The Elbert County tribune., 1903-12-03

S-sZ with the problem OF set
ting type by machinery.
and as result some wonderful mech
anical contrivances were produced
from time 10 time. Twenty years be-
fore Howe invented the sewing ma
chine an Englishman named w. Church
invented a machine to set type. which
seemed destined to supersedc hand
composition. and created at that time
great furore in the printing world.
but II proved a failure. Since then
over 100 like inventions have gone the
way Of Church's. Some of these ma
chimes were extraordinary mechanical
productions. but there was always one
stumbling block TO their complete sue
cess-that is. 10 Justify into lines the
type set half as fast as II was COM
posed by the operator. IL took two
men to run one machine tthe operator
and the 1ustifierl, and sometimes a
third. to look after the distributor. The
one who justified the type into lines
could not begin TO keep pace with the
one who would set the type in one
continuous line Some of the machines
set and distributed simultaneously, but
no inventor had yet produced ma
chine that could justify satisfactorily
II was not until Mergenthnler in
vented his great machine that the
problem was solved lie departed en-
tirely from the methods employed by
other invcntors-that is, setting ordi-
nary hand type. He used matrices,
which are set first into lines. and from
this line of matrices n solid block, or
line, of type is almost lnstantaneously
cast. but this would not have accom-
plished the aim sought had he not in
vented. too, the wedge space. These
spaces are wedge-shaped. very thin at
the top. and are set along with the
types. When the line is set II is made
flush by driving those wedges upward
between the words. Distribution of
the matrices is carried on automatic
ally while the machine is In operation
The Brown" composing. justifylnE
and distributing machine. which was
worked with some success on the other
side Of the Atlantic. had series of
grooves or channels ranged side by
side. in which the type stood on their
feet The type slid downward by their
own gravity and rested on n bar at the
lower end OF the groove. In front of
the case. sliding backward and for
ward at the will of the operator. was
"mechanical hand" which took the
letters from the case. On shield in
front of the case the letters We're indi-
Gated. The operator held a handle be-
tween finger and thumb and ran 1t OPP
posite TO the letter TO be taken. This
handle had follower attached which
pushed the type sufficiently down the
channel for the next one 10 be taken.
Then there was the "W. II. Mitchell y
the "F. w. Gilmer," and the I'D. II.
Ray" the latter being n very ingenious
attempt. Its tubes were so constructed
that the type when discharged into the
hoppers by hand were made TO arrange
themselves through the tubes with
the hicks all the same way.
In 1882, "Porter's" type composing
machine was introduced. 1t was sim
pie and consisted of collection of
troughs in which the type to be com
posed stood upright. with the nicks all
one way. 1t was intended TO facilitate
hand composition. When the operator
required letter he placed his foot on
lever near the ground. and this ac-
ton caused the letter to move slightly
forward, and was picked out as in ordi-
nary composition. with the exception
that a whole word could be set before
bringing the hand to the stick.
As an Illustration OF the herculean
task the invention of tyDesetting ma
chine was, may be mentioned that OF
the alden" The inventor of this ma
chine spent twenty years on 1t. and
It cost him $4,000. 1t contained H.
626 pieces and weighed 1920 pounds
1t could set 5000 ems per hour, and
once set 1000 ems in ten minutes. The
Alden consisted of a round table, en-
closing a horizontal revolving wheel
Between the table and the wheel was
space about an eighth OF an inch
broad. Between this and the outside
II the table were arranged the type
cases. or holders In front. where
the operator stood. was the distributor.
There were $50 alleys radiating from
the central carrying wheel, and II held
$50 different characters. On the re-
volving wheel were thirty-slx hands
made as like human hands as possible.
These were placed alternately. one dis
trlbuting and another composing. The
types were arranged around the wheel,
and the fingers of the hand were
pushed out and the type set by the
pressing of keys when opposite the re
quired type.
There is no record Of any attempt to
invent typesetting machine from
Church's time until 1857. when the
"Hattersly" made its debut. 1t con-
sisted of n horizontal top gauge. on
which was placed partitioned tray.
each partition containing row of let
ters. Descending vertically along the
front OF this tray was n series of wires