Improvements in or appertaining to Machines for Printing Envelopes, Cards, and other similar articles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 21st Mar., 1892-Accepted. 23rd Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Machines for Printing Envelopes,
Cards, and other similar articles.
I, ROBERT SPROULE of Apsley Mill, Hemel Hempstead, in the County of
Hertford, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
<
In the Magician" and other machines for printing cards, envelopes and the
like a pile of blanks about an inch deep is usually placed on the table of the
machine, and when these are done a fresh pile put in their place as the pile gets.
much lower than the guards there is some difficulty in manipulation, and if it could
be so arranged that the pile of blanks should be almost exactly level with the top.
of the guards, and just above the level of the table, greater rapidity and a greater
comfort of working would be achieved. In this case however under the ordinary
conditions more time would be lost by continually replenishing a pile than would
be saved by extra ease and comfort. Now my invention is designed to have all
the advantages of the exceeding low pile together with the additional advantage
of having a very much increased pile from the ordinary one.
In carrying out my invention I print from the pile of blanks, as in these other.
machines but in place of having a pile only an inch deep I have a pile of any
desired depth say 8 or 9 inches at each stop and by means of suitable gearing the
pile of blanks is raised to the height of a thickness of a blank or thereabouts at
each stroke of the machine, until all are printed. This result can be effected
either by causing the blanks to rise up either through the table or letting the
printing take place at a point considerably above the table and arranging the
mechanism on the table.
Dated the 19th day of June 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Machines for Printing Envelopes,.
Cards, and other similar articles.
I, ROBERT SPROULE, of Apsley Mill, Hemel Hempstead, in the County of
Hertford, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
In the " Magician" and other similar machines for printing cards, envelopes.
and the like directly from the pile, a pile of blanks about an inch deep is usually
placed on the table of the machine and when these are done a fresh pile put in
their place. As the pile decreases in height there is some difficulty in manipula-
tion, and time is lost in frequently replenishing it, and if it could be so arranged
that the pile of blanks should be at a fixed level and just above the level of the
table, greater rapidity and a greater comfort of working would be achieved. In
this case however under the ordinary conditions, more time would be lost by con--
tinually replenishing a pile than would be saved by extra ease and comfort.
Now my invention is intended to have all the advantages of a low pile with the
additional advantage of having a very much increased pile from the ordinary one,
so that it only requires replenishing at intervals of an hour or more instead of
every few minutes.
66
In carrying out my invention, I print from the pile of blanks, as in the
Magician" machine, but in place of having a pile only an inch or so deep, I
have a pile of any desired depth, say 18 inches, and by means of suitable gearing,.

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the pile of blanks is raised by the height of the thickness of a blank or there-
abouts the top blank being removed at each stroke of the machine, until all are
printed. This result can be effected either by causing the blanks to rise up through
the table or letting the printing take place at a point considerably above the table
and arranging the mechanism on the table.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawing which represents a side elevation of the machine (partly in section). A is
the cylinder, provided, on its underside, with a V groove for the reception of the
chase or holder containing the die or form of types. This cylinder is mounted
upon the vertically sliding plunger B, which may receive its motion by a treadle
and ink may be applied to its type surface in any convenient manner.
C is a
frame or bracket, D a screw spindle capable of being fed upwards by a worm
wheel E and worm F, whereby a vertical movement can be imparted to the said
bracket. G is a wheel fixed to the same shaft as the worm F, 9 a saddle sliding
⚫upon the outside of the rim of the wheel G, y' a lever centred at g, and a piece
which fits very closely on the inside of the rim. His a connecting rod which
reciprocates in the same manner as the connecting rod of a ratchet wheel, and is
coupled to a rocking lever I working the plunger B. When the connecting rod is
moved in the direction of the arrow, the piece is pressed firmly against the
inside of the rim, and the friction is sufficient to make the saddle and the wheel
move in one piece, thus the motion of the connecting rod makes the wheel revolve
precisely as in the case of a ratchet wheel. On the return motion of the con-
necting rod the piece g³ unlocks and the lever is met by a stop on the saddle
which restrains its motion from again locking, so that on the return, the wheel
remains at rest. By means of this nipping device, motion is imparted at each
ascent of the plunger B, and the bracket on which are placed the blanks (envelopes,
cards or other articles) to be printed is raised a distance equal to the thickness of
one such blank, the bracket remaining stationary while the cylinder A descends
on to the upper blank of the pile beneath it, which is thus printed, stamped or
embossed, to be removed when the next up-stroke of the cylinder takes place, the
series of operations being then repeated and so on in succession. Each blank is
thus printed, stamped or embossed separately and then withdrawn until the whole
pile is finished, when the bracket C is lowered to receive a fresh pile of blanks.
This can be effected by releasing the set pin thereby disconnecting the bracket
from the spindle D, and by rotating the said spindle by the hand wheel K.
M M M are the adjustable guide rods, supported by the table. These are to hold
the pile of blanks in position and ensure perfect register.
1
A rack and pinion or any other suitable arrangement may be employed for
raising the pile the thickness of one blank at each stroke or a ratchet wheel and
pawl may be used instead of the mechanism above set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. The improvement in apparatus for printing envelopes, cards or the like sub-
stantially as described, whereby, instead of having a pile of blanks of only very
limited height which has to te replenished at frequent intervals, a very much
increased pile may be used, and yet the top of the pile be always at a convenient
height this result being effected by causing the blanks to rise up, through the
table, the thickness of a blank at each stroke of the machine.
2. In an apparatus for printing envelopes, cards or the like, the mechanism
for raising the pile of blanks at each stroke of the machine a distance equal to the
thickness of one blank substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 21st day of March 1805
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.