US45708A - John w - Google Patents

Description

t vUNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

CANCELINGrSTAMP.

Specification forming part ot' Letters Patent N0. 45,708, dated January 3, leti.

To all '1l-hom it may concern l-Se it known that I, JonN W. FOSTER, of

' the city and county lot' Washington, in the `I)istrict ot' Columbia, have invented a ne\v and Improvedj Canceling-Stamp; and I do hereby dclare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,1 making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved sta-mp. Fig. 2 is a face or end view thereof. Fig. is a longitudinal central section in the line x. Fig. 4 is a transverse section in the line y y. Fig. 5 is a detached view exhibiting in elevation the annular cutter or punch hereinafter referred to.

This invention relates to a canceling-stamp `which is ehiey designed to constitute a me'- dium whereby postage and other stamps may be ett'ectually defaced by being cut or punched in such a. way that an attempt to detach the stamp from the envelope to uhich it isl applied will invariably produce the separation or detachmentt'rom said stamp of the portion which has been cut out by the knife, or leave an ineitaeeable mark therein. This cutting or punching ot' a stamp, if the latter be the object to be so out or punched, may be effected after it has been applied to the envelope, without the latter being penetrated or its centen ts injured.

The invention consists in a. novel manner of gaging the cutting-instrument so as to limit the depth of its penetration, as will be hereinafter iully described; also, in a novel manner of locking type in the stamp. v

In order that others skilled in the art te which my invention appertains may be enabled to fully understand and use the same, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a metallic ca sing or socket, Within which is fitted an annular cutter or punch, C.

B is an adjustable gage fitted to slide. 1ongitudinally within the punch C and pressed outward by a spiral spring, I).

E is a set-screw limiting the distance to which the gage B may be pressed in While in use. This stamp may be provided with a handle, A', and operated by hand, or it may be used in a lever, steam, or other press.

In using it the internal gage, B, strikes the surface of the paper first and recedes until its upper end comes against the set-screw E. The gage then arrests the further penetration of the punch C, and thus limits the depth to which it can cut.

By regulating the retraction ofthe gage B by the adjustment ot the set-screw E the punch may be made to cut through one, two, or three or more thicknesses of paper, as de sired, with the greatest accuracy, or even to produce an inett'aceable mark on the paper Without-penetrating a single thickness. lt is therefore ot' great value on its application as a postage stamp canceler, as with a proper adjustment of the gage the punch may be made to eiect-ually destroy the posta ge-stamp without a possibility of injuring the contents of the envelope or even penetrating the envelope itself.

F is a set-nut, against which the upper end ofV the punch C is made to bear, and which provides'means for adjusting the punch itself.

This nut may be used in connection with or instead of the adjustment ofthe gage B. The adjustment of the nut F will regulate the distance to which the punch C projects beyond the face a ofthe casing A, and thus limit the penetration ofthe punch.

G represents an annular gum-elastic spring, which, while permitting the adjust-ment of the punch, constantly forces the latter upward against the set-nut F, and thus retains it in an immovable conditioniafter adjustment. Either Vmode of adjustment may be used Without the other, or they Vmay be used together. In the latter case, however, it is needful to maintain the adjustment of the gage B relatively to the punch C, and for this purposeV the set-screw E of the gage is made to work vin the set-nut F ot' the punch. lt is appar. ent that the gage B on assuming its normal position after it has been forced upward, when the stamp is in operation, will eject any paper that may have lodged within the punch. The adjustment of the punch may also be made to compensate for the Wear thereof.

Any suitable lettering or device may be engraved on the face a ot' the casing A, and movable type maybe set in an annular cavity within the face a, said type being encircled by the engraved lettering, as shown in Fig. 2.

To ada-pt the type to. be changed and 'a larger "or smaller number of them to he inserted, as

well as to enable them to be properly looked,

I' employ adjustable metallic blocks H II, which are retained within' the typecavity by screws l I, but which, having slots h lL .for the reception of the ends of the screws, are

, free to move around Within the type-cavity contiguous surfaces of the blocks H H are so formed as to receive the point of the screw betweenv them when they are in Contact with each other. Hence, when the screw J is turned, it acts as a wedge and forces the blocks 'apart until they properly lock the type which may be set up within. the cavity.

I do not limit myself to any prescribed forni of knife or gage, or any specific inea-ns for adjusting the one in relation t0 the other.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I'elaim asnew therein and desire to secure .by Letters Patent:

1. A canceling-stamp provided with an annular cutter, C, and aninternal gage, B, either one or both adjustable in relation to each other, substantially as and for the purposes Setforth.

2. The combination of the double set-screws E F with the cutter G and gage B, f'or the pur'- pose specified.

JNO. W. FOSTER. Witnesses:

OeTAViUs KNIGHT, CHARLES D. SMITH.

Images