US2819668A - Hand stamp - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 14, 1958' E. s. MOANENY HAND STAMP Filed Feb. 25, 1955 United States PatentO HAND STAMP Edward G. McAneny, Norton Hill, N. Y. Application February 23, 1955, Serial No. 489,866 3 Claims. (Cl. 101-425) This invention relates to improvements in stamping devices, having particular reference to hand stamps, in which the printing block member is made of a trans parent material, whereby the printing legends, or indicia, on the bottom surface are readily discernable, or readable, through the block, and the provision of such a stamp, including related improvements, is a principal object of the invention.

Hand stamps of this general type are well known throughout various industries, particularly in post offices throughout the country, and their manner of use need not be illustrated nor described in detail. Sulfice it to say, therefore, that it is frequently necessary to use such stamps bearing different legends, or indicia, a plurality of which are conventionally supported in a rack, or in other suitable means. The general appearance of these stamps is quite similar. Indeed, in many cases they appear to be almost identical. It is thus necessary carefully to view and inspect such a stamp, even after careful selection, before use to be certain that it bears the desired legend, or indicia, as well as to be sure that it is not going to be applied to a printable surface in a manner such that it Will print in an inverted or upside-down position. This necessity for careful selection and inspection before using such conventional stamps is sometimes confusing and conducive to error, and often causes appreciable loss of time, as well as inconvenience.

It has long been recognized among users of many such conventional types of stamps that it would be a distinct improvement if anyone could find a satisfactory solution to a problem which gives rise to such difiiculties and other disadvantages as those above set forth, and this has now been accomplished by means of the present invention.

Generally, it is also an object of the present invention to provide such a stampthat is economic of manufacture, positive of selection and in operation, and otherwise well suited to the purposes for which it is intended.

Specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a hand stamp constituting a unitary printing block member and a printing legend means integral with the bottom printing wall surface of such member, the member being characterized in that it is made or formed from a material that is transparent, preferably a plastic material, for example, an acrylic resin, such as Lucite, whereby the legend, when the member is viewed as the side Wall surfaces, is readable in the manner in which it will appear when the legend is coated with ink and applied to a printable surface.

Other specific objects are to provide a hand. stamp in which the legend stands in integral relief from the bottom wall of the printing block; in which a hand; gripping pressure applying member is removably connected to the printing block member, such as, for example, a handle frictionally engaging a cavity within the top of the block, preferably having pressure applying means mounted therein to disengage the same therefrom; or in which the block is provided with oppositely disposed end lugs and from: the top; as well N 2,819,658 Patented Jan. 14, 1958 2 having a hand gripping bridge provided at each end with a claw frictionally, but removably, to engage the lugs.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a printing block member having a cavity therein providing bottom and side walls, the bottom wall being apertured to form printing indicia openings therein, and an inking and printing device frictionally, but removably, mounted within the cavity, the device being composed of a container member, having an open bottom, and a resilient ink absorbing printing. pad confined therein, but extending marginally from the open bottom in order to penetrate the apertures to provide printing indicia, wherey to reproduce such indicia on a printable surface.

A further specific object of the invention is also to provide a hand gripping pressure applying member connected to the top of the container for applying the stamp to a printable surface, and means contained therein for applying ink to the pad in the container.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For afuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed. description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig; 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a hand stamp, with fragmentary portions broken away for illustrative purposes, of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

' Fig". 2' is a perspective view of the stamp illustrated in Fig. 1, but in assembled relation, depicting the result of its application to a printable surface;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section view of Fig. 2;

Fig; 4 is a perspective view of a modified form Off hand stamp embodied by the invention;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 4, but somewhat enlarged;

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a container or rack for holding a plurality of such stamps, as well as removable handles; and

Fig. 7 is a: perspective view of a further modification of ahand: stamp and handle embodied by the invention.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing; there is illustrated generally at 10 a preferred embodiment of a; hand stamp. This comprises the combination of a" printing block member 11 having a cavity therein indicated generally at 12 which provides a bottom wall 13 and' side walls 14. The bottom wall is apertured in anysuitable manner to provide indicia, or legend, openings therethrou'gh as indicated at 15. This block is made of a transparent material, preferably of an acrylic resin, such as, for example, Lucite, so that legends, or indicia, when viewed from the top, as well as through the side Wall surfaces, is readable in the manner in which the same will appear when the assembled stamp is applied to a printable surface.

F'rictionally, but removably, 12 is an inking and" printing container member 16 which is open at its bottom and preferably closed at it's top. The container has a resilient ink absorbing printi ng pad 17 secured therein, preferably of sponge rubber, or'othersuitablematerial. This pad extends an appreciable distance marginally from the open bottom of the container member 12 as indicated at 18, so that when the same is pushed down into the cavity with sutficient pressure in utilizing the stamp, portions of the pad will penetrate the apertured bottom of the printing mounted within the cavity device which comprises a block, whereby to reproduce such indicia, or legends, on i a printable surface.

A hand gripping pressure applying member, or handle, 19 is secured to the top of the container and preferably is screw-threaded therein, although the same may frictionally be engaged thereto.

The handle 19 has a longitudinal opening therein as at 20. One end thereof is closed by a plug 21 screw-threaded therein at the bottom of the handle where it is fitted into the top of the container, the plug having a smaller coaxial opening therethrough. At the top of the handle is a shoulder 22 also having a coaxial opening therethrough. Within the larger opening there is placed a resilient cylindrical bulb 23 containing asuitable ink 24. At the bottom of the bulb is a nozzle 25 penetrating the opening in the plug 21 and communicating with the pad 17. Also mounted within the opening 20 is a plunger 26 having an annular ring 27 abutting the bottom of the shoulder 22. When the plunger is depressed, as indicated in Fig. 3, ink 24 from the bulb 23 will be sprayed or atomized over the pad 17 to saturate the same. Also, in Fig. 3, the pad 17 is shown merely overlying the openings 15, but it will be understood that upon further sufiicient down ward pressure thereof the same will be made to penetrate the openings 15 a sufficient distance so that printing upon stamping action can be made to occur.

In Fig. 4 there is illustrated a unitary or solid printing block member 28 also formed of transparent material having printing legends integral with the bottom of the block.

the same either being cast or carved therefrom to stand out in relief from the bottom wall as indicated at 29. Preferably, the bottom printing surface of the legends are roughened, or pitted, such as by sandblasting or the like which makes for more desirable transfer of ink during printing or stamping. It will be observed that the legends when viewed from the top, as well as from the'side wall surfaces, is likewise readable in the manner in which it will appear when the legend is coated with ink and applied to a printable surface.

There is also a cavity 30 in the top Wall of the printing block 28 for the reception of a handle 31, frictionally, b'ut removably, to be engaged therein. Preferably, the handle 31 also has a coaxial bore of different diameter. In the bottom of the handle where it is fitted into the printing block there is a plug 32 having a coaxial opening therein, thereby forming a sleeve. Mounted within the bore of the handle and sleeve 32 is a plunger 33 which is springloaded as indicated at 34. whereby more readily toseparate the handle 31 from the block 28 by downward pressure thereon.

A rack or container 35 is adapted to contain a plurality of diiferent printing blocks 36. The same also being provided with a pocket 37 for the handle 31.

It will be observed that all of the other printing blocks 36 are provided with cavities 30 for the reception of the handle 31 when it is desired to interchange the same. It will be seen that the legends on the bottom of such blocks are readily readable because of the transparent nature of the printing block, and this is true despite the cavities or holes 30 in the top thereof for the reception of the handle.

In order, however, to avoid any interference in reading through the printing blocks 36, the holes 30 can be eliminated and a modified form of the invention provided as shown in Fig. 7. In a hand stamp of this character, also made of transparent material, there is shown a printing block member 38 provided at each end with a lug 39. A hand gripping pressure applying member, in the form of a bridge element 40, is provided at each end with a claw 41 of a size adapted frictionally, but removably, to engage the lugs 39.

While no rack or container for the printing blocks of Figs. 1 through 3 and Fig. 7 has been illustrated, it will be understood that it is within the contemplation of the invention to provide the same as in the case of the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing.

It will thus be seen that the objects hereinbefore set forth may readily and efliciently be attained, and since certain changes may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

it is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hand stamp of the character described, a trans parent printing block member having a cavity therein providing side walls and a permanent closed bottom wall integrally connecting said side walls, said bottom wall having openings therethrough representing indicia for printing purposes; an inking and printing device including a container member having side walls and a closed top wall frictionally but slidably interfittiug the cavity of said block member and being adapted interchangeably to receive similar block members with different indicia; a resilient ink-absorbing printing pad confined in said container member, but extending marginally from the bottom a distance sufficient to penetrate the openings in the bottom wall of said cavity; a hand gripping pressure applying handle connected to the top of said container, which handle has a longitudinal opening therein; resilient means mounted within said opening for releasably holding a quantity of ink in overlying communication with said pad; and means in said handle for actuating said resilient means to release said ink to saturate said pad.

2. In a hand stamp of the character defined in claim 1, and further characterized in that said ink holding means consists of a resilient cylindrical bulb, closed at its top end and having a nozzle at the bottom end, removably mounted in coaxial alignment with said handle.

3. In a hand stamp of the character defined in claim 1, and further characterized in that said actuating means consists of a plunger coaxially mounted within said handle against said resilient means at one end and exposed at its other end at the top of 'said handle to be actuated by finger pressure of an operator to ink said pad.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,321,299 Gardner Nov. 11, 1919 1,518,727 Bernstein Dec. 9, 1924 1,547,356 Berr July 28, 1925 1,782,877 Madden Nov. 25, 1930 1,788,681 Melind Jan. 13, 1931 2,078,535 Hegadorn Apr. 27, 1937 2,664,820 Brown Ian. 5, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 493,203 Germany Mar. 5, 1930 531,226 Germany Aug. 6, 1931 568,467 Great Britain Apr. 5, 1945

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