APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MANUSCRIPT MATTER IN MULTIPLE
Year: 1884

page_text: I, AUGUSTUS CELANUS CAREY of Boston in the County of Suffolk in the State
of Massachusetts United States of America Machinist do hereby declare the nature
of said Invention for " APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MANUSCRIPT MATTER IN
MULTIPLE" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The Invention relates to the production autographically of a multiplicity of
copies of a writing, draft, design or other such instrument or paper as is ma le by
hand simultaneously with the making of the original. The Invention consists in a
needle pen supplied with ink combined with means for carrying and imparting a
rapid reciprocatory movement to the pen whereby it is driven through one or a
number of sheets of paper, carries the ink with it and deposits the ink in holes
made in the paper said holes being arranged by the proper guidance of the pen to
form letters figures or other characters or designs. For convenience the instrument
may be termed a multigraph. Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus embodying
one form of my Invention.
.
Fig. 2. is a partly sectional side elevation of the pen or multigraph when operated
by an air motor on a larger scale.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same.
Fig. 4 shows six several forms of needle pens, greatly enlarged.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of the upper end of the multigraph
arranged for being operated by a band and pulley.
Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modification of the power device or motor.
Fig. 7 is a sectional detail on a larger scale of the driving pulley of the power
shaft and
Fig. 8 includes a face and partly sectional view of the guide post of the motor.
Corresponding parts in the several Figures are designated alike.
For convenience of illustration only I have selected to exemplify my Invention
a somewhat common form of an instrument sometimes termed an autographic
printing device consisting in this instance of a tube a containing a needle b which
needle is provided with a head c between which and the upper end of the tube is
interposed a spring d to hold said needle normally up. The tube is adjustably
secured in a yoke e and this yoke contains a shaft bearing a cam g to act upon
and with the spring reciprocate the needle and a power or motor device à liere

page_text: shown as a wind wheel which may be operated by a blast of air delivered through
a nozzle i. To the yoke I attach a ring or eyej by which the instrument may be
suspended from the ceiling or other elevation with an intermediate spring k. The
active end of the needle may have a longitudiual groove / running out at its point
with transverse nicks m as shown in Fig. 4 at A or it may be simply an eye
pointed sewing needle as in Fig. 4 B or an eye pointed needle removeably arranged
in a needle bar by a set screw as in sewing machines see Fig. 4 C or it may be an
eye pointed and longitudinally grooved needle as in Figure 4 D or it may be a
longitudinally grooved needle the bottom of the groove in which is nicked crimped
or corrugated as in Fig. 4 E or it may be a pen substantially such as a drafting
pen in this instance the pen being a needle split longitudinally at its point. The
essential features of the needle are its penetrating point and capacity to hold and
convey ink and the several forms just described embody as many illustrations of
these essentials.
The shape of the needle in cross section may be varied, and the number and
arrangement of the ink duct also varied.
The needle is permitted to project beyond the lower end of the tube a more or
less in accordance with the number or thickness of sheets of paper to be written
upon at a single operation and this adjustment of the needle is effected by raising
or lowering the tube. Inasmuch however, as the tube is in this instance cut
away at n to permit access of the ink fountain to the pen, the said tube cannot
be rotated to secure this adjustment hence I screw thread the said tube at o and p
above and below the bottom piece of the yoke e and leave a clear portion q between
such threaded portions which clear portion is adapted to move freely in a clear hole
in the yoke e under the adjustments effected by the nuts and s engaging respec-
tively the threaded portions o and p or the tube may be threaded continuously
from the bottom of the threaded portion p up to the upper end and still work in a
clear hole in the yoke. The nuts r. 8 bear against the upper and lower faces of
the lower member of the. yoke and so serve to steady in fact rigidly hold the
tube in its adjusted positions. As is obvious, rotarily moving the nuts about
the tube toward the yoke and the nut from the yoke will cause the tube to
move from the yoke and hence decrease the amount of projection of the needle
from the tube and on the other hand, moving the nut toward and the nut s
from the yoke will increase the projection of the needle from the tube, by raising
the tube up into the yoke. To prevent the binding of the nuts upon the tube
tending to rotate it, the tube may be squared in the yoke. As an ink fountain
I have shown an ordinary stylographic pen t secured to the tube at an angle of
about 60° by means of a hinged clamp yoke u and having its lower or delivery end
projecting into the excision and seated there on a rest v. I do not however limit
my Invention to the use of a stylographic pen but may employ other fountains for
supplying ink or colour to the needle pen. The reciprocating of the needle pen
will draw the ink from the fountain, although the supply may be otherwise
regulated in many obvious ways. The yoke u is hinged or jointed to permit the
turning of the fountain up and away from the needle pen, a spring w holding the
joint in one or both positions in any suitable manner. The yoke u is split at its
ends to encircle the tube and fountain respectively and is held in place and
holds the fountain and tube in proper relative positions by binding screws 1. 2
engaging the meeting ends of such split portions. Instead of the wind wheel or
air motor for driving the pen 1 may use an electric water or spring motor or a foot
or power apparatus. In Fig. 1 have shown an admirable arrangement.for
supplying power for driving these pens.
The work bench or table a' may be of suitable construction and dimensions
covered with cloth baize or other stuff of equivalent softness. Upon the table is
made fast a vertical post to which is secured at, say a right angle an arın c¹.
Above this art and parallel therewith is attached to the post a socket piece d
(see Fig. 7 for details) universal joint or the like which socket receives pivotally
the rounded end of a shaft e¹ which is supported at its other end by a bearing

page_text: post guided in a vertical hole or pipe g' in the outer end of the arm c¹ a
spring (Fig. I) or a weighted lever (Fig. 6) or other counterpoise for said
shaft being interposed between the shaft e' and arm c¹ to hold said shaft normally
elevated and in effect make of the bearing for its free end a yielding or moveable
bearing which is always self recovering. If a spring be employed it may be a
coiled spring encircling the stem of the bearing f' and interposed between the
arm and the head of the said bearing and if a weighted lever be used it may
conveniently have its fulcrum on a bracket i¹ of the arm c¹ with its tail j' engaging
a projection of the bearing f¹. The counterpoise of whatever nature must be
sufficient to lift the shaft e¹ out of and above a true horizontal plane when released
from pressure in the opposite direction. The shaft e¹ has a combined balance and
belt wheel attached to it near its pivotal end, or the wheels may be separate,
and at the free end said shaft is provided with a transmitting pulley m¹ detachably
fast thereto. The bearing f' has such a connection with the arm c¹ that while it
may move freely up and and down therein and more or less, if need be, axially it
has no other movements. The shaft is held in its socket piece d' by a collar n¹
held on the shaft by a set screw in such relation to the bearing as to preclude such
an extent of longitudinal movement of the shaft as would enable it to escape from
the said socket. Such collar will be unnecessary if the shaft be articulated or
jointed or hinged to the post.
In order to give the shaft the necessary play in said bearing f¹ to permit it to
move in an arc of a circle, the eye of said bearing may be in cross section, of the
shape of an hour glass (see details Fig. 8) but other constructions and devices are
obvious for obtaining the same result.
Rotary movement is imparted to the shaft e¹ by a belt o' connecting its belt
wheel with a driven wheel p¹ operated by a treadle q such as are usually employed
in sewing machines but I do not limit the source of power to any particular motor
and may employ any of the well known mechanisms. The rotary motion of shaft c¹
is transmitted from wheel m¹ by a belt which may be of leather, rubber, coiled
wire or other material. When the multigraph to be driven or operated is connected
with the belt as shown and it is desired to use it, pressure upon it toward the
table will overcome the counterpoise, bring the shaft into the horizontal or nearly
such and permit the instrument to be manually guided or operated as in any other
pen. The instrument will when released from the hand be drawn up out of the
way by the counterpoise acting to throw the shaft up into the position of rest
indicated in the Drawing it being understood that the instrument is an element of
weight to be overcome by the counterpoise. By this apparatus the multigraph is
always handy for use and not liable to injury from careless or hurried workmen
throwing it down.
Where numbers of multigraphs as in an express, telegraph or other large office
are used the series of pivoted shafts one for each multigraph will be driven from
power driven shafting in any suitable manner. Instead of the cam g and spring d,
I may use on the shaft fan eccentric and on the needle a yoke engaging such
eccentric as in Fig. 5' and this will be the preferred form of driving mechanisın
when the multigraph is actuated by the motor mechanism of Fig. 1 although other
obvious forms may be employed. In Fig. 1 the multigraph has its ink fountain
connected with the yoke by a bracket e depending therefrom to which bracket
the hanging clamp of the fountain is hinge jointed and held by a spring
operating substantially as stated of spring w so as to hold the fountain in its
positions of use and disuse.
The operation of the multigraph is as follows: A number of sheets of paper
corresponding in number to that of the desired copies, are placed and held stationary
in a pile one above another on a soft or yielding foundation or bed the needle
tube is adjusted to give the requisite projection to the needle and motion is
imparted to the needle. The instrument is then manipulated after the manner of
a pen or pencil in working but forming the characters by numerous perforations
instead of continuous lines and the needle taking the ink from the fountain thrusts

page_text: it along with itself through the several sheets of paper, leaving in each and all the
same sort of mark or character in the holes made by the needle and simultaneously
filled or surrounded by ink and thus rendered readily decipherable or legible and
of a permanent character in each and all of the several sheets of the pile. Thus
the original and a large number of copies of a writing and all autographic are
obtained at one and the same writing without resorting to duplicating by printing
or copying from the original differing in this respect from all methods to me
known heretofore practised. The number of copies obtainable at a single operation
is limited only by the capacity of the motive power for driving the needle pen
through the paper and the strength of the needle. As a supplement to or substitute
for the fountain attached to the pen the ink or colouring matter may be contained
in a pad placed beneath the pile of sheets and in this case the ink or colouring
matter will be drawn up through the paper by the returning needle and be
deposited in the holes made by the needle.
The Invention is specially applicable for getting many copies of a writing but it
is obviously applicable for making in multiple designs, drawings and the like.
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. A machine or instrument for producing multiple autographic writings at one
and the same operation consisting of a pointed needle pen having an ink duct and
means substantially as set forth to carry and rapidly reciprocate such needle pen
to drive it and its contained ink under the guidance of the operator through a
number of sheets of paper in a pile substantially as describe1.
2. The combination of a pen holder or tube a needle pen having an ink duct
therein means substantially as set forth to rapidly reciprocate such pen and an ink
fountain arranged to deliver ink to the duct of the pen substantially as described.
3. The combination with the needle pen and means substantially as set forth to
reciprocate it, of the yoke, a pen holder or tube loosely arranged in the yoke in
which tube said needle reciprocates and nuts engaging screw threads on the tube
on opposite sides of the yoke and bearing upon the yoke to effect the amount of
projection of the pen from the tube substantially as described.
4. The autographic needle pen having a longitudinal ink duct with or without
cross notches or depressions substantially as described.
5. A shaft pivoted at one end, the yielding bearing therefor at its other end a
counterpoise and means to rotate such shaft and transmit its motion combined
substantially as described.
6. The combination of the shaft pivoted or swivelled to a post at one end, a
bearing for the other end of said shaft an arm in which said bearing is free to
move, a counterpoise interposed between said arm and bearing, a driving pulley or
wheel for said shaft a transmitting wheel and a motor substantially as described.
Dated this Second day of September 1884.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Applicant's Agent.