US151357A - comings - Google Patents

Description

A. F. CUMINGS.

Stencils.

No.l5l,357. Patented May 26,1874.

MSN

TTF?? Wv'n/e our e J. [naemaz' ARTHUR F. COMINGS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF IIIS RIGHT TO ELIJAH I). PEACOOK, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STENCILS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l5 E357, dated May 26, 1874; application filed March 27, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ARTHUR F. ComNGs, of Chicago, in the county of Cool; and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stencils; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of two stencil-plates lockedtogether by my improvements; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of one plate detached from the other.

Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several gures of the drawings.

My invention relates to that class of stencils in which the letters or symbols are each stamped or cut out of separate metal plates, and the latterfjoinedtogether to form the word or combination of letters required. These letter-plates are usually united by lapped joints, such as tinners employ in joining pieces of tin or sheet-iron together, the plates being iitted together by sliding the laps within each other endwise.

Such stencil-plates have hitherto been found obj ectionable for several reasons, among which the following may be enumerated: First, the lapped joints, in consequence of the closeness with which they fit, prevent the plates from being quickly and easily attached; secondly, these close joints rapidly fill up with paint and dirt, rendering it almost impossible to slide the plates together, or remove them from each other; thirdly, the plates and joints are liable to become bent, and therefore inoperative, as they cannot be again straightened without great care and labor; fourthly, no provision is made for adjusting the letters in the same horizontal line, this being` wholly a matter of guesswork.

My invention has for its object to remedy these defects; and toI this end it consists, first, in constructing each letter-plate with two or more raised guide-catches along one edge, and corresponding guide-slots in the opposite edge, so that two plates can be tted rapidly and easily together by slipping the catches of one into the guide-slots of the other, the act of uniting the two serving to clear the fastenings of paint and dirt-the fastenings are therefore selfcleaning; secondly, in the employment of a locking stop or guide at one edge of a letter-plate, adapted to engage with a slot or opening in the adjoining edge of the next letter-plate, when the two plates are united for the purpose of locking them, together with the letters, in the same horizontal line.

In the accompanying drawings, A and B are two plates, having letters stamped or cut through them. Near one of the edges of the plate B two nearly-circular catches, (l G, are stamped tout, the upper and lower parts of such catches having projections or arms D D, which are attached, at their outer ends, to the letter plate. Correspondingly shaped openings E E, for the reception of the catches, are formedl in the opposite edges of the letterplates A, terminate-d above and below by the slots F lr for the reception of the arms D D.

-H is a locking-stop formed on the letter- It will, of course, be understood that each plate is formed with the catches and lockingstop on one edge, and with the catch and stop openings in the opposite edge. The catches may be made angular instead 0f circular, if desired.

Among the many advantages of my invention are the following rIhe fastening is secure, and, at t-he same time, an open one, so that no paint or dirt is liable to interfere with it. It is also self-cleaning. There is little liability of the letter-plates bending at the fastenin gs, as at those points they are materially strengthened by the raised catches. The liability to bend, which is found very objectionable in this class of stencils, is alinost entirely obviated by I my construction, While the advantage of adjusting the letters rapidly and easily in the saine horizontal line is obvious to those having occasion to use stencil-plates.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. A stencil-plate provided with raised catches and lugs or arms, in combination with an adjoining stencil-plate, having corresponding catch openings, Within which the catch lits and slides for the purpose of uniting the plates together, strengthening the fastening, and rendering it self-cleaning, vsubstantially as described.

2. In a stencil-plate, a locking guide stop, arranged to operate as described, so that the letters in the several plates shall occupy the same horizontal linewhen such plates are joined together, as herein set forth and shown.

3. The stencil -plate B, provided with the locking-stop H and the raised catches C C, having the projections D D, in combination With the letter-plate A, provided With circular openings E E and slots F F I, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

ARTHUR F. GOMINGS.

Vitnesses:

ELIJAH P. PEAcocK, HENRY L. HALL,

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