Patent GB-726748-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in photographic type-composing machines
IPC: B41B15/08
Filed: 1953-06-22
Abstract: 726,748. Photographic type - composing. INTERTYPE, Ltd. June 22, 1953 [June 21, 1952], No. 17215/53. Class 98 (1). A photographic type-composing machine in which photographable character-bearing elements or matrices are successively composed, delivered, and if desired, justified, prior to being fed one by one to a photographing station, by correlated mechanism comprising an assembly elevator, a delivery slide, and a feed rack whose intermittent forward advance is controlled according to the thickness of each matrix and which rack effects a corresponding intermittent linear movement of a film holder so that each character is photographed in succession, comprises a manual composing device, manually operated justifying mechanism, manually operated means for releasing the feed rack to permit forward movement thereof and simultaneously to actuate the photographing mechanism, and manually operated means for effecting a simultaneous return movement of the delivery slide, feed rack and film holder after completion of the photographing of a composed line. As in the photographic type-composing machine described in Specification 650,630, the steps of operation include: (1) composing lines of matrices in an assembler slide; (2) transferring the line to an assembly elevator; (3) raising the elevator to trip a catch to cause a spring- powered delivery slide to propel the line to a justifying station; (4) optional justification of the line, or a part of it; and (5) release of a feed rack movable with the assembled line and starting of the camera mechanism including means for conveying matrices, one by one, from the front of the line to a photographing station and thence to a matrix recovery system. In the present invention, some of the steps are performed manually instead of automatically, to simplify the machine and to reduce its bulk and weight. The construction is otherwise similar to that described in Specification 650,630. Composition of the line.-The characterbearing elements are, as in the case of Specification 650,630, matrices bearing transparent characters in their broad faces, their thicknesses being proportional to the set-wise width of the characters. The keyboard and magazine are omitted, however, and the matrices are stored in drawers in a desk 8 (Fig. 1) supporting the machine, and composed by hand in a composing stick 10, Fig. 5. This stick comprises a channel section support 80, a slide 90, and an adjustable guide 98. A locking member 102 has a threaded shaft passing through a hole in guide 98 and a slot 92 in slide 90 to engage a stepped plate 104. When locking member 102 is tightened, guide 98 is clamped to slide 90, but the step on plate 104 engages a slot 84 in support 80 so that the members 90, 98 can slide together on the support. A hand wheel 64, Fig. 8, is geared to a threaded rod 126 to move an index 66 relative to a scale 68. This scale is one of several on a drum rotated by a knob 132 to bring that scale into operation which corresponds to the point size of the characters as reproduced. The turned-up ends 94, 100 of slide 90 and guide 98 are aligned respectively with a slot 138 at the end of scale 68 and the index 66, and locking member 102 is tightened. The matrices for a required line are then composed by hand into the space between the ends 94, 100, and the stick 10 is slid along guides 150 into the machine until the end of member 80 abuts a projection 158 on the elevator. Delivery of the line.-By moving slide 90 to the left by means of its curved end 96, the matrices are carried into an elevator 12 (Fig. 1). The elevator is U-shaped and is connected to spring-loaded levers which almost counterbalance its weight, so that it can be easily raised by hand, lifting the matrices by internal rails engaging their lugs. At its upper position, the elevator engages a lever 14, releasing a linefollower 20, which is moved to the left by a frame 182 travelling in tracks (not shown) and linked to a delivery lever 16, pivoted at 186 and actuated by a spring 188. The line-follower 20 moves the matrices from the elevator along a feed channel 22 to a justifying station 24, and engages a line length determining member 26. This member is adjustable by means of shaft 126 (Fig. 8) when index 66 is set to the required line length on scale 68. Justification.-The justification mechanism includes a vertically movable rack 200 and a fixed rack 204, Fig. 1, carrying laterally adjustable riders 202, 206 respectively. A rail 208, pivoted to rider 202 and slidably pivoted to rider 206, is horizontal when rack 204 is spring- urged to its lowest position. As shown in Fig. 16, line-follower 20 includes two line-compacting members, namely a wedge 210 and a plunger 218. The plunger is urged to the right by a spring 220, and as a roller 224 engaging the sloping surface of a wedge 210. The wedge is vertically slidable in the line-follower 20 to an extent limited by a pin 216 and a slot 214. For normal justification when the line-follower 20 is engaged with member 26, rider 202 is adjusted so that the pivot of rail 208 is below the axis of a roller 212 carried by wedge 210 and rack 200 is raised by depressing a handle 56 (Fig. 1). This moves wedge 210 upwards and plunger 218 to the left, until the matrices have been compacted against the camera wall C. Since the distance of member 26 from wall C is proportional to the line length, and the thickness of the matrices is proportional to the set-wise width of the characters, the distance through which the plunger 218 moves, and hence the inclination of rail 208, is proportional to the line shortage. When the line is photographed, a chain conveyer 646 (Fig. 30) removes each matrix in turn from the end of the line and conveys it to a photographing station and thence to a discharge station, as described in Specification 650,630. At the removal of each matrix, line-follower 20 moves to the left by a distance equal to the thickness of the matrix removed. Also, roller 212 runs down rail 208 and allows plunger 218 to be retracted, so that line-follower 20 moves a further distance to distribute the line shortage throughout the line. Member 26 moves with the line-follower and carries with it a feed-rack 27 (Fig. 1) which is connected through shafts and gears and a variable gear-box 51 to a member which allows a film-carriage 32 to descend in steps for positioning the characters on the film. The character size depends on the magnification, which is adjusted by a knob 48, and the ratio of the gear-box 51 (which is releasable for replacement by a lever 53) is chosen in accordance with the point size of the projected characters. The line spacing and margin adjustment are also set for the point size by dials 47 and 54 respectively. Rack 200 is arranged in its upper position during photographing by a lock which allows it to be raised but not lowered, but when the line has been photographed and line-follower 20 is returned to the right, the lock is released and the rack 200 returns to its lower position. The lock is operated through a rod 262, Fig. 16, by means of a pivoted lever 272 and a horizontally slidable bar 300. With line-follower 20 moved to the left as shown, bar 300 is moved to the left by spring means; the lever 272, which is spring- urged against a pin 312 on the bar, is upright; and the rod 262 is in its lower position, in which the lock is operative. When the frame 182 carrying line-follower 20 is moved to the right, an arm 316 pivoted thereto engages a projection 319 on bar 300, moving it to the right so that pin 316 rocks lever 272 to raise rod 262 and to render the lock inoperative. Short lines may be aligned with the right-hand margin by leaving rack 200 in its lower position. To align short lines with the left-hand margin, a knob 58 (Fig. 1) is operated. This bolts rail 208 to rack 200 in a horizontal position, so that when handle 56 is depressed to raise rack 200, there is no distribution of the line shortage. When the last matrix has been photographed, line-follower 20 is unlatched from member 26 and is returned by hand by means of a handle 42. As described in Specification 650,630, this re-positions the feed rack 27 and the film-holder 32. Matrix discharge and circulation.-After photographing, the matrices are urged to the right at a discharge station 35, Fig. 1. If it is desired to re-assemble, the line, a deflector is inserted in the path of the matrices to guide them on to a conveyer band 50 which carries them to a pivoted shoot 52, which in its operative position, Fig. 31, is vertical. The matrices fall down the shoot, guided by grooves 362 in the sides, and at the bottom encounter a star wheel 369 connected by a driving belt to the conveyer band drive. the star wheel pushes each matrix against a finger 402 of an assembler slide 404, which is thereby moved to the left against action of a spring drum 406 to carry the matrices into the elevator 12. The elevator has a gate (not shown) giving access to the matrices, so that if the line to be printed differs slightly from the previous line, some of the matrices may be changed. A brake is provided allowing slide 404 to move only to the left. This brake may be released by hand, or by the upward movement of the elevator 12, a surface 454 of which engages a brake releasing lever 434 when the matrices have been lifted clear of slide 404. When the matrices are not to be circulated, after the line has been assembled and justified, a plate 34 (Figs. 1 and 30) which is hinged to the machine frame is lowered. This retracts the deflector guiding the matrices on to the conveyor and positions an assembler bar 36 opposite discharge station 35 so that matrices are collected thereon for subsequent removal and return to store. Movement of plate 34 also rocks a bell-crank lever 478 which operates a clutch initiating the camera mechanism, in. cluding the chain conveyer 646. When the matrices are circulated, this