Coin-freed Apparatus for Stamping Letters or Postcards.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 13th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 13th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Coin-freed Apparatus for Stamping Letters or Postcards.
1 CHARLES WALTER VOSPER of No. 5 Woodland Terrace Ashleigh Road Barnstaple
Devon Sewing Machine Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
An ordinary letter lable or post card is placed in a slot in the front of a perpen-
dicular frame and instead of being stamped as at present with an adhesive stamp by
this invention it can be stamped by simply pulling down a piston on the end of which
is a die which may have any device and will leave an impression on the surface of any
paper or other material that may be placed under it, and is intended to take the place
of the present penny halfpenny or other postage stamp. To produce this result and
to make sure that the right amount of money shall be paid for the impression I propose
to place a small slot in the upper part of the frame into which a penny or other coin
may be put & on its dropping into the slot it falls in the front of a piston which is the
same size at the end as the penny or other coin. This piston has a hole in the centre
which is covered by the coin and by then drawing down a lever which is placed in
front of the frame above where the letter &c. is placed another piston less in size
than the one against which the coin previously rested is set in motion and coming into
contact with the coin it presses the coin and the hollow piston backwards and this
being connected with another lever depresses the piston which is attached to the die
and the stamping takes place.
It will be seen that if the coin is not placed in the slot no impression can be made
as the small piston referred to will pass into the centre of the hollow piston when
the lever which is referred to as being fixed in the front of the frame is drawn down
and by this means prevent its being worked unless the proper size coin is first placed
in the slot.
The machine will likewise be so constructed that one hundred or more coins
may be placed in it at a time & the stamping continued until all the coins are
exhausted.
Means will also be devised so that if a wrong sized coin be placed in the slot
fraudulently or by mistake the coin will fall out again.
The whole of the action of the machine will depend upon its being supplied with the
right coin and the lever being drawn down as above described.
The stamp produced may be coloured or embossed as an inking arrangement will be
provided and a checking apparatus to indicate the number of letters or post cards that
may be stamped will be also placed in the machine.
Dated this 14th day of October 1889.
CHARLES WALTER VOSPER.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Coin-freed Apparatus for Stamping Letters or Postcards.
I, CHARLES WALTER VOSPER of No. 5 Woodland Terrace Ashleigh Road, Barnstaple,
Devon, Sewing Machine Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object a coin freed apparatus for stamping letters or
post cards.
An ordinary letter or post card is placed in a slot in the front of the apparatus and
it is stamped by pulling down a handle. The handle gives movement to a sliding

page_text: rou which carries a stamp and the impression of this stamp on the letter or post card
represents the postage paid.
The stamping only takes place when an appropriate coin has been placed in a
slot in the face of the machine provided to receive it. The handle is connected
with a bell crank or bent lever and when forced down gives motion to the bell crank
and this in turn imparts an horizontal movement to a plunger mounted in suitable
guides.
In front of this plunger there is a second plunger similarly mounted. There is a
hole in the second plunger into which the first plunger can enter and it does so enter
and the second plunger is not moved when the handle is forced down without first
putting a coin into the coin slot. The coin slot is vertical and behind it there is a
passage which leads the coin down to a place of lodgment prepared for it immediately
in front of the face of the second plunger. The coin, if too large cannot enter the slot
and if too small it is not stopped at the lodgment but falls completely through the
passage and is delivered again out of the machine.
When there is a coin upon the lodgment and the handle is forced down the first
plunger strikes the coin in the centre and drives it against the face of the second plunger
and this is then pushed along and caused to traverse in its guide. The second
plunger is jointed to an arm of a bent lever and the other arm of the lever is similarly
connected with the stamp consequently the movement of the handle now causes the
stamp to be brought down to print upon the letter or post card. A spring tends to
raise the stamp immediately the handle is released but at first it rises only a short
distance for it is retained by a catch lever which engages with a tooth projecting from
the side of the second plunger..
The handle when released is raised by a counterpoise which also withdraws the first
plunger and this retires leaving the second plunger held by the catch. The coin which
was nipped between the two plungers and has been carried laterally out of the guide
passage then falls away into a money draw beneath.
As the handle reaches its highest position a hook attached to the bell crank lifts
the catch lever; the spring then raises the stamp and draws back the second
plunger to its original position leaving the machine ready for another operation.
The second plunger each time it moves operates a counter which records the number
of operations and this record should correspond with the sum of money found in the
money drawer.
Any suitable stamp may be employed.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with my
invention.
Figure 2 is a rear view with the case and some other parts removed.
Figure 3 is an end elevation also with parts removed.
Figure 4 is an elevation with the front plate removed and shows especially the
plunger mechanism and coin guide.
Figure 5 is also an elevation but showing especially the catch mechanisni.
Figure 6 is similar to Figure 5 but the parts are represented in other positions.
Figure 7 shows separately the coin guide or passage.
Figure 8 is a front elevation of a counter which may be applied.
a is the handle, it turns about a fulcrum at a. a2 is the slit in the front plate
through which the handle passes. is a bell crank or bent lever centered at 6 and
having a counterpoise 62 attached to it which tends to raise the handle. c is a plunger
mounted in guides c¹ and a stud c² projecting from the plunger enters a slot in the
lower arm of the bell crank b. d is a hollow plunger capable of sliding to and fro
horizontally in a guide. e is a coin guide down which the coin inserted through the
slot e falls, it has a small hole e² on one side for the plunger c to pass through and a

page_text: e is a
larger hole e on the other side which the end of the plunger d enters.
shoulder or lodgement which arrests the descent of the coin if of proper size. A
stud projecting from the side of the plunger d connects it with one end of a bent
lever and the other end of the lever is loosely jointed to a rod g which is able to
move vertically in guides g¹ g¹ and which at its lower end carries the letter stamp h.
i is a coiled spring tending to raise the stamp. is a slit for the insertion of the
letter or card to be stamped. I is a small door in the front plate which can be opened
to give access to the stamp. m is a catch lever which when the plunger d is thrust
back engages with a tooth d projecting from it. When the handle rises the hook b³
on the bent lever b lifts the catch lever.
The tooth d may be made sufficiently long to actuate the counter n if a counter
be required; it imparts a rocking movement to a lever o carrying a driving pawl o'
which engages with the teeth of a ratchet wheel. The axis of the wheel carries an
index p which travels over the face of a dial.
In a usual way the first wheel gives motion to a second and moves it a step for each
revolution; on the axis of this second wheel there is an index q.
The drawer into which the coin falls when the plunger c commences to retire is not
shown in the drawing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for stamping letters or post cards, coin freed and substantially as
described.
2. The combination substantially as described consisting of a handle actuating a
plunger; another plunger connected with a letter stamp and having a hole or passage
in it which the first plunger can enter; and a coin guide delivering a coin to a
lodgment between the two plungers; also a retaining catch and spring or its
equivalent bringing back the second plunger when the catch is freed as herein set
forth.
Dated this 0th day of Anouck 1800