Improvements in Matrices for Type Founding, and Apparatus employed in their Construction.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 23rd July, 1892-Accepted, 27th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Matrices for Type Founding, and Apparatus
employed in their Construction.
I, FREDERICK WICKS, of No. 1 Cheyne Gardens, Chelsea, in the County of
London, Newspaper Proprietor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
:-
It is of great advantage, for printing purposes, to have the character of a type
very prominent, and, consequently, it is desirable to have the counterpart of the
character deeply indented into the metal of the type founding matrix. When the
matrix is merely a block of comparatively soft metal such as copper, it can be
readily indented to considerable depth by the type punch. But when the matrix
has to be of hard strong metal to withstand strain and wear, as, for example, in
linotype machines, or in type founding machines such as those described in my
Specifications No. 1462 of 1881 and No. 12784 of 1884, it is difficult to impress the
type punch to the desired depth.
My invention relates to the construction of strong hard matrices with portions of
their metal sufficiently soft to receive a deep impression of the type punch, and to
apparatus employed in the construction of such matrices.
When the matrix is in the form of a rectangular block of metal, as for many type
founding purposes, this block may if desired, be of hard metal such as steel, in
which case I impress the type punch, not in the hard metal, but in a plug of soft
metal such as copper, which is let into the body of the matrix. It may be screwed
in or pressed into a dovetailed hole.
When the matrix is in the form of a comparatively thin plate as for linotype, I
screw a round copper plug into a hole drilled and tapped in the edge of the
matrix, and having screwed the plug in I cut off its projecting sides and finish
their faces true with the sides of the matrix. Before indenting with the type punch
I place the matrix in a clamp which prevents the plug from spreading laterally
when it is indented. The compression resulting from indentation fixes the plug
firmly in the matrix and also to a certain extent hardens it. For some type founding
machines, such as those described in my Specifications No. 1462 of 1881 and
No. 12784 of 1884 the matrix has a long stem of the same transverse section as the
type, with the counterpart of the type indented at its extreme end, and has a widened
part or blade to be acted on by the mechanism described in the said Specifications.
As it is desirable to have the stem and blade of hard strong metal, such as steel or
hammered copper or brass while the end of the stem should be soft enough to
receive a deep impression from a type punch, I construct the matrix in either of
two ways. According to the one way, I weld a portion of soft iron to the end of
the stem, but, as it would be difficult to weld together parts of so small dimensions,
I first prepare a plate of steel thickened at one side and to the thinner front edge
of the plate I weld a strip of soft iron.
Having shaped the plate to the required sectional form I divide it lengthwise into
a number of matrix blanks. According to another construction, I make a matrix
blank of copper or copper alloy and by hammering I harden all of it except part at
the end of the stem, leaving that part soft to receive the impression of the type
punch.
In order to prevent the stem of such a matrix from yielding laterally and
swelling when it is indented at the end by a type punch, I clamp it firmly in the
groove of a block in which it is held down by a cover screwed down upon it.
Within the groove in front of the stem of the matrix I place the type punch which
I force inwards by a screw, thus causing it to impress the end of the matrix which,

page_text: being held firmly under pressure on all sides, cannot yield or swell laterally, so
that it receives a deep impression and is condensed and hardened by the pressure.
As the stems of the matrices differ somewhat in width; I make the block in which
they are clamped with adjustable pieces to suit their dimensions.
Dated this 5th day of November 1891..
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Matrices for Type Founding, and Apparatus
employed in their Construction.
i
I, FREDERICK WICKS of No. 1 Cheyne Gardens. Chelsea, in the County of
London, Newspaper Proprietor, 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 :-
It is of great advantage, for printing purposes, to have the character of a type
very prominent, and, consequently, it is desirable to have the counterpart of the
character deeply indented into the metal of the matrix. When the matrix. is
merely a block of comparatively soft metal such as copper, it can be readily
indented to considerable depth by the type punch. But when the matrix has to be
of hard strong metal to withstand strain and wear, as for example in linotype
machines, or in type founding machines such as those described in my Specifications
No. 1462 of 1881-and No. 12784 of 1884, it is difficult to impress the type-punch to
-the desired depth.
...My. invention relates to the construction of strong hard matrices with. portions
of their metal sufficiently soft to receive a deep impression of the type. punch, 2
and to apparatus employed in the construction of such matrices as I shall describe
referring to the accompanying drawings.
When the matrix is in the form of a rectangular block of metal, as for
many type founding purposes, this block may if desired, be of hard metal such
-as-steel, in which case I impress the type punch, not in the hard metal, but in
- a plug of soft metal, such as copper, which is let into the body of the matrix.
:
As shewn in the section Fig. 1, the soft plug e may be screwed into a hole
tapped in the matrix m. Or, as shewn in Fig. 2, it may be compressed into a
hole somewhat.dovetailed, its base, spreading out within the hole so as to hold it
firmly. therein.
1.8
When the matrix is in the form of a comparatively thin plate, as for linotype,
I screw the copper plug e into a hole in the edge of the matrix m as shewnin
part side view Fig. 3.and in transverse section Fig. 4, and, having screwed the
plugin, I cut off its projecting sides and finish their faces true with the sides
of the matrix. Before indenting with the type punch I place the matrix in a
clamp. which prevents the plug from spreading laterally when it is indented.
The compression resulting from indentation fixes the plug firmly in the matrix
and also to a certain extent hardens it. For some type founding machines, such
as those described in my Specifications No. 1462 of 1881 and No. 12784 of 1884,
the matrix is of the form shewn in Fig. 5 having a long stem of the same
..transverse section as the type, with the counterpart of the type indented at its
..extreme end, and having a widened part or blade M, to be acted on by. the
type foundry mechanism described in the said Specifications. As it is desirable
to have the stem and blade M of hard strong metal such as steel or hammered
...copper or brass while the end m of the stem should be soft enough to. receive f
a.deep.impression from a type punch, I construct the matrix in either of two
ways. According to the one way I weld a portion of soft iron to the end of
the stem M, but, as it would be difficult. to weld together parts of so..small
dimensions, I first prepare as shewn in perspective in Fig. 6 a-plate of steel M
}

page_text: thickened at M¹ and to the front end of the plate I weld a strip of soft iron m,
and, having shaped the plate to the required sectional form, I divide it lengthwise
into number of matrix blanks such as that shewn in Fig. 5. According to
another construction, I make a matrix blank of copper or copper alloy and by
hammering I harden all of it except the part m at the end of the stem, leaving
that part soft to receive the impression of the type punch.
When such a matrix is indented at the end with the type character, its stem
must be firmly clamped, for which purpose I employ apparatus which I shall now
describe. Fig. 7 is a side view. Fig. 8 is an end view. Fig. 9 is a sectional
plan on X X of Fig. 1, and Fig. 10 is a transverse section on Y Y of Fig. 9
shewing clamping and punching apparatus for such a matrix.
A is a block of metal which is planed to form a step at a of depth equivalent
to the thickness of the matrix which has to be punched, and is farther planed
to form a second step at 6 of depth equivalent to the thickness of the flange of
a stepped angle piece B, and of another narrower angle piece C. The edges of the
flanges of the pieces B and C are made to bear respectively against the narrow
stem and the wide tail of the matrix M by setting them up by screws S while they
are held down on A by screws s working in slotted holes. The matrix to be
punched consisting of the hard strong blade and stem M and the soft end part m is
placed in the space between the edges of B and C and the step a, with a type
punch P in front of it, and beyond the punch P a push piece p both P and
accurately fitting but still capable of sliding in the groove when the matrix is
tightly pinched therein. These parts having been put in the groove, a cover D
is placed over them and the whole is placed within a frame E open in front and at
the back. The cover D is then pressed tightly down by a pair of screws F, and
by means of a screw G bearing against the pushing piece p the punch P is
advanced so as to impress the character in the end of the matrix.
P
Instead of making the block A shouldered or stepped to receive separate
sliding adjustable parts B and C as above described, it may be made as shewn in
the plan Fig. 11 and transverse section Fig. 12 as a single solid piece 'A' grooved
longitudinally to the depth of the matrix M m and to the width of the blade
part M at the rear of the blank. The blank M m the punch P and the pushing piece p
being placed in this groove along with a suitable filling piece H, are secured by
the cover D, and the punching is effected as above described. Although I have
shewn clamping apparatus suitable for matrices having widened portions or blades
at the rear, it may be readily understood that matrices having stems of uniform
width throughout may be clamped and punched in a similar manner.
Having thus described the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A matrix for a type founding machine consisting of a hard body with a
plug of soft metal to receive the indentation of a type punch.
2. A matrix consisting of a hard steel stem to the front end of which is welded a
portion of soft iron to receive the indentation.
3. A matrix consisting of copper or copper alloy hardened by hammering or
pressure, except at a portion of its front end which is left soft to receive the
indentation.
4. For clamping and impressing the stem of a matrix, the combination of the
block A angle pieces B and C, cover D, frame E, with the type punch P, pushing
piece p and the setting screws S& F and G, substantially as described with reference
to Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10.
8
5. The modified clamping apparatus in which the grooved block A' and filling
piece H, are employed, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 11 and 12.
Dated this 01st dor of July 1892
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.