Improvements in Apparatus for Affixing Adhesive Stamps to Letters and such like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Affixing Adhesive Stamps to Letters
and such like.
I, BASS KENNEDY, of 284 West Scotland Street, Glasgow, Boiler Maker, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an apparatus for affixing adhesive stamps to letters,
newspapers, accounts and such like.
The apparatus consists of a wooden or other board upon or to which is fitted a
hollow pedestal in the interior of which a spiral spring or equivalent is placed.
Fitted telescopically on the outside of the pedestal is a movable tube which is
provided with a suitable handle or press button. A. V-shaped slot is cut through
the tube and a steel or other pin fitted in the pedestal projects through said slot.
Fitted to the telescopic tube are two arms arranged, preferably, at right angles.
Each of these arins supports or carries a small box or tube. In one of the boxes a
small pad or sponge is fitted which is or may be held in place by a spring or
equivalent fitted in the interior of the box. This pad is called the moistening pad
and is so arranged as, at certain times, to dip into a small well of water carried in
a recess in the board. The well may also have a pad fitted in it.
In the other box the adhesive stamps such as postage, receipt stamps etc. are
placed. The stamps are held in position by a small thin plain or toothed edging at
the bottom of the box and by a spring piston at the interior of the box.
is, of course, open at its underside to allow the stamps to pass out.
secured to the arms by means of spring catches or equivalent.
The box
The boxes are
The board is provided with suitable beadings for holding letters in place when
being stamped.
Instead of having springs in the interior of the boxes blocks of wood or other
suitable substance may be provided.
The apparatus operates by merely pressing down the telescopic tube and arms,
against the action of the spring, then allowing it to rise again and then pressing
it down a second time. The arrangement is such that the first pressure damps the
paper and the second fixes the stamp.
A modified form of the apparatus may be used for the pocket. In this case the
apparatus consists of a box or tube divided into two compartments the upper
compartment being provided with a damping sponge and the lower compartment
being used as a stamp holder and being provided with a spring or other piston for
forcing out the stamps. The piston may be actuated by a rod
arrangement.
or lever
If so desired the sponging part may be dispensed with and the stamps forced out
by a press button.
1000
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.

page_text: .
.
COMEDIE OI MUITICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Affixing Adhesive Stamps to Letters
and such like.
I, BASS KENNEDY of 284 West Scotland Street, Glasgow, Boiler Maker, 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 an apparatus for affixing adhesive stamps to letters,
newspapers, accounts, and such like.
The apparatus preferably consists of a wooden or other board upon or to which is
fitted a hollow pedestal in the interior of which a spiral spring or equivalent is
placed. Fitted telescopically on the outside of the pedestal is a movable tube which
is provided with a suitable handle or press button. A V shaped slot is cut through
the tube and a steel or other pin fitted in the pedestal projects through said slot.
Fitted to the telescopic tube are two arms arranged, preferably, at right angles.
Each of these arms supports or carries a small box or tube. In one of the boxes a
small pad or sponge is fitted which is or may be held in place by a spring or
equivalent fitted in the interior of the box. This pad is called the moistening
pad and is so arranged as, at certain times, to dip into a small well of water carried
in a recess in the board. The well may also have a pad fitted in it.
In the other box the adhesive stamps such as postage, receipt stamps etc., are
placed. The stamps are held in position by a small thin plain or toothed edging
at the bottom of the box and by a spring piston at the interior of the box. The
-box is, of course, open at its underside to allow the stamps to pass out. The boxes
may be secured to the arms by means of spring catches or equivalent.
The board is provided with suitable beadings for holding letters in place when
being stamped.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended two explanatory sheets of drawings, whereon
Fig. 1 is a front view of the stamping apparatus and Fig. 1ª a section.
Fig. 2 is a plan.
Fig. 3 is a side view.
Fig. 4 is a part back view.
Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sectional views.
Figs. 7 and 8 are plan views of details.
Fig. 9 is a section of the water well and moistening pad.
Fig. 10 is a detail.
Fig. 11 is a side view, Fig. 12 a vertical section and Fig. 13 a plan of an
apparatus for the pocket.
Fig. 14 is a section of the damping pad for the pocket device.
Referring to the drawings whereon the same reference letters wherever repeated,
indicate similar or like parts.
a is the wooden or other board. b is a hollow pedestal secured by screws or pins
to said board. c is a spiral spring inserted in the hollow pedestal. d is a tube
fitted telescopically on the outside of the pedestal. e is a presser knob or button
fitted in the top of the tube and which may have a downwardly projecting part e¹
to serve as a guide for the spring. As will be seen at Figs. and 4 a V or nearly
V shaped slot g is cut in the back of the tube d through which a pin f, screwed
into the pedestal e projects. This pin may be round or of triangular section as
shown at Fig. 10. h, are two arms which project out from the tube d,
preferably, at right angles to each other. i, are rectangular boxes secured to
the arms h, h'.
The box i has a damping pad secured to or pressed on by a spiral spring k
(see Fig. 5) which latter, at its upper end, is secured to a tubular piston which

page_text: works telescopically in the cylindrical neck m of the box i. The tube which is
prevented from coming out of the box i by the flange n, is, at its upper end,
secured to the arm by a screw o. This screw passes down through a hole in the
end of the arm and enters the screw tapped hole o' in the top of the piston l.
The box (see Fig. 6), which is open at its underside, is for the reception of
adhesive stamps.
It has a plate p in it which is normally pressed downwards by a
spring q.
are guide pieces interposed between the plate p and the spring. The
spring, at its upper end, is secured to the tubular pistons working telescopically
within the cylindrical neck s¹ of the box. The piston, in this case also, is secured
to its arm by a screw o² which enters the hole o (dotted lines Fig. 6) at the top
of piston s.
n' is a flange for preventing the piston coming out of place. The
stamps when inserted in the box i are retained in place by the thin edgings or
lips t, see in plan at Fig. 7 or the edgings may be made as shown in plan at Fig. 8.
As will be seen the edgings are made as small as possible consistent with the
retention of the stamps. The presser plate p is, by preference, cut away at
the parts in order to correspond with the lips or edgings t and to facilitate the
delivery of the stamps. The edgings and cuts are so made that when the plate p
is fully pressed down it is level with the bottom of the box (see Fig. 6). The
edgings or lips prevent more than one stamp being delivered at a time from
the box.
u is the damping well (see also Fig. 9) which is secured in a recess in the board a.
The well is partially filled with water and has a pad in it. This pad may be formed
of a bent piece u¹ of metal, such as zinc, and covered with one or two plies of cloth u².
The pad may however be a sponge or the like.
v. are beadings for keeping the letter or the like in position whilst being
stamped. w is a felt or cloth pad for the letter to rest on.
x is a small box with an open front and top in which the stamps are placed when
being torn off the strips.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-After a number of stamps have
been filled into the box with their gumined sides downwards and a letter has
been placed on the pad w, the knob e is pressed downwards against the action of
the spring and at the same time twisted slightly to the left hand. As the tube d
is pressed down the pin f travelling along the part g' of the slot g turns the
tube d and with it the arms and box i round over the well u. A further
pressure on the knob now forces the box i downwards and brings the pad j in
contact with the damp pad u³ from which it absorbs a certain amount of moisture.
The pressure on the knob is now relieved and the spring e, allowed to force up
the tube d to its original position when it, the knob, is again pressed down, but
is this time twisted towards the right hand so as to bring the pin into the part y²
of the slot and cause the box i at the next downward pressure to come down over
the top right hand corner of the letter and damp it. When this has been done
the spring is allowed to again force up the tube, which is thereafter subjected to
a third pressure in which the pin is caused to traverse the part g' of the slot
and bring simultaneously the pad j in contact with the moist pad u and the
stamping box over the top right hand corner of the letter lying on pad w. The
third pressure should be strong enough to cause one of the stamps in said box i
to adhere to the damp part of the letter. At the next upstroke the box i is
brought over the pad w ready to moisten a second letter and the stamp box i¹
is moved out of the way. As the edgings or lips t present very little gripping
or retarding surface to the stamps there is no danger, when one is pressed down on
the damp letter, of its being removed again at the next upstroke.
With a little practice considerable speed can be attained and the letters stamped
very quickly.
In Figs. 11, 12, 13 and 14 a modified form of the device suitable for the pocket
is shown. It consists of the rectangular box i, piston s, spring 9 and presser
plate pas before. The piston is in this case, made with a press button on top.
y are a number of stamps filled in the box ready for stamping. z is a damping pad

page_text: which is enclosed on the sides and top by a casing ¹. When the device is to be
placed in the pocket a sliding cap is pushed over the top of the pad as shown at
Figs. 11 and 12. When it is desired to use this arrangement the cap is pulled
off and also the pad z and its casing '. The letter, account, etc. is first wetted.
with the pad and the box is then placed over the damped part and the piston
If desired the damping
pressed down so as to cause one of the stamps to adhere.
part may be dispensed with.
Instead of using springs k, q, rubber cushions may be employed.
In some cases, if preferred, the pistons may be spring pistons and be made to act
direct on the presser plate or the pad or indirectly on wood blocks or the like
interposed between the plate and piston.
Instead of the slot g a deep groove may be made on the inner side of the tube d
in which the head of a small pin ƒ may work.
If desired the body a may be made of cast iron or other metal and be hollow so
as to form a tank for containing a supply of water.
The apparatus may manifestly be altered in its details of construction without
departing from the principle of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The general arrangement or combination of parts of the apparatus substantially
as hereinbefore described and shown on the drawings annexed.
2. In an apparatus of the class set forth, the combination of a pedestal or pillar,
a tube or equivalent sliding thereon and damping and stamping devices secured to
said sliding tube, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
3. The sliding tube d made with a V shaped slot g in it, substantially as and for
the purpose herein before set forth.
4. The combination of the box i, damping pad j, and spring k acted on by a
piston or its equivalent, substantially as herein before described with reference to
the drawings annexed.
5. The combination of the box ¹ presser plate p, spring
and pistons, or its
equivalent, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings
annexed.
6. In an apparatus of the class set forth a box for holding the stamps made with
edgings or lips, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. The modified device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
Figs. 11, 12, 13 and 14 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 14th day of September 1893.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.