Patent GB-671839-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to typographical slug casting machines
IPC: B41B11/38
Filed: 1949-07-28
Abstract: 671,839. Type-bar-making machines. LINOTYPE & MACHINERY Ltd. (Mergenthaler Linotype Co.). July 28, 1949, No. 19856/49. Class 100 (iii). In a typographical composing machine such as known under the Registered Trade Mark " Linotype," having a pair of line-clamping jaws movable towards each other separately or together for quadding or 'centring, means for conditioning the jawmoving mechanism is settable in one or another of four positions according as right-hand or left-hand quadding, centring, or normal machine operation is required, and devices for actuating the conditioning means during a casting cycle are adjusted by means governed by the length of a composed line when righthand quadding is to be performed and by means independent of the length of the line when left-hand quadding or centring is required. General operation. The matrices and spacebands are composed in line in the assembler 2, Fig. 1, raised thereby into position between the fingers 4, 5 of the line delivery carriage 6, transferred by the delivery carriage into the first elevator 8, lowered thereby into casting position between the vice jaws 10, 11, and justified. After casting of the slug, the elevator is raised to the upper transfer level; and the line is shifted by the upper transfer slide 76 into the channel 14, preparatory for distribution. In the normal operation of the machine, the jaws are stationary, the left-hand jaw 10 being adjustable relative to its banking block 21, Fig. 2, according to the required length of line, the actual length of line being within 2 ems of the required length prior to expansion by justification. If the line is more than 2 ems short, the right-hand jaw 11 is moved to the left for quadding. If short lines are to be cast,. which require left-hand quadding or centring, the jaw 10 is moved to the right or both,jaws are simultaneously moved towards each other. Three manually-operable push-buttons, marked "L," "C," "R," Fig. 1, are provided, the first two being operated' for left-hand quadding or centring, and the third being operated for normal operation, in which case right-hand quadding occurs automatically if the line is too short. An indicator piece 87h is set two ems short of the desired length of line, with refer ence to a scale on a bail member 87. Control and operation of the vice-jaws. The jaws 10, 11, Figs. 1 and 2, are actuated separately or together through the raising of a rod 15 by means of a fore-and-aft lever 48 actuated by the main drive shaft and also used for justification, the lever 48 raising a sleeve 54 having a stud 55 acting against a collar 29 on the rod 15. The jaws are selectively actuated according to the angular position of a grooved collar 24 fixed to the rod 15 and its lower flange having two cut-away portions so shaped and positioned as to co-operate with one or both or with neither of pins 25, 26 on jaw-actuating bell-crank levers 17, 16. The rod 15 and collar 24 are rotated by means of a pinion on the rod rotated by a rack bar 32 slidable by means of a control lever 38 pivoted at 39 to the vice frame 9. However, a notch may be provided in the collar 29, which notch, when the collar 24 is set to co-operate with neither pin, for normal operation of the machine, is aligned with the stud 55, so that the rod 15 is not raised, and in this case the construction of the collar 24 may be such that in this position both pins 25, 26 are engaged so as to give support to the levers 17, 16. After actuation of the jaws, the rod 15 is returned to its lower position as the elevator approaches the upper transfer level, by means of a lip 63a, on a plate 63 attached to the slide. 8a of the elevator, engaging a roller, 61 on a lever 59 pivoted to the vice frame, when a roller 62 engages a collar 64 on the rod 15. The control lever 38 is actuated as the elevator descends to casting position by means of a cam plate 65 having cam surfaces 65b, 65c and a slot 65d, to engage a pin 44 on the lever 38. The plate 65 is secured to a horizontal bar 66, which is moved axially to set the cam plate in one of four positions'by means of a lever pivoted to the elevator and actuated by a slide 67. The bar 66, Figs. 2 and 6, is normally locked in position by means of a lever 71 pivoted to the elevator head and having a tooth 72 engaging in one of four grooves in the bar 66, the lever 71 being connected to a rod 71a urged downwards by a. spring 71b to bias the tooth into a groove. When the elevator reaches the upper transfer level, a fixed member 75 on the machine frame causes the lever 71 to release the bar 66, which is returned to normal position. A slide element 77, Fig. 1, is released by the normal transfer finger piece 80 of the upper transfer slide 76 when the latter starts its normal active stroke, and the element 77 is moved by a spring 79, so that a projection 78 on it engages an ear 67a on the . slide 67 to return it to normal position. When the elevator descends to line-receiving level, a cam surface 9d, Fig. 6, on one of the elevator guide plates 9e acts on a toggle 85, 85a to lower the rod 71a, thereby again releasing the bar 66, which can thus be adjusted to its desired position. When the elevator descends to casting. position, the toggle is released to lock the bar 66 again. The slide 67 is set through its ear 67a by means carried by the line delivery carriage 6 as it transfers a composed line from the assembler 2 to the first elevator 8. The ball member 87, Fig. 12, has a pair of side arms 87a, 87b pivoted respectively to a lug 88a on a shelf 88 secured to the carriage 6, and to the end of the righthand finger 5 of the carriage 6, and a connecting arm 87c having rack teeth 87d, along which is adjustable the indicator 87h, released for movement by a manually-operated latch pawl 87k. The bail is normally held horizontal by an ear 87e on the arm 87a, engaging under an elongated strip 89, Fig. 1, fastened to the lower front edge of the upper transfer channel 14. A pin 87g projects from the arm 87a under the shelf 88. The push-buttons "L," " C," "R" are attached to push rods 90 rendered operative by pushing inwards, and held by a blade-like pawl 96. If the right-hand rod is actuated for normal operation or right-hand quadding, an extension 87m of the bar 87c is in register with and above a recess 92a in the rod. The indicator 87h is set two ems short of the required length of line (three ems short for thirty em slugs), this being the normal spaceband expansion during justification. As the line is delivered to the elevator, the ear 87e ceases to be supported by the strip 89, which has a cam surface 89a, but if the line is within two ems of the desired measure, a supporting element 4a pivoted to the left-hand finger 4 of the carriage 6 underlies a lip 87j of the indicator, and the bail is still held horizontal. If the line is more than two ems short, the lip 87j passes beyond the element 4a, and the bail rocks downwards by gravity, the extension 87m moving into the recess 92a and the pin 87g moving into alignment with the ear 67a to set the slide 67 for right-hand quadding. If the bail remains horizontal, the ear 67a is not actuated and the slide 67 remains in position for normal operation. On return movement of the carriage 6, the cam surface 89a rocks the bail to its original position, the indicator 87b swinging the element 4a out of the way against a spring 4d. If one of the two left-hand push rods is actuated, a depending finger thereon is aligned with the ear 67a and actuates the slide 67 for left-hand quadding or centring. In this case, the extension 87m is not aligned with the recess 92a, and the bail does not tilt. When any push rod is actuated, the pawl 96 releases any previously actuated rod, which is returned by a spring to normal position. Justification. The lever 48, Fig. 2, raises a member 51 to sustain the banking block 21 of the jaw 10 against the force of justification. The lever 48. also moves the justification rod 46 upwards, the sleeve 54 engaging a collar 58, while a second lever 48a also controlled by the drive shaft raises a second rod 47 and a strut 53, the rods being actuated one slightly in advance of the other so as to raise the thrust bar 45 in a centred position. When the rod 15 is set for quadding or centring, since the upward movement of the sleeve 54 is limited by the engagement of the jaws with the ends of the' line, it may therefore fail to engage the collar 58. In this case, the rod 47 acts independently of the rod 46, with the aid of the strut 53, which is attached to the thrust bar 45 near its lefthand end, to justify properly. Specification 473,710 is referred to.