US1083581A - Mail-marking machine. - Google Patents

Description

G. H. BARBOUR.

MAIL MARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1911.

1,083,581. Patented Jan.6, 1914.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0. WASHINGTON. D. c.

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r s'rars prion GEORGE HENRY BARBOUR, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN POSTAL MACHINES COIVIPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

MAIL-MARKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 6, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE E. BARBoUR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Marking Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to stamp canceling and post marking machines in which the relative movements between the die and impression rolls requisite for effecting the proper marking of the letters is controlled by the letters.

' The invention is intended primarily as an improvement in the machine shown and described in Patents No. 948,712, February 8, 1910, and No. 950,521, March 1, 1910, although the invention is notlimited in its application to the machine illustrated in these patents.

The object of the invention is to improve and simplify the devices for supporting and controlling the movements of the impression roll to secure the proper operation of the marking die on the letters, and to prevent the engagement of the roll with the marking die when no letter is passing; to improve the construction and arrangement of the frictionally held feed pads by which the letters are advanced to the marking roll; and to provide an improved construction and arrangement of the pressure or gripping pads which cooperate with the clamping foot on the marking roll in carrying the.

letters past the timing stop and into position to be gripped between the impression roll and marking roll.

lVith these objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and referred to in the claims, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

The various features of the invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, and the following detailed description of the construction illustrated therein.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of so much of .a mail marking machine as is necessary to show the application of the present improvements thereto; Fig. 2 is a part al detail elevation of the levers for supporting and operating the impression roll; Fig. 8 is a detail elevation showing one of the feeding pads and one of the pressure or clamping pads carried by the feed wheel; and Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on line it- 1, Fig. 3.

In the machine shown in the drawings the letters are supported upon edge on a horizontal base plate or table 1, the front of the pack being held by the operator against a front plate 2, and against the periphery of the feed wheel 3, the rim of which projects through the plate 2. The individual letters are separated from the face of the letter pack and carried forward against the timing stops 4: by frictional feed pads 5 which project from the periphery of the feed wheel 3. The feed pads are in the form of rolls mounted in circumferentially extending slots 6 formed in the rim of the wheel 3, the

rolls being so mounted that they project somewhat beyond the periphery of the feed wheel. In order that the feed rolls may pass off of the letters without injuring them after the advance of the letters has been arrested by the timing stops the rolls should be frictionally held from rotation in the feed wheel in such manner that they may roll along the surface of the letter after the letter is arrested. In accordance with one feature of the present invention the feed rolls are thus held by the resiliency of the rubber or other elastic frictional material from which the roll is formed. As shown the rolls comprise a central metallic core or hub 7 surrounded by a body of rubber 8. The rolls are mounted to turn upon pins 9 which pass freely through the rim of the wheelS and the hubs of the rolls. The rolls are of such thickness that they are slightly compressed between the walls of the slots 6. The opposite faces of the rolls are thus held in continual frictional engagement with the walls of the slots so that the rolls are held from rotation until the resistance to their bodily advance is sufficient to overcome the friction between the faces of the rolls and the walls of the slots. The roll may be so constructed that the rubber body 8 engages the walls of the slot in the wheel 3, but it 1s preferred to provide the hub 7 with a flange 10 for engaging one wall of the slot, and to insert a washer 11 between the body 8 and the other wall of the slot. With this construction the face of the roll does not wear away so quickly, and a more uniform frictional hold upon the roll is secured. The rolls may be readily removed and replaced when they become worn by withdrawing the pin 9 and inserting a new roll, no skill or care on the part of the operator being required in removing and changing the rolls.

The printing devices to which the inclividual letters are presented comprise a marking roll 12 and an impression roll 13. The marking roll is continuously rotated, and when a letter is arrested by the timing stops 4 it remains in position with its front end against the stops until it is acted upon by the clamping foot 14: carried by the marking roll. The clamping foot is arranged to press the letter against the periphery of the feed wheel 3 and carry it forward past the timing stop and between the marking die and impression roll in proper time to be acted upon by the marking die. In order that the letter may be firmly gripped between the clamping foot and feed wheel, the feed wheel is provided with pressure or clamping pads 15 for cooperating with the clamping foot. In the construction shown these pressure pads are arranged directly to the rear of the feed rolls 5. This arrangement of the pads and feed rolls insures the proper feeding of the front end of the letter against the timing stops before the clamping foot and pressure pads come into position to grip and carry forward the letter. The pressure pads may be of any suitable frictional material, and are preferably in the form of rubber or rubber faced blocks held in grooves formed in the periphery of the feed wheel. As shown, the pressure pads are in the form of blocksheld in undercut grooves 16 which extend rearwardly from the slots 6. This construction enables the blocks to be readily inserted in the periphery of the wheel and to be readily and conveniently renewed when they become worn.

In order that the dies on the marking roll may not engage the impression roll and ap ply ink thereto, in case there is no letter in position to be fed between the marking and impression rolls when the marking die is brought to the printing point, the impression roll is mounted in a horizontal lever 17 which is moved toward and away from the marking roll during each rotation, and a stop 18 is provided for arresting the forward movement of the lever in case no letter is in position to be fed to the marking die. The stop 18 is secured to a rock shaft 19 which carries an arm 20 projecting into position at one side of the letter when the letter is against the timing stops. The stop 18 is held normally in front of an adjustable stop screw 21 on the lever 17 by a spring 22. When the stop is in this position it prevents the advance of the impression roll into position to engage the marking die, and theroll is therefore held away from the die so long as no letter is fed between the marking and impression rolls. In case there is a letter against the timing stops when the clamping foot 11 comes into position to engage one of the pressure pads 15, the letter is carried laterally by the clamping foot against the arm 20, thus swinging the arm in a direction to move the stop 18'out of the path of the stop screw 21 on the impression roll lever. Now when the impression roll lever is moved forward its advance is not arrested by the stop, and therefore the impression roll is brought into position to press the letter against the marking die. After the dies have passed the printing point the impression roll lever is moved back and the stop 18 and arm 20 are returned to normal position.

The construction and arrangement of the devices for advancing and retracting the impression roll and for forcing it against the letter with a yielding pressure, so that it may accommodate itself to varying thicknesses of mail matter, constitute further features of the present invention, and are as follows. The impression roll lever 17 is mounted to turn freely upon a vertical pivot stud 23 which extends upward from the base plate 1 and the lever is forced yieldingly in a direction to advance the impression roll by a comparatively heavy spring 24;. This spring forces the roll forward with sufficient force to secure the requisite printing pressure, and will yield to accommodate varying thicknesses of letters. The impression roll lever is retracted against the tension of the spring 24 by a lever 25 also mounted to turn freely about the pivot stud 23. The lever 17 is provided with a vertically extending lug 26 arranged to be en gaged by an adjustable screw 27 mounted in a lug 28 on the lever 25. The lug 26 and screw 27 form cooperating shoulders on the levers through which the impression roll lever is retracted, the shoulders being so arranged that the impression roll is free to move rearwardly, except so far as it is restrained by the spring 24. The lever 25 is actuated to retract the impression roll lever by a cam 29 secured to the shaft of the feed wheel 3, and arranged to engage a roll 30-carried by the lever. The roll 30 is held in engagement with the cam by a spring 31.

In the construction shown the feed wheel is provided with two feed rolls 5, and makes one revolution to two revolutions of the marking roll. The cam 29 is therefore shaped to retract the impression roll lever twice during each revolution of the feed wheel. The cam is also so shaped that when the impressionroll lever is retracted the stop screw 21 is disengaged from the stop 18,

leaving the stop free to be moved out of the path of the stop screw when the clamping foot engages the letter. The impression roll lever and actuating lever form a simple and efficient mechanism for controlling the movement of the impression roll. The arrangement of these levers in the manner shown and described also prevents rebound of the impression roll in passing off of thick letters, since the sudden forward movement of the impression roll lever when the roll passes off the letter forces the actuating lever against the cam 29, instead of throwing it away from the cam. Thus rebounding of the impression roll, and the hammering of the actuating lever upon the actuating cam incident to such rebound are eliminated, so that the machine may be run at a high rate of speed without undue wear and without danger of imperfect action upon the letters.

While it is preferred to employ the specific construction and arrangement of the parts shown and described, it will be understood that this construction and arrangement is not essential except so far as it is set forth in the claims, and may be varied and modified without departing from the broader scope of the invention.

,Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described one form of machine in which it may be embodied, what I claim is 1. A mail marking machine, having, in combination, a marking roll, an impression roll, a lever carrying the impression roll and mounted to turn about a fixed axis, a spring for forcing the lever toward the marking roll, a letter controlled stop for arresting the advance of the lever, an actuating lever mounted to turn about said axis, and a cam operating the actuating lever to move the impression roll lever away from the marking roll, substantially as described.

2. A mail marking machine, having, in combination, a marking roll, an impression roll, a lever carrying the impression roll, a spring forcing the lever toward the marking roll, an actuating lever pivoted concentric with and engaging the impression roll lever, a cam engaging the actuating lever to move the impression roll lever away from the marking roll, and a letter controlled stop for arresting the advance of the impression roll lever, substantially as described.

3. A mail marking machine, having, in combination, a marking roll, an impression roll, a horizontally arranged lever carrying the impression roll, a spring for forcing the lever toward the marking roll, a concentrically pivoted actuating lever, cooperating shoulders on the actuating and impression roll levers arranged to permit movement of the impression roll lever away from the marking roll, and a cam engaging the actuating lever to move the impression roll lever away from the marking roll, substantially as described.

4t. A mail marking machine, having, in combination, a feed wheel provided with letter engaging feed pads, a cam on the feed Wheel shaft, an actuating lever engaging the cam, a concentrically pivoted impression roll lever, shoulders on the levers through which the impression roll lever is retracted by the cam, a spring for forcing the impression roll lever toward the marking roll, and a letter controlled stop for arresting the advance of the impression roll lever, substantially as described.

5. A mail marking machine, having, in combination, a feed Wheel provided with a plurality of letter engaging feed pads, a cam on the feed wheel shaft having swells corresponding to the feed pads, an actuating lever engaging the cam, an impression roll lever engaged by the actuating lever, a spring for advancing the impression roll lever, and a letter controlled stop for arresting the advance of the impression roll lever, substantially as described.

6. A mail marking machine, having, in combination, a feed wheel provided with a circumferentially extending slot in its periphery, a feed r011 mounted in the slot with its periphery extending beyond the periphery of the wheel, a groove extending rearwardly from the slot, and a clamping pad held in the groove, substantially as described.

7. A mail marking machine, having, in combination, a feed wheel provided with a circumferentially extending slot in its peripherv, a feed roll mounted in the slot with its periphery ext-ending beyond the periphcry of the wheel, an undercut groove extending rearwardly from the slot, and a clamping pad held in the groove, substantially as described.

8. A mail marking machine, having, in combination, a feed wheel provided with friction feeding pads projecting from its periphery, a marking roll provided with a clamping foot, and friction clamping pads arranged at the rear of the feed pads and cooperating with. the clamping foot, substantially as described.

GEORGE HENRY BARBOUR.

Witnesses:

Nn'rTIn D. MOPI-IAIL, GEORGE E. STEBBINs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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