US1194692A - Island - Google Patents

Description

F. R. ALLEN.

STA MP AFFIXING MACHINE. APPUCATION FILED NOV. 14. IBIO- RENEWED FEB. 25. 1916.

l ,1 94,692. Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

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Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

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7 6d 71. Hide) FRED R. ALLEN, 0F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND,.ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO NATIONAL ENVELOPE SEALING AND STAMPING MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS, (ORGANIZED IN STAMP-AFFIXING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 14, 1910, Serial No. 592,386. Renewed February 25, 1916. Serial No. 80,538.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED R. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stamp-Aflixing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for affixing stamps to envelops and other mail matter, and has particular reference to that type of such machines which are operated by a hand driven plunger, the stamps supplied in the form of a strip which is intermittently advanced.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a machine of this character having improved means for moistening that portion of the envelop to which the stamp is afterward applied by means of the plunger.

Another obj ect is to provide a support for a coil of stamps in strip form wherein the slight friction desirable for preventing too free unwinding of the coil, is applied to the outer circumference of the coil.

Another object, and a particular one, is to provide a structure which will prevent unauthorized removal of stamps either singly or the entire stock.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully cleseribed and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawmgs: Figure 1 is a side elevation and part section of a machine constructed in accordance with my present invention. Fig. 2- is a view from the left of Fig. 1, with the front plate of the plunger box or guard removed, and with other parts in section or broken out. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of that portion of the machine which directly supports and operates on the envelop. Fig. lis an inner face view of the moistening attachment removedfromthe main casing. Fig. 5 is a perspective view, partly in section, of the improved knife structure. Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly broken out, of the plunger foot and the cutter members. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the strip advancing or feed mechanism. Fig. 8- represents a transverse section of the table over which the strip of stamps is fed. Figs. 9 and 10 are detail elevations of the two parts of the fixed cutter member. Fig. 11- is a side elevation of the block of felt or" other absorbent material which is employed in the .at tachment shown in Fig. 4C.

Similar reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all of the views.

The casing comprises a suitably formed base 15 which may be portable or may be secured on any suitable support and a top port on 16 and a movable part 1 The latter 1s preferably substantially semi-cylindrical with integral side members, the whole being pivotally connected at 18 to the base so that it may be swung outwardly to permit a roll of stamps to be placed in the easmg. The movable portion 17 is shown as formed with a key-hole 19 through which a key may be inserted to actuate a latch or lock 20 which is engaged with a keeper 21 integral with or rigidly connected to the top portion of the casing. The member 17 is provided with a curved extension 22 so that a long strip of stamps in the form of a coil, may be supported thereon in such manner that when the end of the strip is pulled out the entire coil will rotate while resting on the support provided by the lower portion of the member 17 and the extension 22, this support being practically semi-circular or cup-shaped so that the coil can be simply dropped therein and the friction which will then oppose drawing out of the strip will be brought about by the weight of the coil, said friction occurring at the periphery thereof.

The casing is formed with aflat part 23 to which the table or plate 2 1 is suitably secured. An end gage 25 having a slot 26 for a set screw 27 may be employed to determine the proper position for an envelop to which a stamp is to be affixed. By adjusting the end gage to its outer limit, two stamps can be aflixed to the envelop in succession before the end of the envelop will reach the gage.

Mounted in a suitable bearing in the upper part of the casing is a plunger 28 having a knob or head 29 and a foot 30, the latter preferably having a pad 31 of rubber or other suitable elastic material. The casing isprovided with a boxing or guard 32 in which the plunger foot reciprocates, the

The plunger foot carries the movable cutter. Said foot is provided wlth horlzontal guide holes for pins 33 projecting rearwardly from the knife blade 34:, a spring 35 mounted in a recess in the plunger foot.

pressing said knife blade outwardly to insure cotiperation of said knife blade with the fixed knife member. The rear plate 36 of the housing in which the plunger foot reciprocates, is provided with a recess 37 (see Fig. 9) in which is secured the fixed knife member 38 (see Fig. 10) which comprises a block of hardened steel or other suitable metal. The plate 36 may be of relatively soft metal, but the block 38 must be of hard metal so as to present a durable knife edge 39 (see Fig. 5.) The sides of the recesses in plate 36 are shown as formed with recesses 40, and the ends of the block 38 are shown as formed with recesses 41 so that, when the block 38 is in the position shown in Fig. 5, it may be locked therein by suitable pins driven into the holes formed by the cotiperation of the recesses 40, 41. The block 36 is provided with screw holes a2 through which attaching screws may pass into lugs 43 of the casing (see Fig. 1.) The upper edge of block 38 is spaced sufficiently from the opposite edge of the recess in plate 36 to form a slot 1-1 through which the strip of stamps passes as indicated in Fig. 1. Said strip is led over an inner supporting table 45 the upper surface of which is preferably longitudinally grooved or corrugated as shown in Fig. 8. To insure proper passage of the strip along the table 45, I preferably employ aguide such as indicated at 46 in Fig. 7, said guide consisting of two strips connected together at one end and pivotally supported at 41-7 and having an upwardly curved rear end 1-8. A spring 419 suitably secured at one end, is connected at its other end to an car 50 of the guide 46, the point of connection of the spring being in front of the pivot 17 so that the guide will at all times exert a yielding pressure along the edges of the strip of stamps passing along the table 45, said guide 46 preventing the strip of stamps from curling up and insuring the retention of the strip at all times in condition to be advanced by the feed mechanism presently described.

The plunger is formed with an aperture 51 to receive the end of the short arm of a lever 52 pivoted at 53 and having a spring 54: so connected as to exert a constant tendency to hold the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1. The end of the long arm of the lever 52 has pivotally connected thereto a link 55 having a slot 56 in which operates a pin 57 projecting from the feed lever 58 the latter being pivoted at 59 and having a horizontally projecting pin 60 (see Fig. 7) on which are pivotally mounted the feed fingers 61, the outer ends of said feed fingers having downwardly projecting points adapted to engage the usual perforations between the stamps of the strip. Of course the lever 58 and its feed fingers are so mounted or located that when in the forward position, such as shown in Fig. 1, the strip of stamps will be advanced to just the right position so that a line of perforations in the strip will be approximately at the knife edge 39. The short rear ends of the pivoted fingers 61 are connected by springs 62 with a pin 63 proj ecting from the upper end of lever 58.

It will now be understood that, whenever the plunger head :29 is actuated, the first downward movement will simply oscillate the lever 52 and perform no further function until the end of the slot 56 reaches the pin 57, after which continued movement of the plunger swings the lever 58 backwardly far enough for the points of the fingers 61 to enter the next row of holes in the strip of stamps, the last part of the downward motion of the plunger cutting off the stamp which is inclosed within the box or guard 32. An envelop having a previously mois tened area located under the box 32 will thus have the stamp aflixed thereto. lVhen the plunger head is released the spring 54L first lifts the plunger far enough for the movable knife to be shifted above the slot 44. and about this time the other end of the slot 56 in link 55 engages the pin of lever 58 and swings said lever forwardly so as to advance the strip a distance equal to the length of another stamp, so as to advance. a stamp under the plunger foot ready to be cut off and be applied either to another portion of the same envelop or to another envelop.

I may employ a suitable counter 64 having an arm 65 connected by a link 66 with the lever 58 so that every movement of the feed lever 58 will actuate the counter to show the total number of stamps that have been applied or affixed by the machine.

It will be noticed, especially in Fig. 1, that the lower edge of the box or guard 32 is but a very slight distance above the upper surface of table 24. The distance is so slight that it would require considerable manipulation for any one to insert an imple ment so as to get hold of the end of the strip of stamps to pull the same out. It would require more manipulation than could safely be given if the machine is within the view of other persons. But it is sometimes desirable that the machine shall be put absolutely out of commission so that it can neither be used, or robbed, by any unauthorized person. I provide for doing this by forming the plunger 28 with a side recess or notch 67 (see Fig. 2) so that, when the plunger is depressed far enough to cut off and afiix the last stamp that is to be used by the authorized person, said notch may be engaged by a locking pawl or detent 68, the position of this detent being such that it will, when in the notch 67 hold the plunger foot with the movable knife across the slot 44: so that no one, even with plenty of time and an implement, could reach under and through the slot so as to pull the strip forwardly. The detent 68 is carried by the front end of a rock shaft 69 extending through the frame or casing and through a bearing formed in a lug 70, said shaft having a milled knob 71 at its rear end. A detent 72 is in constant engagement with the milled knob so as to hold the detent 68 either in the recess or notch 67, or out of it, according to which position it is left in by the person having authority to open the machine. Such a person can release the lock 20 and turn the knob 71 so as to shift the detent 68 to the position desired, either to release the plunger or to lock it in its depressed position.

I will now proceed to describe the attachment which provides for moistening the area of the envelop which is to have the stamp affixed thereto. A. somewhat L-shaped wick housing 7 8 is formed integral with a reservoir 74, said housing and reservoir, when manufactured, having an open side, the edge of said opening being in one fiat plane. Said opening is closed by a plate 75 (see Fig. 2) preferably of brass so as to make the entire wick housing and reservoir waterproof. Before this plate 7 5 is applied, I insert a block of felt or other suitable absorbent material 7 6 having a form to correspond with a vertical section through both the wick housing and the reservoir. The upper portion of this felt will, preferably, entirely fill the wick housing when the plate 75 is ap plied, while the lower portion of said wick simply extends past or occupies one end of the reservoir portion of the attachment. The latter may have a suitable filling stopper 7 7 and may contain a float 7 8 the stem 79 of which extends upwardly through the stopper 77 and has a ball 80 or other formation so as to constitute a sight indicator so that the user may know if the reservoir needs filling.

The combination reservoir and wick housing is attached to the side of the casing by suitable screws 81 in such position that a portion of the felt which projects downwardly through an opening in the under side of the arm of the wick housing will be in such close proximity to the upper surface of the table 24 that when an envelop is slipped along from the position shown in Fig. 3 up against the gage 25, this sliding movement of the envelop will apply moisture to the upper surface of the envelop: where the stamp should go, the moistened area however of course being as much in excess of the dimensions of the stamp to be applied as the face of the projecting portion of the wick exceeds the horizontal area of the plunger foot. This extra moistened surface will however of course soon dry without harm after the stamp has been affixed to the envelop and the envelop put aside for mailmg.

In order that the stamp will not be affixed to the envelop with the edge of the stamp too close to the edge of the envelop, I undercut the stationary or fixed cutter so as to form a recess as at 82 under the edge 39, see Figs. 1 and 5. And in order that the envelop will be guided to proper location with its edge in the recess 82, I form the table or plate 2 1 with a guide edge 88 (see Fig. 3) which is in alinement with the back of the recess 82.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, a casing for receiving stamps in coil form, said casing having a separable hinge portion adapted to be opened to receive the stamp coil, a curved supporting member on said portion on which the periphery of said coil may rest, means for feeding the strip from said coil and a plunger for affixing the stamps.

2. In a machine of the character described, a plunger having a foot, a housing for the latter, the rear plate of said housing being formed with a recess, a cutter mounted in said recess, the ends of the cutter and the side walls of the recess being formed with notches, pins located in said notches to lock the cutter in place, the upper edge of the latter being spaced from the opposing edge of the recess to form a slot, a plunger having an edge to cooperate with the cutter of the back plate of the housing, and means for feeding a strip of stamps through said slot.

3. A stamp aflixing machine, an affixing plunger, a stamp guard housing around the lower portion of said plunger, the rear wall of said housing comprising a recessed plate, a separate block having an upper cutting edge secured in said recess leaving a space above providing a narrow recess through which the stamp strip is fed over the out ting edge in said block beneath the plunger, means for securing said plate to said casing and a blade carried by said plunger to cooperate with said fixed cutter plate.

4. In a stamp affixing machine, a table for the support of the stamp strip, a pivoted arm having two laterally projecting sub stantially parallel pins, a series of fingers mounted on the lower pin, tension springs connecting said fingers with the upper pin, and an affixing plunger by the movement of which said arm is positively oscillated to cause said fingers to feed the strip.

of the guide nearest to the coil being curved.

to present a flaring entrance for the strip between the table and guide, and means for detaching stamps from the strip and applying them to envelops.

6. In a stamp affixing machine, a stamp 15 allixing plunger, a knee lever having one leg connected to said plunger and one ex tending downward, feeding fingers, an arm carrying said fingers and pivoted at its lower end, a slotted link connecting said downwardly extending leg with said arm, whereby the latter is actuated by but not through the whole movement of the former and the stamp strip is fed on the upward stroke of the plunger.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED R. ALLEN. l/Vitnessesz FREDINO A. GREENE, E. I. OGDEN.

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

Washington, D. G.

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