IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING ON ENVELOPES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William McKenzie, of Alma Road, Monkston, in the
County of Dublin, Ireland, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR PRINTING ON ENVELOPES." A communication from abroad by Sydney
Arthur Grant, of Boston, in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William McKenzie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th July 1881.
WILLIAM MCKENZIE, of Alma Road, Monkston, in the County of Dublin,
Ireland. " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING ON ENVELOPES." [A
communication from abroad by Sidney Arthur Grant, of Boston, in the United
States of America.]
This Invention relates to apparatus for printing names, crests, or other devices on
envelopes. For this purpose the envelopes to be printed upon are laid side by sidé
in a sloping trough down which they can slide, all of them being placed with their
flaps directed forwards and downwards. In front of the lower end of the trough
a travelling band consisting of two parallel straps with transverse wires is made to
move intermittently. At each movement one of the transverse wires catching under
the flap of the envelope presented at the end of the trough carries the envelope
along an upwardly inclined printing table. While the movement of the band is
interinitted the envelope which at that time is over the forme on the printing table
is by the descent of a tympan made to receive an impression and is then carried
away by the succeeding movement of the band, another envelope taking its place
and being printed in its turn. Each printed envelope is finally released from the
band as it passes over pullies at the top of the apparatus and is discharged along a
sloping trough.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William McKenzie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th January
1882.
A
WILLIAM MCKENZIE, of Alma Road, Monkston, in the County of Dublin,
Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING ON ENVELOPES.
communication from abroad by Sidney Arthur Grant, of Boston, in the United
States of America.
This Invention relates to apparatus for printing names, crests, or other devices on
envelopes. The accompanying Drawing represents diagrammatically the general
arrangement of this apparatus, which operates as follows:- -The envelopes A to be
printed upon are laid side by side in a sloping trough B.down which they can slide, all
of them being placed with their flaps directed forwards and downwards. In front
of the lower end of the trough B a travelling band C, consisting of two parallel
straps with uniformly spaced traverse wires D is made to move intermittently in
the direction of the arrow. At each movement one of the transverse wires D
catching within the flap of the lowest envelope presented at the end of the trough B
carries the envelope along an upwardly inclined printing table E. While the
movement of the band C is intermitted the envelope which is at that time resting
over the forme F on the printing table is by the descent of a presser G made to
receive an impression from the forme. The envelope thus printed on is then
carried away by the succeeding movement of the band which takes place while the
presser G is raised, and another envelope takes its place over the forme and is
printed on in like manner.
Each printed envelope is finally released from the band as it passes over the
pullies at the upper end of the table E, and is discharged along a sloping trough H.
The presser G may be moved up and down by a hand lever or by a crank, eccentric,
or cam, on a revolving shaft, the band C receiving its intermittent motion whilo
the presser ascends, for which purpose the band pullies may be worked by a ratchet
and pawl connected to the reciprocating presser.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim,―
The combination of the inclined trough B, the intermittently travelling band C
with its cross wires D, the inclined printing table E with its forme F, and the
reciprocating presser G, arranged and operating for printing on envelopes,
substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William McKenzie have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
MCKENZIE.
(L.S.)