Improvements in Post-marking and Stamp-oancelling Machines:
Year: 1894

page_text: Improvements in Post-marking and Stamp-oancelling Machines:
We, MARTIN VAN BUREN ETHRIDGE, of Everett, and HENRY EDWARD
WAITE, of Newton, both in the County of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts,
United States of America, Gentlemen, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained-in.and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to machines for post-marking and stamp-cancelling mail-
matter, and is specially directed, for one thing, toward providing new and improved
means for controlling operative adjustment of parts for marking by employing the
agency of the passing mail-piece, so as to prevent transfer of ink to any other
surface than that presented by the mail-piece, with the object of doing away with
vibration of the die or impression cylinders to accomplish this prevention, as has
heretofore been customary, and which is objectionable for the reason that the
machine suffers from the constant jarring incident to such action. The invention
is also directed toward providing new and improved means for insuring proper
successive presentation of the mail-pieces to the marking devices, so that they shall
receive the marks at the proper places, the aim being to dispense with the deflection
of the mail-pieces against a stop and subsequent crowding of the pieces past the
stop, as at present practised, and which has been found to be objectionable in that
the mail-pieces are apt to become crumpled and clog the machine.
With the above ends in view, the invention may be said to consist broadly in the
following combinations of parts: First, the combination with a rotary marker, and a
suitable opposed backing, of a normally disconnected impression-pad adapted to'
co-operate therewith in marking the mail-pieces and normally retracted from
operative position, a driver, and letter-controlled' means for operatively connecting
said pad and driver to bring the latter into operative relation with the marker, in
which relation it remains during the marking of the letter. Second, the combination'
of an oscillating feed-roller and a movable stop adapted to stand in the letter-
path in advance of said feed-roller and to be retracted therefrom when the roller is
travelling in a direction reverse to that of the feed.
The invention further consists in certain minor combinations of elements, and
in certain details of construction, all of which are pointed out in the claims
hereafter.
A machine embodying the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,.
which form part of the Specification.
Figure 1 shows a plan view of the machine.
Figure 2 shows a side elevation as viewed from the lower side of Figure 1.
Fi 2 chama
15

page_text: The letter a designates the supporting frame of the machine, formed with a
horizontally extending table a' on which are mounted the sides a³ of a hopper for
receiving the deposit of mail. The bottom of this hopper is formed by the upper
stretch of a feeding-belt b, which is supported on pulleys journalled below the
table, and is driven in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1 by means of a gear 68
on the journal of the pulley b', a double bevel-gear 6 on a vertical stud, and a
gear on the driving-shaft c.
An arm & pivoted to a bearing on one side of the hopper is formed with a bent
end adapted to project across the forward end of the hopper and form & stop
for the mail-pieces to abut. A lever d pivoted concentrically with said arm
partially embraces the same and carries a pin da bearing against the inner side of
the arm and a flat spring bearing against the other side thereof. The journal e
of a marking cylinder e carries affixed to it a came which is designed to act
against a roller on the end of the lever d' and thereby periodically retract the
stop d'. A spring et returns said stop, said spring connecting the lever with a fixed
support.
At the forward or outlet end of the hopper are a pair of opposed flanged feed-
rollers and, one of which, is supported in stationary bearings, and the other, f,
in bearings on a horizontally swinging arm pivoted at 3; and said roller is
pressed into engagement with the roller by a spring connecting the arm f
with a fixed support. The roller is an idler, whereas the roller is oscillated
positively through approximately three-quarters of a revolution by means of the
following agencies: A bevel-gear is affixed to the journal of the roller f, and is
engaged by a bevelled segment pivoted at its lower end to a bearing on the
frame a, and carrying a roll fin engagement with an eccentric groove f in a
disc g on the driving-shaft c.
The feeding action of the parts above described is as follows: The belt biby
frictional engagement with the edges of the letters advances the same against the
stop d'. When the latter is retracted by the cam e acting through the media
described, the roller is running backward, and a single letter advances into the
throat formed between the rollers and f', but is retarded therein until the roller f
reverses its direction of rotation and turns in a direction to take the letter to the
marking cylinder. When the letter has been delivered between the marking
cylinder and the impression device to be hereinafter described, the motion of the
roller reverses and retards a following letter which may have escaped the stop d
tlie latter having been restored-until the roller is again turned forward, when this
succeeding letter is carried to the marker.
The oscillating roller is properly timed with respect to the marking cylinder,
and hence the letter will be presented to the latter in correct time, and will be
marked at the right places.
The marking cylinder e' is flanged, and the stamps are supported on its central
portion between the flanges, and protrude therefrom so as to be even with the
flanges. Said cylinder is positively driven, through a bevel-gear h affixed to its
journal and a bevel-gear on the driving-shaft.
Opposed to the marking cylinder is a backing or support for sustaining the
impact accompanying the marking of a letter, in the form of a flanged disc i recessed
in its central portion to receive a series of anti-friction sheaves or rollers having
vertical axes, and said disc i is supported by horizontally swinging arms.³ and
actuated against the marking cylinder by a spring. The flanges of the marking
cylinder and of the disc i abut, and in the absence of an interposed impression-bed
are inoperative to mark a passing mail-piece, the anti-friction rollers i being some
distance back of the flanges of the disc i.
The disc is positively driven through connections with the driving-shaft, as
follows: A gear on the journal of the disc meshes with the spur-section of a
gear on a vertical shaft, said gear having a bevel-section which meshes with
a bevel-gear on a counter-shaft, said gear having a spur-section in mesh with a
gear on the driving-shaft. The shaft has affixed to it in the same horizontal

page_text: plane with the disc i a flanged drum, which constitutes a driver, as will hereafter
appear. A band of leather or other suitable material engages the rollers ¹ of the
disc and also the periphery of the drum, and passes around an idler which is
carried by the outer end of a resilient arm affixed to the arm. One end of
said band is connected with one end of a spiral spring which passes over a pulley
on a post projecting from the frame of the machine, and has its other end fastened
to any suitable fixed support. The band extends. between the flanges of the idle
roller, and its inner end is connected with one end of a spiral spring which
runs over D pulley on a post projecting from the frame and has its other end
attached to any suitable fixed support, said spring being slightly superior to the
spring. For a certain distance at its inner end, the band is made thicker, as
shown at 1, so as to constitute an impression-bed or pad when interposed between
the marking cylinder and the disc i.
This band is normally dormant, not being operatively engaged with the dise i
or drum, and the thin portion of the band lies against the rollers ', the flanges
of the disc projecting beyond it. When a mail-picco passes between the rollers
and f', the movement imparted to the arm thereby carries the roller toward
the drum and thereby presses the band upon the periphery of the said drum /
and establishes an operative engagement therebetween, which causes the impression-
bed to be drawn between the marking cylinder and disc i, with the letter so that
the stamp will mark the same, said portion of the band being thick enough to
come flush with or project beyond the flanges of the disc. As soon as the letter
passes from between the rollers and ", the pressure of the band' on the drum
is relieved, and when the stamps have left the letter, the impression-pad flies back
under impulse of the spring.
Thus the impression-bed is only brought into operation when a letter is passing
through, and the marking will be done only on the letter, so that there can be no
possibility of besmooching the backs of letters by transfer of ink from the
impression-bed. It is to be observed that the portion of the disc. which engages
the impression-pad extends in the line of the acting portions of the anti-friction
rolls and is unbroken, so as to form a solid backing for the impression-pad.
The letter m designates an inking-roll for supplying the marking cylinder, and
the letter n designates a vertically extending guard to prevent the mail-pieces from
being curled up between the feed-rollers and the marking cylinder.
We do not limit ourselves to the means here shown for carrying out the
invention, as it is capable of embodiment in other forms. For example, tho
impression-bed or pad might be on an endless. band arranged to be rendered
operative by the-mail-pieces.
In order to prevent the possibility of letters rebounding from the stop d', we
employ a novel arrangement of automatically opening jaws to grip the letters.
In the construction here shown, one of these jaws o is a flat spring secured at one
end to one side of the hopper and extending at an angle thereto toward the throat
between the feed-rollers and f¹ and serving as a deflector to guide the letters to
said throat. The other jaw o' is a curved Hat spring fastened at one end to the
armd and designed to abut the jaw o when said arin is projected. By the retraction
of this arm, the jaw o is moved out of contact with the jaw o to permit the free
passage of the letters at the proper time. The reverse rotary motion of the
roller taking place at this time, as previously explained, retards the letters and
prevents any one of them from passing on to the marker before its time. The
Oscillatory feed-roller thus permits the employment of intermittently opening jaws.
By the arrangement described, the proper succession of the letters in their passage
to the marker is absolutely insured.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In a mail-marking machine, the combination with a rotary marker and an

page_text: opposed backing or support, of a normally disconnected and retracted impression-bed
or pad, a driver, and letter-controlled means for operatively connecting the pad
and driver to bring said pad between the marker and the opposed backing or
support.
2. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a marking cylinder, a rotary
disc in juxta-relation thereto, a normally retracted band extending between the
disc and marking cylinder and having an impression-pad, a driving drum, and
letter-controlled means for operatively engaging the band with said drum, for the
purpose described.
3. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a marking cylinder, a rotary
disc in juxta-relation thereto and carrying a series of anti-friction rollers, a
normally inactive and retracted band extending over said anti-friction rollers and
having an impression-pad, and letter-controlled means for bringing the. said pad.
into operative relation with the marking cylinder.
4. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a marking cylinder, a rotary
disc in juxta-relation thereto, a band extending between the marking cylinder and
opposed disc and having an impression-pad at one end, a spring tending to impel
the band in a direction to draw the pad between the marking cylinder and disc, a.
superior spring retracting the band, a driver, and letter-controlled means for
connecting the band with the driver, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
5. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of an oscillating feed-roller, a
stop in the letter-path in advance of said roller, and means for periodically
retracting said stop.
6. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a rotary marking cylinder,
an oscillating feed-roller, a stop in the letter-path in advance of the said roller, a
lever carrying said stop; and a cam on the journal of the marking cylinder and
adapted to co-act with said lever to retract the stop.
7. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a hopper, a movable stop at
the outlet end thereof, normally closed jaws adjacent to said stop, and means for
periodically retracting the stop and opening the jaws.
Dated this 2nd day of October 1894.
MARTIN VAN BUREN ETHRIDGE.
HENRY EDWARD WAITE.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.