The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-06
IN THE TYPE FOUNDRY.
MANUFACTURE OF THE VALUABLE
LITTLE PIECES OF METAL.

>
;saper, and has no knowledge of the vast
! amount of mechanical labor required to turn
! out a nicely printed sheet, may think that
the production of newspapers is an easy task
He is sadly mistaken. IL requires much hard
and unpleasant labor to make a newspaper.
The compositors, preSsmen, proofreaders,
mailing clerks, reporters and editors have
their share of work. There is yet another
class of workmen who pave the way for even
the compositors. The types, presses, and in
Vulnerable other mechanical devices, which
none but practical printer knows how to
put into USE must be made.
The preventative art of printing has under
gone many changes since the first types were
invented. Even since the first type foundry
was established in Cincinnati marvellous
changes have been made and the gentleman
who established the first type foundry in this
city can tell wonders about the printing
business
CASTING THE TYPES
A reporter visited one of the large type
foundries Of this city yesterday and gathered
some information about the little pieces Of
metal which print the almost countless let
ters of a great newspaper. Large type fou1-
dries do not confine their work to the making
of the little types such as are used in print
ing this article, but, on the contrary, all
sizes, shapes and designs are manufactured.
From the plain minion, such as is seen here,
the styles vary to designs which leave i'm
pressions almost as clear and beautiful as
those produced by the finest ithographing
stones
Then again there are styles so small that
the printed letters cannot be made out with
70 ma yuh Lore
that they measure six feet in height Beau
tiful script letters which look like ones own
handwriting ideaIized, exquisitely fancy
styles to suit the different advertisers, and
the world knows how many other designs.
There are also brass rules, 'slugs," "chases,"
'sticks," etc., all Of which are familiar to the
compositor.
To start with, what is type metals at is
a composition of lead, tin, zinc and anti
mony," said an old printer who has been in
the type making business for forty years
1.-The anthony has a peculiar property. Al
most all metals contract while cooling, and
this property In itself would interfere greatly
with the type making business.
you see, the little types, even the small
est diamond or brilliant styles, are nodded,
and if either of the four metals save the anti
mony was used alone in making the letters a
perfectly clear outline could not be obtained,
although the molds were filed with molten
metal, because when it cooled it would con-
tract, and as a result would destroy the clear
outline Of the very minute types. With the
large letters so much care would not have TO
be taken. Now, the metal antimony has the
peculiar property of expanding while cool
ing, and for this reason it is invaluable to the
type makers. 1t expands and fills even the
smallest mold; hence the perfect outline of
metal types
He showed the reporter one of the primitive
molds used in making type. 1t is a little de-
vice about as large as teacup, and will cast
a single letter at a time. This rude but per-
feet device was in use for long time in cast
ing types, and is used yet in small type foun-
dries. A little later on this device of a mold
was improved and made more useful. Orig
inally the molten metal had to be poured into
the mold by hand, but one Of the first steps !
in the Improvement of this rude mold was to
attach it to mechanical deviceso constructed |
as TO pump the molten metal into the mold in
an automatic manner. This was great step, |
and rendered the moiding process much more !
rapid. Next the automatic device was i'm
proved SO that two or three molds could be !
being filled by the automatic pumps. This |
method of casting the types is the one so ex-
tensiyely used throughout the country.
THE FINISHING TOUCHES.
When the little, shining metal letters are
first cast they are not yet finished. There is a
projection on one end nearly as long as the |
type itself. As soon as the letters are nodded |
they 90 to person who breaks off the pro-
TO 9TH
parties, who rub them over files to smooth off |
the rough sides. This planning process is a
unique one, and the planners" must be ex-
pertS. The little letters are pushed first one
way over the rough surface of the file then
back again, all in a second, by the expert
''planer" Next the letters go to a person who
places them side by side on a long tin shelf,
which is about yard in length. This tin
shelf has one edge turned up so that the long
row of letters may be placed along the shelf
in an even manner.
As fast as the shelves are filled they go to
another "planer," who, however, does MS
work much more rapidly than the ones be-
fore mentioned. He planes off the lower or
blunt end of the letter. The shelf, which
holds at least 500 letters, Is placed in a long
wise, and then the rough ends of the long
ON are HItChil pidLlcu Oii JLSO % ILS Seil
Denter planes a piece of wood. One or two
movements Hf the plane is all that is necessa-
~. The types are now complete and ready for
packing aud boxing.
This process of turning out the types re-
luires the labor Of six persons, and although
; rapid one as compared with the original
me, Is considered too slow by the euterpris-
NJ type maker. 4 new machine has been
-ecently invented. The rough type metal Is
placed in the machine and comes out il tie
shape OF nicely moulded types completely fin
shed. This machine does It's work automatl-
ally, and Is a marvellous piece OF mechanism.
ID does the work OF SIX men aDd does 1t better
These machines are not any larger than q
small baud press, but cost 81, SCG. Very few
# them are used. a they sre so expensive,
out when they are used types can ue made
much cheaper than if hand labor is employed
u hen the types come from the mods they
ire bright like newly coined silver dollars.
They are then packed and boxed ready for
shipment. Fonts of type vary in weight
rom SIX pounds upward, some weighing as
much as 5000 pounds. One Of the iouudTles
i this city carries as much as 200 COO pounds
Il type IN stock. and If the types OF one Of
ne large papers of the city were TO be de-
uoyed by IRE an entirely new outfit could
e supplied at once.-Clncinnau TlneS-Star.
Eat Good supper.
Going to bed with a well filed stomach is