US1762277A - Stamp-dispensing machine - Google Patents

Description

June 10, 1 930. w $HwE|GER 1,762,277

STAMP DISPENS ING MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 19, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Wally/1 5641065 67 w. F. SCHWEIGER I SI'AMP DISPENSING MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 19, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 Fl illlll 7 INVENTOR TVLZZZmZ" Z'SATTOI'RNEY June 10, 1930.

Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM F. SGHWEIGER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK ASSIGNOR T MULTIPOS'I COM- PANY, INCORPORATED, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK srAmr-msrnnsme MACHINE Original application filed November 19,1924, Serial No. 750,952,,now Patent No. 1,625,827, dated April 26,

1927. Divided and this application filed March 19, 1927. Serial No. 176,782.

This invention relates to astamp dispens ing machine of the general type illustrated in Patent No, 1,312,669, granted August 12, 1919, to W. J. Balkwill and W. F. Schweigei, and is a division ofmy application Serial No. 750,952, filed November 19, 1924, which has matured to Patent #1,625,827, issued April 26, 1927. v l v The principal object of the invention is to afford a structure of few parts, simple and cheap to manufacture, bywhich stamps issuing from a stamp ejecting machine may be moistened ready for application to mail matter andby which the moistening meansmay be rendered inoperative when desired.

More particularly theinvention has for its purpose to provide such a structure built up of units or sections so that variousnumbers of units may be used for application to machines of various capacities. Thus only comparatively few separate parts need be manufactured, but they areapplicable to machines of widely varying size.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention includes the structure which will appear more clearly from the following d6",

scription whenread in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, the novel features a, being pointed out in the claims appended hereto. r

p In thedrawings: l r a Figure lpis a front elevation of the machine embodying the features of the invention in a preferred arrangement, and illusing device; r p Flgure 2 is a plan view of the same;

1 Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the liquid chambers of the moisten- Fig re 6 is a Similar view showing the trating three stamp containing and dispens ingwunits in connection with the molstencentrally through one of the stamp contain-v cover plate for the moistening roller in operative position above the roller. Referring more particularly to the drawlngs 1n whlch like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 designates each of three stamp containing units or housings which are similar in all respects to each other and are adapted for containing and dispensing stamps of three different denominations. It is understood that more or less units may be used by simply joining the various units together side by side so that any number of different denominations of stamps may be used. In most letter mailing, single stamp containers are employed which operate to discharge, sever, and afiix the stamp to an envelope. with structures which donot aflix the stamp, but permit it to be dispensed from a container, moistened and severed, ready for manual application to a package, such machines being particularlyintended for use Where large volumes of parcel post mailing are required, or under other conditions where stamps of various denominations are frequently used. stamp feeding and severing device forms no part of the present invention, it will not be particularly described here, but reference is made for a detailed description thereof to my application Serial No. 750,952, above mentioned. The general features of the de:

.vice, sufficient for an understanding of the present invention, areas follows: v

Referringparticularly to Figur 4, nu-

meral2 designates the usual stamp, roll or strip arranged on a suitable reel and adapted to be fed out through an opening 3 in the housing; 7 The strip is moved along by strip feeding instrumentalities comprising fingers 4 which are operatively connected to the vertically movable plate 7 carrying the finger piece or ,key 8. A movable knife blade 15, also operatively connected to the plate 7, cooperates with a stationary blade 19 to sever the strip of stamps at the desired point, all as more particularly described The present invention has to do As the mechanism of the in, by parent application above identified.

The Stamps are fed outwardly through the opening 3 and under a'yoke-shaped guide or deflector 25, one of which is provided for each stamp unit. Guide 25 is supported by lugs 26 pivoted at 27 to the sides of the moistening unit. This moistening unit consists of a reservoir 29 for water or other suitable liquid, shown in cross-section in Figure 4: and in elevation in Figures 5 and 6. This reservoir carriesa roller 28 partially submerged in the liquid. Instead of water, for moistening gummed stamps, it is evident thatother suitable liquids may be employed, such as a, thin' mucilage or glue, which would be useful especially in moistening strips of stamps or other paper which was not previously gummed. The strip 2 as it issues from the opening 3 is guided between the moistening member or roller 28 and the guide plate so as to be moistened on itslower side by the so roller. It will be understood that the strip containing the desired number of stamps is grasped by the handand applied manually to the mail matter after having been moistened by passage over the roller.

25 At times it may be desirable todisp'ense one or more stamps without moistening them, and to accomplish this, means are provided for selectively covering the moistening roller to prevent its contacting with the gummed portionv of the stamp. This may be effected by utilizing a shield or cover such as the plate 35, Figures 5 and 6,which is pivoted at 36 to thesupporting member 37, which latter is pivoted at 38 to the body of the moistening device. The spring 39 is coiled one or more times about the pivot 38, one end of the spring being engaged by the wall of the reservoir, and the other'end pressing against the member 37 as is clearly shown in Figure 6..

This spring tends to turn the member 37 in a counter-clockwise direction, keeping it pressed against the front Wall of the liquid reservoir. 7 Normally, the plate 35 is in the position shown in Figure 5. When it is desired to move the plate to effective position to prevent the moistening of stamps, the supporting member 37 is pulled forward in a clockwise direction, the plate 35 is swung around and the free edge thereof is inserted at between the roller 28 and the guide 25, and the support 37 is then returned to its normal position by the spring 39, thus forcing the plate 35 in between the roller 28 and the guide 25 to the position shown in Figure 6. As will appear clearly from this figure, the strip of stamps 2 now contacts on its lower sidewith the plate 35 instead of With the roller 28 and therefore it is not moistened but may be ejected in a dry condition. It will be seen 6 that the shield 35 has what may be termed a floating connection to the body of the device. I

. The devices so far described comprise one unit of the machine. It should be understood .35 that any desired number of units are'placed:

side by side, three being shown, for example in Figures 1 and 2. Each unit consists of a stamp issuing and severing device, together with its individual reservoir 29, each reservoir having its moistening-preventing device 35-37, etc.

Preferably the variousreservoir units 29 are supplied with water or other suitable liquid from a common source, although it is evident that the reservoirsv could be entirely separate if desired and each one could be filled with liquid individually. The common supply means is best shown in Figure 3, from which it will be'noted that each reservoir 29 has a threaded opening'in each end thereof, and nipples 30 are threaded through the openings of-adjacent reservoirs to connect the same in the manner shown in Figure 3. Washers 41 may be interposed between the reservoirs-if desired. To one side ofthe series of reservoirs is asupplyunit 31, connected to the" adjacent reservoir 29by a similar nipple 30. This supply unit 31 may be kept full of Water in any suitable manner, such for instance as an inverted container or bottle 32 placed in the neck 33. It will be. understood that by this means the chamber 31 is kept filled with liquid, which runs through the nipple 30 into the adj acent-reservoir 29, keeping :it filled, and from this reservoir through the next nipple into the next reservoir and so on to the last reservoir. The threaded hole in the last reservoir is kept closed by threading thereinto a screw 40 although a plug or cork or any other means could be used. 3

I have now disclosed a device built up of separate units which may be assembled easily and quickly and may be built of any desired capacity. It will be understood that afactory making these devices need not construct separate moistening mechanisms for machines of different capacity but need build only the units 29 and connecting nipples 30 and the supply units 31. 32, etc. With these parts, together with suitable screws, washers, etc., a moistening unit may be constructed for cooperation with a stamp issuing machine of any desired size, simply by adding as many reservoirs'29 as desired to the supply unit 31'. Vhen a machine has once been built, if it is desired to reduce the capacity thereof it is obvious that one or more of the stamp units 1 may be removed and the corresponding reservoir units'29 may also be taken away'in a very short time, and the openingin the last unit may be plugged. up with the screw 40;

While I have disclosed the invention with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it should be understood that it is not confined to the details set forth, but this application-is intended to cover any changes or modifications coming within the intentof the improvements or'the scope of the. following claims. V

Iclaim: a l. The combination of a plurality of units for moistening stamps of different denominations, means for connecting adjacent units comprising a tubular member secured in the walls of adjacent units to establish communication between them andmamtaln a common liquid level therein, a liquid supply unit, and meansfor maintaining said common liquid level, inthe liquid supply unit. p n a 2. The combinationof a plurality of units a for moistening stampsof ditferent denominations, means for connecting adjacent units comprising a tubular member secured in the Walls of adj acentunits to establish communication between them and maintaln a common liquid level therein, a liquid supply unit detachably secured to one of said moistening units, and means for maintaining said common liquid level in the liquid supply unit.

a 8. A stamp moistening unit comprising a reservoir having openings in opposite ends thereof arranged in the same horizontal thereof,a liquid supply unit having an open 111g in one side thereot, a nipple connecting the opening in said supply unit with one of the openings in one of said moistening reservoirs, nipples connecting adjacent moistening reservoirs to each other, and a plug secured in one of the openings of the last moistening reservoir. i

5. The combination with a stamp moistening device comprising a moisteuing element adapted normally to 'contactwith a stamp, of a shield arranged tobe interposed between said stamp and said element, whereby a stamp may be passed through said device with out contacting with said element.

a (iln a stamp moisteningdevice comprising a moistening element adapted normally to contact with a stamp, a shield arranged to be mterposedbetween said stamp and said element, said shield being pivotally connected to a supportingmember, and said supporting member being pivotally connectedto a fixedpart of said device. I i In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name. a a u 1 WILLIAM F SCHWEIGER.

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