Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-10
AUTOMATIC TYPHSETTER.
A Machine That Claims q Speed of 25OC
Ems an Hour.
Nau YoYk

-
Ems an Hour.
New York Times.
There is composing room at 1879
Broadway that would make the sverage
compositor turn green with envy. A
reception was held there yesterday. In a
corner by the window was case and
before it young woman was picking up
type with both hands and dropping it hap
hazard into funnel in front { f her. The
regular clicking OF q partially concealed
piece Of mechanism indicated the
Lagerman typesetting machine in opera
ton
Lagermsn is Scandinavian who has
devoted forty years to the invention of
type-setting machinery that In some
measure would increase the effectiveness
Of the compositor, or, perhaps, do away
with him altogether. The greater part OF
his fort was devoted to the perfection
of some magazine arrangement of type to
be set free by keyboard similar to that
of type writer. In this effort he sue
ceeded in achieving mechanical success,
but the machine was of complicated char
acter, expensive and liable to get out
of order, SO 1t did not improve on the
composltor. Failing in the attempt to do
away with the compositor entirely,
Lagerman conceived the idea of provid-
ng him with a mechanical consrvant e
| by which he could set an increased hum
Der of ems in stated period. This at
tempt, it is claimed, was pre-eminentlv
successful. The young lady who gave
exhibitions OF her agility yesterday said
that she could set 7C0 ems OF ordinary
type an hour by the primitive method
still prevalent, and by the ambi-deXter-
GUS method made possible by this ma
chine she could set $500 ems an hour.
The machine upon which the patent
in this country was obtained was made in
Sweden and WAS cumbersome, dispro-
| portioned and unwieldy in operation
The superior workmanship apparent in
all machinery of American manufacture
! led the Lsgermsn TypothetI Company,
having the management snd control OF
Affairs in this country, to have machine
| built here where the best of milling
machinery promised lighter, tistier,
handsomer and easier working machine
than they had yet succeeded in produc-
| ing-,he ideal machine, in fact, of the
inventor. This WAS the machine the
| company Yesterday had on exhibition. A
simple little electric engine supplied the
motive power, but any power available
can be employed. Both hands are en-
ployed in feeding the funnel, and the
skilled compositor will retain his rank in
the profession as well with ss without
this machine. After the type enters the
funnel the machine takes care of it re
versipg and turning where necessary to
set the type In correct position on the
line and sliding it into the galley IS nest-
| Iy as the intelligent compositor could do
| it himself, but ever so much quicker and
| without danger of pi. The near approach
of the end OF line is heralded by a bell,
warning the composltor to insert another
space more than type high. an assortment
of which comes with the machine. When
one galley is full it can be detached and
another attached, and the setting go on
until such time as the compositor feels
that he would like to justify. Then
there is an Ingenious apparatus to assist
in this operation. The filed galley is
fastened in this apr stratus and the power
is turned on. Each line in succession Il
pushed into contriVance like a stick,
where the necessary spaces can be added
or substituted. The compositor does not
lift the line of t-pe at any time, and the
! justifying lineholder is as convenient IS
The stick would be. There is no dlstrib-
uting apparatus. That part Of the work
needs still to be done by the compt sitor.
1t is claimed for the machine thai news
paper hands of ordinary ability will be
able to set and Justify from 1000 to $500
ems an hour, while speedier hands will do
as high as $500. The skilled composition
will be still required and be need learn nc
new art. He dispenses with the stick and
gets in its stesd the justifying machine
assistant. The expense of the machine,
though not yet fixed, Will be only about
one-tenth that of typesetting machines
generally employed.