US551751A - Belknap - Google Patents

Description

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F. D. BEL-ENAP. ADDRESSING MACHINE.

No. 551,751. Patented Dec. 24,1895.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' .P.11.BEL1 1\111Pl Y ADDRESSING MACHINE.

No. 551,751. Patented 1150. 24, 1595.

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(N0 Model.)

Patented Dgo. 24, 1895.

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BUBBLKNAP. ADDRESSING MACHINE.

1 110.551,'751. Patented Dec. 24, 1895.

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FRANK D. BELKNAP,

ATENT Fries. I

OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

ADDRESSlNG-VIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,751, dated December 24, 1895. Application filed August 2, 1894. Serial No. 519,264. (No model.)

T0 all wiz/0m t may oon/cern:

Be it known that I, FRANK D. BELKNAP, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Addressing-Machines;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a4 in the shape of long rolls of parchment or similar suitable material upon which have been written the names and addresses by means of perforations through said parchment. As frequent corrections, additions and erasures are necessary in any such list, it has been a matter of great difliculty to make these changes on such a roll and still preserve the alphabetical order or other classification of the names. To overcome this diflculty I propose to substitute for the parchment-roll a set of small non-metallic perforated stencil-cards which can be packed in a magazine, like cards of a card-catalogue, and easily removed or added to.

My present invention consists of a simple machine specifically designed to use such card-stencils in the addressing of envelopes, &c., in combination with such stencil-cards, which thereby form a complete printing-machine.

The machine is illustrated in the accompanying five sheets of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a plan envelope. y lic perforated stencil-card.

longitudinal section of the machine, showing a modified form of the printing mechanism.

Throughout the drawings like referencefigures refer to like parts.

l represents the main frame of the machine.

2 is an endless feed -band which passes through the printing mechanism, carries to it the envelopes and card-stencil in position for printing, and afterward delivers them to suitable receptacles. This feed-band runs around pulleys 3, 4C, and 5 and over the drivingdrum 6. On the band at uniform distances are sets of hooks 7, which serve to hold the cards onto the band during a portion of its travel and also to properly space them. This endless feed-band may be solid and the printing done over its edges, or it may have openings eut in it through which the printing could be done; but preferably I make it double, composed of the two parts 2 and 2A, as best shown in Fig. 3. The two parts then suffice to carry the cards and articles to be printed, while the printing and some of the other feed mechanism can operate between the two portions of the double band.

S is a magazine of stencil-cards, having its cover thrown back and when in use placed upon the bracket 9.

l0 is a magazine of envelopes, postal cards or other articles to be printed, resting on bracket 1l. The stencil-cards and articles to be printed can be fed out slowly toward the mouths of their magazinesv by means of a Spiral spring or other mechanism.` (Not shown.)

8a is a magazine for stencilcards being charged or used as a collection-box. This, together with 10a, a similar collection-box for the envelopes or printed articles, stand on the bracket l2, at the delivery end of the machine. The box for the smaller of the two sets of articles-that is, the stencil-cards and the envelopes-is placed next to the machine with its mouth just at the turning-point of the endless feed-band 2. At this' point the band goes around roller 3 and changes from a horizontal to a downward direction of motion. The result is that the printed envelope and stencil-card are shot down over the mouth 13 of the collection-box 8, which mouth is inclined as shown. The stencil-card falls into IOO its collection-box while the larger envelope slides over its mouth and drops into that of its particular collection-box l0, the mouth of which, l-t, is inclined in an opposite direc tion to prevent the envelope shooting beyond.

It is evident that an intermittent motion should be given tothe endless feed-band equal in motion to the distance between any two adjacent sets of hooks 7. This is accomplished by means of the ratchet-wheel l5 and pawl lb, which together form a pawl-and-ratchet motion. The pawl is mounted on the link 17, and is given a reciprocating motion by the link 1S, which is connected tothe rotating gear-wheel lf), which is on the main drivingshaft 2l. The ratchet-wheel l5 is of course keyed to the shaft of the driving-drum (i.

The main shaft 2l is driven by the belt-pulley 22. Keyed to the main shaft is the eccentric 23, which by means of the eccentric-rod 2l gives a reciprocating motion to the bellcrank 25. This bell-crank operates, through the link 2G, the suction-arms 27, which are fitted up with the rubber suction-piece 2S. I have shown two of these arms which are mounted on a tubular shaft 43. These arms lnove between the two parts of the double feed-band, as shown in liig. 3.

2f) is another branch of the bell-crank 2 which by means of the link 3() operates a similar set of suction-arms 31, provided with rubber suction-mouths 32, and mounted on hollow shaft lll. These two suction-arms operate outside of the feed-band 2, as shown in Fig. 3, and do not interfere with the stencilcard which is lying upon itat that point. The bell-crank 25, by means of the piston-rod 33 and piston 3l, also opera-tes the air-pump 35, which is pivoted to the main frame at 3G.

37 is a flexible pipe which by means of the branch pipes 23S and 39 is connected with the hollow tubular shafts lli and i3, respectively. The connection between the tubular shafts i3 and 43 andv the pipes 3S and 3.() is rendered air-tight by means of the stufiing-boxes l0 and l0, as best shown in Figs. l and It is evident without further describing the operation of the machine at this point that the suction-mouth 28 picks up the toplnost stencilcard il and lays it on the feed-band 2 before one of the sets of hooks 7, while the suctionmouth 32 will pick up the first envelope 42 in the magazine l() and deposit it on said feedband before another set of hooks and on top of the stencil-card already deposited there by previous operations of the machine.

It now remains to describe the printing mechanism.

eil is a cam on the main sha-ft which is full faced through one hundred and eighty degrees and partially cut away through the other one hundred and eighty degrees. This operates the cam-roller l5, which is on the slide connected to the link 4G. There are two sets of these cams, slides and links, one on either side of the machine, and the links are pivoted to the cross-bar i7 of the vibrating platen 4,7. This platen L7 l have shown pivoted to the main frame and vibrated by the mechanism last described, together with the springs 48, which hold the rollers 45 against the cams 4iand lift the platen -l-7 during one-half of the revolution of the main shaft. The gear 20, keyed on the shaft 20, meshes with the gear 19 on the main shaft and is driven thereby. The shaft 2O has the cam 5t),which by means ofthe cam-roller lll, gives the ink-platen All a vertical reciprocating motion.

5l. the roller of an ordinary ink-fount, and 52 is a small hiking-roller, which normally rests on the shelf 53, which is close beside the platen if) when in its lowcrmost position, and on the opposite side of it from the ink-fount. This in king-roller is mounted on the arm 5l, pivoted to the lever 55, which is mounted on the strut 56, bolted to the main frame, as shownv in lfig. 2. The lever 55 has a cam-roller 51 on its lower end which runs on the very quick cam 5S, also mounted onthe shaft 20. The spiral spring 5) serves to keep the lever in such position that its cam-roller 57 is against the cam 58, and. the inking-roller 52 is normally held over the shelf The spring G0 serves to force the link 5J: downward, so that said inking-roller 52 will not ily up from the shelf 53. The spring Gl pulls down the reciprocating platen if), when it is not positively lifted by ihc action of the cam 50.

In the modification illustrated in llig. 7 another inking apparatus is shown, in which the large bell-crank '7l is vibrated by thc eccentric-cam 75. This bell-crank 74 carries a number of inking-rollers 77, which run from a curved hiking-surface 7G, which cxtends over to the ordinary forni of ink-forint shown in the other drawings as well. These inking-rollers 77 are mounted in longitudinally-sliding links 7S, whose inner ends are provided with cam-rollers 7S) and springs 8l. These cam-rollers run over a stationary campiece 80, which has a central horizontalv portion and an inclined portion on either side.

7l isaloose inking-roller which transmits the ink from the fount to the surface 7 (i.

The operation of my improved machine is as follows: Motion being given to the main shaft 2l by the belt-pulley 22, the gear 19 is rotated and the ratchet-gear le' vibrated so that the drivin g-drum 6 is given a quarter of a revolution during one-hall of the revolution of the main shaft and allowed to stand at rest the other half. This gives the feed-band 2 anv intermittent forward motion, which motion. is equal to a quarter of the circumference of the driving-drum C or the distance between adjacent sets of hooks 7. This revolution of the main shaft by means of the eccentric 23and connections causes the suctionarms 2,7 to be pressed down against the topmost stencil-card in the magazine S, and at the moment such suction-arms start on their backward motion the piston 34 begins to move TOO IIO

out of the air-pump 35, and the suction thus created extending through the pipes 37 and 38 causes the stencil-card to adhere to the suction-mouth 28, and the continued upward motion of the arms 27 brings the said stencilcard against the feed-band 2 and holds it there for a second until said feed-band begins to move by the proper timing of the mechanism and one of the sets of hooks lifts the card 4l away from the suction-arms which had held it up to that moment. The second revolution of the driving-shaft has lifted the stencilcard 4l up to the horizontal portion of the feedband 2, and during such second revolution the vibrations of the suction-arms 3l have, through the agency of the suction-mouth 32 and pipe 39 and pump 35, as before described, brought down an envelope from the magazine l and placed it over the stencil-card, as shown in Fig. 2. Just before the suction-mouth 32 lets go of the said envelope the envelope is wrenched away from it by the motion of the feed-band and hooks, as before described, and

the envelope lying over the stencil-card is carried alongtoward the printing mechanism. In the arrangement of parts shown in the drawings two of the intermittent motions of the feed-band will carry the envelope and card we are following under the supporting-platen 47. The next rotation of the main shaft will bring the full portion of the cam 44 against the cam-roller 45 and drop down the supporting-platen 47 upon the envelope. The same motion of the shaft will, when this has been accomplished, have turned the gear-wheel 2O and the cam 50 far enough to drive up the reciprocating inking-platen 49. This will press against the stencil-card and envelope which are backed by the supporting-platen 47, and a portion of the ink being forced through the perforations of the stencil-card the name and address so perforated will be printed on the envelope. A complete revolution will have lifted the supporting-platen 47 an d withdrawn the inking-platen 49. The next motion of the feed-band will carry the card and addressed envelope forward and discharge them. From the edge ofthe machine they will drop into their respective collection-boxes, as before described. When these boxes are full they can be removed and empty ones substituted.

The collection-box of stencil-cards when lled becomes a magazine, to be placed when needed upon bracket 9 and used to feed the machine again.

IVhile the inking-platen 49 is at rest in its lowermost position, as it is during about onehalf of the revolution of the cam 50, the quick motion of cam 58 vibrates the lever 55 and drives the inking-roller 52 over and onto the roller 5l of the ink-fount, and when the same is withdrawn on the passage of cam 58 it rolls across the platen 49 and freshly inks it.

The construction of the modilication illustrated in Fig. 7 is in every way similar excepting that the ink in the fount is spread over the curved surface 76 by the loose roller 7 7a and from this surface 76 is picked up by the rollers .77, which are held down to it by the springs 8l during a major portion of each oscillation of the bell-crank 74. As the rollers 77 come under the stencil-card, which is held down by the envelope and supportingplaten back of it, said rollers 77 are raised by reason of the cam-rollers 7 9 running over the raised portion of the cam 80, and said rollers are run across the under face of the stencilcard and the ink isforced through its perforations onto the envelope as before.

Various changes could be made in the construction of this machine without departing from the spirit of my invention. As before indicated, the double feed-band 2 and 2A could be replaced by a solid band with or without holes cut through it. It might be found possible to operate the machine with a stationary supporting-platen 47, the feed-band giving sufficient play to allow the inking-platen 49 to raise it and the card and envelope and force them against the stationary supportingplaten. The printing mechanism might be placed above the feed-band and the stencil placed on top of the envelope, which would simply necessitate a reversal of the positions of the stencil and envelope-magazines and collection-boxes. The arrangement of hollow shafts and suction-arms could be replaced by a solid construction with flexible rubber tube extending from the air-pump to the suction-mouth on the end of the arms. The eccentrics might be replaced by cranks, and cranks in turn by cams if necessary at various points, as is well understood by those skilled in mechanism. In the same way a kicker mechanism or a tape delivery of any of the kinds well known in printing-presses could be substituted for discharging the cards and envelopes after printing. A clawingfeed mechanism couldv be used to feed the stencil-cards onto the band feed.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

l. In an addressing machine the combination of the printing mechanism, the double endless feed band which passes through said printing mechanism, the magazine of stencils, the magazine of articles to be addressed, and the automatic feeding mechanism operated in conjunction with the printing mechanism to lift the stencils and articles to be addressed from their magazines and place them one upon the other on the double feed band, substantially as described.

2. In an addressing machine the combination of the printing mechanism, the endless feed band which passes through said printing mechanism and has its delivery portion approximately horizontal, the two separate collection boxes for the stencils and articles to be addressed,located at the end of said horizontal portion, the box nearest the band having the smaller mouth of the two, and said mouth be- IOO IIO

ing inclined downwardly in the direction of delivery,whereby the smaller of the two sets of articles will drop into the first boX and the other will slide over it into the second box and an automatic separation be thereby insured, substantially as described.

In al1 addressing machine the combination of the main frame, a swinging platen hinged to said frame, the main shaft, the link, cam and spring by which it is reciprocated, the `ink fount at one side of the reciprocating platen, the resting shelf at the other side, the inking roll which normally rests on said shelf, the flexible arm supporting said ink roll, and the cam in connection therewith by which the inking roll is driven across the inking platen to the ink fomit and back again while the platen is at rest in its lowermost position, substantially as described.

1. In an addressing` machine the combina-- tion of the endless feed band, the magazines of stencil cards, and articles to be addressed, the vibra-ting suction arms, a train of mechanism cxtendin g from the driving shaft of the machine to the suction arms whereby they are alternately projected into the magazines and withdrawn behind the feed band, hooks at regularly spaced intervals along said band, an air pump operated by the before mentioned train of mechanism, and tubes from said air pump to said suction arms, whereby said arms are enabled to suck up the topmost article in each magazine and deposit it on the feed band and then return for the next article and so on, substantially as described.

5. In an addressingmachine the combination of the printing mechanism, the double endless feed band, the magazine of stencil cards, the vibrating suction arms, operating between the two portions of the feed band to seize the topmost stencil card and deposit it on the band, the magazine of articles to be addressed, the second set of vibrating arms which operate outside of the feed band to pick up the articles to be printed and deposit them one at a time on the feed band on top of ihe stencil cards, and the hooks on said feed band to space the articles deposited thereon, at equal distances apart, substantially as dcscribed.

G. In an addressing machine, the combination of the printing mechanism, the endless feed band having open spaces therein which passes through said printing mechanism the magazine of envelopes and the automatic feed mechanism which lifts the envelopes from the magazine and deposits them one by one on the feed band over the open spaces therein, together with a .series of detached independent stencil cards, and mechanism for feeding them through the printing mechanism simultaneous With the envelopes, substantially as described.

7. In an addressing machine the combination of the endless feed band, having open spaces therein, the magazine of envelopes to be addressed, the vibrating suction arms, a-

train of mechanism extending from the driving shaft of the machine to the suction arms whereby they are alternately presented to the face of the magazine and withdrawn toward the feed band, an air pump operated by the above mentioned train of mechanism and tubes from said air pump to said suction arms whereby said arms are enabled to suck up the first envelope in the magazine and deposit it on the feed band over an open space therein, the series of independent stencil cards and mechanism for feeding said cards to the feed band at the same point as the articles to be addressed are deposited, substantial] y as dcscribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK D. BELKNAI. Witnesses:

W. DEVEAU TUNsTALL, A. PARKER SMITH.

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