AN IMPROVED STAMPING APPARATus, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR IMPRESSING NAMES, ADDRESSES, DATES, AND NUMBERS UPON LETTERS, ENVELOPES, AND OTHER PAPERS
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL - SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th May 1870. A communication from abroad by Messrs. Towle
and Harding, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, Engineers.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED STAMPING APPARATus,
CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR IMPRESSING NAMES, ADDRESSES, DATES, AND NUMBERS UPON
LETTERS, ENVELOPES, AND OTHER PAPERS," a communication, to be as
follows:
F.
The said Invention relates to a convenient, simple, and efficient
portable, hand-stamping apparatus, which is chiefly designed for use in
offices, counting houses, and other like places of business for impressing
upon letters, envelopes, bills, circulars, and other documents the name
and address of the proprietor or firm, with the date and other
distinguishing indications, for convenience of reference or for other
purposes.

page_text: The said Invention consists mainly in the peculiar combination together
of adjustable and fixed stamping surfaces, a carbonized or inked ribbon,
an impression plate, and certain details of mechanism herein-after
described, the whole being supported upon a suitable stand or base. The
said stand or base, which is of convenient size and form for an office
table, has a socket wherein is fitted a vertically sliding bar; this bar
carries the stamping surfaces and is operated by pressing it down with
the hand. A number of wheels or discs which have the stamping letters,
figures, and other characters on the periphery, are arranged to rotate
around one axis or centre pin, which is supported in the lower part of
the vertically sliding bar. These discs also have letters, figures, and
other characters to show when the stamping discs have been properly
adjusted to produce. the desired impression. At the bottom of the
operating bar there is a fixed plate which has on it the name and address
and other permanent marks or characters, while the discs which project
through an aperture in the said plate carry the names of the days, and
months, the years, and other indications which have to be changed more
or less frequently.
I prefer to use three of the adjustable discs or wheels, but may use
any other convenient or desirable number. The inner disc or discs
must have a boss which projects through the side of the outer discs to
carry the indicating letters or figures. These letters or figures are placed
in a circle around the wheel or disc, and they must be so arranged in
relation to an index point or finger or mark that when each name, date,
letter, figure, or other character is brought opposite thereto the corre-
sponding name, date, or character on the periphery will be in the proper
position to produce its impression upon the paper or other material
placed under it. The discs or wheels are held in position when adjusted
by small spring bolts passed through the sides of the jaws between
which the discs are placed. The points of these bolts enter holes formed
in the sides of the discs in the proper position with regard to the dates,
numbers, or other characters on the stamping surfaces. The inked or
carbonized ribbon or band is wound on two barrels or rollers, which are
enclosed in cylinders or cases attached to the operating bar. The ribbon
or band is adjusted by winding it upon the rollers, and the latter are
kept from unwinding too freely by spiral springs, a light friction brake;
or other suitable device. The operating bar is held up by a spiral spring
in the socket. The said bar has on it a loose ring which has a feather

page_text: projecting into a longitudinal groove in the bar. A screw which projects.
through the side of the socket holds the said ring firmly in place, so that
the bar is kept by the feather from turning round in the ring, while it is
at the same time allowed to work freely up and down in the socket. If
it is desired to alter the position of the stamps the screw is slackened,
the ring turned around in the socket, and the screw again tightened. If
it is not considered necessary to provide the means for changing the
position of the stamps the aforesaid ring may be dispensed with and the
screw arranged to project into the groove in the bar. The bar has a
shoulder or collar to prevent its rising above a certain distance in the
socket. To prevent the noise which would be occasioned by the contact
of the collar with the bottom of the socket I interpose between the two
surfaces a ring or washer of india-rubber or other suitable soft. material.
The top of the bar is provided with a knob or collar of convenient size
and shape for the hand to be applied to in pressing down the stamp.
The plate or bed on which the papers or documents are supported to
receive the impression is secured to the base centrally under the operating
bar.