Untitled record

April 11, 1939.

H. L. BALLARD

FINGERPRINT MACHINE Filed July 23, 1937

2,153,684

Sheets-Sheet 1

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g — 1N\ 'ENTOR.

April 11, 1939.

H. L. BALLARD

FINGERPRINT machine Filed July 23, 1937

2,153,684

Sheets-Sheet 2

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Patented Apr. 11, 1939

2,153,684

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,153,684

FINGERPRINT MACHINE

Harold L. Ballard, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Misener Manufacturing Co., Inc., Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York

Application July 23, 1937, Serial No. 155,169

Claims.

My invention relates to fingerprint machines for use in conjunction with the identification cards now in use by the different bureaus of identification for taking the fingerprints of 5 prisoners, and has for its object a particularly simple and efficient device by the use of which the fingers can be inked and the card held in a plurality of positions for taking the different impressions without harming the card or blurring 10 the impressions.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had 15 to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my machine partly broken away and partly in section.

Figure 2 illustrates the card upon which the fingerprints are recorded.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of part seen in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken 25 centrally of Figure 1.

This fingerprint machine comprises generally, a rectangular shaped body having a base portion extending beyond the ends thereof, a card guide formed in and extending across the upper por30 tions of said body from the front to the back thereof, a guard plate fixed to the top of said body and forming the top of said card guide, an inking plate hinged to the rear portion of said guard plate and overlying the same when in an 35 operative position, and a spring tensioned yoke pivoted to the ends of said body and extending across the front thereof for holding a card in any desired position when in said card guide.

As seen in the drawings the rectangular body I 40 is longer than it is wide and is preferably of wood, and the base portion 2 is secured thereto as by screws 3, and extends beyond the sides 4 of said body I.

The front side 5 of the rectangular body is 45 vertically arranged and the top thereof is formed with a recessed portion 6 extending from the front to the back thereof, and the front portion of said recess 6 is curved to meet the upper portion of the front side 5 as shown at 7 for a 50 purpose to be hereinafter explained.

The recessed portion is covered by a guard plate 8 extending to the ends 4 of the body and from the front side 5 to the back thereof and is fixed to the top thereof beyond the recessed por55 tion 6 as by screws 9.

(Cl. 41—4)

The recessed portion 6 of the body together with the guard plate forms a card guide extending from the covered front portion 7 to the back of the machine.

The guard plate 8 is cut away from the front '5 side to approximately midway thereof as shown at 10 to expose the card 11 in the card guide as illustrated in Figure 1.

is the inking plate, hinged at 13 to the rear portion of the guide plate 8 and arranged to To overlie said plate 8 when in its operative position, and 14 are bumpers for supporting the front end of said inking plate 12 when in said position.

The identification cards i 1 have one side thereof arranged to have three different series 15 of fingerprints made thereon. The series of spaces A, Figure 2, across the card are for the thumb and fingers of the left hand made separately, the series B are for the thumb and fingers of the right hand made separately, and the series 20 C are for the fingers of the left hand taken simultaneously, the thumbs taken together, and the fingers of the right hand taken simultaneously.

It is obvious that a card of this character has 25 to assume three different positions in the card guide to make the three different series of fingerprints and must be held firmly in each position to prevent smudging the prints.

The means for holding the cards 11 firmly in 30 position in the card guide for each series of fingerprints comprises a spring pressed yoke 15 pivotally mounted at 16 on the ends 4 of the body I and extending around the front side 5 thereof. The coiled springs 17, Figure 1, hold the yoke 15 35 against said front side 5.

In use this machine is preferably fixed to the front edge of a desk or table 18 by means of screws through holes (9 in the extended portions of the base plate 2. 40

The card 11 is first placed in the card guide with the series A spaces exposed to view through the cut out 10 in the guard plate 8, and the bottom portion of the card bent downwardly around the curved portion 7 and held against the front 45 wall 5 of the body 1 by the spring pressed yoke 15 as shown in Figure 3.

The inking plate 12 is put into operative position as shown in Figure 3 with the ink rolled on the side 20 thereof in the usual way. 50

The fingers are then inked by placing them firmly on the side 20 of the plate 12 and the plate moved to its inoperative position as illustrated in Figures 1 and 4.

The prints of the fingers and thumb of the 55

2,153,684 right hand are then impressed in their respective spaces.

The card is then released by moving the spring pressed yoke 16 by means of the handle portions 5 21 thereon, from the position shown in full lines Figure 4 to that shown in dotted lines, same figure.

This process is repeated for each series of fingerprints.

In Figures 1 and 4 the card is shown in position to receive the last, or series C impressions and in Figure 1 said impressions are illustrated in dotted lines.

The guard plate 8 is preferably formed with 15 ribs 22 on the underside thereof and these ribs coact with portions 23 of the card I i upon which there are no impressions made and prevent freshly inked impressions from being blurred or mussed up by coming in contact with the lower ²⁰ side of the guard plate 8.

The rounded corner 1 prevents the card from being broken when clamped in position by the spring pressed yoke 15 and the extended ends of the base plate 2 provide stops for said yoke when ²⁵ said yoke is in its operative or holding position.