The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-21

Older Contrtvnnces From PODu-
Iarity - Characters, Not Matrices,
Assembled and New Type Cast
by an Ingenious Automatic Ar
rangement.
National Advertiser.
It looks as If the Mergenthaler COM
pany were about to have the fight Of its
life. The Composite Type-bar company,
just Incorporated under New Jersey law
with an authorized capital Of $40, 000, COO,
is about to put on the market a typo
setting machine that the inventor says
will beat the Mergenthaler linotype hol-
low
Lucien A. Brott Is the inventor He
was for many years connected with the
Mergenthaier concern, and what he does
not know about typesetting machinery
could be told in one line of agate. His
own device is set up, ready for business,
at 1872 Graham street, Brooklyn, where
a reporter for the National Advertiser ill.,
spected 1t last Saturday afternoon.
While somewhat Intricate in detail, the
new machine is simple in principle. 1t
occupies q floor space twenty-five inches
square and is about four feet high 1t
weighs about one-quarter as much as a
Mergenthaler. The operator sits facing
keyboard arranged for ninety-two char
acters. including duplicated lower case
''e'' and st Above the keyboard is
magazine divided into channels, each of
which will contain ten characters. Above
the magazine Is a set Of moulds, which
slide between the metal pot and the mag
azine. When they slide back, the moulds
register upon a corresponding set of holes
in the pot each about as big as a knit
ting needle. A pump. acting upon the
hydrostatic principle forces jet or
metal into each mould, where a character
is cast in a copper matrix. The casting
complete, the moulds slide forward and
discharge their contents into the maya
zine.
A complete set of characters may be
cast at one time, but by an ingenious ar
rangement Of spring hooks and slender
bits of wire called feelers, no character
is cast If the corresponding channel In
the magazine be filled. 1t is hard to ex-
plain this plan without drawings Suf-
flee 1t to say that the feeder sticks down.
ward into the magazine. If there be
space for another letter, the mould re-
mains open. Otherwise the feeler flies
back and the mould is lifted out of en-
gagement.
The operator merely releases charac-
tiers from the magazine Otherwise the
entire working of the machine is auto
matte. The rate of casting is fast enough
to keep the quickest operator supplied
with material.
A line of separate characters Is
formed before the operator. If he dis
covers an error, he can correct 1t at
once without resetting the entire line.
A bell warns the operator when near the
end of the line. The space to be filled
after the bell rings may be varied to suit
the fancy of the operator.
The line. being complete, slides to the
operators left. where it Is seized by the
bar block lever, lifted and reversed SO
that the face of the type rests firmly
against an absolutely fiat surface.
Justification takes place. and from an
extension of the metal pot a second
plunger pump elects metal which fuses
the line. making bar perfect in spacing
and alignment So accurately adjusted
are the parts Of the machine that no
trimming is needed. There are, con-
sequently, no knives.
The bars are carried to g. galley
whence they are removed for proving as
occasion requires. Changing the type
face or the measure is an operation re-
quiring only few seconds.
It will be seen that the composite
type-bar machine assemblies types,
whereas the Mergenthaler assemblies
matrices This is the fundamental Diff
ference. The type-bar company has, of
course. made sure that it cannot lie
charged with infringement of patent 1t
hot uuIo ho No l, ioo
experts call "a pioneer patent"
Summarized. the advantages OF Mr..
Brott's invention over the Mergenthaler
are small size, hghtness. cheapness,
economy in gas consumption, perfect
alignment, strength and soldity of bar,
clearness Of type and rapidity of compo-
sition. An operator who sets 1850 ems
an hour on the Mergenthaler can Increase
his score 10 per cent on the composite
type-bar.
The money spent for one Mergenthaler
will buy four of the new machines. The
producing power. of a plant is increased
because small machine will turn out as
much work as one occupying three times
the floor space
1t is said that when a composite type
bar letter is cast, nothing but metal goes
into the mould. Air is carried into the
Mergenthaler bar, which is therefore
weakened by blow holes. Bits of metal
go between the Mergenthaler matrices
sometimes, producing Irregularities and
blemishes In the printed matter
With the new system the long lines
used In commercial work to separate
columns of figures are produced with
absolute accuracy. Mergenthaler lines
are frequently broken.
One very important advantage In Mr..
Brotts invention should not be over
looked and Is of especial Importance to
owners of small plants. who have to keep
expenses down. When the Brott machine
comes from the factory 1t is ready for
immediate work. There Is no tedious
and costly setting up, with a strong
likelihood that the wheels and levers will
rebel even after they arc put together.
The officers OF the Composite bar
company are: John Carnick. president;
L. A. Brott, vice president; Allen Cham
berlain, secretary and treasurer. The
company's stock is quoted at Is. although
the work OF turning out machines is not
fairly begun. Plans are under considera-
lions for an extensive plant, fitted with
all the complicated appliances needed to
supply what is confidently expected to be
an immense demand for the new typeSet-
ter.