Improvements in or relating to Devices for Inking or Damping Stamps, Seals, and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th July, 1897- Accepted, 21st Aug., 1897
Improvements in or relating to Devices for Inking or Damping
Stamps, Seals, and the like.
A communication from ERNST ROBERT GÖHLER, Station Inspector, of Kossebuade.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111 Hatton Garden in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent 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 can be used either for inking stamps (of rubber, metal or other
material) or for damping or wetting a seal before making an impression with it in
sealing wax. The former is the more important and useful application, so that for
the sake of brevity, only stamps and inking will be hereinafter referred to, in the
following description.
The device. according to the present invention is a great improvement in the
well-known automatic inking device. As regards the manner of operation of both
devices, the difference between them is that according to the present invention the
stamp-plate is not twisted or revolved to produce the impression, as the impression is
effected in the same way as with an ordinary hand-stamp. The liability to get out
of order or give faulty impressions or to take up an insufficient supply of ink is
minimised, for the latter is effected not by means of spring-pressure but by the
pressure of the user.
If it is desired to make several successive impressions with an
ink-pad amply supplied with ink without renewed inking, it is possible to do so
without any adjustinent or locking. In the position of rest the stamp does not touch
the pad, saturated perhaps excessively with ink, so that the stamp cannot be charged
with too much ink and so make blots. Finally the device can be easily constructed
so as to be capable of being applied to any existing stamp.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, the device consists of a frame A mounted
by means of slots a a in its side walls a¹ a' on angular pins or pivots 6 b on the sides
of the stamp B in such manner that it can partly rotate and is adjustable, and is acted
upon by springs c c.
Figs. 1 to 3 show the stamp with the device according to the present invention in
the position of rest respectively in front, back and side-elevation. The springs cc
press or exert an upward pressure on the flat pins b b and hold the stamp B out of
contact with the ink-pad D (Fig 4) arranged on the upper inner side of the lower
part of the frame.
When the handle B¹ is pressed down the springs are compressed
and the stamp-plate 61 is pressed against the pad D as shown in longitudinal section
in Fig. 4.
In order to bring the stamp into the position ready for printing the frame A is turned
aside by hand. Owing to the flattened shape of the pins bb, this results in the
springs cc becoming compressed, then a dead point-position is reached and finally the
spring becomes operative to complete the turning and to hold the frame in the position

page_text: indicated in Fig. 5. The recess or curved part of the rear-wall of the frame (Fig. 2)
limits the turning motion by coming in contact with the handle B'. Then one or
several successive impressions can be made; the frame A is then returned into the
position of rest by pressing it back by hand. This latter position is also maintained.
by the springs as each turning of A relatively to B results in a compression of the
springs.
The stamp can be brought into operative position in a still easier manner without
touching the frame A by giving the stamp held with the stamp-surface upward in
the right hand a short strong jerk towards the side to which the frame is to be
swung the swinging is then caused by the momentum, and, after the dead point has
been pressed is completed by the springs.
The rear wall of the frame A prevents it from at any time swinging to the opposite
side and thus the position of the frame turned to the side (Fig. 5) indicates the
correct position of the stamp relatively to paper, so that printing upside down by
mistake becomes impossible.
Fig. 6 shows the device with a slightly modified form of the frame A. In this case
the front-walls are cut away so that the slots a a terminate at the lower part in a
lateral opening.
The ends of the pins 6 can be bent downwards according to Figs 1 and 2 in order to
prevent the springs from slipping off. The latter are however preferably held in
lugs c c on the frame A. The pins can if desired be secured directly to the wooden
or metal stamp B. But it is better to form them as parts of a plate P. as shown in
the drawing. For by means of such a plate the device (manufactured and stocked
in suitable sizes) can be applied to any stamp of the usual kind simply by removing
the handle B¹ placing the stamp B under the plate and again screwing the. screw S
(Fig. 4) through a hole in P. This means of attachment is as a rule sufficient.
same can beattained in a still more convenient manner, if instead of the hole in the plate p
a slot is formed extending to one of its longitudinal edges. Then it is sufficient to
loosen the stamp B and to introduce the plate between the handle and the stamp, the
screw entering the slot.
The
The plate P may be provided on its longitudinal sides with strengthening strips pp
projecting upwards (Fig. 6).
The ink-pad may be secured in the frame A, but it is preferable to make it
detachable, especially with the view of employing pads which can be constructed for
the device according to the present invention and simply pushed in or out and replaced
by new ones. Figs. 7 and 8 show an ink-pad D provided with a metal casing D¹ in
the shape of a drawer which can be pushed in into the space formed by the longitudinal
widened portions of the frame A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner
the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. An inking device for hand stamps or damping device for seals, characterised by
angular pins on the sides of the stamp a slotted frame movable on the pins, said
frame being provided with an ink-pad in combination with springs pressing on the
pins and thus raising the stamp from the pad and regulating the relative position of
stamp and frame substantially as described.
2. "A device of the character described, characterised by a plate carrying the angular
pins, which plate being connected with the body of the stamp enables the device to
be applied to any ordinary stamp substantially as described.
3. A device of the character described comprising an ink-pad provided with a
separate frame and easily detachable from the main frame in which it is carried,
substantially as described.
4. A device of the character described, comprising a detachable ink-pad provided
with a drawer-like frame adapted to be introduced into the main frame of the device
substantially as described.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete. inking or

page_text: damping device substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
or in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.