a fixed
point at each stroke.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Charles Stuart Wallace in the Patent Office on the
22nd May 1884.
JAMES CHARLES Stuart Wallace of Bayswater in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR AFFIXING POSTAGE. STAMPS LABELS OR THE
LIKE
"
My said Invention has for its object to provide a simple and convenient apparatus
for rapidly fixing postage stamps and other adhesive stamps or labels on to
envelopes or other surfaces without the necessity for handling the stamps or for
damping them with the tongue as is the usual practice. In carrying my Invention
into effect I employ stamps or labels in the form of strips or ribbons which may be
wound on to a holder which may consist of a reel or bobbin fitted to rotate freely
in a suitable frame or bearings to admit of the ribbon unwinding as the stamps or
labels are used. The loose end of the strip or ribbon is led from the holder to
beneath a pusher or propeller hinged to a rocking lever and consisting of a blade
provided with points or having a roughened or serrated edge caused to engage with
perforations in the ribbon of stamps or to bear on the surface of the said strip or
ribbon of stamps or labels in such a manner that when the rocking lever is
depressed the propeller moves the said strip or ribbon forward over a damping.
roller brush or surface into a position to cause a block plate or blade on the rocking
lever when the said lever is depressed to sever the end stamp or label from the
strip or ribbon and then press it on to the envelope or other surface. Upon
removing pressure from the rocking lever it will be caused (by a spring or the like)
to rise again and carry with it the propeller causing it to recede over the strip or
ribbon of stamps or labels into a position to again propel it forward upon the next
depression of the rocking lever.
And in Order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating.
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of an apparatus constructed
according to my Invention for affixing stamps or labels on to envelopes and the like..
Figure 2 is a plan of the apparatus and Figure 3 is a transverse section taken
along the line, 1. 2 in Figure 2.
A is the base or stand of the apparatus which if desired may be secured by-
means of clamps screws or otherwise to a writing desk or table in a convenient
position to be readily accessible. To the base A is hinged the lid or cover B
provided with lugs,C carrying the rocking arm or lever D by means of which the.
operations of the apparatus are effected. The stamps or labels in the form of a
ribbon are wound upon a reel or bobbin E mounted so as to rotate freely in supports
or bearings F the free end of the ribbon of stamps being led therefrom beneath
a guide roller G and thence through a guide channel H to the front end of the
apparatus
The ribbon of stamps may if desired be perforated between the stamps in the
ordinary manner but I prefer to perforate them with only two holes between each
two stamps as shewn in figure 2 with which perforations, prongs, or points formed.
on the lower end of a plate or propeller I (hinged to the rocking arm D) engage.
and propel the ribbon of stamps forward when the arm is depressed-Fitted to or,
formed on the axis of the rocking arm D are two cams or tappets K which when'
the said. arm is being depressed act upon the short arms of two levers L (which are

page_text: fitted to turn on centres on the base A) causing their opposite ends to rise and
carry with them a damping roller or pad M into a position to cause the end stamp
of the ribbon of stamps as it moves forward by the depression of the arm D
to come into contact therewith whereby the gummed surface of the stamp is
sufficiently damped to cause it to adhere to the envelope or the like when pressed
thereon by the head D2 of the rocking arm D.-The front stamps having been
damped as described is by the further depression of the arm D severed from the
ribbon of stamps by a blade d on the head D¹ acting against a fixed blade d' the
said head then pressing the severed stamp on to the envelope or the like placed in
position to receive it upon the table A³-This table is fitted to slide in or on guides
in the base A so as to be capable of being raised and lowered to suit various
thicknesses of letters or the like to be stamped and for this purpose it is connected
to the long arms of two levers N centred at n to the base A the short arms of the
said levers being acted upon by cams or tappets N2 fast on the axis of the rocking
lever arm D-These cams and also the cams K which operate the damper are
suitably timed to effect their several operations at the required periods the table. A²
being caused to rise and meet the descending head D2 so as to nip the letter or the
like between their two surfaces and thus affix the damped and severed stamp on to
the said letter
When a stamp has been affixed pressure is removed from the arm D which will
then rise under the action of a spring P and the blade or propeller will recede to
its normal position and the points thereon engage with the next series or row of
perforations in the ribbon of stamps in readiness to propel the ribbon forward by
the next depression of the arm D
The distance to which the propeller points are caused to recede will be equal to
the length or width of the stamp or label, as the case may be and in order to prevent
the ribbon of stamps being drawn back by the receding motion of the propeller, a
spring retainer k is provided having points which press upon the ribbon and hold
it in position until the arm D is again depressed. In order to further ensure the
ribbon of stamps not being drawn back by the receding motion of the propeller the
points which engage with the perforations may be hinged to the main body of
the propeller in such a manner as to remain rigid therewith in its forward motion
but to yield or turn up when it recedes
The damping roller or pad M which may be made of or covered with felt or other
suitable fibrous or absorbent material may if desired be caused to descend into
water placed in the well Q but in order to prevent the water being carried on to or
splashed upon the surface of the label A² I prefer to divide the well containing the
water from the recess into which the damping roller or pad descends and conduct
the water thereto by capilary attraction by means of strands bands or ribbons R
of fibrous material
The rocking arm D may if desired be connected by a rod to a treadle to be worked
by the foot or it may be actuated by a hand wheel or crank
The apparatus may be used for affixing stamps or labels to luggage, parcels and
the like by modifying the shape of the rocking lever D and dispensing with the
rising table B² herein before described
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is.
First. In apparatus for affixing postage stamps labels and the like on to
envelopes and other surfaces the combination with a rocking arm or lever for fixing
the stamps or labels on to the surface to receive them of a propelling instrument for
bringing a stamp or label into position to be affixed and operating substantially in
the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated by my drawings
Second-In apparatus for affixing postage stamps and other adhesive stamps or
labels on to surfaces the combination with the rocking arm D of the propelling

page_text: instrument I damper M and the cutting blades d and d³ for separating the stamps
from the ribbon of stamps the whole being constructed arranged and operated
substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated by my drawings
Third The combination with the rocking arm or lever D of the rising and
falling table B operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein-
before described and illustrated by my drawings
Fourth-The general combination and arrangement of apparatus for feeding
forward a ribbon of stamps or labels damping and severing the same and fixing
them on to letters, packages, parcels luggage or the like substantially as herein-
before described and as illustrated by my drawings
In witness whereof I the said James Charles Stuart Wallace have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal this twenty second day of May One
thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
TAMES WALLACE