IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF AND IN THE MACHINERY FOR PRINTING CARTES DE VISITE AND ADDRESSES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Claudius Valette, Civil Engineer, of the City of Paris, in
the Republic of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF AND IN THE MACHINERY FOR PRINTING CARTES DE VISITE AND
ADDRESSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Claudius Valette at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th December 1870.
CLAUDIUS VALETTE, Civil Engineer, of the City of Paris, in the Republic of
France. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF AND IN THE MACHINERY FOR
PRINTING CARTES DE VISITE AND ADDRESSES."
The machine forming the subject of the present Invention is a simple apparatus,
the improvements and characteristic features of which are the following:-
1. The production of the requisite pressure for printing without the aid of either
a vertical shaft, cam, or eccentric mounted on the transverse motor shaft. The
pressure is produced by means of a knee piece moved by a rod and bent shaft, the
object of this arrangement being to effect a more energetic pressure without shock.
2. A self-acting inker uniformly distributing the ink on the form by means of
rollers (mechanically moved) and a rectangular plate, in which a disc, the distributer
of the ink, turns.
3. An apparatus for pushing the cards from top to bottom one by one without
either bridge, square, or grip. This apparatus consists of an iron or steel pallet with
grooves and dovetails sliding in a plate fixed below the card holder, and guides pre-
serving its parallelism during its alternate rectilinear motion.
4. In apparatus for guiding and maintaining the cards at the moment of
pressure,
consisting of small adjusting screws graduating the elasticity of the cutters
(émargeurs) by springs, according to the thickness of the cards.
5. In the preparing for press mechanism destined to press the cards against the
form, consisting of a binged plate turning on a pin or axis imparting the pressure,
and of a slide bolt for fixing the plate and receiving the pressure.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Claudius Valette in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st June
1877. -
"
CLAUDIUS VALETTE, Civil Engineer, of the City of Paris, in the Republic of
France. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF AND IN THE MACHINERY FOR
PRINTING CARTES DE VISITE AND ADDRESSES."
The Invention for which I desire to reserve the exclusive right is intended to
print cartes de visite and addresses by aid of a simple machine composed of novel
properties for producing a known object. It consists,-
1st. In effecting the requisite pressure for printing without either the assistance
of a vertical shaft, cam, or eccentric mounted on the transverse motor, the pressure
being produced by means of a knee piece moved by a shaft and a bent axis. By this.
method a more energetic pressure is effected without shock.
2nd. In the automatical inking apparatus combined in a manner to spread the
printing ink in a very uniform manner on the form or coposing stick by aid of
mechanical rollers and a rectangular plate, in which a spreading disc turns.
3rd. In the complete apparatus destined to push the cartes one by one from top
to bottom without bridge, square, or catch. Such apparatus taken as a whole is a
new combination, consisting specially in the employment of a pallet of iron or steel
with ribs and dovetails sliding in a fixed plate above the porte-carte and guides for
maintaining parallelisin during its alternate rectilinear motion; the principle of
this pallet, whatever its length, difference of form, or mode of fixture may be ; the
disposition of the acting part of this pallet, shaped so as to push a single carte at a
time in its descent, and to receive, immediately it returns, the next carte without
drawing it along in ascending; its mode of operation, acting throughout the length
of its lower course, and being capable of separation from or approach towards the
plane of sliding of these cartes, according to their thickness; the guide of the pallet,
adjusted to it in a precise manner, allowing it a gentle sliding motion and perfectly
parallel, approaching towards or separating from the cartes according as their
thickness requires, so as to allow one only to pass by the thrust of the pallet; the
elastic presser, maintaining the pack of cards in a rigorously parallel and vertical
position until the last is pushed; the movable cheeks of a single piece with the
fixed bar of the cutter, capable of advancing or receding according to the form of
the cartes.
4th. In the complete apparatus for guiding and maintaining the cards at the
moment of pressure. This novel combination consists especially in the use of
small pressing screws, graduating the pressure of the springs of the distributers in
accordance with the thickness of the cartes; the use of springs fixed near the dis-
tributers to prevent the warping of the cartes; by this means the card submitted to
pressure is maintained by its four sides.
5th, In the preparing for press apparatus intended to press the cartes against the
form. This part of the machine as whole is an entirely novel combination, con-
sisting specially of the employment of a plate hinged and turning on the pressing
bolt; the arrangement of a slide bolt destined to fix the plate and receive the
pressure; this arrangement admits of verifying and rapidly correcting the irregu-
larities of impression on the cartes; the upper edge of the plate, solidly maintaining
the maculature of the press preparer in place during impression.
6th, and finally. In the combination and appropriation of all the organs necessary
for working the machine.

page_text: Fig. 4, a rear view of the porte cartes; Fig. 5, a front view of the porte cartes.
Fig. 6, elevation of the machine at the moment of inking.
Figs 7 to 10 are details; Fig. 7 is a detail of the closing of the porte press pre-
parer; Fig. 9 is a horizontal section following the line A, B, of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a
horizontal section following the broken line C, D, E, F, of Fig. 1; finally, Fig. 10
indicates the connection of the knee piece and the motor shaft.
The machine consists of a main frame e, bearing all the mechanism, and amovable
frame, bearer of the cartes to be printed, articulated with the frame e on the
axis z.
The principal frame e bears the inking mechanism, that is to say, an inking
plate b, with a disc a turning in the centre of the plate b under the action or play
of the machine. The inking rollers R are animated with an oscillatory notion by
their levers o, which are drawn along in the movements of the machine, so that
during pressure these rollers R are quite above the inking plate b, Figs. 1 and 2,
and after pressure are quite below the form, Fig. 6. The frame e also bears the
frame of the form a¹ or composing stick, and the pressing plate b₁ of the porte form.
This same frame e is furnished with cushions where the bent shaft f¹ turns, which
directly receives the motion of the fly wheel g. The continuous motion of the axis f¹
is transmitted by the shaft by nearing or distancing the extremities of the two
arms forming the knee piece c, which consists of two levers c, c¹, Fig. 10, articulated
together, and unite at this articulation to the head of the shaft h, the arm c per-
manently oscillating on the frame e, the result being that to conform itself to the
movement of the shaft, the arm c¹ should have its end free, so that it can separate
from or approach the fixed end of the arm c.
The movable frame f bears at i. the cartes to be printed; these in any number
are guided and sustained by the cheeks of the distributers i, and continually pressed
by the spring, which also serves to push the cards as they are printed. The cards
are taken one by one by the up-and-down movement of the pallet j. During the thrust
of the pallet j the card is guided and supported by the distributers i, with adjusting
screws ; these screws give the requisite elasticity to the distributers, whilst the
screw t serves to regulate the distributers, Figs. 8 and 9. The pallet is guided by
the guide p, placed in the supports q. The guide p is furnished with a spring e¹,
which prevents warping of the cards when impressed. K is the nut for regulating
the course of the pallet ;; y is the porte pallet slide.
Below the porte cartes is the plate h, porte press preparer, oscillating round the
pressure bolt g, and kept in position by the play of the bolts or slide bolts r
entering under the impulse of the handle s into the mortices in the frame f, or
leaving them. Figs. 1 and 7 show the slide bolts in the mortices; in Fig. 6 these
bolts are out, and the porte press preparer lowered.
Having now described the acting parts I will now explain their action.
It has been observed that the movement of the fly wheel g is transformed by the
bent shaft f¹ of the shaft h¹ in an advancing and receding motion of the ends of the
knee piece c; the movable end of this piece commands by the shafts & the movement
of oscillation of the movable. frame f, that is, these shafts draw the frame to or from
the form or composing stick, or govern or not the pressure. The shaft n, one end of
which is fixed to the frame e, governs the pendent shafts c¹ by the lever x, these
shafts being connected with the apparatus for pushing the cards. Another shaft m,
fixed at one end to the frame f, governs by a small lever the great levers o, with
regulating springs, supporters of the inking rollers R. At each pressure of the
machine a lever o¹ receives a slight impulse, which is translated by a click oll
by a displacement of a tooth, with which the lower part of the turning plate a is
provided.
A number of cards being placed on the porte cartes between the cheeks i of the
apparatus, the handle on the fly wheel is turned, the card of the pack nearest to
the pallet j is pushed by it in its descent as far as the centre of the machine, where
it is pressed between the form and press preparer. As soon as pressure is exercised
by the continuation of the circular movement of the fly wheel and the aid of the
kuce piece or presser c, the movable frame fof the machine separates from the fixed

page_text: frame e, then the inking rollers descend to ink the form at the same time that a
printed carte falls, and a fresh one presents itself for impression, and so on in
succession.
If a speed of 60 turns a minute is given to the fly wheel, the machine will print a
like number of cartes.
The advantages resulting from my Invention are the following
Perfect inking of the characters.
Printing by an energetic and regular pressure on the whole surface of the carte.
Rapidity and regularity in its action.
Facility of working.
I claim as my Invention the construction and use of this simple apparatus, serving
to print cartes de visite or address cards by means of machinery not hitherto known
or used, and distinguished by the following features of novelty, viz. :—
1st. Inking by means of an inking plate of rectangular form, in the centre of
which a disc moves for uniformly distributing the ink to the inking rollers, which
in their turn ink the characters constituting the form.
2nd. The novel apparatus serving to support and thrust the cards for impression.
3rd. The movable plate porte press preparer.
4th. The knee presser applied for the first time in a continuous manner by means
of a fly wheel and shaft.
5th. In the general ensemble of the machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Claudius Valette, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
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