US848887A - Automatic identification-stamp. - Google Patents

Description

LPATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

J. T. EARLE. AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION STAMP.

APPLICATION IILI ID JULY 8.1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 848,887. PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

J. T. EARLE.

AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION STAMP. APPLICATION FILED JULY8.1904.

2 SHEETS-S33E12.

WITNESSES I I I IIVVENTOI? 2%? (24% m PETERS co., wAsnyNnn-m, u. c

UNITED STATES JAMES THOMAS EARLE, OF LATONIA, KENTUCKY.

AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION-STAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application filed July 8, 1904. Serial No. 215,837.

T0 62% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES THOMAS EARLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Dinmore Park, Latonia, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Identification-Stamps, of which the following is a specification.

The several features of my invention and the various advantages resulting from their use conjointly or otherwise will be apparent from the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, making a part of this application and in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a machine illustrating my invention and in position for stamping. Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of the same machine in position for stamping, but presenting the other side of the machineto view. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the machine, taken in the plane of the dotted lines 3 3 of Figs. 1 and 2, showing the inking-rolls. Fig. 4 is a section of the disks and their accompanying mechanism, taken in the plane of the dotted line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view of the disks and the chamber containing them.

I will now describe my invention in detail.

I provide a cylinder A, which may be made of any suitable material. This cylinder is provided with a chamber B for the reception of a number of disks C. These disks are concentrically located and are pivoted upon a single pivot D, and on the latter these disks are free to turn except when prevented by the stop-rod E. This pivot D is suitably fastened to the cylinder A, preferably, as shown, by means of washers or plates D D one of said washers D being present at each end of the rod D and suitably secured to the cylinder A. Portions D of any suitable construction and of the proper size are located within the cylinder, one on one side of the disks and the other on the other side of the disks, and serve to keep the disks together and in place relatively to the opening F in the periphery of the cylinder through which the disks C project. These portions D may be an integral part of the cylinder or be suitably secured therein and thereto. When desired, portions D constituting an integral part of the cylinder or secured thereto, may be present on each side of this group of disks 0 at and near where they project through the cylinder. Thus guarded and guided the diskswill always be kept near together and in proper operative location relatively to themselves and to the cylinder.

The periphery of each disk is provided with suitable numbers or characters. In the present illustrative instance each disk carries numbers from 0 to 9, inclusive, and one blank. Each disk is perforated transversely as many times as there are numbers or characters on its periphery. Thus in the present instance each disk has eleven such transverse openings C All of these transverse openings C in the disks are at the same distance from the periphery, and each one has a radius extending from the axle of pivot D to the center of the character or number of the disk that projects through the opening F of the cylinder and in position to be printed from.

The stop-rod E at one end is provided with a handle E and at the other end with a screw-thread E engaging a screw-thread A in the cylinder A. The function of the stoprod E is as follows: The rod E is unscrewed and withdrawn from the cylinder and from the disks. The disks are then rotated until the proper characters or numbers to be printed from are in alinement at the proper point in the open space F of the cylinder. A set of the openings C one for each disk, will then be in alinement, and the stop-rod E is once more inserted into the cylinder and through these openings or passage-ways C and is then screwed into the female screw A aforementioned of the cylinder A. The disks are thus prevented from turning and held in position to be printed from. It is to be understood that there are as many numbers or rows of disks as are desired to meet the necessities of the work for which the same is constructed. a}.

' The stamp is to be used in marking freightpackages and is to be used inrailroad business. As railroadcars are generally numbered not to exceed ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, only five disks are shown as in use. It is understood, however, that I do not confine the use of my stamp to railroad business, but expect that it is to be used for any and all purposes for which it can be applied. When desired, other disks of like na ture may be set into the cylinder, and then the set of disks have numerical or other marking. I may utilize thesides of the space F of the cylinder by marking on it the initials of the railroad as, for example, C. & O.

IIO

standing for Cheaspeake and Ohio railroad and on the other side the locality where the same is affixed and the marking done. I may also affix a number or numbers indicating the number of the employee or gang using the same. I also affix another indicating the date when the package was handled. For instance, as shown, the package was handled on the 12th day of June, 1904. In this way the package can be identified by means of this stamp. The dates T are set in a slot S on the outside of the roller. The dates T are interchangeable. It is necessary that they be put in the slot, as that prevents them from falling out. All of the figures and characters carried by this cylinder A require to be inked in order to properly print. For this purpose I provide an inkingroll G and a feeding-roll H. The pivot G of the inkingroll G is suitably supported at each end in an adjacent support K. The pivot G located in a slot K in the support K against the pivot in the neighborhood of its support K, presses the spring K secured in a suitable housing K Thus the spring through the interme diate agency of the pivot G continually presses the roll G toward cylinder A and against the type of the said cylinder as the type are moved beneath the roll G. In a continuation K of the arm K the adjacent end of the pivot I-I which carries the roll H, islocated. This pivot-rod H slides in a slot H in the said arm A spring H located in a suitable housing H bears against its adjacent pivot H.

The aforementioned construction is found at both ends of the feed-roll II, as is shown in Fig. 8. Thus theink-feeding roll H is at all times elastically kept in conjunction with the inking-roller G. At the lower end of each of the parts K is pivotally located the roller L, adapted to bear against the surface of the object on which the stamp is to print its numbers or characters, &c.

The stamp is to be provided with a suitable handle, whose form may be varied according to the character of the work which the stamp is to do. One form of handle might be used which enables the hand of the operator to grasp and almost embrace the upper portion of the cylinder while usingit. Another and different form of the various kinds 'of handles which can be used is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and consists of the arched piece M, secured to the base M The handle is preferably connected to the arms K by suitable intervening means. In the present illustrative instance the part K is duly pivoted on the axial pivot P of the cylinder A and exj tends upward in the form of an extension K, i the upper end of which is united at K to the cross or basal portion M of the handle. The same construction K P K K is present at the other side of the cylinder.

It is very desirable that the stamp after having been rolled around during the operation of-printing from it shall automatically return to its first position in readiness to be again immediately used. If this were not the case, the operator would have to guess just how far and when to roll the cylinder in order to make the next numbers print from it. If he did not do this, he would have to Wtnrn the cylinder into its first position in order to easily and accurately use it the second time.

I make provision for the immediate return of the cylinder to its fn'st position as follows: I provide, preferably, a coiled spring Q, one end of which is secured to the pivot I, which latter is fixed to the cylinder A, and the other end to the arm K at Q When the cylinder A is moved forward during the operation of printing, the spring is wound up. As soon as the operation of printing is performed the operator raises the cylinder from the object. The spring Q thereupon returns the cylinder to its first position. But the spring, if allowed to do so, would at that time carry the cylinder too far around. I therefore provide a stop R, fixed to the side of the cylinder A. When the spring Q returns the cylinder to its first position, it cannot go beyond that position, because the stop R then impinges against the arm K.

The dating-stamp T may be inserted in groove S before or behind the space F, which contains the numbering-stamps on the disks C, or may be inserted in the circumferential groove S at the end of said space F. (See Fig. 4.)

Each edge of the cylinder A is provided with a projecting rim W. This rim prevents the cylinder from slipping while being revolved and while printing the characters of its stamps on the article to be marked.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to any specific way of putting fixed letters, signs, characters, or words on the cylinder.

What I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A cylinder provided with a recess B having two or more disks 0, carrying on their peripheries characters, the said disks being pivoted on a pivot D, and the characters of each disk extending through the space F in the periphery of the cylinder, and means for setting these disks at any proper point of their circle of rotation, the cylinder being provided with circumferential grooves, adapted to receive the dating-stamps, and the dating-stamps therein substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. A cylinder provided with a recess B having two or more disks C, carrying on their peripheries characters, the said disks being pivoted on a pivot D, and the characters of each disk extending through the space F in the periphery of the cylinder, and means for setting these disks at any proper point of their circle of rotation, the cylinder being provided adjoining the space F with circumferential grooves, adapted to receive the dating-stamps, and the dating-stamps therein,

1s lubstantially as and for the purposes speci- 3. In a machine for stamping, consisting of a cylinder provided with type, a handle, arms K pivotally secured at P to the cylinder extension K intermediate means between the handle and extension K for connecting the same, rollers L pivoted to the arms K at their lower ends, inking-roller in the terminal member of arm K, the arm K and the extension K being at an angle to each other, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In an automatic identification-stamp, a cylinder having a recess, two or more disks set within said recess, a pivot D for carrying the same, means for setting the disks so that the proper character thereon shall be in position for printing, a handle, arms K, K, the latter attached to the handle, rollers L connected to the lower end of arms K, inkingroll G, a device for elastically pressing it against cylinder A, a pivot P fixed to the cylinder A, a spring Q connected to said pivot at one end and at the other to arm K and a stop R for limiting the action of the spring in returning the cylinder to its first position, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In an automatic identification-stamp, a cylinder having a recess, two or more disks set within said recess, a pivot D for carrying the same, means for setting the disks so that the proper character thereon shall be in position for printing, a handle, arms K, K, the latter attached to the handle, rollers L con nected to the lower end of arms K, inkingroll G, a device for elastically pressing it against cylinder A, the ink-feeding roll H, device for elastically pressing it against the roll G, a pivot P fixed to the cylinder A, a spring Q connected to the said pivot at one end and at the other to arm KXand a stop R for limiting the action of the spring in returning the cylinder to its first position, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. A cylinder provided with a recess havin two or more disks bearing characters, the said disks being pivoted on a pivot D and the characters of each disk extending through the space F in the periphery of the cylinder, means for setting these disks at any proper point of their circle of rotation, and the peripheral rubber rim on the periphery of the cylinder, at each edge of it, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

JAMES THOMAS EARLE.

Attest:

SAMUEL A. WEsT, K. SMITH.

Images