US949275A - Mail-marking machine. - Google Patents

Description

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

F. C. IELPIELD. MAIL MARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION msn JULY z. moa.

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RIC. IBLFIELD.

MAIL MARKING MACHINE. A\PPLIGATI0N FILED JULY 2. 190B. l 949,275, Patented Feb.A 15, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PALTENT OFFICE.

FRED C. IELFIELD, OF SILVER CREEK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO COLUMBIA POSTAL SUPPLY COMPANY, OF SILVER CREEK, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

MAIL-MARKING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED C. InLFmLn, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Silver Creek, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mail-Marking Machines, of Which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a mail marking machine in which the printing or marking of the letter or cards is effected continuously and a mark is produced 0n each piece of mail matter the full length thereof for the purpose of insuring cancellation of all the stamps regardless of where they are placed on the mail mat-ter.

It is the object of this invention to produce a machine of this character which is comparatively simple and durable in construction and reliable in operation, and which has a much greaterl capacity than the machines heretofore in use for this purpose.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of 2 sheets: Figure l is a fragmentary horizontal section of a mail marking machine embodying my invention taken in line l--1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same taken in line 2-2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken in line 3-3, Fig. 2. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are vertical transverse sections taken in the correspond ingly numbered lines in Fig. l. Fig. T is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken in line 7-7, Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken in line 8-8, Fig. G.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

A represents the horizontal top plate of the machine the front part of which forms the feed table B upon which is placed the stack of letters which is to be canceled while the rear part serves as a stacking table C upon which the letters are stacked or piled after being canceled or post marked. Arranged on to of the plate A and extending lengthwise rom the delivery end of the feed table to the receiving end of the stacking table is an upright guide wall or fence D. table is arranged a transverse guide wall (l which is separated at its inner edge from the longitudinal wall by an intervening space or throat and on the front part of the stacking table is arranged a transverse guide Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led July 2, 1908.

At the front side of the feed.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910. Serial No. 441,565.

wall Z1 which has its inner edge engaging with or arranged close to the longitruflinal wall, as shown in Fig. l.

At the throat between the transverse wall (l and the longitudinal wall l) is arranged a feed device whereby the letters are suceessively fed from the stack on the feed table to the printing or canceling mechanism. This feed mechanism is best shown in Figs. l, 2, 5 and 7 and is constructed as follows: E, El represent two feed wheels arranged one above the other on the right side of the letter path and secured to the upper part of an upright feed shaft c which is jonrnaled in a bearing el on the adjacent part of the top plate. On the same side of the letter path and in rear of the front pair of feed wheels is arranged a rear feed wheel F which is also pivoted on the adjacent part of the top plate by a pin or shaft c2 and caused to turn in unison with the front feed wheels and in the same direction by a belt f passingl around a pulley f1 secured to the feed shaft c between the front feed wheels and a pulley connected with the upper side of the rear feed wheel F. The latter is preferably arranged close to the top of the feed table so as to engage the right side of the letter near the lower edge thereof while the front feed wheels are arranged successively higher than the rear feed wheel and engage with the Sallie side of the letters at different distances from the .lower edge thereof. The front and rear feed wheels are preferably provided on their periphery with a facing g of rubber or similar material so as to enable the same to obtain a firm grip on the letters and feed them forwardly successively from the stack or pile on the feed table. On the left side of the letter path and opposite the space between the upper and lower front feed wheels is a separating wheel H which operates in eonjunetion with the front feed wheels to feed the letters forwardly but prevents more than one letter at a time from being fed from the supply stack to the printing mechanism. This separating wheel is preferably con structed of emery or similar abrasive material so as to enable the same to obtain a firm grip on the left side of the letter. The separating wheel is normally arranged with its periphery vertically in line with the periphery of the front feed wheel, so as to insure proper engagement of the same with the thinnest letter or card which it is intended to cancel in the machine, and it is yieldingly held in this position so that it may recede from the front feed wheels and permit letters or cards of greater thickness to pass between the front feed wheels and the separating wheel without injuring the letters or the feeding mechanism. The preferred means for thus yieldingly supporting the separating wheel consists of a horizontally swinging rock arm 7L pivoted at its front end on a bracket 71,l above the top plate while its rear end has the separating wheel pivoted thereto7 a horizontal tension rod z' arranged transversely in front of the transverse wall d and pivotally connected at its right or inner end with the free end of the rock arm 7L while its outer or left end passes through a lug l on the front side of the wall c7, a spring 2 surrounding the tension rod and bearing at its opposite ends against the lug l and a collar 3 on the tension rod, and an adjusting nut 4 arranged on the threaded left end of the tension rod and adapted to engage with the outer or left side of. the lug h1. By turning the screw 4 in one direction or the other the position of the separating wheel relatively to the front pair of feeding wheels may be adjusted and by adjusting the collar 3 on the tension rod the resistance which the spring 2 offers to the passage of the letters between the same and the front feed wheels may be regulated.

As the letters issue forwardly from the feeding mechanism they are operated upon by the printing, marking or canceling mechanism which is best shown in Figs. l, 2, 6 and 8, and which is constructed as follows: J represents an impression or abutment roller or wheel which is arranged on the right side of the letter path in front of the feed wheels E El and which is secured to the upper end of an upright shaft which is journaled in a bearing jl on the adjacent part of the top plate. rlhe upper part of this impression roller is provided on its periphery with a plurality of alternating annular or circumferential ribs and grooves 7c, 701 while the lowermost end of its periphery is provided with an annular flange 702 which is knurled or roughened on its periphery, as shown in Fig. 2. @n the left side of the Aletter path and transversely in line with the impression roller is the printing wheel or roller which is mounted on the upper end of a printing shaft L which is journaled with its lower part in a bearing Z. This printing wheel preferably consists of a lower clamping jaw or disk M which is secured to the printing shaft in any suitable manner but preferably by means of a driving fit, an upper clamping jaw or disk N which is preferablyconstructed in the form of a screw nut or cap and engages with the upper threaded end of the printing shaft and a circular body composed of two sections 07 01 arranged between the upper and lower clamping disks. The lower clamping disk is provided with a knurled periphery, as shown in Fig. 7, and is arranged opposite the correspondingly knurled lower flange of the impression roller, as shown in Fig. 6. The fixed or main section O of the body of the'printing wheel is mounted on the printing shaft and is provided on its periphery with a plurality of annular or circumferential ruling ribs p which are adapted to produce canceling lines on the letters or mail matter while the detachable or auxiliary section 0l is arranged at. the side of the main section and is provided with type 291 which are adapted to print the date, locality or other matter on the letters in alternation with the canceling lines. The main and auxiliary sections of the body are held in place on the printing shaft by means of an annular or marginal flange g formed on the lower clamping disk and engaging with the exterior of the lower ends of the body sections and an annular or marginal flange g1 formed on the upper clamping disk and engaging with the exterior of the upper ends of the body sections, as shown in Fig. 6. The printing faces of the ruling ribs and the printing type of the printing wheel are so arranged that each of these parts is horizontally in line with one of the spaces or grooves in the impression roller and the lower clamping disk is arranged Vwith its periphery close to the knurled flange of the impression roller but does not engage therewith, whereby actual contact between the printing wheel and impression roller is avoided and no wear or injury to these parts occurs when no letter is passing between the same. Normally the printing wheel is arranged so close to the impression roller that the thinnest letter or card which is designed to be canceled in this machine will be gripped on its opposite sides between the printing wheel and impression roller and receive a continuous impression of successive canceling lines and type matter on its left side while passing between the printing wheel and impression roller but when a letter or card of greater thickness is fed between these members the printing wheel is capable of yielding the required extent to permit thicker letters or cards to pass between the same and be canceled or post marked during their passage. The means for thus supporting the printing wheel to permit of adapting itself to varying thicknesses of letters consists of a horizontally swinging rock arm R arranged below the top plate and pivoted at one end to the underside of this plate while its opposite end carries the bearing Z in which the lower end of the printing shaft is ournaled,a spring r connect-mg the rock arm R withthe underside of thetop plate and operating t0 move its free end inwardly for carrying the printing wheel toward the impression roller and an adjustable stop device whereby the forward movement of the printing wheel toward the impression roller may be regulated and which preferably consists of a screw 1"] arranged on the rock arm and engaging with a bearing 'lf" on the top plate, as shown in Fig. 3, or other suitable stationary part of the machine.

As the letter passes forwardly between the impression roller and printing wheel its lower edge is gripped between the knurled lower flange of the impression roller and the lower clamping disk of these parts and carried positively forward while the `upper part of the letter is engaged on its opposite sides in Zig-Zag fashion by the relatively staggered upper tlanges or ribs of the impression roller and the ribs and type of the printing wheel, the combined action of these parts operating to reliably move the letters forwardly between the same.

As the printing wheel rotates the type and ruling ribs of the same are supplied with ink by means of an inking roller S engaging with the same at the left hand or outer side thereof. This ink roller is mounted on a horizontally swinging arm s pivotcd on the upper side of the top plate and is yieldingly held in engagement with the printing wheel by means of a spring 81 comiecting the rock arm .s with the top plate, as shown in Figs. l, 4 and 6.

t represents a catch pivoted on the top plate and adapted to engage with a pin t1 on the arm of the inking roller for the purpose of holding the latter in its retracted position out of engagement from the printing wheel when it is desired to remove the latter from its shaft for changing the type thereon or for other purposes.

As the letters issue forwardly from the printing mechanism they are engaged by a delivery mechanism which advances the same to the mechanism whereby the letters are stacked side by side on the stacking table. This delivery mechanism in its preferred form is shown in F l, 2 and Lt and is constructed as follows: U represents a non-adjustable delivery roller arranged on the right hand side of the letter path in rear of the impression roller and secured to the upper end of a delivery shaft a which journaled in a bearing u1 on the adjacent part of the top plate. At the left hand side of the letter path transversely in line with the right hand delivery roller and coperating with the same, is an adjustable delivery roller V which is pivoted on the free end of a horizontally swinging arm o mounted on the upper side of the top plate. The adjustable delivery roller is yicldingly held in engagement with the non-adjustable delivery roller or with the letters passing between the same by means of a spring v secured to an adjacent stationary part or wall (l2 on the top plate and engaging with the outer side of the roch' arm fe.

As each letter issues from between the delivery rollers the front end of the same engages with the transverse wall (l of the stacking table and is then moved laterally over the stacking table to clear space for the following letter by means of a stacking device which preferably consists of a plurality of cam-shaped wheels lV which rotate horizontally through slots w in the longitudinal wall D and across the letter path in the same direction in which the letters issue from the delivery wheels and which are secured one above the other on the upper end oit' a stacking shaft w1 which is journaled in a bearing wf on the adjacent part of the top plate.

Any suitable driving mechanism may be employed for operating the various rotatable parts of the machine which have been described. The means for this purpose shown in the drawings consist of a belt-X passing around pulleys af, all, on the stacking shaft, the non-adjustable delivery rollcr and the impression roller and also around idle pulleys y, a2 pivoted on the underside of the top plate, an idle gear wheel 1/1 connected with the idle pulley jz/ and meshing with a gear pinion y2 on the lower end of the printing shaft, and an intermediate gear wheel z pivoted on the underside of the top late and meshing with the idle gear wheel y1 and a gear wheel .el at the lower end of the feed shaft c. The teeth of the cooperating pinion g/2 and idle gear wheel y1 are preferably of such length that this pinion is free to move laterally the required extent together with the printing wheel without disturbing its driving connection with the gear wheel y/l. lPower may be applied to this driving meehanism at any suitable point but preferably to the stacker shaft w1 which for this purpose may be regarded as the driving shaft of this portion of the machine.

In the operation of this machine the letters move forwardly from the feeding mechanism and past the printing and delivering mechanism to the stacking mechanism without interruption, thereby causing the printing to be effected continuously, whereby the capacity of the machine is increased over a machine in which the letters can only pass to the printing mechanism at predetermined times.

I claim as my invention:

A mail marking machine comprising a feed mechanism and a printing mechanism to which the letters are delivered by said feed vimichanism and which comprises an impression roller arranged on one side of the letter path and having' its periphery provided with a plurality of alternating annular ribs and grooves, and a printing wheel arranged on the opposite side of the letter I path and having a Inain body section prosaid shaft and provided with a {ia-nge which vided with circumferential ruling ribs and an auxiliary body section having type, said ruling ribs and type being arranged in line with the grooves between the ribs of the irnpi'ession roller, a shaft upon which said inain body section is arranged, a lower clamping disk arranged on said shaft and provided with a flange which engages with the exterior of said body sections at the lower ends thereof, and an upper Clamping disk or Jaw having a screw connection with engages with the exterior of said body sections at the upper ends thereof.

l/Vitness my hand this 29th day; of J une,

FRED C. IELFIELD.

lVitneSses GEO. H. SHOFNER, H, lV. STEWART.

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