US2129053A - Stamp affixing mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 6, 1938. A. GAY

STAMP AFFIXING MECHANISM Filed May 6, 1957 llllllllllll 1N VENTOR.

Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFIQE Azel Gay, Rochester, N.

Company, Rochester, New York Y., assignor to Multipost N. Y., a corporation of Application May 6, 1937, Serial No. 141,110

6 Claims.

My present invention relates to stamp afiixing and label applying, that is, the application of gummed sheets, such as postage stamps, to a surface, and it has for its object to improve the means by which the application of water in just the proper quantity is made to the gummed surface or the receiving surface. The improvements relate in part to the provision of a water reservoir that is completely sealed except for the necessary discharge orifices and, therefore, otherwise unleakable despite the fact that the water ejecting mechanism is located in the inside of the reservoir but operated by mechanism located outside of the reservoir. They also relate to the l 6' provision of means for regulating the amplitude of movement of the ejector to vary the amount of water discharged.

To these and other ends, the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section and partly broken away, of a familiar type of stamp afiixing machine constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Fig, 2 is a similar further enlarged fragmentary view taken substantially on the line 22 of Figs. 3 and 4;

Fig. 3 is a transverse fragmentary section on the scale of Fig. 2 taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is another but transverse section through the reservoir alone taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

As illustrated, my invention is applied to a hand stamp for affixing postage stamps to letters, and I have shown in a general way so much of the old construction as is necessary to an understanding of the improvements that I have made. A casing I has mounted therein in suitable guides a vertical plunger 2 that is depressed by a stroke of the hand and returned by suitable spring means not shown. An extension 3 of the casing is adapted to contain a roll of stamps that is fed by suitable means, also not shown, across the face of a presser foot 4 at the base of the plunger, in connection with which mechanism the stamps are carried down individually and cut off one by one to be applied to the letter or other surface upon which the casing or the machine as a whole rests. For this purpose, the presser foot 4 makes contact through an opening 5 in the bottom of the casing, which opening, by the manipulation of the machine as a whole, is positioned at the desired point.

During the passage of the stamp and the presser foot 4 from the position of the figures downwardly to the point of contact, a few drops of water are projected preferably upon the receiving surface within the confines of the opening 5 and beneath the presser foot. It is a momentary jet and issues from one or a plurality of openings 6 on the bottom rear face of a reservoir 1 for the water supply that occupies a portion of the opening 5 and the said rear wall of which is is closely adjacent to the path of the presser foot 4. The downward movement of the latter actuates jet forming and controlling mechanism in the following manner:

On the inner wall of the rear face or cover plate 8 of the reservoir are a pair of lugs 9 supporting a rock shaft ill. The projecting ends of the shaft carry yoke arms H connected by a cross piece l2 constituting a socket for a rubber or similar soft transverse bar l3. A yoke spring M has its loop engaging the cross piece 12, said spring being coiled about and supported on the shaft it with its ends l5 reacting against the reservoir wall. Thus, the tendency of the spring is to normally hold the pad 23 tightly as a stopper against the discharge orifices 6 as shown in Fig. 2. When it is drawn away by inward forward swinging of the yoke against the tension of the spring and then suddenly released, it will snap back to sealing position again, but in the interval will spurt small jets of water from the reservoir through the discharge orifices 6 into the opening 5 and upon a surface exposed therein such as an envelop upon which the machine as a whole rests.

In the practice of my invention, the said wall 8 of the reservoir is provided with an opening l6 over which, on the inside, a rubber diaphragm H is spread and closely secured against the wall by a ring 18 and screws I9 constituting a watertight joint. In the center of the diaphragm is a button having a head 26 projecting through the opening IS on the outer side and its shank 2| secured to a collar 22 within the reservoir in such manner that the diaphragm is clamped in a water-tight manner between the button head and the collar. The yoke ll of the ejecting mechanism has a cross rod 23 extending between its arms which cross rod extends through and has a bearing in the collar 22. In the normal posi- 55 iii) 5 is ejected through the orifices tions of the parts, as shown in the figures, the tendency of the spring l4 holds the diaphragm IT bulged outwardly in the opening l6 so that the button head projects beyond the rear or outer face of the wall 8 of the reservoir.

With the construction and arrangement so far described, it will be seen that pressure on the button 20 will thrust the whole diaphragm inwardly, rock the yoke H carrying the stopper l3 and, when the button is released suddenly cause it to hammer against the discharge orifices B, eject the desired amount of water and seal the orifices as first described, all without otherwise inducing or permitting any leakage of the water at other points.

In the present embodiment, the immediate actuator for the button 20 is a bell crank lever 24 having one arm mounted on a wrist pin 25 in a lug 26 on the top of the reservoir 1. The other arm 2'! normally rests by gravity or otherwise against the button head 20. At an intermediate point, this arm is provided with a cam abutment 28.

Just above the presser foot 4, the plunger 2 is provided with a cavity 29 in which is pivoted on a transverse pin 30 an ear 3| on a dog 32. A spring 33 coiled about the pivot and having one end engaging the dog and the other reacting against the plunger normally holds the dog in the position of the figures. In such position, a laterally and forwardly projecting toe 34 on the dog is in vertical alinement with the cam abutment 28 or, in other words, the cam abutment 28 lies in the path of the toe when the plunger and presser foot are brought downwardly to cut and aflix the stamp. In so doing, the dog briefly engages the cam abutment as it passes, depresses the button 20 and flexes the diaphragm to motivate the ejector and quickly and abruptly slips off of the same, the parts being immediately restored by spring M. The movement of the plunger is swift and the retraction and release of the stopper l3 quickly follow each other so that just the very small amount of water required 6 and spread upon the surface to be stamped. Upon the return of the plunger to its upper position of the figures, it will be seen that the spring 33 of the dog, being weaker than spring M, will yield and allow the toe 34 to ride over the cam abutment 28 without moving the button or diaphragm, the dog thereafter immediately restoring itself to the normal position.

As theamplitude of movement imparted to the button 2&3 and connected parts depends upon the dwell of the toe 34 upon the cam abutment 28, I provide means for regulating this. The arm of the dog on the opposite side of its pivot to that of the toe 34 rests against a set screw 35 threaded into the plunger 2 just above the cavity 29. The set screw is provided with a lock nut 36 and by manipulation of the two the normal position of the dog may be altered so that the abutment 28 will either lie substantially wholly in the path of the dog 34, as shown in the drawing, or relatively slightly in its path so that the contact of the two parts is negligible with the working adjustments lying between these extremes. The presser foot 4 is notched at 31 to accommodate the toe 34 and abutment 28 regardless of this adjustment, as the path of the plunger as a whole is fixed.

The reservoir may be filled from time to time through a neck 38 projecting through a suitable opening in the casing I normally closed by a threaded cap 39. For convenience in assembly, a shoulder 40 is formed on the forward lower edge of the reservoir cooperating with a complementary shoulder 4| on the casing adjacent to the opening 5 to support the reservoir at the bottom, and it is secured in this position by the tightening of the cap 39 against the exterior of the casing, a suitable gasket 42 being provided between the reservoir and casing. This makes the whole reservoir detachable and capable of assembly without other fastening devices than the said cap 39.

A stamp afiixer or similar machine constructed in accordance with my invention is simple and durable, yet proof against leakage by reason of communication of motivating energy from the exterior to the interior of the reservoir in accordance with the objects first herein set forth. Obviously, a thin metal platev could be substituted for or used in conjunction with the rubber in the diaphragm.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a stamp affixing mechanism, the combi nation with a movable pressure member and a water reservoir provided with nozzle openings'and having a flexible water-tight wall portion, of wa ter projecting means located within the reservoir to cooperate with the nozzle openings and moisten a surface in the path of the pressure member and means acting through the medium of the flexible wall portion for communicating operating motion to the projecting means.

2. In a stamp afiixing mechanism, the combination with a movable pressure member and a water reservoir provided with nozzle openings and having a flexible water-tight wall portion, of water projecting means located within the reservoir to cooperate with the nozzle openings and moisten a surface in the path of the pressure member, and means actuated by the movement of the pressure member and acting through the medium of the flexible wall portion for communicating operating motion to the projecting means.

3. A stamp afiixing mechanism in accordance with claim 1 in which the flexible Wall portion of the reservoir consists of a rubber diaphragm provided with a metallic button on the exterior connected to the projecting means on the interior.

4. A stamp affixing mechanism in accordance with claim 1 in which the operating means. consists of a bell crank lever pivoted exteriorly on the reservoir.

5. A stamp affixing mechanism in accordance with claim 1 in which the operating means consists of a bell crank lever pivoted exteriorly on the reservoir, which lever is actuated by movement of the pressure member.

6. In a stamp affixing mechanism the combination with a movable pressure member and a water reservoir provided with nozzle openings and having a flexible wall portion, of water projecting means located within the reservoir to cooperate with the nozzle openings and moisten a surface in the path of the pressure member, and means actuated by the movement of the pressure member and acting through the medium of the flexible wall portion for communicating operating motion to the projecting means, the pressure member being provided for this purpose with an adjustable dog to regulate the amplitude of operative movement so communicated to the projecting means.

AZEL GAY.

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