Im- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING AND STAMPING LETTERS, DESIGNS, AND ARTICLES, ALSO FOR BLOTTING AND COPYING LETTERS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Henry Ellis and Nicolas
Alphonse Aubertin at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 5th May 1871.
We, GEORGE HENRY ELLIS and NICOLAS ALPHONSE AUBERTIN (the
younger), of No. 20, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “Im-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING AND STAMPING LETTERS, DESIGNS, AND
ARTICLES, ALSO FOR BLOTTING AND COPYING LETTERS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS," to
be as follows:-
I. Our improvements have reference specially to the form and
general arrangement of apparatus for printing and stamping letters,
designs, and articles, also for blotting and copying letters and other
documents.
II. We employ for these purposes, with certain variations afterwards
specified, an article convenient to hold and use by hand of an oval
form in the rim and plain or parallel sides.

page_text: III. We make our apparatus for printing or reproducing designs,
drawings, or letters (either in the manner or by way of typography,
lithography, or any similar art) in the form mentioned above, with
the rim made of zinc, stone, or any suitable material, and upon the
surface of this rim the sample or article for reproduction is fixed or
designed, after which (being inked in the usual manner) an impression
is taken by pressing or rolling the apparatus upon the subject made
ready to receive it. In certain cases the apparatus may have less or
more than the two curved sections that are used in the oval.
IV. For stamping, our apparatus is made in a similar form to the
above, and we dispose upon the rim india-rubber type, letters, or figures,
or any suitable equivalent thereof. The mode of use is to roll the rim
containing the type or other matter upon an ink pad in the usual way,
and then press or roll the same upon the article to be stamped.
V. In the case of apparatus used for blotting, the same is made in a
similar form-and-is used in a similar manner to the above, but as will
be understood the body or foundation (usually-made of cardboard) is
surrounded by a number or series of blotting sheets or rings, each of
which is gummed or fastened at the points or sharp curves of the figure
where the article is not used.
VI. The apparatus for copying letters and other documents is made
in two forms. The first form is to adapt our improvements to the
existing mode of copying letters in books, and in place of making the
apparatus of an oval form we use a hollow case or box having a
curved or semicircular bottom and a flat or other cover at the top.
Within this case, at the bottom, we dispose or form a suitable damping
well with an arrangement to prevent the water from flowing out,
likewise a convenient place or stand for the brush and copying book
above the damping well. When the manuscript is ready for copying
(prepared in the usual way) the book containing it is laid upon a stand
or table, and the press or apparatus being placed upon it the operator
with both hands presses and rolls it upon the book until an impression
is taken.
VII. The second form for copying letters or other documents in which
our improvements are used is substantially as first described, i.e., having
an oval-shaped rim with plain or parallel sides suitable for using by
hand. One section or curve of the rim may be furnished with copying

page_text: paper and the other with blotting paper, india-rubber, or other suitable
copying medium or material, or any convenient variation of this
arrangement may be adapted.
The essence of our Invention in this case is to use our oval or similar
shaped body (with suitable contrivances upon the rim or surface) as
a press for the copying or reproducing of letters and documents by
hand.