The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1922-07-06
THE MERGENTHALER LINOTYPE

inE MEhOENIhALEk LINOT1PE
machine to set type was the dream Of inventors
from the time when the printing business began to
assume a position of Importance among the trades
The original idea that a machine must handle
typefounders type and compose it into lines with the
help Of one more operators A number Of machines
were made along this line. Some failures en-
tirely while few others perfected so that they
would set type but found to be too expensive to op-
crate. 1t through experimenting with ma
chine for the rapid transcribng of reports of
law and the reports of legislative committees
that the idea of slug casting machine developed.
The Mergenthaler Linotype is the most successful
one-man composing machine in the world. It is
single machine which at the will of the operator as
sembles line Of matrices, casts slug from them.
trims and delivers the slug into a galley ready for
use. and finally distributes the matrices back into
their respective channels in the magazine, where
they ready to be called down again, in their
turn by the touch of the keybutton. With the
ception Of the assembling Of the matrices the entire
operation is automatic
In form the Linotype Is not like any other machine.
1t is in reality the assemblage of four distinct
chines or parts arranged that they work in har-
mony-the magazine, the assembling mechanism. the
casting mechanism and the distributing mechanism.
The magazine is top Of the machine. sloping from
back front at angle Of 81 degrees, and consist
ing of two brass plates placed together with space
of about VI Of an inch between. The two inner sur
faces cut with 80 grooves or channels running
the up and down way of the magazine, for carrying
the matrices. The matrices slide down these chan
nels on edge with the face or punched edge down
and the v-end extending toward the upper part Of
the magazine. Each of these channels is of suf
fcient length to contain twenty matrices.
The Linotype matrix is made of brass. Its thick
ness varies with the size Of the character stamped in
to it. The teeth which appear in the at the top
of the matrix used in the distribution of the mat
rices. Matrices made in both and two-letter
+ e., the one-letter matrix has but character
punched on its edge and the twoetter has two char
acters punched on its edge. BY ingenious
rangement either the oneetter two-letter matrix
can be used in the machine, and either charac
ter Of the two-letter matrix be used at will
The spaceband which is used to separate the words
in a line and at the same time Justify the line to
the end of the slug consists of two steel wedges One
Is about the size of and in form somewhat like
matrix; the other is about inches long The two
are fastened together that the long wedge will
slide past the short one. The short wedge has two
lugs at the top which engage in in the front
and back jaw Of the first elevator that when pres
sure is applied to the lower end Of the wedge. the
short wedge is held in position between the MATRICES
and as the long wedge forced upward the thickness
of the band or space increases until the line is JUS
titled to its full length.
The assembling mechanism is the only part Of
the Linotype where the human mind is applied to the
work Of the machine 1t is necessary for the eye to
read the copy. and the mind through the medium of
the fingers translate the copy into assembled lines
of matrices after that the machine acts automatic
ally
The keyboard is made up of 90 keys. which act di-
recty on the matrices in their channels in the maga-
zine. The slightest touch the keybuttons releases
the matrx, which drops to the assembler belt and is
carried swiftly to the assember. When word is
sembled the spaceband key is touched and space
band drops into the assembler. When the necessary
matrices and spacebands to fill the line have been
assembled the operator raises the assember by
ing the lever on the side Of the keyboard When the
assembler reaches its highest point it automatically
starts the machine and the matrices transferred
to the casting position.
The casting mechanism consists OF the metal pot.
mold disk, mold eiector, and trimming knives. When
the line Of matrices leaves the assembler they to
position in front Of the mold disk The disk makes
one-auarter turn to the left which brings the mold
from the eecng position, where 1t stands while the
machine is at rest, the casting position 1t then
advances until the face Of the mold comes in con-
tact with the matrices. The metal pot advances until
the pot mouthpiece comes in contact with the back
OF the mold this point the pump plunger descends
and forces the metal into the mold and against the
matrices The pot then recedes, the mold disk with