IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STAMPING AND PRINTING
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Downs Shipman, of Toronto, Canada West,
North America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
STAMPING AND PRINTING."-Partly a communication when abroad from
Mr. Kendell, of Canada aforesaid.
Sealed the 15th September 1859, and dated the 30th March 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Downs Shipman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th March 1859.
I, THOMAS DOWNS SHIPMAN, of Toronto, Canada West, North America, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR STAMPING AND PRINTING" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for it object improvements in apparatus for stamping
and printing. For these purposes the stamp or printing surface is fixed or
retained in a suitable frame or box, which is affixed to and slides with an
upright bar or rod which moves in suitable guides. The rod or bar is attached
to one end of a lever, and the other end of the lever is constantly drawn
downward by a suitable spring so as to raise the printing or stamping surface
when allowed to do so. An inking roller is carried by the forked end of a lever,
which has its axis or fulcrum above the lever before mentioned, the other or
back end of the forked lever is constantly drawn on by a suitable spring in
such manner as to cause the inking roller to pass under the printing surface.

page_text: The back end of the forked lever is attached by a link or connecting rod to
the fore part of the lever which acts on the printing or stamping surface, by
which the movement of the forked lever is caused to depend on the movement
of the other lever, by this means at one movement an impression is given, and
the printing or stamping surface is inked for the next impression. The ink
is contained in a box or chamber fixed to the standard of the press, and it
has a curved under surface which is perforated to allow the ink to pass through,
and at each action the inking roller passes under the inking box so as to obtain
a supply of ink. Under the stamping or printing surface there is an elastic
bed of vulcanized india-rubber or of other suitable material. The box or
frame containing the printing or stamping surface or device may be circular,
oval, or of other form, according to the purpose to which it is to be applied,
and the box or frame is moved up and down by the pressure of the hand on
the upper part of the bar or-rod, or it may have a handle or other instrument
applied in place of the hand, acting directly on the head or upper part of the
bar or rod, to the lower part of which the printing or stamping device is
affixed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Downs Shipman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd September 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
DOWNS SHIPMAN, of Toronto, Canada West, North America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Downs Shipman, Her special licence that I, the said
Thomas Downs Shipman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Thomas Downs Shipman, 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 FOR STAMPING AND PRINTING,"
(partly a communication when abroad from Mr. Kendell, of Canada afore-
said,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Downs,

page_text: Shipman, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Thomas Downs Shipman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for stamping
and printing. For these purposes the stamp or printing surface is fixed or
retained in a suitable frame or box, which is affixed to and slides with an
upright bar or rod which moves in suitable guides. The rod or bar is attached
to one end of a lever, and the other end of the lever is constantly drawn
downwards by a suitable spring, so as to raise the printing or stamping surface
when allowed to do so. An inking roller is carried by the forked end of a
lever which has its axis or fulcrum above the lever before mentioned. The
other or back end of the forked lever is constantly drawn on by a suitable
spring, in such manner as to cause the inking roller to pass under the printing
surface. The back end of the forked lever is attached by a link or connecting
rod to the fore part of the lever which acts on the printing or stamping
surface, by which the movement of the forked lever is caused to depend on the
movement of the other lever, by this means at one movement an impression is
given, and the printing or stamping surface is inked for the next impression:
The ink is contained in a box or chamber fixed to the standard of the press,
and it has a curved under surface which is perforated to allow the ink to pass
through, and at each action the inking roller passes under the inking box so
as to obtain a supply of ink. Under the stamping or printing surface there is
an elastic bed of vulcanized india-rubber, or of other suitable material. Tlie
box or frame containing the printing or stamping surface or device may be
circular, oval, or of other form, according to the purpose to which it is to be
applied, and the box or frame is moved up and down by the pressure of the
hand on the upper part of the bar or rod, or it may have a handle or other
instrument applied in place of the hand acting directly on the head or upper
part of the bar or rod, to the lower part of which the printing or stamping
device is affixed.
I will now proceed to describe the construction of the machine as invented
and improved by me by the following figures or letters, I refer to the Drawings

page_text: hereunto annexed, on which Drawings Figure 1 represents a view of the press
in perspective; Figure 2 represents a side view (partly in section) of the
press; Figure 3 represents a longitudinal section of the ink box; Figure 4 is
my improvement, also shewn in Figure 2, on which is shewn the different
actions of the machine in red lines. Letter A is a portion of the frame of the
hand press, consisting of the bed plate, upon which are erected curved standards
B, B, having a hollow cylinder C cast on their front ends, through which the
upright shaft D of the stamp box E passes; on the end of the rod or shaft is
'cast a male screw, which takes into a female screw cut in a shank or collar F
secured on the upper side of the type box. Beneath the screw passes a pin a
on the pitman joint under which the curved end of the lever G works, by this
means the stamp is raised; this pin works on a pitman joint attached to tho
stamp box, and is an improvement on any press or stamp used for a similar
purpose; by means of the lever G the stamp is raised to the position shewn in the
Drawing. By means of the spiral spring H,.one end of which is secured to the
end of G, and the other end of said spring is attached to the bed plate between
the circular standards, this lever has its fulcrum at B' on the upper edge of
the plate I that connects the standards, the upper end of this lever is bevelled
to enable the lever to turn with the least possible difficulty. To the upper
- side near the end of this lever G is secured a connecting rod J by means of a
hinged joint whose other end is attached in a similar manner to a standard or
lever R erected on the frame L of the inking roller. This frame is pivotted
to the standards at O, and forks out into two arms on which the ink roller
revolves; on the upper end of the frame L is attached another spiral spring N,
the other end of the spring being attached to the standard gives the required
motion to the frame L on the ink roller M. The type box is provided with
blank dies for holding the type in place, which may be adjusted as required by
means of a thumbscrew N*, which is so arranged as to press the whole
together. The type box, depressed by a single blow of the hand, as shewn by
the red line, Figure 2, and the hand again removed, springs into its original
position by means of the spring H on the end of the lever G; as the type box
rises, the spring N, acting on the ink roll frame L, forces the roll to pass over
the surface of the type. While pressing with the band on the shaft to make
an impression, the frame L forces the roll under the ink box, when it is
entirely coated with ink, and as the shaft rises the roller passes over the type,
giving the machine an alternate motion. The ink roll M consists of a hollow
perforated cylinder, into which ink of a proper consistency is passed and
afterwards secured by a cap piece (i) which screws into the end of the cylinder,
in either end of this roll are secured journals working in bearings on the arms

page_text: (d) round the outer surface of this roll is secured a piece of cloth, felt, or other
suitable material to absorb the ink as it passes through the perforations in the
cylinder. The roller in passing under the type box is brought into contact
with a diffusing plate (o), which spreads the ink evenly over its surface, and
which is of a similar breadth of the roller between the caps. Instead of the
roller being hollow, this plate may be constructed as shewn, Figure 3, and
thereby form an ink fountain, in which case the under side would require to
be perforated. What I claim as my Invention is the construction of the hand
stamp press with the improved pitman joint by which the type box is raised,
also the attachment of the spring N of the lever L to the lever G, or to the
bed plate B, as above described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Downs Shipman, have hereunto
set my band and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witnesses,
WILLIAM WEIR,
WEBSTER BUNNELL.
THOS. D. SHIPMAN. (L.B.)