IMPROVEMENTS IN. APPARATUS. FOR APPIXING TUSTA USTAGE STAMPS AND OTHER. LABELS TO LETTERS: AND DOCUMENTS:
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Albert Davis, of Camberwell; in the County, of
Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN. APPARATUS. FOR APPIXING
TUSTA
USTAGE STAMPS AND OTHER. LABELS TO LETTERS: AND DOCUMENTS:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry, Albert. Davis, at
the Office of the Commissioners, of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st September 1865.
I, HENRY .ALBERT DAVIS, of Camberwell, in the County of Surrey, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR APPIXING POSTAGE STAMPS AND OTHER LABELS TO LETTERS AND
DOCUMENTS," to be as follows:-
My Invention, which has for its object the affixing of stamps and other
adhesive labels to letters and documents by a more perfect and expeditious
method than hitherto, consists of a chamber of suitable form, composed of
métal or other suitable material closed at the top by a lid or cover and open
at the bottoni: Under the lid or cover there is a bridge with a hole in its
centre. In the said cover there is also a space to admit a sliding tube, in
which are two slots, and at the top of the tube is fixed a knob made of

page_text: In the
wood, metal, or other material, and having a hole in the centre.
interior of the sliding tube, between the knob and bridge, is a spiral or other
spring, and through the slots in the tube there is a pin for preventing the
tube from being pushed too low. At the bottom of the sliding tube in the
interior of the chamber is fixed a perforated block or plate of metal or other
material, to which is attached a piece of india-rubber or other suitable
material for the purpose of receiving and holding a headed pin upon which
the stamps are threaded, and the india-rubber or other equivalent is kept in
its place by a perforated plate fixed to the block. -The chamber is first held
with its open-end upwards, and-the stamps or labels are placed in the said
chamber with their adhesive sides uppermost, and are then pierced through
their centres by means of a long bradawl or piercer, which is passed through
the hole in the knob-of-the sliding tube into the centre of the stamps. The
bradawl or piercer is now withdrawn, and the headed pin is pushed through
the hole made in the stamps, by the piercer and into the india-rubber from
the mouth or open end of the chamber, by which the stamps are held in
position ready to be affixed to the letter or document. In order to transfer a
stamp to a letter or document the chamber is first placed with its open end
downwards, and the sliding tube with its spiral or other spring is 'pressed
down upon a damper composed of flannel; cloth, sponge, or other absorbent
material until the adhesive side of the stamp comes in contact with the said
damper, which imparts, moisture thereto; the pressure is then taken off,
when the spring brings the sliding tube up to its former position. The stamp
is afterwards transferred to the letter or document by again pressing down the
sliding tube, until the stamp is in close contact with the paper or other matter
to be stamped, and as 'the 'adhésive side of the stamp has been previously
moistened 'it adheres firmly thereto. The operations of damping and stamping
are repeated until the stamps in the chamber are exhausted, after which the
chamber is re-charged as before described. The damper is kept moist by
adding a few drops of water, occasionally. I can also charge the chamber by
first piercing the stamps or labels face upwards either in or out of the chamber,
and then turning them the contrary way and pushing the headed pin through
them, as before described. When desirable I attach the-chamber with its
sliding tube, and other parts to a stand-composed of a hollow bed plate and
upright, which upright is recessed at its lower end for the reception of the
chamber. In,the centre of this upright there is a slot, and at the top a stud,
and there is also, another stud fixed. to the sliding tube and working in the
slot of the upright, which studs are for connecting the chamber and sliding
tube to the stand by means of elastic bands or springs. There is also a slot

page_text: in the top of the hollow bed. plate, in which..works. a damper composed of
flannel or other absorbent material,.to.which moisture is supplied from water
cóntained in the hollow bed plate
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by, the said Henry Albert Davis in the Great Seal Patent Office on
21st, March 1866..
the
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, HENRY
ALBERT DAVIS, of Camberwell, in the County of Surrey, send greeting...
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year. of
Her reign, did, for Herself; Her heirs and successors, give and grant' unto
me, the said: Henry Albert Davis, Her special licence that I, the said
Henry Albert Davis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Henry Albert Davis, 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 lawfully
might make, use, exercise; and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invén-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR AFFIXING POSTAGE STAMPS AND
OTHER LABELS TO LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Albert Davis, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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:per-
formed, 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 Henry Albert Davis, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):
My Invention has for its object the affixing of stamps and other adhesive
labels to letters and documents by more perfect and expeditious methods thian
hitherto adopted; which methods will be clearly understood by the following
particular description thereof, reference being had to the figures and letters on

page_text: the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation,
Figure 2 a vertical action, and Figure 3 a view of a part detached of 'one
arrangement of my improved apparatus for affixing postage stamps and other
labels to letters and documents, and Figure 4 is an elevation, and Figure 5
In both
a vertical action with in elevation of the aforesaid apparatus.
arrangements I employ a chamber A, composed of metal or other suitable
material, closed at the top by a lid or cover and open 'at the bottom. Under
the lid or cover there is a bridge with 'holes in its centre. In the said cover
there is also a space to admit a sliding-tube B, in which are 'two 'slots, "and at
the 'top of the tube-is fixed a knob c, made of wood, metal, or other material,
and having a hole and tube a in the centre, In the interior of the sliding
tube B, between the knob and bridge, there is a 'spiral springb, and "through
the slots-in-the tube there are spins d for preventing the tube from being
pressed too low. At the bottom of the sliding tube; in the interior of the
chamber, is fixed a perforated block or plate Crof metal or other material; ito
which is attached a piece of india-rubber or other suitable material for the
purpose of receiving and holding a beaded pin upon which the stamps are
threaded, and the india-rubber or other equivalent is kept in its place by a
perforated plate. g. The chamber-is-first held with its open end upwards, and
the stamps or labels are placed in the said chamber -with their adhesive sides
uppermost, and are then pierced through their centres by means of a long
bradawl or piercer D, Figure 3, which is passed through the hole in the
knob of the sliding tube into the centre of the stamps; the bradawl or
piercer is now withdrawn, and the -headed pin-h is pushed through the shole
made in the stamps by the bradawl or piercer and into the india-rubber
from the mouth or open end of the chamber, by which means the stamps are
held in [position ready to be affixed to the letter or document. In order to
transfer a stamp to a letter or document the chamber is first placed with its
open end downwards, and the sliding tube with its spring is pressed down
upon a damper composed of flannel, cloth, sponge, or other absorbent material
until the adhesive side of the bottom stamp comes in contact with the said
damper, which imports moisture thereto; the pressure is then taken off, when
the spring brings the sliding tube up to its former position. The stamp is
afterwards transferred to the letter or document by again passing-down-the
sliding tube until the stamp is in close contact with the paper or other matter
to be stamped, and as the -adhesive side of the stamp has been previously
moistened-it, adheres firmly thereto...-I can also charge the chamber by first
piercing-the stamps or labels face upwards, either in or out of the chamber;
and then turning them the contrary way-and pushing the headed, pin, through

page_text: them as before described. When desirable I attach the chamber with its
sliding tube and other parts to a stand composed of a hollow bed plate H,
Figures 4 and 5, to which is held the upright G by the pin m, which upright
is recessed at its lower end for the reception of the chamber. In the upright
there is a slot, and at the top a stud j, and there is also another stud t fixed
to the chamber and working in the slot of the upright, which studs are for
connecting the chamber and sliding tube to the stand by means of elastic
bands or springs k. There is also a slot in the top of the hollow bed plate
in which works a damper I, composed of flannel or other absorbent material,
to which moisture is supplied from water O, contained in the hollow bed
plate.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Albert Davis, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
HENRY ALBERT DAVIS. (L.S.)