IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-INKING LETTER, BILL, AND CARD STAMPING MACHINES AND ENDORSING APPARATUS
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Peter McDonald at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd
February 1872.
I, PETER MCDONALD, of Black Rock, Dublin, Ireland, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-INKING
LETTER, BILL, AND CARD STAMPING MACHINES AND ENDORSING APPARATUS,"
to be as follows:-
According to this Invention a hollow metal pillar is arranged so as to
rest upon and be affixed to a movable dovetail or other suitable sliding
base, which base is made to slide longitudinally between side slots over
another base or block of iron or other metal heavy enough to ensure
stability. Midway on the shaft a joint or pivot is arranged so as to
admit of the upper portion turning while the lower part remains fixed.
To a projecting arm pivoted on the lower end of the pillar a lever is
affixed by a pivot joint.
At the outer extremity of this lever and on its under surface are
attached either longitudinally or transversely the dies, stamp, or print-
ing plate, and adjoining these at the inner side is the ink fountain

page_text: Monowed out of the CCI.
with small holes so as to permit the ink to percolate to the ink-pad, which
is affixed beneath the fountain by screwed clasps. To a projecting arm
fixed to the top of the shaft is pivoted a second lever which runs down-
wards, and on nearing the lower or first lever becomes bifurcated and
bent outwards so as to carry at the extremity of the fork a roller,
which passes freely from the pad to the dies, and vice versa.
The upper lever is arranged to support or keep the lower lever in
equilibrium, by means of an inward projection of the former attached
to a spiral spring or balance within the hollow of the pillar; both levers
are therefore self-lifting and move simultaneously. The same con-
trivance likewise keeps the roller properly pressing against the pad and
dies. The handle is affixed above the dies on the upper surface and
outward extremity of the under or first lever.
The peculiar combination of the radial and longitudinal movements 1
enables the stamper to operate on a large area without moving the
machine.
Altogether the handle of the apparatus moves in six different
directions, upward and downward, right and left, and backward and
forward. The stamp dies or printing plate can therefore be made to ?
descend on any point within the radius of the lower lever, the varying
centre by means of the sliding base giving a still further or narrower
limit when required.
"When it is necessary to keep both hands disengaged, the machine or
apparatus can be worked independent of the handle by means of a cord 2
or band attached midway to the lower lever, and passing over a double
sheaf pulley fixed on the table or bench on to a treadle beneath. The
handle being screwed on and so constructed as to carry a die or stamp
at each end, it can at any moment be converted into an ordinary hand
stamp in case of accident to the apparatus.
. Owing to the peculiar combination of the several parts of the machine
or apparatus, and its being self-lifting or on a balance, it can be worked
with the greatest possible ease and expedition, very little power being re-
quired, the weight of the lever being sufficient to produce the impression.
The principal features of this improved machine or apparatus are the
position of the ink fountain on the lever, the perforated base of same,
:

page_text: the underlying ink pad, the roller passing under such ink pad and.
fountain on to the dies, stamp, or printing plate, the sliding base giving
the backward and forward motion, the pivot joints on the shaft the
adjustment of the upper lever by means of which the roller is carried
backward and forward under and pressing on to the stamp, dies, or
printing plate; and lastly the six different motions of the machine
together with the peculiar adjustment which ensures that the stamp,
dies, or printing plate shall press evenly on the letter, bill, card, or
otherwise to produce the required impression.
When the machine is required to be used as an endorsing apparatus
or for ordinary bill or card stamping or printing purposes, the radial and
longitudinal motions are not essentially needed, and therefore the shaft
pivots and sliding base may be omitted in its construction. It will
also be of much smaller size when constructed for an endorsing
machine.
C