US180647A - Improvement in stamp-cancelers - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT Crrroa.

CYRUS SALADEE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN STAMP-CANCELERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 180,647, dated August 1, 1876 application filed Y February 6, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CYRUs W. SALADEE, of Pittsburg, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Stamps for Post-Marking Letters and Canceling the Postage-Stamps on Same, of which the following is a specification embodying my said invention:

The nature of my present invention consists in securing to the side of the ordinary mailing stamp a spring tool, so arranged and operating that its contact with the face of the stamp or stamps upon letters or other packages passing through its mail-s shall so effectually scarify the face of the stamp as to render its renovation and reuse absolutely impossible.

I am aware that the mailing-stamp now in use pretends to effect the post-markin g of the letter or package and the cancellation of the stamp-at the same operation, by having combined with the mailingstamp proper a second stamp,'designed to cancel thepostage-stamp by daubing its face with the same ink the postmark is imprinted on the letter or other package. But the utterfailure of this pretended cancellation of postage-stamps should be as well known to the Department at Washington as it is notorious among the general public. That the governmeutis greatly and notorious ly defrauded by the renovation and reuse of its postage-stamps, as the result of its present insecure and imperfect system of canceling the same, admits of no dispntefor the reason that the ink used for the purpose of cancellation is easily removed by a variety of means Well known to the public, and the stamp is readily renovated for reuse.

My invention contemplates the scarification' of the face of the stamps, which at once, and

- effectually, prevents the possibility of their renovation and reuse.

The accompanying drawing is a side elevathe spring actuating the cutter C. The dotted I lines show the movement of the cutter. The handle and mailing-stamp are the same as those now in use, to the side of which is secured, by

pivot H, the curved steel cutter C, the curved face of which is provided with appropriate teeth E. A spring, F, is interposed, as shown, for the purpose of throwing the cutter 0 back to its original position when the stamp is raised, after having been struck upon the face of the letter.

It will be readily understood, from a glance at the drawing, that, as the stamp is struck upon the face of the letter, the point D of the cutter 0, coming in contact with the face of the postage-stamp, is moved to the right over its face, and that in its passage the teeth E will scarify it so effectually as to render its renovation and reuse impossible without easy detection.

I claim as my invention 1. A post-office mailing -stamp, provided with the pivoted scarifying-tool v or cutter C,'

substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with a post-office mailing-stamp, of a scarifying device, D, carried at the side of the stamp B, and from which it has a movement when brought in contact with the postage-stamp to cancel it, as described.

3. The-combination, with a post-office mailing-stamp, of a pivoted scarifying device, D, having a movement toward and from the stamp, and a spring, F, as and for the purpose described.

CYRUS W. SALADEE. Witnesses:

CHARLES W. SALADEE, G. B. SALADEE.

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