Patent GB-559147-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in typographical composing machines
IPC: B41B11/18
Filed: 1942-07-28
Abstract: 559,147. Type-bar-making-machines. MERGENTHALER LINOTYPE CO. July 28 1942 No. 10533. Convention date, Sept. 24, 1941. [Class 100 (iii)] Magazines and escapements; keyboards; distributing matrices.-In machines adapted to handle founts comprising different numbers of matrices, which are differently located in the magazine-channels, and having, e.g. superposed main magazines containing ninety and seventy-two character founts and also auxiliary magazines containing a smaller number of characters, the escapement-operating devices include a series of rock-bars, which are common to all of the magazines and are shiftable endwise to effect connection of the keyboard with the escapements of the different magazines. The rock-bars directly operate the escapements of the main magazines and are shiftable into engagement with a second set of rock-bars, which operate the escapements of the auxiliary magazines. The shifting of the rock-bars to connect them with different main magazines is carried out automatically as the magazines are shifted, which may be effected by the means described in Specification 545,424, in which the magazine shift-frame is raised and lowered by an air-cylinder controlled by a handlever, which is mounted on a universal joint and moves bodily with the shift-frame. Adjustment of the rockbars to connect them with the auxiliary magazines is effected by the depression of key-levers. (1) The escapements D<SP>1</SP>, Fig. 3, of the main magazines are operated by levers D<SP>2</SP> and a set of reeds F, which are operated through rock-bars F<SP>2</SP> from two sets of keyboard reeds F<SP>3</SP>. The reeds F<SP>3</SP> are operated from the keyboard through power-devices and levers F<SP>15</SP>, Fig. 4. The rock-bars F<SP>2</SP> are adjustable endwise, and are provided with short lugs F<SP>11</SP>, Fig. 5, for operating the escapement-reeds F, and with other short lugs on their outer sides for operation by the keyboardreeds F<SP>3</SP>. The lugs are so arranged that, when the rock-bars are in the left-hand position, they operate the escapements of a ninety-character magazine, and when they are in the right-hand or normal position, they operate those of a seventy-two character magazine. The escapements of the auxiliary magazines are operated by two sets of rock-bars G<SP>1</SP> arranged in line with the rock-bars F<SP>2</SP>. Certain of the bars F<SP>2</SP> can be given an additional movement to the right, so that they become connected with the bars G<SP>1</SP> by means of lugs F<SP>13</SP>, G<SP>6</SP>, the shifted bars F<SP>2</SP> being at the same time disconnected from the main magazines. The bars F<SP>2</SP> are shifted to the right to transfer them from the ninety to the seventy-two character magazines by a pair of hinged plates M<SP>2</SP>, and the additional movement to the right for auxiliary magazine operation is effected by a second pair of hinged plates M'. The plates M<SP>2</SP>, M<SP>4</SP> are independently operated by sliding bars and two rocker-members, which are turned in one direction by air-cylinders and in the other by springs. The rocker-member N, Figs. 9 and 15, which adjusts the rock-bars F<SP>2</SP> to adapt them for either a ninety or a seventy-two character magazine is operated during change of magazine by the controlling hand-lever J, which, as described in Specification 545,424, is mounted on a slide J<SP>11</SP> movable in synchronism with the magazines. The rockermember N<SP>1</SP>, which shifts the rock-bars F<SP>2</SP> for auxiliary magazine operation and back again, is controlled by a pair of keys R, R<SP>1</SP>, which are so connected together that when one is depressed, the other rises. As the control-lever J is moved out of the locating- notch which it occupies, it shifts three valves, which admit air in succession to cylinders for operating a keyboard-lock (described below), turning the rockermember N, and withdrawing the magazine locking- bolts respectively. Movement of the control-lever rearwards or forwards, after it has reached the vertical position, shifts a fourth valve, which admits air to the cylinder that raises or lowers the magazines. The rocker-member N carries a series of adjustable banking-plates N<SP>8</SP>, one for each magazine. These are initially set to correspond with the founts contained in the different main magazines. As the control lever moves into the locating-notch corresponding to the new magazine, the air-cylinder controlling the rocker-member N is vented to the atmosphere, and the rocker-member is turned back by spring action until the banking-plate corresponding to the new magazine abuts against the slide J<SP>11</SP>, whereby the rock-bars F<SP>2</SP> are adjusted accordingly. (2) The keyboard-lock comprises two vertically movable plates K<SP>1</SP>, Fig. 4, which are guided by pins and inclined slots and, when moved endwise by their controlling air-cylinder, move down so as to lock the levers F<SP>15</SP> before the magazines are shifted. Any escapement-reeds that remain raised are thereby restored to normal position. A notched rock-shaft D<SP>6</SP>, Fig. 3, is at the same time turned, so as to lock the escapement levers D<SP>2</SP>. Feelers are simultaneously moved into the distributer and across the lower end of the magazine, so that undistributed or projecting matrices prevent the keyboard-lock from acting. In this event, the magazine locking-bolts are held against withdrawal, and the rocker-members N, N' are locked against movement. If the magazine locking-bolts fail to seat after a magazine change, the keyboard-lock remains in action. If the rock-bars F<SP>2</SP> have not been adjusted to their normal or seventytwo character position before an attempt is made to change the magazine, the rocker-member N locks the control-lever against full operation. The two keys that effect the shift to and from the auxiliary magazines also operate the keyboard-lock, which is released again when the key operated is fully depressed. If the rock-bars fail to move to the full extent in either direction, the keyboard-lock remains operative. (3) A fount-distinguishing rib, located in the path of the matrices through the distributer-box, is automatically adjusted in accordance with the magazine brought into use as the magazine-column is shifted. The rib is shifted by the action of rotatable stepped banking-discs T't, Fig. 9, one for each magazine which are mounted in a pivoted frame T<SP>15</SP>, Fig. 15, and co-operate with an abutment T<SP>28</SP> on the slide J<SP>11</SP> that carries the control-lever J. The banking- discs are set by means of knobs T<SP>21</SP> in accordance with the founts contained in the different magazines. The frame T<SP>15</SP> is raised and lowered as the magazine locking-bolts are operated, so that the banking-disc of the selected magazine is brought down on to the abutment T<SP>28</SP>, and the fount-distinguishing rib adjusted accordingly. Specifications 381,839 and 559,160 also are referred to.