CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPE MACHINES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPE
MACHINES." A communication from abroad by Thomas Veazie Way-
moth, Henry Clay Berlin, and George Jones, all of the City of New
York, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 12th January 1866, and dated the 20th July 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th July 1865.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPE
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a machine for making envelopes in which the seal
flap is gummed by one of the group of pickers or gummers which serve to
gum the folding flaps, and no previous gumming and drying of the seal flap is
therefore required. During the operation of folding the envelopes are printed,
stamped, or embossed with suitable characters, letters, or designs in one or
more colours.
Tho machine may be described as consisting of a table or platform, on which
the envelope blanks are placed in a pile, and from which they are taken up by

page_text: the action of three descending pickers, which deposit them on a reciprocating
carrier. One picker serves to apply gum to the bottom flap, another picker
to one of the side flaps, and the third to the seal flap of the envelope.
These pickers are operated by one and the same cam, and the requisite amount
of gum is supplied to them by the action of distributing rollers, which are
mounted in a reciprocating carriage, by the motion of which they aro brought
in contact with a supply roller situated in a fixed tray supplied with gum.
When a blank has been gummed and deposited on the carrier it is carried
in under a plunger, secured to a rising and falling rod, and situated over an
aperture in the table, through which a platform rises and falls. Around this
aperture, and to a certain extent closing it, the folding flaps are hinged.
Above the table, and supported by suitable legs or brackets, is a metal plate
for receiving the blanks from the carrier; this plate is provided with a hole
just large enough to let the plunger pass through freely; as one blank
after the other is deposited on this plate, and simultaneously with the descent
of the plunger, a stamp comes down and produces an impression on the
seal flap.
By the action of the plunger the blank is forced down through the hole in
the plate, and the blank is thus creased, and after the blank has been
depressed on the platform the folding wings take action and fold the
⚫envelope.
In order to print or emboss on the envelopes any suitable letters, characters,
-or designs, the upper surface of this platform, or the lower surface of tho
plunger, or both, are provided with the requisite cavities or projections, or the
designs may be engraved thereon or otherwise produced on them, and as the
plunger descends and the platform risos, the blanks situated between are
exposed to a heavy pressure, and the operation of printing, stamping, and
embossing is effected during the time the envelopes pass through the folding
mechanism.
The variety of designs to be produced is increased by using a secondary
platform, which rises through a suitable hole in the main platform, and to
which ink of any desired colour may be imparted by a suitable roller; this
additional platform or die will take action simultaneously with the main plat-
form, and while the main platform prints or stamps one or more words the
secondary platform may be used to produce any desired design.
The folding wings take action in successive order, and in order to prevent
the gummed portion of the seal flap coming in contact with the outer surfaces
of the other flaps, three of the wings are provided with projections at their
extremities.

page_text: After the envelopes have been folded they are discharged on to an endless
apron, which is provided with a series of radiating plates for catching between
the seal flap and the body of the envelopes; thus while the envelopes are
carried off by the endless apron the gum on the seal flap has time to dry.
From these plates the envelopes are discharged on to an inclined table, whence
they are collected and put up in suitable bundles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th January 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my 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
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPE MACHINES," being a communication from
abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, 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 I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thercon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to a machine for making envelopes in which tho scal

page_text: flaps are gummed by the pickers or gummers which serve to gum the folding
flaps, and no previous gumming and drying of said flaps is required. The
folding wings are provided with projections which prevent the gummed portion
of the seal flap coming in contact with the outer surfaces of the other flaps
during the operation of folding, and after the envelopes have been folded they
drop down on an endless apron furnished with a series of radiating plates,
each of which passes between the seal flap and body of a folded envelope and
retains the same until the gum on the seal flap has dried. During the
operation of folding the envelopes are printed, stamped, or embossed with
suitable characters, letters, or designs in one or more colors.
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which Fig. 1
represents a longitudinal vertical section of an envelope machine constructed
according to these improvements; Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the gum-
ming device detached; and Fig. 3 is a detached plan of the folders. Similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A represents the table or platform of an ordinary envelope machine on
which the blanks are placed, and from which they are taken up by the action
of pickers B, B¹, B*, which deposit them on the reciprocating carrier C.
The pickers B serve to apply gum to the bottom flap, the picker B' (see Fig. 2)
to one of the side flaps, and the picker B* to the seal flap of the envelope, as
shown; these pickers are so arranged that one and the same cam imparts
the required rising and falling motion to thom, and the requisite amount of
gum is supplied to them by the action of distributing rollers a which are
secured to a reciprocating carriage b, by the motion of which they are brought
in contact with the supply roller c that is situated in a tray d partially filled
with gum. After a blank has been gummed and deposited on the carrier c
the carrier carries it in under the plunger D; this plunger is secured to a rising
and falling rod E*, and it is situated over an aperture e in the table through
which the platform E rises and falls.
Above the table, and supported by suitable legs or brackets, is a metal
plate provided with a hole 9 just large enough to let the plunger D pass
though freely. As ono blank after the other is deposited on this plato
simultaneously with the descent of the plunger D, a stamp F comes down and
produces an impression on the seal flap, which, when the envelope is ready
and scaled, forms an imitation of a seal, or which may represent any desired
character or design. By the action of the plunger D the blank is forced down
through the hole g in the plate f, and the blank is thus creased, and after tho
Llank has been depressed on the platform E, the folding wings h, h', h", "",
take action and fold the envelope.

page_text: In order to print or emboss on the envelopes any suitable letters, characters,
or designs, the upper surface of the platform, or the lower surface of the
plunger, or both, are provided with the requisite cavities or projections, or the
designs may be engraved thereon or otherwise produced on them, and as
the plunger descends and the platform rises the blanks situated between arc
exposed to a heavy pressure, and the operation of printing, stamping, and
embossing is effected during the time the envelopes pass through the folding
mechanism.
The variety of designs to be produced is increased by a secondary plat-
form E' which rises through a suitable hole in the main platform E, and to
which ink of any desired color is imparted by a suitable roller r; this addi-
tional platform or die takes action simultaneously with the main platform, and
while the main platform prints or stamps one or more words the secondary
platform may be used to produce any desired design.
The folding wings h, h, h", h, take action in successive order, the wing h¹
first, then the wing h", then the wing h", and, finally, the wing h; and in
order to prevent the gummed portion of the seal flap coming in contact with
the outer surfaces of the other flaps, the wings h³, h", h, are provided with
projections i, as clearly shown in Fig. 8 of the Drawing.
After the envelopes have been fo'ded they are discharged on to an endless
apron G, which is stretched over two rollers; (see the Diagram, Fig. 4) under
the table A; this apron is provided with a series of radiating plates &, which
severally catch between the seal flap and the body of the envelope, and while
the envelopes are carried off in this position by the endless apron the gum on
the seal flap has time to dry. From the plates & the envelopes are discharged
on to an inclined table m, whence they are collected and put up in suitable
bundles, or they may be discharged into a receptacle, as shown at Fig. 4,
where they may be compressed ready for packing.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention communicated to me
from abroad, I wish it to be understood that I claim,-
First, gumming the seal flap while or after the blank has been fed to the
folding mechanism, and simultaneously or nearly so with the operation of
gumming the folding flaps, as set forth.
Second, the projections i, or their equivalents, applied to the folding wings,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Third, the endless apron G, with radiating plates k, in combination with the
gumming and folding mechanism, constructed and operating substantially as
and for the purposo described.
Fourth, printing, stamping, or embossing the envelopes during the operation

page_text: of folding by means substantially such as herein described, or any other equi-
valent means.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)