IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA RATUS FOR PERFORATING PAPER OR MATERIALS TO BE USED IN TYPE-COMPOSING MACHINERY OR TO BE OTHERWISE EMPLOYED." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT
to Alexander Mackic, of Warrington, in the
County of Lancaster, and Eric Hugo Waldenström, of Manchester,
in the same County, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA
RATUS FOR PERFORATING PAPER OR MATERIALS TO BE USED IN TYPE-COMPOSING
MACHINERY OR TO BE OTHERWISE EMPLOYED."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Mackie and
Eric Hugo Waldenström at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents with their Petition, on the 17th July 1874.
We, ALEXANDER MACKIE, of Warrington, in the County of Lancaster,
and ERIC HUGo Waldenström, of Manchester, in the same County,
Invention for
"IM-
do hereby declare the nature of the said
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PERFORATING PAPER OR MATERIALS TO BE USED
BE OTHERWISE EMPLOYED," to be as
IN TYPE-COMPOSING MACHINERY. OR TO

page_text: apparatus adapted to produce groups of perforations, each of which repre-
sents a letter, word, symbol, or character. Paper so perforated is employed
in the type-composing machinery for which Her Majesty's Royal Letters
Patent have been granted to the within-named Alexander Mackie, and also
in some description of telegraph apparatus.
According to the first part of our Invention the perforating punches
are actuated by means of finger keys which act upon levers or lever
frames from which the said punches receive motion, a single key being
connected with one, two, or more of the said levers or lever frames, so
that whenever required a group of perforations may be made by acting on
a single key. In apparatus which we have constructed the lever frames
are arranged horizontally one above another, and are hinged or fitted to
rock in bearings.
Each finger key is connected with an upright bar
which is connected with one, two, or more of the said lever frames,
studs on the lever frames entering slots in the said bars. The connection
of any one bar with any one of the said lever frames does not interfere
with the movement of such lever frame when acted upon by another
bar in the series. An arm projecting from each lever frame is connected
with one of the punches, and each lever frame is also connected with a
rod which actuates the feed apparatus.
connected with a lever which carries a
with a ratchet wheel on the axle of
feeds forwards the paper to be perforated.
two, or more of the said lever frames is or are caused to rock, and one,
two, or more of the perforating punches is or are caused to perforate the
paper according to the particular key acted upon. The return move-
ments of the lever frames are effected by springs or balance weights which
tend to move the said frames in the direction to withdraw the punches
from the paper being perforated.
In the example the said rod is
pawl, and the said pawl engages
cylinder or pin wheel which
When a key is depressed one,
the
In the second part of our Invention we employ perforated plates
to govern the action of levers to which the perforating punches are
attached or with which they are connected. Each perforated plate is
adapted to govern the position of a perforation in a group, the perfora-
tions in the plate being relative to the punches which are required to
act, that is to say, in whatever position in a row or possible group a per-
foration is required to be made in the paper a perforation will be present
in the corresponding position in the said plate. When each plate
represents only a single letter or sign, and it may be in cases wherein a

page_text: At
The
plate represents a combination of letters, we prefer to cast or form such
letter or sign on the end of the plate. so that when selected and
arranged in line a proof of the matter represented by the plates may be
obtained, and the said matter be corrected it necessary, and the plates
be "justified," as when so used it is necessary to make the plates vary
in thickness; as in the case of ordinary type we form a portion or
portions of the plates, say for example, the edges thereof of an uniform
thickness for the reason herein-after given. The perforating apparatus
is furnished with a hopper within which a number of the plates arranged
in order are placed, and the said hopper has an opening at the bottom
large enough to permit of the passage of the thickest plate, but con-
tracted at cach end to suit the uniform thickness of the edges of the
plates, so that two thin plates are not permitted to pass together.
each revolution of the driving shaft a sliding pusher actuated by a cam
on the said shaft pushes the lowest plate through the said opening and
out of the hopper. Each of the aforesaid levers is provided near one
end, which for distinction we will call the outer end, with a pin and is
acted upon by a spring which tends to raise the said outer end.
whole of the outer ends of the said levers are depressed at intervals by
means of a reciprocating bar until a perforated plate has been slid into
position over the said pins, when the said outer ends are permitted to
rise. The outer ends of any levers, the pins of which coincide with
perforations in the plates, will now rise above the other outer ends. A
bar actuated by the driving shaft now moves forwards and upwards, and
clearing the lower lever ends acts upon and raises the higher lever ends
which have been selected by the said perforated plate, the other or inner
ends which are connected with the punchers being depressed, whereby
the said punches are forced through the paper. Some plates may select
one lever only, thereby causing only one perforation to be made in the
The paper is fed forwards after each perforating operation by
paper.
means of a pawl which engages with a ratchet wheel fixed on the axle
of the pin wheel, as in the perforating apparatus first herein described.
The operation of the apparatus being continued the perforated plates are
presented in succession in position to select the levers which are to be
acted upon, and the perforations made in the paper and the pile of plates
which has been placed in the aforesaid hopper will thus represent the
When duplicates of the perforated paper are required
two or more strips of paper may be fed together through the perforating
same matter.
apparatus.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Mackie and Eric Hugo Waldenström in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALEXANDER
MACKIE, of Warrington, in the County of Lancaster, and ERIC HUGO
WALDENSTRÖM, of Manchester, in the same County, send greeting,
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Alexander Mackie and Eric Hugo Walden-
ström, Her special licence that we, the said Alexander Mackie and
Eric Hugo Walderström, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Alexander Mackie and Eric Hugo Walden-
ström, our 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 Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PERFORATING PAPER OR MATERIALS TO BE
USED IN
TYPE-COMPOSING MACHINERY, OR TO BE OTHERWISE EMPLOYED," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Alexander Mackie and
Eric Hugo Waldenström, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or one of our, 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 Alexander Mackie, for myself and on
behalf of the said Eric Hugo Waldenström, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
Our Invention relates to apparatus for perforating paper or other
material which may be used in lieu thereof, and more particularly to

page_text: apparatus adapted to produce groups of perforations, each of which repre-
sents a letter, word, symbol, or character. Paper so perforated is employed
in the type-composing machinery for which Her Majesty's Royal Letters.
Patent have been granted to the within-named Alexander Mackie, and also
in some descriptions of telegraph apparatus.
According to the first part of our Invention the perforating punches
are actuated by means of finger keys which act upon levers or lever
frames, from which the said punches receive motion, a single key being
connected with one, two, or more of the said levers or lever frames, so
that whenever required a group of perforations may be made by acting
on a single key. In apparatus which we have constructed the lever
frames are arranged horizontally, one above another, and are hinged or
fitted to rock in bearings. Each finger key is connected with .an
upright bar, which is connected with one, two, or more of the said lever
frames, studs on the lever frames entering slots in the said bars. The
connection of any one bar with any one of the said lever frames does
not interfere with the movement of such lever frame when acted upon
by another bar in the series An arm projecting from each lever frame
is connected with one of the punches, and each lever frame is also con-
nected with a rod which actuates the feed apparatus. In the example the
said rod is connected with a lever which carries a pawl, and the said pawl
engages with a ratchet wheel on the axle of the cylinder or pin wheel
which feeds forward the paper to be perforated. When a key is depressed,
one, two, or more of the said lever frames is or are caused to rock, and
one, two, or more of the perforating punches is or are caused to perforate the
paper, according to the particular key acted upon. The return movements
of the lever frames are effected by springs or balance weights, which tend
to move the said frames in the direction to withdraw the punches from the
paper being perforated.
In the second part of our Invention we employ perforated plates to
govern the action of levers to which the perforating punches are attached,
or with which they are connected. Each perforated plate is adapted to
govern the position of a perforation in a group, the perforations in the
plate being relative to the punches which are required to act, that is to
say, in whatever position in a row or possible group a perforation is
required to be made in the paper a perforation will be present in the
corresponding position in the said plate. When each plate represents
only a single letter or sign, and it may be in cases wherein a plate

page_text: represents a combination of letters, we prefer to cast or form such letter
or sign on the end of the plate, so that when selected and arranged in
liue a proof of the matter represented by the plates may be obtained,
and the said matter be corrected if necessary, and the plates be
"justified." As when so used it is necessary to make the plates vary
in thickness, as in the case of ordinary type, we form a portion or
portions of the plates, say, for example the edges thereof, of an uniform
thickness, for the reason herein-after given. The perforating apparatus
is furnished with a hopper within which a number of the plates arranged
in order are placed, and the said hopper has an opening at the bottom
large enough to permit of the passage of the thickest plate, but con-
tracted at each end to suit the uniform thickness of the edges of the
plates, so that two thin plates are not permitted to pass together. At
each revolution of the driving shaft a sliding pusher actuated by a cam on
the said shaft pushes the lowest plate through the said opening and out
of the hopper. Each of the aforesaid levers is provided near one end,
which for distinction we will call the outer end, with a piu, and is
acted upon by a spring which tends to raise the said outer end. The
whole of the outer euds of the said levers are depressed at intervals by
means of a reciprocating bar until a perforated plate has been slid into
position over the said pins, when the said outer ends are permitted to
rise. The outer ends of any levers, the pins of which coincide with
perforations in the plates, will now rise above the other outer ends. A
bar actuated by the driving shaft now moves forwards and upwards, and
clearing the lower lever ends, acts upon and raises the higher lever ends
which have been selected by the said perforated plate, the other or inner
ends, which are connected with the punches, being depressed, whereby
the said punches are forced through the paper. Some plates may select
one lever only, thereby causing only one perforation to be made in the
paper. The paper is fed forwards after each perforating operation by
means of a pawl which engages with a ratchet wheel fixed on the axle
of the pin wheel, as in the perforating apparatus first herein described.
The operation of the apparatus being continued the perforated plates
are presented in succession in position to select the levers which are to
be acted upon, and the perforations made in the paper, and the pile of
plates which has been placed in the aforesaid hopper will thus represent
the same matter. When duplicates of the perforated paper are required
two or more strips of paper may be fed together through the perforating
annaratus.

page_text: And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood we have
provided two Sheets of Drawings to accompany this Specification, the
said Drawings being marked with letters of reference, corresponding
marks indicating the same parts in the various Figures.
The Figures on Sheet 1, drawn about half the full size, are illustrative
of the first part of our Invention, and the Figures on Shoet 2 of the
second part thereof.
Referring to Sheet 1, Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent so much of a
perforating machine as we consider to be necessary to illustrate our
Invention, Fig. 1 being an end view, Fig. 2 a front elevation, and Fig. 3.
a plau, parts of the outer casing and framing not being represented in
order that the more important parts might appear with greater clearness.
In the said Figures A, A, are the aforesaid lever frames, which are
mounted one above another in a vertical series within a suitable casing.
In the example each lever frame is formed of wood, and consists of a
front rail and a back rail 2, connected together by means of transverse
pieces. Each end of the back rail is provided with a trunnion, which
rests in a bearing so that the frame can vibrate on the centre a. The
front rails are connected by means of bars b, b, with a range of finger
keys c, c.
In Fig. 2 it will be seen that the bar marked 9 is connected by means
of screw studs d, d, with the four lever frames marked 1, 8, 7, and 9, in
such a manner as that when the finger key S is depressed the front rails
of the said four lever frames will be drawn down, the said frames
vibrating on the centres a, a, number 8 bar being connected with lever
frame number 4 only. As many finger keys are employed as may be
necessary to furnish the required combinations.
The studs d pass
through slots in the bars b, so that when any lever frame is acted upon
by means of a certain finger key the said frame will not depress other
finger keys with which it may be connected. An arm e is attached to
each lever frame, and the outer end of the said arm is jointed to one of
a series of punches ff, or the said arms may be jointed to rods which
are connected with the punches in any suitable manner. The lower
ends of the said punches pass through a guide plate g, and when
depressed enter perforations in a die plate which is fixed to the cylinder h,
which is formed in two parts. A pin wheel fixed on the same spindle
as the ratchet wheel i feeds the strip of paper or material forward

page_text: beneath the ends of the punches in a similar manner as wheu feeding
the strip of paper to the composing apparatus herein-before mentioned.
On each lever frame is fixed a second arm j, and a bar / connects
together the arms j, j, on all of the
bar is connected with a lever, on which is mounted a pawl, which
engages with the teeth of the ratchet wheel i.
of the lever frames is or are acted upon by a
moved downwards and causes the said pawl to turn the said ratchet
wheel, whereby the paper is fed forwards. A spring m returns the bar k
The said pawl
to its normal position after each downward movement.
lever frames. The lower end of the
When any one or more
finger key the bar k is
and the lever on which it is mounted act together as a "toggle joint,"
the effect being that the movement of the ratchet wheel has nearly or
entirely ceased by the time the punches touch the paper. The finger
keys being acted upon the paper is perforated and fed forwards after
each operation of the punches, the said punches acting singly or in any
combination provided for in the connection of the lever frames with the
finger keys by means of the bars b. Metal weights n fixed to the back
rails of the lever frames restore the said frames to their normal positions
when the finger keys are permitted to rise. Springs may be substituted
for the said weights if preferred.
Fig. 3* illustrates an arrangement which may be added to the apparatus
when an increased number of combinations is required. In this example
a distance piece a² is jointed to a lever b², which is fixed on a shaft c².
When
A rod jointed to a second lever d² communicates with a pedal.
the said distance piece is immediately over the punch in position, as
represented in the Drawing, the said punch will be depressed so as to per-
forate the material when the frame carrying the lever e² is acted upon, but
when the said distance piece is withdrawn from over the punch by acting
upon the said pedal the punch will not perforate. Thus supposing the
case of one punch provided with this arrangemement and eleven punches
not so provided, after all the possible combinations which can be made
may be
with eleven punches have been exhausted the said combinations
repeated with the addition of the twelfth punch, thereby doubling the
range of the apparatus.
The form and arrangement of the barrel and the feeding mechanism
may be varied to suit varying requirements or as may be preferred; and
also the number of lever frames and punches may be varied, the

page_text: important feature in our Invention being the method of transmitting
motion from the finger keys to the said punches.
Referring to Sheet 2, Fig. 4 represents one of the aforesaid perforated
plates, and also end views of three plates varying in thickness. It will
be seen that all the plates are intended to be of equal thickness for a short
distance from their two edges. Two of the said plates are supposed to
represent the letters seen on their ends, the other plate representing a
space.
The plates being selected and placed in their proper order in rows the
said rows are transferred from time to time to the hopper o of the
machine, represented by Figs. 5 and 6, which are drawn about half the
full size, Fig. 5 being a side elevation, and Fig. 6 a plan. One side of
the said hopper opens as a hinged door in order that the plates may be
readily introduced.
Fig. 7 represents a section of the lower part of the hopper, and shows
the position of the plates therein. A crank shaft p fitted to revolve in
bearings is actuated by means of the gearing 9 and the hand wheel r,
which is fixed on a second shaft. A cam s is fixed on one end of the
shaft p, and the said cam acts upon a bowl, with which one end of the
lever is provided, so that when the said hand wheel is rotated a
vibrating movement is imparted to the said lever. The other end of the
said lever is connected with a bar u which is fitted to slide to and fro in
the plate, upon which the said hopper is fixed. Each time that the
said bar is caused to slide in the direction of the arrow by the action of
the lever t the end of the said bar, or a pusher fixed thereto, comes in
contact with the end of the lowest plate in the hopper, and the said
plate is thereby pushed out of the hopper through an opening, the form
of which is indicated in Fig. 8, the central part of the said opening
permitting the passage of the thickest plate, and the ends of the said
opening being made suitable to permit the passage of the thinnest plate
and of the thin edges of the thicker plates, for the reason herein-before
stated. As the said plate leaves the hopper the edges of the plate enter
grooves in the part v, as seen about the full size in Fig. 9, and the said
plate is slid forwards in the said grooves into position over the levers w.
The said levers are fitted to vibrate upon a spindle a which is mounted in
bearings in the standard y upon which the part b is fixed. A lever

page_text: frame z is mounted on the spindle a or is fixed to the ends thereof. The
said lever frame consists of two levers which are connected by a cross
piece ¹, to which is jointed one end of a connecting link a¹. The said
link serves to connect the said lever frame with a crank which is formed
on the shaft p, the arrangement being such as that during the rotation
of the said shaft the said lever frame is caused to vibrate on the axis of
the spindle x. When the said lever frame moves downwards a cross
bar carried by the said frame bears upon the levers w and depresses
the ends upon which pins c¹ are fixed, there being one pin fixed in or to
each lever. During the time of depression of these pins a perforated
plate is slid into position over the pins, in manner as herein-before stated.
The bar b' then moves upwards and the ends of the levers w which carry
the said pins are permitted to be raised by the action of springs d'
until certain of the pins bear against the said perforated plate. In the
example two of the said pins on the 1st and 6th lever in Fig. 6 meet with
perforations in the said plate, and the ends of the said levers are as a
consequence permitted to rise higher that the ends of the other levers,
as seen in Fig. 9. A "knife-edge" bar e' is fitted to slide in slots in
the levers, and the ends of the said bar project beyond the said levers
and bear against inclines f¹ which are fixed to the part v, or which may
be carried by any other suitable fixed part. A spring g¹ presses the
bar e against the said inclines, the effect being that when the end of the
frame z is raised the bar e¹ is moved towards the ends of the levers w, and
on the contrary when the said frame end is lowered the said bar is with-
drawn from the said ends. The parts are so adjusted as that the edge of
the bar e¹ shall clear the ends of the levers, the rising of which has been
arrested by the perforated plate and shall come in contact with the levers,
which correspond with the perforations.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-During each revolution of
the crank shaft p a perforated plate is pushed forwards into position over
the pins c¹ on the levers w. The said pins then rise and the bar e¹ moves
forwards, and coming below the ends of those levers which have been
selected by the perforated plate, in manner as seen in Fig. 9, raises the
said lever ends and thereby depresses the other ends of the said levers,
whereby the punches with which the selected levers are connected are a
forced through the paper or material. The other ends of the levers w are
connected with the punches h³, which are fitted to slide in bars i¹.
The paper or material to be perforated is fed forwards over a die

page_text: acting in a similar manner, substantially as herein-before set forth and
indicated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Mackie, for myself and
on behalf of the said Eric Hugo Waldenström, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
ALEXANDER MACKIE. (L.s.)