IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC COPYING AND ENGRAVING MACHINES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jasper Wetter, of Wimbledon, Surrey for an Invention
of IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC COPYING AND ENGRAVING
MACHINES communicated to him from abroad by Albert Schmid, of Zurich,
Switzerland
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jasper Wetter at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th November 1883.
"
IMPROVEMENTS IN
JASPER WETTER, of Wimbledon, Surrey,
AUTOMATIC
ELECTRIC COPYING AND ENGRAVING MACHINES " a communication to me from
abroad by Albert Schmid, of Zurich, Switzerland
This invention has for its object the accurate copying of drawings or other
images, or manuscript, on various materials, and on any desired scale by means of
mechanism controlled by electricity.
For this purpose the drawing, image or writing serving as original is produced in
metallic ink on paper, or in a non-conducting ink or colour on a metallic plate,
which plate or paper is then attached to the face of a disc. Another plate or sheet
adapted to receive the copy is fastened to the face of a second disc mounted on the
same axle as the pattern disc. Opposite to the first disc is placed a contact pin
movable in a straight line parallel to the disc, and opposite to the second disc is a
pencil, chisel or other suitable tool, adapted to move in a straight line parallel to
the second disc, in proportion to the motion of the contact pin, either at the same
or at a different speed. The working tool is attached to the anchor of an electro-
magnet placed in circuit with the contact point of the first disc and adapted to
press the tool against the disc when the circuit is broken or when it is closed,
(according to the construction of the machine). By turning the discs the contact
pin and the working tool are automatically set in motion and proceed from the
centre towards the circumference, so that each describes a spiral relatively to the
respective disc. During this motion the electric circuit passing through the contact
point and electro-magnet is closed whenever the contact point touches an uncovered
part of the metal plate or a metallic line on the non conducting original

page_text: The mechanism for automatically imparting a rectilineal motion to the contact
pin and working tool may comprise a worm mounted on the axle of the discs and
between the latter, a worm wheel mounted on a shaft parallel to the discs, which
shaft carries at each end a spur-wheel gearing into a pinion mounted on a screw
spindle and serving to turn the latter; a pair of sledges (one for each screw
spindle) set in motion by the turning of the screw spindles and guided along the
same, and a pair of forked bars (one for each sledge) each of which reaches from
the sledge round the respective disc and carries at its other end the contact pin, or
the electro-magnet and working tool.
The size of the copy relatively to the original may be altered by changing the
spur wheels, or by using screw spindles of different pitch; and the mechanism for
producing a spiral motion of the contact pin and working tool relatively to the
discs or sheets may be modified without departing from the invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Jasper Wetter in the Patent Office on the 12th May 1884.
JASPER WETTER, of Wimbledon, Surrey, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIO
ELECTRIC COPYING AND ENGRAVING MACHINES," a communication to me from
abroad by Albert Schmid, of Zurich, Switzerland,
This invention relates to that class of copying and engraving machines, which
consist chiefly of a pattern plate which carries the original in metallic ink on a
non-conducting base, or in non-conducting ink on a metallic base, a copying or.
engraving plate destined to receive a copy in the desired scale, a contact pin or
roller movable across the pattern sheet, a copying instrument or tracer movable
across the copying or engraving plate, mechanism for imparting to the contact pin:
and the tracer a motion parallel to the surfaces of the discs at a relative speed
depending on the scale at which the original is to be reproduced, an electric circuit
passing through the contact pin and pattern sheet and adapted to set the tracer or
copying instrument in or out of contact with the copying plate whenever tho
contact pin or roller passes over a line or spot which forms part of the pattern to
be reproduced.
My object is to render such machines more compact, accurate and expeditious,
so that they may be advantageously used for engraving plates or blocks from which
bank notes, bills, share-certificates and similar documents are to be printed.
In the further description of this invention reference will be made to the
accompanying drawing, of which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an improved
automatic copying machine, while Fig. 2 shows the contact pin and its carrier in
detail.
:
On a standard Q is mounted a shaft D carrying in the centre a worm F and at
the ends a pair of discs A and E Both discs are provided with binding or set
Screws B movable in slots for securing plates of different sizes. The discs A and
E receive rotary motion by means of a string S (or a belt). The worm F gears
into a worm-wheel O which is fixed in the middle of a shaft G placed above the
shaft D and at right angles to the same. Spur-wheels P mounted at both ends of
shaft G gear with spur-wheels P¹ which are fixed on the screw spindle H¹ H¹
Sledges J and J", each provided with a screw-nut, slide along the screws H' and
H" when the latter are turned. Two bent rods K' and K" or carriers are screwed
into (or otherwise secured to) the sledges J' and J. Rod K¹, Fig. 2, is provided
with a contact pin L, or a small contact roller, while the rod K carries a drawing
point, graver or tracer N, and an electro-magnet M or a solenoid.
The contact pin and the electro-magnet are connected with the poles of a
galvanic battery placed in any suitable position.
The function of the apparatus is as follows: The original drawing, writing or
other graphic production, to be copied, is produced upon a metallic sheet, by means
of a well adhering but non-conducting ink or colour, or on paper by metallic ink.
The sheet serving as original is fastened to the face of disc A by binding-screws B.
Another plate C destined to receive the copy of the original is fixed to the disc E
in the same manner. After having placed the contact pin L and drawing point or
tracer N in the centers of their respective discs A and E, these latter are put in
rotary motion. From this moment a rectilinear motion is given to the contact
pin Land drawing point or tracer N, (by means of the worm F, worm-wheel O,
spur-wheels PP, screws Hand H", sledges J and J" with the rods K' and K")
which are moving from the centre of the disc towards the periphery thereby
describing a spiral line on each plate. The contact pin Lor a small contact roller
touches the surface of the original plate, with slight and elastic pressure, while the

page_text: drawing point or graver is pressed against plate C by the armature of the electro-
magnet M, either at the interruption or at the closing of the electric current,
(according to the nature of the work to be executed). If a galvanic battery is
placed in circuit with the contact pin L, rod K" and electro-magnet M in the well-
known manner, the circuit will be closed when the contact pin L touches an
uncovered part of the metallic plate serving as original, or a motallic line brought
upon paper, while the current is interrupted when the contact pin L touches the
non-conducting ink or the paper. By these means of closing and breaking tho
circuit, the armature of electro-magnet M is alternately attracted and repelled and
thereby the tracer N prossed against plate C at certain intervals corresponding to
the lines on the pattern plate.
The speed of the graving or copying tool N passing over the plate C may be
made equal to the speed of the contact pin L passing over the pattern sheet A, or
it may be made greater or less, according to the proportions of the exchangeable
spur-wheels P, P, and as the size of the copy relatively to the pattern depends on
the relative speeds of the contact point and tracer, the copy may be made equal in
size to the original, or larger or smaller than the same, as may be desired.
I am aware, that electric copying and engraving machines, analogous to that
herein before described, have been previously described and patented, and I do not,
therefore, claim the method in general.
'
;
The principal distinctive feature of the present invention consists in a pair of
parallel discs or plates (pattern disc and copying disc) mounted on the same shnft
or in the same axis and caused to revolve together while the contact point and the
tracer are automatically and simultaneously moved across the surfaces of the discs
or plates so as to describe spirals on the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
In automatic electric copying and engraving machines:
1. A pattern disc and a copying disc mounted on the same shaft or in the same
axis and adapted to be turned together, in combination with a contact point or
pin' and a graving or copying tool, and mechanism for causing such contact pin
and tool to travel simultaneously across the faces of said discs.
2. The mechanism for producing the simultaneous rectilinear motion of the contact
pin and of the graving or copying tool across the faces of the discs.
3. The combination of disc A carrying the pattern plate, disc E carrying the
copying plate, shaft D, stand Q, worm F, wormwheel O, shaft Ğ, tooth
wheels P, P¹, screw spindle H¹ H, sledges J, J, arm K' carrying the contact
pin, arm K carrying the tracer, and means for producing the automatic motion
of the tracer perpendicularly to the face of the disc E.
The whole substantially as described and illustrated.
In Witness whereof I, the said Jasper Wetter, have hereunto set my hand and