Improvements in Time Stamps.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Time Stamps.
We, WILLIAM HENRY MARTIN of Mansion House, in the City of Providence,
State of Rhode Island, U.S.A., Manufacturer, and JAMES SHARON MACCOY of
59 West 49th Street, in the City of New York, State of New York, U.S.A.,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN TIME STAMPS, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to improvements in and additions to printing stamps, of
class commonly known as time stamps, wherein type-wheels are employed and
operated by clock-mechanism, so that the impressions made by the stamp will
accurately indicate the date and time of day at which they are made, and the
invention consists mainly in combining with a stamp of this character an adjustable
gauge adapted to receive a time card or slip on which the record is to be made,
and adapted to receive a regular sequence of adjustments of position, relative to
the position of the type-wheels, thus providing for a uniform and intelligible list of
impressions on the time card, adapting the stamp for rapid and convenient use in
mills, shops, factories and other situations where the hours of work of employees
is kept, a single time card serving each employee throughout the several days of
the week.
The invention also consists in the special construction of the gauge and stamp,
and in the special time card to be used.
The following is a detailed description of our invention, reference being had to
the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a time stamp having our invention applied
thereto, a portion of the casing being broken away to show a part of the clock-
mechanism, the type-wheels and inking ribbon;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the stamp showing in full and dotted lines the gauge
in two different positions ;
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the top-plate and gauge taken on the line of
Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a plan view showing a modification :
Figure 5 is a sectional view of the same; and
Figure 6 is a plan view of the time card, illustrating the method of use of the
gauge and of stamping the card.
Within the casing A, which may be of any appropriate form, is placed clock-
mechanism B, a series of type-wheels C and a clock face D. The type-wheels as
here shown are six in number, marked a, b, c, d, e, f, denoting respectively by type
on their peripheries the months, days of the month, the hours, minutes, forenoon
and afternoon and the year. The said type-wheels and the hands g h of the clock
are operated by the clock-mechanism in a well known manner and need not be here
described. The top-plate E of the casing is slotted or cut away as shown at F,
coincident with the type-wheels, and over the type-wheels is placed the inking
ribbon G, held on the paying-off and receiving rollers H H', journaled in bearings
on the under surface of the top-plate and operated for shifting the ribbon by small
milled nuts which project through slots in the top-plate.
J represents the stamp-plate held above the type-wheels and inking-ribbon in the
sleeve J¹ formed as a part of the goose neck J2. The shank J³ of the stamp-plate
is provided with a knob J* and in the sleeve is placed a coiled spring for lifting the
stamp-plate in a well known manner.

page_text: Upon the top-plate E is attached an adjustable gauge K for indicating and
holding the time-card L at certain relative positions upon the type-wheels to
properly receive the impressions to indicate thereon the times of stamping in
spaces to correspond with the different days of the week. The gauge in the
form shown in Figures 1 and 2, is substantially L-shaped, and is adapted to be
adjusted along the top-plate and held at different positions to stamp the card in the
several spaces, and also to hold the card for properly receiving the several
impressions made during each day. The gauge is attached to the guide or way M
parallel with the plane of the type-wheels which guide or way may be of various
forms. As here shown it is formed of a cleat k having undercut edges to engage
inwardly turned flanges formed along the under surface of the flange m at the
outer edge of the longer member of the gauge.
In said flange m are formed a series of detents or holes m¹ with which a stop-
pin m² engages for locking the gauge in position. Said stop-pin is attached, in the
construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, to a small plate spring o secured to the
under surface of the top-plate and projects up through an orifice in the top-plate to
enter the holes m²; and to said spring o is attached a small knob or thumb-
piece o, by which the spring and stop-pin may be depressed for releasing the
gauge.
Along the inner edge of the longer member of the gauge is formed a flange
or shelf M¹ which supports the time-card at one edge when placed under the
stamp-plate, particularly when the gauge is drawn out as indicated in dotted lines
in Figure 2.
In Figures 4 and 5 the gauge is in parallelogram form and is held at each edge
by cleatspp secured to the top-plate and the gauge is adapted to be shifted by a
centrally pivoted crank P provided at one end with a stop-pin p' which enters the
holes in the gauge and provided at the other with another stop-pin p² which enters
orifices p³ in the top-plate to indicate the proper distance of movement of the gauge
to firmly lock the gauge in position.
In place of the series of holes or detents in the gauge as above described we may
graduate the top-plate as shown at 9, Figure 2 and by an index point on the gauge
adjust the same to proper position, but for greater convenience and certainty the
detents and stop-pin is greatly to be preferred.
The time-card L is divided into spaces for each working day of the week, a space
at one end for the name of the employee, a space at the opposite end to receive the
totals, a marginal space at one edge for the days of the week and another at the
opposite edge to receive the total hours of employment for each day.
In use the gauge will be set on Monday morning at the first position with the
stop-pin in the first of the series of holes m¹. This will be done say at seven
o'clock A.M. Each employee will be provided with a time-card and on entering for
work will place it in the gauge and stamp it. At noon the foreman will shift the
gauge forward one graduation and each employee on leaving for the noon hour will
stamp his card and this second impression will appear at the centre of Monday's
space. The gauge will be again shifted forward, and on returning the employee
will again stamp the card which will appear at the third place in Monday's space.
At six o'clock or the closing hour, the gauge will be again shifted forward to the
fourth adjustment and on leaving, the employee will again stamp his time-card,
which impression will appear at the bottom of Monday's space. On Tuesday
morning the gauge will be set at the fifth adjustment and from this point it
will be adjusted four adjustments as on Monday, and the four impressions made
on the card for this day will appear ou Tuesday's space. The same operation
will be performed each day of the week so that at the close of Saturday's work
the time-card will show an accurate record of the number of hours of work during
the week which may be easily audited and the card retained as the employee's
own record.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :--
1. The combination of a time-stamp and an adjustable gauge for taking the time
of employees, substantially as described.
2. The combination with the series of type-wheels of a time-stamp, of an adjust-
able gauge arranged to be set at different positions for each day, or for different
hours of the day, so that a time-card being placed in the gauge will receive from
the action of the stamp a regular sequence of impressions, as and for the purposes
set forth.
3. The combination with the series of type-wheels of a time-stamp, of an adjust-
able gauge applied to the casing of the stamp adjacent to the type-wheels, and
arranged to be set at different positions for the days of the week, and for different
hours of the day, to receive time-cards for stamping the same with a regular
sequence of impressions, substantially as described.
4. A time-stamp provided with a way at the top of the casing adjacent to the
series of type-wheels, combined with an adjustable gauge held by said way,
substantially as described.
5. A time-stamp provided with a way at the top of the casing adjacent to
the type-wheel, and a detent adjacent to said way, in combination with an
adjustable gauge held by said way, and arranged to be held by said detent at a
series of different fixed positions, substantially as and for the purposes described.
6. The gauge provided with a flange along the inner edge of its longer member,.
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
7. The gauge provided with a flange m, having a series of holes m' in com-
bination with the way, the detent m³ for holding the gauge, substantially as
described.
8. The clock-mechanism, a casing for enclosing the same, a top-plate to said
casing having an opening formed therein, a stamp-plate held in line with said
opening and type-wheels held in said opening within the casing and operated by
said clock-mechanism, in combination with an adjustable gauge arranged on said
top-plate parallel with the type-wheels and adapted to receive a regular sequence
of graduated adjustment, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
9. The combination with the time-stamp and the adjustable gauge formed with a
series of apertures of a reciprocating lever provided with engaging pins substantially
as described.
1 1
1
cou1 1000
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.