IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-INKING PRINTING STAMPS
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON Fel. Inst. P.A. 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the
County of Lancaster Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-INKING PRINTING STAMPS" (a communication
from abroad by Arthur Clarence Harvey of North Adams Massachusetts United
States of America) to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a self-inking printing-stamp from
which impressions may be made rapidly and whose successive impressions will
register correctly or will all be made in exactly the same relative position on
different sheets of paper if desired and whose printing face is always held in the
same plane or parallel planes during all its movements.
The stand consists of a base plate supporting an upright at one end from which
extends two horizontal arms: these are preferably one casting. Between the two
horizontal arms which extend forward over the base plate is placed the ink reservoir
containing an ink cushion of felt fabric or other suitable material. Upon this cushion
rests an ink-pad which consists of a metal or other plate having flat parallel sides
and covered with suitable textile fabric on both its sides so that this ink-pad may
lie upon the cushion with either side uppermost, upon which the stamp rests when
not in use and has a good and firm bearing thereon at all points.
The
Two arms one on each side are pivoted or hinged at one end to the upper end of
the upright, or to the upper rear portion of the stand. The other end of the two
pivoted arms are pivoted to a bar attached to and carrying the stamp head.
lower edge of the stamp head is provided with a beveled retaining lug at one side
and at the opposite side a beveled catch sustained by a spring attached to the front
of the stamp head. This stamp-head is adapted to receive a type-case of rectangular
form and hollow or open from the lower side so that a series of lines of type may
be set up in this case and be secured preferably by screws.
A dovetail recess or groove is made on each side of the type case which fitting
against the beveled lug at one side and the spring catch or detent at the other is
held in place thereby. It is prevented from moving longitudinally by the ends of
the recess impinging against the lug and catch or detent.
D
71

page_text: Type may be used having the body or shank made of metal, with the printing-
face made of rubber and secured to the end of the body as being well adapted to set
up any desired printing-matter in the case. Instead of using the case, however, and
setting the type up therein for printed matter, a block may be used made of wood,
hard rubber, or any other suitable material, having similar recesses, made in its
edges as are made in the edges of the case to receive the retaining-lug on one edge
and the lower end of the detent on the other edge; and an elongated mortise is
made through this block, with a spring secured therein so that type to indicate
any dating matter may be inserted into this mortise and there held securely by the
pressure of said spring against the type. The spring may have a rib or elongated
projection to engage in the nick or cavity ordinarily made in the body of the type
to hold the latter more securely in place..
A yoke or handle is pivoted or hinged by a transverse rod to the outer ends of the
aforementioned horizontal arm and about midway of its length is also pivoted to the
stamp head at both ends of the latter. To the transverse rod or pivot which
hinges the yoke to the front ends of the arms is attached a spring by means of
which the stamp-head is moved back from its position when making the imprint
between the arms of the yoke to its position on the ink-pad and is firmly held
there.
The front of the base may be extended forward for the purpose of forming a bed
upon which the paper to be stamped may lie. The upper face of this bed is some-
what lower than the horizontal plane of the lower part of the arms so that paper
may be placed upon the bed and be moved beneath the arms and against the
upright; and if it is desired to make a series of impressions each upon a separate
paper and each imprint at the same relative position on its paper, gages may be
attached so as to he adjusted to any desired distance from the bed at the side and
end to control the position of the paper on the bed.
Where it is desired to stamp a number of sheets of paper arranged in a pile, the
impression bed may be dispensed with and the paper to be operated upon laid on
the table to which the stamp is secured. In the modification of stamp used for this
purpose the yoke and the pivoted arms may be hinged at a lower point than is
required when the impression bed is used.
It will be seen that the ink-pad being made with both sides alike and parallel
and resting upon a saturating-cushion is reversible and may be used with either
side uppermost to ink the printing-characters secured to the stamp-head. The
cushion may have any desired amount of ink applied thereto, and both sides of the
ink-pad are applied to this cushion until the pad is sufficiently saturated and the
latter may be used with one side uppermost as long as the printing-characters of
the stamp are inked thereby sufficiently to make a good impression, and when this
ceases to be the case the ink-pad may, by its trunnions one at each end, be reversed
to bring the lower side uppermost, and this side used to ink with and this operation
may be repeated as often as may be required, the simple reversal of the pad serving
to supply fresh ink.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, Fel. Inst. P.A., 6 Lord Street Liverpool,
Lancashire, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-INKING PRINTING STAMPS" (a communication from abroad
by Arthur Clarence Harvey, North Adams, Massachusetts, United States) and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
The object of the invention is to provide a self inking printing stamp from
which impressions may be made rapidly, and whose successive impressions will
register correctly, or will all be made in exactly the same relative position on
different sheets of paper, if desired, and whose printing face is always held in the
same plane or parallel planes during all its movements.
Referring to the drawings-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a self inking printing stamp, showing the stamp
in position on the inking pad, when not in use.
Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the same, illustrating the position of the different
parts of the stamp, when being used in making an imprint.
Fig. 3, is a modification, showing the stamp as adapted to print upon paper or
other matter, placed on the table, or on the plane upon which the stamp is placed
or fixed.
Fig. 4, is a transverse section through the stamp head, die holder and die, on a
vertical plane midway its length.
Fig. 5, is a transverse section through the ink pad, and reservoir, on a vertical
plane midway its length.
Fig. 6, is a plan view of a die block provided with a mortise or receptacle to
contain type for dating or other purposes.
Fig. 7, is a transverse section of the same at a point midway its length.
Fig. 8, is a side view of a spring adapted to be secured in the mortise in the die
block to hold the type in position therein.
In the drawings, 19 represents the base of the stamp, supporting an upright 2,
at the rear end, from which extend the horizontal arms 3-one at each end; and
between these arms, and preferably cast solid therewith, is the ink reservoir 25,
(shown in section in Fig. 5) containing an ink cushion 26, which may be made of
any suitable material-a felt fabric being quite suitable-and upon this cushion rests
an ink-pad 17, which consists of a metal or other plate having flat parallel sides,
and covered with any textile fabric-such as silk or other suitable material-on
both its sides, so that this ink pad may lie upon the cushion 26 with either sido
uppermost, upon which the stamp rests when not in use, and has a good and firm
bearing thereon at all points. The base 19, together with the upright 2 and arms 3
forms what is known in the art as the "stand," the latter constituting all of the
lower and immovable portion of the stamp.
Two arms 5-one on each side-are pivoted or hinged at one end to the upper
end of the upright 2, or to the upper rear portion of the stand as at 4, and at the
other end are pivoted at 6 to the bar 7, the latter being fixed to the stamp head 8.

page_text: This stamp head is provided at its lower edge on the back side, with a retaining
lug, 23, which is bevelled or inclined on the inner side, and at the opposite or front
edge is pivoted at 12, a detent 13, whose lower edge or end extends inward and
beneath the front edge of the stamp head, and is held in that position by a spring 14,
secured to the front side of the stamp head, and pressing outward against the
detent, as shown in Figs 2 and 4. The stamp head 8 is adapted to receive a type
case 15, of rectangular form, and hollow or open from the lower side, so that a
series of lines of type 36, may be set up in this case, and be secured preferably by
screws 37, to indicate or make an impression of any desired printed matter-such as
business cards etcetera. A recess 28 is made in each edge of this type case, and
the retaining lug 23 is made to just fit said recess by pressing in the upper end of
the detent 13, forcing out its lower end, placing the case in position, with the
retaining lug in its recess 28, in the edge of the case, and releasing the detent and
allowing its lower end to enter the recess again. When thus inserted into place it
is held up firmly against the lower side of the stamp head by the dovetailed form
of the lug 23, and detent 13 at its lower end, and is also prevented from moving
longitudinally by the ends of the recess impinging against the ends of the lug 23
on one side, or against the detent on the other.
The case 15, containing the type, may be easily, and quickly removed at any
time, and if desired, a portion or the whole of the type changed and the case
quickly replaced by merely pressing in the detent 13.
Type may be used having the body or shank made of metal, with the printing
face made of rubber and secured to the end of the body, as being well adapted to
set up any desired printing matter in the case 15. Instead of using the case,
however, and setting the type up therein for printed matter, a block 29 may be
used, made of wood, hard rubber, or any other suitable material having similar
recesses 28 made in its edges as are. made in the edges of the case 15, to receive the
retaining lug 23 on one edge, and the lower end of the detent 13 on the other
edge; and an elongated mortise 31 is made, through this block, as shown in Figs. 6
and 7, with a spring 30, secured therein, so that type to indicate any dating matter
may be inserted into this mortise, and there held securely by the pressure of said
spring against the type. This spring may have a rib or elongated projection, as
at 32, to engage in the nick or cavity ordinarily made in the body of the type to
hold the latter more securely in place.
It is evident that a spring of any desired form may be used to secure the type in
position; but by the use of that just above described it is easy to make any change
of type desired, as, to remove either of the type and insert another, in changing the
date, it is only necessary to remove the block from the stamp head, and, with the
type to be inserted, press against the top of the one to be removed forcing out the
latter, and forcing in the other to take its place.
Any permanent die may be fixed to the lower face of the block, and a type
retaining spring be secured in the mortise, so that the movable type therein shall
be held with their printing faces in the same plane with the printing faces of the
characters on the permanent die.
The yoke 9 is pivoted or hinged at 50 to the ends of the horizontal arms 3,
forming a portion of the stand, and is also hinged or pivoted at 10 to the stamp
head 8 at both ends of the latter, and to the rod or pivot 50 which hinges the yoke
to the front ends of the arms 3, is attached a spring such as 21, by means of which
the stamp head is moved back from its position, when making the imprint between
the arms of the yoke to its position on the ink-pad 17, and is firmly held there.
The upper part of the yoke 9, at B in Figs. 1 and 2, serves as a hand piece by
which to move the stamp head in bringing it over into position upon the bed 20,
or paper placed thereon to make an imprint. This bed 20 is made upon a part of
the base 19, which may extend forward for that purpose, and the upper face of this
bed 20 is somewhat lower than the horizontal plane of the lower part of the arms 3,
so that paper may be placed upon the bed, and be moved beneath the arms and
against the upright 2; and if it is desired to make a series of impressions, each

page_text: upon a separate paper and each imprint at the same relative position on its paper,
gauges may be attached, so as to be adjusted to any desired distance from the bed
at the side and end to control the position of the paper on the bed.
As the movement of the stamp head 8 with the printing characters attached is
exactly the same at each imprint made, it is evident that with gauges secured as
above described the successive impressions on a series of papers may all be made
exactly alike, and each made in exactly the same relative position on the paper.
In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the knob 27 is used, as a hand piece, and it
will be seen that with this stamp a package or pile of papers may be laid on the
table, to which the stamp is secured, and in front of the latter, and the whole
stamped in rapid succession, each one being quickly removed from the pile when
stamped.
By providing different type cases 15, or blocks, each having the recesses 28
therein, and each containing different printing matter, any one of them may be
quickly removed from the stamp head by pressing on the detent 13, and another is
as quickly inserted into place, and by using the metal bodied type any desired
printing matter may be set up in the case 15, when the latter is removed from the
stamp head.
Inasmuch as the upright portion 2 with the arms 3 together serve the purpose
of partially or wholly supporting all the essential and working parts of the stamp,
and are stationary, this portion is denominated a "stand."
In the modification shown in Fig 3, the yoke 9 is hinged at a point lower on the
stand, because as no impression-bed is required to be made on the base, both the
yoke 9, and the arms 5 may be hinged at a point lower even than is shown in
Fig. 3, the yoke in that case being hinged lower than the arms 5.
In order to make the spring 21 most effective, one or both ends of the rod or
shaft 50 are made prismatic in form, to fit a hole of corresponding form in the
lower end of the yoke 9 as shown in Figs 1, 2 and 3, and bend the spring around
a screw or pin 51, fixed in said rod; as shown in Fig. 5, so that when the spring is
applied, and the shaft and yoke are in place the ends of the spring have a bearing
against the reservoir 25, or against any other convenient part of the stamp, and
the tension of the spring operates to move the yoke into a position over the ink
pad and reservoir.
It will be seen that the ink-pad 17, being made with both sides alike and
parallel, and resting upon the saturating cushion 26, is reversible, and may be used
with either side uppermost to ink the printing-characters secured to the stamp
head. The cushion 26 may have any desired amount of ink applied thereto, and
both sides of the ink pad are applied to this cushion until the pad is sufficiently
saturated, and the latter may be used with one side uppermost, as long as the
printing-characters of the stamp are inked thereby sufficiently to make a good
impression; and when this ceases to be the case, the ink-pad may, by its
trunnions 18, one at each end, be reversed to bring the lower side uppermost, and
this side used to ink with, and this operation may be repeated as often as may be
required, the simple reversal of the pad serving to supply fresh ink.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st The use in a self inking printing stamp of a stamp head, adapted to hold a
die block, containing printing characters pivoted at its centre, between the arms of
a swinging yoke or frame by which it is carried, and whose printing face is main-
tained in the same or parallel planes by one or more arms pivoted to a cross head
or lever fixed to its upper surface, substantially as described and shown.
2nd In a self inking printing stamp, the combination of the open reservoir, the
saturating cushion contained within said reservoir, and the reversible inking-pad
resting upon said cushion, substantially as described.
3rd In a self inking printing stamp, the use of a stamp head carrying a die
block adapted to contain printing characters in which the die block is retained in

page_text: position by a bevelled retaining lug on the stamp head at the back, and a spring
detent or catch at the front, each fitting into a correspondingly formed groove in
the die block, substantially as and for the purposes described.
4th In a printing stamp, a printing die-block having a vertical hole or mortise
made entirely through it to permit printing type to be passed through said mortise
or hole from one side of the block to the other, in combination with a sheet metal
spring secured in the mortise and engaging in a cavity or recess made in each
type body, whereby said type are held in place in the mortise, substantially as
described.