AN IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY COUNTING THE NUMBER OF LETTERS IMPRESSED WITH No text detected.
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Ferguson, of Boyson Road, Camberwell, in the
County of Surrey, and Harry Robert Kempe, of Barnet, in the County of
Hertford, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS
FOR AUTOMATICALLY COUNTING THE NUMBER OF LETTERS IMPRESSED WITH
No text detected.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Ferguson and Harry
Robert Kempe at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th
November 1880.
HENRY FERGUsos, of Boyson Road, Camberwell, in the County of Surrey,
AX
and HARRY ROBERT KEMPE, of Barnet, in the County of Hertford.
TMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY COUNTING THE NUMBER
OF LETTERS IMPRESSED WITH OBLITERATING AND OTHER STAMPS."
When letters pass through the post office they are impressed with stamps for
obliterating, dating, and other purposes, and it is often required to count the
number of letters so stamped. Our Invention relates to a method and apparatus
for automatically counting the number and affording a frue register thereof
independently of the care or attention of the official who applies the stamps.
For this purpose we mount either the pad for inking the stamp or the pad on
which the letter is placed to receive the stamp on spring supports, and pro-
vide electrical contacts so arranged that when the pad receives the pressure of
the stamp, a current of electricity is transmitted to an electrical counter of
When the
any known construction, which is thereby moved one division.
stamp is worked by a lever the contacts may be arranged to be operated by
the movement of the lever, the pads in that case not requiring the elastic sup-
ports above referred to. In cases where it is inconvenient to employ electricity

page_text: for conveying the counting movement, we construct the counter in combina-
tion with the hand stamp itself, working it mechanically in the following
manner: We fit the stamp so that it can slide a little longitudinally in its
handle, pressing it forward by a spring. Within the upper end of the handle,
which we make a casing of globular form, we place a small mechanical counter,
and connect the pawl which works its ratchet to the sliding stamp, so that every
time the stamp makes an impression the counter ratchet is moved one tooth.
As for each act of stamping it is usual to subject the stamp to two pressures,
one on the inking pad and one on the letter, we prefer to make the ratchet
wheel of the counter with double the usual number of teeth, so that the two
successive impulses move the counter only over one division.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Ferguson and Harry Robert Kempe in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 18th May 1881.
HENRY FERGUson, of Boyson Road, Camberwell, in the County of Surrey,
and HARRY ROBERT KEMPE, of Barnet, in the County of Hertford, "Ax
IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY COUNTING THE NUMBER
OF LETTERS IMPRESSED WITH OBLITERATING AND OTHER STAMPS,"
When letters pass through the post office they are impressed with stamps for
obliterating, dating, and other purposes, and it is often required to count the
number of letters so stamped. Our Invention relates to a method and apparatus
for automatically counting the number and affording a true register thereof,
independently of the care or attention of the official who applies the stamps.
For this purpose we mount either the pad for inking the stamp or the pad on
which the letter is placed to receive the stamp on spring supports, and pro-
vide electrical contacts so arranged that when the pad receives the pressure of
the stamp, a current of electricity is transmitted to an electrical counter of
any known construction, which is thereby moved one division. When the
stamp is worked by a lever the contacts may be arranged to be operated by
the movement of the lever, the pads in that case not requiring the elastic sup-
ports above referred to. In cases where it is inconvenient to employ electricity
for conveying the counting movement, we construct the counter in combina-
tion with the hand stamp itself, working it mechanically in the following
manner: We fit the stamp so that it can slide a little longitudinally in its
handle, pressing it forward by a spring. Within the upper end of the handle.
which we make a casing of globular form, we place a small mechanical counter,.
and connect the pawl which works its ratchet to the sliding stamp, so that every
time the stamp makes an impression the counter ratchet is moved one tooth.
As for each act of stamping it is usual to subject the stamp to two pressures,
one on the inking pad and one on the letter, we prefer to make the ratchet
wheel of the counter with double the usual number of teeth, so that the two
successive impulses move the counter only over one division.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents an arrangement of inking pad working in electrical con-
nection with a counter, such as is shewn at Fig. 2. The pad A. is mounted on
a hinged board B, which is pressed upwards by a spring C against a stop ]).
When the pad is pressed down by the act of inking a stamp, the spring C is
brought in contact with another spring E. These two springs, which are fixed
on a base F of wood or other nonconducting material, are connected by con-
ducting wires W. W, through a suitable battery with a counter, such as is
represented in Fig. 2, part of the dial plate being removed to shew the moving
mechanism. This consists of an electro-magnet having its coils in the circuit
of the wires W, W, with poles N, S, projecting above the coils. An armature
lever G. strained by a spring H. has anchor arms I, I, which engage the
teeth of an escapement wheel J. The axis of this wheel carries an index, and
is connected by suitable gearing to a series of other axes carrying indices
moving over graduated dials, as shewn. Every time the pad A is depressed
by the act of inking a stamp, a current of electricity is transmitted by the
wires W, W, exciting the electro magnet N, S. The armature lever G being
thus attracted in opposition to the spring H, makes a stroke, and its anchor
arms T. I, cause the wheel to move one tooth, the first index thus register-
ing units. The other indices register higher denominations, as determined by

page_text: the gearing, which is most conveniently arranged to suit the ordinary decimal
progression. Although we have described the connection of an inking pad
with a counter, it is obvious that a pad on which actual stamping is effected
might be similarly connected with a counter, or that when the stamping is
effected by a lever the lever might be so connected, each stroke moving the
counter over one unit division.
Fig. is a vertical section of a self registering hand stamp, Fig. 4 being a
sectional plan of its upper part. The stamp K is fixed on a stem which is
fitted to slide in the handle, and is pressed down by a spring L, its down stroke
being limited by a stop pin M working in a slot of the handle. On the handle
is screwed a hollow cap N containing within it the counter 0, which can be
inspected by unscrewing the cap N. The first wheel P of the counter is
worked by a pawl lever R from the sliding stem of the stamp K, and this wheel
has 20 teeth, the unit barrel on which it is fixed having however only 10
divisions. The barrels for the higher denominations are worked by gearing
from the first in the usual way. Thus every time the stamp K is subjected to
pressure the wheel P is turned one tooth, and the unit barrel is therefore
turned half a division. For each stamping operation the stamp is twice sub-
jected to pressure, once on the pad for inking it, and once for delivering the
ink on the letter or object to be marked or obliterated. The counter therefore
records the number of double strokes of the stamp. and therefore the number
of single applications for marking or obliteration. The cap N is smooth and
rounded externally so as to receive the pressure of the hand for inking and
stamping, and it is made of the laterally bulged form shewn, so that it
presents considerable breadth to receive the pressure, and that it can be held
firmly in the hand.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we claim.--
First. The combination of a spring pad or stamping lever with contacts,
electrical conductors, and a counter worked by the armature of an electro-
magnet, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth with reference
to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The combination of a hand stamp with sliding spring stem, a counter,
and a removeable cop enclosing the counter, substantially as and for the pur-
poses herein set forth with reference to Figs. 3 and 4.
In witness whereof, I, the said Harry Robert Kempe, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
H. R. KEMPE. (L.S.)