A New or Improved Apparatus for Moistening the Gum on the Flaps of Envelopes, Wrappers, Postage Stamps, and other analogous articles and for other purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 22nd June, 1892-Accepted, 30th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Apparatus for Moistening the Gum on the
Flaps of Envelopes, Wrappers, Postage Stamps, and other
analogous articles, and for other purposes.
I, JAMES WILSON, of 25 Cambridge Street, Glasgow, North Britain, Master
Butcher, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
This invention relates to a new or improved apparatus for automatically supply-
ing a sufficient quantity of water to moisten the gum or other adhesive on the
flaps of envelopes, wrappers, postage stamps; or other analogous articles, thus
avoiding the disagreeable custom of doing so with the tongue; and it can also be
used to wet the tips of the fingers in counting notes or other papers.
The invention consists of a vessel of any convenient shape having at its base a
small opening leading to a kind of trough either in one piece with the vessel or
connected to it. In this trough there is a tray of gauze or other suitable metal
having perforations, and lying across this tray but having their ends resting in
notches made in the ends of the trough there are one or more rollers of glass, brass,
or other suitable metal or material.
In carrying my invention into practice I fill the vessel with water through a
small opening at the top for that purpose and then hermetically seal it by means
of a cork or other suitable plug. The water then trickles through the small opening
at the base into the trough, thus always having a supply of water, so that when it
is desired to moisten the gum or other adhesive on the envelope or other article or
to wet the tips of the fingers in counting notes, it or they are drawn gently across
the rollers, turning the under sides which are immersed in the water round, and so
moistening the gum.
In place of hermetically sealing the vessel I may have it open at the top, and
place a bottle filled with water in the vessel with the neck fitting into a recess in
the bottom of the vessel communicating with the passage to the trough.
Dated this 8th day of October 1891.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154. St. Vincent Street. Glasgow. Applicant's Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Apparatus for Moistening the Gum on the
Flaps of Envelopes, Wrappers, Postage Stamps, and other
analogous articles, and for other purposes.
I, JAMES WILSON, of 25 Cambridge Street, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Master Butcher, 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 a new or improved apparatus for automatically supplying
a sufficient quantity of water to moisten the gum or other adhesive on the flaps of
envelopes, wrappers, postage stamps, or other analogous articles, thus avoiding the
disagreeable custom of doing so with the tongue, and it can also be used to wet
the tips of the fingers in counting notes or for other purposes.
The invention consists of a vessel of any convenient shape, having at its base a
small opening leading to a kind of trough either in one piece with the vessel or
connected to it. In this trough there is a tray of gauze or other suitable metal
having perforations, and lying across this tray but having their ends resting in

page_text: notches or holes made in the ends of the tray or trough there are one or more
rollers of glass, brass, or other suitable metal or material.
In order that my invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect I have hereunto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings in the several
figures of which corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of
reference.
Figure 1 is a section of the apparatus.
gure is a plan.
Figure 3 is a part section and part elevation taken through the line y
Figure 2.
A is the vessel for holding the water, while B is the small opening at the base
leading to the trough C, which serves both for filling the vessel and supplying
water to the trough. D is the tray, and E are the rollers of glass or other suitable
material, the ends of which rest in the notches or holes e of the tray.
In carrying my invention into practice I fill the vessel A with water through
the small opening B at the base of the vessel. The water then trickles through
this small opening B into the trough C and through the perforations d in the
tray D, thus always providing it with a supply of water, so that when it is desired
to moisten the gum or other adhesive on the envelope or other article or to wet the
tips of the fingers in counting notes, it or they are drawn gently across the
rollers E, turning the under sides which are immersed in the water, round, and so
moistening the gum or wetting the tips of the fingers.
In place of filling the vessel A. with water through the opening B at the base, I
may have a small hole at the top for this purpose which would be hermetically
sealed after the vessel is filled.
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 :-
The apparatus for moistening gum on the flaps of envelopes, wrappers, postage
stamps, and other analogous articles or for wetting the tips of the fingers in
counting notes, substantially as described and shown on the annexed sheet of
drawings.
Dated this 20th day of June 1892.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.