IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAPSULES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Betts, of Wharf Road, City Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Capsule Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAPSULES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
"
Sealed the 3rd February 1860, and dated the 2nd December 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Betts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
December 1859.
I, WILLIAM BETTS, of Wharf Road, City Road, in the County of Middle-
sex, Capsule Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAPSULES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the embossing in colors portions of metallic cap-
sules, or covers for the tops of bottles and other vessels. The stamping or
embossing capsules is usually performed either in the process of manufacture,
or by stamping each capsule separately after it is made, in both cases by means
of engraved dies.
My Invention consists in the arrangement of inking or coloring rollers,
which are so placed that they form part of the machine by which the capsules
are made, and and by the motion of the machine are made to travel first over

page_text: -a palate or suitable surface containing ink or colouring matter, and then over
the die so as to transfer to the projecting surface of such die a portion of the
ink or colouring matter previously to the capsule being pressed or forced
against such die, and which ink or colouring matter is immediately afterwards
transferred from the die to the capsule, by means of the capsule being forced
against such die for the purpose of stamping.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Betts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd June 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BETTS, of Wharf Road, City Road, in the County of Middlesex, Capsule
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Betts, Her special license that I, the said William Betts, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Betts, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF CAPSULES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Betts, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 William Betts, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the embossing in colors portions of metallic.

page_text: capsules, or covers for the tops of bottles and other vessels. The stamping or
embossing of capsules is usually performed either in the process of manufac
ture, or by stamping each capsule separately after it is made, in both cases by
means of engraved dies.
My Invention consists in the arrangement of inking or coloring rollers,
which are so placed that they form part of the machine by which the capsules-
are made, and by the motion of the machine are made to travel first over a
palette or suitable surface containing ink or colouring matter, and then over
the die, so as to transfer to the projecting surface of such die a portion of the
ink or colouring matter previously to the capsule being pressed or forced.
against such die, which ink or colouring matter is immediately afterwards.
transferred from the die to the capsule, by the forcing of the capsule against
such die for the purpose of stamping or embossing the same.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood. I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 represents a sectional view of a portion of a machine for making
capsules, for which Letters Patent were granted to John Thomas Betts, on or
about the 16th day of March, 1843, with my presents improvements adapted
thereto, for the purpose of applying coloring matter to the surface of an
embossing die, whereby embossed capsules more or less colored on their
embossed surfaces are produced. A is the bed plate or framing of the
capsule making machine, which is fully described in the Specification of the
Patent herein-before referred to; and B is the main driving shaft working in
suitable bearings, and carrying a series of eccentrics or cams for actuating
the several punch rods which carry the punches for making the capsules.
The punch rod C shewn in the Drawing represents the last but one of the
series used in forming the capsules; it is actuated by the eccentric D, and is
guided by the bracket supports E, E, secured to the bed plate of the machine,
through which it slides longitudinally; F is a sliding block, carrying onc end
of a stout rod or bar; G a similar sliding block carrying the opposite end of
such bar. To this bar are connected the eccentric rods, one of which is shewn
5 at G¹, and they impart a to-and-fro motion thereto, which motion is transmitted
to the punch rods, also connected to the bar G. The punch H on the end of
the punch rod C is faced with leather or other suitable soft material, and on
to the end of this punch the-capsule is deposited by the action of the machine
during the process of its manufacture; I is the die which is screwed into the

page_text: upright or bracket K, fitted so as to be capable of adjustment upon the bed
plate. This die is engraved so as to impart the required device to the top of
the capsule when the latter is forced against it by the forward motion of the
punch H. In order that such device may be more or less colored, I propose
according to my present Invention to apply suitable coloring matter or pig-
ment to the surface of the die before each impression, and this I propose to
accomplish by means of the pair of inking and distributing rollers L, L, (shewn
in enlarged detail plan and section at Figures 2 and 3), and curved palette
or distributing table M. These rollers are carried in a frame N, the sides of
which are jointed so as to work on centres at O, O, and are also connected at
this point to the forked end of the vibrating arm or bent lever P, working
to and fro on a fixed centre at Q; R, R, are two blade springs which bear
against the ends of the framing N, and admit of a slight yielding action of
the forward roller whilst mounting over the engraved surface of the die. The
tail S of the arm P is jointed to an adjustable link or connecting rod T, the
lower end of which is jointed to one arm of a bell-crank U, and the other
arm of this bell-crank is jointed to the bent connecting rod V. This rod is
attached to the bar G, carried by the sliding blocks F, and receives its motion
from the eccentric D simultaneously with the motion of the punch H. The
bend or crank in the connecting rod is merely for the purpose of enabling it
to be applied to the existing capsule making machines without interfering
with their framing or bed plates. On motion being imparted to the machine,
the connecting rod V actuates the bell-crank U, which, through the interven-
tion of the link T and vibrating arm P, causes the inking and distributing
rollers to pass along the surface of the inking table or palette M; the front
roller passing also over the surface of the die I, which thus receives a coat of
color in readiness for the capsule, which is now forced against it by the
advance of the punch H, thereby embossing the head of the capsule, and
simultaneously transferring the color on to its surface, the embossed and colored
capsule is now transferred by the machine on to the end of the last punch of
the series employed, where it undergoes the final operation of cutting or
paring its edges.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general construction, arrangement, and combination of machinery
or apparatus for manufacturing capsules, as herein-before described.

page_text: Second, the peculiar construction and arrangement of inking or coloring
apparatus for applying coloring matter to the embossing dies of capsule making
machines, as herein-before described.
Second, the peculiar construction and arrangement of inking or coloring
apparatus for applying coloring matter to the embossing dies of capsule making
machines, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Betts, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty.
W. BETTS. (L.S.)