IMPROVEMENTS IN PERFORATING MACHINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Murdoch Napier, of York Road, Lambeth, in the
County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PERFORATING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 14th May 1878, and dated the 28th November 1877.
4:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Murdoch Napier at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th November 1877.
JAMES MURDOCH NAPIER, of York Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey.
IMPROVEMENTS IN PERFORATING MACHINES.".
This Invention has for its object improvements in perforating machines such as
are used for the perforating of postage and other stamps, and although more
especially affecting this class of perforating machine is also applicable to other
machines for perforating, ornamentally or otherwise, card board, metals, and other
materials, when such perforations (in lines or figures) are effected by repeated
actions of the punching apparatus in order to complete the perforating of the whole
sheet.
I employ a reciprocating alternately gripping and releasing apparatus or other
analogous means to lay hold of the sheet or batch of sheets (they are usually fed to
the stamp-perforating machines in batches of 4, 5, 6, or 7 in thickness), and advance
the front end of the batch towards the punching apparatus, in which position
it is held fast by a retaining holder or holders while the perforating action takes
place. Immediately it is so held by the retaining holder or holders the gripping
apparatus releases its hold and retires, leaving the sheets in the position into which
it brought them. By the time the gripping apparatus has reached the other
extremity of its action and has taken a fresh hold of the sheets the punching action
is completed; and the sheets having also been released by the retaining holder or
holders the gripping apparatus again advances, forwarding the batch of sheets
another stage; thus, by successive repetitions of these actions, each portion of the
batch is moved stage by stage under the punches until the whole is completed. A
new batch may then be placed to be laid hold of by the gripping apparatus, and
passed through the machine in the same manner.
-

page_text: The machine may be kept continuously at work, the batches of fresh sheets being
fed in to the gripping apparatus at suitable intervals.
I employ lever, screw, or other suitable means for adjusting the throw or travel
of the gripping apparatus to suit the size of the postage or other stamps to be
perforated, as well as to suit the various classifications into which the sheets may
have been sorted, according to there shrinkages, and to suit the throw desired for
other classes of work.
In stamp perforating, and similar work, I arrange the register points to which
the sheets are laid in connection with the feeding board, so that they are with-
drawn vertically, or nearly so, after all the sheets of the batch are pointed, and so
soon as the covering plate is closed down upon the sheets to hold them in position
for being fed to the gripping apparatus. This withdrawal of the register points
may be operated by a mechanical connection with the covering plate, which, when
raised again, will cause the points to resume their position for the pointing of the
next batch or by other convenient means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Murdoch Napier in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
May 1878.
JAMES MURDOCH NAPIER, of York Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PERFORATING MACHINES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in perforating machines, such as
are used for the perforating of postage and other stamps, and although more
especially affecting this class of perforating machine is also applicable to other
machines for perforating, ornamentally or otherwise, card board, metals, and other
materials, when such perforations (in lines or figures) are effected by repeated
actions of the punching apparatus in order to complete the perforating of the whole
sheet.
I employ a reciprocating alternately gripping and releasing apparatus, or other
analogous means, to lay hold of the sheet or batch of sheets (they are usually fed
to the stamp-perforating machines in batches of 4, 5, 6, or 7 in thickness), and
advance the front end of the batch towards the punching apparatus, in which
position it is held fast by a retaining holder or holders while the perforating action
takes place. Immediately it is so held by the retaining holder or holders the
gripping apparatus releases its hold and retires, leaving the sheets in the position
into which it brought them. By the time the gripping apparatus has reached the
other extremity of its action and has taken a fresh hold of the sheets the punching
action is completed; and the sheets having also been released by the returning holder
or holders, the gripping apparatus again advances, forwarding the batch of sheets
another stage; thus, by successive repititions of these actions, each portion of the
batch is moved stage by stage under the punches until the whole is completed. A
new batch may then be placed to be laid hold of by the gripping apparatus, and
passed through the machine in the same manner.

page_text: The machine may be kept continuously at work, the batches of fresh sheets being
fed into the gripping apparatus at suitable intervals.
I employ lever, screw, or other suitable means of adjusting the throw or travel
of the gripping apparatus, to suit the size of the postage or other stamps to be
perforated, as well as to suit the various classifications into which the sheets may
have been sorted according to their shrinkages, and to suit the throw desired for
other classes of work.
In stamp perforating and similar work I arrange the register points to which
the sheets are laid in connection with the feeding board, so that they are with-
drawn vertically, or nearly so, after all the sheets of the batch are pointed, and so
soon as the covering plate is closed down upon the sheets to hold them in position
for being fed to the gripping apparatus. This withdrawal of the register points
may be operated by a mechanical connection with the covering plate, which, when
raised again, will cause the points to resume their position for the pointing of the
next batch or by other convenient means.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 2 represent parts of a perforating machine which have reference
to and illustrate my Invention, in which I employ a reciprocating alternately
gripping and releasing apparatus to lay hold of the sheet or batch of sheets usually
fed to stamp-perforating machine, so that the sheet is held fast by a retaining
holder while the perforating action takes place, and when it is so held the gripping
apparatus releases its hold of the sheet and retires, leaving the sheets in position
for being perforated, and returns to its first position and again lays hold of the
sheet before it is released by the retaining holder after the perforating or punching
action has been completed, the grippers then advancing and carrying the sheet
forward the required distance for the next set or row of perforations to be made,
and so on, advancing the sheet stage by stage until completed.
Figure 1 is a section, and Figure 2 a plan of the punching apparatus and reci-
procating gripping and releasing apparatus. The retaining holder is seen in
Figure 1 only.
A represents a portion of the cross head of the machine; B, the bed plate of the
punching apparatus; a, the lower punch plate; b, the perforated relieving plate,
which also serves as the retaining holder; c, the holding plate for the punches d;
plate c is fixed to block C, which is fastened to the cross head A.
The relieving
plate b is fastened to the side bars e, e. Two pins f, one of which is shewn, are
fitted fast in block C, the ends passing into slotted holes in the bars e, in which
they can slide freely. These pins may form stops for the downward action of bars e
and plate b, or may serve only to keep the parts together when taken out of the
machine; g is one of two cross bars which bear upon the side bars e; g¹, g', are
bolts with nuts to adjust the height of cross bars g; rod D fits freely in a hole in
the cross head A, and at the top is pressed upon by a spring which is not shewn.
The pressure of the spring causes the cross bar g to be forced down as far as the
nuts on bolts gl will allow, as shewn in the Drawing, or in case the pin f, formed
the stop, as far as the slot in bars e would allow.
It will be seen that the punches are represented as within the relieving plate b,
and not projecting, the cross head A being shown in its upward position. When
the cross head descends the lower surface of plate b comes against the sheet or
sheets to be perforated, and by the action of the spring above referred to the sheet
is held between the plate b and the plate a, thus the sheet or batch of sheets is
retained while the perforating is effected, and as the cross head rises the sheet is
set free from the punches. While the sheet is thus held the reciprocating grippers
open and retire from the position in which they are shewn towards the punching
apparatus, and close gripping the sheet before the retaining holder plate b has

page_text: ceased to hold the sheet. While the cross head A is continuing its upward course
the grippers E move forward towards the position in which they are indicated in
the Drawing, and they arrive in that position before the retaining holder again acts
upon the sheet for the next perforating action; F are guide pins to keep the upper
part of the perforating apparatus true with the lower part, so that the punches
may fall exactly into the holes in the lower plate; G are supports for the front
edge of the sheet when it is fed into the machine, and between these supports the
grippers E pass.
It will be seen that grippers E are mounted upon a frame H, arranged to work
in guides; I are the sliding parts of the frame H with pins h, to which the actuating
levers may be attached. The grippers E are attached to the angle bar J, and are
actuated by rods K, K, at either end. The gripper bar is attached to the slides I
at L, L, where it has its centre of action by bars M; Z indicates a fixed delivery
plate, for the sheets.
Figure 2 is broken, and does not shew the full width of the apparatus, which
may vary as required.
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate an arrangement by which I withdraw the register
points vertically when the sheets have been laid to them; N is the table, the
position of which in relation to the perforating apparatus may be as in machines
at present in use, or the table may be fixed in a suitable position; i is one of the
register points. The other may be fixed on any other part of the bar . Bar i¹
is supported on the under side of the table by guides 22, one of which is shewn, and
is prevented from moving lengthwise by pins 3. The sliding bar is also sup-
ported in the guides 12, and moves lengthwise. It is furnished with inclined slots,
one of which is shewn at 25, into which a pin passes which is fixed in bar i¹, so that
when bar is caused to slide to the position shewn in dotted lines, the bar i¹ will
be drawn down and with it the register points fixed to it. The movement of the
bar in the opposite sense will cause the bar i¹ and the register points to raise, and
they are retained fixed for pointing the sheets by the pin in bar resting in the
straight part of the slot in bar is.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I claim,-
First. The combination in a perforating machine of alternately acting recipro-
cating grippers and retaining holders, substantially as described.
Second. The combination with the feeding table or board of a perforating machine
of rising and falling register points, substantially as described.
Third. The arrangement of mechanical parts forming portions of a perforating
machine, substantially as described and represented in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Murdoch Napier, have hereunto set iny
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
T
38
NYA DILD