Improvements in and relating to Methods of and Mechanism for Indelibly Marking or Branding Articles or Substances.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 25th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Methods of and Mechanism for
Indelibly Marking or Branding Articles or Substances.
I, ROBERT GIBSON, of 10 Balmore Street, Dundee, in the County of Forfar,
Scotland, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in methods of and mechanism or means
for indelibly marking or branding articles or substances such as tablets, sheets or
blocks of soap, cheese, wax or like permeable or impressible material.
In carrying out my invention, according to one modification, I employ a shaft
upon or with which I cause two or more plates, arins, discs or the like to rotate,
preferably in vertical planes. Two or more reciprocating blocks or dies are
carried by opposing discs in such a manner that the said blocks may be capable of
synchronously approaching to or receding from each other in paths parallel to the
axis of rotation and under the constraint of a suitable cam or cams, guides, cranks,
levers or the like. To these reciprocating blocks are affixed stamps consisting of
needles, wires, types or like penetrable articles so arranged as to form any desired
suitable device, which it is the object of the mechanism to communicate simul-
taneously to opposite sides of the articles which are to be marked.. These articles
are supplied to the machine by shoots, bands, wheels, levers or like suitable
means or mechanism arranged so that the said articles are placed one between
each pair of opposing stamps. When so placed they may be retained during
the process of rotation and stamping by a suitable gripping or sustaining device
after which they are taken or ejected from the machine and deposited where
required.
In a second modification or type of machine I employ a wheel or wheels having
the stamping blocks arranged in the periphery of the same in such a manner that
they may reciprocate in a radial or nearly radial instead of an axial direction, the
articles to be stamped being supplied and held to, or taken from the said wheel or
wheels by shoots, bands, wheels, levers or the like. I may use only one wheel for
stamping as when the article is to be marked or branded on one face or side, or
I may use a series of wheels as when it is desired to stamp additional surfaces or
to perform various stamping operations on any oue surface for the purpose
or purposes hereinafter referred to.
In one modification or arrangement of either of the foregoing rotary presses
I may arrange the carrier discs, arms or wheels so that when the stamps and the
article on which they operate are or nearly are at their lowest position they are
wholly immersed in a colouring liquid. Prior to or during this immersion, the
needles are caused by their controlling mechanism to puncture, imprint, or
penetrate the article under treatment to any desired depth and then during the
continuance of rotation about the axis and before emersion are wholly withdrawn
therefrom. It will be obvious that by this arrangement the vacuum formed in the
punctures by the withdrawal of the needles is occupied by the colouring liquid
which then remains as an indelible mark, brand or device upon the surface and in
the substance of the article. In some cases I may assist the entrance of the

page_text: colouring liquid by causing the mechanism to partially re-insert the needles into
the article, thus mechanically forcing the said liquid into the punctures.
In another modification or arrangement in which I cause the punctures to be
made and the needles to be fully withdrawn prior to the immersion of the article
in the colouring liquid, I may wholly depend on this method of mechanical
insertion of the liquid or 1 may by auxiliary means or mechanism reproduce the
vacuum in the said punctures in such a manner that they may become charged
with the liquid without additional mechanical aid, as before described.
In a third medification I may provide for the needles being coated with the
colouring liquid before their insertion in the article to be marked, in which case
the resulting mark brani or device will be that caused by the mechanical deposition
of the said coating upon the walls of the punctures.
In a fourth modification in which the article is held during stamping between
plates or jaws, I preferably make these of such a form as to ensure nearly perfect
surface contact between them and the said article. Behind these plates and in
contact with them the colouring liquid is suitably contained under external pressure
or not as desirable, and provision for communication between the article and the
liquid is made by means of apertures or perforations corresponding to the arrange-
ment of the needles on the stamp, which when not in action, partially occupy the
said perforations so as to prevent the passage of the liquid. When it is desired to
stamp the article the needles are advanced by their mechanism, until having passed
through their corresponding perforations, they penetrate the article to the required
depth. They are then withdrawn both from the article and the perforated plate to
such an extent as will admit of the free passage of the liquid into the punctures
made in the article, after which they may or may not as desired be male, by
reinsertion, to mechanically force the liquid into the said punctures and complete
the cycle of their operations by again stopping the holes in the plate or jaw.
In still another modification I may use needles of hollow or like section and a3
they are withdrawn from the article pass the liquid through or along them into the
punctures.
In either or all of the foregoing methods of stamping and supplying the colouring
liquid, may complete the stamping or branding of a surface at one operation, or,
as when it is desired to have the device in various colours, 1 may perform the
operations in series.
In the formation of the stamps I prefer to use needles or wires of steel, copper,
or any like metal or alloy possessed of the necessary combination of rigidity and
elasticity. The cross section of the needles may be of any suitable form as
required by the nature of the device and the mechanical exigencies of stamping
and when required to operate as in the third modification I prefer to make it of
such a form as shall be found most suitable for receiving and depositing the coating
of colouring liquid.
It is to be noted that the essential features of the invention are the reciprocation
of the stamping blocks during their rotation with the article under treatmen
about common or parallel axes, together with provision for the charging with o
deposition of colouring matter in punctures, imprints or perforations thus made in
or upon the article or articles to be stamped, marked or branded, by needles, wires
or types of suitable material and section.
Dated this 27th day of December 1895.
GEO. C. DOUGLAS & Co.,
41 Reform Street, Dundee, Agents for Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Methods of and Mechanism for
Indelibly Marking or Branding Articles or Substances.
I, ROBERT GIBSON, of 10 Balmore Street, Dundee, in the County of Forfar,
Scotland, Civil 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 relates to improvements in methods of and mechanism or means
for indelibly marking or branding articles or substances such as tablets, sheets or
blocks of soap, cheese, wax or like permeable or impressible material.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood. I have hereunto
appended four explanatory sheets of drawings in which the same reference
numerals are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown,
that is to say:
Figure 1. (Sheet 1) is a sectional elevation at A. A. (Figure 2) of one
modification of a machine.
Figure 2. (Sheet 1) is a plan of same, while Figure 3. (Sheet 1) is a sectional
elevation at B. B. (Figure 2).
Figure 4. (Sheet 2) is a sectional elevation at C. C. (Figure 5) of a second
modification of a machine.
Figure 5. (Sheet 2) is a plan of same, while Figure 6. (Sheet 2) is a sectional
elevation at D. D. (Figure 5).
Figure 7. (Sheet 3) is a sectional elevation at E. E. (Figure 8.) of a third
modification of a machine.
Figure 8. (Sheet 3) is a plan of same, while Figure 9. (Sheet 3) is a sectional
elevation at F. F. (Figure 8).
Figures 10. and 11. (Sheet 3) are face views of cams which respectively cause
the stamps to reciprocate once and twice during the period the article being
stamped is immersed in the colouring liquid.
Figure 12. (Sheet 4) is an elevation of a fourth modification of a machine.
Figure 13. (Sheet 4) is a plan of same, while Figure 14. (Sheet 4.) is a section
at G. G.
more
In carrying out my invention, according to one modification, as illustrated on
Sheet 1. I employ a shaft 20. upon or with which I cause two or more plates arins,
discs 21. or the like to rotate, preferably in vertical planes. Two or
reciprocating blocks or dies 22. are carried hy opposing discs 21. in such a manner
that the said blocks may be capable of synchronously approaching to or receding
from each other in paths parallel to the axis of rotation and under the constraint
of suitable cams 23. To these reciprocating blocks 22. are affixed stamps 24.
consisting of needles, wires, types or like penetrative articles so arranged as to
form any desired suitable device, which it is the object of the mechanism to
communicate simultaneously to opposite sides of the articles 25. which are to be
marked.
These articles are preferably supplied to the machine by hand when each
gripping device is about the position Z. (Figure 1), and are so disposed that the
said articles are placed, one between each pair of opposing stamps. When so
placed they may be retained during the process of rotation and stamping by the
gripping or sustaining devices 26. after which they are taken from the machine
and deposited where required. These gripping devices are preferably of elastic
material in order that the articles may be forcibly pushed between them so that
their elustic pressure is sufficient to sustain them when at their lowest position.

page_text: 27. is a tank for holding the colouring liquid 28. The colour is forced into the
punctures in the known way.
The modification illustrated on Sheet 2. is somewhat similar to that illustrated
on Sheet 1; the difference between them being that the two opposing stamps 22.
reciprocate but do not rotate, and that the cams 23. do rotate. The results in each
case are similar. In another modification or type of machine, as illustrated on
Sheet 3. I employ a wheel or wheels 29. having the stamping blocks 22. arranged
in the periphery of the same in such a manner that they may reciprocate in a
radial or nearly radial instead of an axial direction, the articles 25, to be stamped
being supplied and held to and taken from the said wheel or wheels by an endless
band 30. I may use only one wheel for stamping as when the article is to be
marked or branded on one face or side, or I may use a series of wheels, as when it
is desired to stamp additional surfaces, or to perform various stamping operations
on any one surface for the purpose or purposes hereinafter referred to.
In the foregoing modifications of rotary presses I arrange the carrier dises 21. or
wheels 29. so that when the stamps and the article on which they operate are or
nearly are at their lowest position they are wholly immersed in a colouring liquid.
Prior to or during this immersion, the needles are caused by their controlling
mechanism to puncture, imprint, or penetrate the article under treatment to any
desired depth, and then during the continuance of rotation of the whole or
necessary parts of the mechanism about the axis and before emersion, are wholly
withdrawn therefrom. It will be obvious that by this arrangement the vacuum
formed in the punctures by the withdrawal of the needles is occupied by the
colouring liquid which then remains as an indelible mark, brand or device upon the
surface and in the substance of the article. In some cases I may assist the entrance
of the colouring liquid by causing the mechanism to partially re-insert the needles
into the article, thus mechanically forcing the said liquid into the punctures.
Figure 11. (Sheet 3) shows a cam whose groove 31. is designed to cause this
double reciprocation, Figure 10. illustrating a cam which will only cause a single
reciprocation for each revolution.
The type of machine illustrated on Sheet 4. is a modification of that illustrated
on Sheet 2. The cams 23. on the shaft 20. cause the dies 22. to reciprocate, such
dies being guided by the tanks 27. and the sliding pieces
32.
which have to be stamped are placed in the grippers 26, at the time they are at
their highest position and when the stamps are nearly fully apart. The rotation
of the cams 23. and 33. cause the grippers to quickly descend into the liquid until
the articles are sufficiently immersed, whereupon the stamps are inserted aud
withdrawn and the grippers raised to their highest position ready to allow of the
stamped articles being withdrawn and others placed therein. 34. is a spring which
causes the gripper guide 35. to always keep the roller 36. against its cam. The
tank is divided into two by the rib 37. in order that two colours may be used if
desired, at the same time, one for each article.
In another modification or arrangement in which I cause the punctures to be
made and the needles to be fully withdrawn prior to the immersion of the article
in the colouring liquid, I may wholly depend on this method of mechanical insertion
of the liquid, or I may by ordinary means or mechanism reproduce the vacuum in
the said punctures in such a manner that they may become charged with the liquid
without additional mechanical aid, as before described.
In yet another modification 1 may provide for the needles being coated with the
colouring liquid before their insertion in the article to be marked, in which case
the resulting mark, brand or device will be that caused by the mechanical deposition
of the said coating upon the walls of the punctures.
In either or all of the foregoing methods of stamping, I may complete the
stamping or branding of a surface at one operation, or, as when it is desired to
have the device in various colours, I may perform the operations in series.
I wish it to be particularly understood that I do not limit myself to the precise
details of construction herein before described and illustrated on the annexed

page_text: drawings, but that I hold myself free to make such changes and alterations as
conform with the disposition and scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to he performed, I wish it to be understood
that I am aware of the prior Patents of Macdougald and Sturrock Nos. 12974/92
and 13417/92; and of MacDonald and Douglas No. 17015/95 and I lay no claim
at large to such construction, but I declare that what I claim is :-
(1.) In machines for indelibly marking or branding articles or substances, the
mode or manner of holding such articles or substances so that the one face or the
two opposite faces may be simultaneously marked while they and the stamps are
submerged in the colouring liquid.
(2.) In machines for indelibly marking or branding articles or substances, the
combination and arrangement of parts substantially as herein before described with
reference to Figures 1. 2. and 3. of the accompanying drawings.
(3.) In machines for indelibly marking or branding articles or substances, the
combination and arrangement of parts substantially as herein before described with
reference to Figures 4. 5. and 6. of the accompanying drawings.
(4.) In machines for indelibly marking or branding articles or substances, the
combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figures 7. 8. 9. 10. and 11. of the accompanying drawings.
(5.) In machines for indelibly marking or branding articles or substances, the
combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figures 12. 13. and 14. of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1896.
GEO. C. DOUGLAS & Co.,
41 Reform Street, Dundee, Agents for Applicant.