Printing or Numbering and other similar Machinery.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 31st Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1387
Printing or Numbering and other similar Machinery.
I, JOHN GRAHAM, of 35 Bride Street, Barnsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Railway ticket printer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In the machinery usually employed for the printing, numbering, etcetera, of rail-
way tickets, cards, and the like, the said tickets are finally deposited in a long
receiving tube or box which is detached from the machine as soon as it is full, or
nearly so, in order that the finished tickets may be removed therefrom. This periodical
removal of the receiving tube necessitates the stoppage of the machine, and the
principal object of my present invention is to obviate the loss of time thus incurred.
According to my present invention, the receiving tube or box is permanently
attached to the machine, and for a certain portion of its length consists only of three
sides, the front being open so as to allow of the periodical removal of tickets, as hereinafter
explained. A block of hard wood, or other suitable material, is arranged to slide
freely in the open portion of the tube or box, being kept in place by means of suitable
guides running in slots or grooves, and provided, if desired, with friction rollers.
The said sliding block is forced upwards towards the inlet of the tube or box by means
of a spring, balance weight, or other similar device, and is provided with a recess or
hollow on its upper face to allow of the introduction of the operative's finger for the
purpose hereinafter described.
At a suitable position on the tube or box is fitted an automatic spring fatch having
connected therewith a blade which is adapted to intercept the further fall of tickets
on to the aforesaid sliding block when required.
The action of my improved apparatus is as follows:-The tickets are fed into the
tube or box as usual from the printing or numbering mechanism, and the block is
gradually forced down against the resistance of the spring, or weight. Before it has
reached the end of the box, the operator places his finger in the recess or hollow on
the block and forces the latter further down the tube or box and at the same time
closes the latch and its blade so that the further fall of tickets beyond the said blade

page_text: is intercepted, space having been however provided above the blade by the depression
of the block and tickets thereon 'by the operative. The tickets between the top face of
the block and the under side of the blade are then removed by the operative, and the
block immediately flies upwards in readiness to receive further tickets. When the
block is nearing its upper position, a pin or projection on it releases the spring latch
which then springs open with drawing the blade so as to allow the tickets to descend
on to the block as before, and the operations are repeated.
By these arrangements the printing, or numbering, or other similar machine may
be allowed to work continuously and its production considerably increased.
Dated this 4th day of February 1887.
J. GRAHAM.
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London,
Agent.
New or Improved Apparatus for Receiving Tickets from Ticket-
printing or Numbering and other similar Machinery.
I, JOHN GRAHAM, of 35 Bride Sireet, Barnsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Railway Ticket Printer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying two
sheets of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
In the machinery usually employed for the printing, numbering, etcetera, of railway
tickets, cards and the like, the said tickets, or other similar articles, are finally
deposited in a long receiving tube or hox which is detached from the machine as soon
as it is full, or nearly so, in order that the finished tickets may be removed there-
from. This periodical removal of the receiving tube necessitates, in some cases, the
stoppage of the machine, and in others, the arrangements, by which the stoppage of
the machine is obviated, are not satisfactory, and the object of my present invention
is to provide more perfect arrangements for obviating the necessity of stopping the
machines when tickets are being removed therefrom.
In the Drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a receiving tube
or box constructed in accordance with my invention. Figure 2 is a side elevation
and Figure 3 a plan of same, and Figure 4 a horizontal section at line x x of
Figure 1.
The receiving tube or box A is permanently attached to the machine, and consists

page_text: of two sides A A and a back A' as shown clearly in the horizontal section Figure 4,
the front, or one side, being open so as to allow of the periodical removal of the
tickets from the tube or box without removing the latter from the machine, as will
be hereinafter explained. A block or false bottom B of hard wood, or other suitable
material, is arranged to slide freely up and down in the tube or box A, being guided
therein by friction rollers (taking into slots or grooves D formed in the sides
thereof, or by other suitable means. The said block B may also be guided by means
of rods E fixed by brackets, or otherwise, to the sides A of the tube or box, such
guide rods E passing through holes in the plate F secured to the bottom of the
block B. The sliding block B is constantly drawn upwards towards the inlet end of
the tube or box A by means of springs G secured at their upper ends to arms fixed
to the sides of the tube or box A, and at their lower ends to the plate F. If desired,
the arins to which the upper ends of the springs G are attached may be made adjust-
able vertically to enable the tension of the said springs G to be varied as may be
required. The block B may be drawn or pressed upwards by any other suitable
means, if preferred. It is provided with a recess or hollow H on its upper face to
allow of the introduction of the finger of the operative for the purpose hereinafter
explained.
At a suitable point on the tube or box A is fitted an automatic spring latch I,
having a blade I adapted to enter the tube or box A, and to intercept the further falĺ
of tickets on to the sliding block B when required. This spring latch I turns on a
centre J, and is constantly pressed outwards by a spring K, so that when released, it
flies out into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, its rear end being
preferably so shaped as to come against the side of the box A, or other stop, to prevent
the latch and blade from being thrown out by the spring K beyond a certain position.
When the latch I, with its blade I, is closed in to the position shown in full lines in
Figure 3, a pin or projection L, on it, takes into a hole, or behind a catch in, or on,
the fixed piece M, or is otherwise held in that position until released in the manner
hereinafter explained.
In the Drawings, the block B is shewn approximately in the position it would
occupy just prior to the box being emptied by the operative, the spring latch I having
been closed so as to intercept the further supply of tickets to the tube. The space in
the tube, between the under side of the spring latch I and the upper side of the
block B, would, of course, be occupied by tickets, but, for the sake of clearness, these
are not shown in the Drawings.
The action of the improved apparatus is as follows:-The latch I is released so as
to stand in the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3, and the tickets, cards,
or other similar objects, are fed into the upper end of the tube or box A, as usual,
from the printing or numbering mechanism, and the block or false bottom B is
gradually forced down by them against the resistance of the springs G, or of the
other means provided for drawing or pressing the block B upwards. Before the
block B has reached the lower end of the tube or box A, the operator places his finger
in the recess or hollow H on the block, and forces the latter with the tickets on it
further down the tube or box, and, at the same time, closes the latch I and its
blade I into the position shown in full lines in Figure 3, so that the further fall of
tickets beyond the said blade is intercepted space having been provided for the
reception of tickets above the blade, by the depression of the block B, and tickets
thereon, by the operative, as above described. The tickets between the top face of the
block B and the under side of the blade I, are then removed by the operative, and
the block B is immediately drawn upwards by the springs G in readiness to receive
further tickets. When the block B is nearing its upper position, a pin or projection N,
on it, strikes the spring latch I, disengaging its pin or projection L from the hole or
catch in the piece M, and the said latch I, with its blade 1', flies open under the action
of the spring K into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, withdrawing the
blade from the tube or box A so as to allow the tickets, which have accumulated
above it, while those below it were being removed, to descend on to the block B
which is again pressed down by them as before, and the operations are repeated.
:

page_text: In order to prevent the block B from striking the latch I and blade I' with too
great force when drawn upwards by the springs G, and also to prevent the rebound of
the said block, a check or brake spring O is secured to the back of the tube or box A,
or otherwise, so as to press against the block B as it rises, and to bring it gradually
to rest by the friction thereby produced.
By these arrangements the printing, or numbering, or other similar machine may
be allowed to work continuously without danger, the space in the tube or box A above
the latch being made of sufficient depth to receive all the tickets, or other
objects, printed, or numbered, during the time those below the said latch are being
removed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I desire to have it
understood that 1 make no claim generally to a receiving tube or box so arranged that
the printing, numbering, or other machine can be allowed to continue working while
the tickets or other articles accumulated in the lower portion of such tube or box
are being removed as I am aware that an arrangement, in which the lower part of the
tube or box with the tickets therein, may be removed and emptied while the machine
is still working, is already in use, but I declare that what I do claim is :-
First In a railway ticket printing, or numbering, or other similar machine, the
fixed receiving tube or box A open in front, or at one side, and having a block or
false bottom B sliding thorein and drawn or pressed constantly towards the upper end
thereof by means of springs G or other suitable devices, and a spring actuated latch I
and blade I, constructed, arranged and operating as herein before described, and
illustrated in the Drawings hereto annexed.
Second In the receiving tube or box of a railway ticket printing, or numbering,
or other similar machine, the use of a sliding block or false bottom B drawn or
pressed constantly towards the upper end of the receiving tube or box by means of
springs G or other suitable devices, and pressed down by the tickets or other similar
articles as they are delivered by the machine substantially as hereinbefore described,
and illustrated in the Drawings hereto annexed, and for the purpose specified.
Third-In the receiving tube or box of a railway ticket printing, or numbering, or
other similar machine, the use of a latch 1, with a blade I, which serves, when closed,
to prevent the descent of the tickets or other similar articles delivered by the machine
whilst those below are being removed, and which is liberated automatically by the
ascent of the block or false bottom B, and opened by the spring K, substantially as
bereinbefore described, and illustrated in the Drawings hereto annexed.
Dated this 31st day of October 1887.