Printers' Work.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 16th July, 1887
Complete Left, 7th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 11th Nov., 1887
Printers' Work.
I, WILLIAM DE LITTLE, of Springfield Place, Nunnery Lane, York, in the County
of York, Letter Press Printer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, which
has been communicated to me from abroad by Robert Duncan De Little, Alness
House, Albert Park, Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, Letter Press Printer,
to be as follows:-
-
This invention has reference to that class of wood type, known in the trade as
white letter type, that is employed for setting up complete poster's or panel lines in
which the letter is to be white whilst the ground work is black or in colours; and
the special feature of this type is that there are no joins between the majority of the
letters when they are set up, and they are so cut that the edge of one letter forms the
commencement of the next, the spacing being done inside the letters instead of
between which will enable the printer to expand or contract the letters as required.
The letters are also cut so as to have no margin at the top or bottom but are flush
with the edges of the block, and the tops and bottoms of the letters are formed by the
groundwork of the intervening spaces between the lines. The letters having no
margin at top or bottom are sawn through or divided into several pieces or sections
without interfering with the surface thereof, that is the groundwork of the proof.
This permits of the spacing being done on the letter itself instead of between the
letters in the usual way.
The capital letters of the alphabet of type constructed according to this invention
may be formed in a variety of shapes at the back or commencement of the letter, but
the following forms will be found most useful, such as, first, a letter complete in itself
without the portion of any other letter attached to it, this form is useful for the first
and final letter of a word; second, a letter cut with the space attached suitable for
being followed by any letter commencing with an upright line, such as B, D, E, F ;
third, a letter with space attached suitable for being followed by a letter with a round
back, such as C, G, O, Q; fourth, a letter formed with a space suitable for being

page_text: followed with an inclined letter such as A; and fifth, with a space suitable for a
portion of a letter such as T.
By the use of type constructed according to this invention
There are very few joins in the surface of the forme, and many lines may be set up
without a single join appearing in the proof.
"fat"
There is great saving in the number of fonts required as one font will answer for
several different widths, thus, a round Runic letter may be opened out to a
Roman nearly double the width.
The letters having no margins at the top or bottom, the whole space between the
lines is filled with one or more solid blocks, thus saving two long joins which
would occur with the ordinary white type when anything is placed between
the lines.
The letters may be so arranged that no matter how often they appear in a line the
spacing will be equal throughout.
Catch lines or paragraphs may be easily inserted without piercing the groundwork.
They are also very convenient for colour work as they are easily divided, and there
is a great saving of material in large letters as well as in storage room.
Dated this Fifteenth day of July 1887.
WM. FAIRBURN HART,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to White Letter Type for Letter Press
Printers' Work.
I, WILLIAM DE LITTLE, of Springfield Place, Nunnery Lane, York, in the County
of York, Letter press Printer, (a communication to me from abroad by Robert Duncan
De Little, of Allness House, Dundas Place, Albert Park, near Melbourne, in the
Colony of Victoria, Letter press printer) do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
«
This invention has reference to that class of letter press type known in the trade
as white letter or relief type that is employed for setting up complete posters or
panel lines, where the letter is to be white or the colour of the paper upon which
the printing operation is performed, whilst the groundwork or surface is black or
in colours.
Hitherto in this class of relief or white letter printing one of its great defects
has been that the joins between the blocks, especially after they have been used
for sometime, are liable to appear upon the impression, and thus leave white
lines. Now the object of this Invention is to remedy this defect and its special
features are, there are no joins on the surface between the majority of the letters
when set up, and the type is so cut that the space attached to the preceding
letter forms the commenceinent of the following onc,-provision being made in the
recessed or relief portion of the block whereby the printer may expand or contract
the letter as required. The letters are also cut so as to have no margins at the
tops or bottoms, that is, they are cut flush to the edges of the blocks, and the
tops and bottoms are formed by the groundwork or space between the lines of
the poster, thus obviating the long continuous joins so difficult to make ready at
the inachine. The letters having no margins at top or bottom are sawn through
into as many pieces as possible without interfering with the surface of the letter,
that is, the groundwork.
In the drawings hereunto annexed
Fig. 1. represents views of the improved type showing its construction.
Fig. 2. represents a reduced copy of an impression taken from type constructed
and set up according to this Invention.
Fig. 3. a line of set up type constructed according to this Invention having
spaces left between the various portions of the letters and spaces to illustrate where
the joins are.
Fig. 4. a sectional elevation through centre of letters L and E in the first line
of Fig. 2.
At Fig. 1. the white or sunk portion of the letter is represented by light section
lines, and the portion that forms the groundwork or surface by dark section lines,
whilst the various portions or sections into which each letter may be divided is
represented by section lines running in opposite directions so as to illustrato where

page_text: the joins will be. The divisions or sections into which the letters may be divided are
for the convenience of reference numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, according to the number of
divisions or parts into which the letter is sawn. At Fig. 2. the divisions or sections
in the letters forming the first and second lines, are respectively shown by dotted
lines extending beyond the top and bottom edges of the figure.
The blocks or type may be made of wood, metal, or composition, either cut, cast,
or moulded to the desired shape, but I prefer making them of wood as it is the
cheapest and most useful material.
a is the groundwork or surface of the block, b the relief or recessed portion cut in
the shape of the letter or figure desired to be formed and c the space attached to the
letter preceding it, and so shaped that the edge forms the commencement of the
following letter.
In the alphabet of capital letters there are eleven varieties in the back or
commencement of the letters, so that to save every join between the letters on the
surface, the alphabet would have to be cut in eleven different ways. For all
practical purposes, however the five varieties illustrated at Fig. will be found
sufficient.
The first form will be the plain letter itself, complete without the portion of any
other letter attached to it,-such as A and B in the first line of Fig. 1-this form is
intended for completing the first and final letters of each word. The second form is,
the letter cut with the space attached-such as the second A and B in the first line of
Fig. 1-suitable for being followed with an upright letter such as B, D, E, F. The
third form,
a letter with a space attached-such as the third A in the first line of
Fig. 1 suitable for being followed with a round backed letter, such as C, G, O, Q.
The fourth form, a letter with a space attached-such as the fourth A in the first line
of Fig. 1-suitable for being followed by an inclined letter, such as A. The fifth
form, a letter with a space attached-such as the fifth A in the first line of Fig. 1.-
suitable for being followed by a letter such as T. The remaining letters with the
exception of S are so little used that it may be found unnecessary to have letters
specially cut to be followed by them. When they occur in a line, the plain
square letter (first form) may be used to precede them and they will join in the
usual way.
On reference to the drawings it will be seen that a seriff d may when desired be
formed in the space attached to the letter as shown.
By forming letters in this manner, it will be readily understood, that the parts of
the blocks where the letters touch each other, would in the majority of cases, when
they are set up" be below the surface a and in the relief or recesses thus reducing
to a minimum, as will be seen hereafter, the number of joins that might possibly leave
an impression or defect on the proof.
In order that the spacing out of the lines may be done on the letter itself instead of
between them, as is the usual way, the letters or blocks are divided or sawn, preferably
vertically or obliquely into any desired number of sections-1, 2, 3, 4,-in the relief
or recessed portion b, so as not to interfere with the surface or groundwork a of the
letter. By this arrangement not only can a letter of one font be made to answer for
several different widths-as for instance, a round runic letter may be opened out to a
"fat" Roman nearly double the width-but if a line be short, each letter itself can
be fattened out to the desired width by placing "clumps" between the sections.
This is a great improvement over the old fashioned white letter type, and even over
ordinary type, for instead of making the line weak by spreading out, it is actually
improved by making the letter bolder. The spaces between the letters are so
arranged that no matter how the letters may fall the line will be equally spaced
throughout.
In order to obviate the long continuous joins so difficult to make ready at the
machine, the letters have no margins at the top or bottom, that is, they are cut flush
to the edges of the blocks, and the tops and bottoms of the letters are formed by the
blocks e, f, g, Figs. 2 and 3 which form the spaces between the lines.
At Fig. 2. it will be seen that with the exception of the "A" in the second line, all

page_text: the letters are joined to spaces with upright lines, but when it is required to set up
such a line, say as, "Popular Concert," as shown at Fig. 3. (in which the sections or
portions of each letter is drawn a little distance apart, for more readily showing how
the letters and words are formed) it is necessary to proceed as follows:- -Commence
by taking the back-similar to No. 1. of B in the first line of Fig. 1-from the
plain P, then the remainder of P followed by a space with a curved line-a similar
block to No. 2. of E in the fourth line of Fig. 1.-which forms the commencement
of O, then the centre and other portion of O followed by a space with an upright
line to commence the second P. The single P without a space-a similar block to
the No. 2. portion of the first E in the third line of Fig. 1-follows next as the U is
the next letter and joins it with the usual straight edge, and with an upright space
attached suitable for commencing the letter L. Take the L followed by the
commencement of A-a similar block to the fourth L shown in the eighth line of
Fig. 1, then the A followed by the upright line-as shown at the second A in the
first line of Fig. 1-and finish the word by using the single R-a similar block to
No. 2. of the first F in the fourth line of Fig. 1. Then insert a block for the space
between the words, and begin the word "Concert" by taking the back-similar to
No. 1. of C, line two, fig. 1 of C and follow with the other portion of C and space
with curved line-such as is shown attached to the third C in line two, fig. 1-then
the with space having an upright line, then the N with a space having a curved
line for forming the back of C, then the remaining portion of C with a space having
an upright line such as is attached to the second C, line two, fig. 1-then E with
space having an upright line-as shown at the second E, line three, fig. 1.-followed
by R with a space to form the commencement of T, then the single portion of T to
complete the line. In setting up these two words, it will be noticed that there are
only three joins on the surface between the letters, namely, one between P and U and
one at either side of the space between the two words, and although the same letter
may appear two or three times in a line it will generally be found that it is followed
by a different shaped letter, thus preventing a on the same character.
run
It will be readily seen that figures as well as letters may be formed in the manner
herein described.
In conclusion I would have it understood I am aware that the method of forming
letters or figures by building them up from tessera or small square blocks of uniform
size, each curve of a letter being formed by a single block, is described in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to Samuel Jones, the 18th day of August
1885. No. 9782, but to these I lay no claim as they are not suitable for the objects I
have in view, namely, diminishing the number of joins on the surface or groundwork
of the poster, as well as preventing as much as possible the repetition of the same
character in the same line. Further, I am also aware that borders have been
constructed or composed of a number of recurring pieces or types, and also that it
has been proposed to form large, solid, or ornamental surfaces by means of numerous
small types in combination grouped together, but to these I lay no claim as they are
not suitable for the purposes of this Invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :—
1. The method of forming type, such as herein described, for printing in the white
or relief letter-press manner, which consists in forming letters, or figures of one or
more blocks having a letter or figure cut or formed therein without margin top or
bottom, each letter or figure being divided in the recessed or relief portion into a
number of sections, and provided with a spacing shaped to form a portion of the
succeeding letter or figure, as and for the purposes herein set forth.
2. In blocks or type for relief or white letterpress printing, the combination of a
block divided vertically or obliquely, as described, into sections in which a recessed
letter or figure or portion thereof is cut or formed flush with three of the edges of the
block without any margin, a spacing attached to the block or one of its sections

page_text: shaped to form a portion of the commencement of the following letter, and the
blocks e, f, g, forming the spaces between the lines and also the tops and bottoms of
the letters, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
3. The blocks or type and letters, words, or figures resulting therefrom,
substantially as and for the purposes described and illustrated in the accompanying 5
drawings.
WILLIAM DE LITTLE.
By W. Fairburn Hart,
1, East Parade, Leeds,
Agent.