Improvements in Post Marking and Cancelling Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1898-Accepted, 14th May, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Post Marking and Cancelling Machines.
I, HENRY EDWARD WAITE, of Otis Street, Newton, in the County of Middlesex,
and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to mail-marking machines of the type which is character-
ized by a horizontal flat conveyer, which travels beneath a hopper and engages
the letters which are deposited therein, carrying them forward edgewise, and in
a vertical posture toward the marking devices. It relates, further, to machines
employing a printing-roll containing a printing-die, and an impression-roll con-
taining a movable impression-pad or platen which is automatically projected to
the periphery of the impression-roll upon the approach of a letter, so as to co-act
with the printing-die in post-marking and stamp-cancelling the letter, and at
other times when no letter is present, is retracted within the impression-roll so
as to avoid a deposit of ink from the die.
The invention has for its object to simplify the construction and improve the
operation of machines of this class.
Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification;-
Figure 1 represents a plan view of a mail-marking machine constructed in
accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 represents an end view, on a larger scale, looking from the left in
Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a partial rear elevation.
Figure 4 represents a partial plan view of the machine, with a portion of one
of the feeding and marking rolls broken away.
Figures 5 and 6 represent plan views, showing successive positions of some of
the parts shown in Figure 4.
Figure 7 represents a vertical section on the line 7-7 of Figure 4.
Figure 8 represents a section on line 8-8, Figure 7.
Figure 9 represents a section on line 9--9, Figure 4.
Figures 10 and 11 represent detail perspective views which will be hereinafter
referred to.
Figure 12 represents a top plan view of a mail-marking machine constructed
in accordance with my invention, and provided with a self-feeding attachment.
Figs. 13, 14 represent perspective views of the latter.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures. In
the drawings,
a designates a table which supports the principal working parts, and 6 desig-
nates the hopper into which the letters are deposited. There is arranged below
the hopper a flat endless belt c, which is driven by pulleys having their axes
horizontal, and which carries the letters forward edgewise and in a vertical posture,
as they are successively dropped into the hopper. d and d¹ designate two vertical
ndependently driven shafts mounted on either side of the belt c, the shaft & being

page_text: mounted in fixed bearings, while the shaft d is mounted in a yoke-frame e which
is pivoted at e¹ to the table, and whose free end rests on a slide-plate a¹. A
spring e3 exerts an inward tension on the yoke e, and the yoke and spring consti-
tute a yielding bearing for the shaft , which allows letters of different thickness
to pass between the printing and feed rolls, which are mounted on the shafts & d
and which will be hereinafter described. The arrangement of the driving-gears
is indicated by dotted circles in Figure 1.
In mail-marking machines of the same general type as the one which is being
described, as heretofore constructed, it has been common to have the feeding
devices which time the letters in their introduction to the printing-nolls located
in advance of said printing-rolls. In the present invention, however, the printing
rolls and the feeding devices are both located on the two shafts d d¹.
There are four feeding-rolls or disks f f f f¹ (see Figure 9) arranged two on
each shaft, above and below the printing-rolls gy'. These disks co-act to grip
a letter on both sides, and are recessed at få f³ to form segmental carrying sur-
faces on the edges of the disks.
Above the throat formed between the opposing sets of disks are arranged two
pivotal arms and i (see Figures 4, 5, and 6) forming stops which act in con-
junction with the feeding-disks to time the introduction of the letters between
the printing devices. When a letter is dropped into the hopper, it travels along
with the belt c until it reaches the arm h, extending across the letter-path and
yieldingly held by a spring h¹ against a fixed arm j parallel with the letter-path.
If the printing-rolls at that moment are not in a position to receive the letter, it
is detained for an instant at the apex of the two arms, as shown in Figure 6. On
the shaft d above the feeding-disks are affixed two disks kk, one above and the
other below the level of the arm h. Each of these disks is provided on its
periphery with a stud or abutment k¹, one stud being directly above the other,
and both of the same length. The purpose of these studs is to displace the arm h
at a predetermined time in the revolution of the printing-rolls, when a letter is
present at the apex of the arms h and j, as above described. The studs strike
the face of the letter when they have reached the position indicated in Figure 4
(no letter being shown, however, in this figure), and as said studs continue to
revolve, they push the letter aside, and displace the arm h from the letter-path,
as indicated by broken lines in Figure 4, or by full lines in Figure 5. As soon as
the arm his displaced, the letter is advanced by the joint action of the belt c and
the stud to the second stop or arm i, which arrests it for an instant, until the
forward ends of the segmental gripping portions of the disks f f¹ come together,
as shown in Figure 5. The letter is then gripped between the disks, and carried
forward past the stop i, which is yieldingly held by a spring i¹. A rotatable stud &³
having an eccentric pin is provided, for adjusting the stop i, and thereby regulat-
ing the position of the post-mark upon the letter. When no letter is present at
the stop h, it is obvious that the studs will pass on either side of said stop,
without displacing it.
As the letter advances between the feeding-disks, it is marked by the co-action
of the printing devices carried by the printing-rolls g g', and is then shot forward
to the stacker t, to be stacked with other letters already marked.
The printing devices consist of a cancelling and post-marking die g² removably
fixed on the periphery of the roll g, an ink-roll 9, and a movable impression-pad
or platen m contained within the roll g' and normally retracted from the periphery
of said roll in an inoperative position, but adapted to be thrown out to co-act with
the die when a letter is present to be marked. The pad or platen itself, and the
method of mounting it described herein are already substantially known to the art,
but the means for operating the pad are new, and form a part of the present
invention, The top and bottom walls of the impression-roll g₁ are made by the
feed-disks f, the upper one of which is fixedly mounted on the shaft d¹, while
the lower disk is connected to the upper one by means of a pair of interposed
blocks 93. The blocks form a diametrical slideway for the platen m, which latter

page_text: is composed of a skeleton frame having a segmental face and a yielding covering
thereon. On the shaft is loosely mounted a sleeve m', which extends up into
the impression-roll, and is there formed with a path-cam m³ having a groove in
which operates a roller-stud m³ mounted on a tongue projecting from the inside
of the platen m.
The sleeve m¹ has sufficient frictional hold on the shaft d¹ to
revolve therewith, excepting when its revolution is interfered with. Attached
to the lower end of the sleeve m¹ by means of a set-screw, is a collar or sleeve n,
on which are formed two similar projections or stop-shoulders n' n² (see Figures 3
and 9), one at each end of the collar. It will readily appear that as long as the
sleeve m¹ and collar n are free to revolve with the shaft d, there will be no rela-
tive movement between the path-cam m² and the platen m, but as soon as the
collar is held from revolution, the arm will be arrested, and the stud m³ will
travel around in the groove of said cam. The said groove is formed with a long
segmental portion or dwell" 2, and a short straight portion 3. When the stud
is in the dwell, the platen will be thrown out. to the periphery of the impression-
roll, in a position to co-operate with the printing-die on the other roll; but when
said stud is in the straight portion 3, the platen will be retracted.
A movable abutment which is controlled by the approach of a letter is arranged
to be thrown into the path of the upper shoulder n¹, so as to arrest the collar n
and accomplish the throwing of the platen or impression-pad. This abutment is
formed by the end of an arm o pivoted at o' to the frame of the machine and pro-
vided with a spring o². This arm is controlled in its movements by the letter-
stop h, on whose shaft is a post or trip h³ normally engaging a catch o³ on the
arm o, and by a cam paffixed to the hub of the lower feed-disk f¹ and hence
revolving with the shaft d. An adjustable dog o¹ provides contact between
the arm and cam. The cam is formed with two prominences 4 and 6, and a
reduced portion 5. The edge of the cam breaks abruptly from the prominence 4
to the reduced portion 5, and then passes gradually from the latter to the promin-
ence 6. The dog of contacts with the two prominences 4 and 6 in every revolution
of the shaft d, but when the reduced portion 5 is reached, the dog is normally
prevented from following the edge of the cam, by the trip h. When, however,
the stop has been displaced by a letter, as shown in Figure 5, the trip 2 becomes
o is un-
disengaged from the catch 03, and the inward movement of the arm
obstructed. Accordingly, when the prominence 4 passes the dog o¹, instead of the
cam becoming then separated from the dog, the latter follows the edge of the cam
over the reduced portion 5, as shown in Figure 5. The effect of this is to bring
the end of the arm o into contact with the shoulder n', which action arrests the
sleeve n and the path-cam m2 within the impression-roll. The roll itself and
the platen m continue to revolve, and the stud m³ starts from the straight por-
tion 3 of the cam-groove into the segmental portion 2, thus throwing the platen
out to the periphery of the impression-roll. When the cam m² has been held
stationary during a complete revolution of the impression-roll, the stud m³ again
enters the straight portion of the cam-groove, and the platen is retracted from
the periphery of the roll. Before the roll completes a revolution, however, the
protuberance 6 on the camp comes into contact with the dog o¹, and moves
the arm o outwardly, out of engagement with the shoulder n¹. This is necessary,
in order to enable the stop-arm to resume its normal position across the letter-
path, as shown in Figure 6, so as to arrest a letter which may be coming along
immediately after the letter which first displaced the stop. Since this disengage-
ment of the abutment-arm o from the shoulder n¹ takes place before the sleeve n
has been held for a sufficient length of time to retract the platen, it becomes
necessary to provide mechanism to hold the sleeve for the remainder of the
revolution of the impression-roll. This mechanism consists of an arm r pivoted
below the arm o and provided with an upwardly extending lug or abutment r¹,
and a cam s keyed to the shaft below the sleeve n and arranged to operate the
arm r. A spring 2 holds the arm r at all times against the edge of the cam, and
the cam is so shaped that it allows the lug or abutment ¹ to move into the path

page_text: of the lower shoulder n² on the sleeve n, just before the arm o moves out of engage-
ment with the upper shoulder n¹ on said sleeve. The sleeve therefore continues
to be held in a stationary position after it is released by the arm o (see Figure 6),
and is so held until the impression-roll has made a complete revolution and the
platen has been retracted. The transition from the reduced portion of the cam s
to its protuberant portion is gradual, so that the arm begins to move outwardly
immediately after it has reached its position nearest the shaft d. Just as the
sleeven reaches its original position relatively to the cams p and s, shown in
Figure 4, the abutment r moves out of the path of the shoulder n², and allows the
sleeve to revolve with the shaft. Two springs m m attached to the platen-frame
and to pins ff on the top feed-disk f₁ assist in retracting the platen, and serve
to keep it from rattling.
The pivotal arms and i may be said to constitute timing stops extending
across the letter-path. The stop h is locked and unlocked in every revolution of
the printing members. It is unlocked when the protuberance 4 on the cam p
comes in contact with the dog o', causing the catch o³ to be moved away a very
small distance from the trip h, and is unlocked again when the protuberance 6
comes in contact with the dog o¹.
The stacker t, which stacks the letters after they are delivered from the printing-
rolls, is formed with a partially cylindrical periphery, broken by a recess t¹.
v represents a guide, comprising a straight portion 7, which is parallel with the
path of the letters as they come from between the printing-rolls, an oblique por-
tion 8, which extends across said path, and a straight portion 9 parallel to
the straight portion 7. The stacker t rotates continuously in a forward direction,
in unison with the printing-rolls, and a portion of said stacker extends underneath
the portions 7 and 8 of the guide v. The arrangement is such that the straight
side of the recess t¹ coincides with the portion 7 of the guide, just at the moment
when a letter passes from between the printing-rolls. The letter is projected
from between said rolls into the recess, and is immediately thereafter pushed
outwardly by the segmental portion of the stacker. An extension 10 of the guide v
forms an abutment for the ends of the stacked letters.
In Figure 12 is shown a machine similar to the one which has just been
described, provided with a self-feeding attachment which is adapted to handle
faced mail-matter.
The attachment as here shown includes a trough or table u, on which a pack
of letters u may be placed, a curved sheet-metal spring placed at the mouth
of the trough to prevent the passage of more than one letter at a time, and a
rotary feed-cylinder w, on whose periphery is located a soft-rubber button or
stud w. The pack of letters may be pressed up against the guide or fence ³ at
the end of the trough, by the hand of the attendant, or by means of a weighted
follower or other device; and as the cylinder w rotates in the direction of the
arrow, the stud w¹ takes the letters off from the face of the pack, one at a time,
and launches them upon the travelling belt c, which carries them past the timing
feed and between the marking cylinders. The feed-cylinder w is preferably
timed to revolve in unison with the printing-cylinders, so that a letter passes
between said cylinders at every revolution.
By an inspection of Figures 12, 13, and 14, it will be seen that arrangements
are made whereby the machine may readily be changed from a hand-feed to a
self-feed machine. For this purpose, the hand-feed hopper b is attached to the
frame by means of small clamping levers 61 62 (Figure 13), which secure the hopper
in such a manner as to permit it to be easily removed. After it is removed, the
self-feed trough or table ", which is pivoted or hinged at 4, to the frame and
which hangs down when not in use, in the position shown in Figure 13, may be
swung up into place, as shown in Figure 14, and clamped in position by means
of a clamping lever 5 mounted on the end of an eccentric pin. The feed-roller w
is mounted in bearings in a detachable bracket, adapting it to be readily affixed to
and removed from the frame of the machine, and it has on its shaft a gear-wheel

page_text: arranged to mesh with an intermediate gear-wheel or idler (shown in Figure 12),
which latter is also mounted in a detachable bracket, and is adapted, when in place,
to mesh with and be driven by a gear-wheel on the shaft of the impression-roll.
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:-
1. In a mail-marking machine, in combination, a travelling flat conveyer sup-
ported and driven by pulleys having their axes horizontal, printing devices above
said conveyer, a timing stop extending over said conveyer, and intermittently-
acting oppositely-disposed rotary members actuated positively and independently
and rotated continuously in a forward direction, for gripping a letter and starting
it past said stop, said members each extending partially over
the conveyer,
whereby they may grip the letter on both faces to advance it.
2. A mail-marking machine comprising co-acting printing and impression
devices, a conveyer or belt travelling transversely of the axes of said devices, in
a plane transverse to the said axes and underneath the point of contact of said
devices, means for maintaining a letter upon said belt in planes substantially
parallel to said axes of said devices, a timing stop for intercepting the letter, and
intermittently-acting positively-rotated mechanism for forcing the letter past said
stop to the action of the printing and impression devices.
3. In a mail-marking machine, in combination, a travelling conveyer for
advancing the letters, printing devices for marking the letters, a hopper arranged
to be operatively positioned above the conveyer, so as to receive letters deposited
one at a time in the machine, and to be removed from said position, a trough or
table attached to the frame and adapted to support a pack of letters and arranged
to occupy an inoperative position when the hopper is operatively placed, and to
be positioned in place of said hopper when the latter is removed from its operative
position, and means for feeding the letters one at a time from the face of a pack
supported on said table.
4. In a mail-marking machine, in combination, a frame, printing devices for
marking the letters, a trough or table hinged to the frame and arranged to be
depressed to an inoperative position and to be swung up to a substantially hori-
zontal operative position, in which it is adapted to support a pack of letters, and
means for feeding the letters one by one to the printing devices from the face
of a pack so supported.
5. In a mail-marking machine, co-operating continuously-rotated feed-rolls
located on opposite sides of the letter-path, in combination with two movable
stops located in the throat between said feed-rolls, and devices on said feed-rolls
adapted to co-operate with a letter in successively displacing the two stops.
6. In a mail-marking machine, rotary printing members, in combina-
tion with a stop normally located in the letter-path, and means for locking and
unlocking said stop at pre-determined times.
7. In a mail-marking machine, two feed-rolls located on opposite sides of the
letter-path and having letter-engaging portions, a movable stop normally located
in the throat between said feed-rolls, a letter-displacing abutment on one of said
feed-rolls adapted to co-operate with a letter in displacing the stop, and a second
stop located beyond the first stop and adapted to arrest the letter after it has passed
said first stop, and to hold the same until gripped between the letter-engaging
portions of the feed-rolls.
8. In a mail-marking machine, printing-rolls, one of which contains a movable
platen or impression-pad, a normally inoperative mechanism for projecting said
platen to the periphery of its roll, a trip controlling said mechanism, feed-rolls
for introducing the letters to the printing-rolls, and a continuously operating
rotary device adapted to co-operate with a letter in displacing said trip to render
the pad-projecting mechanism operative, previously to the introduction between
and engagement by the feed-rolls, of said letter.

page_text: 9. In a mail-marking machine, a printing-roll carrying a die, an opposed roll
carrying a movable impression-pad or platen, mechanism for throwing said pad
into and out of operative relation to the printing-die, a letter-controlled trip
which normally engages said mechanism to render the same inoperative, feed-rolls
having segmental letter-engaging portions, and an abutment located on the same
shaft with one of said rolls, in advance of its letter-engaging portion, the said
abutment being adapted to co-operate with a letter in displacing the trip and releas-
ing the pad-throwing mechanism.
10. In a mail-marking machine, an impression-roll containing a platen movable
toward and away from the axis of the roll, and mechanism for operating the
platen, comprising a normally revolving sleeve surrounding the roll-shaft and
operatively connected with the platen, two revolving cams, a stop member con-
trolled by one of said cams in such a manner as to engage and arrest the sleeve
during a portion of a revolution of the impression-roll and disengage the same
during the remaining portion of the revolution, and a second stop member con-
trolled by the other cam in such a manner as to engage the sleeve before the latter
has been released by the first stop member, and continue to arrest the same after
it has been released by said stop member, the sleeve being finally released by the
second stop member when a revolution of the roll has been completed.
11. A. mail-marking machine comprising rotary printing devices, rotary
feeding devices for timing the introduction of the letters to the printing devices,
and a rotary self-feeding device for feeding the letters one at a time from a faced
pack and introducing them to the first-mentioned feeding devices, all of said
devices rotating continuously and in a forward direction.
12. A mail-marking machine comprising rotary printing devices, rotary feeding
devices for timing the introduction of the letters to the printing devices, and a rotary
stacker for stacking the letters after they have been marked, all of said devices
rotating continuously and in a forward direction.
1
Th 1
1000
HENRY EDWARD WAITE.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.