IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWIN
HILL, of Bruce Castle, Tottenham, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
and WARREN DE LA RUE, of Bunhill Row, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventeenth day of March, in the eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, our exors, admors, and assigns, Her,
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said
Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, our exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Edwin Hill and Warren De là Rue, our exors, adiñors,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time.
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso, that we, the said Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, or one of us,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of our said Invention, and in-
what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately.
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, do hereby declare that the nature of our
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say:-
Our Invention relates, first, to improvements in machinery for cutting or
shaping paper for the making of envelopes..
And, secondly, to arranging machinery for folding over the flaps of envelopes.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, we will proceed to describe the means pursued by us.
In making envelopes, as heretofore practised, the paper has been cut into
suitable shapes by various means.
Now, the object of the first part of our Invention is to improve the
machinery employed for cutting or shaping paper for making envelopes; and
of the second part, in making up envelopes by folding the flaps of properly
shaped paper by machinery; the flaps have been generally folded by hand,
without preparation' by machinery, but in some cases the paper having. been
cut or shaped thus has been. creased by 'machinery so as to aid the persons
when folding, but in all cases the folding over of the flaps of envelopes has
been done by hand. Now, accordingly, the second part of our Invention is so
to arrange the machinery that properly shaped. paper being introduced into it
the flaps shall be folded by the working of the machinery.
.
And in order that our Invention may be most fully understood and readily.
carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A.
The nature of the various views shewn by these Drawings being written
thereon, it will not be necessary to repeat them here. a, a, is the framing of
the machine, the arrangement of..which is clearly shewn. in the Drawings;:
b is the main or driving shaft, turning in bearings b', as shewn. The axis-6
receives motion from a steam engine or other power, by means of a strap
acting on the drum or pulley d. on the main shaft or axis b, such drum being.
arranged to turn freely on the axis when the machine is required to be stopped;
as will be hereafter fully described. On the main shaft or axis 6 are affixed:
two pinions e, (only one of: which is shewn in the Drawings), which take into
and drive the two cog. wheels f, f, 'affixed on the axis g, which turns in
bearings g. On each of the cog! wheels f; f, is affixed a crank ping; and;
li, h, are two connecting rods, one on each of the crank pins 2, the other ends;

page_text: of the rods h being connected to the ends of the cross head i, by pins it, which
enter into the ends of the cross head, and they are retained secure therein by
means of keys . The cross head carries the angular cutters j, j, which cut
out the notches in the envelopes, as will readily be understood on examining
the form of paper Z, which shews a portion of paper cut into the shape proper
for an envelope, excepting that there requires to be angles cut out therefrom;
as is indicated by the red lines shewn in the form Z; and the machinery is
arranged in such manner that the cutters jj, in their first descent cut two of
the notches at the same time, and then the table on which the paper is held
is caused to revolve half round in order that the next descent of the cutters
may cause the other two of the notches to be made in the paper; and it is
important that the cutters should be set so as to work correctly in order that
the space or portion of paper left within the four notches made by the cutters j,
should (when the flaps of the envelope are folded) be a true parallelogram of
the size of the desired envelope; and for the purpose of obtaining a nice
adjustment of the cutters j, the sockets and parts carrying the cutters j. are
arranged with the means of adjustment, which I will now proceed to describe:-
The cross head i is guided at the ends in its upward and downward motion by
guides k, which have inclined surfaces, and the plates formed at the ends of
the cross head have similar inclined surfaces, and the plane faces of the plates
at the ends of the cross head work against true surfaces on the interior of the
framing, by which means the cross head is caused to rise and fall correctly.
The sockets 7, which carry the stems of the cutters j, are formed or affixed
on the plates l', and these plates are carried by and are capable of sliding
on angular surfaces, formed on the cross head, the plates being retained
on the cross head, and correctly on the surfaces 1, by the plates, which-
are affixed to the plates. by screws at the back, which pass through slots:
in the plates into the plates ; and the screws 1, at top, are for the
purpose of adjusting the positions of the plates 1, all which will readily
be traced in the Drawings. At the backs of the plates are affixed-
projecting bearings m for the screw nuts n, and the screw nuts n have.
teeth cut on their peripheries suitable for working with screws n', by which
screws the nuts n can be caused to turn in their bearings, and as the nuts n
are on the screw o, either of the plates with its cutter can be moved.
to or from the other plate and cutter, so as to adjust them in respect to each
other, so that the angles of the cutters are at the same radial distance from the;
centre of the table p, to ensure the envelope, when folded, being of a rectangular
form; and when each of the cutters has been properly adjusted in this manner,
the two cutters can be caused to separate or come closer together, moving

page_text: equal distances by means of the right and left handed screw o, which turns in
bearings o¹; and the screw o has a wheel handle o² at one end, and the turning
of that screw will move the plates l', ', in consequence of its passing
through the nuts n, n, as will readily be understood on examining the
Drawings. The sockets / carry the stems of the cutters j in the following
manner:—
On the interior of each of the sockets 7 is placed a second socket 1, at the
lower end of which is formed a spherical surface l, which works in a corre-
sponding concavity at the lower end of the socket 1, and the exterior of the
socket is small when compared with the interior of the socket 1; hence the
socket can be moved in various directions, and, by the means of the screws
shewn in the Drawings, be adjusted in any required position.
The socket is formed suitable for receiving the stem of the cutter j, which
is made to fit correctly in the socket 15; and, by means of the screw, the
stem of the cutter is retained fast in that socket.
.
The socket is adjusted in the socket 1 by means of the screws ; the
socket being upheld within the socket 7 by means of the nut P, there being a
washer 70 with a concave surface, which rests on a convex surface formed on
the upper part of the socket 7; by this arrangement the socket /
may incline
within the socket 7, and be retained secure by the screws; ¹¹ is a screw,
passing through the upper end of the socket ; this screw is for the purpose of
preventing the stem of the cutter j being forced further into the socket when
it has been adjusted to the desired position. The object of this adjustment is
to insure the correct descent of the chissels through the paper, so that they
may not be drawn in or forced out by the paper, thereby cutting the top
and bottom envelopes of different sizes; and the adjustment has to be varied
according to the nature of the paper which is being operated upon.
The machine is arranged for cutting a considerable thickness of paper, which
is first fixed to the table p, the upper surface of which has lead let into it
where the cutters come, in order that when the cutters have descended
through the paper their edges may enter the lead and not be injured.
The table p is arranged in the following manner-The table p is circular,
and has two notches p' formed therein, the object of which is, that the' wedge-
shaped tooth on the spring q' may enter one of the notches when the same is
brought, up to it, and thus gauge this table correctly; for it will be readily
understood, that if the table be not moved, by the means hereafter described,
to its correct position, the wedge shaped tooth q, being forced into an angular
notch by its spring, will cause the table to be moved into the proper position.
The paper is placed bn, the table between the fixed angular guagés r, r;

page_text: which are fixed on the table p, there being a groove formed in the table for
that purpose; the heads of the screws r¹ enter the groove at the opening »³,
and are then slided to their places, and the screws are made secure, and con-
sequently the guage plates, through which the screws pass, are also made fast
in proper position for receiving between them the angularly cut paper, as is
shewn by red lines at Figure Y, and the paper is pressed down and tightly held
on the table by means of the cross head s, on the under surface of which is
affixed an angular plate s¹ somewhat smaller than the paper, there being
notches in the plate s¹ corresponding with those to be made in the paper by
the cutters j. The cross head s is affixed to the cross head s² by means of the
bars s³, as is shewn, such bars sliding through the table p in suitable brasses,
which ensures the cross heads moving correctly up and down. The cross head
s2 has a female screw formed through it, in which the male screw s* works;
and this screws receives motion in the following manner :-On the lower end of
the screw * there is a bevelled pinion s applied, which receives motion from
the axis (which is put in motion by a wheel s), which has a bevelled pinion
s? fixed thereon. By this means the cross head s², and consequently the cross
head s may be moved up and down, and the paper released or held accordingly.
The table is carried by means of the upright axis p³, which has an opening
through it for the passage of the cross head s²; and in order to adjust the
height of the table, the collar t is used, which is formed with an inclined upper
surface where the axis of table rests upon it; and such collar is capable of
being caused to rise and fall in the following manner, the collar being free-t>>
move up and down on the fixed pins t¹, t, but it is prevented turning with the
axis by those pins:-On the under side of the collar tare formed three-inclined
planes, corresponding with three inclined planes on the face of the wheel v;
hence, when that wheel is turned round on the axis of the table, which it is
free to do, the axis and the table will be raised or lowered, the wheel v resting
on the sliding bed plate w; and the wheel vis formed with teeth suitable for
receiving the thread or worm of the screw v', the axis of which turns in
bearings at, and it is turned by the wheel v³ fixed on the axis of the screw v.
The axis of the table p is capable of turning, and it carries with it the cross
heads s, s; the object of its turning is, that having cut two of the required
notches in the paper, the table may be moved half round, so as to present the
paper in a proper position for having the other two notches cut; and in order
that the table may not move too freely, the spring a is used, which has a sur-
face of wood x affixed thereto, which, pressing against the periphery of the
table p, prevents it moving too freely, and motion. is communicated to the tablǝ
in the following manner:
:

page_text: On the axis G. is affixed a bevelled toothed wheel g, which takes into and
drives the bevelled toothed wheel y on the axis y', which moves in a bearing y
and on the other end of the axis y' is formed a cranked arm y³, the cranked
portion y of which gives motion to the hollow axis z in the following
manner: On the axis z is fixed a wheel ¹ with four radial openings 2, 22, into
which the party of the cranked arm enters, and by its revolution causes the
wheel to turn, thus causing the axis z to move round about a quarter of a
rotation, and the axis of the table p. is by such movement of the axis =
caused to turn about a half revolution, in consequence of the bevelled tootlied
wheel affixed on the hollow axis z, taking into and driving the bevelled
toothed wheel of one half the diameter of the wheel 23, affixed on the
axis of the table p. And it will be observed on examining the Drawings
that the axis z is hollow for the passage of the axis s which gives: motion
to the screws; and the lower part of the axis of the table is hollow;
in order to allow of the passage of the screw.s to the cross head 's, which,
as before stated; passes through the axis of the table. The axis of the table
p moves in a bearing or hollow socket A, formed on the under side of the
sliding bed plate w, such sliding bed plate having its two sides bevelled slides
between two fixed plates. C, C, and is guided thereby when moved by the screw
D, and the sliding bed plate carries the bearing A¹ of the axis z, the cranked
arm y' being made long enough to put the axis z in motion, notwithstanding
the wheel with radial openings may be moved from the position shewn in the
Drawing; and the object of having the bed plate w to move is to be enabled by
the same machine to cut notches in different sizes of paper to form different
sizes of envelopes. The machine is arranged for putting itself out of motion
immediately the second cut has been made, to allow the person attending the
machine to remove the paper which has been notched, and introduce and fix a
fresh quantity on the table, and this putting out of motion is performed in the
following manner-On the wheel with radial openings are formed two incline
surfaces B, B; opposite each other; and these inclined surfaces come under and
lift the sliding cranked bolt. E, which slides in a socket formed at the end of
the arm F, such sliding bolt being constantly pressed outwards by means of
the spring G, so as to stand in the way of the inclined surfaces B, the other
end of the arm F being affixed to the axis H. And in order to obtain a true
adjustment between the axis H and the inclined surfaces, that the machine
may be put out of motion at the right moment, the arm F is formed in two
párts, the one F at its end simply embracing the axis II, there being a slot or
opening made through the arm F, as is shewn, through which a screw passes
which is affixed to the other portion F¹ of the arm F; hence, by means of a

page_text: screw nut the arm F may be, correctly fixed to the axis H. The axis H, by'
means of the forked arm I affixed thereto, moves the clutch box J, such clutch.
box sliding on the main axis so that when the arms J' fixed to the clutch box
are so moved as to stand in the way of the teeth d¹ on the face of the drum'd,'
the main axis will be turned thereby; and when the inclined surfaces comic
under the cranked bolt E, the axis H will by the forked lever move the'
arms of the clutch box out of the way of the teeth d' on the drum, and the
machine will no longer be driven by the drum, such drum moving freely on
the main shaft or axis. The workman starts the machine again by sliding the
sliding bolt on the arm F so that it may no longer be supported by the inclined
surface B, and the depression of the arm F will cause the clutch box to slide
This Drawing shews so much of a machine as will enable us to describe a
modification of the first part of our Invention, this modification having for its
object improvements in machinery which works with punches 'or cutters..
suitable at one cut to form the proper shaped paper for envelopes form paper
which has not been first cut into angular shapes, as was the case with the
machinery last described, where the further cutting simply consisted of notches.
We would here remark that we are aware that machines have been before
made and used for cutting paper into proper forms for envelopes having hollow
cutters of the shape of the intended paper for envelopes; therefore this part of
our Invention is only intended to improve such class of machinery, first, by so'
arranging the machinery that the same may be put out of motion by the
working of the machinery after the cutter has made its cut and moved out of
the way; and secondly, so arranging the machinery that the table on which the
paper to be cut is placed may be moved by means of a screw. The arrange-
ment of this machinery, so far as the main shaft and the getting motion to the
wheel with the radial opening, is the same as the machine before 'described;
and therefore it is not thought necessary to show the same in this Drawing ;'
but in this machine the wheel '2', with the radial openings 22, is only used for
the purpose of stopping the machine, as the table p in this machine does not
revolve; hence all those parts which were described for.turning the table and
for pressing the paper on the table are dispensed with, the apparatus for stop
ping the machine by the wheel z¹ with the radial openings being retained.
The nature of each of the views of the machinery shewn by this Drawing being'
written thereon, it will not be necessary to repeat the same here. In this
machine the cross head is moved in the same manner as that before'
г

page_text: described; but in this machine there being only a plate L formed on the
cross head used for receiving the cutter M; all the parts before described
for adjusting the cutters are dispensed with, and the cross head which
carries the cutter is formed with the plate L to receive at its under surface
a hollow cutter of the shape of the intended form of paper to produce an
envelope, as is shewn. The cutter has a bar M¹ fixed-across it, there
being an opening through such bar for the bolt M², which, rising through
the plate L and through the cross head, is made fast by a screw nut at top,
as is shewn. In this machine the bed plate is fixed and forms part of the
framing a, and it has a similar socket for the axis of the table p; but such axis
does not turn therein, it being retained from turning by a feather N, fixed in
the lower part of the socket A by screws, as is shewn, a recess being cut in
the lower end of the axis of the table to receive the feather N; this feather
allows of the axis of the table rising and falling for the purpose of adjusting
the height, but prevents its turning in the socket. The adjustment of the
height of the table is obtained by inclined planes in the same manner as was
described in the former machine, and as is shewn in the present Drawing..
The upper part of the table p is in this case square and is formed with angular
edges at its two sides to form guides for the sliding table O, which moves on
the table p, there being plates o¹ with angular surfaces which retain the
sliding table O correct on the upper surface of the table p, as shown. Motion
is communicated to the sliding table O by means of the screw P, the ends of
which turn in bearings fixed to the under surface of the sliding table D, the
screw P, (to which may be applied any suitable dividing apparatus) working
through a fixed female screw in the table p; hence when motion is given to the
screw P, the table will be moved, so as to bring a fresh portion of the paper
under the cutter. The machine having been stopped, immediately the cutter
has ascended, in like manner to the machine first described, excepting that as
there are four instead of two inclined surfaces B on the wheel Z', the stopping
takes place, as before mentioned, after every cut, so as to allow the person
attending the machine to adjust and move the paper for the next cut, and he
starts the machine by moving back the cranked bolt on the arm F, as before.
described, in order to allow the arm F to descend and move the clutch box
into position to be taken by the drum. This machine cuts a considerable
thickness of paper, but the paper is not held down on the table by other
means than by the pressure of the cutter. The person attending the machine
when the table O is slided out to its greatest extent places paper on the table
of a width somewhat greater than the cutter, and of a length suitable for
allowing several successive cuts to be made; one end of such paper being

page_text: properly under the cutter, the workman pushes back the sliding cranked bolt.
on the arm F, and that arm descending will put the machine in motion, and a
cut will be made by the cutter, and the cutter will ascend; at which time an
inclined surface B will come into action on the arm F and again put the:
machine out of motion and allow the workman to adjust the paper, if the.
cutter have disarranged it, and permit him to move the table O by the screw,
so as to bring a fresh portion of the paper on the table O under the cutter,
when he will again put the machine in motion, and another cut will take place,:
and so on, till the whole length of paper is cut up. The paper is forced out:
of the cutter as the cutter rises by means of the sliding bolts X, X, which are
of sufficient weight for that purpose; but should the paper hang on the cutter,
the same will be instantly forced out by pressing on the bolts X.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS MARKED C..
The nature of each of the views. 'shown by these Drawings being written
thereon, it will not be necessary to repeat the same here, This machinery is
for folding over the flaps of envelopes, the properly cut paper being fed into
the machine by hand. In the various views shown by the Drawings now
under description, the same letters indicate the same parts. . a, a, is the
framing of the machine, the nature of which is clearly shewn in the Drawing;:
b is the main or driving shaft, which receives motion by a strap from a steam
engine or other power acting on the drum c, the strap being moveable on to
the fixed or loose drum by which the person attending the machine can readily,
start or stop the machine. This machine is so arranged, that a piece of paper,
of the proper figure or shape for an envelope being placed in the machine upon.
a moveable platform, what we call an inverted box, of the size of the envelope
when folded, descends and creases the paper, and raises the flaps of the enve-
lope out of the horizontal position, and thus far the general character of the,
machine is not new; but in this machine the inverted box (having performed
its office of creasing and raising the flaps of the envelope out of the horizontal)
is so arranged that two of its sides go away, leaving the paper held down by
the other two sides of the box, and. then angular flaps or folding instruments.
fold the flaps of the envelope at those sides where the sides of the box have.
moved away, and the paper, being held down at those sides by the folding.
instruments, allows of the other sides of the inverted box going away, when two
other folding instruments will fold the other two flaps of the envelope, the
folding instruments working in such manner, slightly in advance one of the
other, that the angles or ends of the flaps of the envelopes will be successively
folded over the preceding one, in the same manner as if each of the four flaps

page_text: .
of an envelope had been folded by hand, one after the other. The envelope
having been folded by the machine, it is removed by suitable apparatus, and
a fresh piece of paper of the proper form for an envelope is fed into the
machine. On the main or driving shaft is affixed the circular plate e, on each]
surface of which is formed a cam for working the parts of what we have
called the inverted box. The cams are marked e¹, e; the cam e works the
two longer sides of the inverted box, and the cam e works the two shorter
sides of the inverted box, and in such manner that the parts of the box go
together when descending on the piece of paper just fed into the machine; and
then the came is so formed, that whilst the other part of the inverted box is
retained down, the cam e causes the ends or shorter sides of the inverted box
to be raised out of the way of the folders to allow of the folding of those ends
of the envelope, when the cam e¹ will cause the other part of the box to
move away. The cams being shown separately, their characters will readily
be traced in the Drawings. The cams e³, e², respectively give motion to the
levers fand g moving on the same axis; the levers f and 9, each carries a
truck or roller, which trucks or rollers work in the grooved formed cams on
the sides of the plate e, and in order to counterbalance the inverted box, there
are weights f, g, applied as shown. The upper end of the lever f carries the
two longer sides of the inverted box i, the nature of which is clearly shown in
the Drawings. On the sides of the hollow head to which the longer sides i of
the box are affixed, are formed slots, through which the screw bolt j passes,
and this screw bolt also passes through the plates j', to which the shorter
ends of the inverted box are affixed, and the two plates are joined
together at the top, and there fixed to the upper end of the lever g; hence
the shorter sides or ends of the inverted box may move independently of
the other sides i, i, when necessary, and at other times the two sides i, i,
and the two sides 2, 1, can go together, and form what we have called an
inverted box, which, descending into a recess, over which the paper is correctly
placed, causes the paper to be. creased. and to be held down whilst part of the
folding process is performed. The pieces of paper properly cut for making
envelopes are placed over an opening at k, there being a moveable platform k..
which moves freely through such opening, and the opening has four guides 1, 1,
at the angles, such guides rising above the opening, the edges or angles of te
guides slightly inclining outwards, so that the space between the four angles of
the guides is larger than the platform k, the object of which is, that the
paper may be more readily placed on to the platform when it is in its highest
position, the correct position of the paper being obtained by the guides on the
descent of the platform k. The opening through which the platfora.k moves

page_text: is bounded on the four, sides by the axes of the four folding instruments, such
axes being cylindrical, having the four folding instruments or angular plates
formed thereon, the four guides forming bearings to the axes of the cylinders,
to which the folding instruments are affixed. On the plate e is formed a
projecting cam surface e³, which is the means of giving motion to the platform
k, on which the paper is placed, and which is of the size of the folded envelope
made in the machine; and although we prefer to have a machine only capable
of folding one size of envelope, where the quantity of business will justify the
use of our machine for each size, yet the machinist will readily perceive that by
having different apparatus for creasing and folding, the machinery shown will
allow of a set being applied for a different size, when the other apparatus is
removed; m is a lever to which the platform is affixed; as shown, and m¹ is a
spring carrying a truck or roller m³, such roller resting on the cam surface e.
The spring m is affixed to the under side of the lever m by screws, and has a
guide pin m³ fixed at its other end, which passes through a hole in the lever m,
by which the spring m¹ is retained correctly to work with the lever m. The
spring is of such strength that when the roller or truck comes on to a rise on'
the cam surface, it will elevate the lever, and consequently the platform k, to
its highest position, and the spring will allow of the lever m being pressed down-
wards slightly when the inverted box i, ¹, presses the paper down on the plat-
form k to allow for any inequality in the cam surface e³. The folding instruments
are put into motion by means of cams, two of which; n, o, are fixed on the main
shaft, and they are so arranged that they give one of the folding instruments a
slight precedence over the other in order that one of the two flaps of an
envelope folded thereby may be under the other. The cams n, o, work. the
folding instruments p, q, in the following manner :-On the axes p¹, q', of the
folding instruments are affixed the tooth wheels p, q, the teeth of which are
made suitable for receiving the worms or threads of screws p³, ³, such screws
simply acting as racks, they being slided to and fro in bearings on either side
of the machine, as is shown; and such racks are caused to move to and fro by
means of levers p, q, those levers having each a truck or roller at its lower
end, which works in its cam groove n, o, there being a rack p, q, formed on
the upper ends of the levers p', 9', with teeth suitable for working in the
screws p³, 93. On the main or driving shaft is affixed a skew levelled toothed
wheel which takes into and drives the skew levilled toothed wheels on the
shaft or axis t; the teeth of the wheels r and s not being in radial lines, but
in lines inclining across a radial line as is well understood, in order that the
axis of one wheel may be above and across the axis of the other wheel as is
well understood. On the axis or shaft t are fixed the two cam surfaces v and
r",

page_text: w, which work the two folding. instruments u and x by means of levers and
other instruments, in the same manner as those before described, and the
cams v, w, are so arranged that one of the two folding instruments moved
thereby is caused to take a slight precedence of the other in order that one
flap of the envelope should be folded below the other. It should be stated
that the screws acting as racks which give motion to the axes of the folding
instruments are not allowed to turn in their bearings, but they have grooves
cut in the under sides of their axes, into which the ends of screws passing
through the bearings enter. The folding having been performed, the envelope
is next removed from the platform k in the following manner:-A is a plate
sliding between guides B, B, such plate A being slided to and fro by means
of the cam C affixed on the main or driving shaft which, gives motion to the
lever D, which passes up between two rollers on the plate A; hence, as the
cam moves the lever to and fro, the plate A will be moved to and fro. A¹ is
an arm hinged to the plate A at one end, consequently this arm A¹ will be
moved by the sliding of the plate A, the other end of the arm A¹ being able to
open from and approach to the plate A for the purposes hereafter explained.
The arm A¹ has affixed to it the bar E, which carries what we call two
fingers E, E; the ends of which have sarfaces of india-rubber affixed
thereto, which enable them when they come down on a folded envelope to
have such a holding as will enable the fingers E¹ to draw the envelope off the
platform k, as hereafter explained; and the working of the fingers E is such
that they descend on. to the envelope just when the first two folding instru-
ments w, and a rise off the envelope, and before the platform / rises, by which
the envelope will not have been able to shift its position on the platform k
before the fingers come down upon it, and the fingers rise with the platform k,
and then move away, sliding the envelope with them, allowing another piece of
paper to be placed on to the platform. F is a spring fixed at the side of the
machine, this spring has affixed thereto the inclined undulating surface F,
the nature of which is clearly shown in the Drawing. On the plate A are
fixed two uprights G, G, which support the bar H, and on this bar are carried
the arms I, one of which slides over the inclined undulating surface F¹, which
lifts up that arm I, while the other arm I depresses the part E of the part A',
so that the projection A² will be pressed on to the fixed rail J and slide over
it, and when it passes to the end of that rail J, the arm A¹ will drop and the
fingers will come on to the envelope which is on the platform k, and then in
the sliding back of the parts A; A', the projection A will pass-under the fixed
rail J, the fingers sliding the envelope away with them, and the projection A
in going back will come on to an inclined surface formed at the end of the

page_text: spring F, up which it will rise, depressing the spring F, and the spring reacting
when the prjection gets beyond the fixed rail J, causes the arm A¹, and con-
sequently the fingers, to rise quickly at the moment the sliding motion of the
plate A stops; when it is desired that the fingers should not descend in conse-
quence of there not having been a piece of paper fed into the machine, a
stop K is placed at the end of the fixed rail J, so as to prevent the projecting"
piece A falling down, so as to pass under the fixed rail J, by which means
the fingers will pass to and fro without descending. The envelopes as they
are slided away are successively placed under those which have preceded them;
and to facilitate this operation there are two springs L, L, fixed in the position
where the fingers draw the envelopes, and these springs are bent or curved, so
that when an envelope is slided over the bend of the springs the envelope.will
be inclined so that the edge of the next envelope will pass under the one
last brought up, and thus will there be formed a pile of envelopes one over
the other; and in order that the uppermost envelopes may be continuously
moved away,
there is an inclined plate M, and a stop plate N, used, as shown;
the bringing up of the envelopes will cause a pile thereof to rest against the
stop plate N, and under the inclined plate M, and as the pile of envelopes
encreases, the uppermost ones will be caused to slide away by the inclined
plate M, and to come upon the endless carrying apron O, which will bring
the envelopes on the fixed inclined plate. P, from which they may be removed
from time to time. Motion is communicated to the endless apron at each
motion of the flap by means of its rack screw which acts on one end of the
lever Q, such lever hanging between the threads of the rack screw so as to be
moved thereby, yet allow of the screw moving freely, the lever not being of
such a length as to descend to the bottom of the thread or worm of the screw.
The lever Q carries a driver (1), which takes into and drives the teeth of the
ratchet wheel on the axis of one of the rollers of the endless apron, as is
shewn.
We would here remark that the object of this part of our Invention being
the folding of the flaps of envelopes by machinery, we do not confine
ourselves to the machinery shewn for holding the paper and folding the flaps,
as the same may be varied, so long as the necessary holding of the paper and
the folding the flaps of envelopes are effected; and although we believe that
these objects can be best accomplished by folding instruments such as we
have described, we do not confine ourselves thereto, and we have in the Draw-
ings marked D shewn an arrangement of machinery for folding the flaps of
envelopes (whilst the paper is held by a suitable form) by means of sliding
instruments which fold the flaps of the envelopes over the form..

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS MARKED D.
These Drawings.shew various views of this arrangement of machinery; the
nature: of each of the views being written on the Drawings, it will not be
necessary to repeat them here; and it will only be desirable to remark that
the same letters of reference are used to indicate the same parts wherever they
occur. a is a rectangular surface of the size of the intended.envelope; this
surface is slightly recessed, so that the form 6 may press the paper into
the recess and thus crease the paper, the flaps rising somewhat out of the
horizontal position; c, c, are four angular guides, for receiving the properly
shaped paper for an envelope, the angles of the guides being somewhat
inclined, so as to facilitate the placing of the paper between them. The
form b is a thin plate of metal, made rough on the upper surface, which;
descending on to the paper, carries it down into the rectangular recess before
mentioned, and the form b will there hold the paper whilst the flaps of the
envelope care folded over the form b. The form b is carried by the lever d,
which is put in motion by the came on the main or driving shaft f, which
receives motion from a steam engine or other power by.a strap in the ordi-
nary manner. g is a lever, carrying a truck or roller at its end, which works
in the grooved surface of the came, and this lever is attached to the lever.d
by a connecting rod h, and the cam is so formed as to bring the form.b down,
as above described, and retain it there till the folding has been accomplished,
and the folding instruments have gone away, when the form is by its cam
caused to:ascend, and the folded envelope is removed by hand from the form b.
There are four folding instruments h, i, j, k, used in this machine, the nature
of which is shewn in the Drawing, and they are respectively fixed to the slides
,,, and k, which move between fixed guides, as is shewn. The folding
instruments move in succession, so that the flaps may come one under the
other; the folding instrument h moves first, the opposite folding instrument i
moves next, the folding instrument j moves next, and the folding instrument k
moves next. On the main or driving axis are affixed the cams h2,2; which by
means of the levers h³,³, give motion to the rods *, i, attached, at one end to
the slides h,, the other ends of the rods being respectively attached to the
levers,, the cams being so 'arranged as to cause the folding instruments
slightly to precedé each other: On the main or driving shaft or axis are affixed
two cams, 2, which by means of the levers ³, k³, and the connecting
rods j, k, give motion to the slides j, k, the slide k moving last; by these means
the paper, being fed into: the machine by hand, is carried down into a recess
by the form band creased thereby, and the paper is then held whilst the folding
akes place in the manner above described.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the best means we
are acquainted with for performing the same; we would remark that we do
not confine ourselves to the details shewn and described, and variations may be
made, so long as the peculiar character of either part of our Invention be
retained; and we make no claim to the mechanical parts separately which are
used in constructing the machinery; but what we claim is,-
First, the mode of arranging machinery described in respect to the Drawings
marked A, for cutting or shaping paper for envelopes. And we also claim the
improvements described in respect to the Drawings marked B, consisting of
the so arranging machinery worked by rotatory motion for cutting envelopes
as to stop after the cut has been made, to allow of the workman to move up
fresh quantities of paper. And we also claim the mode of moving a table or
surface, carrying paper to be cut into suitable forms or shapes for envelopes, by
applying a screw, as herein described. And we also claim the mode of adjust-
ing the height of the tables or surfaces on which the paper to be cut is placed
in respect to the cutters, as herein described.
Secondly, we claim the so arranging machinery that the flaps of envelopes
may be folded thereby, as herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this 16 day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.

page_text: LONDON:
PRINTED BY GEORGE E. EYRE AND WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE
PRINTERS TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY:
PUBLISHED AT-THE-GREAT-SEAL PATENT-OFFICE,--
25, SOUTHAMPTON BUILDINGS, HOLBORN.

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWIN
HILL, of Bruce Castle, Tottenham, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
and WARREN DE LA RUE, of Bunhill Row, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventeenth day of March, in the eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, our exors, adñors, and assigns, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the 'said
Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, our exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, our exors, admors,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso, that we, the said Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, or one of us,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, do hereby declare that the nature of our
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say:-
Our Invention relates, first, to improvements in machinery for cutting or
shaping paper for the making of envelopes.
And, secondly, to arranging machinery for folding over the flaps of envelopes.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, we will proceed to describe the means pursued by us.
In making envelopes, as heretofore practised, the paper has been cut into
suitable shapes by various means.
Now, the object of the first part of our Invention is to improve the
machinery employed for cutting cr shaping paper for making envelopes; and
of the second part, in making up envelopes by folding the flaps of properly
shaped paper by machinery; the flaps have been generally folded by hand,
without preparation by machinery, but in some cases the paper having been
cut or shaped thus has been creased by machinery so as to aid the persons.
when folding, but in all cases the folding over of the flaps of envelopes has
been done by hand. Now, accordingly, the second part of our Invention is so
to arrange the machinery that properly shaped paper being introduced into it
the flaps shall be folded by the working of the machinery.
And in order that our Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A.
The nature of the various views shewn by these Drawings being written
thereon, it will not be necessary to repeat them here. a, a, is the framing of
the machine, the arrangement of which is clearly shewn in the Drawings;
b is the main or driving shaft, turning in bearings 6', as shewn. The axis b
receives motion from a steam engine or other power, by means of a strap
acting on the drum or pulley d on the main shaft or axis 6, such drum being
arranged to turn freely on the axis when the machine is required to be stopped,
as will be hereafter fully described:-On-the-main-shaft-or-axis-6.are affixed
two pinions e, (only one of which is shewn in the Drawings), which take into
and drive the two cog wheels f, f, affixed on the axis g, which turns in
bearings 9. On each of the cog wheels f, f, is affixed a crank pin g*; and
h, h, are two connecting rods, one on each of the crank pins g², the other ends

page_text: of the rods h being connected to the ends of the cross head i, by pins i¹, which
enter into the ends of the cross head, and they are retained secure therein by
means of keys i². The cross head carries the angular cutters j, j, which cut
out the notches in the envelopes, as will readily be understood on examining
the form of paper Z, which shews a portion of paper cut into the shape proper
for an envelope, excepting that there requires to be angles cut out therefrom,
as is indicated by the red lines shewn in the form Z; and the machinery is
arranged in such manner that the cutters j, j, in their first descent cut two of
the notches at the same time, and then the table on which the paper is held
is caused to revolvo half round in order that the next descent of the cutters
may cause the other two of the notches to be made in the paper; and it is
important that the cutters should be set so as to work correctly in order that
the space or portion of paper left within the four notches made by the cutters j.
should (when the flaps of the envelope are folded) be a true parallelogram of
the size of the desired envelope; and for the purpose of obtaining a nice
adjustment of the cutters j, the sockets and parts carrying the cutters ; are
arranged with the means of adjustment, which I will now proceed to describe:-
The cross head i is guided at the ends in its upward and downward motion by
guides, which have inclined surfaces, and the plates formed at the ends of
the cross head have similar inclined surfaces, and the plane faces of the plates
at the ends of the cross head work against true surfaces on the interior of the
framing, by which means the cross head is caused to rise and fall correctly.
The sockets, which carry the stems of the cutters j, are formed or affixe.l
on the plates l, and these plates are carried by and are capable of sliding
on angular surfaces 13, formed on the cross head, the plates being retained
on the cross head, and correctly on the surfaces 13, by the plates, which
are affixed to the plates by screws at the back, which pass through slots
in the plates into the plates ; and the screws l', at top, are for the
purpose of adjusting the positions of the plates 1, all which will readily
be traced in the Drawings. At the backs of the plates are affixed
projecting bearings m for the screw nuts n, and the screw nuts n have
teeth cut on their peripheries suitable for working with screws n', by which
screws the nuts n can be caused to turn in their bearings, and as the nuts n
with its cutter can be moved
are on the screw. o, either of the plates
5 to or from the other plate and cutter, so as to adjust them in respect to each
other, so that the angles of the cutters are at the same radial distance from the
centre of the table p, to ensure the envelope, when folded, being of a rectangular
form; and when each of the cutters has been properly adjusted in this manner,
the two cutters j can be caused to separate or come closer together, moving

page_text: equal distances by means of the right and left handed screw o, which turns in
bearings o; and the screw o has a wheel handle 02 at one end, and the turning
of that screw will move the plates 1', 1', in consequence of its passing
through the nuts n, n, as will readily be understood on examining the
Drawings. The sockets / carry the stems of the cutters j in the following
manner :-
On the interior of each of the sockets 7 is placed a second socket 1, at the
lower end of which is formed a spherical surface, which works in a corre-
sponding concavity at the lower end of the socket 7, and the exterior of the
socket is small when compared with the interior of the socket 7; hence the
socket can be moved in various directions, and, by the means of the screws
shewn in the Drawings, be adjusted in any required position.
The socket is formed suitable for receiving the stem of the cutter j, which
is made to fit. correctly in the socket. ; and, by means of the screw, the
stem of the cutter is retained fast in that socket.
The socket is adjusted in the socket by means of the screws ; the
socket being upheld within the socket 1 by means of the nut P, there being a
washer with a concave surface, which rests on a convex surface formed on
the upper part of the socket 7; by this arrangement the socket may incline
within the socket 1, and be retained secure by the screws; " is a screw,
passing through the upper end of the socket ; this screw is for the purpose of
preventing the stem of the cutter j being forced further into the socket when
it has been adjusted to the desired position. The object of this adjustment is
to insure the correct descent of the chissels through the paper, so that they
may not be drawn in or forced out by the paper, thereby cutting the top
and bottom envelopes of different sizes; and the adjustment has to be varied
according to the nature of the paper which is being operated upon.
The machine is arranged for cutting a considerable thickness of paper, which
is first fixed to the table p, the upper surface of which has lead let into it
where the cutters come, in order that when the cutters ; have descended
through the paper their edges may enter the lead and not be injured.
The table p is arranged in the following manner :-The table p is circular,
and has two notches p' formed therein, the object of which is, that the wedge-
shaped tooth q on the spring q' may enter one of the notches when the same is
brought up to it, and thus gauge this table correctly; for it will be readily
understood, that if the table be not moved, by the means hereafter described,
to its correct position, the wedge-shaped tooth q, being forced into an angular
notch by its spring, will cause the table to be moved into the proper position.
The paper is placed on the table between the fixed angular guages r, r,

page_text: hich are fixed on the table p, there being a groove formed in the table for
at purpose;
the heads of the screws r' enter the groove at the opening ;
nd are then slided to their places, and the screws are made secure, and con-
equently the guage plates, through which the screws pass, are also made fast
proper position for receiving between them the angularly cut paper, as is
hewn by red lines at Figure Y, and the paper is pressed down and tightly held
n the table by means of the cross head s, on the under surface of which is
affixed an angular plate s somewhat smaller than the paper, there being
hotches in the plate s' corresponding with those to be made in the paper by
the cutters j. The cross head s is affixed to the cross head s² by means of the
bars s³, as is shewn, such bars sliding through the table p in suitable brasses,
which ensures the cross heads moving correctly up and down. The cross head
s has a female screw formed through it, in which the male screw sworks;
and this screws receives motion in the following manner:-On the lower end of
the screws there is a bevelled pinion s applied, which receives motion from
the axis s (which is put in motion by a wheel s), which has a bevelled pinion
sfixed thereon. By this means the cross head s², and consequently the cross
head s may be moved up and down, and the paper released or held accordingly.
The table is carried by means of the upright axis p², which has an opening
through it for the passage of the cross head s²; and in order to adjust the
height of the table, the collar t is used, which is formed with an inclined upper
surface where the axis of table rests upon it; and such collar is capable of
being caused to rise and fall in the following manner, the collar being free t
move up and down on the fixed pins t', t, but it is prevented turning with the
5 axis by those pins:-On the under side of the collar t are formed three inclined
planes, corresponding with three inclined planes on the face of the wheel u
hence, when that wheel v is turned round on the axis of the table, which it is
free to do, the axis and the table will be raised or lowered, the wheel v resting
on the sliding bed plate w; and the wheel v is formed with teeth suitable fo
30 receiving the thread or worm of the screw 1, the axis of which turns i
bearings at 3, and it is turned by the wheel fixed on the axis of the screw v
The axis of the table p is capable of turning, and it carries with it the cros
heals s, s; the object of its turning is, that having cut two of the require
notches in the paper, the table may be moved half round, so as to present t
35 paper in a proper position for having the other two notches cut; and in or
that the table may not move too freely, the spring x is used, which has a su
face of wood x affixed thereto, which, pressing against the periphery of t
table p, prevents it moving too freely, and motion is communicated to the tal
in the following manner:-

page_text: On the axis G is affixed a bevelled toothed wheel, which takes into an
drives the bevelled toothed wheel y on the axis y', which moves in a bearing y
and on the other end of the axis y is formed a cranked arm ys, the cranke
portion of which gives motion to the hollow axis in the following
manner: On the axis z is fixed a wheel with four radial openings 2, 2, inte
which the part y' of the cranked arm enters, and by its revolution causes the
wheel to turn, thus causing the axis to move round about a quarter of a
rotation, and the axis of the table p is by such movement of the axis a
caused to turn about a half revolution, in consequence of the bevelled toothed
wheel affixed on the hollow axis, taking into and driving the bevelled
toothed wheel z of one half the diameter of the wheel 23, affixed on the
axis of the table-p. And it will be observed on examining the Drawings
that the axis is hollow for the passage of the axis s which gives motion
to the screw s; and the lower part of the axis of the table is hollow,
in order to allow of the passage of the screws to the cross head s², which,
as before stated, passes through the axis of the table. The axis of the table
p moves in a bearing or hollow socket A, formed on the under side of the
sliding bed plate w, such sliding bed plate having its two sides bevelled slides
between two fixed plates C, C, and is guided thereby when moved by the screw
D, and the sliding bed plate carries the bearing A' of the axis z, the cranked
army being made long enough to put the axis in motion, notwithstanding
the wheel with radial openings may be moved from the position shewn in the
Drawing; and the object of having the bed plate w to move is to be enabled by
the same machine to cut notches in different sizes of paper to form different
sizes of envelopes. The machine is arranged for putting itself out of motion
immediately the second cut has been made, to allow the person attending the
machine to remove the paper which has been notched, and introduce and fix a
fresh quantity on the table, and this putting out of motion is performed in the
following manner :-On the wheel with radial openings are formed two incline
surfaces B, B, opposite each other, and these inclined surfaces come under and
lift the sliding cranked bolt E, which slides in a socket formed at the end of
the arm F, such sliding bolt being constantly pressed outwards by means of
the spring G, so as to stand in the way-of--the-inclined-surfaces-B,-the-other
end of the arm F being affixed to the axis H. And in order to obtain a true
adjustment between the axis H and the inclined surfaces, that the machine
may be put out of motion at the right moment, the arm F is formed in two
parts, the one F at its enl simply embracing the axis 11, there being a slot or
opening made through the arm F, as is shewn, through which a screw passes
which is affixed to the other portion F¹ of the arm F; hence, by means of a

page_text: rface B, and the depression of the arm F will cause the clutch box to slide
owards the drum.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING B.
This Drawing shews so much of a machine as will enable us to describe a
modification of the first part of our Invention, this modification having for its
object improvements in machinery which works with punches or cutters.
suitable at one cut to form the proper shaped paper for envelopes form paper
which has not been first cut into angular shapes, as was the case with the
machinery last described, where the further cutting simply consisted of notches.
We would here remark that we are aware that machines have been before
made and used for cutting paper into proper forms for envelopes having hollow
cutters of the shape of the intended paper for envelopes; therefore this part of
our Invention is only intended to improve such class of machinery, first, by so
arranging the machinery that the same may be put out of motion by the
working of the machinery after the cutter has made its cut and move out of
the way; and secondly, so arranging the machinery that the table on which the
paper to be cut is placed may be moved by means of a screw. The arrange-
ment of this machinery, so far as the main shaft and the getting motion to the
wheel with the radial opening, is the same as the machine before described,
and therefore it is not thought necessary to show the same in this Drawing;
but in this machine the wheel 21, with the radial openings 2, is only used for
the purpose of stopping the machine, as the table p in this machine does not
revolve; hence all those parts which were described for turning the table an
for pressing the paper on the table are dispensed with, the apparatus for stop
5 ping the machine by the wheel z¹ with the radial openings being retained
The nature of each of the views of the machinery shewn by this Drawing being
In thi
written thereon, it will not be necessary to repeat the same here.
machine the cross heal i is moved in the same manner as that befor

page_text: described; but in this machine there being only a plate L formed on the
cross head used for receiving the cutter M, all the parts before described
for adjusting the cutters are dispensed with, and the cross head which
carries the cutter is formed with the plate L to receive at its under surface
a hollow cutter of the shape of the intended form of paper to produce an
envelope, as is shewn. The cutter has a bar M₁ fixed across it, there
being an opening through such bar for the bolt M, which, rising through
the plate L and through the cross head, is made fast hy a screw nut at top,
as is shewn. In this machine the bed plate is fixed and forms part of the
framing a, and it has a similar socket for the axis of the table p; but such axis
does not turn therein, it being retained from turning by a feather N, fixed in
the lower part of the socket A by screws, as is shewn, a recess being cut in
the lower end of the axis of the table to receive the feather N; this feather
allows of the axis of the table rising and falling for the purpose of adjusting
the height, but prevents its turning in the socket. The adjustment of the
height of the table is obtained by inclined planes in the same manner as was
described in the former machine, and as is shewn in the present Drawing.
The upper part of the table p is in this case square and is formed with angular
edges at its two sides to form guides for the sliding table O, which moves on
the table p, there being plates o' with angular surfaces which retain the
sliding table O correct on the upper surface of the table p, as shown. Motion
is communicated to the sliding table O by means of the screw P, the ends of
which turn in bearings fixed to the under surface of the sliding table D, the
screw P, (to which may be applied any suitable dividing apparatus) working
through a fixed female screw in the table p; hence when motion is given to the
screw P, the table will be moved, so as to bring a fresh portion of the paper
under the cutter. The machine baving been stopped, immediately the cutter
has ascended, in like manner to the machine first described, excepting that as
there are four instead of two inclined surfaces B on the wheel Z', the stopping
takes place, as before mentioned, after every cut, so as to allow the person
attending the machine to adjust and move the paper for the next cut, and he
starts the machine by moving back the cranked bolt on the arm F, as before
described, in order to allow the arm F to descend and move the clutch box
into position to be taken by the drum. This_machine_cuts a considerable
thickness of paper, but the paper is not held down on the table by other
means than by the pressure of the cutter. The person attending the machine
when the table O is slided out to its greatest extent places paper on the table
of a width somewhat greater than the cutter, and of a length suitable for
allowing several successive cuts to be made; one end of such paper being

page_text: properly under the cutter, the workman pushes back the sliding cranked bolt
on the arm F, and that arm descending will put the machine in motion, and a
cut will be made by the cutter, and the cutter will ascend; at which time an
inclined surface B will come into action on the arm F and again put the
machine out of motion and allow the workman to adjust the paper, if the
cutter have disarranged it, and permit him to move the table O by the screw,
so as to bring a fresh portion of the paper on the table O under the cutter,
when he will again put the machine in motion, and another cut will take place,
and so on, till the whole length of paper is cut up. The paper is forced out
of the cutter as the cutter rises by means of the sliding bolts X, X, which are
of sufficient weight for that purpose; but should the paper hang on the cutter,
the same will be instantly forced out by pressing on the bolts X.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS MARKED C.
The nature of each of the views shown by these Drawings being written
thereon, it will not be necessary to repeat the same here, This machinery is
for folding over the flaps of envelopes, the properly cut paper being fed into
the machine by hand. In the various views shown by the Drawings now
under description, the same letters indicate the same parts. a, a, is the
framing of the machine, the nature of which is clearly shewn in the Drawing;
b is the main or driving shaft, which receives motion by a strap from a steam
engine or other power acting on the drum c, the strap being moveable on to
the fixed or loose drum by which the person attending the machine can readily
start or stop the machine. This machine is so arranged, that a piece of paper
of the proper figure or shape for an envelope being placed in the machine upon
a moveable platform, what we call an inverted box, of the size of the envelope
when folded, descends and creases the paper, and raises the flaps of the enve-
lope out of the horizontal position, and thus far the general character of the
machine is not new; but in this machine the inverted box (having performed
its office of creasing and raising the flaps of the envelope out of the horizontal)
is so arranged that two of its sides go away, leaving the paper held down by
the other two sides of the box, and then angular flaps or folding instruments
fold the flaps of the envelope at those siles where the sides of the box have
moved away, and the paper, being held down at those sides by the folding
instruments, allows of the other sides of the inverted box going away, when two
5 other folding instruments will fold the other two flaps of the envelope, the
folding instruments working in such manner, slightly in advance one of the
other, that the angies or ends of the flaps of the envelopes will be successively
folded over the preceding one, in the same manner as if each of the four flaps

page_text: of an envelope had been folded by hand, one after the other. The envelope
having been folded by the machine, it is removed by suitable apparatus, and
a fresh piece of paper of the proper form for an envelope is fed into the
machine. On the main or driving shaft is affixed the circular plate e, on each
surface of which is formed a cam for working the parts of what we have
called the inverted box. The cams are marked e¹, e2; the cam e¹ works the
two longer sides of the inverted box, and the cam e works the two shorter
sides of the inverted box, and in such manner that the parts of the box go
together when descending on the piece of paper just fed into the machine; and
then the cam e is so formed, that whilst the other part of the inverted box.is
retained down, the cam e2 causes the ends or shorter sides of the inverted box
to be raised out of the way of the folders to allow of the folding of those ends
of the envelope, when the cam e¹ will cause the other part of the box to
move away.
The cams being shown separately, their characters will readily
be traced in the Drawings. The cams e¹, e², respectively give motion to the
levers fand g moving on the same axis; the levers f and g, each carries a
truck or roller, which trucks or rollers work in the grooved formed cams on
the sides of the plate e, and in order to counterbalance the inverted box, there
are weights f, g, applied as shown. The upper end of the lever f carries the
two longer sides of the inverted box i, the nature of which is clearly shown in
the Drawings. On the sides of the hollow head to which the longer sides i of
the box are affixed, are formed slots, through which the screw bolt j passes,
and this screw bolt also passes through the plates j, to which the shorter
ends of the inverted box are affixed, and the two plates are joined
together at the top, and there fixed to the upper end of the lever g; hence
the shorter sides or ends of the inverted box may move independently of
the other sides i, i, when necessary, and at other times the two sides i, i,
and the two sides i, , can go together, and form what we have called an
inverted box, which, descending into a recess, over which the paper is correctly
placed, causes the paper to be creased and to be held down whilst part of the
folding process is performed. The pieces of paper properly cut for making
envelopes are placed over an opening at k, there being a moveable platform k..
which moves freely through such opening, and the opening has four guides 1, 1,
at the angles, such guides rising above the opening, the edges or angles of te
guides slightly inclining outwards, so that the space between the four angles of
the guides is larger than the platform k, the object of which is, that the
paper may be more readily placed on to the platform when it is in its highest
position, the correct position of the paper being obtained by the guides on the
descent of the platform k. The opening through which the platform k moves

page_text: D
is bounded on the four sides by the axes of the four folding instruments, such
axes being cylindrical, having the four folding instruments or angular plates
formed thereon, the four guides 1 forming bearings to the axes of the cylinders,
to which the folding instruments are affixed. On the plate e is formed a
projecting cam surface e³, which is the means of giving motion to the platform
, on which the paper is placed, and which is of the size of the folded envelope
made in the machine; and although we prefer to have a machine only capable
of folding one size of envelope, where the quantity of business will justify the
use of our machine for each size, yet the machinist will readily perceive that by
having different apparatus for creasing and folding, the machinery shown will
allow of a set being applied for a different size, when the other apparatus is
removed; m is a lever to which the platform is affixed, as shown, and m¹ is a
spring carrying a truck or roller m³, such roller resting on the cam surface e".
The spring m is affixed to the under side of the lever m by screws, and has a
guide pin m³ fixed at its other end, which passes through a hole in the lever ni,
by which the spring m¹ is retained correctly to work with the lever n. The
spring is of such strength that when the roller or truck comes on to a rise on
the cam surface, it will elevate the lever, and consequently the platform k, to
its highest position, and the spring will allow of the lever m being pressed down-
wards slightly when the inverted box i, i, presses the paper down on the plat-
form to allow for any inequality in the cam surface c³. The folding instruments
are put into motion by means of cams, two of which, n, o, are fixed on the main
shaft, and they are so arranged that they give one of the folding instruments a
slight precedence over the other in order that one of the two flaps of an
envelope folded thereby may be under the other. The cams n, o, work the
folding instruments p, q, in the following manner :-On the axes p', q', of the
folding instruments are affixed the tooth wheels p, q, the teeth of which are
made suitable for receiving the worms or threads of screws p³, q³, such screws
simply acting as racks, they being slided to and fro in bearings on either side
of the machine, as is shown; and such racks are caused to move to and fro by
means of levers p', ', those levers having each a truck or roller at its lower
end, which works in its cam groove n, o, there being a rack p, q, formed on
the upper ends of the levers p', q', with teeth suitable for working in the
screws p, q. On the main or driving shaft is affixed a skew levelled toothed
wheel 7, which takes into and drives the skew levilled toothed wheels on the
shaft or axis t; the teeth of the wheels r and s not being in radial lines, but
in lines inclining across a radial line as is well understood, in order that the
axis of one wheel may be above and across the axis of the other wheel as is
well und rstood. On the axis or shaft are fixed the two cam surfaces v and

page_text: w, which work the two folding instruments u and x by means of levers and
other instruments, in the same manner as those before described, and the
cams v, w, are so arranged that one of the two folding instruments moved
thereby is caused to take a slight precedence of the other in order that one
flap of the envelope should be folded below the other. It should be stated
that the screws acting as racks which give motion to the axes of the folding
instruments are not allowed to turn in their bearings, but they have grooves
cut in the under sides of their axes, into which the ends of screws passing
through the bearings enter. The folding having been performed, the envelope
is next removed from the platform in the following manner:-A is a plate
sliding between guides B, B, such plate A being slided to and fro by means
of the cam C affixed on the main or driving shaft which gives motion to the
lever D, which passes up between two rollers on the plate A; hence, as the
cam moves the lever to and fro, the plate A will be moved to and fro. A¹ is
an arm hinged to the plate A at one end, consequently this arm A¹ will be
moved by the sliding of the plate A, the other end of the arm A' being able to
open from and approach to the plate A for the purposes hereafter explained.
The arm A¹ has affixed to it the bar E, which carrics what we call two
fingers E, E; the ends of which have sarfaces of india-rubber affixed
thereto, which enable them, when they come down on a folded envelope to
have such a holding as will enable the fingers E' to draw the envelope off the
platform, as hereafter explained; and the working of the fingers E is such
that they descend on to the envelope just when the first two folding instru-
ments w and x rise off the envelope, and before the platform k rises, by which
the envelope will not have been able to shift its position on the platform k
before the fingers come down upon it, and the fingers rise with the platform k,
and then move away, sliding the envelope with them, allowing another piece of
paper to be placed on to the platform. F is a spring fixed at the side of tic
machine, this spring has affixed thereto the inclined undulating surface F¹,
the nature of which is clearly shown in the Drawing. On the plate A are
fixed two uprights G, G, which support the bar H, and on this bar are carried
the arms I, one of which slides over the inclined undulating surface F¹, which
lifts up that arm I, while the other arm I depresses the part E of the part A',
so that the projection A² will be pressed on to the fixed rail J and slide over
it, and when it passes to the end of that rail J, the arm A¹ will drop and the
fingers will come-on to the envelope which is on the platform k, and then in
the sliding back of the parts A, A, the projection A² will pass under the fixed
rail J, the fingers sliding the envelope away with them, and the projection A²
in going back will come on to an inclined surface formed at the end of the

page_text: spring F, up which it will rise, depressing the spring F, and the spring reacting.
when the prjection gets beyond the fixed rail J, causes the arm A', and con-
sequently the fingers, to rise quickly at the moment the sliding motion of the
plate A stops; when it is desired that the fingers should not descend in conse-
quence of there not having been a piece of paper fed into the machine, a
stop K is placed at the end of the fixed rail J, so as to prevent the projecting
piece A2 falling down, so as to pass under the fixed rail J, by which means
the fingers will pass to and fro without descending. The envelopes as they
are slided away are successively placed under those which have preceded them,
and to facilitate this operation there are two springs L, L, fixed in the position
where the fingers draw the envelopes, and these springs are bent or curved, so
that when an envelope is slided over the bend of the springs the envelope will
be inclined so that the edge of the next envelope will pass under the one
last brought up, and thus will there be formed a pile of envelopes one over
the other; and in order that the uppermost envelopes may be continuously
moved away, there is an inclined plate M, and a stop plate N, used, as shown;
the bringing up of the envelopes will cause a pile thereof to rest against the
stop plate N, and under the inclined plate M, and as the pile of envelopes
encreases, the uppermost ones will be caused to slide away by the inclined
plate M, and to come upon the endless carrying apron O, which will bring
the envelopes on the fixed inclined plate P, from which they may be removed
from time to time. Motion is communicated to the endless apron at each
motion of the flap by means of its rack screw which acts on one end of the
lever Q, such lever hanging between the threads of the rack screw so as to be
moved thereby, yet allow of the screw moving freely, the lever not being of
such a length as to descend to the bottom of the thread or worm of the screw.
The lever Q carries a driver (1), which takes into and drives the teeth of the
ratchet wheel on the axis of one of the rollers of the endless apron, as is
shewn.
and
We would here remark that the object of this part of our Invention being
the folding of the flaps of envelopes by machinery, we do not confine
ourselves to the machinery shewn for holding the paper and folding the flaps,
as the same may be varied, so long as the necessary holding of the paper
the folding the flaps of envelopes are effected; and although we believe that
these objects can be best accomplished by folding instruments such as we
have described, we do not confine ourselves thereto, and we have in the Draw-
ings marked D shewn an arrangement of machinery for folding the flaps of
envelopes (whilst the paper is held by a suitable form) by means of sliding
instruments which fold the flaps of the envelopes over the form.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF
These Drawings shew various views of this arrangement of machinery; the
ature of each of the views being written on the Drawings, it will not be
ecessary to repeat them here; and it will only be desirable to remark that
he same letters of reference are used to indicate the same parts wherever they
occur. a is a rectangular surface of the size of the intended envelope; this
surface is slightly recessed, so that the form 6 may press
the paper into
the recess and thus crease the paper, the flaps rising somewhat out of the
horizontal position; c, c, are four angular guides, for receiving the properly
shaped paper for an envelope, the angles of the guides being somewhat
The
inclined, so as to facilitate the placing of the paper between them.
form 6 is a thin plate of metal, made rough on the upper surface, which,
descending on to the paper, carries it down into the rectangular recess before
mentioned, and the form will there hold the paper whilst the flaps of the
envelope are folded over the form b. The form b is carried by the lever d,
which is put in motion by the cam e on the main or driving shaft f, which
receives motion from a steam engine or other power by a strap in the ordi-
nary manner. g is a lever, carrying a truck or roller at its end, which works
in the grooved surface of the cam e, and this lever is attached to the lever d
by a connecting rod h, and the cam is so formed as to bring the form b down,
as above described, and retain it there till the folding has been accomplished,
and the folding instruments have gone away, when the form is by its cam
caused to ascend, and the folded envelope is removed by hand from the form b
There are four folding instruments h, i, j, k, used in this machine, the nature
of which is shewn in the Drawing, and they are respectively fixed to the slides
h, i, j, and k, which move between fixed guides, as is shewn. The folding
instruments move in succession, so that the flaps may come one under the
other; the folding instrument h moves first, the opposite folding instrument
moves next, the folding instrument j moves next, and the folding instrument A
On the main or driving axis are affixed the cams h², 23, which by
means of the levers h³, ³, give motion to the rods h', i, attached at one end to
the slides h,, the other ends of the rods being respectively attached to th
levers.,, the cams being so arranged as to cause the folding instrument
slightly to precede each other. On the main or driving shaft or axis are affixe
two cams j, k, which by means of the levers ³, k, and the connectin
rods j, k, give motion to the slides j, k,the slide k moving last; by these mear
the paper, being fed into the machine by hand, is carried down into a rece
by the form b and creased thereby, and the paper is then held whilst the foldin
akes place in the manner above described.
moves next.
5

page_text: Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the best means we
are acquainted with for performing the same; we would remark that we do
not confine ourselves to the details shewn and described, and variations may be
made, so long as the peculiar character of either part of our Invention be
retained; and we make no claim to the mechanical parts separately which are
used in constructing the machinery; but what we claim is,
First, the mode of arranging machinery described in respect to the Drawings
marked A, for cutting or shaping paper for envelopes. And we also claim the
improvements described in respect to the Drawings marked B, consisting of
the so arranging machinery worked by rotatory motion for cutting envelopes
as to stop after the cut has been made, to allow of the workman to move up
fresh quantities of paper. And we also claim the mode of moving a table or
surface, carrying paper to be cut into suitable forms or shapes for envelopes, by
applying a screw, as herein described. And we also claim the mode of adjust-
ing the height of the tables or surfaces on which the paper to be cut is placed
in respect to the cutters, as herein described.
Secondly, we claim the so arranging machinery that the flaps of envelopes
may be folded thereby, as herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this 16 day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.

page_text: HILL
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWIN
HILL, of Bruce Castle, Tottenham, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
and WARREN DE LA RUE, of Bunhill Row, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventeenth day of March, in the eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, our exors, adñññors, and assigns, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the 'said
Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, our exors, adñors, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, our exors, admors,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso, that we, the said Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, or one of us,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, do hereby declare that the nature of our
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say:-
Our Invention relates, first, to improvements in machinery for cutting or
shaping paper for the making of envelopes.
And, secondly, to arranging machinery for folding over the flaps of envelopes.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, we will proceed to describe the means pursued by us.
In making envelopes, as heretofore practised, the paper has been cut into
suitable shapes by various means.
Now, the object of the first part of our Invention is to improve the
machinery employed for cutting or shaping paper for making envelopes; and
of the second part, in making up envelopes by folding the flaps of properly
shaped paper by machinery; the flaps have been generally folded by hand,
without preparation by machinery, but in some cases the paper having been
cut or shaped thus has been creased by machinery so as to aid the persons
when folding, but in all cases the folding over of the flaps of envelopes has
been done by hand. Now, accordingly, the second part of our Invention is so
to arrange the machinery that properly shaped paper being introduced into it
the flaps shall be folded by the working of the machinery.
And in order that our Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A.
The nature of the various views shewn by these Drawings being written
thereon, it will not be necessary to repeat them here. a, a, is the framing of
the machine, the arrangement of which is clearly shewn in the Drawings;
b is the main or driving shaft, turning in bearings 6', as shewn. The axis. 6
receives motion from a steam engine or other power, by means of a strap
acting on the drum or pulley d on the main shaft or axis b, such drum being
arranged to turn freely on the axis when the machine is required to be stopped,
as will be hereafter fully described. On the main shaft or axis b are affixed
two pinions e, (only one of which is shewn in the Drawings), which take into
and drive the two cog wheels f, f, affixed on the axis 9, which turns in
bearings g. On cach of the cog wheels f, f, is affixed a crank pin g²; and
h, h, are two connecting rods, one on each of the crank pins g, the other ends

page_text: f the rods h being connected to the ends of the cross head i, by pins ', which
nter into the ends of the cross head, and they are retained secure therein by
means of keys . The cross head carries the angular cutters j, j, which cut
ut the notches in the envelopes, as will readily be understood on examining
he form of paper Z, which shews a portion of paper cut into the shape proper
for an envelope, excepting that there requires to be angles cut out therefrom,
as is indicated by the red lines shewn in the form Z; and the machinery is
arranged in such manner that the cutters j,j, in their first descent cut two of
the notches at the same time, and then the table on which the paper is held
is caused to revolvo half round in order that the next descent of the cutters
may cause the other two of the notches to be made in the paper; and it is
important that the cutters should be set so as to work correctly in order that
the space or portion of paper left within the four notches made by the cutters j,
should (when the flaps of the envelope are folded) be a true parallelogram of
the size of the desired envelope; and for the purpose of obtaining a nice
adjustment of the cutters j, the sockets and parts carrying the cutters are
arranged with the means of adjustment, which I will now proceed to describe:-
The cross head i is guided at the ends in its upward and downward motion by
guides k, which have inclined surfaces, and the plates formed at the ends of
the cross head have similar inclined surfaces, and the plane faces of the plates
at the ends of the cross head work against true surfaces on the interior of the
framing, by which means the cross head is caused to rise and fall correctly.
The sockets 1, which carry the stems of the cutters j, are formed or affixed
on the plates, and these plates are carried by and are capable of sliding
on angular surfaces 13, formed on the cross head, the plates being retained
on the cross head, and correctly on the surfaces 13, by the plates, which
are affixed to the plates by screws at the back, which pass through slots
in the plates into the plates ; and the screws 1, at top, are for the
purpose of adjusting the positions of the plates l, all which will readily
be traced in the Drawings. At the backs of the plates are affixed
projecting bearings m for the screw nuts n, and the screw nuts n have
teeth cut on their peripheries suitable for working with screws n', by which
screws the nuts n can be caused to turn in their bearings, and as the nuts n
are on the screw. o, either of the plates with its cutter can be moved
5 to or from the other plate and cutter, so as to adjust them in respect to each
other, so that the angles of the cutters are at the same radial distance from the
centre of the table p, to ensure the envelope, when folded, being of a rectangular
form; and when each of the cutters has been properly adjusted in this manner,
the two cutters j can be caused to separate or come closer together, moving

page_text: equal distances by means of the right and left handed screw o, which turns in
bearings o¹; and the screw o has a wheel handle o2 at one end, and the turning
of that screw will move the plates 1, 1, in consequence of its passing
through the nuts n, n, as will readily be understood on examining the
Drawings. The sockets / carry the stems of the cutters j in the following
manner:-
1.
On the interior of each of the sockets is placed a second socket P, at the
lower end of which is formed a spherical surface, which works in a corre-
sponding concavity at the lower end of the socket 7, and the exterior of the
socket is small when compared with the interior of the socket 7; hence the
socket can be moved in various directions, and, by the means of the screws
shewn in the Drawings, be adjusted in any required position.
The socket is formed suitable for receiving the stem of the cutter j, which
is made to fit. correctly in the socket; and, by means of the screw F, the
stem of the cutter is retained fast in that socket.
The socket is adjusted in the socket by means of the screws ; the
socket being upheld within the socket 1 by means of the nut P, there being a
washer with a concave surface, which rests on a convex surface formed on
the upper part of the socket 1; by this arrangement the socket P may incline
within the socket 1, and be retained secure by the screws; " is a screw,
passing through the upper end of the socket ; this screw is for the purpose of
preventing the stem of the cutter j being forced further into the socket / when
it has been adjusted to the desired position. The object of this adjustment is
to insure the correct descent of the chissels through the paper, so that they
may not be drawn in or forced out by the paper, thereby cutting the top
and bottom envelopes of different sizes; and the adjustment has to be varied
according to the nature of the paper which is being operated upon.
The machine is arranged for cutting a considerable thickness of paper, which
is first fixed to the table p, the upper surface of which has lead let into it
where the cutters come, in order that when the cutters j have descended
through the paper their edges may enter the lead and not be injured.
The table p is arranged in the following manner :-The table p is circular,
and has two notches p' formed therein, the object of which is, that the wedge-
shaped tooth on the spring q¹ may enter one of the notches when the same is
brought up to it, and thus gauge this table correctly; for it will be readily
understood, that if the table be not moved, by the means hereafter described,
to its correct position, the wedge shaped tooth q, being forced into an angular
notch by its spring, will cause the table to be moved into the proper position.
The paper is placed on the table between the fixed angular guages r, 1",

page_text: ich are fixed on the table p, there being a groove formed
t purpose; the heads of the screws renter the groove at the opening;
d are then slided to their places, and the screws are made secure, and con-
quently the guage plates, through which the screws pass, are also made fast
proper position for receiving between them the angularly cut paper, as is
ewn by red lines at Figure Y, and the paper is pressed down and tightly held
the table by means of the cross head s, on the under surface of which is
fixed an angular plate s' somewhat smaller than the paper, there being
otches in the plate s' corresponding with those to be made in the paper by
he cutters j. The cross head s is affixed to the cross head s² by means of tho
ars s, as is shown, such bars sliding through the table p in suitable brasses,
which ensures the cross heads moving correctly up and down. The cross head.
has a female screw formed through it, in which the male screw s* works;
and this screws receives motion in the following manner:-On the lower end of
the screws there is a bevelled pinion s applied, which receives motion from
the axis s5 (which is put in motion by a wheel s6), which has a bevelled pinion
s fixed thereon. By this means the cross head s, and consequently the cross
head s may be moved up and down, and the paper released or held accordingly.
The table is carried by means of the upright axis p, which has an opening
through it for the passage of the cross head s²; and in order to adjust the
height of the table, the collar t is used, which is formed with an inclined upper
surface where the axis of table rests upon it; and such collar is capable of
being caused to rise and fall in the following manner, the collar being free t
move up and down on the fixed pins t, t, but it is prevented turning with the
axis by those pins:-On the under side of the collar t are formed three inclined
planes, corresponding with three inclined planes on the face of the wheel v;
hence, when that wheel v is turned round on the axis of the table, which it is
free to do, the axis and the table will be raised or lowered, the wheel v resting
on the sliding bed plate w; and the wheel is formed with teeth. suitable for
0 receiving the thread or worm of the screw v', the axis of which turns in
bearings at t, and it is turned by the wheel fixed on the axis of the screw v.
The axis of the table p is capable of turning, and it carries with it the cross
heads s, s; the object of its turning is, that having cut two of the required
notches in the paper, the table may be moved half round, so as to present the
35 paper in a proper position for having the other two notches cut; and in order
that the table may not move too freely, the spring a is used, which has a sur
face of wood x affixed thereto, which, pressing against the periphery of the
table p, prevents it moving too freely, and motion is communicated to the tabi
in the following manner :-

page_text: On the axis G is affixed a bevelled toothed wheel g, which takes into an
drives the bevelled toothed wheel y on the axis y', which moves in a bearing y
and on the other end of the axis y is formed a cranked arm y³, the cranke
portion y of which gives motion to the hollow axis in the following
manner-On the axis is fixed a wheel with four radial openings, ², inte
which the part y' of the cranked arm enters, and by its revolution causes the
wheel to turn, thus causing the axis to move round about a quarter of a
rotation, and the axis of the table p is by such movement of the axis
caused to turn about a half revolution, in consequence of the bevelled toothed
wheel affixed on the hollow axis, taking into and driving the bevelled
toothed wheel of one half the diameter of the wheel 3, affixed on the
axis of the table-p. And it will be observed on examining the Drawings
that the axis is hollow for the passage of the axis s which gives motion
to tlie screws; and the lower part of the axis of the table is hollow,
in order to allow of the passage of the screw s to the cross head s², which,
as before stated, passes through the axis of the table. The axis of the table
p moves in a bearing or hollow socket A, formed on the under side of the
sliding bed plate w, such sliding bed plate having its two sides bevelled slides
between two fixed plates C, C, and is guided thereby when moved by the screw
D, and the sliding bed plate carries the bearing A¹ of the axis, the cranked
army being made long enough to put the axis in motion, notwithstanding
the wheel with radial openings may be moved from the position shewn in the
Drawing; and the object of having the bed plate w to move is to be enabled by
the same machine to cut notches in different sizes of paper to form different
sizes of envelopes. The machine is arranged for putting itself out of motion
immediately the second cut has been made, to allow the person attending the
machine to remove the paper-which has been notched, and introduce and fix a
fresh quantity on the table, and this putting out of motion is performed in the
following manner:-On the wheel with radial openings are formed two incline
surfaces B, B, opposite each other, and these inclined surfaces come under and
lift tho sliding cranked bolt E, which slides in a socket formed at the end of
the arm F, such sliding bolt being constantly pressed outwards by means of
the spring G, so as to stand in the way of the inclined surfaces B, the other
end of the arm F being affixed to the axis H. And in order to obtain a true
adjustment between the axis II and the inclined surfaces, that the machine
may be put out of motion at the right moment, the arm F is formed in two
parts, the one F at its end simply embracing the axis II, there being a slot or
opening made through the arm F, as is shewn, through which a screw passes
which is affixed to the other portion F1 of the arm F; hence, by means of a

page_text: screw nut the arm F may be correctly fixed to the axis H. The axis H, by
means of the forked arm I affixed thereto, moves the clutch box J, such clutch
box sliding on the main axis so that when the arms J' fixed to the clutch box
are so moved as to stand in the way of the teeth d¹ on the face of the drum d
the main axis will be turned thereby; and when the inclined surfaces come
under the cranked bolt E, the axis H will by the forked lever move the
arms of the clutch box out of the way of the teeth d¹ on the drum, and tho
machine will no longer be driven by the drum, such drum moving freely on
the main shaft or axis. The workman starts the machine again by sliding the
sliding bolt on the arm F so that it may no longer be supported by the inclined
surface B, and the depression of the arm F will cause the clutch box to slide
This Drawing shews so much of a machine as will enable us
nodification of the first part of our Invention, this modification having for its
bject improvements in machinery which works with punches or cutters.
uitable at one cut to form the proper shaped paper for envelopes form paper
which has not been first cut into angular shapes, as was the case with the
machinery last described, where the further cutting simply consisted of notches.
We would here remark that we are aware that machines have been before
made and used for cutting paper into proper forms for envelopes having hollow
cutters of the shape of the intended paper for envelopes; therefore this part of
our Invention is only intended to improve such class of machinery, first, by so
arranging the machinery that the same may be put out of motion by the
working of the machinery after the cutter has made its cut and move out of
the way; and secondly, so arranging the machinery that the table on which the
paper to be cut is placed may be moved by means of a screw. The arrange-
ment of this machinery, so far as the main shaft and the getting motion to the
wheel with the radial opening, is the same as the machine before described,
and therefore it is not thought necessary to show the same in this Drawing;
but in this machine the wheel z¹, with the radial openings 22, is only used for
the purpose of stopping the machine, as the table p in this machine does not
revolve; hence all those parts which were described for turning the table an
for pressing the paper on the table are dispensed with, the apparatus for stop
ping the machine by the wheel z¹ with the radial openings being retained.
The nature of each of the views of the machinery shewn by this Drawing being
written thereon, it will not be necessary to repeat the same here. In this
machine the cross head i is moved in the same manner as that before

page_text: described; but in this machine there being only a plate L formed on the
cross head used for receiving the cutter M, all the parts before described
for adjusting the cutters are dispensed with, and the cross head which
carries the cutter is formed with the plate L to receive at its under surface
a hollow cutter of the shape of the intended form of paper to produce an
envelope, as is shewn. The cutter has a bar M fixed across it, there
being an opening through such bar for the bolt M2, which, rising through
the plate L and through the cross head, is made fast by a screw nut at top,
as is shewn. In this machine the bed plate is fixed and forms part of the
framing a, and it has a similar socket for the axis of the table p; but such axis
does not turn therein, it being retained from turning by a feather N, fixed in
the lower part of the socket A by screws, as is shewn, a recess being cut in
the lower end of the axis of the table to receive the feather N; this feather
allows of the axis of the table rising and falling for the purpose of adjusting
the height, but prevents its turning in the socket. The adjustment of the
height of the table is obtained by inclined planes in the same manner as was
described in the former machine, and as is shewn in the present Drawing.
The upper part of the table p is in this case square and is formed with angular
edges at its two sides to form guides for the sliding table O, which moves on
the table p, there being plates o' with angular surfaces which retain the
sliding table O correct on the upper surface of the table p, as shown. Motion
is communicated to the sliding table by means of the screw P, the ends of
which turn in bearings fixed to the under surface of the sliding table D, the
screw P, (to which may be applied any suitable dividing apparatus) working
through a fixed female screw in the table p; hence when motion is given to the
screw P, the table will be moved, so as to bring a fresh portion of the paper
under the cutter. The machine having been stopped, immediately the cutter
has ascended, in like manner to the machine first described, excepting that as
there are four instead of two inclined surfaces B on the wheel Z', the stopping
takes place, as before mentioned, after every cut, so as to allow the person
attending the machine to adjust and move the paper for the next cut, and he
starts the machine by moving back the cranked bolt on the arm F, as before
described, in order to allow the arm F to descend and move the clutch box
into position to be taken by the drum. This machine cuts a considerable
thickness of paper, but the paper is not held down on the table by other
means than by the pressure of the cutter. The person attending the machine
when the table O is slided out to its greatest extent places paper on the table
of a width somewhat greater than the cutter, and of a length suitable for
allowing several successive cuts to be made; one end of such paper being

page_text: roperly under the cutter, the workman pushes back the siding cranked wor
n the arm F, and that arm descending will put the machine in motion, and a
ut will be made by the cutter, and the cutter will ascend; at which time an
uclined surface B will come into action on the arm F and again put the
nachine out of motion and allow the workman to adjust the paper, if the
utter have disarranged it, and permit him to move the table O by the screw,
o as to bring a fresh portion of the paper on the table O under the cutter,
when he will again put the machine in motion, and another cut will take place,
and so on, till the whole length of paper is cut up. The paper is forced out
of the cutter as the cutter rises by means of the sliding bolts X, X, which are
of sufficient weight for that purpose; but should the paper hang on the cutter,
the same will be instantly forced out by pressing on the bolts X.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS MARKED C.
The nature of each of the views shown by these Drawings being written
thereon, it will not be necessary to repeat the same here, This machinery is
for folding over the flaps of envelopes, the properly cut paper being fed into
the machine by hand. In the various views shown by the Drawings now
under description, the same letters indicate the same parts. a, a, is the
framing of the machine, the nature of which is clearly shewn in the Drawing;
bis the main or driving shaft, which receives motion by a strap from a steam
engine or other power acting on the drum c, the strap being moveable ou to
the fixed or loose drum by which the person attending the machine can readily
start or stop the machine. This machine is so arranged, that a piece of paper
of the proper figure or shape for an envelope being placed in the machine upon
a moveable platform, what we call an inverted box, of the size of the envelope
when folded, descends and creases the paper, and raises the flaps of the enve-
lope out of the horizontal position, and thus far the general character of the
machine is not new; but in this machine the inverted box (having performed
its office of creasing and raising the flaps of the envelope out of the horizontal)
is so arranged that two of its sides go away, leaving the paper held down by
the other two sides of the box, and then angular flaps or folding instruments
fold the flaps of the envelope at those siles where the sides of the box have
moved away, and the paper, being held down at those sides by the folding
instruments, allows of the other sides of the inverted box going away, when two
5 other folding instruments will fold the other two flaps of the envelope, the
folding instruments working in such manner, slightly in advance one of the
other, that the angles or ends of the flaps of the envelopes will be successively
folded over the preceding one, in the same manner as if each of the four flaps

page_text: of an envelope had been folded by hand, one after the other. The envelope
having been folded by the machine, it is removed by suitable apparatus, and
a fresh piece of paper of the proper form for an envelope is fed into the
machine. On the main or driving shaft is affixed the circular plate e, on cach
surface of which is formed a cam for working the parts of what we have
called the inverted box. The cams are marked e¹, e; the cam e¹ works the
two longer sides of the inverted box, and the cam e works the two shorter
sides of the inverted box, and in such manner that the parts of the box go
together when descending on the piece of paper just fed into the machine; and
then the cam is so formed, that whilst the other part of the inverted box.is
retained down, the cam e² causes the ends or shorter sides of the inverted box
to be raised out of the way of the folders to allow of the folding of those ends
of the envelope, when the. cam e¹ will cause the other part of the box to
move away. The cams being shown separately, their characters will readily
be traced in the Drawings. The cams e¹, e², respectively give motion to the
levers fand g moving on the same axis; the levers f and g, each carries a
truck or roller, which trucks or rollers work in the grooved formed cams on
the sides of the plate e, and in order to counterbalance the inverted box, there
are weights f, g, applied as shown. The upper end of the lever f carries the
two longer sides of the inverted box i, the nature of which is clearly shown in
the Drawings. On the sides of the hollow head to which the longer sides i of
the box are affixed, are formed slots, through which the screw bolt j passes,
and this screw bolt also passes through the plates j', to which the shorter
ends of the inverted box are affixed, and the two plates are joined
together at the top, and there fixed to the upper end of the lever g; hence
the shorter sides or ends of the inverted box may move independently of
the other sides i, i, when necessary, and at other times the two sides i, i,
and the two sides i, , can go together, and form what we have called an
inverted box, which, descending into a recess, over which the paper is correctly
placed, causes the paper to be creased and to be held down whilst part of the
folding process is performed. The pieces of paper properly cut for making
envelopes are placed over an opening at k, there being a moveable platform k..
which moves freely through such opening, and the opening has four guides 1, 1,
at the angles, such guides rising above the opening, the edges or angles of te
guides slightly inclining outwards, so that the space between the four angles of
the guides is larger than the platform k, the object of which is, that the
paper may be more readily placed on to the platform when it is in its highest
position, the correct position of the paper being obtained by the guides on the
descent of the platform k. The opening through which the platform k moves.

page_text: 3
bounded on the four sides by the axes of the four folding instruments, such
xes being cylindrical, having the four folding instruments or angular plates
ormed thereon, the four guides I forming bearings to the axes of the cylinders,
o which the folding instruments are affixed. On the plate e is formed a
projecting cam surface e³, which is the means of giving motion to the platform
, on which the paper is placed, and which is of the size of the folded envelope
made in the machine; and although we prefer to have a machine only capable
of folding one size of envelope, where the quantity of business will justify the
use of our machine for each size, yet the machinist will readily perceive that by
having different apparatus for creasing and folding, the machinery shown will
allow of a set being applied for a different size, when the other apparatus is
removed; m is a lever to which the platform is affixed, as shown, and m¹ is a
spring carrying a truck or roller m², such roller resting on the cam surface c³.
The spring m is affixed to the under side of the lever m by screws, and has a
guido pin m³ fixed at its other end, which passes through a hole in the lever nt,
by which the spring m¹ is retained correctly to work with the lever m. The
spring is of such strength that when the roller or truck comes on to a rise on
the cam surface, it will clevate the lever, and consequently the platform k, to
its highest position, and the spring will allow of the lever m being pressed down-
wards slightly when the inverted box i, i, presses the paper down on the plat-
form k to allow for any inequality in the cam surface e'. The folding instruments
are put into motion by means of cams, two of which, n, o, are fixed on the main
shaft, and they are so arranged that they give one of the folding instruments a
slight precedence over the other in order that one of the two flaps of an
envelope folded thereby may be under the other. The cams n, o, work the
folding instruments p, q, in the following manner :-On the axes p', q', of the
folding instruments are affixed the tooth wheels p, q, the teeth of which are
made suitable for receiving the worms or threads of screws p³, q³, such screws
simply acting as racks, they being slided to and fro in bearings on either side
of the machine, as is shown; and such racks are caused to move to and fro by
means of levers p, q, those levers having each a truck or roller at its lower
end, which works in its cam groove n, o, there being a rack p, q, formed on
the upper ends of the levers p, q, with teeth suitable for working in the
screws p, q. On the main or driving shaft is affixed a skew levelled toothed
wheel r, which takes into and drives the skew levilled toothed wheels on the
shaft or axis t; the teeth of the wheels r and s not being in radial lines, but
in lines inclining across a radial line as is well understood, in order that the
axis of one wheel may be above and across the axis of the other wheel as is
On the axis or shaft t are fixed the two cam surfaces and
well und, rstood.

page_text: w, which work the two folding instruments
and by means of levers and
other instruments, in the same manner as those before described, and the
cams v, w, are so arranged that one of the two folding instruments moved
thereby is caused to take a slight precedence of the other in order that one
flap of the envelope should be folded below the other. It should be stated
that the screws acting as racks which give motion to the axes of the folding
instruments are not allowed to turn in their bearings, but they have grooves
cut in the under sides of their axes, into which the ends of screws passing
through the bearings enter. The folding having been performed, the envelope
is next removed from the platform k in the following manner:-A is a plate
sliding between guides B, B, such plate A being slided to and fro by means
of the cam C affixed on the main or driving shaft which gives motion to the
lever D, which passes up between two rollers on the plate A; hence, as the
cam moves the lever to and fro, the plate A will be moved to and fro. A' is
an arm hinged to the plate A at one end, consequently this arm A¹ will be
moved by the sliding of the plate A, the other end of the arm A¹ being able to
open from and approach to the plate A for the purposes hereafter explained.
The arm A¹ has affixed to it the bar E, which carries what we call two
fingers E, E; the ends of which have sarfaces of india-rubber affixed
thereto, which enable them when they come down on a folded envelope to
have such a holding as will enable the fingers E¹ to draw the envelope off the
platform, as hereafter explained; and the working of the fingers E is such
that they descend on to the envelope just when the first two folding instru-
ments w and x rise off the envelope, and before the platform k rises, by which
the envelope will not have been able to shift its position on the platform k
before the fingers come down upon it, and the fingers rise with the platform k,
and then move away, sliding the envelope with them, allowing another piece of
paper to be placed on to the platform. F is a spring fixed at the side of the
machine, this spring has affixed thereto the inclined undulating surface F,
the nature of which is clearly shown in the Drawing. On the plate A arc
fixed two uprights G, G, which support the bar H, and on this bar are carried
the arms I, one of which slides over the inclined undulating surface F¹, which
lifts up that arm I, while the other arm I depresses the part E of the part A¹,
so that the projection A² will be pressed on to the fixed rail J and slide over
it, and when it passes to the end of that rail J, the arm A¹ will drop and the
fingers will come on to the envelope which is on the platform k, and then in
the sliding back of the parts A, A', the projection A2 will pass under the fixed
rail J, the fingers sliding the envelope away with them, and the projection A²
in going back will come on to an inclined surface formed at the end of the

page_text: spring F, up which it will risc, depressing the spring F, and the spring reacting
when the prjection gets beyond the fixed rail J, causes the arm A', and con-
sequently the fingers, to rise quickly at the moment the sliding motion of the
plate A stops; when it is desired that the fingers should not descend in conse-
quence of there not having been a piece of paper fed into the machine, a
stop K is placed at the end of the fixed rail J, so as to prevent the projecting
picce A2 falling down, so as to pass under the fixed rail J, by which means
the fingers will pass to and fro without descending. The envelopes as they
are slided away are successively placed under those which have preceded them,
and to facilitate this operation there are two springs L, L, fixed in the position
where the fingers draw the envelopes, and these springs are bent or curved, so
that when an envelope is slided over the bend of the springs the envelope will
be inclined so, that the edge of the next envelope will pass under the one
last brought up, and thus will there be formed a pile of envelopes one over
the other; and in order that the uppermost envelopes may be continuously
moved away,
there is an inclined plate M, and a stop plate N, used, as shown;
the bringing up of the envelopes will cause a pilo thereof to rest against the
stop plate N, and under the inclined plate M, and as the pile of envelopes
enercases, the uppermost ones will be caused to slide away by the inclined
plate M, and to come upon the endless carrying apron O, which will bring
the envelopes on the fixed inclined plate P, from which they may be removed
from time to time. Motion is communicated to the endless apron at cach
motion of the flap by means of its rack screw which acts on one end of the
lever Q, such lever hanging between the threads of the rack screw so as to be
moved thereby, yet allow of the screw moving freely, the lever not being of
such a length as to descend to the bottom of the thread or worm of the screw.
The lever Q carries a driver (1), which takes into and drives the teeth of the
ratchet wheel on the axis of one of the rollers of the endless apron, as is
shewn.
We would here remark that the object of this part of our Invention being
the folding of the flaps of envelopes by machinery, we do not confine
ourselves to the machinery shewn for holding the paper and folding the flaps,
as the same may be varied, so long as the necessary holding of the paper and
the folding the flaps of envelopes are effected; and although we believe that
these objects can be hest accomplished by folding instruments such as we
have described, we do not confine ourselves thereto, and we have in the Draw-
ings marked D shewn an arrangement of machinery for folding the flaps of
envelopes (whilst the paper is held by a suitable form) by means of sliding
instruments which fold the flaps of the envelopes over the form.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS MARKED D.
hold the paper whilst the flaps of the
The form 6 is carried by the lever d,
These Drawings shew various views of this arrangement of machinery; the
nature of each of the views being written on the Drawings, it will not be
necessary to repeat them here; and it will only be desirable to remark that
the same letters of reference are used to indicate the same parts wherever they
occur. a is a rectangular surface of the size of the intended envelope; this
may press the paper into
surface is slightly recessed, so that the form b
the recess and thus crease the paper, the flaps rising somewhat out of the
horizontal position; c, c, are four angular guides, for receiving the properly
shaped paper for an envelope, the angles of the guides being somewhat
The
inclined, so as to facilitate the placing of the paper. between them.
form is a thin plate of metal, made rough on the upper surface, which,
descending on to the paper, carries it down into the rectangular recess before
mentioned, and the form 6 will there
envelope are folded over the form b.
which is put in motion by the cam e on the main or driving shaft f, which
receives motion from a steam engine or other power by a strap in the ordi-
nary manner. g is a lever, carrying a truck or roller at its end, which works
in the grooved surface of the cam e, and this lever is attached to the lever d
by a connecting rod h, and the cam is so formed as to bring the form 6 down,
as above described, and retain it there till the folding has been accomplished,
and the folding instruments have gone away, when the form is by its cam
caused to ascend, and the folded envelope is removed by hand from the form b
There are four folding instruments h, i, j, k, used in this machine, the nature
of which is shewn in the Drawing, and they are respectively fixed to the slides
h', i, j, and k¹, which move between fixed guides, as is shewn. The folding
instruments move in succession, so that the flaps may come one under the
other; the folding instrument h moves first, the opposite folding instrument
moves next, the folding instrument j moves next, and the folding instrument
moves next. On the main or driving axis are affixed the cams h³, 2, which by
means of the levers h³, 3, give motion to the rods h', i, attached at one end to
the slides h', ', the other ends of the rods being respectively attached to the
levers,, the cams being so arranged as to cause the folding instrument
slightly to precede each other. On the main or driving shaft or axis are affixe
two cams j, k, which by means of the levers j, k, and the connecting
rods j, k, give motion to the slides j, k..the slide k moving last; by theso mean
the paper, being fed into the machine by hand, is carried down into a reces
by the form b and creased thereby, and the paper is then held whilst the foldin
akes place in the manner above described.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the best means we
are acquainted with for performing the same; we would remark that we do
not confine ourselves to the details shewn and described, and variations may be
made, so long as the peculiar character of either part of our Invention be
retained; and we make no claim to the mechanical parts separately which are
used in constructing the machinery; but what we claim is,-
First, the mode of arranging machinery described in respect to the Drawings
marked A, for cutting or shaping paper for envelopes. And we also claim the
improvements described in respect to the Drawings marked B, consisting of
the so arranging machinery worked by rotatory motion for cutting envelopes
as to stop after the cut has been made, to allow of the workman to move up
fresh quantities of paper. And we also claim the mode of moving a table or
surface, carrying paper to be cut into suitable forms or shapes for envelopes, by
applying a screw, as herein described. And we also claim the mode of adjust-
ing the height of the tables or surfaces on which the paper to be cut is placed
in respect to the cutters, as herein described.
Secondly, we claim the so arranging machinery that the flaps of envelopes
may be folded thereby, as herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edwin Hill and Warren De la Rue, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this 16 day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.