IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FORMING COMBINATIONS OF PERFORATIONS IN PAPER OR OTHER SUBSTANCE OR MATERIAL TO BE SYMBOLS OF OR TO REPRE- PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Mackie, of Warrington, in the County
of Chester, Newspaper Proprietor, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FORMING COMBINATIONS OF PERFORATIONS IN
PAPER OR OTHER SUBSTANCE OR MATERIAL TO BE SYMBOLS OF OR TO REPRE-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Mackic at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th April 1871.
I, ALEXANDER MACKIE, of Warrington, in the County of Chester,
Newspaper Proprietor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FORMING COMBINATIONS OF PER-
FORATIONS IN PAPER OR OTHER SUBSTANCE OR MATERIAL TO BE SYMBOLS OF OR TO
REPRESENT WORDS, CHARACTERS, NUMERALS, OR LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET," to
be as follows:-
My Invention relates to apparatus to be employed in the perforating
of paper or other substance or material in cases where varying com-

page_text: binations of the said perforations represent words, characters, numerals,
or letters of the alphabet, such as, for example, the perforated paper
which is used in connection with my patent composing machines or in
connection with apparatus for transmitting telegraphic messages, and
my said Invention has for its object to effect the said perforating with
greater despatch and accuracy than has hitherto been accomplished.
In the apparatus ordinarily used for the said purpose cach perforation
is formed by depressing one of a number of finger keys, so that for
example if it be required to actuate four punches so as to make four
perforations in a single row it will be necessary to press upon four of the
said finger keys.
In a machine constructed in accordance with the first part of my
Invention a number of coupling keys are employed which act in such
a manner as that by pressing upon one only of the said keys a number
of the punches are caused to act in concert and to form a corresponding
number of perforations in the paper or other substance or material.
In the arrangement which I have found to be most suitable each of
the said coupling keys consists principally of a spindle upon which is or
are formed one or more collars or projections, and all the said spindles
pass through holes or perforations formed in bars or plates which carry
the punches, and also in bars or plates which sustain the said spindles
or keys and through which plates motion is imparted to the said
punches. So long as the said coupling keys are not acted upon the
said collars or projections are in line with spaces between the said bars
or plates which carry the punches so that if a to-and-fro motion be
imparted to the bars or plates sustaining the keys as aforesaid the
punches will remain at rest, but on pressing upon a key whose spindle
is formed with, say, four collars, the said collars are moved into a line
with tho said plates or bars carrying the punches, and on the aforesaid
to-and-fro movement taking place the said collars give motion to four
of the said plates or bars and thereby to four of the punches, and four
perforations are thus formed in the paper or other substance or material.
The number and disposition of the collars or projections upon cach
spindle is varied to suit the various required combinations and the
capacity of the apparatus. Varying combinations of projections may be
formed on different portions of the circumference of each or any spindle,
any one of the said combinations being brought into position to act
upon the corresponding bars or plates by rotating the said spindle to a

page_text: suitable extent.
Other variations may be made, as, for example, the
said spindles or coupling keys may be fitted to act upon the said bars
or plates by being rotated instead of by being depressed as aforesaid,
also instead of separate collars or projections being formed on the said
spindles grooves corresponding to the punches not required to act may
be formed in the said spindle and also the said coupling keys may be
so formed as that the disposition of the said collars or projections may
be varied.
In a second part of my Invention I employ "master plates" which
are perforated with combinations of perforations representing letters,
words, signs, or characters. In the apparatus in which the said plates
are employed the punches are preferably arranged in a vertical position
and are loosely mounted in guides or guide plates, and the perforations
in the said plates are so arranged as that when a plate is placed over a
row of punches there shall be a perforation in line with each punch
which is not required to act, so that on pressure being transmitted to
the punches by the said plate, or on the die or dies being moved towards
the said punches, the paper or other material will be perforated with a
combination which will be the reverse of the combination of perforations
in the said plate.
A plate may contain one row only of perforations or may contain a
number of rows representing a word or several words, and the said
plates may be fed through the apparatus, so as to bring the rows of
perforations consecutively in line with the rows of punches.
In some cases the perforating apparatus may contain a number of
rows of punches, say, for example, twenty, so that a master plate or
combination of plates containing twenty rows of perforations being
placed over the said punches twenty rows of perforations may be made
simultaneously. In this case a length of paper or material being per-
forated, corresponding to the length perforated at each operation, is fed
through the apparatus after each operation.
In an arrangement which I have found to be suitable the said master
plate or combination of plates is pressed upon the upper ends of the
punches by means of a lever carrying a grooved platten. The said
lever is fitted or formed with a spur segment, which gears with a spur
wheel which is loosely mounted on a shaft, and on the said shaft is
fixed a ratchet wheel. The said spur wheel carries a pawl, which gears
with the said ratchet wheel, the said pawl not acting on the said wheel

page_text: during the downward motion of the platten, but during the return
movement of the said platten and lever the said pawl causes the rotation
of the said spur wheel and thereby of the said shaft, whereby a rotatory
motion is communicated to the peg barrel, or roller, or rollers by means
of which the paper or material is fed through the apparatus. When
required a length of paper or material shorter than required for the
full capacity of the apparatus may be fed by limiting the range of the
backward movement of the aforesaid lever.
For convenience I employ grooved frames, which may be filled with
master plates to the required extent, and be placed consecutively in the
apparatus last herein described. The same master plates may be formed
with perforations arranged in the same order as the perforations required
to be made in the paper or material, in which case the punches would
act upon the said paper or material through the perforations in the said
master plates.
I may combine both the first and the second portions of my said
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Mackic in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 14th October 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MACKIE, of Warrington, in the County of Chester, Newspaper Proprictor,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Mackic, Her special license
that I, the said Alexander Mackie, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Mackic, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS

page_text: FOR FORMING COMBINATIONS OF PERFORATIONS IN PAPER OR OTHER SUBSTANCE OR
MATERIAL TO BE SYMBOLS OF OR TO REPRESENT WORDS, CHARACTER, NUMERALS, OR
LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET," upon the condition, amongst others, that I,
the said Alexander Mackic, 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 Alexander Mackie, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :—
My Invention relates to apparatus to be employed in the perforating
of paper or other substance or material in cases where varying combi-
nations of the said perforations representing words, characters, numerals,
or letters of the alphabet, such as, for example, the perforated paper
which is used in connection with my patent composing machines, or in
connection with apparatus for transmitting telegraphic messages, or by
blind persons, and my said Invention has for its object to effect the
said perforating with greater dispatch and accuracy than has hitherto
been accomplished. In the apparatus ordinarily used for the said
purpose each perforation is formed by depressing one of a number of
finger keys, so that, for example, if it be required to actuate four punches
so as to make four perforations in a single row it will be necessary to
press upon four of the said finger keys.
In a machine constructed in accordance with the first part of my
Invention, a number of coupling keys are employed, which act in
such a manner as that by pressing upon one only of the said keys a
number of the punches are caused to act in concert and to form a corre-
sponding number of perforations in the paper or other substance or
material.
The said coupling may be effected in manner as follows:-Each of
the said coupling keys consists principally of a spindle upon which is
or are formed one or more collars or projections, and all the said spindles
pass through holes or perforations formed in bars or plates, which carry
the punches, and also in bars or plates which sustain the said spindles
or keys, and through which motion is imparted to the said punches.

page_text: So long as the said coupling keys are not acted upon the said collars or
projections are in line with spaces between the said bars or plates which
carry the punches, so that if a to-and-fro motion be imparted to the
bars or plates sustaining the keys as aforesaid, the punches will remain
at rest but on pressing upon a key whose spindle is formed with, say,
four collars, the said collars are moved into a line with the said plates
or bars carrying the punches, and on the aforesaid to-and-fro movement
taking place the said collars give motion to four of the said plates or
bars, and thereby to four of the punches, and four perforations are thus
formed in the paper or other substance or material. The number and
disposition of the collars or projections upon each spindle are varied
to suit the various required combinations and the capacity of the
apparatus. Varying combinations of projections may be formed on
different portions of the circumference of each or any spindle, any one of
the said combinations being brought into position to act upon the corre-
sponding bars or plates by rotating the said spindle to a suitable extent.
Other variatious may be made, as, for example, the said spindles or
coupling keys may be fitted to act upon the said bars or plates by being
rotated instead of by being depressed, as also instead of separate collars
or projections being formed on the said spindles, grooves corresponding
to the punches not required to act may be formed in the said spindle,
and also the said coupling keys may be so formed as that the disposition
of the said collars or projections may be varied.
In a second part of my Invention I employ master plates which are
perforated or slotted with combinations of perforations representing
letters, words, sigus, or characters. In the apparatus in which the said
plates are employed, the punches are preferably arranged in a vertical
position and are loosely mounted in guides or guide plates, and the
perforations or slots in the said plates are so arranged as that when a
plate is placed over a row of punches there shall be a perforation or slot
in line with each punch which is not required to act, so that on pressure
being applied to the punches through the said plate, or on the dic or
dies being moved towards the said punches the paper or other material
will be perforated with a combination which will be the reverse of the
combination of perforations or slots in the said plate.
A plate may contain one row only of perforations or slots or may
contain a number of rows representing a word or several words, and
the said plates may be fed through the apparatus so as to bring the

page_text: rows of perforations or slots consecutively in line with the row of
punches.
In some cases the perforating apparatus may contain a number of
rows of punches, say, for example, twenty, so that a master plate or a
combination of plates containing twenty rows of perforations or slots
being placed over the said punches twenty rows of perforations may be
made simultaneously. In this case a length of paper or material being
perforated corresponding to the length perforated at each operation is fed
through the apparatus after each operation.
In order that my said Invention may be fully understood I will in this
place refer to the accompanying Drawings which illustrate methods of
accomplishing the object of the said Invention.
In the said Drawings Fig. 1 represents a plan and Fig. 2 a longi-
tudinal section of a perforating machine in which coupling keys are
employed, the said Figs. being drawn about one half of the full size.
In the said Figs. a, a, are the punches, in this example sixteen in
number; b, b, are the sliding plates; and c, c, are the coupling keys.
Each punch is carried by a short bar d, which is attached to one of the
plates b, a number of the bars d being cranked in order to bring the
punches closer together. The said punches are fitted to work to and fro
in holes formed in a fixed guide plate e, and a suitable die is fixed to the
cylinder f, over which the paper is fed by means of the pin wheel g,
which is fixed to a boss formed on the ratchet wheel h, which boss is
fitted to revolve within the said cylinder. On the upper end of the
central shaft i is fixed an arm which carries a pawt which gears with
the wheel, and on the lower end of the said shaft is fixed or formed
an arm which is acted upon by a cam on the main shaft j, when the
said shaft is caused to revolve, the effect being that the shaft i is caused
to rock to and fro, and the pawt acting on the ratchet wheel imparts an
intermittent movement to the pin wheel, and the said wheel feeds the
strip of paper forward between the die and the punches. This arrange-
ment for feeding the paper may be greatly varied, and any suitable
arrangements may be adopted for the purpose. The plates b, b, arc
fitted to slide in grooves formed in cheeks k, k, and an upper and a
lower plate ', 6', are also fitted to slide therein, and are connected
together at one end by the piece ³, which carries an antifriction bowl
which is acted upon by the cam when the shaft is caused to revolve,
the said cam imparting a slight to-and-fro sliding movement to the

page_text: plates ', . The plates b', b', carry a number of coupling keys c, c, one
of which is shown about the full size at Fig. 3, the said keys consisting
of turned spindles on which collars are formed as represented. The said
keys pass through circular holes formed in the whole of the sixteen
plates b, b, cach of the said holes being sufficiently large to admit one
of the collars on a key. When one of tho said keys formed with, say,
three collars, is depressed the said collars enter holes formed in three of
the said plates, and on the shaft j being rotated by means of the hand
wheel represented in the Drawings, or by other suitable means, the
plates b', ', will be moved in the direction of the arrow carrying with
them the whole of the aforesaid keys, and the key which has been
depressed will carry with it the said three plates, and the corresponding
punches will thereby be caused to perforate the strip of paper. Tho
motion of the shaft j continuing the plates b' will be moved back into
their former positions and a pin " which passes through the whole of the
plates will move back the aforesaid three plates until their ends bear
against a stop o which ensures the coincidence of the holes in the plates.
The rotation of the shaft j being continued and a key being depressed at
cach revolution rows of perforations are formed in the strip of paper, the
number and disposition of the perforations in any one cross row, with the
exception of the perforations by means of which the paper is fed corre-
sponding with the number and disposition of the collars on the key
which has been depressed during the punching of the said row of
perforations.
A portion of a strip of paper perforated by the apparatus is represented
about the full size at Fig. 4. Paper thus perforated is such as I use in
my type-composing machine, the centre row of perforations marked 9
being only used for feeding the strip through the perforator and through
the composing apparatus.
The perforations on imaginary lines marked 10 to 17 govern the
action of the apparatus which selects a type case from a number of
cases, and the perforations in line with number 1 to 8 correspond to the
eight compartments containing type in each case. The cross row (
would cause the withdrawal of cight types from one case, the row b
seven types from another case, and the row c six types from a third
case.
In order to increase the number of combinations which the per-
11.
Creations
1:

page_text: 10 to 17 may be produced by depressing special keys, so that, for
example, to produce the row bit might be necessary to depress a key
having eight collars, and also a key having two collars. The keys are
marked with the words or signs represented by the combinations of
perforations corresponding with the said keys. A greater number of
keys may be used in one apparatus than are represented in the Drawings,
the number of different combinations which may be made with sixteen
punches greatly exceeding the number of the keys in the example given,
or a fewer number of keys may be used, or a greater or a lesser number
of punches than sixteen may be employed according to the use which is
to be made of the perforated paper or material. The action of the said
keys may be modified to some extent in some cases, or when preferred,
as, for example, instead of requiring to be depressed they may be formed
and fitted to have the required action upon the plates when rotated to
some extent.
Fig. 5 represents a grooved key, the action of which would be the
same as that of a key formed with collars, and Fig. 6 represents a
key having collars capable of being varied in position on a central
spindle.
The remaining Figures are illustrative of the manner in which the
object of my Invention may be attained by the use of "master plates."
A perforated master plate is represented at Fig. 7, and a grooved frame
containing a number of the said plates is represented at Fig. 8. The
said plates are formed of sheet metal, and each contains one row, or
two, or more rows of perforations according as the said plates are to
produce combinations of perforations to represent a single letter, or
several letters or words, or a complete sentence. In the cases of plates
representing combinations of words in frequent use, a single plate may
entirely fill the aforesaid grooved frame. As an example of the system
of perforation, when perforating a plate to produce the row a in Fig. 4,
the said plate would be perforated in parts corresponding to the lines
12 to 17. The said plates are selected as required to make up the
matter and are placed in proper sequence in a frame, and the said frame
is placed in the apparatus represented by Figs. 9 and 10, or in an
apparatus wherein the said plates are caused to regulate the action
of the punches. In the said Figs. the frame p filled with master
plates q is placed over a number of punches r, r. In this example
there are twenty-five cross rows of punches and thirteen longitudinal

page_text: rows,
but the number may be varied according to circumstances, as,
for example, to perforate the paper as represented by Fig. 4 soventeen
longitudinal rows would be employed, the perforations on line 9 being,
by preference, produced by this apparatus at the same time as the other
perforations. In the said apparatus a platten 8 is hinged on the plate t,
in which plate and in the plate the punches are mounted, and the said
platten is raised and lowered by means of the lever a, on which is fixed
a stud which slides in the slot formed in the rib 10 on the back of the
platten as the said platten is raised or lowered. The said lever is loosely
mounted on the shaft x, on which is fixed a ratchet wheel a', a pawt,
shewn by dotted lines, being mounted on a stud fixed to the said lever and
engaging with the teeth of the said ratchet wheel. The platten having
been previously raised, and the frame p being in position, the lever is
drawn forwards, so as to depress the platten into the position as repre-
sented, when a number of ribs y on the under side of the platten will
rest on the portions of the master plates between the cross rows of
perforations. On continuing the said forward motion of the lever the
platten, together with the plates and and the punches, will be
depressed; the rods a' attached to the said plates sliding in bearings b³
until the punches touch the paper, and the depression still continuing
those punches which do not coincide with perforations in the master plates
will be forced through the paper, as represcuted on an enlarged scale
in Fig. 11. The strip of paper, after being perforated, passes partly
around a cylinder d, which is furnished with pins to enter the centre
line of perforations, corresponding to the line g in Fig. 4, and on the
axle of the said cylinder is fixed a bevil pinion, which gears with a bevil
wheel m which is fixed on the shaft c', which is connected by the spur
gearing with the shaft x. When the platten is being lowered the
aforesaid pawt slips over the teeth of the wheel a¹, but when the said
platten is raised the said pawt causes the said ratchet wheel to rotate and
a revolving motion is communicated to the shaft c', and thereby to the
The
cylinder d, the paper being thus fed through the apparatus.
gearing is so proportioned as that when the lever is moved back to
the fullest extent allowed, a length of paper about equal to the length
perforated by the whole twenty-five rows of punches will be drawn
through the apparatus, so as to present a fresh and unperforated surface
below the punches. In the event, however, of a frame not being
entirely filled with master plates, as, for example, supposing there to be
plates or a plate having only twenty rows of perforations, the backward
"
"

page_text: motion of the lever is in such a case arrested when the detent g³ arrives
at a notch marked twenty on the curved bar h¹; this lesser extent of
motion imparting a movement to the paper about equal to a length
containing twenty rows of perforations. The frame p is also marked with
numerals, as represented in Fig. 8, in order that the number of rows
of perforations in the plates in the said frame may be readily seen.
As has been herein-before mentioned a single row of punches may be
employed, and the master plates may be fed through the apparatus.
Figs. 12 to 14 illustrate a modification in the form of the master
plates which is suitable to be used with only one row of punches.
Fig. 13 represents a plate which is perforated or slotted at the opposite
edges, the slots on the two edges varying, so that one plate is capablo
of producing two differing combinations of perforations. The said plates
may be most readily produced from grooved plates, such as represented
by Fig. 14, by cutting out the rectangular picces between the grooves
in places where slots are required to be formed. The said plates are
used in a vertical position, as represented in Fig. 12, and are pressed
down upon the row of punches, those of the punches which are under
the slots not acting, and the remainder being pressed through the paper.
It is preferred to feed the said plates continuously into a sliding frame,
which is depressed at intervals by means of a cam or of cams or by
other suitable means, so as to cause the said plates to act upon the
punches in the manner indicated in Fig. 12.
Having now described and illustrated the nature of my said Invention,
and means for carrying the same into practical effect, I would in
conclusion have it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details of the apparatus described and illustrated;
but that I claim as secured to me by the herein-before mentioned and in
part recited Letters Patent,―
First. The method of coupling or connecting the punches of per-
forating machines, substantially as and for the purpose or purposes
set forth, indicated, and illustrated herein, and by the accompanying
Drawings.
Secondly. The employment for the purpose or purposes herein indi-
cated of "master plates," prepared and adapted to act substantially as
hercin-before described and indicated.

page_text: And lastly. The perforating apparatus, substantially as and for the
purpose or purposes set forth, indicated, and illustrated herein, and by
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Mackie, have hereunto
set my haud and scal, this Thirteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-one.
ALEXANDER MACKIE. (L.S.)
In the presence of,
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Patent Agent,
of Number 3, Smithy Door,
Manchester.