IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STAMPING OR MARKING PAPER AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of
Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR STAMPING OR MARKING PAPER AND OTHER MATERIALS."-
A communication from abroad by Henri Bouquet, of Paris, in the
Empire of France.
Sealed the 2nd June 1863, and dated the 24th December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th December 1862.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STAMPING OR MARKING PAPER AND OTHER
MATERIALS," a communication from abroad by Henri Bouquet, of Paris, in
the Empire of France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of ink
stamper for marking papers and documents of all kinds, or for obliterating
postage or other stamps, and consists of a rotatory die contained in the lower
end of a forked frame or holder, within which frame works vertically, by the
action of the handle of the apparatus, an inking pad. On the stamp being
pressed on to any surface the pad descends and inks the upper surface of the
die, which is provided with the proper type, according to the words or
characters to be printed or impressed. A spring is employed for elevating the
pad after the pressure of the hand is removed, and simultaneously with the

page_text: rising of the inking pad a spring arm in connection therewith acts by means
of a pin at its lower extremity upon a slotted disc fast on the end of the axis
of the die, and imparts on rising a partial or semi-rotation of the die, so as to
bring the other surface upwards whilst the one last inked is turned down in
readiness for the next impression. In conjunction with the slotted disc there
is a stationary cap fitted outside the disc, which cap has an inclined surface
made therein, over which the pin slides in descending, but on arriving at the
bottom of its course it drops into a curved and inclined slot, which guides it in
a semicircular course, and causes it to carry half round with it the disc and die.
Thus at each depression of the handle the upper surface of the die is inked, and
at each elevation or release thereof that surface is turned under, and a fresh one
brought under the inking pad. It is obvious that other well-known mechanical
contrivances suitable for transmitting an intermittent, partial, or semi-rotation
from a vertical reciprocating one may be adopted, but the peculiar arrangement
herein-before described is preferred.
The inking pad consists of felt, cloth, or other absorbent material, covered
with silk or other suitable permeable fabric, and laid against a perforated
plate, which plate forms the bottom of an ink reservoir, which is screwed to
the lower end of a rod connected with the handle. This ink reservoir may
either consist of a metal chamber fixed directly to bottom of the handle, or
of a separate box fitted into such chamber, and capable of being readily
removed therefrom for the purpose of filling or cleaning the same.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd June 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and
of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Henry, Johnson, Her special license, that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or

page_text: 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, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STAMPING OR MARKING PAPER
AND OTHER MATERIALS," a communication from abroad by Henry Bouquet,
of Paris, in the Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand
and seal of one of them, 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 I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention-relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of ink
stamper for marking papers and documents of all kinds, or for obliterating
postage or other stamps, and consists of a rotating die contained in the lower
end of a forked frame or holder, within which frame works vertically, by the
action of the handle of the apparatus, an inking pad. On the stamp being
pressed on to any surface the pad descends and inks the upper surface of the
die, which is provided with the proper type, according to the words or
characters to be printed or impressed. A spring is employed for elevating the
pad after the pressure of the hand is removed, and simultaneously with the
rising of the inking pad a spring arm in connection therewith acts by means
of a pin at its lower extremity upon a slotted disc fast on the end of the
axis of the die, and imparts on rising a partial or semi-rotation to the die, so
as to bring the other surface upwards, whilst the one last inked is turned down
in readiness for the next impression. In conjunction with the slotted disc
there is a stationary cap fitted outside the disc, which cap has an inclined
surface made therein over which the pin slides in descending, but on arriving
at the bottom of its course it drops into a curved and inclined slot, which
guides it in a semicircular course, and causes it to carry half round with it the
dise and die. Thus at each depression of the handle the upper surface of the die
is inked, and at each elevation or release thereof that surface is turned under,

page_text: and a fresh one brought under the inking pad. It is obvious that other well-
known mechanical contrivances suitable for transmitting an intermittent,
partial, or semi-rotation from a vertical reciprocating movement may be adopted,
but the peculiar arrangement herein-before described is preferred.
The inking pad consists of felt, cloth, or other absorbent material, covered
with silk or other suitable permeable fabric, and laid against a perforated
plate, which plate forms the bottom of an ink reservoir, which is screwed to
the lower end of a rod connected with the handle. This ink reservoir may
either consist of a metal chamber fixed directly to the bottom of the handle or
of a separate box fitted into such chamber, and capable of being readily
removed therefrom for the purpose of filling or cleaning the same.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of the improved self-inking stamper;
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, looping at right angles to Figure 1.
The rest of the Figures are details and modifications, which are more fully
referred to herein-after.
A is a small forked holder, having a tube B fitted to the upper or horizontal
cross piece, which tube serves as a guide for the handle or rod E. Below this
cross piece there is fitted to the rod E a small vessel C, of a shape corre-
sponding generally to that of the seal or die. Inside this vessel is enclosed a
pad X, composed of felt or other suitable absorbent material, which is placed
over a perforated plate y forming the bottom of the vessel, a sufficient space
being left above the plate y to contain ink. The rod E serves as a stopper
for the ink holder C, being screwed therein, and also connects the ink holder
with the handle E¹ of the apparatus, It passes through the tube B, and is
surrounded by a helical spring F, which tends always to keep the inker C
elevated against the top of the forked holder A. The die H, which may be
made single or double, is carried upon pivots h, h, which pass through the
lower ends of the two arins of the forked piece A.
In the apparatus illustrated by the Drawings the die is intended to have a
duplicate design upon both its faces, so that the two will operate in rotation,
the one being inked whilst the other surface is transferring its impression on to
the paper. One of the pivots or axes of the die carries a disc I (Figure 3)
which is fast thereon, and contained within a recess in the arm of the support A.
A vertical slot or groove A' is made diametrically across the face of this disc,

page_text: and in it works a pin or stud on the lower end of an arm J pivotted at its
upper end to a pin in the side of the ink-holder C, a slot being made in the
branch of the support or holder A, to allow it to work vertically therein and
follow the movements of the inker C. When the stud or pin descends along
the groove A its opposite end slides over a small inclined plane K made on
the inner side of the fixed cap or cover P (Figure 3*), so that when the pin z
has reached the bottom of its course, as shown in Figure 4, it falls into the
sunk part or cavity L below the raised portion K, and when it rises again
it follows the curved part or groove at P (Figure 3), and consequently,
being always engaged in the straight groove A' in the disc I, it carries that
disc and the die round with it to the extent of half a revolution, the spring F
giving the upward motion desired. When in a state of rest, and the pin z is
at its highest position, it is partly engaged in the slot A', and partly in a notch
in the arm of the support or forked frame A, and consequently the die is
maintained steady in one position, being prevented from turning except by the
depression of the handle.
The arrangement employed for rotating the die at each fresh impression
may be obtained by other contrivances, such as a ratchet and pall, or with
the same arrangement of arm J, by causing a lateral pressure, may be exerted
upon the axes h so as to reverse the die, or a small handle working with a
pause or dwell may be employed.
Figure 5 represents in vertical section a portion of the improved stamping
apparatus, provided with a removable pad. This pad is composed of a small
metal case or box N, containing in its interior a perforated plate y, against
which is held the felt X or other material forming the body of the pad. The
felt is covered with a piece of silk, secured at the edges in a small groove
made in the box N. The portion above the perforated plate forms the
reservoir for the ink M. This construction of pad admits of its easy and
expeditious removal when the ink is exhausted. For this purpose it is simply
requisite to unscrew the handle E of the apparatus, which is screwed into the
top of the pad, when the latter is free to be removed from the holder C, and
refilled with ink on removing the stopper o.
In preparing this apparatus (say, Figure 1) for use, the handle or rod E is
first unscrewed from the ink-holder C, and the ink is introduced through the
hole. The handle is then readjusted in its place, and so soon as the ink bas had
time to permeate the absorbent material composing the pad the apparatus will
be ready for use. If the hand be pressed upon the handle E' it will descend,
the spring F giving way under it, and the holder C with the pad will descend
upon the upper surface of the die and ink the same, whilst the under surface

page_text: of the same die is being pressed down upon the paper to be stamped. During
the descent of the holder C the arm J will descend with it, and the pin will
slide down the slot or groove A' in the disc I till it arrives at the end of its
course, where it drops into a circular groove in the fixed cap or cover P, and
when the pressure of the hand is removed this pin will ascend by the action of
the spring F, but in so doing it will describe a semicircular course, and being
still engaged with the lower end of the straight groove in the disc I, it will
cause such disc to receive a semi-rotation and be reversed, bringing the inked
surface under in readiness for the next stamp, and the surface which has
parted with its ink in making the previous impression upwards or in a position
to be inked by the pad at its next descent, and whilst the inked surface is
producing its impression on the paper.
Although the Drawing shows a flat die having only two surfaces, the same
may be made of a rectangular, round, oval, or other form. The central spring F
may also be replaced by two lateral springs, the arms of the fork A being made
tubular, and sliding within other tubes containing helical springs.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the 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 herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general construction, arrangement, and combination of apparatus
for stamping or marking paper and other substances, as herein-before
described.
Second, the peculiar self-acting arrangements for rotating the stamping die,
as herein-before described.
Third, the combination of a revolving or reversing die with a removable
pad, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of June, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-three.
J. HENKY JOHNSON. (L.S.)