US1114893A - Apparatus for printing prepaid postage. - Google Patents

Description

J. vLERLNFIE.

APPARATUS POR PRINTNG PREPAID POSTAGB.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1912.

1,1 14,893. Patented 0015.27, 1914.

Inventor itnesses Attorneys APPARATUS FOR PRINTING PREPAID POSTAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application led January24, 1912.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914., serial No. 673,244.

T0 all 207mmit may Concern Be it known that I, JULIUs Leiterin, Kniglicher Baurat, a subject of the German Emperor, and residing at 14 Arndtstrasse, Steglitz, near Berlin, Prussia, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Printing Prepaid Postage Having the Inking and Cleaning Devices Arranged Outside, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a simple apparatus for printing stamps or other indications of postage on postal packages, and is designed to be used by those having large quantities of mail to send out: as by means of this apparatus the stamping of letters and packages is expedited and the slow tiresome task of applying gummed-stamps to mail matter avoided.

The invention comprises a tight casing containing a cylinder on which is a raised block for printing the stamps or other impression, capable of being rotated by hand or power. In one side of the casing adjacent the cylinder is a passage way through which the letters and packages to be marked are fed. Suitable counting mechanism is connected to the cylinder or the shaft for the purpose of registering the amount of matter stamped. Exterior of the casing containing the printing cylinder is an ink roller on one side and a rotary cleaning` brush on the other, each carried in a housing hinged on the casing. the roller and brush each projecting through an opening in the casing to engage the stamping block. Means are provided to prevent the inking roller and cleaning brush being moved to uncover the printing cylinder except at such times as the stamping block on the printing cylinder is fully covered by the casing and at a distance from the openings therein through which openings said inking roller and brush project, thus preventing any one tampering .with the block and printing therefrom without registering the impression.

In connection with theprinting cylinder one or more counterpressure rollers may be employed and as these rollers run close to or in contact with the printing cylinder through an opening in the casing a-housing must be provided for the counterpressure rollers to prevent their removal while the stamping block is in position to be tampered with. Suitable locking means also provided for the housing of the counterpressure rollers to permit its removal from the casing only when the stamp block has been turned away from the opening through which the counter-pressure rollers project.

To more clearly set forth the invention attention is directed to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure l is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus in its simplest form with the counterpressure rollers omitted. F ig. 2 is a similar view through a foi-m of the apparatus showing' yone counterprcssure roller. its l1ousing,"and locking means therefor ditfering from that shown in Fig. l, the ink-r ing roller and cleaning brush being omitted.

In the drawing. A is a tight casing. at one side of which is a passage-way B eX- tending through the casing through which letters and other postal packages to be stamped are passed. Between the interior of the easing and the passage way is an opening C to permit a stamping block c on a revolublescylinder g to project and print a stamp on the letter or package within the passage-way. The cylinder g is mounted on a shaft which may be rotated by hand or power as desired. l

`On opposite sides of the casing A are housings if, afl hinged respectively at c. r to the casing in such manner as to swing outwardly therefrom as indicated in dotted lines. Tithin one of the housings is rotatablymounted an inking roller 7) projecting through an ope-ning 1'. in the casing in position to bear on the printing block c as the cylinder rotates, while in the other housing d is pivotally mounted a cylindrical brush a which projects through an opening z" in the casing and which may be rotated for the purpose of cleaning 4the stamp block when the latter is brought around in suitable position. Extending inwardly toward the cylinder g from the pivots e, e are fingers j', f their free ends lying normally close to the periphery of said cylinder in position to enter slots it, /z formed therein. or in a flange on the cylinder, when saidy slots are. in the course of rotation of the cylinder brought into register with the fingers. h, t are so positioned with relation to the stamp block c that they register therewith only when the stamp block is in position to yproject through the opening c for the purpose of printing or when in a dianietrically opposite position as shown in the drawing. When in such position either the housing CZ or Z with its inking roller b or cleaning brush a may be swung away from the casing as shown in dotted lines for the purpose o reinking the roller b cleaning the same, or cleaning the brush a such movement exposing the openings i, z'", through which, were the cylinder g permitted to rotate freely, the stamp block could be reached by moving the cylinder to bring said block opposite either of said openings, and any number of impressions taken therefrom upon letters or other postal packages without rotating the cylinder and consequently or registering the impression. The parts, however, are so arranged that the moment either housing is swung away from the casing A, however slight, the respective fingers f, f will enter the slots h, h in the cylinder and lock the .same in safe position against rotation, said cylinder .remaining locked untilthe housings are closed tightly against the casing and the openings i, i securely closed. -Movement of the cylinder in either direction a short distance beyond the position of safety shown will carry the slots h, h out of register with the fingers f, f so that any attempt to swing the housings away l from the casing and uncover the openings t', i will be prevented by the fingers f, f striking the nonslotted portion of the cylin'- der.

1t is often'desirable to use counterpressure rollers for holding the mail matter against the printing cylinder for which purpose a counterpressure roller a is shown in Fig. 2 mounted within an extension A of the cas- `ing A. on the opposite side of thepassagelway B into which passage-way the counter- Vpressure roller extends into closeproximity to the printing roller g with its stamp block o.

rlhe casing extension containing the counterpressure roller is closed to prevent said roller being removed and leavingV the opening through which it projects uncovered and free for malicious persons tampering with the stamp block or taking unregistered imdesirable for pressions therefrom. It 1s often, however, various reasons to remove the counterpressure roller and for this purpose a housing Z2 isv hinged at e2 A and interlocking'means are provided to prevent said housing being opened when the stampv block is in position to be tampered with. This interlocking mechanism` comprises a lever o 'hinged to the casing eXtension Aat b2 having on its inner` end a nger t2 adapted to enter a notch h2 in the These slots without counting closed casing on the casing roller. Vhen in this position the printing roller may be turned indefinitely, the finger f jc passing behind the stop f2 holds the housing Z2 closely over the counterpressure roller a. lVhen, however, the lever b is raised to throw the finger z'2 into the notch h2 the other finger k will be raised above the stop f2 and the housing Z2 may then be swung outwardly on its pivot b2 as is evident.

lhat 1 claim is:

l. An apparatus for printing prepaid postage stamps on packages comprising a having a passage-way on one side for the package to be stamped, a revoluble cylinder having a slot in its periphery and carrying a printing block, mounted within said casing, a housing hinged on said casing to swing away from the same, and a swinging armadapted to enter sai slot in the printing cylinder when the latter is in a predetermined position and lock the cylinder against rotation, the housing being free at said time to swing, said arm holding lthe housing immovable against said casing closed casing having a passage-way on one l side for the package to be stamped, a revoluble printing cylinder within said casing,

a housing hinged on said casing to swing away from the same and an arm projecting from the pivot of said housing toward said cylinder to interlock with the same and prevent rotation of the cylinder when' the housing is free to swing and to lock said housing closed when the cylinder is free to rotate.

3. An apparatus for printing prepaid postage stamps on packages comprising a closed casing having a passage-way at one side for the package to be stamped and a small opening on another side, a revoluble printing cylinder within said casing provided with a peripheral printing block, a vrotating member mounted in a housing hinged on the exterior of said casing to close over said small opening and project the member through 'the same into position to Contact with said printing block as it rotates, and means carried by said housing to interlock with said cylinder and prevent rotation thereof when the housing is free to swing and to lock said housing closed when the cylinder is free to rotate.

postage stamps on packages comprising a L 4. An apparatus for, printing prepaid closed casing havingl a passageway on one the passage-way through which the postal 15 side for the package to he stamped and packages are fed, and interlocking means openings through two other sides, a revolubetween the several housings and the print-l bie printing cylinder within said casing ing cylinder to prevent rotation thereo provided with a peripheral printing block, when either of said housings is free to swing an inking roller pivotally mounted in a and to lock said housings closed when the 20 housing hinged on the exterior of said cascylinder is free to rotate.

ing to close over one of said openings and In testimony whereof I hereto aiix my project the roller through the same into, signature in the presence of two witnesses. position to contact with said printing block as it rotates, a cleaning brush also contained p i C IUS LERCHE' p within a housing similarly hinged over the fitnessesz opposite side opening, a counter-pressure y HENRY HAsPER,

roller protected by a housing projecting into VOLDEMAR HAUPT.

Images