An Improved Appliance for Moistening Envelopes and for like purposes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 27th May, 1893-Accepted, 8th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Appliance for Moistening Envelopes and for like
purposes.
WILLIAM COLIN MORISON Lympstone Gentleman do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows
1
It consists of a slightly tapered tubular piece, open at the large end to connect
with a suitable receptacle, and having its other end closed but duly perforated with
one or more holes, or suitably furnished with a very narrow opening, through which
a suitable fluid, or suitable substance, may be readily forced from said receptacle
for the purpose of duly applying said fluid to a given surface.
Thus, by having one exceedingly small hole and the receptacle being supplied
with water said water may be readily forced from the receptacle and through said
hole drop by drop and may be applied as may be required to moisten a coating of
dry mucilage on, the flap of an envelope or, a postage stamp, to enable the same
to adhere as may be required.
If preferred suitable pieces may be arranged to enable the opening or openings,
with which the tubular piece may be furnished, to be readily diminished or
increased as may be desired.
When said tubular piece is furnished with one hole there may be formed either,
as may be desired, only on one side, or preferably on two and opposite sides, of
said hole a lightly scraping edge to enable the fluid passing through said hole to
be readily spread as may be required. Several similar scraping edges may be
formed with several holes, or with other opening, or openings, as may be desired
for the aforesaid purpose; if preferred, the scraping edge, or edges, instead of
being formed in one piece with the hole, holes, or any form of opening, respectively,
it, or they, may be removable and adjustable.
When it is desired to use this invention only occasionally and merely to moisten
the dry mucilage on the flaps of a few envelopes, or other small surfaces, a small
quantity of water will suffice for many such operations, therefore the receptacle
may be correspondingly small and may be formed of flexible india rubber as a
somewhat spherically shaped hollow vessel with only one opening and that duly
fitted with a suitable tube the outer end of which may readily be connected with
the aforesaid tubular piece, so that said vessel may he readily removed from said
tubular piece, when required, filled with water, and duly again connected with said
piece.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Appliance for Moistening Envelopes and for like
purposes.
WILLIAM COLIN MORISON Lympstone Devon Gentleman 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 :-
It consists of a, preferably slightly tapered, tubular piece, of metal or of other
suitable material, open at the large end to connect with a suitable receptacle and
having its other end closed but duly perforated with a hole of suitable shape, or
holes of suitable shapes as may be preferred, through which a suitable fluid,
preferably water, may be readily forced from said receptacle for the purpose of
duly applying the same to a given surface so as to moisten the said surface.

page_text: Thus, by having one exceedingly small hole in the closed end of said tubular
piece and the receptacle having been supplied with water, said water may be readily
forced from the receptacle and through said hole drop by drop, each drop being
if desired very small, and may be applied as may be required to moisten a coating
of dry mucilage or other suitable substance on, the flap of an envelope or a postage
stamp, to enable the same to adhere as may be required; said receptacle being,
preferably, of elastic indiarubber and, preferably, of a somewhat bottle shape with
only one opening and that duly connected with said tubular piece.
'
Said tubular piece may if preferred be of elastic indiarubber with its closed end
somewhat flattened in a plane nearly parallel with the axis of the piece and formed
with a slit at the end of said piece parallel with, and nearly the whole length of,
the flattened portion so that said slit may be applied lightly to a given surface and
by moving it suitably over said surface it will be caused to slightly open and thus
enable the required small quantity of water to pass through said slit, from the
receptacle with which said tubular piece may be connected, on to the said surface
for the purpose of moistening the same; when not being used the slit remains
closed.
Said tubular piece may if preferred be connected with a closed receptacle made
of metal, in the form of a closed ordinary watch case, with a short tube by means
of which the open end of the tubular piece may be duly connected with said
receptacle.
If desired to protect the outer end of the tubular piece when not in use said end
may be slipped into a receptacle made to suitably fit the same.
Figs. 1, and 2, are respectively a front and side view of the form I prefer to make
my aforesaid invention.
The tubular piece a is of suitable metal with only one hole b, and that very small,
in it's outer and closed end and a short distance below (the device being in the
upright position, in which it is to be used, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,) said hole and
extending in a line across a short distance, preferably equally, on each side (Fig. 1.)
of said hole is formed the edge c (Fig. 2.) with which water may be lightly
scraped or spread thinly, over a suitable surface. Said tubular piece is connected
with a closed receptacle, d, preferably of elastic indiarubber and of a somewhat
bottle shape, by means of the tube, e, fixed into the only opening with which the
receptacle is furnished and projecting from. said receptacle and having it's outer
and free end, preferably, screwed into the piece, a; thus enabling the receptacle to
be readily removed from connection with, a, when it may readily be supplied
with water through the tube, e; f is formed round and with the neck of d,
and g, h, are parts of a tube into which the neck of d is inserted to strengthen said
neck.
When using the device on, say, a coating of dry mucilage on the flap of an
envelope or the like it is held in an upright position with the spreading edge, 'c, in
light contact with said surface and it is then moved over the surface, to be moistened,
at the same time that the receptacle is suitably compressed (which may readily be
done) to cause the required very small quantity of water to pass through the hole, b,
downwards over the front of the edge, c, and down to the said surface over which
the water may then be, by means of the edge, c, very thinly spread so as to suitably
moisten the said dry mucilage (or other suitable substance) to enable paper, and
the like, to suitably adhere to the same.
Figs. 3 and 4 represent respectively a 'front and side view of a piece m suitably
formed to receive the free end of the piece, a, with its spreading edge, 'c, to protect
the same when not being used; said receptacle m being preferably of suitable
metal.
When desired, to make use of said protecting piece, m, it is simply moved
upwards so that the upper sides of the ends of the curved portions of k, k, may be
moved outwards by tlie slightly rounding ends, n, n, of the spreading edge, c, and
that m may be raised sufficiently over the lower portion of a to enable the
portions k, k, to duly spring inwards back to their first and normal positions when

page_text: in doing so the undersides of said curved ends will be caused to hook on to the
shoulders i, i, of the piece, a, and thus duly to retain the protecting piece m in
place on, a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
First. The construction or general arrangement and combination, of my invention
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and substantially as
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. The tubular piece, a, furnished with a suitable small hole, b, substantially
as and for the purpose herein before described.
Third. The tubular piece, a, furnished with the small hole band the spreading
edge c substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
Fourth. The protecting piece m substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and substantially as shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated 26th day of May 1893.
W. C. MORISON.