AN APPARATUS FOR DAMPING OR MOISTENING THE ADHESIVE SURFACES OF STAMPS OR LABELS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Garratt Barham, of Bridgewater, in the
County of Somerset, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN APPARATUS
FOR DAMPING OR MOISTENING THE ADHESIVE SURFACES OF STAMPS OR LABELS."
Sealed the 8th August 1854, and dated the 3rd June 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Garratt Barham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd June 1854.
I, ALFRED GARRATT BARHAM, of Bridgewater, in the County of Somerset,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
APPARATUS FOR DAMPING OR MOISTENING THE ADHESIVE SURFACES OF STAMPS OR
LABELS" to be as follows, that is to say:-
My apparatus, which has especial reference to the commodious and expe-
ditious damping or moistening of the adhesive surfaces of postage or receipt
stamps, in order to attaching them to letters or receipts, and may also be applied
to any kind of adhesive labels, such as parcel labels, consists of an oblong
box, containing one or more receptacles for such distinct kinds of stamps or
labels as shall be desirable, together with a reservoir for a sufficient quantity
of water; and under the said box shall be secured another box or trough of
greater length, communicating with the reservoir in the said upper box by a
buoyant feed valve, by means of which the said under box or trough may be
supplied with water up to a certain constant level; and at or near this level,
over that part of the trough which is not covered by the upper box, I spread
a fixed cover, of perforated zinc or other metal; above which is a layer of
sponge, of such thickness only that it may be constantly saturated by the
water in the trough rising through the perforated zinc cover to its own level,

page_text: or as much farther as it may be drawn by the capillary attraction of the
sponge and above this layer of sponge I place a moveable cover, made of
perforated zine or other metal connected with the trough, so that it may be
readily pressed down by the hand upon the sponge layer. It is obvious that
when the said cover is so depressed, the water with which the sponge is saturated
will rise through the perforations therein, so as to moisten the adhesive sur-
face of any stamp or label placed above. An additional solid cover may be
provided to protect the trough, so as to exclude dust from the perforated
metal covers and the sponge. The novelty of the Invention consists in the
general construction & arrangement of an apparatus composed of such parts
as the above, for the purposes herein-before described and set forth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Garratt Barham in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd December 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
GARRATT BARHAM, of Bridgewater, in the County of Somerset, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alfred Garratt Barham, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred Garratt
Barham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Alfred Garratt Barham, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at 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 "AN APPARATUS FOR DAMPING OR MOISTENING THE ADHESIVE
SURFACES OF STAMPS OR LABELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Alfred Garratt Barham, 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 Alfred Garratt Barham, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
My apparatus, which has especial reference to the commodious and expe-
ditious damping or moistening of the adhesive surfaces of postage or receipt
stamps, for the purpose of attaching them to letters or receipts, and may also
be applied to any kind of adhesive labels, such as parcel labels, of which a
great number may require to be kept on hand, consists of an oblong box or
frame divided by a transverse partition into two portions. The first portion
contains one or more receptacles for such distinct kinds of stamps or labels as
shall be desirable, and under the said receptacles a reservoir, in which a
sufficient quantity of water may be held or sustained by the pressure of the
external atmosphere; and the second transverse division of the box or frame
forms a trough, the sides of which are raised, and slope gradually from the
front, which is shallow, to any convenient height, the above trough communi-
cating with the reservoir in the first division by means of a suitable perforation
in the lower part of the partition; and I cause a grating or oblong perforated
plate of zink or other suitable metal to be fitted across the trough, in such
manner that a narrow portion of the end of the said grating, which is turned
down at right angles to the remaining portion, may stand upon the bottom
of the trough near the front end, and the remainder of the grating, which
extends across the trough, may be secured to the sides and bottom thereof and
to the partition; and on the front end of the trough, which is somewhat
more elevated than the higher part of the grating, above mentioned, I place a
hinge, upon which turns a second oblong grating of perforated zink, or other
suitable metal, which I call the upper grating, and which admits of having
that extremity which is farthest from the hinge closed down upon the lower
grating; and between the upper and lower gratings I insert a piece of
sponge, felt, or similar substance.
But in order that these my said improvements may be more fully under-
stood and readily carried into effect, I proceed to describe them by the aid of
the accompanying Drawings, reference being had to the letters and figures
thereon marked, that is to say:-
Fig. 1 is a vertical front view of my improved damping apparatus with the
cover of the receptacles thrown back; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 3, a back
elevation; Fig. 4, a longitudinal section, and Fig. 5, a top or plan view thereof.
In each Figure the same lettersof reference denote similar corresponding parts.
A, A, base of the box or frame; B, B, trough or damper; C, C, reservoir
or air-tight chamber; D, D, perforation by which the same is filled; E, E,
lower perforated grating; F, F, upper grating or label damper; G, G, label

page_text: damper hinge; H, H, damping layer, of sponge, felt, or other absorbing
material; I, I, sides of trough; J, J, transverse partition; K, K, receptacles
for postage and receipt stamps or other adhesive labels, of which two are
shewn in the Drawings, but any convenient number may be used in pre-
ference; L, L, lid or cover; M, M, hinge thereof; N, N, projecting thumb-
piece for opening the lid or cover: And the action of the apparatus is as
follows: The reservoir is filled with water through the perforation in the
partition, by partially inverting the box or frame, the said water being pre-
vented by external atmospheric pressure from re-issuing suddenly to find its
own level when the box or frame is placed in an upright position. The
sponge or felt, however, by capillary attraction, contributes to draw out gra-
dually the said water through the perforation, so as to be constantly saturated
therewith till the stock in the reservoir is exhausted; and the stamp or label
to be moistened, being taken from the receptacle, is placed upon the upper
perforated grating, which being then pressed down by the finger upon the
sponge or felt, a portion of the water thence is forced up and moistens the
stamp, which is then rendered fit to be attached.
Having now fully described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I would have it clearly under-
stood that I do not by any means confine myself to the precise details herein-
before described, as the same might be varied without departing from the
general character of my said improvements; but that which I do claim as new
and of my said Invention is, the general construction and arrangement of an
apparatus for the commodious and expeditious moistening of the adhesive
surfaces of postage stamps, receipt stamps, or adhesive labels generally, in the
manner described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Garratt Barham, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
ALFRED GARRATT BARHAM. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the above-
named Alfred Garratt Barham, in the
presence of.
JOHN H. W. CARSLAKE, Solicitor,
J. Cooк. Jr. his Clerk.
Bridgwater.