The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-08-18
'THE SIMPLEX TYPE SETTER.
Continued from First Page.

1
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operator and if occasion requires the
product can nearly be doubled by the
use of second person to do the justi.
flying.
The body of the Simplex consists OF
two cylinders, one above and rotating
on the other, having common axis.
In both cylinders, extending vertical
ly their full length, are ninety paral,
lei channels, those in the lower cylin-
der forming the magazine into which
| type distributes from the channels OF
the upper cylinder and is stored fo1
re-setting. The channels are slightly
wider than the body of the type
which the machine is made to set.
The upper cylinder, or distributor,
is supplied with dead type by q
wonderful piece of mechanism called
the loader. The loader lin itself is q
remarkable invention
On the forward side of each chan
mel in the lower cylinder, a series OF
steel strips are inserted and project
part way across. They are called
wards, as they perform the same
functions as the wards of lock. The
combination of wards in each channel
differs from that in every other chan
mel. Each type character in font il
given a combination of hicks CORES.
ponding with the computation OF
wards in one particular channel, and
can enter this channel only The
central ward extends the full length
of the channel and is cut off just short
enough to permit one type to be
pushed out at the bottom when key
is touched s,
On the setting mechanism is a key
board with ninety keys, one for each
channel in the cylinder-each key be-
ing connected by levers and wires
with small plunger at the bottom
of it's particular channel. The front
end of the plunger rests Immediately
behind the foot of the bottom type in
its channel, the plunger being less in
thickness than this type. When key
is depressed on the board, it's CORES
ponding plunger is moved forward,
carrying one type out ahead of it.
The keys work very lightly and their
action is practically instantaneous.
The characters most used are To-
Gated in channels having most con-
venient positions, and the keys on
the board are correspondingly ar
ranged Playing forward any sue
cession of keys may be played with
greatest rapidity, and the type each
key represents will come into line in
the desired order
When elected by the plungers as
described, the type is pushed upon
the fiat upper surface of disc which
encircles the bottom of the cylinder,
its upper surface being on q level
with the bottom of the channels.
This disc revolves rapidly and the
type elected upon it are swiftly car
ried around to the right hand side Of
the machine, where switch or guide
defects the type off the disc and upon
travelling fiat belt, running parallel
with the edge of the disc at this
point, by which the type is carried
forward to point directly back OF
the keyboard and somewhat above it.
About half way between where the
type leave the disc and the point tc
which they are conveyed by the belt,
is little device called the separator,
consisting of two rolls revolving rap
idly in direction opposite the mo-
ton of the belt. There is just dis
lance enough between the two rolls
to permit the free passage of single
type. If the operator plays two type
which reach this point side by side,
one passes between the rolls, the other
is held back until the channel is clear,
when it follows.
After passing the seperators the type
are guided one at a time to what is
called the packer On entering the
packer the type run on cam, by
which they are lifted; roller, bear
ing on piece, called the hook, which
is pressed forward by spring, holds
the type lightly against the inner
wall of the channel. A part known
as the hammer now pushes against the
foot of the type and carries it forward
to proper position. The packer is cap
able of handling over six hundred
type per minute. Type succeed each
other in the packer, forming words in
continuous line, which extends
across the back of the keyboard, the
face of the type i'll this line being in
view of the operator.
At the left of the keyboard is the
justifying mechanism, and the chan
mel through which the long line passes
leads to this, the type in the line now
being ON its feet. When the long line
has been filled, the operator, who is
seated on a chair which is supported
by an arm attached to the base of the
machine, swings his chair around to
the left, and with a. small instrument
known as grab, which he carries