IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS For BORDERING ENVELOPES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Warren William De la Ruc, of 110, Bunhill Row, in the
City of London, and Caroline_Newman Parkins, of 30, Brewer Street, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS For
BORDERING ENVELOPES."
Sealed the 25th June 1878, and dated the 6th April 1878.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Warren William De la Ruo
and Caroline Newman Parkins at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 6th April 1878.
WARREN WILLIAM DE LA RUE, of 110, Bunhill Row, in the City of London, and
CAROLINE NEWMAN PARKINS, of 30, Brewer Strect, in the County of Middlesex.
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BORDERING ENVELOPES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for bordering
envelopes.
The way in which envelopes are at the present time black bordered after folding
is by laying them out, the one overlapping the other, leaving uncovered only on two
sides the border which it is wished to blacken; the bordering ink is then applied
with a brush by hand. The operation is repeated to border the remaining sides of
the envelope.
Objections to this process are that the border always has a more or less blurred
outline, and skilled labour is required to lay out the envelopes with the required
regularity, notwithstanding that various kinds of machines are used for that
purpose.
According to this Invention sharp outlines are obtained by the means of edges of
thin sheet metal. Pieces of sheet metal are cut to sizes varying with the envelopes
to be bordered, and on two sides the edges of the plates are bent down to form
stops.
•
The size and form of the plate is such that, when an envelope is placed boneath

page_text: it with two of its edges resting against the stops, the envelope is covered, with the
exception of the border, on the two sides which it is intended to blacken.
A number of plates, such as described, are fixed upon a board overlapping
one another, but so that when an envelope is placed beneath each the border to receive
the ink remains exposed, and so that the plate immediately under the envelope
projects about " beyond the edges thereof.
In order to fix the plates to the board each plate has a tongue projecting from it
at the corner, between the two stops. The end of this tongue is bent down at right
angles, and is received into a groove formed lengthwise of the board; filling pieces of
suitable thickness are introduced into the groove between the end of each tongue
and the next. In this way the groove in the board is filled from end to end, and a
wedge or other appliance at one end fastens the whole.
The board or apparatus thus completed presents a number of cells, into each of
which, without any exercise of skill, an envelope may be accurately placed, leaving
exposed only the borders which are to receive the bordering ink, and the bordering
ink is then applied by the brush in the usual manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Warren William De la Rue and Caroline Newman Parkins in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th October 1878.
WARREN WILLIAM DE LA RUE, of 110, Bunhill Row, in the City of London, and
CAROLINE NEWMAN PARKINS, of 30, Brewer Street, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BORDERING ENVELOPES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for bordering
envelopes.
The way in which envelopes are at the present time black bordered after folding
is by laying them out, the once overlapping the other, leaving uncovered only on
two sides the border which it is wished to blacken; the bordering ink is then
applied with a brush by hand. The operation is repeated to border the remaining
sides of the envelope
Objections to this process are that the border always has a more or less blurred
outline, and skilled labour is required to lay out the envelopes with the required
regularity, notwithstanding that various kinds of machines are used for that
purpose.
According to this Invention sharp outlines are obtained by the means of edges of
thin sheet metal. Pieces of sheet inctal are cut to sizes varying with the
envelopes to be bordered, and on two sides the edges of the plates are bent down to
form stops.
The size and form of the plate is such that when an envelope is placed beneath
it with two of its edges resting against the stops, the envelope is covered, with the
exception of the border, on the two sides which it is intended to blacken.

page_text: A number of plates, such as are described, are fixed upon a board overlapping
one another, but so that when an envelope is placed beneath each the border to
receive the ink remains exposed, and so that the plate immediately under the
envelope projects about one-eighth of an inch beyond the edges thereof.
In order to fix the plates to the board cach plate has a tongue projecting from it
at the corner between the two stops. The end of this tongue is bent down at right
angles, and is received into a groove formed lengthwise of the board; filling pieces
of suitable thickness are introduced into the groove between the end of each tongue
and the next. In this way the groove in the board is filled from end to end, and a
wedge or other appliance at one end fastens the whole.
The board or apparatus thus completed presents a number of cells, into each of
which, without any exercise of skill, an envelope may be accurately placed, leaving
exposed only the borders which are to receive the bordering ink; and the bordering
ink is then applied by the brush in the usual manner.
In order that our said Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan of the apparatus which we employ. A is a board, which may
be of any convenient length (five feet or thereabouts will be found convenient),
and in the Drawings a portion only of it is shewn. Upon this board thin plates of
metal B, B, are arranged, the one overlapping the other, thus forming cells for
the reception of the envelopes to bc bordered.
A longitudinal section of the board with the plates upon it is shewn at Figure 2,
and a transverse section at Figure 3.
Figure 4 is an under side view of one of the plates B, and Figure 5 is a side
view of the same.
The board A is, for convenience, made in two thicknesses, and the upper
thickness is cut away, so as to leave a dovetail groove extending along the centre
of the board.
Each plate B has a tongue 1 by which it is held, and this tongue is received into
the dovetail groove in the board.
Filling pieces C, C, are also inserted into the groove between the tongues to
regulate the overlap of the plate, and a wedge or block C₁ at the end of the series
retains all in place. The thickness of these filling pieces is somewhat greater than
the width of the black border to be produced, so that when the envelopes to be
bordered are placed in the cells or intervals between the plates, the envelope
does not cover the plate beneath it, but leaves the edge of the metal plate exposed
and this edge produces the outline of the border upon the envelope beneath.
The edges 2, 2, of each plate B are bent downwards to form stops or abutments,
against which the envelope to be bordered rests on two of its sides when it is inserted
into the cell or space between two of the plates; 3, 3, are ears which are formed at
opposite corners of each plate; they are intended to rest upon the side bars D, D,
which are raised somewhat above the surface of the board A. Thus the plates aro
held in a somewhat inclined position, and so far apart that the envelopes can be
slipped in between them rapidly, and without difficulty. In this way when the
apparatus is in use, all the cells are filled with envelopes to be bordered, each being
placed accurately up to the stops 2, 2. The envelopes will now be covered with
the plates, the only parts exposed being the portions on two sides of each envelope
which are to receive the border. The black is then applied in the usual way with
a brush, the whole of the exposed portions, both of the plates and of the envelopes
being coated from end to end of the board. When the envelopes have been thus
blacked on two edges they are when dry removed from the cells, and replaced in
the same or another board, and similarly bordered upon the two remaining
edges.
The same apparatus may be used for bordering cards and the like.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of our said Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, we would have it understood that we claim,-
First. The apparatus for bordering envelopes, consisting of overlapping plates B
held in a board or holder A in such manner as to form cells for the reception of the
envelopes to be bordered, from which cells only the portion of each envelope pro-
trudes which is to receive the black or bordering color.
Second. The apparatus for bordering envelopes, substantially as described, and
represented in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Warren William De la Rue, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.