Patent GB-491802-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to typographical composing machines
IPC: B41B25/00
Filed: 1937-03-08
Abstract: 491,802. Type - making machines. ETABLISSEMENTS BREPOLS SOC. ANON. March 8, 1937, Nos. 6808, 6809, and 6810. Convention dates, March 10, 1936, July 18, 1936, and Sept. 9, 1936. [Class 100 (iii)] Strip-perforating machines ; keyboards ; justifying type.-In a machine for producing record-strips for controlling single-type composing and casting machines, the pneumatic valves of the machine are operated by electromagnets, so that the stroke of the keys is reduced and a lighter touch is obtained. The area of the keyboard is reduced by the use of a movable keyboard arranged to co-operate with different sets of electric contacts, the several positions of the keyboard being indicated by pilot lights. Means are provided for positioning a large-sized matrix-case, and for producing type adapted for printing in two colours. (1) Beneath the keyboard are arranged pairs of contacts 21, Fig. 1, and adjustment of the keyboard enables each key 23 to co-operate with any one of three pairs. The keyboard has two alphabets instead of five, as heretofore, and six different founts can be composed. From the two contacts of each pair, conductors lead to terminals on contact-boards 27, 28 respectively, and depression of a key bridges the two contacts. The terminals on the boards 27, 28 are connected to two sets of strips 32, each fifteen in number and corresponding to the fifteen rows and columns of the matrix-case. The strips are connected by flexible leads to a distributing-board 33 having sockets to receive plugs on the leads, the sockets being connected to magnets 34, which operate the punch-controlling valves. (2) To enable an enlarged matrix-case, having two additional rows of matrices, to be positioned, one or other of two additional signals, each having two components, is associated with the ordinary signal. To enable the magnets producing the additional signal to be energized, each group of contacts at the keyboard has associated with it a pair of sliding contacts 35, Fig. 3, which are bridged by depression of a key in addition to the ordinary contacts. The signals usually employed for justifying may be added to the character signals, to indicate characters of abnormal thickness. When this is the case, the signals used for justifying each consist of four perforations, two additional components being added to each of the usual signals. (3) In the production of type for printing in two colours, the matter is first cast with the characters required to print in one colour represented by blank type, and is then cast again with the characters required to print in the other colour represented by blank type. This is effected by means of two supplementary signals, each consisting of a single component, one or the other of which is associated with the signals for characters to be cast in blank. In the casting-machine, the matrices of the row corresponding to the supplementary signal in use are replaced by blank matrices. In a modification, the supplementary signals are produced by a handcontrolled device, which couples one or other of the punches, that produce the signals, to a member which is moved by all the keys. Two blades 51, 52, Fig. 11, pivoted to the sides of a disc 47, are adapted to serve as interponents between a bar C, which is rocked at each key-depression, and the supplementary punch-bars A, B. The disc can be turned in one direction by a spring 55, and in the other by a tension-member 56, in order to insert a lug on one or other of the blades 51, 52 beneath a shoulder on the associated punch-bar. The tension-member is operated by a knob 57, which can be held in any one of three position .