IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR DAMPING COPYING PAPER, STAMPS, LABELS, AND OTHER MATERIALS AND ARTICLES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Pritty, of Victoria Grove, Chelsea, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
OR APPARATUS FOR DAMPING COPYING PAPER, STAMPS, LABELS, AND OTHER
MATERIALS AND ARTICLES."
Sealed the 7th June 1870, and dated the 7th January 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Pritty at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th January 1870.
.
.
I, HENRY PRITTY, of Victoria Grove, Chelsea, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR DAMPING COPYING PAPER, STAMPS,
LABELS, AND OTHER MATERIALS AND ARTICLES," to be as follows :-
"
li, ir
The Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus
for damping copying paper, stamps, labels, and other materials and
articles. For this purpose I employ a fountain consisting of a chamber
enclosed on every side, but having a small opening in the lower part of
one side thereof. This opening leads into a trough or chamber, and

page_text: serves to maintain a supply of water in such trough or chamber to a given
height. In this trough or chamber are mounted two rollers, the lower
one being partially immersed in the water, whilst the upper roller runs
in contact with the lower one, and is capable of being readily rotated by.
means of necks or axes projecting beyond the sides of the trough, and
by which the said roller when properly supplied with water may be
removed from the case and rolled over the article or material to be
damped, or, if desired, the roller may be left in the case, and the article
or material to be damped may be passed over or pressed on to the
surface thereof. Around each of the necks or axes of the upper roller
I place a tube or ferrule to facilitate running the roller in either
direction, and I prefer to form such upper roller of zinc, glass, unglazed
pottery, or other material which will take up sufficient water on its
surface without absorbing a large quantity. In some cases a single
roller only may be employed, only a small portion of which is immersed
in the water, whilst, if desired, an extra roller may be employed .to
remove any excess of water supplied to or by the damping roller, or in
some cases to press on the top of the damping roller.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Pritty in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th July 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I; HENRY
PRITTY, of Victoria Grove, Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her :
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Pritty, Her special licence.
that I, the said Henry Pritty, my executors, administrators, and assigns, 1
or such others as I, the said Henry Pritty, 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, a

page_text: and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS
FOR DAMPING COPYING PAPER, STAMPS, LABELS, AND OTHER MATERIALS AND
ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry'
Pritty, 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 Henry Pritty, 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 :-
The Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus
for damping copying paper, stamps, labels, and other materials and
articles. For this purpose I employ a fountain consisting of a chamber
enclosed on every side, but having a small opening in the lower part of
one side thereof. This opening leads into a trough or chamber, and
serves to maintain a supply of water in such trough or chamber to a.
given height. In this trough or chamber are mounted two rollers, the
lower one being partially immersed in the water, whilst the upper roller
runs in contact with the lower one, and is capable of being readily.
rotated by means of necks or axes projecting beyond the sides of the
trough, and by which the said roller when properly supplied with water
may be removed from the case and rolled over the article or material
to be damped, or, if desired, the roller may be left in the case, and the
article or material to be damped may be passed over or pressed on to
the surface thereof. Around each of the necks or axes of the upper
roller I place a tube or ferrule to facilitate running the roller in either
direction.
:
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood
and readily carried into effect I will proceed, aided by the accompanying
Drawings, more fully to describe the same

page_text: according to my Invention, and suitable for damping stamps, labels, and
other small articles. a, a, is a fountain consisting of a chamber enclosed
on every side, but having a small opening 6 in the lower part of such
fountain or chamber a, a, leading into a trough or chamber c, and
serving to maintain a supply of water; in such trough or chamber c to
a given height. In this trough or chamber are mounted two rollers d, e,
the lower one d being partially immersed in the water, as shewn, whilst
'the upper roller e runs in contact with the lower one, and may be readily
rotated by the finger when desired. The rollers d, e, are provided with.
necks or axes d', e¹, which work in grooves or recesses f,f, formed in
the sides of the trough or chamber c, so that the lower roller d may
be supported at a short distance above the bottom of the trough or
chamber c, and run freely in the water therein. By applying the
adhesive side of a stamp or label to the upper part of the roller e it will
be sufficiently damped:
At Figures 4 and 5 I have shewn a damping apparatus suitable for
damping copying paper, whether in books or otherwise, and for damping
other articles, similar parts being marked with similar letters of reference
to those employed in the previous Figures. In this case, as shewn in
the Drawing, the fountain a and trough c and rollers d, e, are formed
longer than in Figures 1, 2, and 3, and are made of zinc or other suitable
metal, the fountain and trough forming a lining to a wooden case g, as
shewn. The necks or axes e¹ of the roller e project beyond the sides of
the trough or chamber c, and are provided with tubes or ferrules e², by
holding which the roller e when removed from the trough or chamber c
can be readily run in either direction over the article or material to be
damped, whilst by turning the knobs on the necks e¹ the roller e may
be readily rotated when in the trough c. I prefer to form the upper
roller e of zinc, glass, pottery, or other material which will take up
sufficient water on its surface without absorbing a large quantity, but
in some cases where several sheets are required to be damped at one
operation I cover the roller e with any suitable absorbent material. In
some cases a single roller only may be employed, a small portion of
which is immersed in the water, the trough or chamber c and the roller
being formed comparatively large, whilst, if desired, an extra roller, as
indicated by the dotted circle in Figure 1, may be employed to remove
any excess of water supplied to or by the damping roller, or in some
cases to press on the top of the damping roller. This extra roller may

page_text: be carried by arms pin jointed to the trough or fountain, or the roller e
and extra roller may be carried in a separate frame which is capable of
being removed from the trough when required. In some cases the
fountain and trough will be made of glass or pottery, in which case a
metallic frame may be used for the rollers to work in.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode
in which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that
I do not claim the various parts separately considered, as such have
before been used in different combinations for similar purposes; but I
claim, the novel combinations and arrangements of damping apparatus
consisting of a fountain a, trough c, and roller or rollers d, e, substantially
as herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Pritty, have. hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
FRED. HARRIS,
Patent Agent,
35, Southampton Buildgs,
London.
H. PRITTY. (L.S.)