Improvements in Letter Copying Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1898-Accepted, 16th July, 1898
COMPLETÈ SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter Copying Apparatus.
I, GEORGE WRIGHT, Stationers' Sundriesman, of 6, Farringdon Avenue,
Farringdon Street, in the County of London, 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 for improvements in letter copying apparatus has for its object
to provide a copying press of simple construction which may be readily and
expeditiously manipulated, and consists essentially of a pair of boards or plates
between which the copying book is placed, and hinged together by adjustable
hinges, and held when pressed together by a catch, the upper board or plate being
attached to curved spring plates which serve to distribute the pressure uniformly
and to maintain an elastic pressure on the copying book.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings: Fig. 1 represents an
elevation of a copying press in an open position for the admission or removal of
the copying book. Fig. 2 represents a similar view in its closed position, and
Fig. 3 is a plan of the same.
The base plate or board a is connected to the upper or pressure board 6 by
the hinged bolts which are adjustably secured to the ends of the spring plates d
by the nuts e, while to the other ends of the spring plates is secured a cross plate f,
having hinged to it a hand lever g, by means of the pins hand lugs i. On the
plate is mounted a slidable bolt guided and secured to the said plate by slots m
and screws n and normally pressed forward by a spring o so as to engage with
the ratchet teeth p of an arm 9 secured to the base plate a. The spring plates d
are attached. to the board b by means of screws r as shown.
The method of using the apparatus is as follows: The copying books having
been placed between the boards a b as shown in Fig. 1 the hand lever is turned
over and depressed bending the springs d and compressing the copying books,
the bolt being at the same time pressed into engagement with a tooth p of the
ratchet and thereby retaining it in the required position as shown in Fig. 2, until
released by hand. To remove the books the bolt is simply withdrawn by the
thumb of the operator which disengages it from the ratchet pand permits of the
raising of the lever g and board b and the removal of the book s.
It will be seen that by means of the ratchet arm and the adjusting nuts e
books of various thickness may be employed, and that the spring plates & when
pressed are flattened on the board b and so tend to distribute the pressure uniformly
over the whole of its length.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what.
I claim is: -
1. In letter copying apparatus closing the pressure board on the copying book
and retaining it in such position by means of a hand lever hinged to the pressure
board springs and carrying a bolt engaging in the teeth of a ratchet arm secured
to the base board, the whole substantially as described.

page_text: 2. The arrangement and construction of letter copying apparatus substantially
as described with reference to the drawings.
T
1011 1
1000
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.