US2239932A

US2239932A - Postage stamp affixer

Info

Publication number: US2239932A
Application number: US269402A
Authority: US
Inventors: Samuel G Richards
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1939-04-22
Filing date: 1939-04-22
Publication date: 1941-04-29
Anticipated expiration: 1958-04-29

Description

Aprii 29 1941.. 5. cs. RICHARDS POSTAGE $11M? AFFIXER Filed A ru 22, 1939 UNi'lE Patented Apr. 29, 194i POSTAGE STAMP AFFIXER Samuel G. Richards, Des Moines, Iowa Application April'22, 1939, Serial No. 269,402

5 Claims.

My invention relates to that class of postage stamp afiixer shown in my allowed application for United States Patent, Serial No. 202,730, filed April 18, 1938', now Patent No. 2,167,908, patented Aug. 1, 1939.

The object of my present invention is to provide means of simple, durable and inexpensive construction for automatically moistening the gummed'portion of the stamps as they aremoved through the affixer, thereby avoiding the additional manual operation of moistening the stamps, and saving time and expense of such operation.

"More specifically, it is my object to provide a stamp moistener in which the stamp moistening sponge is readily accessible and, yet, when in use, is fully enclosed, and further to provide'a moistener in which the sponge is yieldingly held against the entire gummed portion of the stamps and the opposite surfaces of the stamps are pressed against a smooth solid surface so that every portion of the gummed surfaces is uniformly moistened.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Figure I shows a side elevation of my improved postage stamp affixer and moistener held in an operators hand, portions of the stamp container and the sponge receptacle being broken away;

, Figure 2 shows a side elevation of my improved device, the hinged. door ofthe stamp container being open;

Figure 3 shows a top or plan View of my improved device;

Figure 4 shows a. detail sectional View on the line 4-4 of Figure 5 with the sponge receptacle in open position;

Figure 5 shows a sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 shows a detail sectional view illustrating the means for securing the hinged cover of the stamp receptacle in closed position.

The stamp receptacle comprises a cylindrical body Hi having a central standard ll secured to the fixed end member I21 This cylindrical receptacle has a stamp opening at its top at it, and the cylindrical member it is made of spring material.

At one edge of the cylindrical member lfi adjacent the slot l3 I have formed a depression is, as shown in Figure 6, and the hinged member I5 is formed with a latch member E6 to enter said depression and to thereby secure the hinged side member iii in closed position. This latch device is very readily andeasily opened by pressure of the operators finger upon the cylindrical member 19 adjacent the slot 13.

Projecting outwardly from the slot I3 is a smooth surfaced stamp-guiding member l1 having its side edges extended upwardly and inwardly forming the guide members l8. This guide member H is otherwise open at its top and is so arranged and positioned relative to the stamp container that an operator may readily and easily grasp the stamp container in the palm of his hand with, the fingers encircling the stamp container, as shown in Figure 1, and when in that position the operators thumb naturally rests upon the top of this guide member I7, and with this thumb the operator can withdraw stamps from the roll and accurately adjust their positions by moving the thumb either forwardly or rearwardly to thereby bringthe perforated end of the outer stamp to the exact position for tearing off the stamp along the perforated line. A finger guard i9 is provided between the guiding member I7 and the adjacent surface of the container I ll. Mounted upon the end portion of the guiding member ll" is a spring latch member 20:.

My improved moistening device comprises a stamp guiding member 2i, the under surface of which is smooth, and its side edges are inclined downwardly and then inwardly to partially encircle a strip, of stampsextended through it and to form a guide. The outer end is straight and relatively sharp at 22 to adapt it for holding stamps in position for accurately tearing them off at the perforated line between two stamps.

Fixed in position adjacent the inner end of the guiding member 2! is a lug 23 to be engaged by the spring latch member 2!] for holding the guide member 2! in position with the guide member I l. The operator may release the member 2| by pushing the spring, latch member 26 upwardly toward the under surface of the member 11, whereupon thespring latch member will slide under the stationary latch member 23.

On the under surface of the guide member 2! are two downwardly extended lugs 24, and supported by these lugs there is pivoted the sponge receptacle. This comprises a bottom portion 25,

upright sides 23 and an end member 21 having its upper edge rounded at 28, and in this receptacle I have placed a sponge 29. Thesponge receptacle is normally held in its closed position by a spring (to so that it is yieldingly held with only slight pressure upwardly toward the under surface of the guide member 2 l.

For holding the sponge receptacle in open position I have provided a spring friction member 2-H secured to the inner side of thewall 26 and in position where, when the sponge receptacle is in position, as shown in Figure 4, it will engage the adjacent lug 24 and frictionally hold the sponge receptacle in its open position.

In practical use the operator places a roll of postage stamps within the stamp container and mounts same upon the central post II, and one end of the strip of stamps is extended through the opening [3 and through the'stamp guiding members II and 2|. The sponge 29 is moistened in the sponge receptacle and the sponge receptacle moved to its closed position, then the operator grasps the device in his hand, as shown in Figure 1, and with his thumb he moves the strip of stamps forwardly across the sponge, and this applies the correct amount of moisture to the gummed under surface of the stamps He then moves the strip of stamps with his thumb to position with the end stamp exactly in position with its perforated edge at the dege 22 of the stamp guiding member. Then the operator moves the device in such manner as to tear off the stamp along the said perforated line, the gummed portion of the stamp serving to hold it in position during said tearing off operation, or the operator may, with his other hand, hold the stamp in position on an envelope.

One of the advantageous features of my invention is that the moistened sponge is yielding held in position against the gummed surface of the strip of stamps, and this yieldingly holds the strip of stamps in a flattened out position against the adjacent surface of the guide member 2|. This smoothes out the strip of stamps and enables the device to thoroughly and completely moisten every part of the gummed surface of the stamp. The sponge receptacle may be very easily opened to moisten or remove the sponge, and is yieldingly held in its open position while this is being done. Furthermore, the stamp container may be readily and easily opened by the pressure of the operators thumb upon the free end portion of the cylinder l adjacent the depression [4.

The sponge may be of any yielding moistureabsorbent material.

In the event that a strip of stamps should stick to either of the stamp guide members I! or 2|, the operator may, by depressing the spring latch member, release it so that the guide member may easily be slid outwardly and removed, whereupon easy access is had to the stamps for removing them.

If the stamps are in strips, not rolls, they may be readily and easily inserted through the guide members without putting them in the stamp container.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a postage stamp affixer having a stamp guide member with a smooth upper surface, of a spring latch member on its under side, a stamp guide member having a smooth under surface and downwardly and inwardly extended side walls s'lidingly mounted on the first guide member, a co-acting latch member carried by the second guide member to secure it in position, a sponge receptacle open at its upper side and hinged at its rear end to the second guide member and extended forwardly, the forward end thereof having a smooth, rounded upper surface normally spaced apart from the under surface of the second guide member, a spring for yieldingly holding the sponge. receptacle toward the guide member, a friction device for holding the sponge receptacle in open position, and a sponge in the sponge receptacle.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a holder for a strip of adhesive paper, said holder being in the form of a handle to be grasped by an operator, a guide extended from the handle adapted to receive a strip of adhesive material from the handle and enclosed on all sides and having an opening at its top positioned to receive an operators thumb on the hand grasping the handle, so that the thumb may engage the strip of adhesive material, the outer end of the guide member being open, a stripholding member projected beyond the open outer end of the guide member above the open end and having a straight outer edge at right angles to the guide member for pressing an adhesive strip against a surface to which it is applied and for forming a straight edge against which the adhesive strip is held for accurately tearing it off on a straight line transversely of the strip, a moisture absorbing sponge yieldingly held in position beyond said outer end of the guide member and beneath the under surface of the stampholding member for moistening the adhesive strip and for smoothing it out and pressing it against the under surface of the strip-holding member,

and a holder for the sponge hinged to the under surface of the guide member to move from position for holding the sponge in its operative position to a position in which the sponge is spaced apart a substantial distance from the strip-holding member.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a holder for a strip of adhesive paper, said holder being in the form of a handle to be grasped by an operator, a guide extended from the handle adapted to receive a strip of adhesive material from the handle and enclosed on all sides and having an opening at its top positioned to receive an operators thumb on the hand grasping the handle, so that the thumb may engage the strip of adhesive material, the outer end of the guide member being open, a stripholding member projected beyond the open outer end of the guide member above the open end and having a straight outer edge at right angles to the guide member for pressing an adhesive strip against a surface to which it is applied and for forming a straight edge against which the adhesive strip is held for accurately tearing it off on a straight line transversely of the strip, a moisture absorbing sponge yieldingly held in position beyond said outer end of the guide member and beneath the under surface of the stampholding member for moistening the adhesive strip and for smoothing it out and pressing it against the under surface of the strip-holding member, and a holder for the sponge hinged to the under surface of the guide member to move from position for holding the sponge in its operative position to a position in which the sponge is spaced apart a substantial distance from the strip-holding member, and means for frictionally holding it in said latter position.

4. In a postage stamp affixer, the combination of a holder for a roll of stamps, said holder being in the form of a handle to be grasped by an operator, a guide extended from the handle adapted to receive a strip of stamps from the handle and enclosed on all sides and having an opening at its top positioned to receive an operators thumb on the hand grasping the handle, so that the thumb may engage the strip of stamps, the outer end of the guide member being open, a stampholding member projected beyond the open outer end of the guide member above the open end and having a straight sharpened edge at right angles beyond the cup to position where when the device is held at the proper angle for applying and tearing off portions of the strip, the cup .will not be tilted to such angle as to permit its liquid contents to flow out.

5. In a postage stamp affixer, the combination of a holder for a roll of stamps, said holder being in the form of a handle to be grasped by an operator, a guide extended from the handle adapted to receive a strip of stamps from the handle and enclosed on all sides and having an opening at its top positioned to receive an operators thumb on the hand grasping the handle, so that the thumb may engage the strip of stamps, the outer end of the guide member being open, a stampholding member projected beyond the open outer end of the guide member above the open end and having a straight sharpened edge at right angles to the guide member for pressing a stamp against a surface to which it is applied, and for accurately tearing it off on a straight line transversely of the strip, a sponge-holding cup movable from operative position close to the under surface of said stamp-holding member to position widely spaced therefrom, and a sponge in said cup yieldingly held against a strip of stamps on the under surface of the stamp-holding member.

SAMUEL G. RICHARDS.