US583254A

US583254A - Fritz gatjger

Info

Publication number: US583254A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1897-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 1914-05-25

Description

(No Model) P GAUGBR, Jr DEVIGE FOR AFFIXING POSTAGE OR OTHER STAMPS.

Pafiented May 25,1897.

' v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRITZ GAUGER, JR, OF ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

DEVICE FOR AFFlXlNG POSTAGE OR OTHER STAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,254, dated May 25, 1897.

Application filed May 6,1896. Serial No. 590,505.

230,708, and in England October 22, 1895,1I0. 19,836.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRITZ GAUGER, J r., a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Zurich, canton of Zurich, Republic of Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Affixing Postage or other Stamps, Labels, Tickets,

and the Like, of which the following is a specification, and for which I have received patents abroad as follows: in Switzerland January 7, 1895, No. 9,538; in Germany January 23, 1895, No. 84,048; in Austria March 31, 1895, No. 230,708; in France January 17, 1895-, No. 244,405, and in England October 22, 1895, No. 19,836.

My invention relates especially to a hand device which will hold a quantityof stamps, tickets, or labels placed, one above the other in a receptacle provided at the lower end of the device to receive them, and provided also with a piston which will press upon the stamps from above when the device is used to affix the bottom stamp of the lot, and which will then be relieved of pressure to allow the bottom stamp to be drawn out of the device and placed upon the article to which it is to be affixed upon lifting the stamp-holding device from the article.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of my improved device; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a horizontal cross-section in line as a: of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a vertical central crosssection of the dampening-cup; Fig. 5, a plan of the dampening-cup with the dampeningpad removed.

According to my invention I provide a receptacle containing a number of postagestamps, labels, or tickets with a piston or follower to rest thereon, a presser-tube to bear upon the follower, a spring-catch to engage the said tube and follower, a cover to the said receptacle, in which the presser-tube is guided, and means for disengaging the spring-catch of the follower from the pressertube to allow the latter to rest with its Weight only upon the stamps within the receptacle and allow the bottom stamp to be freely withdrawn from the receptacle when the pressertube is not held down upon the stamps, and I also preferably employ an outer guide-tube, a follower guide-rod, a presser-tube handle,

(No model.) Patented in Switzerland January 7, 1895, No. 9,538; in

No. 84,048 5 in Austria March 81, 1895,1I0.

. and spiral springs contained within the outer guide-tube and the presser-tube for raising or pressing upwardly upon the presser-tube and its handle and for pressing down upon the follower when the latter is disengaged from the presser-tube, as will hereinafter appear in the following detailed description of the construction and operation of the preferred form of my device.

My invention also comprises a dampeningpad of novel construction which is used in connection with my device.

The receptacle A is of exact size to freely contain a suitable number of stamps, tickets, or labels (all hereinafter designated stamps) placed one upon the other, and one of the sides of said receptacle has a longitudinal opening a, (shown in Fig. 8,) which will allow thestamps to be more easily placed therein or removed therefrom, and the said receptacle A is fitted within an outer case B, slotted at opposite sides and at the lower ends thereof to receive and fit snugly around two oppositely-disposed plates a, bent outwardly at their upper ends to receive a spring-catch plate 12, secured at its upper end to the outer case B and bent inwardly at their lower ends to project within the inner case a sufficient distance to hold the stamps Within the receptacle when not otherwise acted upon, as will hereinafter appear.

The outer case B has a cap I), flanged to receive said case, and be secured thereto by screws b an upwardly-projecting cylinderhub b to receive the outer guide-tube G, and a conical inwardly-projecting hub b bored centrally with the cap I) and outer hub b to receive and form a guide-bearing for a pressertube E, which latter is adapted to move longitudinally therein. The lower end of the presser-tube E is provided with a conical head eZwhich abuts against a follower C, fitted to move snugly within the stamp-receptacle A, and which when so pressed upon is secured thereto by a spring-catch 0 secured to the follower and engaging with the shoulder formed by the head 6 of the presser-tube. The jaw of the spring-catch c is wedge-shaped and is pressed against by the conical inwardly-projecting hub 12 of the cap I), and the said catch 0 is thus released from the head 6 of the presser-tube when the latter is raised to its full height within the stamp-receptacle. A knob handle H, having a centrallybored downwardly-projecting body h, fitted with a tubular metal shell h, is secured to the upper end of the presser-tube E, with the shell 71. fitting snugly to slide upon and be guided by the guide-tube G, the said guide-tube G and shell It being of sulficient diameter to receive a spiral spring 6, which fits within the shell and encircles the presser-tube E. The spiral spring e bears at its lower end upon the cap b of the outer casing and presses upwardly beneath a flange e projecting outwardly from the upper end of the pressertube E, and when not otherwise acted upon lifts the said presser-tube and with it the follower to the upper end of the stamp-receptacle. The follower O has a guide-rod e, secured thereto,which passes upwardly into the presser-tube E, and has a head 0 at its upper end which when the follower is in the bottom of the stamp-receptacle rests upon a shoulder a, projecting inwardly from the presser-tube. A spiral spring I fits around the guide-rod c and within the presser-tube E and presses between the said inner shoulder e and the top of the follower C to hold the latter down with a properly-regulated pressure upon the top of the stamps within the stamp-receptacle when the spring-catch c has been released from the head of the presser-tube by contact with the inwardly-projecting conical hub of the cap upon the upper end of the outer casing.

The moistening-box K has a retaining-cap shell L fitted within the-upper end thereof and provided with an exterior headed guideflange Z, which projects inwardly to hold down a felt pad M, fitted within the upwardlyfianged top of a cover N, which latter fits within the cap-shell L. The cover N is perforated at n, and a sponge held within the box K and below said cover is kept wet and serves to moisten the felt pad.

The operation of the device is as follows: The stamp-receptacle is filled with stamps, which are gummed on the under side in the usual way, and the lower end of the said receptacle with the bottom stamp exposed, except at the small spaces covered by the stampretaining side plates of the receptacle, is pressed down first upon the dampening-pad to wet the bottom stamp and then removed and pressed with sufficient force upon the top of the letter or other article to which the stamp is to be secured. The stamp will adhere to the surface against which it is pressed except at the small side spaces covered by the stamp retaining plates, and when the stamp is thus held the pressure upon the handle H is released, and the spring, pressing between said handle, its presser-tube, and the cap of the receptacle, will lift the presser-tube and follower secured thereto until the springcatoh connecting them is disengaged by the conical hub of the cap, and the follower is then returned with a properly-regulated pressure to bear upon the stamps by means of the spiral spring arranged within the pressertube. It will be readily seen that when the follower is first lifted from the stamps and before it is disengaged from the presser-tube the stamps will be loosely held within the receptacle and the bottom stamp may easily be released by its adhesion to the surface to .which it is secured and withdrawn from the with sufficient force to hold them in place,but

not sufficiently to push the bottom stamp out to form contact with the surface against which it is pressed. The separable connection of the follower and presser-tube is essential to the successful operation of the device in the manner described.

The spring held between the guide-tube and presser-tube acts to quickly lift the follower when the pressure is released from the knob, and the spring and rod fitted within the presser-tube bear upon the follower after the catch has released it and act in the above-described manner.

The several parts of the moistening device may be easily separated and kept clean and in proper working order.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A device for holding and affixing stamps, comprising a stamp -receptacle having inwardlyprojecting plates at the open end thereof, a follower within said receptacle, a presser-tube separably connected with said follower, and a spring-catch connecting the said receptacle and presser-tube to raise the latter with the follower therein, substantially as described.

2. A device for holding stamps, comprising a stamp-receptacle, a presser-tube adapted to reciprocate therein, a follower, a spring-catch to connect the said presser-tube and follower and a projection within the stamp-receptacle to disengage the follower and presser-tube by contact with the spring-catch, substantially as described.

3. Adevice for holding and aifixing stamps, comprising a stamp-receptacle, a follower, a presser-tube separably connected therewith, a guide tube secured to the receptacle, a spring held between the guide tube, the presser-tube and the handle, and a spring and rod fitted within the presser-tuhe to bear upon the follower, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRITZ GAUGER, JR.

\Vitnesses:

HERMANN KIROHHOFER, HERMANN HUBER.

IOC