US708423A - Machine for affixing postage-stamps or labels upon envelops, cards, &c. - Google Patents

Description

Patented sept. 2, i902,y

Nn. 708,423.A

` n. H.. snoue. E

`MAGHINE FOB AFFIXING POSTAGE STAMPS 0R LABELS UPDN ENVELOPS cAns, am.

(Application led Apr.` 1, 1902.)

(,No Model.)

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No. 708.423. Patented sept. 2, |902.

B. H. sTmmG.

MACHINE FOB AFFIXING POSTAGE STAMPS 0R LABELS` UPON ENVELUPS, 0ARDS,-&c.

(Application Bled Apr. 1, 1902.) l (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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Nrrn Srarrrgs ROBERT H. STRONG, OF GALESBURG, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO WILLIAM O. R. BRADLEY AND JOHN P. MCCAFFERY, OF GALESBURG,

ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR AFFIXING POSTAGE-STAMPS R LABELS UPON ENVELOPS, CARDS, clic.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,423, dated September 2, 1902.

Application tiled April l, 1902. Serial No. 100,924. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, zit nwty 0077.067171,.-

Beit known that I, VROBERT H. STRONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galesburg, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Afl'ixing Postage-Stamps or Labels upon Envelops, Oards, thc., of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in machines the function of which is to separate and aflix stamps or labels having an adhesive surface to envelops, cards, or other objects; and the invention consists in the construction and combination of the parts which constitute such a machine, as will be hereinafter set forth.

The object of the invention is to provide a device in which a sheet with adhesive material on one side may be carried beneath cutzo ters which when operated will sever a rectangular portion from the sheet and press such severed part upon an envelop or other surface which has been moistened to attach the stamp or label thereto.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan view of an envelop-moistener and a stamp or label affiXer constructed in accord with the invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on Fig. l is a detail perspective View showing the pivoted cutters, and Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the stop and release mechanism for the carriage.

Upon a suitably-constructed base A are mounted supports d a, which carry a rod a, a carriage A being pivotally attached to the rod, so as to slide thereon, The carriage is drawn toward one end of the base by a flexible connection ZJ, which is attached to one 4o end of the carriage,the other end being wound about a spring-drum b, which may be rotatively mounted on a bracket or upright b2. The carriage Ahas near its front lower edge a feed-roller d2, a rod passing through such 45 roller and being journaled in the end pieces of the carriage, the rod provided beyond one of the side pieces of the carriage with a knob for turning the feed-roller, and the roller may be provided with rings a3 to frictionally engage the sheet which is placed between the front and back plates of the carriage. The length of the carriage may be such that it will receive between its ends a sheet which is equal in length to the length of ten postagestamps, the distance between the end plates of the carriage may be less, and the movement of the carriageis step bystep and equals the length of a label or stamp which it is desired to al'ltix. The step-by-step movement of the carriage is governed by the distance between the vertical members or teeth of a rack-bar A2, which is attached to the carriage and depends from the central portion of the back plate thereof. From the hack plate of the carriage A project lugs A4, through which the rod a' passes, and the carriage is pivoted to this rod and is in sliding engagement therewith, and as the carriage may be tilted on its pivot the rack-bar, which is rigidly attached to the carriage, will be moved therewith and when the carriage is raised will be positioned to one side of the stop and release mechanism.` The carriage is reciprocated or moved by a spring -and flexible connection over a plate B, which is attached to the base and supported so as to be slightly above the plane or upper surface of' the base to provide a recess beneath which envelops or other objects may be passed in order to have stamps or labels afiixed thereto. The plate Bis cut away to provide a space for pivoted knives, and the plate adjacent to the knives has strips b, against which the pivoted members of the cutters bear when depressed. The plate B also carries a guide b2, beneath which the stamps or labels pass to properly guide them to the cutters.

The stop and release mechanism is supported by an angular plate C, attached to the base, and this plate carries an angular or inclined piece O', which provides a stop to limit the rearward movement of a dog D, which is pivoted to the vertical portion of the plate O, so that its rearwardly-projecting upper end may abut against the stop-plate C'. The oscillating member or dog D to one side of its pivot d carries a spring d2, which abuts against a depending member c of an oscillating pawl E, which is pivoted to the dog D. This part E overlies the part D and is normally thrown toward the rearwardly-projecting upper member thereof by the spring d2, and one of the sides extends suiiiciently to be engaged by the vertical members of the rackbar. 'Said bar as drawn toward one end of the base by the spring-actuated drum causes one of the vertical members of the teeth of the rack to engage one side of the pawl E, which effects a stoppage of the carriage. A downward pressure being exerted on the rod F rocks the dog and moves its end d away from the stop-plate, and at the same time the rack-bar slides over the side of the pawl and engages the side of the dog. On the movement of the dog D toward the stop-plate, which takes place when the rod is allowed to move upward, the rack-bar will engage the edge e of the pawl, move it against the action of its spring d2, at the same time sliding over the side of the dog until it passes beyond its edge, when the rack-bar and carriage will advance one step, the next tooth of the rack-bar engaging the side of the pawl, which is immediately thrown in the path of the rack-bar by the spring cl2. The dog is rocked toward the front of the machine by a downpull on the rod F, which is connected to the dog and to the bar G, which bar ismoved upward by a spring h'. When the rearward-projecting upper end of the dogis against the stop-plater C, the part E will be engaged on one side by a vertical member of the rack-bar, and when the rod is drawn upon the dog and the part E will be swung toward the front the vertical member which engages-with the side of the part E will slide on said part and contact with the upper portion of the dog. AsV the rod F is allowed to move upward the rearwardlyprojecting upper end of the dog will move toward the stop-plate, and the part E Will by being in engagement ywith the rack-bar be swung on its pivot, the parts being separated to provide a space through which the rackbar may pass, such operation being repeated as often as the rod F is depressed and released. The upper end of the pawl E is beveled, so that when the carriage is moved against the action imparted thereto by the spring-actuated drum the rack-bar will engage the beveled end and permit the carriage to be moved past the pawl when said carriage slides on its bar and its front edge on the plate B. By lifting the front edge of the carriage the rackbar can be moved entirely out of the path of the stop and release mechanism.

G refers to a bar which is pivoted to the rear edge of the base and extends beyond the front thereof, and this bar or lever has a block g, so that it may be readily depressed by hand, though in practice to the front end of the lever is attached a rod g', which eX- tends downward and connects with a treadle of ordinary construction. The rod F is connected to the lever G near its pivot, and at a suitable point through the base, so as to engage with the lever, is a connecting-rod h, which has a spring h', the spring being between the base A and the under side of a pivoted plate I, which serves as a presser and cutter. The bolt above the presser. and cutter I is threaded and carries a nut t.

A blade or cutter J is pivoted to a vertical portion which projects from a strip-b', and this blade has therethrough an aperture k,

.the end of the blade being beveled to correspond with the beveled projecting corner 7c of the blade and presser I, so that the ends of the pivoted cutters will fit snugly against the strips b. To the blade and presser I there is attached a bar I2, the free endbeing passed through an aperture 7c in the blade J, so that when the presser and cutter is raised the blade J will be raised in unison therewith. To the base there is attached an npright L, which carries a horizontal pin or bar m, and on the same is pivoted a frame m, to which is attached, so as to have a limited range of oscillatory movem ent,a pad-carrying frame N, the pad which is carried thereby being adapted to enter a depression or watercontaining recess O in the base. The padcarrying frame is normally forced into the recess by a spring fn., which is carried by the rod, one end of the spring bearing on the frame or yoke m', to which the pad-carrying frame is pivoted.

P refers to a water-tank which is suitably attached to the base and has pipes or connections which lead to a tube P, located irnmediately above the pad which is carried by the frame N, and the end of this tube P may have a cap either to cut off entirely the ow from the Water-tank or to regulate the drip.

In operation a sheet of postage-stamps is placed in the carriage the lower edges being passed beneath the roller a2, the carriage is drawn to one end of the base away from the pivoted knives, the moistening-pad is wet by water from the supply-tank. When the roller is turned by the knob, the sheet will be fed under the guide-plate h2. The machine is now ready for operation. An envelop is passed under the moistener, one corner lying beneath the presser and cutter, the lever G is depressed, such movement operating the stop and release mechanism, which allows the carriage to travel one step, which places the corner of the sheet beneath the presser and cutter, the next action being to lower the pivoted blades, which will sever the stamp or label from the sheet and press the severed portion against the moistened corner of the envelop. The envelop is then withdrawn, another one inserted, and the operation repeated until the entire lower strip has been removed, after which the carriage is restored to its initial position and the roller is turned to feed another strip in line with the cutters.

I claiml. In a machine for the purpose set forth, a base having thereon a water-supply tank, a

IIO

moistener below the end of a pipe connected with the Water-tank, a reciprocating carriage envelop in its passage beneath the plate to moisten such part of the envelop, a blade cacting with one edge of the plate and a blade coacting with the other edge and with the first-mentioned blade, the blades being relatively movable with respect to each other to sever a piece from a sheet, one of the blades having a flat portion of sufficient width to cover the severed portion of the sheet, for the purpose set forth` 1 3. In a machine for clipping and affixing rectangular pieces from a gummed sheet, the combination with a pivoted and upwardly* movable moistening-pad, fixed lower cutters and movable upper cutters arranged in line i therewith and at right angles to each other, a

carriage carrying a gummed sheet, means for moving the carriage step by step and means for depressing the upper cutters, substantially as shown.

4. In a machine for the purpose set forth, a carriage having a rack-bar rigidly attached thereto, a rod for supporting the carriage said carriage being in swinging and in sliding en gagement therewith, a stop and clutch mechanism for engagement with the rack-bar, comprising a pivotally-supported dog, a pawl which overlies one side of thedog and the end thereof, the overlyingside of the pawl arranged to engage the teeth of the ratchetplate, substantially as set forth.

5; In a machine for the purpose set forth, the combination of a reciprocating carriage, a supportingrod therefor, a stop and release mechanism comprising a fixed ratchet-plate which moves in unison with the carriage, a pawl with which the vertical members of the teeth of the ratchet-plate engage, a dog also engaged by the same portion of the :ratchetteeth, means for swinging the dog and the pawl when the latter is engaged by the ratchetplate to provide a space between the dog and pawlv for the passage of one tooth of the ratchet-plate, a spring-drum, a lieXible connection between the drum and the carriage, a lever with which the stop and release mechanism is connected, a pivoted bar connected to the dog, fixed lower cutter and movable upper cutters carried b v the base, the upper cutters being in movable engagement one with the other, and a rod connecting 011e of the upper cutters with the pivoted bar to operate the upper cutters when the bar is depressed, substantially as shown.

o'. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of a base, a carriage-supporting frame attached to the base, a carriage movable on the frame, a ratchet-plate attached to the carriage, a springactuated drum mounted on the base, a flexible connection attached to the drum and to the carriage, a lever pivoted to the underside of the base, a stop and release mechanism actuated by the lever for engagement with the ratchet-plate, a pair of pivoted cutters arranged at right angles to each other, a spring for lifting one of the cutters, fixed lowercutters which cooperate with the pivoted cutters, means for connecting one ot' the blades to the lever, means carried by said blade for engagement with the pivoted blade at rightangles thereto, and a moistener in proximity to the cutting-blades, substantially as shown.

In testimonywhereof I subscribe my name in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT H. STRONG.

XVitnesses:

JOHN E. MALEY, JOHN P. MCCAFFERY.

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