Patent GB-719783-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to typographical slug casting machines
IPC: B41B11/38
Filed: 1951-09-04
Abstract: 719,783. Type-bar-making machines. MERGENTHALER LINOTYPE CO. Sept. 4, 1951 [Sept. 9, 1950], No. 20848/51. Class 100 (3). In a type-bar casting-machine there are provided a pair of lineclamping jaws movable each independently toward the other for quadding or movable in unison toward each other for centring, mechanism to effect such quadding and centring movements of the jaws, and electromechanical means to condition the mechanism for a quadding or centring operation, as predetermined. Clamping dies and matrices (Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 15, 16, 17, 21, 24).-Line clamping jaws 10, 11 are movable toward and away from each other with a vertically movable rod 14 connected at its upper end to the jaws by bellcrank levers 15, 16 pivoted at 15a, 16a to a vice frame 9. The rod 14 is provided at its upper end with an annularly grooved collar 21 formed for engagement with pins 22, 23 protruding inwardly from the extremities of the shorter arms of the levers 15, 16 respectively The rod 14 slides in bearings on the vice frame 9 and is also provided with a rack 24. The collar 21 is keyed to the rod 14 and is provided with cut-out portions so that on rotation of the rod 14 and subsequent lifting thereof the collar may (i) engage pin 22 to operate the jaw 11 for right. hand quadding, (ii) engage both pins 22 and 23 to operate both jaws for centring or (iii) engage pin 23 to operate the jaw 10 for left-hand quadding. A stop 9a is provided on the vice frame 9 for positively locating the rod 14 in its desired position. Movement of the normal justifying mechanism is used to effect the upward movement of the rod 14 to move the jaws 10, 11. The mechanism includes a thrust-bar 25 supported on two rods 26, 27 slidably mounted in the vice frame 9. A lever 28, controlled from the main drive-shaft, engages a sleeve 31 splined to the rod 26 and arranged to engage a collar 32 fixed thereto so as to raise the rod 26 and cant the bar 25. Subsequently upward movement of both rods 26, 27 is effected, rod 27 being lifted by the action of a lever 30, also driven from the main shaft, which engages a sleeve 35 splined to the rod 27 and arranged to engage a collar 36 fixed thereto. The effect of the movement is to drive the thrust-bar upward to a horizontal position for final justification of the line. This movement is utilized to actuate a pair of pawls 33 and 34 co-operating with the rack 24, the pawl 33 being pivotally mounted on the sleeve 31 so as to fall by gravity into engagement with the rack as the rod 26 moves upwardly, and the pawl 34 being mounted on a pivoted lever 37 actuated by the upper surface of a plate 35a attached to the sleeve 35. Pivotally attached to a bracket arm 41 on the vice frame is a split lever 42a, 42b, the arm 42a carrying a roller bearing on the rack 24. The arms 42a and 42b are urged towards each other by a spring 42c. As the rod 14 moves upwardly the levers move into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9. The rod 14 is adapted to stay in its elevated position until a cam 46 on the first elevator 8 bears against a roller 47, carried by a pivoted arm 43 connected by a link 44 to the arm 42b, to force the arm 42b back to its normal position, the spring 42c acting on the arm 42a to depress the rod 14. In the regular operation of the machine when no movement of the jaws is required the rod 14 is rotated so as to bring the pawls 33, 34 adjacent grooves in the rack 24 thereby rendering them inoperative to lift the rod 14. The rod 14 may be located in its lowermost position by a detent and groove device. In order to rotate the rod 14 to correctly position the collar 21 in the desired position for quadding or centring the rod 14 is provided with a pulley 65 (Fig. 24) around which extends a wire 66 held by a spring at one end, the other end being attached to a slide 67 sliding in guides 67a, 67b. The slide 67 is provided with slots a<SP>1</SP>, b<SP>1</SP>, c<SP>1</SP>, the slot a<SP>1</SP> co-operating with a plunger A<SP>1</SP> controlled by a solenoid A, the slot b<SP>1</SP> co-operating with a plunger B<SP>1</SP> controlled by a solenoid B, and the slot c<SP>1</SP> co-operating with a plunger C<SP>1</SP> controlled by a solenoid C. The slot b<SP>1</SP> is longer than the slot a<SP>1</SP> so that on withdrawal of the plunger A<SP>1</SP> the slide may descend, and the slot c<SP>1</SP> is still longer so that on withdrawal of plunger A<SP>1</SP>, and B<SP>1</SP>, the slide may descend further. Withdrawal of all three plungers allows the slide to descend to a fourth lowermost position, these four positions adjusting the collar 21 for regular operation, right .quadding, centring and left quadding respectively. The solenoids A, B, C are selectively energized by push-buttons or by a teletypesetter unit under the control of a tape (Figs. 30, 31 ... 34, 34A, not shown). The slide 67 is pulled downwardly by the action of a cam 75 mounted on the first elevator 8 and adapted on the descent of the latter to engage a roller 74a on a lever 74, pivoted at 72 and connected by a torsion spring to a pivoted lever 71 having an arm 70 connected to a wire 66a connected to the lower end of the slide. The slide is returned to its upper position after the ascent of the elevator 8 by the spring connected to the wire 66 (Fig. 26, not shown). Provision is made for conditioning the electrical system for " automatic " quadding short lines while permitting full-length lines to be cast as in regular operation. In this case the solenoids A, B, C are made ready for energization as for right quadding either by depression of an appropriate push-button or when no quadding or centring signal is contained in a tape unless a switch 86 is closed when they are made ready for energization as for regular operation. The switch 86 is closed only by a line of correct length and forms part of a line-measuring device 80 attached to the left-hand side of the machine. The line-measuring device includes a rod 81 actuated by the line delivery carriage. A block 83 is threaded to a rotatable screw 84 supported on a rail 85 and is adjustable by rotation of the screw. The block 83 carries a bracket 83a on which is mounted the switch 86 and a pivoted make-and-break arm 87 carrying a roller 87a at its free end. The block 83 also carries a rotatable three-segment member 88a, 88b, 88c. Rotation of this segment by the action of the rod 81 on the segment 88b closes the switch 86. The action of the head 81a of the rod 81 on the segment 88c opens the switch on withdrawal of the rod 81. To adjust the length of the line which will be regularly cast adjustments may be made to the jaws 10, 11, the line-measuring device 80 and a line assembler slide 3a. A hand wheel 92 is adapted to rotate a screw 93 associated with the left-hand jaw 10 to adjust the lathe through the medium of gears 92a, 94, 95 ... 97, and a shaft 98. The shaft 98 has mounted thereon a gear 99 meshing with a gear 100 which through a cable 101 effects a corresponding adjustment of the line assembler slide 3a. The gear 96 also meshes with a gear 121 in turn meshing with a gear 112 carried on a shaft 113 which operates an indicator 119. The shaft 113 also carries a gear 114 co-operating with gears 115, 116 which through a cable 117 rotates the screw 84 of the line-measuring device 80. A knob 124 is provided on one end of the shaft 113 so that the shaft may be withdrawn to disengage gears 112, 121, the gear 114 remaining in engagement with gear 115 so that the line-measuring device may be adjusted independently of the jaws and line assembler slide, if desired. The jaw 11 is provided with a setscrew, and the jaw 10 with an electric switch for operating safety mechanism preventng operation of the pump plunger. Assembling apparatus (Figs. 1, 12, 16).-The rod 81 of the line-measuring device 80 is arranged with its right end in the line of travel of a block 4a to which the left-hand finger 4 of the line delivery carriage is attached so that as the line delivery carriage fingers 4, 5 convey the matrices from the assembler 2 to the first elevator 8 the rod 81 is pushed leftward a distance corresponding to tho length of the line. The line assembler slide 3a is adjusted through the cable 101 by a gear 102 meshing with a gear 103 pinned to the shaft of a rotatable screw 106 to which is threaded an adjustable stopmember 107 for the slide 3a. The stop-member 107 may be backed off lightly if a line is too tight owing to the provision of a spring-biased plunger 111 extending from the right-hand end of the screw 106. Pumps (Fig. 29).-In order to prevent " squirts " when a line is not fully expanded in the regular operation of the machine the jaw 11 is provided with a set-screw 139 co-operating with a pivoted lever 140. Normally the screw 139 actuates the pivoted lever 140 to withdraw a stop 138 from the downward path of a projection 137a provided on an arm 137 controlling the pump plunger 136. Should the line be too short the lever 140 is not actuated and the plunger 136 restrained from descending. When the machine is closed for quadding or centring, the electric switch in the jaw 10 is adapted, when the line is of sufficient length, to complete a circuit to a solenoid 141 which releases the stop 138. Specifications 433,872, 540,553 and 671,839 are referred to.