Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1858-04-01
MANUFACTuRING OF PRINTING:
TYPE.

MANUFACTURING OF PRINTING
TYPE.
We find in the American Publishers :
Circular, the following description of
the various processes which are gone
through in the manufacturing of print
Ing type:
The letters, etc, are first cut upon
steel punch. This requires great skill.
The characters are oftentimes extreme
ly minute, and every pains is taken to
procure not only individual beauty, but
general uniformity. Not only letters,
but figures. signs and ornaments, in
endless varieties, are thus cut. There
are also spaces used to separate words.
Quadratcs, which are larger than
spaces, separate sentences, and in gen
eral occupy the position among type
that is represented by the imprinted
parts; both spaces and quadrates being
shorter than type. In full font OF
type thcrcam about 300 different char
aeters. The cost ofthe separate punch
es varies from 50 to $50. After the
punch has been cut it is inlcnted to a
certain depth into block of copper;
that is called the matrix. Elcrtrotvp-
lng has of late years been used for the
purpose of obtaining matrices from the
type itself, by which means type foun-
ders are enabled To avail themselves of
each others labor. Business morality
is OF a most elastic quality, and it
would be useless expenditure of time
to question the propricty of the prac-
tice.
An apparatus dcnominatcd the
mould, is used for forming the body
of the type, and to this mould, which
answers for all the types of font, the
different matrices are adjusted as re-
quired. He who adjusts the matrices
to the moulds is called a justiiier, or
more commonly filter. All the types
OF font are of the same length and
depth, though the letters upon them
vary in their dimensions. The mould
Is so constructed as to admit of the
width being altered to suit the letters
to be cast; thus the letter !, which is
very narrow, Is upon the BODY of a
type, the perpendicular face of which
Is precisely the same as that of the let :
ter w, several times as wide. 1t is
necessary that the bodies of types
should also have all their lines ut ex-
act right angles; without this they
would not stand in line, and would
consequently be useless. If the types
varied i'll hight, they would not give
perfect impression, in cndeavoring to
obtain which, seme would be subjected
to an injurious impression. 4 few
types have a portion of the letter pro-
ilected over the body, as in the letter
+; this projection is called the kern,
and in the combination with other let
ters the projecting part generally ex-
tends over the next letter, as in f.
In those combinations, wherein the
kern would come in contact with anoth-
er letter, compound types are cast, as in
the #, fl, fl, fiji, fiji. Some years ago
these combinations were much more
numerous, but many have been dis
pensed with by altering the forms Of
the letter.
The next form is that of casting
The old method, Of which is even to
the present time generally used in
England, may thus be described. The
matrix having been adjusted the mould,
is taken by the caster IN his left hand
At his right upon furnace is pot of
molten metal. This metal he dips out
in suitable quantities with small la
die, and pours into the mould, at times
giving quick upward jerk. for the
purpose of forcing the metal well into
the matrix, TO give the type a good
face. a spring which holds the mat
rix IN It's proper position is then re-
moved; the matrix is then pried out
from oft the type, the mould opened
and the type thrown out. By this
method an average of about 1000 type
per day can be cast by one man. An
important Improvement was male in
1914, by Archibald Binny, of Phila-
delphia, whereby, with one motion of
the hand. the matrix was thrown out
and the monid opened. This invention
increased the rapidity with which types
were cast at least 80 per cent. Type
casters acquired great expertness, and
with the hand moulds were enabled TO
cast with extraordinary rapidity, but
only for a short time.
In 1898, the casting ma .hine was
patented by William NJ. johnson. an
ingenious citizen of New York. and
put in operation IN Mr.. Whites
foundry, since which time it has been
greatly improved BY this eontriv-
ance, a pump inserted in the molten
metal iniects the requisite quantity into
the mould. which is brought sharply
INTO contact with the piston; theUmould
then comes OFF from the pump, opens
and discharges the type into a box
In type foundries generally, this ma
chine is worked by hand; but in the
one we had the pleasure Of examining,
steam power is successfully applied
vt least three times the number Of
type can be cast by the machine than
by the ordinary hand mould, and n