Patent GB-801873-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to photo-type composing machines
IPC: B41B21/20
Filed: 1956-08-27
Abstract: 801,873. Photographic type-composing machines. MONOTYPE CORPORATION Ltd. Aug. 27, 1956, No. 26108/56. Class 98(1) In variable step by step feed mechanisms for positioning successively projected images on a stationary sensitized sheet in a photo-type composing machine, each step of movement being determined by signals derived from a record strip, there is provided several slide members reciprocable with a constant stroke, several feed racks each reciprocable by one slide member through a variable stroke, selector means, movable in accordance with the visual strip signals, associated with each slide member and acting to limit the stroke of the feed rack reciprocated by that slide member, several pinions are driven by each feed rack as said rack moves in one direction, and differential mechanisms for combining the movements of the pinions and applying the combined movements to an output shaft. The mechanism shown may be incorporated in the photo-composing machine described in Specification 563,331 and is adapted to move the mirror pair in that machine so as to provide inter-character and interword spaces. This mirror pair is attached to a bar N<SP>1</SP>, (Fig. 1), driven by the mechanism which comprises racks F<SP>9</SP>, F<SP>10</SP>, F" operated in accordance with signals derived from a record strip. These racks are respectively geared to rotatable shafts C<SP>1</SP> D', E<SP>1</SP> mounted in a selector box A parallel with, shafts C, D, E which extend from a gear box B, are slidable longitudinally and have a limited turning movement. Forks C<SP>6</SP>, D<SP>6</SP>, E<SP>6</SP> on the shafts C, D, E engage grooves in selector members C<SP>3</SP>, D<SP>3</SP>, E<SP>3</SP> which are slidable on shafts C<SP>1</SP>, D<SP>1</SP>, E<SP>1</SP> and are each formed as shown in Fig. 6 for C<SP>3</SP> by a stack of rings such as C with projections such as C<SP>13</SP> staggered circumferentially. Below the forks C<SP>6</SP>, D<SP>6</SP>, E<SP>6</SP>, slide members C<SP>7</SP>, D<SP>7</SP>, E<SP>7</SP> are mounted on the shafts C, D, E, these members as shown in Fig. 6 for member C<SP>7</SP> having projecting fingers such as C<SP>11</SP> vertically aligned with abutments such as C<SP>10</SP> on rocker members C<SP>9</SP>, D<SP>9</SP>, E<SP>9</SP> keyed to the respective shafts. Also clamped to the shafts C, D, E are feed racks C<SP>15</SP> ,  D<SP>15</SP>, E<SP>15</SP> which are geared to shafts G and H in gear box B (Fig. 4). while a feed rack D<SP>16</SP>. slidable on shaft D but linked to slide member D<SP>7</SP>. is geared to a shaft J. Shafts G. H. J a r e coupled through differential gear systems to a shaft K which through magnetic clutch M and a rack N drives the bar N<SP>1</SP> carrying the mirror pair. Each slide member has a groove engaged by a pivoted arm Y, (Fig. 2), linked to a lever Y<SP>5</SP> having a common pivot Y<SP>6</SP> with a lever Y<SP>7</SP> driven from a cam on the main camshaft of the machine and adapted to be coupled to lever Y<SP>5</SP> by engagement of its upper end by a hook Y<SP>8</SP> operated by a lever Y<SP>9</SP> linked to a slide Y<SP>15</SP> moved in response to a signal, when an inter-word or inter - character space is required, to engage hook Y<SP>8</SP> with lever Y<SP>7</SP>. An arm X<SP>7</SP>, Fig. 3, operated by a cam on the main camshaft is coupled to the rocker members C<SP>9</SP>, D<SP>9</SP>, E<SP>9</SP> and to locking racks T, U, V, W (Fig. 4), so. that movement of arm X<SP>7</SP> in one direction will move abutments C<SP>10</SP>, D<SP>10</SP>. E<SP>10</SP> and projections such as C<SP>11</SP> on the slide members C<SP>7</SP>, D<SP>7</SP>, E<SP>7</SP> out of alignment with one of the ring projections C<SP>13</SP>, disengage the feed racks C<SP>15</SP>, D<SP>15</SP>, D<SP>16</SP>, E<SP>15</SP> from the respective shafts G, H, J and also lock these shafts by the racks T. U, V and W. In use, after photographing a letter, a signal derived from the record trip moves rack F<SP>9</SP> through a distance depending upon the width of that letter so that selector member C<SP>3</SP> rotates sufficiently to bring the ring projection O<SP>13</SP> corresponding to that width into a position such that a subsequent operation of arm X<SP>7</SP> will bring the aligned finger C<SP>11</SP> and abutment C<SP>10</SP> into vertical alignment with that projection. This movement of arm X<SP>7</SP> also disengages the feed rack C<SP>15</SP> and engages the locking rack T and is followed by downward movement of slide member C<SP>7</SP> under the control of lever Y<SP>7</SP>. The finger C<SP>11</SP> on slide member C<SP>7</SP> engages the selected ring projection C<SP>13</SP> on selector member C<SP>3</SP> and moves it downwardly into engagement with abutment C<SP>10</SP>; this downward movement of selector member C<SP>3</SP> causes through fork C<SP>6</SP> downward movement of shaft C and the extent thereof depends on the position in the stack of the selected ring projection C<SP>13</SP> and thus the width of the letter that has been photographed. On completion of this downward stroke, arm, X<SP>7</SP> is again operated to engage feed rack C<SP>15</SP> with shaft G, disengage locking rack T and to swing abutment C<SP>10</SP> and finger C<SP>11</SP> clear of the ring projection C<SP>13</SP>. Then, lever Y<SP>7</SP> is operated to lift slide member C<SP>7</SP> which during its travel engages fork C<SP>6</SP>and moves shaft C upwardly through a distance equal to the downward displacement of selector member C<SP>3</SP>. This movement of shaft C causes feed rack C<SP>15</SP> to rotate shaft G and thus to displace bar N<SP>1</SP> through the required amount. This cycle of operations is repeated until all the letters of a word have been photographed. Then the inter-word space is determined by a record-strip operated signal applied to selector member C<SP>3</SP> through rack F<SP>9</SP> and by a signal applied to selector members D<SP>3</SP>, E<SP>3</SP> through racks F<SP>10</SP>, F<SP>11</SP> to determine the enlargement of the minimum space necessary for justification. In this case, slide Y<SP>15</SP> moves trip Y<SP>9</SP> to engage .lever Y<SP>7</SP> with hook Y<SP>8</SP> so that all three slide members C<SP>7</SP> ,  D<SP>7</SP>, E<SP>7</SP> are operated Each time slide member D<SP>7</SP> is operated, feed rack D<SP>16</SP> makes a fixed stroke to reduce the total movement of the bar N<SP>1</SP>. At the end of each line of composition, bar N<SP>1</SP> is returned to its initial position.