AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING POSTAGE AND OTHER STAMPS TO PREPARE THEM FOR APPLICATION
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John
Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the
for the Invention
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the
of
* AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING POSTAGE AND OTHER STAMPS
TO PREPARE THEM FOR APPLICATION."-A communication from abroad
by Victor Mollard, of 39, Faubourg St. Martin, Paris, France.
Sealed the 25th September 1868, and dated the 28th March 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge
-
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th March 1868.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son,
5 of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING POSTAGE AND OTHER STAMPS TO
PREPARE THEM FOR APPLICATION," a communication to me. from abroad by :

page_text: Victor Mollard, of 39, Faubourg St. Martin, Paris, France, to be as
follows:-
As shewn on the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, forming part of
this Provisional Specification, the apparatus the subject of this Invention
is composed of a vase or vessel A, B, C, D, open at top and the
lower part resting on a rectangular foot E, F. The vase and its foot
or base are attached and form one whole, the foot being indifferently
hollow or massive. The interior of this vase A, B, C, D, contains a
small fine round sponge, which turns on itself by means of the spindle
G, H, passing through the vase from side to side and set in motion by
turning the button I. This sponge is itself fixed to the spindle by a
small metal pin in order that it may rotate with it. J is the lid of
the apparatus. A little water being poured into the vase A, B, C, D,
so that it impregnates the sponge, the apparatus can be used by passing
the stamp through the opening at top and slightly pressing its gummed
surface on the top of the sponge; and when this upper part of the
sponge becomes dry it is again moistened by turning the spindle so
that it dips into and imbibes a little of the water at the bottom of the
vase. The shape of the vase and of its foot may be modified, and
the apparatus may be made of porcelain, glass, wood, marble, bronze,
or any suitable metal or material.
The advantages offered by this apparatus are cleanliness, inasmuch
as its adoption will obviate the unpleasant necessity of licking stamps
in order to fix them,' and rapidity, as it will always be ready for use,
and forming a good paper weight will be no incumbrance on the desk
or writing table.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th September 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM 3
EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 11,
Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the 3

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in
the thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Gedge,
Her special licence that I, the said William Edward Gedge, my exc-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators, and 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 Invention
for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING POSTAGE AND OTHER STAMPS
TO PREPARE THEM FOR APPLICATION," a communication to me from abroad
by Victor Mollard, of 39, Faubourg St. Martin, Paris, France, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward
Gedge, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 William Edward Gedge, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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 Sheet
of Drawing hereunto annexed and forming part of this Specification,
and to the figures and letters of reference placed thereon:-
Fig. 1 being an elevation, and Fig. 2 a section of this improved
apparatus taken at A', B', Fig. 1.
The improved apparatus, the subject of this Invention, is composed
of a circular vase or vessel A, B, C, D, open at top, and the lower part
resting on a rectangular foot or base E, F. The vase and its foot or
base are attached at their junction so as to form but one piece, the
foot being indifferently hollow or massive. The interior of this vase
A, B, C, D, contains a small fine round sponge, which turns on itself
by means of the spindle G, H, which passes through the vase from side
to side, and is set in motion by turning the button I. This sponge is
itself fixed to the spindle by a small metal pin in order that it may
rotate with it. J is the lid of the apparatus. A little water being

page_text: poured into the vase A, B, C, D, so that it impregnates the sponge,
the apparatus can be used by passing the stamp through the opening
at the top and slightly pressing the gummed surface on the top of the
sponge, and when this upper part of the sponge becomes dry it is again
moistened by turning the spindle so that it dips into and imbibes a little
of the water which is at the bottom of the vase. The shape of the vase
and of its foot or base may be modified, the base to contain a drawer
if desired, and the apparatus may be made of porcelain, glass, wood,
marble, bronze, or any suitable metal or material, and be of any desired
size.
The advantages offered by this apparatus are cleanliness, inasmuch
as its adoption will obviate the unpleasant necessity of licking stamps
in order to fix them, and rapidity, as it will always be ready for
use, and forming a good paper weight will be no incumbrance on the
desk or writing table; it may be made ornamental, or very plain and
cheap.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-fourth day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-eight.