IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARratus for DATING OR MARKING RAILWAY AND OTHER TICKETS, CARDS, INVOICES, BILLS AND DOCUMENTS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lewthwaite, of Woburn Place, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARratus for
DATING OR MARKING RAILWAY AND OTHER TICKETS, CARDS, INVOICES, BILLS
AND DOCUMENTS."
AN LADINA
Sealed the 4th July 1871, and dated the 7th January 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lewthwaite at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th January 1871.
I, JOHN LEWTHWAITE, of Woburn Place, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR DATING OR MARKING RAILWAY AND OTHER TICKETS, CARDS,
INVOICES, BILLS OF LADING, AND DOCUMENTS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to an improved construction of apparatus for
dating or marking railway and other similar tickets, cards, invoices,
bills of lading, or documents, whereby a perfect inking action is secured
by means of an inking roller and a vibrating ink distributor, together
with arrangements for ensuring a perfect impression with any ordinary
printers or machine inks.

page_text: The invention consists in a mechanism contained in a square, oblong,
or other shaped box or frame to carry the requisite bearings, and which
is conveniently arranged so that any of the parts may be easily removed.
The sides of the box carry transverse pins which support rocking frames
arranged with teeth or other appliance so that the movement of one
frame is communicated direct to the other. One of the frames (the
upper one) is arranged to receive the types or marking stamps which
project beyond the lower face, the stamps being held in position by a
screw plate or some similar contrivance. The lower frame carries the
ink distributing roller which receives an intermittent movement at each
back stroke to bring fresh parts of it into action to distribute the ink
equally. This roller also gets a lateral movement by a pin bearing
against a cam on its end, the required pressure being obtained by means
of a coiled spring. The lower frame has another frame pinned to it
in such manner that it drives the elastic inking roller which is attached
to it upon and beyond the types before coming in contact with the
lower frame carrying the distributing roller, while it afterwards by the
same pushing or inward motion forces the elastic roller into contact
with the back distributing roller, which in its turn is also forced by
the same inward motion against a stop or catch acting upon a catch
wheel attached to this roller, and by this means the ink is variably spread
at every pushing or printing of a date or other mark. This additional
frame forms the front of the lower part of the apparatus, and has the
mouth piece into which the tickets are inserted and the pad for receiving
the pressure after each push from the types or stamps. The rocking
frames, top and bottom, are returned to position by a. coiled spring or
other suitable means. The front plate finds its level with the face of
the box by means of a spring on its back or otherwise acting upon the
edge or against some other part of the lower frame. The elastic inking
roller has a frame of its own, which can be easily detached by undoing
a thumbscrew. The distance of travel of the frames is governed by
adjustable or fixed stops. The push-in action of the front plate and
mouth picce causes it to turn upon its pin and rise to bring the elastic
inking roller into such contact with the types as to ensure their being
properly inked, while at the same time it enables the said elastic roller
to pass clear of the types and impinge upon the distributing roller in the
back or lower frame during the second part of the pushing motion which
brings the catch wheel of the said distributing roller under the action
of the catch fixed upon the side for the purpose of giving it a motion

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,.
filed by the said John Lewthwaite in. the Great Seal Patent Office
on. the 7th July 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN.
LEWTHWAITE, of Woburn Place, in the County of Middlesex, send.
greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Lewthwaite, Her special licence that
I, the said John Lewthwaite, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Lewthwaite, my executors, adminis-'
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ircland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
DATING OR MARKING RAILWAY AND OTHER TICKETS, CARDS, INVOICES, BILLS OF
LADING, AND DOCUMENTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Lewthwaite, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should'
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be'
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next.
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Lewthwaite, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings.
hereunto annexed, that is to say: - .
My Invention relates to an improved construction, of apparatus for
dating or marking railway and other similar tickets,, cards, invoices, bills.

page_text: of lading or documents whereby a perfect inking action is secured by
means of an inking roller and a vibrating ink distributor, together with
arrangements for securing a perfect impression with any ordinary printers
or machine inks.
The Invention consists in a mechanism contained in a box or other
frame, such as I have shown in the accompanying Drawings, to carry
the requisite bearings, and which is conveniently arranged so that any of
the parts may be easily removed. The sides of the box a, Figures 1,
2, and 3 carry transverse pins b, b, which support rocking frames c, c,
arranged with teeth or other appliance so that the movement of one
frame is communicated direct to the other. One of the frames, the upper
one, is arranged to receive the types or marking stamps & which project
beyond the lower face, the stamps in the form here shown being held in
position by a screw plate e or other equivalent contrivance; another form
of stamp may be used, for instance, a revolving one. The lower frame
carries the ink distributing roller f which receives an intermittent move-
ment at each back stroke to bring fresh parts of it into action to
distribute the ink equally. This roller also gets a lateral movement by a
ping bearing against a cam h on its end, the required pressure being
obtained by means of a coiled spring i. The lower frame has another.
frame pinned to it in such manner that it drives the elastic inking.
roller which is attached to it upon and beyond the types before they
come into contact with the lower frame j which carries the impression
pad, whilst it afterwards by the same pushing or inward motion forces
the elastic roller into contact with the back distributing roller f, which
in its turn is also forced by the same inward motion against a stop or
catch acting upon a catch wheel m, Figure 3, attached to this roller,
and by this means the ink is variably spread at every pushing or printing
of a date or other mark. This additional frame f forms the front of the
lower part of the apparatus, and has the mouth piece n into which the
tickets are inserted, and the pad o for receiving the pressure after each
push from the stamps or types d. The rocking frames top and bottom
are returned to position by a spring or other suitable means. The front
plate finds its level with the face of the box by means of a spring on its
back or otherwise acting upon the edge or against some other part of the
lower frame. The elastic inking roller / has a frame p of its own, shown
in Figure 4, which can be easily detached by undoing the thumbscrew.
The distance of travel of the frames is governed by adjustable or fixed
stops q. The push in action of the front plate f and mouth piece n

page_text: causes it to turn upon its pin and rise to bring the clastic inking roller k
into such contact with the types as to ensure their being properly inked,
while at the same time it enables the said clastic roller to pass clear of
the types d and impinge upon the distributing roller fin the back or
lower frame c during the second part of the pushing motion which brings
the catch wheel of the said distributing roller under the action of the
catch fixed upon the side for the purpose of giving it a motion equal to
a part turn round, whereby both rollers being in contact under that
operation a constant change of inking surface is secured. The top and
upper front plates are hinged or pinned to the case and can be turned up
to expose the moving parts to enable them to be adjusted or removed and
the types to be changed when required. The inside faces of cither of
these plates can be used as an ink board or table so that a small roller
can be rubbed over it to obtain a supply for distributing purposes. This
additional roller and its handle may be clipped by a band in the back
portion of the case, and a box holding a supply of ink and the types are
fitted in the space in front of the upper frame c and front plate s, so
that all the necessary parts are enclosed within the casc.
For the purpose of first charging the several parts of the inking
apparatus I use the small hand roller, first to take up ink from such part
of the machine as may be used as the inking table, and afterwards holding
it against the distributing roller f. At the same time I turn this roller f
round quickly or otherwise by means of the handle t, which has a left-
handed thread cut upon it and admits of the roller being turned in one
direction only to ensure the proper action of it, while by a turn in the
reverse dircction it unscrews to enable the machine to be taken asunder.
The nut is outside the case to facilitate its being turned by hand. The
parts can all be removed and replaced in a very short space of time by
withdrawing and reinserting the pins b, b, all of which may be button
headed in order to obtain an easy grip.
It will be observed that with the apparatus above described and shown
ordinary printers' ink can be used, and by the arrangement of the moving
parts tapes and other unmechanical pieces are dispensed with. Figure 5
represents a section of a similar box to that before described, but with
a modification of the mechanism for feeding the distributing roller
where I show the plan which I prefer to use in lieu of the small hand
roller before referred to. The roller w in this apparatus is fitted upon
a spring plate a, Figure 8, attached to the inside of the front plate y,
"

page_text: and which when in its place is at all times pressing against the roller f
The front plate is
so that the inking of this roller is continuous.
provided with a catch and knob z, the turning of which in one direction
enables the plate to be released in an instant. If required the roller w
when fitted to the front plate as just explained may be a self-supplying
one, that is, by making it hollow and filling the interior with ink, as
shown in Figure 6, which will flow or ooze gradually or slowly through
the apertures shown in Figure 7, as this part comes periodically into
contact with the roller w, which may be covered with woollen cloth, or
felt, or other absorbent material.
If the apparatus is to be used for other tickets than those employed
for railway purposes the box or frame can be made open at the sides, and
then bills, invoices, or documents may be inserted for receiving an
impression from the types and any necessary variation of the form of
mouth piece n may also be made.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
claim the
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
dating or marking of railway and other tickets, cards, invoices, bills of
lading, and documents, with ordinary printers and machine inks by
apparatus constructed and acting substantially in the manner described
and shown.
I also claim the modification of apparatus for the purpose as herein-
before described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lewthwaite, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Sixth day of July in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.