IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPE CEMENTING MACHINES AND IN BLACK BORDERING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I REST FENNER of Saint John Street, West Smithfield in the County of
Middlesex Envelope Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPE CEMENTING MACHINES AND IN BLACK BORDERING
MACHINES to be as follows:-
My invention has reference primarily to what are known as "envelope cementing
machines" that is to say machines for applying gum or cement to the seal flaps of
envelope blanks or of envelopes.
The invention essentially consists in constructing these machines in such manner
that an endless travelling band upon which the envelope blanks are laid out carries
them under or past a rotary or reciprocating brush which applies the gum thereto
and then above, below, or at the side of perforated pipes through which air is forced
so as to impinge upon and effect the drying of the gummed flaps. The envelope
blanks must be laid out upon the belt in a similar way to the laying out of
envelopes cards or note paper for black bordering that is to say: so that each
successive blank constitutes a sort of stencil plate to the blank immediately in
front of it, covering it except for so much of its width as corresponds with the
width of gum to be applied.
Such being the principle and nature of my invention I proceed to describe one
manner in which it may be carried into effect.
Around a series of drums placed alternately at the two ends of the machine
I carry an endless belt.
One of these drums is caused to rotate by motion
transmitted from any prime mover and this rotation is transmitted by the endless
belt to the other drums. At one portion of the machine the belt travels along a
board or platform and it is at this part that the envelope blanks are laid on the
belt either by hand or mechanically. The belt then travels with the blanks under
a brush supplied with gum from a gum box by means of distributing rollers, so
that the blanks receive in passing the requisite amount of gum on their seal flaps.
The belt and blanks then pass over one of the drums, the blanks being kept in
place by a pair of endless travelling cords which press upon them outside the
gummed portion. The belt, blanks and cords next pass above a perforated pipe
disposed longitudinally under the feed or laying out board, then over another drum
at the other end of the machine and back again underneath the same or another
D

page_text: perforated pipe and so on from end to end of the machine over drums and above or
under perforated pipes as often as thought necessary. The blanks are not only
blown upon by the air which issues through perforations in the pipes but also by
air jets as they pass over the drums, these air jets having for object not only to
assist in drying the gum but also to separate the edges of the blanks from each
other. From the last drum of the series the belt and blanks are carried over a
board forming a continuation of the feed or laying out board and here the blanks
are removed by hand or otherwise. In order to give the belt a sufficient grip or
hold upon that drum which is the driving drum and thereby prevent slipping, a
weighted roller or rollers press it against this drum.
It is evident that other arrangements may be devised for carrying out my
invention but that which I have described answers well.
Although specially designed for envelope cementing machines the invention is
also applicable to black bordering machines the only changes necessary being the
addition of pegs or devices to regulate the width of the border to be applied to the
envelopes as will be well understood and the length of travel of the belt may be
reduced because the ink will dry more quickly than the gum, it will also be
desirable to employ more than one. brush so as to ensure a proper distribution of
the ink.
100.
We LOUISA MARIA FENNER of Hawthorndene, Beckenham, in the County of
Kent, Widow and WILLIAM FREDERICK TINDELL of 18 Essex Street, Strand, in
the County of Middlesex, Solicitor, the Executors of the late REST FENNER of Saint
John Street, West Smithfield, in the County of Middlesex, Envelope Manufacturer
who died on the 13th day of September 1884 do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPE CEMENTING MACHINES AND IN BLACK
BORDERING MACHINES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
"
The invention has reference primarily to what are known as envelope cementing
machines, that is to say, machines for applying gum or cement to the seal flaps of
envelope blanks or of envelopes.
The invention essentially consists in constructing these machines in such manner
that an endless travelling band upon which the envelope blanks are laid out carries
them under or past a rotary or reciprocating brush which applies the gum thereto
and then above, below or at the side of perforated pipes through which air is
forced so as to impinge upon and effect the drying of the gummed flaps. The
envelope blanks must be laid out upon the belt in a similar way to the laying out
of envelopes, cards or note paper for black bordering, that is to say, so that each
successive blank constitutes a sort of stencil plate to the blank immediately in front
of it covering it except for so much of its width as corresponds with the width of
gum to be applied,

page_text: Such being the principle and nature of the invention we proceed to describe
with the aid of the annexed drawings one manner in which it may be carried into
effect. Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure an end elevation of the machine.
Figure 3 is a plan of the same as seen below the line 11 of Figure 1.
a¹ a' as a' a³ are a series of drums; around these drums is carried an endless
belt b b. The drum a' (or it might be any other of the drums) is caused to rotate
by motion transmitted from any prime mover to the driving pulley c and thence
by toothed gearing j; to the drum; or the drum may be driven by other suitable
gearing, and this rotation is transmitted by the endless belt b b to the other drums.
At one portion of the machine the belt b b travels along a board or platform d and
it is at this part that the envelope blanks are laid on the belt as represented at e
Figure 3 either by hand or mechanically. The belt b then travels with the blanks
under a brush f supplied with gum. from a gum box g by means of distributing
rollers i so that the blanks e receive in passing the requisite amount of gum on
their seal flaps. The roller h is driven by gearing kk from the shaft of the driving
pulley and this motion is transmitted to the roller i and brush f by gearing ll.
The belt and blanks pass over the drum a¹, the blanks being kept in place by a
pair of endless travelling cords m m which press upon them outside the gummed
portion and which travel with the belt and blanks e through the entire machine as
seen in the drawings except along the board d. The belt b, blanks e and cords m m
next pass above a perforated pipe n disposed longitudinally under the board d,
then over the drum a', and back again underneath the perforated pipe o (or it
might pass under the same pipe n) and so on from end to end of the machine over
the drum a and back to and over the drum a' to the drum a; on their way to the
drum as they pass over the perforated pipe o¹ and in passing round the drum a³
the blanks are blown upon through perforations in the pipe ; the number of.
drums and perforated pipes may be such as is thought necessary to ensure the
drying of the gum. The blanks are not only blown upon by the air which issues
through the perforations in the pipes no &o, but also by air-jets as they pass over
the drums, or over some of them, these air-jets having for object not only to assist
in drying the gum but also to separate the edges of the blanks from each other.
PPP represent air-jets for blowing upon the blanks as they pass over the drum a³.
The blast of air is received at q from any convenient blower and in the arrange-
ment shown it divides into 2 parts which pass respectively down the 2 pipes r r ;
the piper supplies a powerful current to the jets p p and to the perforations in the
pipes no o¹. From the last drum as of the series the belt and blanks are carried
over a board forming a continuation of the board & and here the blanks are removed
by hand or otherwise. In order to give the belt b b a sufficient grip or hold upon
the driving drum a' and thereby prevent slipping a roller t (or rollers) acted upon
by a spring u (or a weight) presses it against this drum. This roller is cut away
at the middle portion as clearly seen in Figure 3 so that it may not come in contact
with the gummed portion of the envelopes. It bears with its broad flanges against
the belt. The drums a² and a¹ are likewise cut away at the middle for the same
purpose. v is a roller to press upon the blanks and keep them in place while being
gummed; it is driven simply by the friction of the blanks. wis a sliding wedge
which when pushed forward lifts the frame which carries the brush fand the
rollers hi and thereby moves the brush from contact with the belt b this is
necessary when it is travelling without blanks. x is a lever clutch for throwing
the brush and rollers hi out of gear without stopping the machine and y is a
lever clutch for stopping the machine altogether.
It is evident that other arrangements may be devised for carrying out the
invention, but that which we have described answers well. For example the gum
may be applied to the envelope blanks by a hand brush, also the endless belt
instead of passing over drums arranged alternately at the 2 ends of the machine
may carry the gummed blanks through a heated chamber or over a pipe heated by
air or steam; or it may carry them from end to end of a room sufficiently long to
allow of the gum becoming dry in the transit.

page_text: Although specially designed for envelope cementing machines the invention is
also applicable to black bordering machines, the only changes necessary being the
addition of pegs or devices to regulate more accurately the width of the border to
be applied to the envelope as will be well understood, and the length of travel
of the belt may be reduced because the ink will dry more quickly than the gum,
it will also be desirable to employ more than one brush so as to ensure a proper
distribution of the ink.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The employment in envelope cementing machines of an endless travelling
band upon which the envelopes or envelope blanks are laid out in the manner
hereinbefore described in order that the gum or cement may be applied thereto and
which carries forward the gummed envelopes or blanks so that the same may be
dried, as set forth.
2. The combination in envelope cementing machines with an endless travelling
band as referred to in the first claim, of a mechanical brush for applying the gum
or cement to the envelopes or blanks as the belt carries them past it, substantially
as set forth.
3. Constructing envelope cementing machines with perforated pipes above,
below or at the side of which the gummed envelopes or blanks are carried by
means of an endless band, so that air which is forced through the perforations
in the pipes may impinge upon and assist in drying the gum, substantially as
set forth.
4. Constructing envelope cementing machines substantially as hereinbefore
described and represented in the accompanying drawings.
5. Constructing black bordering machines as herein before described.