Improvements in Time Hand Stamps.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1891-Accepted, 23rd May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Time Hand Stamps.
JOHN HENRY ALLEN, Broker, of 177 West 47th Street, New York City, New
York, U.S.A. CHARLES D. OBIE NEWTON of Bloomfield Avenue, Bloomfield,
New Jersey, U.S.A. and EDWIN WALLACE MORTON of Whiteplains New York
U.S.A. Engineer 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in time hand stamps. The object of this
improvement is to provide a mechanism that will record the year, month, day, hour,
minute, the ante meridian, meridian, and post meridian or any other matter which
may be desired to record.
These objects are attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, in which the same numbers refer to the same parts throughout.
Figure 1, shows a side elevation of the stamp, with the hammer holder in section
and part of the casing of the stamp and time mechanism broken away.
Figure 2, shows a front elevation of stamp.
Figure 3, is a plan view of samc.
Figure 4, is a side clevation of the stamp and time mechanism with one side of
casing and also one side of frame of the device removed.
Figure 5, shows a front elevation of the stamp with the front of casing removed
and also the ribbon roller.
Figure 6, shows a vertical section of type wheels and showing swinging frame
in full.
Figure 7, shows a side clevation of registering mechanism.
Figure 8, is an end elevation of type wheels, showing frame and adjacent parts
in section.
Figure 9, is a side elevation of type wheels and adjacent parts of registering
mechanism, the frame being in section.
Figure 10, is a plan view of the stamp field.
Figure 11, is a view of stamp impression.
Figure 12, is a side elevation of two type wheels showing the relative position of
notches and type with adjacent parts and mechanism.
Figure 13, is a detailed view of the ribbon and operating mechanism therefor.
Figure 14, shows an clevation of each of the type wheels.
The casing of the stamp as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and 3, is constructed of four
walls and a bottom 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5, united firmly together or cast in one piece, the top 6
is made of one piece, and is hinged to the casing at 7, resting on the side walls of
the casing 2 & 4; to this top or table is firmly fastened an arm 8, the end of this
arm is provided with a sleeve in which is fitted a reciprocating rod 9, provided at
the lower end with a platen 10, usually shod with rubber, and at the other end,
having a knob 11, a spiral spring 12 surrounds the rod 9 and is encased within the
sleeve 61, the bottom of said spring bearing upon an interior offset at the bottom
of the sleeve and a shoulder upon the rod resting upon the top of the spring, the
platen will thus be maintained at its point of highest elevation. The clock mechanism
we usually prefer to mount in an independent frame, in which the arbors have
their bearings, but this frame may be dispensed with and the walls of the casing
perforated to form bearings for the arbors.
By reference to Figures 4 and 5, it will be seen, that the time mechanism consists
of the usual power gear and an escapement, these two being united by a
mutilated gear, which operates a crank. In this movement, 13 represents the
driving spring, 14 the arbor to which it is attached at one end, the ratchet device

page_text: by which the power is applied to the train is not shown, 15 is a gear, keyed to the
shaft 14, and meshing with the lantern pinion 16 which is keyed to the shaft 17, to
said shaft is also keyed the gear 18 which meshes with the lantern pinion 19, keyed
to the shaft 20, to which is also keyed the gear 21, which meshes with the lantern
pinion 22, keyed to the arbor 23, in said arbor a crank 24 is bent, upon the
arbor 23 is keyed the mutilated gear 25, the teeth of which mesh with the
lantern pinion 26 of the escapement train, which is of the usual form used in
clocks.
In the structure being described in this Specification, the time stamp is designed
to register differences of one minute, it is hence necessary to move the minute type
wheel every minute, the structure which will be hereafter described by which the.
minute wheel together with the other type wheels, is moved is operated by the
crank 24, hence said crank must make one complete throw every minute.
It will
be seen that during one half of the revolution of gear 25, it is controlled by the
escapement, while during the other half it moves under the direct action of the
spring without control, hence instantaneously, thus the arbor 23, must be so geared
that if wheel 25 had a full set of teeth it would revolve once in two minutes, but as
half of said teeth are removed, the arbor 23, and the crank 24, make one coinplete
revolution in one minute and operate the type wheel as desired, that is to say, the
period during which the teeth of the mutilated gear engage the lantern pinion of
the escapement is 59 and a fraction seconds, while the second half of the revolution
of the arbor 23, takes place in the remaining fraction of a second.
The registering device is shown in Figures 6 to 11, and consists of a frame 29 or
any desired support which is usually cast in one piece, it is provided with
brackets 30, 30, between which is fixed a type wheel shaft 31, on this shaft are
journalled a series of wheels of an even diameter, varying in width as the type on
the face thereof may require as shown in Figures 10 and 11. The peripheries of
these wheels are faced with type, of an arrangement to meet the requirement of the
registry between the type are depressions 35, of varying depth, these operate as
ratchet teeth and are engaged by the panels of the swinging frame, and stationary
brake-springs on opposite side of the wheels, hereinafter described.
A rocking frame constructed as shown in Figures 6 to 9 is made in the form of a
fork, the ends 37 and 37 being journalled to the shaft 31, outside of the type wheels.
On the rear end of said fork are the brackets 44 and 44 which project from it, and
in which is journalled the rock shaft 38 to which are secured the pawls 39, 40, 41, 42
and 43, and engaging the type wheels as hereinafter more fully described.
Encircling the shaft 38 is a spiral spring 45 which is secured to said shaft at one,
end and the bracket 44 at the other, and by a torsional strain presses the pawls upon
the type wheels. To the rear end of the fork is secured a slotted arm 46; which
may be made of two bars or pins as shown in Figures 8 and 9. The crank 24,
engages the slot in said arm, and moves it and the fork, and pawls, back and
forth.
The pawls 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, are rigidly secured to the shaft 38, they are usually of
different lengths and are bent, so as to be in different planes, pawl 41 which moves
the wheel indicating the units of minutes is the lowest, 40 which moves the wheel
indicating the tens of minutes is next above the unit pawl, 39 which moves the
wheel indicating hours, is the next above the tens of minutes pawl, pawl 42 which
moves the type wheel indicating the post- and ante-meridian is the highest pawl,
and pawl 43, drops entirely below the level of the face of the type wheels and also
the other pawls, and engages with the pins 60, 60 on the side of a wheel indicating
the meridian. The same result may be accomplished by making the pawls of
different lengths as well as of different elevation.
Secured to the frame of the registering mechanism, on the side of the type wheels
opposite to that on which they are engaged by the pawls, are the spring
brakes, 47, 47, &c. They are equal in number with the type wheels and bear upon
the surface thereof, and engage notches in the surface of said wheels, and hold the
wheels stationary; the notches with which these spring brakes or check stops are

page_text: so located that the type wheels will be held in such position in the field of the
stamp as to present a perfect line of type for printing.
The construction of the registering devices as applied to a time stamp is as
follows, Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 show the various views of the type wheels, in
Figure 6 the wheels are shown in section, journalled on the shaft 31, and are
numbered as follows, wheels 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57 and 49, they indicate
respectively as shown in Figure 10, the month, the tens of the days of the month,
the units of the days of the month, the hour of the day, the tens of minutes, the
units of minutes, the ante meridian, meridian and post meridian, all on one wheel,
a comma and the year. Several of the wheels in the mechanism illustrated in this
application are arranged to be turned automatically while others must be turned by
hand or with a suitable instrument by hand. The wheels of the latter class
are 49, 50, 51, 52, 57, while the remainder 53, 54, 55, 56, are operated automatically
by the time mechanism. By reference to Figure 6, it will be seen, that pins 58, 59
are passed through the shaft 31 on the outside of the wheels 53, 54, 55, and 56,
thus separating them from the adjoining wheels, so as to avoid the danger
of the latter wheels being moved when the former are turned by the clock
mechanism.
The motion of the wheels 49, 50, 51 and 52, has been described and need not
be further mentioned, those moved by the clock mechanism will now be described.
Wheel 55 is used to indicate units of minutes, and has on its surface ten type surfaces
being numerals from one to nine and zero between the type faces are indentations,
all of which are of equal depth with the exception of that between the type faces two
and three, which is deeper than the others. Where 54 is the next adjoining one on
the left as shown in Figures 6 and 7, and is used to indicate tens of minutes; this
wheel has twelve type faces on its surface and indentations between said type faces,
all of which are of equal depth with the exception of two, which are on opposite
sides of the wheel, the numerals on this wheel are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 0,
and the indentations are between the figures three and four on each side of the
wheel. Wheel 53 is used to represent hours, and has upon its surface twelve type
faces, from one to twelve inclusive; between said type faces are indentations all of
them of equal depth except one, that between the types three and four, so located in
consequence of the relation between the pawls and the printing line of the type
wheels.
Wheel 56 is located on the left of wheel 55 in Figure 6, and is used to indicate
the ante meridian and post meridian. The relative motions of these wheels will
now be described.
They are all moved by the pawls, 39, 40, 41, 42 and 43, which are rigidly secured
together, and as above described are so bent as to stand one below the other. The
deep notches in the various type wheels, above mentioned, are of unequal depth in
the various wheels, that in wheel 55, is the deepest, those in wheel 54 next, those
in wheel 53 next, and those in wheel 56 next. The wheel 56 has on its side four
pins, 60, 60, which project therefrom, and which are engaged by the downwardly
bent pawl 43. When the pawls are operated, the pawl 41 resting upon the periphery
of wheel 55, and being the lowest pawl of a series, will retain all the others in an
elevated position above their various wheels, and out of engagement with their
several indentations, until said pawl falls into the deep notch of wheel 55; this will
cause pawl 40 to engage all indentations of the wheel 54, and as the pawls are
moved will turn said wheel forward one step, if it should happen that the indenta-
tion below the pawl 40 in wheel 54 should be one of the deep indentations in said
wheel, the pawl will sink low enough in said indentation to allow the pawl 39 to
engage one of the indentations in the wheel 53, so that said wheel may be moved
forward one step by the motion of the pawl. If it should happen that the indenta-
tion into which the pawl 39 falls, is the deep indentation of wheel 53, then pawl 42
which is the next bighest one, will fall upon and engage an indentation in the
wheel 56, and move said wheel forward when the pawls are moved.
The indentations in the wheel 56 are so arranged in relation to the pins, 60 on

page_text: the side of said wheel, that they will stand with three indentations in said wheel
between each two pins.
Wheel 56 is provided with twelve type faces, A.M., M., and P.M., successively
in four groups, whenever the pawl of the wheel 53 falls into the deep indentation in
said wheel, and permits the pawl of wheel 56 to engage its indentations and move
it forward, and exposes the symbol M., then the pawl 43 will engage one of the
pins 60 and the next motion of the pawls which will take place with the next
minute, will move the meridian wheel forward and bring the symbol P.M. into the
printing field.
An examination of Figure 12, and of the foregoing description of the type wheels
will disclose the fact that several of the wheels are provided with twelve type faces
while wheel 55, has but 10, this would cause confusion in the printing but for the
arrangement hereafter described.
The unit of minute wheel must revolve one-tenth of a revolution at each throw
of the pawls and the tens of minutes and hour wheels must make one-twelfth of a
revolution at each throw of the pawl. The accord of these wheels is accomplished
by the device shown in Figure 12. The indentations of the wheel 53 and 54 are made
shorter than those of wheel 55, and so located that the pawls which actually travel
at each throw a distance sufficient to turn the wheels one-tenth of a revolution, will,
when they fall into their notches engage and begin to turn the wheel 55, before
they engage the notches of the other wheels, and will then take up the other wheels
and move them the remainder of the throw of the pawls, the lead of the notch in 55
being the difference between the sector of the type wheel and 16 sector.
will be readily seen that this method of synchronizing the motion of the type wheels
might be employed no matter what difference there might be between the number of
types upon the wheels.
It
The inking mechanism consists of a ribbon wound upon spools 62, journalled in
brackets 63, 63 of the cover 6, as shown in Figure 13, and held in said journal by a
device which will now be described.
The bracket 63 is provided with notches 64, 64, on either end into which the
shafts of the reels fit. Pivoted to each of said brackets above the bottom of the
notches 64, 64, are fingers, 65, 65, in one side of which a semicircular notch 66, is
cut, which fits upon, and holds the shaft of the reel, in the notches 64, 64.
67 is a
spring, bearing upon the back of the finger 65, and holding it in engagement with
the shaft 66. When it is desired to insert the spool 62, 62, they may be pressed
into the notches 64, 64, and will be caught and held there by the fingers 65.
The periphery of one end of each spool is cut with ratchet teeth and a pawl 68
engages them, which is pivoted to one end of a bell crank lever 69, which is pivoted
in the cover 6 at 70, the other arm of said bell crank lever standing a little above the
level of the printing table, and in such position that it will be struck by the platen
when it descends, and as it is moved downward will operate the ratchets and turn
the spool, thus drawing off a fresh portion of ribbon. The bell crank lever is held
up to its point of highest elevation by a spring 71, secured to it and bearing against
the interior of the cover. When the ribbon has been completely wound upon
one reel, the reels may be removed and reversed, and the same winding device will
unwind what was formerly wound, and rewind it upon the empty reel.
Within the frame of the registering mechanism 29 is journalled a shaft 72 with
type faces, and any word or words that it may be desired to record in addition to
the printed matter of the field of the stamp. This shaft is provided with a knob
projecting beyond the casing of the stamp, said knob being provided with faces of
type thereon, indicating the character of the type or word upon the corresponding
faces of the shaft. It is also provided within the registering frame of the stamp
with the ratchets 73, engaged by a check stop 74. On the surface of the frame of
the registering device 29, is securely fastened a plate or die 75, having words in
type raised thereon, and spaces in which the letters upon the registering device and
also upon the shaft 72, may stand. All the types must be arranged in the same
horizontal plane.

page_text: Referring to the figure 9, the lantern pinion 26 is provided with a concave
depression 76, of diameter equal to the mutilated gear, 25, and on the periphery
thereof, and of such relation to the mutilated gear that when the last tooth of the
gear leaves the pinion and the half ring which is riveted to the under side of said
mutilated gear, which has a plane surface on its periphery, will come in contact
with said depression and stop the motion of the pinion 26, and hold it stationary
until a tooth of the mutilated gear comes in contact with said pinion; the
depression 76 is so located upon the periphery of the pinion 26, that when said
depression is caught by the semicircular segment on the under-side of the mutilated
gear 25, and held stationary thereby while said gear is making a half revolution,
the bars of said pinion will be in proper position to be engaged by the first tooth of
the mutilated gear succeeding the blank space in said gear.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In a registering device the combination of a series of wheels mounted upon a
shaft, cach of said wheels being provided upon its periphery with indentations of
varying depth, and type or other device for registering or indicating with a rocking
or reciprocating frame provided with a series of pawls suitably mounted to engage
the indentations in the wheels and arranged so that one or more of said pawls may
engage the indentations of one or more wheels whilst the others are out of engage-
ment with a time mechanism, consisting of a time train and an escapement, one of
the gears of which is mutilated and the arbor upon which said gear is mounted
being provided with a crank, which engages the rocking frame of the registering
device and operates it at predetermined intervals, substantially as described.
2. In a registering device the combination of a series of wheels, mounted upon a
shaft, each of said wheels being provided upon its periphery with indentations,
which vary in depth and type or other device for registering or indicating with a
rocking or reciprocating frame provided with a series of pawls suitably mounted to
engage the indentations in the wheels and arranged so that one or more of said
pawls may engage the indentation whilst the others are out of engagement with a
time mechanism consisting of a time train and an escapement connected by a
mutilated gear, the teeth of which form a segment of a circle and which meshes
with a pinion of the escapement and the arbor upon which said gear is mounted
being provided with a pinion engaging the time train and a crank which engages
and operates the rocking pawl frame substantially as described.
3. In a registering device the combination of a series of wheels, mounted upon a
shaft, each of said wheels being provided upon its periphery with indentations,
which vary in depth and type, or other device for registering or indicating with a
rocking or reciprocating frame provided with a series of pawls suitably mounted to
engage the indentations in the wheels and arranged so that one or more of said
pawls may engage the indentations whilst the others are out of engagement with a
time train and an escapement connected by a mutilated gear, the teeth of which
form a segment of a circle and which meshes with a pinion of the escapement and
the arbor upon which said gear is mounted being provided with a pinion engaging
the time train and a crank which engages and operates the rocking pawl frame
and the time train being so geared to the mutilated gear that the period during which
the teeth of the gear engage the escapement shall be 59 and a fraction seconds,
substantially as described.
4. In a registering device the combination of a series of wheels mounted upon a
shaft, each of said wheels being provided upon its face with indentations of varying
depth and length and registering type, several of said wheels having twelve
indentations and one of said wheels having ten indentations, the indentations in the
wheels having ten being considerably longer on the face of the wheel than those in
the wheel having twelve, with a rocking frame and a series of pawls mounted pivotally
therein engaging the indentations in said wheel, said pawls being rigidly secured

page_text: together and varying in elevation, and a means for imparting motion to said pawls
of an extent equal to one-tenth of a revolution of the type wheel, the pawls which
engage the type wheel having ten notches and those having twelve notches falling
into said notches at the same time, but that pawl engaging the wheel having ten
notches biting upon said notch in such a manner as to move the wheel forward some
time before the pawl falling into the notch of the wheel having twelve notches
engages the end of said notch and moves said wheel; the difference in the length
of said notches being equal to the difference between one-tenth and one-twelfth of
the circumference of the type-wheel.
5. In a registering device the combination of a series of wheels mounted upon a
shaft, each of said wheels being provided upon its face with indentations of varying
depth and registering type, said wheels bearing unequal numbers of registering
types, and the spaces between the types in different wheels being of different lengths,
with a rocking frame and a series of pawls mounted pivotally therein engaging the
indentations in said wheel, said pawls being rigidly secured together and varying in
elevation and means for imparting motion to said pawls to an extent equal to the
portion of a complete revolution of the type wheels, which is equal to the distance
between the centres of the types upon the wheel having the smallest number of
types, substantially as described.
MCKENNA & Co.,
Agents.