Year: 1886

page_text: I FRED STENT of New York United States of America, and temporarily of the
First Avenue Hotel, in the County of Middlesex, Architect, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to a convenient and inexpensive device to be used in
affixing postage stamps or labels. The device consists of a receptacle for the
stamps, a spring pressed follower fitted within the receptacle and attached to the
lower end of a stem which is provided with a handle at its upper end, and a
moistener for wetting the envelope or surface to which the stamp or label is to be
applied. The receptacle is of rectangular form and is open at both top and bottom,
and is furnished with a slide for the introduction of the stamps which are com-
pressed by the follower against corner pieces at the bottom end of the receptacle.
These corner pieces prevent the stamps from being forced out of the receptacle by
the follower. The stem is guided centrally within the stamp receptacle by passing
through a bow which unites two sides of the receptacle. The moistener consists of
a box supported at one side of the stamp receptacle and adapted to contain
suitable absorbent material such as a piece of flannel and pieces of sponge. The
device is provided with a stand, in which it is supported when not in use.
support is provided with a layer or layers of absorbent material and has an opening
in its upper surface, in which the moistener is received when not in use.
This
T
1
1000

page_text: I, FRED STENT of New York, United States of America, and temporarily of the
First Avenue Hotel, in the County of Middlesex, Architect, 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 device for affixing postage-stamps or
gummed labels to envelopes, packages, and the like. The device, which is of
simple and therefore of inexpensive construction, comprises a receptacle for con-
taining a pile of stamps or labels provided at its lower end with an orifice at
which the gummed side of the stamp or label to be affixed is exposed, the said
orifice permitting the successive withdrawal of the stamps or labels as hereafter
described; a spring follower pressing the stamps or labels towards the said orifice;
a moistening pad for wetting the envelope or surface to which the stamp or label is
to be applied; and a stand containing a reservoir pad of absorbent material for
keeping the moistening pad attached to the device always ready for use.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation (partly broken away) figure 2 a
front elevation, and figure 3 an underface view of the device drawn to an enlarged
scale. Figure 4 shows the same supported, when not in use, on its stand, and
moistening pad which is represented in section. The same letters of reference
represent the same parts in all the figures.
a is the receptacle for the pile of stamps or labels to which it corresponds in form
and dimensions; b is the follower fitted to work up and down therein and attached
to a stem c provided with a handle and sliding through a bow frame & attached to
two opposite sides of the receptacle. e is a spiral spring about the stem and con-
fined between the bow frame d and the follower whereby the latter is forced
downwards in the receptacle so as to constantly press the pile of stamps or labels
down towards the lower end thereof. f is a pile of postage stamps placed with
their gummed sides downwards in the receptacle, the gummed side of the lower-
most one being exposed at the open lower end of the receptacle. g are inwardly
projecting corner-pieces or lips acting as stops to prevent the stamps being forced
out of the receptacle but permitting the withdrawal of the lowermost stamp when
its gummed face is caused by the pressure of the follower upon the top of the pile
to adhere to a moistened surface. These lips cover only the extreme corners of the
gummed face of the stamp so as to leave nearly the whole of said face exposed for
adhesion to the envelope etc. The receptacle is constructed of sheet metal, three of
its sides being preferably in one piece bent to the desired form, the fourth side a¹
being separate and fitted to slide in grooves a³ pressed up in the adjacent sides so
that when this sliding side or door is drawn up as represented in dotted lines in

page_text: figure 2 and the follower is raised in the receptacle by compressing its spring, the
stamps can be introduced into the receptacle beneath the follower. The lower end
of the receptacle is formed by a frame g¹ formed of a piece of sheet metal having
upturned side flanges which embrace and are soldered to the three fixed sides of the
receptacle which are thus firmly held. The orifice for the exit of the stamps or
labels is punched out of this piece of metal leaving a frame with the corner pieces
or lips g of the form shewn. The moistening pad consists of a piece of felt h or
other absorbent material wrapped round a backing of sponge and projecting from a
metal casing alongside the receptacle a. The casing is attached to an arm
carried by the stem of the follower and abutting against the side of the receptacle a,
or it may be carried on the side of the receptacle itself. The casing is made of the
dovetailed form shown in order to securely retain the felt or other absorbent
material in position.
The stand shown in figure 4 consists of a box k having a hinged lid formed with
an aperture and socket to receive the casing i for the purpose of holding the
stamp affixer in the position shown with its attached moistening pad resting upon
a reservoir pad m of felt and sponge or other absorbent material which is kept
saturated with water for the purpose of maintaining the moistening pad h at the
proper degree of humidity for use. The socket corresponds to the form of the
casing in which the moistening pad is fixed so that the opening in the lid is kept
closed when the apparatus is not in use, and evaporation of the moisture from the
reservoir pad is prevented and the necessity for frequently replenishing it avoided.
The dovetailed form of the casing i, whilst enabling it to hold the pad h securely,
permits of its being dropped easily into the socket and forming a sufficiently tight
closure thereof.
The device is held by the handle and is used by first moistening the surface to
which the stamp is to be affixed, by rubbing the moistening pad h upon it and then
pressing by means of the follower the gumined face of the lowermost stamp upon
the moistened surface to which it will adhere by the greater part of its gummed
surface. On removing the device the stamp will be withdrawn from the receptacle,
and will remain securely affixed to the moistened surface leaving the next stamp or
label ready to be affixed in a similar manner.
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;
1. The herein described stamp or label affixer, consisting of a receptacle formed
substantially of three fixed sides and a sliding one and adapted to contain a pile of
stamps or labels, the said receptacle being open at bottom and provided with
inwardly projecting corner pieces or lips for retaining the stamps or labels whilst
permitting their successive withdrawal by their mere adhesion to a moistened
surface as described, and being fitted with a follower attached to a sliding stem
guided by a bow frame attached to opposite sides of the receptacle and pressed
upon by a spring confined between the follower and the guiding frame in com-
bination with a moistening pad constructed as described and carried at one side of
the said receptacle, all substantially as specified.
2. A stamp or label affixer consisting of an open ended receptacle for the pile of
stamps or labels, constructed of sheet-metal bent up to form three fixed sides a
flanged end frame affixed to the three sides and provided with an orifice for the
successive withdrawal of the stamps or labels in the manner described, and formed
with inwardly turned corner pieces or lips and a fourth side formed by a sliding
door received in grooves formed in the fixed sides of the receptacle substantially as
shown and described in combination with a spring pressed follower attached to a
stem sliding in a guide-frame, and a moistening pad carried at one side of the
receptacle, all as specified.

page_text: 3. In combination with a postage-stamp or label affixer having a moistening pad
fixed in a casing of the form herein described carried at and projecting from one
side of the affixer as herein described, a stand consisting of a box containing a
saturated reservoir pad and closed by a hinged lid provided with an aperture or
socket corresponding in form to the moistening pad-holder so as to be closed
thereby and support the pad in contact with the reservoir pad, substantially as
shown and described.