Improvements in and Relating to Stamp Cancelling and Post Marking Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1899-Accepted, 9th Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Relating to Stamp Cancelling and Post Marking
Machines.
I, WILLARD DELMONT DOREMUS, of 708, Fourth Street, N.W., in the City of
Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, Inventor, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:.
My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in stamp-
cancelling and post-marking machines, and consists in the novel details of con-
struction and arrangement hereinafter fully described, and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, in which—
Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying my improvements.
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line -x of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a section on the line y-y of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a view in elevation taken from the inner side of the machine.
Figure 5 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the principal operative parts
of the mechanism.
Figure 6 is a cross section on the line of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a plan view of the letter pressing shoe, and the letter stops, together
with some of the adjacent parts, showing several of the positions assumed under
different circumstances.
Figure 8 is a plan view of the platen or impression roll, and its immediate
attachments, showing it in its several positions.
Figures 9 to 26 are detail views of a number of the parts detached, such as
the letter stops in Figures 9 and 11, the shoe carrier in Figure 10, the printing
device in Figures 12, 16 and 17, the inking roller in Figure 13, the latch for
the die in Figure 14, the letter actuated trip lever for moving the impression roll
in Figure 15, the tubular die, the type pieces and the type support in the die, in
Figures 18 to 26.
Figure 27 is a perspective view of one of the stationary, letter-stopping wall
sections.
Figure 28 is a perspective view of the yielding wall section or shoe.
Figure 29 is a perspective view of the other, stationary letter-guiding wall
section.
A indicates a base plate which is supported by means of legs or standards A'A',
which parts can be of any suitable shape and dimensions.
Upon them I prefer to arrange the operative parts of the mechanism in sub-
stantially the way shown, in what may be regarded as four divisions, compart-
ments or spaces, respectively indicated generally by B, B1 B2 B³.
At B there is a passage-way or receptacle into which may be placed the letters,
cards or other articles which are to be cancelled, stamped, printed, or the like.
In the space or compartment at B are located a number of the operative parts,
such as the stamper, printer or canceller, the inking devices, and means for
properly controlling the passage of the letter, card or other article. At Be there
Q71

page_text: is a receptacle, guideway or passage into which the articles are delivered after
treatment and wherein they may be formed into stacks or piles. In the space
or compartment at B3 are arranged the letter-advancing mechanism and the
devices which serve as a platen or to receive the pressure from the printer.
Considering the machine generally, these compartments or spaces may be
regarded as more or less separated each from those adjacent, by means of the walls
or partitions C, C and C. The walls C, C are stationary, and rise from the
base-plate A, they extending longitudinally of the machine, that at C separating
the initial receptacle B from the compartment at B', and that at C lying between
the compartment B and the final receptacle at B2.1
The division or partition devices indicated as a whole by C are composed of
three principal parts, c, c', c², that at c¹ forming a wall or abutment at the inner
end of the initial receptacle B, that at c² forming a wall or end for the stacking
receptacle B2, and that at c being a movable wall section of the nature of a "shoe
as I shall herein term it, this overlapping preferably the inner ends of the parts
at o c²
"
The wall section c¹ comprises two inward extending fingers 3, 4, and these
are curved or recessed as shown at c³. The section 2 also has inwardly extending
fingers and is curved or recessed at c² and is provided with an H-shaped aper-
ture CC for purposes to be described.
The principal element of the letter-advancing or feeding mechanism is a single
relatively large wheel D. It is mounted upon a shaft or axle at d upon the table
plate A or an extension A2 thereof. This wheel is located relatively to the other
parts so that its periphery can contact with a letter, card or the like and remain
in contact therewith during the entire time of the travel of the letter from the
initial receptacle B to the final receptacle B2, including that time when it is
being printed, stamped or cancelled, and the time when it is being held for an
instant to permit the printer, canceller or stamper to come to the proper position.
One of the objects of this invention is to provide a mechanism for any of the
purposes described which can be readily operated by hand and by a single person
At there is a handle attached to the wheel by which it can be rotated, and
the great peripheral length of the wheel insures an exceedingly rapid feeding
of the articles and the passage thereof through the machine.
The aforesaid recess or curve in the wall or the fingers c³ thereof, is
such and is so related to the wheel that the periphery of the latter projects some-
what through the wall c¹ and has a section thereof exposed within the receiving
compartment B, such section being that which is adjacent to and travelling
toward the longitudinal partition or wheel C. At d there is a passage-way left
between the inner end of the partition C and the end wall or its fingers cc,
which passage-way or throat is traversed by the exposed section of the periphery
of wheel B. Said wheel is preferably provided with a jacket of leather, rubber,
cloth or any suitable material which is somewhat vielding but highly frictional
so as to firmly engage with the articles to be advanced thereby. When a letter
or card or the like, or a series, stack or pile thereof, is pressed inward toward the
partition c, (as when held in the way shown in Figure 1,) the wheel 1) rotating
in the direction of the arrow, engages peripherally with it, or the innermost
one of the pack, and causes it to instantly commence to move transversely of
the machine, taking a path between the wall section c¹ and the shoe or wall c.
This latter part, the shoe, is constructed and mounted as follows. It is formed
with the principal body part e, and the downward extension e', and has its outer
vertical edge beveled or inclined, as shown at e², this edge lying close to and
just inside of the inner edge of the partition wall C. At its opposite end it
is preferably rounded somewhat, as shown at ; and that part of it which lies
between the beveled or rounded vertical edges is curved on lines approximately
arcs struck from the axis at d of the wheel D.
The shoe as a whole is supported from ears F carried by the vertical wall C¹,
the shoe itself having ears or lugs f, and there being a carrier bar or block G

page_text: interposed between the shoe and the wall C¹ and pivotally connected to the
ears F and f. A spring at G¹ normally acts to press the shoe forward, that is,
towards the feeding wheel B; but the flexible connecting devices permit it to
yield either bodily, or at one end more or less independently of the other; and
therefore the path for the letters or cards can be instantly varied automatically
to allow for the passage of thinner or thicker articles, as occasion demands.
This shoe also carries the devices which stop the letter at one instant or another,
as required.
One of these stops is indicated by H, the operative part thereof being two
fingers or arms adapted to move through apertures and into and out from the
letter path on lines comparatively closely adjacent to the initial entrance throat ¹.
It serves to stop a letter when necessary and hold it back from reaching the
printing position until the die reaches the proper place, as will be described.
The letters back of it are prevented from entering the passage-way, the nearer
ones by the bevel face e² and the remoter ones by the wall C.
The stop part H is supported and carried by a ball-crank lever H¹ pivotally
connected at the point fabove referred to. One of the arms h of this lever at
its outer end carries a cam-engaging pin h¹, wich engages with a rotary cam to
be hereinafter described, and whereby the stop H is periodically withdrawn from
its passage across the letter part.
The other stop carried by the shoe is indicated as a whole by I, its active
parts being also fingers which project through apertures e in the shoe plate
far enough to lie across the letter path. This stop is also carried by a bell-crank
lever I pivoted on the aforesaid axis at f, and its arm i having a cam ¹ adapted
to engage with an eccentrically revolving pin to be below described, and this cam
being relatively elongated so as to act in a way to be set forth.
The shoe c in addition to the above parts carries also two rollers. One of
these is indicated by J and is mounted in close proximity to and just inside of
the stop H, it being carried in ears j on the back part of the shoe. the roller itself
being situated as nearly as possible in the horizontal planes of the periphery of
the wheel D.
The other roller shown at K and is situated near the opposite rounded end e³
of the shoe, being mounted in suitable cars k.
From the later description above, it will be seen that not only is provision
made for having the shoe yield bodily or at its ends as stated, but also that the
several stops and rollers are similarly yielding, being all carried by and held
permanently in uniform relations to the shoe.
The printing, stamping or cancelling devices are of the nature of a rotary
die secured to a carrying hub or disk, the latter being indicated by L and the
former by L. The hub is secured to and is rotated by a vertical shaft 7, which
extends downward through the base-plate A. and is mounted in a bearing at A3.
This shaft carries a gear wheel M which meshes with the gear wheel M¹ at the
lower end of the shaft d of the wheel D.
The die part L¹ may be of any suitable character adapted to give the impressions
or markings desired. The said impression or printing devices are at such distance
from the center as to rotate in a circle approximately tangential (when viewed
in plan) to the peripheral circle of the wheel D.
The hub L carries a cam L2 which at each revolution impinges once upon the
above described pin h¹ on the bell crank lever H¹, and thereby causes the with-
drawal of the stop H from the letter path.
Said hub L also carries an eccentric pin L3 which at each revolution impinges
once upon the aforesaid cam i. This cam is, as above set forth, relativelv
elongated, and terminates in a curved extremity, and the result is that the stop I
is prevented from suddenly returning to its position across the letter path, and
is carried back thereto gradually, thus avoiding danger from tearing the letters
or offering sudden frictional resistance to their outer surfaces before they have
escaped.

page_text: The dies or character-producing devices are inked at each revolution by
contacting with a rotary cylindrical inking pad N. This may be of any suitable
sort as concerns the pad proper. As shown, it consists of a felt jacket n applied
to a metal hub n¹ mounted loosely on the pin or shaft n². But I have provided
for an adjustment of this pad so as to get more or less pressure thereon of the
dies. The shaft is carried by a plate 3 which is pivoted at nt on one side
and on the other has an outward extending arm or bar n³. This arm or bar has
a nut n6 and with this nut there engages a screw-threaded rod O which extends
to the rear edge of the platform, passing through an abutment ear o. By turning
the thumb disk at o', the inking pad N can be placed nearer to or further from
the path of the die L'. The rod or stem O slides in the abutment car o and
hence the pad N can yield outward. But to hold it in normal position, a
spring O is placed around the rod 0, this spring bearing against the stationary
abutment o and against an adjustable disk nut . With these devices, ample
provision is made for allowing the pad to apply the ink to the die with accuracy
and delicacy, just as desired.
The platen or impression roll is indicated by P. It is made of rubber or other
suitable material at p secured to a sleeve or hub p which is mounted upon a
shaft or pin p². This shaft is carried by a movable bar Q which lies under the
bar and is connected thereto by the pivot q¹. The bar is pivoted to the base
plate A at q It is held forward or in normal position by means of a spring
pressure device consisting of the spring R, the rod R', the ear r swiveled or
pivoted to the bar q and the abutment lug r¹. The spring R presses forward
against the adjustable nut and backward against the abutment r¹, through
which latter the rod R¹ freely slides. Consequently the force of the spring is
exerted in such way as to hold the bar and the bar Q forward, that is, toward
the printing mechanism. But at the same time these devices are of such a nature
that the impression roll can yield rearward to permit the passage of a thicker
letter or article.
The impression roll and its immediate carrier Q vibrate easily upon their
pivot q. Normally they are held in such way as to have the roller kept away
from the die, there being a spring at 72 adapted to do this. But they can be
moved automatically so as to bring the roller P almost to the radial line joining
the axes d and of the wheel D) and die, this movement being effected by means
of a link Q, a crank arm Q' and the lever Q5, the latter having its free end
arranged to lie across the letter path and to be moved by the letter in its passage
through the machine. The lever Q and crank Q are rigid with each other and
are carried by the pivot at Q. The lever Q preferably lies above the wheel 1)
and is shaped as shown, its free end being tapered in dimensions and curved
so that it can readily lie across the letter path, it projecting through an elongated
aperture in the shoe c.
The operation of the parts above described will be readily understood from the
drawings and the description above given. Thus, assuming that a stack of
letters, cards or similar articles are placed in the passage-way in the compart-
ment B and that the wheel 1) is rotated by means of a handle D¹, it will be seen
that the first action is a gripping of the inner surface of the innermost letter or
card by that portion of the periphery of wheel D, which as aforesaid, projects
through the recessed or bowed part of the wall c¹, and a pushing or advancing of
said innermost article through the throat d. Instantly it strikes the stop H,
and remains in contact therewith until the cam L2 on the die shaft reaches that
part of its path where it impinges upon the pin h¹ on the stop lever and draws
the stop H out of the letter path. Thereupon the letter, while under the frictional
influence of the wheel 1), instantly advances until it strikes the stop I, whereupon
it is again held stationary for an instant, the purpose of this holding being to
insure that it shall be in proper position for the impact of the printing die L
But as the letter was moving from the stop H to the stop I, it met the curved
free end of the lever Q and caused said end to swing backward from the letter

page_text: path, this moving the crank arm Q and causing the link Q³ to rock the bar Q
around its pivot q' which brought the impression roller nearly to the aforesaid
line connecting the axes d and ĺ of wheel D and the die.
When the die reaches the proper position, its pin L³ impinges on the cam i
and withdraws the stop I, after which the letter is free to advance through the
passage, the upper part thereof being gripped between the periphery of wheel D
and the shoe c, and the lower part being gripped between the die L' and the
impression roller P. The rotary movement of the die and the advancing move-
ment of the letter being imparted to the roller P, it is carried somewhat further
along the letter path until it is brought practically to the above described line
joining the axes d and 1, and this is its position when the die commences and
while it continues its work of printing, and its efficiency is exerted to the utmost.
After the die escapes from the letter, the letter is still under the frictional
influence of the wheel D, a portion of whose periphery projects forward into the
final receptacle or stacking compartment, the arms and having a space
between them which permits a portion of the periphery of the wheel to project
through.
The letters move under the propelling influence of the wheel D toward the
left, or across the final receptacle 12. The curved or recessed part of the wall
section allows them to smoothly and rapidly pass into this receptacle. S is
a stacker mounted at a proper point in the rear of the receptacle B² and provided
with one or more fingers s, the latter being preferably curved and extending
outward from the periphery of the hub part. It is mounted upon a shaft Si
which extends downward through the base plate A, and at the lower end has
a wheel S2 which meshes with the gear wheel M. In this way rapid rotation
is imparted to the stacker hub and to its fingers s. The wall section 2 is cut
away to provide an aperture C4 for the protrusion of a part of the periphery of
the stacker hub and with slots at which permit the rotation of the fingers s.
After the letters are shot across the receiving space B2 they stop in front of the
rotary stacker, and its finger impinges upon each in turn and pushes them step
by step toward the front of the machine. The width of the receiving chamber is
variable, its outer side wall at T being adjustable. It is mounted upon parallel
links each pivoted to the under side of the base-plate A and also pivoted to
said wall T. When long letters, packages or the like are being passed through
the machine, this wall can be moved out to widen the receiving passage, it having
a supplemental wall piece t¹ at its inner end adapted to fit against the stationary
wall section and serve as an extension for the latter.
It will be seen that the principal stop for the letters, that at I, is relatively
at the center of the die, that is to say, is substantially in the vertical plane con-
taining both the axes at 7 and d. By having it so arranged, I dispense with
many of the parts that have been heretofore necessary in machines of this class.
The die immediately grasps the letter upon the withdrawal of the stop and serves
as one of the elements of advancing it. Moreover, by this arrangement of this
principal stop, I am enabled to shorten the part through which the letter travels
while under pressure. The whole intermediate chamber B₁ and the operative
parts therein situated occupy much less room in the presest machine than has been
necessary in the earlier ones where use was made either of an endless feeding
belt or of a reciprocating feeder mechanism.
It will also be seen that the initial stop H is relatively very near the throat d,
and that the latter is reduced in its dimensions. Consequently but a small part
of the letter is affected by the advancing force of the wheel D, when it is against
said stop, and the liability of tearing or marring the end of the letter is avoided.
The shoe or movable wall section e being mounted in the way described,
enables the free passage of letters of any and all shapes. Should the envelopes
contain inclosures that are more or less bulky, the shoe can yield either as a
whole, bodily, or one end can swing back independently of the other to allow
uch obstructions to readily pass.

page_text: Of course I am aware of the fact that machines for this purpose have been made
in several ways, each with an endless belt as its principal feeding element, and
that in many such machines the belt remains permanently in contact with the
envelope, card or other article from the time it first engages with it at the end
of the initial feed-way until after it has passed the printing couple and has been
deposited in the final receiving way. But my machine differs in a number of
respects from those of the class referred to. I maintain positively a uniformity
of pressure upon the letter at all times in its transit, due to the fact that I employ
a continuous feeding surface travelling in a substantially circular path, for
instance, the surface of a belt held upon a circular carrier or wheel, and therefore
avoid having the flexible or yielding parts which are incident to a stretcher
wherein the belt is supported upon two end wheels and travels across and against
the face of a pressure plate. By shaping the several sections c, c1, c2 of the walls
or abutments in the way described, I can provide for this departure from a
rectilineal or straight line path or transit and at the same time insure a rapid
grasping, carrying and delivery of the letters.
While I do not in any way limit the other features of the invention to any
particular style of printing die, I at present prefer to employ one made and
arranged as shown in Figures 12, 16 and 17.
This die is detachable from the die carrying hub or disc L. It consists of an
outer sleeve or thimble U having a dovetailed projection u by means of which it
can be situated in the grooved socket u wherein it is fastened by a rotary
catch V. In the space near the periphery of the thimble are arranged a series
of characters, for instance, in a mechanism for post-marking letters and cancelling
their stamps, this series of characters indicates the town or city where the letters
are mailed, or where the stamps are cancelled, as "Washington, D.C." Then,
across the circular space within this outer series of letters or characters there
are arranged die sockets as at u² ². These are provided by filling the thimble
with discs. These can be rapidly stamped from sheet metal, each having the
requisite number of slots 4. Enough to fill the thimble or tube are placed in
each of the latter with their slots properly registering, and are fastened in place
under powerful pressure. This obviates the expense incident to the practice
heretofore followed of forming these slots in solid and continuous pieces of metal,
an operation which has required a tedious drilling and drifting."
While I have above more particularly called attention to one class of uses to
which the present mechanism can be applied, namely, to the printing and post-
marking of letters and the cancelling of stamps thereon it will be understood
that the invention is not to be regarded as limited thereto, as there are many
purposes to which a mechanism of this sort is applicable, this being true wherever
it is necessary to pass articles of paper or equivalent material requiring treatment
similar to that of marking or cancelling, through a mechanism adapted to perform
such steps.
By reference to Figures 5 and 8 the action of the impression roll will be readily
understood. In Figure 8 the roll P is shown by full lines in its inactive or with-
drawn position. When the letter actuated mechanism Q³ Q, Q³ are operating
normally they carry the roll to the dotted line P, where its axis is slightly to
the right of the line that extends from the axis of the roll support Q to the axis
of the printing device L, L', U. As soon as the roll P experiences pressure
from the letter and the printer it is carried further, namely, to the position shown
by the dotted lines P and its axis is then on the line last above referred to. The
stop or abutment P2 engages the roll support Q and prevents the roll from passing
the said line.
The link Q between the letter actuated lever Q Q and the impression roll
is elastic or extensible, preferably by forming it of elastic wire and shaping it
to have a loop as at Q. This obviates the danger of imparting snaps or jerks
to the roll support, and makes provision for quick movement; and if a thick
letter or package should be passing through the letter passage and suddenly

page_text: caused the sprin-held carrier q of the roll support Q to move back, such motion
will not tend to strain the letter actuated lever or the link Q, as the construction
of the link makes provision therefor, as well as for properly transmitting sudden
movement from the lever to the roll support.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim, is:―
1. In a machine for printing upon letters, cards, or the like, post-marks,
cancellation marks and the like, the combination of an initial letter receiving
passage-way, a final receiving passage way for the letters after they are printed,
a printing mechanism arranged between the said passage-ways, and a rotary
feed-wheel having part of its periphery exposed to one end of the initial receiving
passage-way, having another portion of its periphery opposite the printing
mechanism, and another portion of its periphery opposite the final receiving
passage way, and adapted to carry a letter by surface contact from the initial
receiving way past the printing mechanism to the final receiving passage-way,
substantially as set forth.
2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a wheel of relatively
large diameter having a smooth or unbroken frictional surface substantially
circular in shape, in combination with a main frame, devices arranged to form
a final letter
an initial letter-receiving space, devices arranged to form
and
the letters
receiving space,
past which
દી printing couple
carried from the initial receiving space to the final receiving space, and the
said letter receiving spaces and the printing couple each being opposite to the
aforesaid wheel, the latter being adapted to frictionally grip and advance the
letters, substantially as set forth.
are
3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of the supporting
frame, the printing couple; the letter feeding wheel opposite to the printing couple
and having a smooth, unbroken frictional surface substantially circular in shape,
and the yielding shoe or wall section adapted to receive pressure from the letter
and the wheel and situated in the vertical planes of the printing couple, sub-
stantially as set forth.
4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the main frame,
the letter-feeding wheel having a substantially smooth or unbroken frictional
surface substantially circular in shape, the printing couple, the shoe or letter-
resisting wall adjacent to the printing couple and adapted to yield bodily rela-
tively to the feeding wheel, substantially as set forth."
5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the main frame
the letter-feeding wheel having a substantially smooth or unbroken frictional
surface substantially circular in shape, the printing couple, the shoe or letter-
resisting wall adjacent to the printing couple and adapted to yield at either
end relatively to the feed wheel, substantially as set forth.
6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the main frame,
the letter-feeding wheel having a substantially smooth or unbroken frictional
surface substantially circular in shape, the printing couple, the shoe or letter-
resisting wall adjacent to the printing couple and adapted to yield both bodily
and at either end relatively to the feed wheel, substantially as set forth.
7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the supporting frame,
the letter-feeding wheel having a substantially smooth or unbroken frictional
surface of substantially circular shape, the printing couple, the shoe or other
resisting wall adjacent to the printing couple and curved to approximate an arc
struck from a point at or near the center of the feeding wheel, substantially as
set forth.
8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the main supporting
frame, the letter-feeding wheel having a substantially smooth or unbroken

page_text: frictional surface substantially circular in shape, the printing couple, the shoe or
letter resisting wall adjacent to the printing couple and extending continuously
from points in advance of the couple to points beyond it on the delivery side,
and arranged to yield relatively to the feeding wheel, and a letter separator
adapted to hold back all the letters of a stack but one, substantially as set forth.
9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the printing couple,
the initial letter receptacle, the passage-way from said receptacle past the print-
ing couple, the letter-advancing wheel having a periphery which in edge elevation
extends from points in front of the said letter receptacle to points beyond the
printing couple, the wall or abutment at the inner end of said receptacle shaped
or curved to be convex at one part and concave at another part in the direction
of the center of the feeding wheel, and a wall section adjacent to the printing
couple which is convex toward the center of the feeding wheel, substantially as
set forth.
10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the letter-advancing
wheel having a substantially continuous or unbroken frictional surface circular in
form, a printing couple opposite to said wheel, a letter-resisting wall section
opposite to the said letter-advancing surface and concave on the side toward said
wheel, a supplemental wall section adjacent to the advancing wheel on the letter-
feeding side of the printing couple and arranged to provide a letter passage
between the second wall section and the first wall section aforesaid, substantially
as described.
11. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the printing couple,
the letter-advancing wheel having a substantially smooth, unbroken frictional
surface of circular shape, the yielding wall section adjacent to the printing couple
and concave on the side toward the wheel, and the supplemental wall section
on the letter-feeding side of the printing couple and arranged to provide a letter
passage-way, between it and the yielding wall section, substantially as set forth.
12. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the printing couple,
the letter advancing wheel having a substantially smooth, unbroken frictional
surface of circular shape, means adjacent to the printing couple for forming a
passage-way for the letters carried by the advancing-wheel past said couple, an
initial letter-receiving compartment having a wall or compartment at its inner
end against which a letter or pack of letters can be pressed, and having a portion
concave toward the center of said wheel and intersecting the periphery thereof,
whereby a portion of the wheel can extend through said concave part and engage
frictionally with the inner face of a letter at points adjacent to the receiving
ends of said passage-way, substantially as set forth.
13. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the printing couple,
the letter-advancing wheel having a substantially smooth, unbroken frictional
surface of circular shape, the partition or vertical wall (on one side of the
printing couple, the partition or wall (" on the opposite side of the printing
couple, the yielding wall section or shoe c between the printing couple and the
advancing wheel, and the separating device at 2 stationary relatively to the said
wall section or shoe c, substantially as set forth.
14. The combination of the printing couple, the letter-advancing wheel having
a substantially smooth, unbroken frictional surface of circular shape, the rela-
tively stationary walls C and C at the sides respectively of the printing couple,
the yielding wall section or shoe c between the printing couple and the advancing
wheel, the stationary wall section c¹ having a part thereof outside the periphery
of the wheel and a part thereof inside the said periphery, and the wall section c³,
the said wall sections at their inner ends overlapping the wall or shoe c,
substantially as set forth.
15. The combination of the printing couple, the initial letter-receiving com-
partment B having a stop wall for the ends of the letters, a stop wall ¹ for
the faces of the letters, a letter-advancing wheel having a substantially smooth
or unbroken frictional surface substantially circular in form and arranged to

page_text: have a portion thereof exposed at points between said stop walls, a yielding
wall section c adjacent to the printing couple and concave on the side toward
the printing wheel, there being a letter passage-way between said wall section c
and the advancing wheel, and stationary holders for the letters on the inner side
of the said passage-way and opposite to the said yielding wall, substantially
as set forth.
16. The combination of the printing couple, the letter-advancing wheel having
a substantially smoothed, unbroken frictional surface of circular shape, said print-
ing couple and feeding wheel having a letter-passage between their peripheries, a
wall section c on the outer side of the said letter passage and adjacent to the
printing couple, and supplemental stationary wall sections or letter supports on
the inner side of the said passage-way, one or more at the feed side of the
printing couple and one or more at the delivery side, said wall section c being
concave toward the letter-advancing wheel, and said supplemental stationary wall
sections being convex on the side toward the center of the printing wheel, sub-
stantially as set forth.
17. The combination of the printing couple, a guide wall for one face of the
letter, two guide walls for the opposite face of the letter, each having its inner
end overlapping an end of the first aforesaid wall, and letter-advancing mechanism
arranged to travel in horizontal planes between the top and bottom edges of
the last two said walls, substantially as set forth.
18. The combination of a printing couple, means for advancing the letters
past the couple, and a wall as at e acting against the letter opposite the letter
advancing means and bodily movable transversely of the letter path, and formed
with the relatively narrow central body part and with the relatively wider part
at el on the feeding side of the printing couple, substantially as set forth.
19. The combination of the printing mechanism, the letter advancing
mechanism arranged to provide a passage-way for the letters between it and
the printing mechanism, a yielding letter pressing wall opposite to the letter
feeding mechanism, and two letter stops secured to said yielding wall and movable
independently thereof, substantially as set forth.
20. The combination of the printing mechanism, the letter advancing
mechanism, and a yielding letter pressing wall opposed to the letter advancing
mechanism, and carrying a separator and two alternately acting letter stops
movable into and out from the letter path, substantially as set forth.
21. In a machine of the character described, a chambered or apertured die of
tubular form having a series of type-supporting plates superposed and secured
within the chamber or aperture, substantially as set forth.
22. In a machine of the character described, a printing die of tubular form
provided with printing characters at the end of the tube, and having a series
of apertured type supporting plates, secured within the tube, substantially as
set forth.
23. The combination of the printing device rotating on an axis, the impression
roller or platen, the carrier therefor mounted on a pivot, the yielding abutment
for the carrier, and letter actuated mcehanism adapted to move the impression
roller toward the line extending from said axis to said pivot, substantially as
set forth.
24. The combination of the rotary printing device, the impression roller, the
swinging pivoted support for said roller, and letter actuated mechanism for
swinging the said roller toward the line which extends from the axis of its support
to the axis of the printing mechanism, substantially as set forth.
25. The combination of the rotary printing device, the impression roller or
platen, the vibrating support for said roller, the letter actuated mechanism for
moving the said support and arranged to carry the impression roller toward but
not to the line extending from the axis of its support to the axis of the printing
mechanism, whereby the roller is allowed to be carried to or toward said line
by the pressure of a letter, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 26. The combination of the printing mechanism, the impression roller, the
support for said roller vibrating on an axis, the letter actuated lever for bringing
said roller toward the line extending from the axis of the support to the axis of
the printing mechanism, and the stop or abutment for preventing it from passing
said line, substantially as set forth.
27. The combination of the printing mechanism, the swinging impression roll,
the letter actuated lever and the elastic or extensible link between said lever and
the impression roll, substantially as set forth.
28. The combination of the printing mechanism, the impression roll, the
vibrating support for said roll, the letter actuated mechanism for vibrating the
said support, the vibrating carrier for the said support, and the spring held
abutment for said carrier, substantially as set forth.
29. The combination with the printing mechanism, of the impression roll, the
vibrating support therefor, the letter actuated mechanism for vibrating the said
support comprising the elastic or extensible link and the spring held carrier for
the said support, substantially as set forth.
Dal
1
.
UL
107.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.