IMPROVED MACHI- animno rion MOOD MATIULCHERS OF ENVPLODESRY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Pewtress Alvey, of Commerce Place, Brixton
Road, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHI-
animno rion MOOD MATIULCHERS OF ENVPLODES"
Sealed the 11th May 1860, and dated the 15th November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Pewtress Alvey at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th November 1859.
I, CHARLES PEWTRESS ALVEY, of Commerce Place, Brixton Road, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES," to
be as follows:-
This Invention consists of improved machinery or apparatus designed for
performing the operations of folding, gumming, and embossing envelopes at
one operation, said machinery being constructed as follows, that is to say:-To
a suitable framing, I adapt and fix a casting horizontally; this said casting is
formed with a rectangular-shaped skeleton frame or recess of the size of the
envelope to be made. The sides of said frame, which are about two inches deep,
have each a long slot hole formed therein as near as possible to the bottom
edges thereof for the passage of sliding instruments for turning over or folding,
said instrument working through suitable guide pieces connected to the
under side of the aforesaid horizontal casting. A few inches below this casting
another horizontal casting is fixed to the frame of the machine, same being

page_text: formed with a rectangular-shaped hole at the centre thereof corresponding
with the before-mentioned skeleton frame above; to the upper side of this
second casting guide pieces are affixed, in which slide a piece of metal for
raising and lowering a flap hinged to one of the aforesaid guide pieces by one
end, said flap when up being in close contact with the edges of the before-
mentioned skeleton frame. Between the above-mentioned horizontal castings
a circular casting or cam plate is placed, and so formed as to rotate or move
in a circular direction around the aforesaid skeleton frame and flap by means
of flanged rollers resting on an endless rail formed on the aforesaid bottom
casting; the said cam plate has projecting flanges fixed to or formed upon its
upper and under surfaces, which are intended to operate as cams for imparting
reciprocating motion to the mechanism employed for folding the envelope, and
also for discharging it from the machine when folded. Upon the uppermost
horizontal casting aforesaid there is adapted a sliding skeleton plate for
advancing the paper. to be folded to the centre of the machine, where it
remains until the operations of gumming and embossing have been performed.
I propose to effect these operations by means of cams fixed on a shaft placed
across the top of the machine, said cams operating upon the aforesaid skeleton
plate, and also upon spring sliding pieces working in guide holes formed in a
cross head fixed to the sides of the machine; the bottom of one of such said
sliding pieces has an engraved die fixed thereto for embossing the sealing part
of the envelope, and the bottom of the other sliding piece is made plain, and
simply presses the paper on to pieces of cotton or other capillary material
inserted in a small vessel containing liquid gum or other adhesive mixture.
Immediately following these operations a double plunger descends through the
aforesaid cross head by the action of a cam on the cam shaft, and forces the
envelope into the skeleton frame or recess beneath, and on to the hinged flap
at bottom thereof, after which the inner part of the plunger holds down-the-
paper whilst the outer part of said plunger rises by means of a spring.
The inner part of the said plunger then rises, and the turned-up sides of the
envelope are pressed down by the sliding mechanism passing through the slot
holes in the skeleton frame as before stated, said mechanism being brought
into action by the aforesaid cam plate, which recieves its motion. from a bevil
wheel fixed on the cam shaft, taking into bevilled teeth formed around the
outer edge of the said cam plate. Simultaneously with the retiring of the slides
another cam draws back the bolt which previously held up the hinged flap on
which the folded envelope rests, and by so doing allows the flap to drop
and discharge the envelope therefrom, the flap afterwards rising to recieve
another envelope to be folded as above stated. I propose, after the envelope.

page_text: has left that part of the machine on which it was folded, to pass to another
part of the machine, there to receive additional pressure if necessary, and, if
desirable, to apply heat to such part for setting the gum or other adhesive
mixture employed.
The parts which I consider to be the principal features of novelty and
improvement of my said Invention are, first, the sliding feeder for advancing
the paper to be folded as above described; secondly, the cam plate; thirdly,
the sliding bolt of the hinged flap; and fourthly, applying heat for the pur-
poses set forth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Pewtress Alvey in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 15th May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
PEWTRESS ALVEY, of Commerce Place, Brixton Road, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty nine, in the twenty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Charles Pewtress Alvey, Her special licence that I, the said
Charles Pewtress Alvey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Charles Pewtress Alvey, my executors. administrators,
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 law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OP
ENVELOPES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Pew-
tress Alvey, 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 Charles Pewtress Alvey, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say-
This Invention consists of improved machinery or apparatus designed for
performing the operations of folding, gumming, and embossing envelopes at one
operation, said machinery being constructed as follows, that is to say, to a
suitable framing I adapt and fix a casting horizontally; this said casting is
formed with a rectangular-shaped skeleton frame or recess of the size of the
envelope to be made. The sides of said frame, which are about two inches
deep, have each a long slot hole formed therein as near as possible to the
bottom edges thereof for the passage of sliding instruments for turning over or
folding, said instruments working through suitable guide pieces connected to
the under side of the aforesaid horizontal casting. A few inches below this
casting another horizontal casting is fixed to the framing of the machine,
same being formed with a rectangular-shaped hole at the centre thereof
corresponding with the before-mentioned skeleton frame above; to the upper
side of this second casting guide pieces are affixed, in which slide a piece of
inetal for raising and lowering a flap binged to one of the aforesaid guide
pieces by one end, said flap when up being in close contact with the edges of
before-mentioned skeleton frame. Between the above-mentioned horizontal
castings a circular casting or cam plate is placed, and so formed as to rotate
or move in a circular direction around the aforesaid skeleton frame and flap
by means of flanged rollers resting on an endless rail formed on the aforesaid
bottom casting; the said cam plate has projecting flanges fixed to or formed
upon its upper and under surfaces, which are intended to operate as cams for
imparting reciprocating motion to the mechanism employed for folding the
envelope, and also for discharging it from the machine when folded.
Upon the uppermost horizontal casting aforesaid there is adapted a sliding
skeleton plate for advancing the paper to be folded to the centre of the
machine, where it remains until the operations of gumming and embossing
have been performed. I propose to effect these operations by means of cams
fixed on a shaft placed across the top of the machine, said cams operating upon
the aforesaid skeleton plate, and also upon spring sliding pieces working in
guide holes formed in a cross head fixed to the sides of the machine; the
bottom of one of such said sliding pieces has an engraved die affixed thereto
for embossing the sealing part of the envelope, and the bottom of the other
sliding piece is made plain, and simply presses the paper on to pieces of cotton
or other capillary material inserted in a small vessel containing liquid gum or
other adhesive mixture. Immediately following these operations a double
plunger descends through the aforesaid cross head by the action of a cam on

page_text: the cam shaft, and forces the envelope into the skeleton frame or recess
beneath and on to the hinged flap at bottom thercof, after which the inner
part of the plunger holds down the paper, whilst the outer part of said
plunger rises by means of a spring. The inner part of the said plunger then
rises, and the turned-up sides of the envelope are pressed down by the sliding
mechanism passing through the slot holes in the skeleleton frame as before
stated, said mechanism being brought into action by the aforesaid cam plate,
which receives its motion from a bevil wheel fixed on the cam shaft, taking
into bevilled teeth formed around the outer edge of the said cam plate. Simul-
taneously with the retiring of the slides another cam draws back the bolt
which previously held up the hinged flap on which the folded envelope rests,
and by so doing allows the flap to drop and discharge the envelope therefrom,
the flap afterwards rising to receive another envelope to be folded as above
stated. I propose, after the envelope has left that part of the machine in
which it was folded, to pass it to another part of the machine, there to receive
additional pressure if necessary, and, if desirable, to apply' heat to such part
for setting the gum or other adhesive mixture employed.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheets of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
At Sheet 1, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my improved machinery;
Figure 2, a side elevation thereof; Figure 3, a detached portion of same.
At Sheet 2, Figure 4 is a top plan view of said machinery; Figure 5 is a top
plan view of a piece herein-after particularly described and referred to. At
Sheet 3, Figure 6 is a tranverse and vertical section taken through the line.
A, B, at Figures 1, 4, and 7; Figure 7 is a detached portion herein-after
referred to. At each of the foregoing Figures of each Sheet of Drawings I
employ similar letters of reference to denote corresponding parts in so far as
such parts appear or can be seen at each of such said Figures respectively.
A, A', are cast-iron framings, connected together by tie bolts B, B, (see
Figure 1 of Sheet 1), said framings supporting the following parts or pieces,
same being arranged therein and connected therewith as follows:-C is a
bracket for supporting the driving shaft D, one end whereof is als supported
by a suitable bearing fixed to or formed upon the framing A; E, E, are fast
and loose pulleys on the shaft D; G is a fly wheel, and H a bevil wheel,

page_text: both of which are fixed upon said shaft; the wheel takes or gears into
another bevil wheel I, presently described; K is another shaft working in
bearings a, a, fixed to the top of the framings A, A¹; L, M, N, O, are cams
fixed on this said shaft, and employed to actuate mechanism marked P, Q, R, S,
respectively used for embossing, gumming, and partly folding the envelope in
the early stage of its manufacture; b, b, are plates of metal fixed to the
franiings A, A', between which the pieces P, Q, R, S, slide, and are guided in
proper position; c, c, c, c, are pieces of elastic material for raising up the
pieces P, Q, R, S, after the aforesaid cams have ceased to act thereon; T is a
spur wheel fixed on the shaft K, and gearing into a smaller spur wheel d
fixed on the driving shaft; D, U, is another cam shewn detached at Figure 3
of Sheet 1; this cam is fixed to the wheel T, and moves therewith for
imparting reciprocating motion to the feeding frame e, e, on which the shaped
blank paper is placed of which the envelope is to be formed; the said frame
is connected by rods f, f, to a cross spindle 9, which is supported by the
brackets h, h. There is a lever i fixed on the spindle g (as at Figures 1 and
.2 of Sheet 1); said lever has a pin and roller k affixed to its lower end, which
takes into the groove of the cam U, shown at Figure 3 of Sheet 1; m is a
feeding table; W, X, are metal plates bolted to the side framings A, A¹, as at
Figures 4 and 6 of Sheets 2 and 3; n, n, are rods fixed to the plate W for
guiding the feeding frame e, e, which slides thereon in proper direction; o, o,
are points or projections so fixed in the frame e, e, as to hold the shaped blank
paper in proper position whilst it is carried forward, as at Figure 4 of Sheet 2.
The plate W has a hole formed through it to allow the plungers Q, R, and
paper to pass through freely; p, p, are stop pins passing through holes in the
plate W, as at Figures 4 and 7, for holding and locking the frame e, e, steady
at its extreme ranges of action; the pins p, p, are raised and lowered at the
proper times by a cam piece q on the bevil cam wheel I, as at Figure 7 of
Sheet 3. The bevil cam wheel I is maintained in proper position, and has its
axis of motion upon a circular rib or projection r formed on the plate X, upon
which roll small wheels with flanges s, s, as at Figure 5 of Sheet 2, said wheels
being connected to the under side of the wheel I by lugs t, seen better at
Figure 6 aforesaid; the wheel I has also two short curved ribs & formed
at the under side thereof, as at Figure 6 of Sheet 3, and by dotted lines
at Figure 5 of Sheet 2, which as the said wheel rotates, embrace a small roller r
fixed in one end of a skeleton frame w, and thus draw said frame back at the
proper instant of time; a piece X, at Figure 5, forces the frame w forward.
The frame w works in guide pieces 3, 4, fixed on to the plate X, as exhibited
at Figure 6. Y is a flap picce hinged at 2 to the piece 3; this flap forms the

page_text: bottom of a box Z, of which the four sides are a piece of metal screwed to the
under side of the plate W, as exhibited, each of such said sides having long
slots or openings formed therein for the passage of certain folding instru-
ments herein-after described; 5 is a piece of metal formed upon the under
side of the flap Y, which rests upon the part 6 of the frame w.
There are
also pins 7 affixed to the flap Y, which said pins rest upon the frame w, as
exhibited at Figures 5, 6, and thus serve to keep the hinged flap or bottom Y
up when required.
I now proceed to describe the construction and arrangement of the instru-
ments employed for folding the envelope as follows:-At Figures 6 and 7. of
Sheet 3, numbers 8, 9, 10, 11, represent 4 sliding pieces working through
guide holes in pieces 12, two only of which are shewn at Figure 6. The
pieces 12 are hinged at z to pieces of metal 13 fixed to the under side of the
plate W, as at Figure 6; 14 are springs for exerting pressure on the aforesaid
sliding pieces. In each of the pieces 12 there is a small pin 15 fixed, which
is operated upon by inclined planes 20, Figure 7, for raising the sliding folders
previous to their falling on the flap of the envelope; 21 are other pins
fixed to the sliding folders 8, 9, 10, 11, and working through slots in the
pieces 12. These pins are operated upon at the proper time by the cams
16, 17, 18, 19, that is to say, the cam 16 first comes into action, and presses
forward the slide 8, which folds over the part 12 of the envelope, Sheet 1,
after which the cams 17 and 18 simultaneously come into action, and press
forward the slides 9 and 10, which fold over the parts 2, 3, of the envelope,
and finally the cam 19 comes into action, and presses forward the slide 11,
which folds over the part 4 of the envelope; the elastic springs 22 draw
back the slides after the cams have left them, and it is a peculiar feature in
the working of these said cams, that notwithstanding they come into action at
different periods of time, they all come out of action at the same instant,
which is important because immediately following such withdrawal of the
O aforesaid slides the plungers Q, R, descend to give the final pressure, or to
crease the edges of the folded parts of the envelope, as herein-after described.
I next proceed to describe the construction, arrangement, and movements
of the plungers Q, R. It will be seen, upon referring to Figures 1 and 6 of
Sheets 1 and 3, that the plunger Q works within the lower part of the
5 plunger R; the intention of this is, that the plunger Q may hold the paper
steady on the flap Y whilst the plunger R is rising, and until the folding
sliding piece S comes into action; the plunger Q then rises out of its way by
the action of the springs c, before mentioned. 23 are caps of metal fitting on
the top of the said plungers, only one of which appears; 24 represents a piece

page_text: of vulcanized india-rubber, serving as a cushion for the cams N, M, to act
upon; is an endless travelling belt passing over rollers 25, 25, as at
Figures 4 and 6 of Sheets 2 and 3, rotatory motion being imparted to such
said rollers by the cord 26 at Figure 1, Sheet 1; 27 is a table for supporting
the roller 25º.
The operations of the above mechanism are as follows:-Supposing the
several parts to be in the position exhibited, and rotatory motion to be imparted
to the shaft D, the first impulse is to cause the cam U to act upon the pin k
of the lever i, and bring forward the feeding frame e with the shaped blank
paper thereon, the pin p locking it in proper position. By this time the cams
L, O, will have come into contact with the plungers P, S, and force down the
embossing die 28 and presser 29, causing them to emboss and gum the envelope,
after which the cams M, N, will force down the plungers Q, R, carrying with
them the paper to be folded. Immediately following these movements the cam U
will move the feeding frame back ready to have another blank placed thereon;
the plunger then holds down the envelope on the flap Y, whilst the
plunger R rises, which is effected by making the cam N pointed and the
cam M flat, as exhibited. The cams 16, 17, 18, and 19 now come into
action, and effect the folding of the envelope in the manner and order before
stated. The cam M¹ next comes into operation, and forces down the
plunger Qupon the folded envelope, and the cam N', which is made longer
than the cam M', afterwards descends and gives the final pressure to the
folded edges of the envelope, and the plungers then rise. The pin v of the
frame W is now drawn back, as before stated, by which the piece 5 and pins 7
of the flap Y will be disengaged, and allow the flap to descend on its hinge, as
denoted by dotted lines at Figure 6; the folded envelope falling on to the
endless belt Za, is delivered in a finished state ready for use; the gumming is
effected in the ordinary manner.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of "Improved Machinery or Apparatus for the Manufacture of
Envelopes," together with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying
the same into practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that I do not
intend to limit myself to the precise details of construction above described
and represented, as they may be varied without departing from the. spirit of
my said Invention; but what I claim as my Invention intended to be secured
to me by the above in part recited Letters Patent, is as follows:-
First, I claim the cam plate or wheel marked W, for the purposes set
forth.
Secondly, the aforesaid cam plate or wheel in combination with the sliding

page_text: folding instruments marked 8, 9, 10, 11, and the hinged pieces marked 12,
by which means the double or vertical and horizontal motion of said folding
instruments is obtained.
Thirdly, the sliding frame w for supporting and disengaging the hinged
flap Y, as above described.
Lastly, I claim the general construction and arrangement of the several
parts above described and represented by the illustrative Sheets of Drawings
hereunto annexed, as constituting my improvements in machinery or apparatus
for the manufacture of envelopes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Pewtress Alvey, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
CHARLES PEWTRESS ALVEY. (L.S.)