Improvements in Mail Marking Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 28th May, 1898
Improvements in Mail Marking Machines.
I, CHARLES PARTRIDGE OUDIN, of 401 West 124th Street, New York, in the
United States of America, Inventor, 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: -
My invention relates to an improvement in mail marking machines, the main
object being to simplify and reduce the number of parts to a minimum, and at the
same time attain greater strength and efficiency of parts; and with these objects
in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and com-
binations of parts which will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the
claims.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view, parts being in section.
Figure 2 is a view in elevation. Figure 3 is a horizontal section. Figure 4 is
an enlarged horizontal section showing the printing and impression cylinders and
the cooperating mechanism, parts in plan as well as parts in section. Figure 5 is
a transverse vertical section. Figure 6 is a plan view of the automatic feed
mechanism. Figure 7 is a view in elevation of a portion of this feed mechanism.
Figures 8 and 9 are details of the same. Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 are
details.
A represents the main frame of the machine and the numeral 1 indicates the
channel through which the letters or postal cards are fed. In the bottom of this
channel the usual horizontal feed belt 3 travels.
B and C represent respectively the printing and impression cylinders to which
this belt 3 leads. These cylinders are fixed on shafts 5 and 6 respectively and they
act in unison as will be explained hereinafter. Printing cylinder B comprises top
and bottom disks having a portion of the edge cut away and the central block 7 of
general triangular form. This central block 7 is bored out as at 8 and in it the
dating stamp is yieldingly held, a spring 10 tending to force it outward. A catch 11
retains the stamp in the socket 8 and this catch is provided with a thumb piece 12
by means of which it is swung outward when it is desired to remove the stamp to
change or regulate it. The numeral 14 indicates the die. This die has an L-shaped
slot 15 formed therein. The slot opens into the flat inner face of the die and is
adapted to receive a pin 16 by means of which the die is held against outward move-
ment. A spring slide latch 17 retains the die against backward endwise movement.
By sliding this latch 17 backward and then the die backward endwise and after-
wards outward it may be removed and by reversing the order of these movements
the die may be placed in position and secured.
Passing now to the impression cylinder C, that also comprises some novel
features of construction. It comprises, in the main, a top and bottom disk cut
away on a portion of the periphery just as the disks are in the printing cylinder
and in corresponding positions. A central block 20 retains the disks properly
spaced apart, the rivets 21, 21 holding the disks and interposed block rigidly
together. The impression surface is made yielding and consists of a series of
superimposed thin segments 22, 22. These segments are each backed by a

page_text: spring 23, the latter conveniently comprising a wire bent around shaft 6 with the
ends pressing outward upon the ends of the segments, the said ends of the springs
being bent slightly backward as at 24, 24, to present a rounder bearing surface to
the segments at which point they are dropped into recesses 25, 25, formed to receive
them. The segments are confined in place between the disks and against the
springs by rivets 26, 26, which pass through slots 27 and 28. The two outer
slots 27 27 enlarge outward and the central one 28 although circular in form, the
shape of all three is such as to afford ample play to the segments, whether it be direct
outward and inward, or rocking movement due to the initial and final contact at
one end or the other, rather than direct in the center. The object of this construc-
tion of impression cylinder is to provide not only for different thicknesses of mail
matter, but also and more especially for irregularities in the composition of a single
envelope which not infrequently results from the character of the enclosures which
it contains. By this provision any excessive thickness is immediately compensated
for and consequently the impression made is substantially uniform at every point
although without this provision the pressure would increase as the thickness
increased and decrease in corresponding ratio as the thickness of the envelope
diminished.
In addition to this yielding capacity of the impression surface, the entire cylinder
with the shaft 6 upon which it is secured, is supported in a sliding block 30, and
this is held yieldingly forward or inward by an arm 31 pivoted on shaft 32. Arm 31
is connected to a similar arm 33 pivoted on shaft 34 and a spring 35 connects the
free ends of the two arms 31 and 33. These parts are operated by a cam 36 on
shaft 5 which engages an anti-friction roller 37 on lever 33 to force lever 33 outward
with each revolution of shaft 5 to impart a variable pressure to the block 30 and
the impression cylinder which it carries, which pressure reaches its maximum
while the stamp and die are upon the card or envelope.
Should the card or letter to be marked arrive at the marking point ahead of the
stamp and die, some means for temporarily retarding it is provided and this consists
of a fixed stop 40 which projects far enough across the channel to afford an obstruc-
tion to an approaching card or letter with the assistance of the yielding deflector 41.
This deflector is pivoted for convenience on a post 42 and its curved deflecting end
reaches to the stop 40. The deflector is provided on the opposite side of its pivot
with a lug 43 against which a spring 44 bears. The tension of this spring is just
sufficient to resist the tendency of the card or envelope to crowd by, and at the
same time it easily yields to lateral pressure exerted at the proper time to force
the card or envelope from the stop. This lateral pressure is exerted at the proper
time by a lever 46. This lever is pivoted at or near its center on a pin 47.
end is bifurcated as at 48 to straddle the stop 40 and the other end is connected by
a spring 50 to some part of the frame whereby it is held yieldingly inward, and a
cam 51 on shaft 34 operates upon an anti-friction roller 52 to swing the lever
positively in the opposite direction, as shown in Figure 4, to force the card or letters
off of the stop. When the smaller part of this cam reaches the roller 52 the lever
drops back again in response to the pull of the spring until the parts are ready to
act on the next card or letter.
One
The card or letter is given a final thrust against the stop, just prior to the can-
celling operation, by a special feeding mechanism now to be described. This
comprises two pinching rollers 55, and 56, faced with rubber or yielding material.
The former is mounted upon post and is provided with teeth 57 which intermesh
with the teeth of pinion 58 on shaft 32. Roller 56 is supported at the free end of
a spring plate 59. This plate is secured to the frame at some convenient point as
at 60 and near its center it carries a roller 61, which the lower cam 62 on shaft 34
engages during each revolution, the result being to force roller 56 inward to pinch
the card or letter between it and companion roller 55, the positive rotation of the
latter being just sufficient to give the desired final feed to the card or envelope
at just the desired moment when it is taken by the peripheries of the printing and
impression cylinders and carried on through the machine. Upon the continuation

page_text: of the movement of the cam 62 the idle roller 56 springs outward due to the
tendency of the spring plate 59 to resume its normal outward position.
As a simple means for automatically feeding the cards and envelopes I have
provided the following: A block 70 of steel or other hard metal preferably is
securely bolted on the frame of the machine with its inner face in line with
channel 1. On top of this block and pivoted thereto at one end is a yielding
arm 71. This may be variously constructed of course but as showing an approved
structure, three parallel plates 73, 73, are used. These are secured together and
between the free ends of the outer two, a solid portion 74 is held. Around this
solid portion 74 and rollers 75 and 76 a vertically disposed feed belt 77 passes.
Roller 76 is mounted on a spring-actuated slide 78 and applies tension to the belt
and takes up the slack. At intervals of feeding, the arm 71 is held back, as shown
in Figure 6, by spring 80, the vertical feed belt 77 at that moment cooperating
with the horizontal belt 3 but immediately upon feeding one card or envelope
forward, a cam 81 on shaft 82 swings around and by its contact with roller 83
journalled in arm 71 forces the latter over the channel and horizontal belt, to
prevent another card or envelope, for the time being from feeding. Belt 77 is
driven continuously by shaft 85 through pinion 86 which receives its motion from
gear 87 on shaft 32 and shaft 82 which carries the cam 81 is driven by an endless
belt 88 which passes around pulleys on shafts 82 and 85.
Cooperating with this vertical feed belt 77 is some suitable follower (not shown),
and also some yielding fingers 90, 90. These fingers are preferably made of rubber
and held removably and adjustably in the arrangement shown, in a box 91 provided
for it, the screws 92, 92, being provided as a convenient means for holding the
fingers in proper adjustment. The preferable arrangement is that shown in
Figure 6, in which three are employed, one in advance of the next adjacent so that
while one card or letter is passing on the next is stopped in readiness to follow
promptly upon its turn coming, when the arm 71 drops back to expose the vertical
belt, so that the card or envelope adjacent is carried forward by the forward move-
ment of the belt.
Motion is imparted to the machine through any chosen motor and if by electric
motor, through shaft 93 and bevel gears 94 and 95 to shaft 5, or if by a belt, through
pulley 96, shaft 97 and mitre gears 98 and 99 to the shaft 5. From shaft 5 motion
is communicated through gear wheel 100 to gear 101 on shaft 34 which gear
meshes with gear wheel 87 which in turn meshes with gear 102 on shaft 6 and 86 on
shaft 85. Gear wheel 100 also meshes with pinion 103 and the latter with
pinion 104 and pinion 104 with pinion 105 on the packer shaft 106. Thus through
this chain of gearing every part of the machine operates with perfect precision at
properly timed intervals and at such speed as is necessary to accomplish the
prescribed functions of the machine.
It is evident that slight changes might be made in the form and arrangement of
the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my inven-
tion and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein set
forth, but,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1st. In a mail marking machine, the combination with a printing cylinder, of
an impression cylinder the impression surface of which is composed of spring
cushioned segment.
°
2nd. In a mail marking machine, the combination with a printing cylinder, of
an impression cylinder the impression surface of which is composed of a series
of yielding spring cushioned segments.
3rd. In a mail marking machine, the combination with a printing cylinder, of
an impression cylinder, the impression surface of which is composed of a series of
superimposed slotted segments, springs bearing at their free ends against the ends

page_text: of the segments and the slots in the segments being such that the segments may
rock or slide during the rotation of the impression cylinder.
4th. In a mail marking machine, an impression cylinder, comprising two disks,
an interposed spacing block, and a series of sliding and rocking spring-actuated
superimposed segments.
5th. In a mail marking machine, the combination with printing and impression
cylinders, one of which is mounted on a sliding block, the impression cylinder
having its impression surface made up of independent spring-actuated segments,
of means for creating a variable pressure between the two cylinders.
6th. In a mail marking machine, an automatic feed comprising yielding fingers,
and an endless belt.
7th. In a mail marking machine, an automatic feed comprising yielding fingers,
one in advance of the next adjacent finger, and an endless belt.
8th. In a mail marking machine, an automatic feed comprising yielding fingers,
an endless belt, and an arm which alternately exposes and shields or covers the
belt whereby to alternately feed and stop the progressive movement of the cards
and envelopes.
9th. In a mail marking machine, the combination with a pivoted arm, of an
endless belt passing through and around a portion of the arm, and means for shift-
ing said arm.
of a cam
10th. In a mail marking machine, the combination with a pivoted arm,
for swinging the arm in one direction, a spring for swinging it in the other direc-
tion, an endless belt passed around and through a portion of the arm, and means
for keeping the belt taut.
11th. The combination with rotary printing and impression cylinders, a feed
roller, and a sliding bracket carrying one of the cylinders, of means for automati-
cally applying a variable pressure to the bracket and through it to the cylinder
carried thereby.
12th. The combination with a printing cylinder having a transverse post therein,
of a cancellation die having a bayonet or L-shaped slot formed therein and adapted
to receive this post, and a slide constructed and adapted to lock the die in this
post.
13th. The combination with a printing cylinder having a post therein, of a
cancellation die having an L-shaped slot opening into the inner face and adapted
to receive and let the post into its innermost end whereby the die is held in place,
and a spring actuated slide having sliding connection with the cylinder in rear
of the cancellation die and adapted to normally extend over the end of the latter
whereby to lock it in place on the cylinder.
Dated this 20th doz of Ton 1808
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.