The Opelousas courier., 1904-01-16

forated paper. It consisted Of two
parasitic perforator and the composer.
The p%erforator al a tiny instrument
consisting Of fourteen keys, by means
Of which narrow strips Of paper were
perforated. This passed over a drum,
and when certain pegs reached their
proper perforator they pushed out a
type.
The "matrix compositor" was intro
duced by its inventor, j. e. Sweat, in
1867. 1t was designed to form a mold
or matrix to stereotype from, thus
abolishfng movable types. By operat-
ing on the keys impressions were made
Of the letters required in thick, soft
paper, from which plates were cast.
The sc. Codignola" was a machine
for casting type, but both of these last
were signal failures.
Almost every machine invented had
automatic distributors, all made to
work on similar princip1es-that is, the
lines OF type passed along a channel to
a number of levers. Each letter had
its own particular number Of hicks,
and the hicks placed at different places
and distances on the back of the type.
Each type passed along the channel
until it came to the lever which CORE
sponded to its hicks, when the lever
caused 1t to drop into its allotted chan
mel. The type was set out of these
channels. An automatic machine
-~--.lra5 I~v aIoaIr--oylv Tr,oc, fj1t1sr117ao7
in Germany in 1870. It entirely failed
for the reason that it had no automatic
distributor. It took three men to sup
ply type for one machine. 1t was Won
derfully ingenious, however. Space
will not permit me to give a description
of it's mechanism.
The Manifold" invented by DR..
Alexander Mackie, was for setting
head lines for books, etc. Each letter
was placed in rows on the fat and run
into brass tubes. When a line had to
be set many times the tube with. the
first letter needed was placed on a gal
ley, then the next, and SO N. When
| all the words were set the tubes were
withdrawn. Distribution was per-
| formed by reversing the operation.
The "Kastenbein" was used for years
| on the London Times, the operator set
| ting up the type as the copy was read
| to him by telephone from the House of
Commons. Colts machine was another
ingenious device.
A machine which created a great stir
on it's introduction was the Hooker,
| which appeared in 1880. This machine
had neither keys o buttons. AS in
most other machines the types were
contained in troughs, and We're extract
ed by the opening Of a small trough,
| which allowed them to fall upon NOV
ing tapes that carried them to a collec-
tor to be built in 4 continuous line to
be justified by hand. The discharge OF
the letter was caused by an electric
| current passing through ~electro-mag-
nets corresponding to the troughs. A
wire from the battery brought the cleo
tric current to the hand of the compost
tor, who touched the contact plates
with his stylus and completed the cir
cult through the electro-magnet CORE
| spending to the letter required.
This machine was followed by the
| Tagerman, and later by the Windsor,
for which a speed of $4,000 per hour
was claimed. The composer and dis
tributor were separate. In the distri-
button the types were driven along sin
| gly until they reached their own siding.
when they were shunted into it out OF
the way. When full they were cleared
into other slips and hung on hooks till
| the composer wanted them, when they
were emptied into the case, from which
they were shot by touching a key out
on a band, which carried them to a
metal landing place, where they were
| collected by means of an iron finger
| and LAUGHED to another band, on which
they rode for a few inches on their
| sides. Another confriyance took every
tyne gently and put it on its back, nick
uppermost. Presently the line reached
a stick and was justified as If set by
hand.
A machine was announced some time
| ago. but Of which we hear no more,
| that was to set type by electricity. A
tape was prepared which ran through
| the machine and passed over a steel
roller and under q row Of ten steel
| fingers, and by the rows of holes pre-
pared in the tape electromagnetic COM
munication is set up. Correction could
| be made In the tapes.
Many other machines have been In
vented, all following in some particular
the general lines laid out in the fore
going. Those enumerated, however,
viii give an idea Of what s~tupendous
efforts were made by mechanical ge-
muses. to supersede the hand compost
tor. Only two or three Of them have
succeeded in coming into general use,
| the Monotype, which is extensively in
use in Canada; the Lanston, which is
in many offices, especially book offices,
in the United States, and the Nergen-
| tbaler. which is almost universally in
use on both sides Of the Atlantic
Joseph w. Mccain, In Washington
Post.
Home weaving In Country Houses.
Where the two conditions of unused
| time and homegrown material exists,
weaving can be made a source OF
domestic profit. It's revival as a house.
| hold art proves that in many places