Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Damping Sheets for use in Copying Letters and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 19th June, 1893-Accepted, 22nd July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Damping Sheets
for use in Copying Letters and the like.
FRANK MOTTERSHALL Merchant 25 Birkin Avenue Hyson Green Nottingham
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My present invention relates to apparatus for and method of damping sheets for
use in copying letters and the like.
According to my said invention, I provide an upper and lower tray, preferably
of zinc or metal, the lower tray constructed with raised sides to carry water, the
upper tray constructed with and without raised sides, to form a lid for the lower
tray or it may be used as a drainer for the boards and sheets.
I fit along the inner sides of the lower tray perforated metal tubes or angle
pieces, on which the upper tray rests when the apparatus is closed and for to keep
the boards or plates in position.
The space inside the said tubes or the recesses formed by the said angle pieces
are partly filled with spong or other absorbing material to take up the surplus
water, to discharge the water taken up by the spong or absorbing material one or
more squeezers are used seperately or combined with the apparatus.
When I construct the upper and lower trays, each having four equally raised
sides, the upper tray may have fixed and fitted in positions to cover the surface of
each recess, the said squeezers, that when the upper tray is pressed downwards to
form the lid to the lower tray the said squeezers will compress the spong or
absorbing material and discharge the water for further use.
I may also construct the lower tray with three raised sides of equal height and
the fourth much higher, the upper tray to have only three raised sides and
connected with the lower tray by means of hinges, one part of the said hinges fitted'
to that side of the upper tray not raised, the other part of the said hinges fitted to
the highest raised side of the lower tray, I also fix to the upper tray a bracket or
stay for to support and regulate the opening or turning over of the said tray, for
instance, when the upper tray is turned over by means of the said hinges and rests.
on the bracket or stay, the base or level of the upper tray is inclined towards the
level of the lower tray so that water will flow out of the upper tray into the lower.
tray, on that side of the upper tray not raised.
I provide a series of sheets of cotton, linen, asbestos, waterproof fabric, india.
rubber, jaconet or other suitable material, which sheets are normally kept in the
lower tray so that they may absorb water thoroughly and uniformly.
When I use waterproof material, india rubber, jaconet or fabric coated with
waterproof composition, they are coated or prepared with a fiue solution or
composition of waterproof compound that will leave the fabric porous to allow
water to saturate through or the sheets are pierced or perforated after treatment
with the solution or composition of waterproof compound.
When I use cotton, linen, or fabric sheets, I may fix along the edges varnish or
drying composition that will hold the threads together or form a selvege to prevent.
fraying, or I may fix along the edges stitches of thread or cotton arranged in
zig zag fashion or I may also use sheets of fabric or other material without any
previous preparation.
I provide also two or more boards or plates of metal, wood, asbestos, hard rubber
felt, card board or other suitable material which are placed upon each other and
preferably rest upon the aforesaid sheets in the tray.
When the said boards are made of, wood, they may be grooved on one side, and

page_text: the ends across the grain of the wood fitted with a metal or wood slip or clamps to
prevent the said boards warping.
may if desirable employ pads of felt, flannel, cotton or other absorbing material,
one at the top and one at the bottom of the aforesaid series of sheets to take up
any water that might otherwise cling to the edges of the boards, plates, or sheets,
or I may use a wood board or plate at the bottom of the series of sheets and a felt
board or plate at the top of the said series of sheets or I may use boards and plates
of other material which will have like effect.
To use the said apparatus the series of moist or wet sheets of cotton waterproof
fabric or other material are placed between the aforesaid boards plates or pads of
absorbing material in the lower tray, the said tray and its contents are put into the
copying press and pressure is applied to the uppermost board or plate with the
result that the superfluous moisture is pressed out of the series of sheets and flows
back into the tray for further use.
The damp sheets are then ready for use and may be laid upon sheets of tissue
paper under which the documents to be copied are placed, the documents sheets of
tissue paper and the aforesaid damp sheets are then placed in a copying press and
pressed together therein in the usual and well known manner.
Dated this 19th day of August 1892.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Damping Sheets
for use in Copying Letters and the like.
.
I, FRANK MOTTERSHALL, Merchant, of 25 Birkin Avenue, Hyson Green,
Nottingham 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 :-
My invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for damping
copying sheets for use in copying letters and the like whereby better copies are
obtained than with the devices heretofore employed.
According to my said invention I provide a tray preferably of metal having
raised edges and adapted to receive water, and I provide a series of sheets of
cotton linen, asbestos, waterproof fabric, india rubber, jaconet or other suitable
fabric which sheets are normally kept in the water in the said tray so that they
may absorb water thoroughly and uniformly. I provide also two or more boards
or plates of metal, asbestos, hard rubber, gutta percha, cardboard or other suitable
material, which are placed upon each other and preferably rest upon the aforesaid
sheets in the tray.
i
The said boards or plates are suitably prepared so that they do not absorb water
and are, preferably, so prepared that water will not cling to their surfaces. For
instance, if made of wood they may be oiled, and if of metal, they may be polished
or electro plated.
To prevent fraying of the edges of the aforesaid sheets when they are made of
textile material I place along the said edges stitches of silk or thread arranged in
zig-zag fashion, for example; or I may sew, or stitch them in any other manner
which will have a like effect; or I fix along the edges varnish or drying
composition that will hold the threads together.
"
When I nse waterproof material india rubber, jaconet, or fabric coated with
waterproof composition they are coated or prepared with a fine solution or
composition of waterproof compound that will leave the fabric porous to allow
water to saturate them. Or the sheets are pierced or perforated after treatment
with the solution or waterproof compound.
In the accompanying illustrative drawings:
1
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of me.anneratus when in use

page_text: Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 represents a vertical section with the damping sheets placed between
the squeezing blocks ready for pressing, and
Figure 4 represents the apparatus closed up with the cover on.
A rectangular tray a is formed with sloping angle plates 6 terminating in the
upright plates c thus leaving a well d for containing water in which the damping
sheets e are placed and saturated. The said sheets are placed on a tray f, of which
two are provided, which fits into the well d so that the saturated sheets may easily
be removed in bulk. Holes y permit the moisture to drain from the trays f
9.
In using the apparatus the damping sheets e, having been duly saturated in the
well d, are lifted out in the tray and placed between the blocks h, the flutes i
allowing the water to drain into the well (Figure 3). The apparatus is then placed
in a copying press and the surplus moisture squeezed out to the required extent, after
which the blocks are removed, the tray containing the sheets being placed with its
ends resting on the angle plates and bridging the well d, while the second trayfis
placed in the well to receive the sheets as they are used. The sheets are placed at.
the back of the copying paper with the document to be copied on the opposite side
and submitted to the requisite pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for damping sheets for use in copying letters and the like; the
employment of damping sheets of cotton, linen, asbestos, waterproof fabric, india.
rubber, jaconet, or the like coated with a fine solution of waterproofing compound
so as to leave the material porous substantially as described.
2. Rendering waterproof material porous by mechanically perforating it with
holes substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
3. In apparatus for damping sheets for use in copying letters and the like, the
combination of the principal tray having side angle plates c and well d with the
trays substantially as described.
4. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting my improvements in
apparatus for damping sheets for use in copying letters and the like, the whole
constructed and operating substantially as described in the foregoing Specification
and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 19th day of June 1893.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.