Improvements in Apparatus for Affixing Adhesive Labels, Postage Stamps, and the like, also applicable for Printing on Letters, Cards, and the like, and for other purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 11th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Affixing Adhesive Labels, Postage
Stamps, and the like, also applicable for Printing on Letters,
Cards, and the like, and for other purposes.
I, BASS KENNEDY of 48 Pollok Street, Glasgow, Boilermaker, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an apparatus which is mainly intended for affixing
adhesive stamps to letters, newspapers, accounts, and such like but it is also
applicable in a more or less modified form for affixing labels to bottles, tins, jars,
and other articles, and for printing words, designs, or devices, upon letters, papers,
cards, and such like, and, generally, for other purposes where a vertically movable
stamping or pressing arrangement is desired.
The invention is a development of my prior invention No. 13669 of 1893 for
aflixing adhesive stamps to letters and such like and it has mainly for its object to
enable the damping of the letter and the affixing of the stamp to be performed at
one downward pressure instead of two as formerly.
The apparatus consists of a hollow or partly hollow bed or plate upon or to
which is fitted a hollow pedestal having a spiral spring or its equivalent in its
interior. Fitted telescopically on the pedestal is a movable tube which is or may
be provided with a small handle or press knob at its upper end and with a guide
pin or spindle in its interior which latter passes down the centre of the spiral spring
aforesaid.
A vertical slot is cut in the pedestal and a screw or pin passed through the
telescopic tube enters the slot in such manner as to retain the tube in proper
position. By withdrawing the pin or screw the telescopic tube can be readily
taken off the pedestal.
Projecting out horizontally from the telescopic tube is an arm which supports or
carries a small receptacle containing the stamps to be aflixed. This receptacle
may be the same as or of similar construction to the stamp receptacle described and
shown in the specification and drawings of my prior invention aforesaid but instead
of baving a screw attachment at its upper end whereby it is secured to the arm it
is preferably provided with a square or other angled portion at the top of the
tubular piston which enters a square or angular hole in the arm and above the
squared part a round narrow neck surmounted by a cap. When the squared part
of the piston is inserted in the arm the neck projects up sufficiently to be easily
caught by a pivotted and horizontally movable catch provided with a curved slot
which grasps the neck and retains the receptacle in place. A small lug is made on
the catch to enable it to be readily moved so as to lock and unlock the receptacle
as desired.
Fitted also on the telescopic tube is a strap provided with two backwardly
projecting arms, or simply two backwardly projecting arins may be fitted direct to
the tube. These arms carry a pin or bar upon which a double lever is fulcrumed
having at its lower end a small damping roller and also if necessary a second
smoothing and damping roller or a simple smoothing roller which may be of the
same or smaller size. This double lever is so acted upon by a spring at its upper
end as to normally lic at an angle to the pedestal and with its roller or rollers
pressed on top of a small damping pad which projects up through the bed or plate

page_text: of the machine and is moistened by means of water filled into the hollow space in
the bed. Projecting out from the base of the pedestal are two flat spring arms to
which inclined strips or pieces are fitted in such manner as to serve as lifting
guides or inclines for lifting the damping roller up off the article being stamped
after it has been damped in the proper place.
A second larger pad may be fitted in the bed and be supplied with water there-
from for the purpose of damping letters, papers, etc.
The bed is, preferably, recessed at the front to a depth sufficient to take in
letters, papers, etc. of some thickness.
The apparatus is operated by merely pressing down the telescopic tube, against
the action of the spring in the pedestal, when the small damping roller is first
caused to automatically damp a letter previously inserted under the spring arms of
the pedestal base and thereafter the stamp receptacle is caused to deliver and affix
a stamp on to the damped part of the letter.
For postal, telegraphie, and other offices a battery of these machines can be used
for stamping letters, telegrams, etc.
Under a modification the machine can be adapted to work with a treadle motion
the guide pin or spindle of the telescopic tube being elongated and connected to
suitable treadle levers. This arrangement is more suitable for labelling bottles
and such like. In this case of course the stamp receptacle is replaced by a label
receptacle or by a simple presser plate or block. The damping arrangement is also
altered to suit the bottle or other article being labelled.
The hollow receptacle in the bed can be used for paste and the damping roller be
adapted to paste articles upon which labels are subsequently stampel or impressed
by n presser plate or block on the projecting arm.
The machine can be adapted for printing cards, names, and such like. In this
case the damping roller is adapted to ink the type or stereo.
The apparatus can be adapted to be driven by steam or other motive power if so
desired.
Dated this 11th day of October 1895.
11. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
Improvements in Apparatus for Affixing Adhesive Labels, Postage
Stamps, and the like, also applicable for Printing on Letters,
Cards, and the like, and for other purposes.
1, Bass KENNEDY, of 45 Pollok Street, Glasgow, Boilermaker, 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:-
This invention relates to an apparatus which is mainly intended for aflixing
adhesive stamps to letters, newspapers, accounts, and such like but it is also
applicable in a more or less modified form for aflixing labels to bottles, tins, jars
and other articles, and for printing words, designs, or devices upon letters, papers,
cards, and such like, and, generally, for other purposes where a vertically movable
stamping or pressing arrangement. is desired.
The invention is a development of my prior invention No. 13669 of 1893 for
aflixing adhesive stamps to letters and such like and it has mainly for its object to
enable the damping of the letter and the aflixing of the stamp to be performed at
one downward pressure instead of two ns formerly.

page_text: And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, whereon,
Fig. 1 is a front view, Fig. 2 a plan and Fig. 3, a side view with the bed or base
sectioned on the line - Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section and Fig. 5 an inverted plan of the stamp box.
Fig. 6 is a side view and Fig. 7 a section of a damping pad.
The apparatus consists of a hollow or partly hollow bed or plate a upon or in
which is fitted a hollow pedestal & having a spiral spring c or its equivalent in its
interior. Fitted telescopically on the pedestal is a movable tube d which is or
may be provided with a small handle or press knob d' at its upper end with a guide
pin or spindle (see dotted lines Fig. 3) in its interior which latter passes down
the centre of the spiral spring e a aforesaid.
A vertical slot is cut in the back of the pedestal to within a short distance of the
top and a screw or pin e passed through the telescopic tube d enters the slot in
such manner as to retain the tube in proper position. By withdrawing the pin
or screw e the telescopic tube can be readily taken off the pedestal.
Projecting out horizontally from the telescopic tube d is an arm which
supports or carries a small receptacle or box g containing the stamps to be affixed.
This receptacle may be the same as or of a similar construction to the stamp
receptacle described and shown in the specification and drawings of my prior
invention aforesaid, but, instead of having a screw attachment at its upper end
whereby it is secured to the arm it is preferably provided with a square or other
angled portion g at the top of the tubular piston which enters a square or other
angular hole in the arm and above the square part is a round narrow neck gå
surmounted by a cap g. When the square part of the piston is inserted in the
arm, the neck projects up sufficiently to be easily caught by a pivotted and
horizontally movable catch provided with a curved slot (Fig. 2) which grasps
the neck and retains the receptacle in place. A small lug h is made on the catch
to enable it to be readily moved so as to lock and unlock the receptacle as
desired. The dotted lines at Fig. 2 indicate the position of the catch when
unlocked.
Fitted also on the telescopic tube is a strap j provided with two backwardly
projecting arms, 2, or simply two backwardly projecting arms may be fitted direct
to the tube. These arms carry a pin or bar k upon which a double or forked
lever is fulcrumed having at its lower end a small damping roller m and, also, if
necessary, a second smoothing and damping roller or a simple smoothing roller
which may be of the same or smaller size. This double lever is so acted upon
by a spring n at its upper end as to normally lie at an angle to the pedestal and
with its roller mor rollers pressed on top of a small damping pad o which projects
through the bed or plate of the machine and is moistened by means of water
filled into the hollow space al in the bed. p, p', are two wheels fitted at the lower
end of the double lever which, when the tube d is depressed, run in inclined
guide grooves. These wheels are for guiding the damping roller m and also
for lifting it up off the article being stamped after it has been damped in the proper
place.
One or two larger pads may be fitted in the bed and be supplied with water
therefrom for the purpose of damping letters, papers, etc. Figs. 6 and 7 show one
of these pads. They may be made of zinc covered with absorbent material.
The bed is, preferably, recessed or stepped at the front as shown to a depth
sufficient to take in letters, papers, etc., of some thickness.
The apparatus is operated by merely pressing down the telescopic tube d, against
the action of the spring e in the pedestal, when the small damping roller m is first
caused to automatically damp a letter previously inserted in the stepped part of
the pedestal base and thereafter the stamp receptacle g is caused to deliver and
affix a stamp on to the damped part of the letter.
r is a small rubber cushion let into the base plate a just at the place where the
stamp receptacle g presses ou the letter, etc.

page_text: is a screw plug which can be removed whenever the reservoir a' is to be filled
with water.
For postal, telegraphic, and other offices, a battery of these machines can be used
for stamping letters, telegrams, etc.
Under a modification the machine can be adapted to work with a treadle motion
the guide or spindle of the telescopic tube being elongated and connected to suitable
trendle levers. This arrangement is more suitable for labelling bottles and such
like. In this case of course the stamp receptacle is replaced by a label receptacle
or by a simple pressure plate or block. The damping arrangement is also altered
to suit the bottle or other article being labelled.
The hollow receptacle in the bed can be used for paste and the damping roller be
adapted to paste articles upon which labels are subsequently stamped or impressed
by a presser plate or block on the projecting arm.
The machine can be adapted for printing cards, names, and such like. In this
case the damping roller may be adapted to ink the type or stereo which can be
fitted in the bed below a pressure pad which takes the place of the receptacle g
The apparatus can be adapted to be driven by steam or other motive power if so
desired.
The apparatus can be further altered or modified without departing from the
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
consider novel and desire to claim is :-
1. The general arrangement and combination of parts of the apparatus
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the drawings annexed.
2. In an apparatus of the class set forth, the combination of a pedestal or pillar,
a sliding tube or its equivalent fitted thereon, a stamping device secured to the tube,
und a lever arrangement secured to the tubo and provided with a damping roller at
its lower end, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
3. In combination, the base, the pedestal thereon, the sliding tube fitted on the
pedestal, a stamping device secured to the sliding tube, a spring lever fulcrumed
on the sliding tube, a damping roller fitted to the lever and a damping pad or its
equivalent for moistening the roller fitted in the base, substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the drawings annexod.
4. The method of attaching the stamping device to the arm of the telescopic tube
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings annexed.
Dated this 8th day of August 1896.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.