Improvements in Time Stamps.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Dec, 1894-Accepted, 2nd Feb., 1895
Improvements in Time Stamps.
I, EDWARD PAYSON BAIRD, of Plattsburgh, in the County of Clinton, and
State of New York, one of the United States of America, Clock Maker, 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 hand stamps, portions of the dating mechanism of which
are set by means of a clock, and it consists in the novel construction and
combination of the parts hereinafter fully descubed and claimed.
In the drawings :
Figure 1 is a rear view of the stamp showing its connection with the clock.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the stamp
Figure 3 is a detail plan view, from above, of the levers for operating the cash or
numbering wheels at the front of the stamp, showing also a portion of the cover
plate and the slots in which the said levers work.
Figure 4 is a detail plan view of the stamp wheels carrier removed from the
main fiame
Figure 5 is a detail cross-section through the stamp wheels carier taken on the
line in Figure 4, showing the time disc
Figure 6 18 a front view of the month and year dating wheels and the devices for
operating them showing the cairtel in cross-section.
Figue 7 is a detail side view of the date changing mechanism taken in section
through the dating wheels shaft on the line y y m Figure 6, and showing the units
wheel laver in the act of tuining the tens wheel.
Figure 8 18 a cross-section taken on the line 2 in Figure 6 and showing the
years wheel and its lever.
Figure 9 is a detail longitudinal section through the movable platen showing its
connection with the hand lever
Figme 10 shows a sample of the work done by the stamp
A is the main frame of the stamp consisting of two side plates coupled together
by rods a. A clock A of any approved construction is secured to the upper and
vertical portions of the frame A, and a' is the central arbor of the clock upon which
the minutes hand is secured.
B is a vertical shaft at the rear of the clock. This shaft 18 connected to the
arbor a¹ by the intergearing mitre wheels b, and 6' is a square portion on the end of
the arbor a for receiving a key whereby the clock can be set to correct time.
B' is a toothed pinion secured on the lower end of the shaft B.
C is the carrier which carries the stamp wheels and time disc This carrier
consists of two plates, braced together, and having their ends supported in the
grooves c of the main frame plates. The cariler is secured to the main frame by
the screws c. The main frame plates have horizontal portions d which are parallel
with the bottom edges of the carrier plates and separated from them by a narrow
space D. The sheet of paper to be stamped is thrust into the space D and rests
upon the said portions d.

page_text: E is a stationary disc which is provided with a flange e at its sides and rear.
This disc E is secured to the carrier C by screws e' which pass through holes in
the said flange and engage with bosses on the carrier. The disc E is preferably
provided with a name plate D' on its.underside. This name plate may have letters
adapted to stamp the words "Patent Office," as shown in Figure 10, or the name
of any other party by whom the stamp 19 used Screws d are provided on each
Bide of the screws e. The screws are screwed into the flange e and beat against
the carner, thus affording a means for setting the name plate to the exact position
which will enable each letter on it to form a clear impression
F is the revoluble tune disc which surrounde the disc E. The under surface of
this time disc is divided into halves, each half being divided into twelve sections
numbered from 1 to 12, each number having the letters A M or P M adjacent to it,
and each section being divided to indicate parts of homs The time disc thus
represents the 24 hours of a day F is a stationary plate secured to the carrier in
front of the time disc. This plate F' carries an index pointer of any approved form,
and the manuer in which the said pointer indicates the time when stamped on the
paper is clearly illustrated in Figure 10
The upper portion of the time disc is preferably concavo-convex, so that the disc
may be very strong and stiff. The time disc F 18 secured upon the shaft, and
the lower end of this shaft is journaled in a hole in the disc E, the shoulder f' of
the said shaft resting on the disc around the said hole. The shaft is provided
with a screw-threaded portion g, and g' is a nut screwed thereon and securing the
time disc firmly to its shaft
G is a toothed wheel secured upon the upper part of the shaft and gearing
into the pinion B', hereinbefore described The upper end of the shalt / IS
Journaled in a plate G which is secured to the carrier C and provided with
adjusting screws in a similar manner to the flange e, her einbefore described.
The time disc is geared to the clock so that the time disc is evolved by the
clock once m to enty-four hours, and the setting of the clock to indicate correct
time also sets the time disc to punt correct time, because the parts are connected
positively and moved simultaneously by the setting key applied to the square end
of the arbor a' of the clock.
His the shaft upon which the dating wheels are Journaled. This shaft is
Journaled on one side of the carrier in the boss h, and on the other side of the
carrier in the sleeve, and is provided with a knob II' for turning it
A printing
wheel secured on the shaft H, and has the names of the months "JAN.,"
FEB," "MAR," &c. on its periphery I colla secured on the shaft H to
prevent it from sliding endwise
[
A tens dating wheels Journaled on the shaft to the night of the wheel |
and is provided with thrce numerals 1, 2 and 3, and a blank space between the
numerals and 3. Four pins project from the side of the wheel, and bea
against a loose collar, which keeps them at a proper distance from the wheel I
A units printing wheel J and a toothed pinion Jare secured together, and are
Journaled on the shaft H to the right of the tens wheel.
23 96
K 18 a loose collar on the shaft If to the ught of the pinion, and separating it
from the wheel K. The wheel K is also journaled on the shaft II; on one part
of its periphery it is provided with the numetals "189," 190," and "191" forming
a part of the year date, and on the other part of its periphery it is provided with
the pinion teeth A.
M is a wheel secued on the end of the sleeve h', to the night of the wheel K',
and provided with the numerals "0" to "9" inclusive, which together with the
numerals on the wheel K' make up the dates of the years 1890, 1891, 1892, &c.
The sleeve his journaled in the boss mou the carrier and is provided with a knob m'
for rotating it.
N is a shaft secured in the carrier C, above the shaft H, and supporting the
operating levers of the dating wheels.
N'are arms projecting upwardly from the shaft N, and n 15 a brace which is

page_text: secured to one of the arms and to the carrier, and which prevents the shaft and arms
from moving.
l' is a pin secured to the upper ends of the arms N. 1"¹ is a lever jou naled on
the pin P and having a toothed segment p on its lower end.
Qis a plate journaled on the shaft N between one of the said arms N' and a
collar pl secured to the said shaft. The plate Qis provided with a toothed segment q
above the shaft N, which engages with the toothed segment p, and is also provided
with a second toothed segment q', below the said shutt, which engages with the
toothed pinion J' hereinbefore described. A spring pawl 2 is secuted to one of the
arms N and engages with the teeth of the pinion for the purpose of steadying
it and the units wheel secuned to it, and holding the respective numerals on the
units wheel in positions to print clearly.
An arm 3 projects downwardly and rearwardly from about the centre of the
aforesaid collar pl, and a second aim 4 projects downwardly from the right hand
end of the said collar.
מוק
A horizontal lever 5 18 pivoted by the pin 6 to the end of the arm 3, and 7 18 a
8. The lower end of the
pawl pivoted to the front end of the lever 5 by the
pan 7 is provided with a notch 9, (which engages with the pins bei einbefore
described,) and a lip 11 which 18 pressed against the said pins by means of the light
spring 12 secuted to the lever 5 and bearing against the front edge of the paw!.
A spring 13 18 secured to the collar p' and normally presses against two of the said
pins as shown in Figure 2, thereby holding the tens wheel in such positions
as will cause the numerals on it to print clearly.
A triangular tumbler 14 18 pivoted by the pin 15 to the front part of the arm 4.
The lower part of the tumbler 14 is provided with a piu 16 which projects laterally
into the path of the pins 17 and 17' which project from the end of the oscillatory
plate Qberembe'ore described.
A pin 18 projects laterally from the rear part of the tumbler 14, and on the
opposite side of it from the pin 16. The pin 18 engages with an elongated hole 19
formed in the lever 5 near its pivot pin. and serves as a means whereby the said
lever is operated.
R is a cover plate pivoted to the main frame A of the stamp by the pins r, and
Rare spring catches secured to the said frame and adapted to engage with the
notches near the front end of the cover plate. The cover plate can be raised
to expose the mechanism under it, and when pressed down is retained by the spring
catches.
S are slots in the cover plate through which the operating levers of the dating
wheels protrude.
T is the lever for operating the dating wheel K'. This lever is journaled on the
shaft N between the boss of the right hand arm N' and the collar t secured on the said
shaft. The lower part of the lever T is provided with a toothed segment t¹ which
gears into the pinion teeth A, berein before described.
"
The levers T and P project through the slots S. Each lever is made of
Bufficiently elastic material to prevent the catch with which it is provided to be
sprung out of any of the notches s'm the cover plate, so that the lever may be
moved around until its catch engages with any other notch. The notches &¹
are numbered to correspond with the numerals on the dating wheels to which they
pertain.
The setting of the dating wheels is effected as follows: The lever T is moved
and its catch placed in the notch which will cause the wheel K₁ to print the
correct century and decade thereof; and the knob m' 18 revolved to cause the
wheel M to print the correct year of the said decade. The knob H' is turned to
cause the wheel I to print the correct month of the year. Supposing the correct
date to be Mar. 1, 1894, the lever P is placed with its catch in the notch in the
cover plate which will cause the units wheel J to print "1" after "MAR," the
blank portion of the tens wheel being in line with the numeral "1.” On the next
day following, the lever P' is moved backward one notch to cause the wheel J to

page_text: print "2," and so on day by day until after the numeral "9" has been reached, the
tens wheel not being moved. On the morning of Mai. 10th, the lever P' is moved
a full stroke in the opposite direction. At the end of this stroke the pin 17 on the
plate strikes the pin 16 and turns the tumbler 14 to the position shown in Figure 7.
The lever 5 is turned on its pivot by the said tumbler, and pushes down the pawl 7
against one of the pins i', thereby turning the tens wheel one quarter of a revolution
and placing it in a correct position to print the numeral "1" This movement of
the lever also turned back the units wheel for a little over mue-tenths of a
revolution and moved the numeral "0" to a position a little in front of its correct
position. When the operator lets go of the lever P, the spring pawl 2 bears hard
against the flank of one of the teeth of the pinion J', and moves it and the units
wheel back a little, placing the numeral “0” in alignment with the numeral "1"
on the tens wheel so that the number "10" will appear after "MAR
The
lever is then moved back day by day until the morning of the 20th when the
tens wheel is again operated by moving the lever a full stroke forward the same as
before descubed.
11
The 17 is provided for the purpose of raising the pawl 7 to its highest
position when the lever Preaches the end of its rearward stroke. This it does on
the 9th, 19th, and 29th days of each month, and when the pawl is thus raised the
notch 9 comes above another of the pins, and the lip 11 on the end of the pawl
is pressed against the pin by the spring 12.
Yis a printing roller journaled in the carrier and provided with an operating
knob on one end of it outside the frame, similar to the knob H', and not show u i
the drawing. This roller caries such words as "Received," "Paid," &c.
U are the cash printing or numbering wheels Journaled on the shaft U' secured
to the frout part of the carrier. Each wheel Ŭ has the numerals 0 to 9 on its
periphery, a blank space, and a mark, such as $, indicating value. Each wheel U
has a toothed pimon u secured to it. When the wheels U print dollars and cents,
a collar is used to keep the cents wheels at a little distance from the dollars wheels,
so that the amount printed may be clear, as shown in Figure 10.
V is a shaft secured to the front part of the carrier above the shaft U'. V₁are
levers journaled on the shaft V and provided with toothed segments o gearing into
the pinions and forming the means for revolving them. Washers are mounted
on the shatt V to keep the levers V at the proper distance apart. The levers V¹
project through slots 20 in the cover plate R and are provided with catches 21
which engage with notches 22 in the cover plate. The levers V₁are made of
elastic material the same as the levers T and Pi, and the notches are numbered to
correspond with the numerals, on the wheels U, to which they pertain.
A printing ribbon W coated with any approved ink is arranged under the
printing mechanism of the stamp. This ribbou is mounted on two rollers to journaled
respectively at the front and at the rear part of the caruer. Each rolle 18
provided with an operating knob W', and a tension spring to which offers a slight
but constant resistance to the notion of the ribbon.
Two transverse bars 25 and 26 are seemed in the lower part of the main frame A..
A plate 27 rests upon the bars, and is provided with a biond groove 28 engaging
the rear bar 25, and two narrow grooves 29 for engaging with the front bar 26.
A hooked plate 30 is secured to the plate 27 by the screw 31, and extends under
the bar 25 so that the plate may be slid back and forth on the said bar, but cannot
leave it altogether. A handle 32 18 secured to the plate 27 for raising its narrow
grooves 29 out of engagement with the bar 26 and moving the plate back and
forth.
A platen 40 is provided and preferably consists of a wooden plate covered with a
facing of india ubber or other yielding material. The platen 40 is secured to a,
concavo-convex plate 41 by screws 42. A piston 43 forms the support for the
platen, and 18 provided with a tongue 44 which projects through a hole in the
plate 41, and is provided with a pin 45 above the plate to prevent the platen from
being detached from its support.

page_text: The piston 43 slides in a cylinder 46 which is secured to the plate 27 by the
flange 47 and screws 48 The lower end 49 of the piston is forked and is provided
with a toller 50 journaled on the pin 51.
A hand lever 52 18 provided and 18 pivoted on the pin 53 between the lugs 54
on the cylinder. The end 55 of the lever 52 projects under the roller 50, so thint
the platen is raised when the hand lever is depressed Springs 56 are secured to
the plate 41 and flange 47, one on each side of the cylinder, and return the platen
to its lowest position when the pressure of the hand is removed from the hand
lever.
When the font groove 29 engages with the bai 26, and the hand lovor is
depressed, the platen is raised and presses any paper resting on it against the
ribbon and all the printing wheels, thereby producing an impression similar to that
shown in Figure 10, on the paper. When the platen is moved back, as shown in
Figure 2, the paper is not pressed against the cash printing or numbering wheels,
and that part of the impression remains blank. Thus a simple and ready means
for changing the stamp is provided.
The concavo-convex plate 19 fiee to lock and move upon the top of the piston,
and the platen is thereby rendered self-adjusting to the faces of the numerals on
the printing wheels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what [
claim 18:
1. Forming the main frame of the stamp with horizontal portions d, and
horizontal grooves c, And secuting
the stamp wheels carie Cin the said grooves
so as to leave a space D for the paper to be stamped between it and the
portions d.
2. Jom naling the shaft of the time disc Fin bearings above and below the disc
to keep it steady, and connecting the said shaft to another shaft B duiven by
the clock by toothed wheels so that the time disc and the clock are set
simultaneously
3 Forming the time dise F with a substantially concavo-convex upper portion
to make it very stiff and unyielding.
4. Supporting the shaft of the time dise F by means of the plate G' and the
disc E provided with flanges, said plate and flanges boing connected to the carrier C
as set forth.
5. The mechanism for operating the tens wheel, consisting of the pivoted
operating plate Q provided with pins 17 and 171, the pivoted tumbler 14 provided
with the pins 16 and 18, the pivoted lever 5 operated by the pin 18, and the pawl 7
pivoted to the lever 5 and engaging with the pins on the tens wheel
6 The mechanism for operating the units wheel J and the tens wheel, when
the units wheel J has been turned to print its highest numeral, consisting of the
toothed pinion J¹ secured to the units wheel, the pivoted operating plate Q provided
with a toothed segment gearing into the pinion J, and the pins 17 and 171,
the pivoted tumbler 14 provided with the pins 16 and 18, the pivoted lever 5
operated by the pin 18, and the pawl 7 pivoted to the lever 5 and engaging with
the pins on the tens wheel.
The pivoted cover plate R adapted to be raised to expose the printing wheels
and provided with slots for the levels which operate the printing wheels, and
spring catches R' for holding it when closed down.
8. Making the platen 40 and its supporting devices so that they may be moved
back and forth horizontally under the printing devices, and so that all or only a
part of the said printing devices may be caused to print an impression when the
platen is raised.
9. Supporting the platen 40 by means of a concavo-convex plate 41 resting ou
the top of the piston 43, and the springs 56, so that the platen will adjust itself to
the faces of the printing devices when raised.

page_text: 10. A time stamp constructed substantially as hereinbefore described and shown,
in the drawinga.
Dated this 27th day of December 1894.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C