Improvements in Screw Presses for Copying Letters and for other like purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 13th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Screw Presses for Copying Letters and for other
like purposes.
I FREDERICK THOMAS JEFFERSON of the firm of Kenrick and Jefferson, of
High Street West Bromwich, in the County of Stafford, Printers Publishers and
Stationers do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in screw presses
for copying letters and for other like purposes, the objects of my said improvements
being to effect a rapid return or upward motion of the press platten and to regulate
the distance to which the press platten can ascend after the copying has been
effected.
The press platten may either be worked by a quick threaded screw acting upon
a square sliding bar attached to the platten; or by a long quick threaded screw
connected by a swivel joint to the said platten.
For the purpose of giving a quick return or upward motion to the press platten
when the pressure on it is relaxed, I place in one or in both of the hollow side
columns of the press frame a coiled spring. These coiled springs are situated
around the guide rods on which the eyes or loops of the platten work, one end of
each spring bearing against the bed of the press and the other end bearing against
the underside of the eye of the platten. The result of this arrangement is that
when the pressure on the screw handle is relaxed the pressure of the springs on the
eyes of the platten rapidly raises the latter sufficiently high from the bed to permit
of the removal of the letter copying book.
Or instead of a coiled spring or springs placed in the hollow column or columns
of the press frame, a plate spring attached at its outer end to the fixed column of
the press frame and at its inner end to the platten may be employed for giving the
quick return or upward motion to the press platten on relaxing the pressure on the
screw handle.
For the purpose of regulating the ascent of the press platten so that the space
between the bed of the press and the lifted platten shall accommodate copying books
of different thicknesses I place on one or on both of the hollow columns of the
press sliding stop rings or collars adjustable by set screws. On the ascent of
the platten it strikes against the said stop ring or rings and its further ascent is
prevented.
Or the same object may be obtained by placing a stop ring or collar on the
central hollow column in which the screw and sliding bar of the platten work. In
this case a cross pin on the sliding bar works in a slot in the central column and
striking against the adjustable stop ring limits the ascent of the platten. Or the
adjustment stop ring may be applied to the screw for the same purpose.
By the combinations of parts described the copying of letters and other documents
is much expedited and labour saved.
Dated this 26th day of Nov 1891
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: 1
Improvements in Screw Presses for Copying Letters and for other
like purposes.
I FREDERICK THOMAS JEFFERSON of the firm of Kenrick and Jefferson, of
High Street, West Bromwich in the County of Stafford, Printers, Publishers and
Stationers, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in screw presses
for copying letters and for other like purposes, the objects of my said improvements
being to effect a rapid return or upward motion of the press platten and to regulate
the distance to which the press platten can ascend after the copying has been
effected.
The press platten may either be worked by a quick threaded screw acting upon
a square sliding bar attached to the platten; or by a long quick threaded screw
connected by a swivel joint to the said platten.
For the purpose of giving a quick return or upward motion to the press platten
when the pressure on it is relaxed, I place in one or in both of the hollow side
columns of the press frame, a coiled spring. These coiled springs are situated
around the guide rods on which the eyes or loops of the platten work, one end of
each spring bearing against the bed of the press and the other end bearing against
the underside of the eye of the platten. The result of this arrangement is that
when the pressure on the screw handle is relaxed the pressure of the springs on the
eyes of the platten rapidly raises the latter sufficiently high from the bed to permit
of the removal of the letter copying book.
For the purpose of regulating the height to which the press platten can ascend
so that the space between the bed of the press and the lifted platten shall accom-
modate copying books of different thicknesses I place on one or on both of the
guide rods of the press, sliding stop rings or collars adjustable by set screws.
the ascent of the platten it strikes against the said stop ring or rings and its further
ascent is prevented.
On
Or the same object may be obtained by placing a stop ring or collar on the
.central hollow column in which the screw and sliding bar of the platten work. In
this case a cross pin on the sliding bar works in a slot in the central column and
striking against the adjustable stop ring limits the ascent of the platten.
Or an adjustment stop ring or pin may be applied to the screw or square bar of
the screw for the same purpose.
By the combinations of parts described the copying of letters and other documents
is much expedited and labour saved.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing represent partly in vertical
section and partly in perspective screw presses for copying letters and for other
like purposes containing my improvements.
The press platten in Figure 1 is worked by a quick threaded screw acting upon
a square sliding bar attached to the platten and the press platten in Figure 2 is
worked by a long quick threaded screw connected by a swivel joint to the platten.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in both figures.
a is the press platten and the quick threaded screw by the direct action of
which the platten is worked, as seen in Figure 2, or through the square sliding
bar c as seen in Figure 1; d, d are the hollow side columns of the press containing
the fixed guide rods e, e and the coiled springs f, f, the latter giving a quick return
or upward motion to the press platten. The press platten a is guided in its motion
by eyes or loops g, g at its ends sliding upon the guide rods e, e, the said eyes

page_text: working in vertical slots at h, h in the inner sides of the hollow columns d, d. The
coiled springs are situated around the guide rods e, e, the top of each spring
bearing against the underside of the eye g of the platten and the bottom of each
spring bearing against the bed of the press as best seen in the sectional half of each
of the presses represented.
As the press platten a is forced down for putting the required pressure on the
copying book placed between it and the bed of the press, the coiled springs fare
compressed, and when the pressure on the handle of the screw is relaxed, the
compressed springs acting on the eyes g of the platten rapidly raise the said platten
sufficiently high from the bed of the press to permit of the removal of the letter
copying book as will be understood by an examination of the drawing.
By thus causing the press platten to be lifted on relaxing the pressure upon it,
the copying of letters is much expedited.
In the drawing I have shown two arrangements for regulating the height to
which the press platten can ascend so that the space between the bed of the press
and the lifted platten shall accommodate copying books of different thicknesses.
In Figure 2 I have represented for this purpose stop rings or collars i, i. These
rings or collars i, i are capable of adjustment by a sliding motion on the guide
rods e, e and are fixed by the set screws k, k passed through side slots in the
columns d, d. On the ascent of the press platten a, its eyes g, strike the adjusted
stop rings i, i and thereby arrest the motion of the platten at the desired height.
In Figure I have represented the arresting of the ascent of the press platten
by the adjustable collar on the sliding bar of the platten. When the platten
ascends the collar strikes the bottom of the central hollow column m and its
further upward motion is prevented. Or the same object may be effected by an
adjustable stop ring or collar on the central hollow column m and a pin on the
sliding bare working in a vertical slot in the said column, the said pin on the
ascent of the press platten striking the adjusted stop ring or collar on the central
column m.
Or the same object may be attained by making a series of equidistant holes in
the bar e Figure 1 or in the screw Figure 2 and placing a stop pin in one of the
said holes for striking against the bottom of the central hollow column m on the
rising of the press platten.
For the purpose of facilitating the adjusting of the positions of the platten
arresting stops according as copying books of different thicknesses are used in the
press, I prefer to inscribe on the pillars d, d or on the square rod l' or on the
column m the figures and words-250 leaf-500 leaf-1000 leaf. To these figures
and words the adjusting pins of the ring stops or the collars, are brought and fixed,
according as copying books containing the respective number of leaves indicated
are to be used in the press.
When it is required to temporarily hold down the press platten after the latter
has been pressed home the stop rings or collars i, i Figure 2 may be released and
allowed to descend with the platten and refastened in their lowered position by
driving home the set screws k, k so as to fix down the platten. Or when the stop
collar Figure 1 is used it is released and refixed in a higher position on the bar e
for the same purpose. Or other equivalent arrangements may be used for holding
down the platten.
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner of performing the same I declare that I claim as my invention of
Improvements in screw presses for copying letters and for other like purposes":
First-The combination with or addition to the said screw copying presses of
coiled or other springs for giving a quick return or upward motion to the press
platten when the pressure on it is relaxed, the several parts being arranged and
acting substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing.

page_text: 'Secondly-Regulating the height to which the press platten can ascend by the
arrangements of parts hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying
drawing and the modified arrangements described.
Dated the Twelfth day of February 1892.
FREDERICK THOMAS JEFFERSON.