IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR PRINTING OF STAMPING
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William George Todman and John Henry Todman.
hoth of Bow Lane, in the City of London, Die Sinkers and Stamp
Cutters,, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR PRINTING OF
STAMPING"
Sealed the 18th November 1864. and dated the 21st May 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William George Todman
and John Henry Todman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 21st May 1864.
We, WILLIAM GEORGE TODMAN, and JOHN HENRY TODMAN, both of Bow
Lane, in the City of, London. Die Sinkers and Stamp Cutlers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR
PRINTING OR STAMPING," to be as follows:-
Our presses for stamping or printing we form like a single-armed press of
cast iron or other suitable material, and place on the bed a piece of india-
rubber or other suitable material on which to place the paper or other sheet
to receive the impression. In the head of the machine we mount an upright
rod, so as to slide vertically in guides, and having a head suitable to apply
pressure by the hand. The rod or stem is constantly acted on by a spring
forcing it upwards, the spring being helical, and placed on the rod immediately
behind the stem. The lower part of the stem has a cross or T end, with an
arm at each end extending forwards; these arms have bearings in which is
mounted a small shaft carrying the stamp or block bearing the device or
Price Sd.1

page_text: subject to be stamped or printed. On this shaft it performs a partial rotation,
so that when the stamping block is depressed the device is downward, but
when it rises it is inverted and presented on the upper side.. The rotating
motion is performed by means of a pinion fixed on the shaft taking into a
certain number of stationary rack teeth. The shaft is further furnished with
guide pieces taking on to fixed parallel guides, on which they slide during the
rise and fall of the stamper. The guide piece consists of a disc or cylindrical
piece having portions of the periphery cut off at opposite diameters, (flats
formed on each side,) the one guiding and maintaining the parallelism of the
stamper while the pinion is out of gear and above the rack teeth, and the
other while in like relation, but below the rack teeth, the pinion being in
each case out of gear with the rack teeth. A recess is formed in the fixed
guides at the position coinciding with the rack teeth, to allow the guide disc
or cylinder on the shaft to turn over and perform half a revolution. By this
means the position of the stamping block is always under control, and is at
all times held correctly while performing its work. Immediately above the
position of the stamping block we dispose an inking pad, formed of suitable
soft and pervious material, against which the stamping block is pressed by
the spring raising the stem before mentioned, and so receives its supply of
ink to make the impression stamp or printing. We provide a reservoir of
ink in or near the head of the press, from which we allow a continuous drip
of the marking fluid to flow to the back of and through the pad, or it may be
supplied occasionally by opening a tap or plug as may be required.
press so furnished and applied, stamping or printing can be rapidly performed
the papers to be endorsed or stamped being placed on the stamping cushion
with the one hand, and the stamper worked with the other, or both hands
may be used for placing and removing the papers or other articles, while the
machine is operated by a treadle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William George Todman and John Henry Todman in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st November 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
GEORGE TODMAN and JOHN HENRY TODMAN, both of Bow Lane, in the City of
London, Die Sinkers and Stamp Cutters, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord One,

page_text: thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
William George Todman and John Henry Todman, Her special licence that
we, the said William George Todman and John Henry Todman, our executors.
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William George
Todman and John Henry Todman, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others; from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR PRINTING OR STAMPING," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said William George Todman and John Henry
Todman, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William George Todman and John
Henry Todman, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
We form our presses for stamping or printing of cast iron or other suitable
material, and place in the bed a piece of india-rubber or other suitable
material on which to place the paper or other sheet to receive the impression.
In the head of the machine we mount an upright rod so as to slide vertically
This
in guides and having a head suitable to apply pressure by the hand.
rod or stem is constantly acted on by a spring forcing it upwards, the spring
being helical and placed on a rod or in a tube immediately behind the stem.
The lower part of the stem has a cross or T-end with an arm at each end
extending forwards; these arms have bearings in which is mounted a small
shaft carrying the stamp or block bearing the device or subject to be stamped
or printed. This shaft performs a partial rotation, so that when the stamping
block is depressed the device is downward, but when it rises, it is inverted and
presented on the upper side. This operation of rotation is performed by means
of a pinion fixed on the shaft taking into a certain number of stationary rack
teeth. This shaft is further furnished with guide pieces taking on to fixed

page_text: parallel guides on which they slide during the rise and fall of the stamper.
The guide piece consists of a disc or cylindrical piece having portions of the
periphery cut away at opposite diameters (flats formed on each side), the one
guiding and maintaining the parallelism of the stamper while the pinion is
out of gear and above the rack teeth, and the other while in like relation, but
below the rack teeth, the pinion being in each position out of gear with the
rack teeth. A recess is formed in the fixed guides at the position coinciding
with the rack teeth to allow of the guide disc or cylinder on the shaft to
turn over and perform half a revolution. By this means the position of the
stamping block is always under control, and is at all times held correctly
while performing its work. Immediately above the position of the stamping
block we dispose an inking pad formed of suitable soft and pervious material,
against which the stamping block is pressed by the spring raising the stem
before mentioned, and so receives its supply of ink to make the impression,
stamp, or printing. We sometimes provide a reservoir of ink in or near the
head of the press from which we allow a continuous drip of the marking fluid
to flow to the back of and through the pad, or it may be supplied occasionally
by opening a tap or plug, as may be required. With a press so furnished and
applied stamping or printing can be readily performed. The papers to be
endorsed or stamped are placed on the stamping cushion with the one hand
and the stamper worked with the other, or both hands may be used for placing
and removing the papers or other articles while the machine is operated by a
treadle if desired.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS,
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of a stamping or marking press con-
structed according to our Invention; Fig. 2. a plan; Fig. 3, side elevation;
Fig. 4, a horizontal section on line a, a. Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 5, a vertical
section of the same on line b, b. Fig. 2; c, e, is the base of the press, on
which is erected two uprights d, d, supporting an entablature or arm e; in
the entablature e is fitted in a guide a rod h. which moves vertically
therein at the lower part of the rod is a cross piece 1. having three arms
i, i, and, the latter terminates in a loop k, encircling a rod 1, on which
a coiled or helical spring m is placed, having a constant tendency to force
the part I and rod h upwards to the position shown in the Drawings. The
arms i, i, carry a shaft p in bearings q, q, in which it is free to rotate. The
shaft p also bears against. vertical guides r, r, carried by the uprights, a;
on one end of the shaft (or there may be one on each end) is fixed a disc s.
having a few teeth like an ordinary pinion; these teeth during the up-and-

page_text: down movement of the arms i, i, and shaft p, take into rack teeth 7. fixed to
the guide r. This action of the toothed gear causes the shaft. p to perform a
half revolution during the downward or upward movement of the arms i. i.
and shaft. In addition to the guides r, r, bearing on round part of the
shaft p. there is a second guide u (this may also be in duplicate, one at each
side.) bearing on a disc-like piece fixed on the shaft. This disc has flats
formed one diametrically opposite to the other. which flat parts bear on the
guide u, and guide and control the shaft p when the pinion is not in gear
with rack teeth t. and so keeps the shaft rigidly in the one position or the
other after it has performed its half revolution. To permit of the disc
piece rotating with the shaft p at the time pinion s is in gear with I, a
part of the guide u is cut away at that point coincident with the rack
teeth, best seen dotted in the side view at Fig. 3. On the middle of shaft p
is a square block, in which the die that is to be used in printing or
stamping is fixed: it is furnished with a shank which passes through the
block, and is fixed therein by a thumbscrew . The die is a metal die in
relief. as ordinarily used in endorsing presses. In the bed we lay a disc or
piece of india-rubber f as a pad under the paper on which the impression is to
be taken. On the under side of the entablature e we dispose our inking
pad z. made of felt or other absorbent substance covered with cloth; this is
represented as being contained in a metal case ', and furnished with a central
screwed shank with nut j, which shank is slid into a slot o and secured
by the nut. By thus fitting the inking pada it may be readily removed
for supplying and saturating it with ink or for changing it when alteration
of color is required. The press may, however, be furnished with a reservoir
and have a self-acting and continuous supply if preferred. The action of the
press is as follows:-By the action of the spring m the stem hand cross-
piece when free are constantly carried upwards, by which means the die
is constantly pressed up against the inking pad z, and is therefore always
ready for use. The paper or other material to be printed or stamped being
placed on the bed c, the stem is pressed down by the hand placed on the
top h', causing the shaft p and disc to descend towards the paper. In
descending the shaft p performs half a revolution and the die becomes com-
pletely inverted, as seen dotted in Fig. 3. and being pressed on the paper
disposed as before mentioned. transfers the ink taken up from pad z to the
paper, and so producing the printing or stamping desired. The knob is
then released, when the die ascends. is again inked. and the operation
repeated as before, and so on for any number of impressions.
The press we make usually of cast iron, the uprights d being fixed to the

page_text: bed c by screws from underneath and to the entablature e, as seen, while the
rod is screwed into the bed c and tightened by a screw nut at top; the
spring m is enclosed in a tube n to hide it from view and keep dirt from it;
the arm of I enters tube n through a slot n'.
Having described the; nature of our Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, we deolare that what we claim as our Invention, to
be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
arrangement and combination of parts represented in the Drawings annexed,
constituting a press for printing or stamping, operating as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William George Todman and John
Henry Todman, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-
first day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
W. CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
WILLIAM GEORGE TODMAN. (L.S.)
JOHN HENRY TODMAN.
(L.S.)
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