Improvements in the Manufacture of Matrix-bars or Plates for Type Line Casting.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1897-Accepted, 29th May, 1897
Improvements in the Manufacture of Matrix-bars or Plates for
Type Line Casting.
I, ALEXANDER SWEENEY CAPEHART, of Bismarck, North Dakota, United
States of America, Journalist, 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 relates to matrices, or intaglio type designed for type-setting and
line casting machines the matrices or intaglio type being stored in a magazine from
which they are released in the order required, and composed or set up in a line to
constitute a matrix for casting a printing bar having at one edge characters which
are the counterparts of the composed matrices. The intaglio matrices are usually
formed by dies, in a suitable metal preferably copper. The bodies of matrix-bars
or plates designed to circulate in a line casting machine are made of brass, or some
metal harder and tougher than copper, in order to avoid the rapid wear which
would occur if the bodies were made of copper, or of comparatively soft metal
capable of being readily impressed in forming the intaglio type-characters.
I have produced a compound metal body so constructed and possessing such
characteristics that the intaglio characters can be formed directly in copper or
other soft metal while the longitudinal edges and practicably the entire ends and
sides of the matrix-bars or plates, are of a harder metal which resists tendency to
rapid wear when the bars or plates circulate through the machine, or are repeatedly
assembled and distributed.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1, is a perspective view of a compound metal body or blank for making
several matrix-bars or plates.
Fig. 2, a similar view of a blank for one matrix-bar or plate.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation indicating by dotted lines the manner in which the
blank is cut to form a matrix-bar for the Monoline type-setting and casting machine,
such as described in British Patent Specification No. 17135 of 1893.
Fig. 4, is a similar view indicating by dotted lines the manner of cutting the
blank to produce a matrix-plate suitable for a Mergenthaler line-casting machine.
Fig. 5, is a side elevation of a completed matrix-bar made according to my
invention, and suitable for the Monoline machine.
Fig. 6, is a similar view of a matrix-plate made according to my invention and
designed for a Mergenthaler machine, and Fig. 7, is a similar view shewing a
modification in the construction of a matrix-plate for a Mergenthaler machine.
The compound metal body is composed of layers or strata 1 and 2 of comparatively
hard metal, such as brass, and a layer or stratum 3, of comparatively soft metal,
such as copper.
The size of the compound metal block may be such that it can be divided
longitudinally into several strips, such as shewn in Fig. 2, suitable for single
matrix-bar-blanks. In Fig. 2 I represent a strip of the compound metal which is
intended to serve as a blank for making a matrix bar having a number of intaglios
at the bottoms of open-side recesses formed in one edge, like the bars used in the
Monoline typesetting and casting machine.
In producing the compound metal body the hard metal layers 1 and 2 and the
soft metal layer or stratum 3, are preferably laid up in sheets and drawn or rolled

page_text: to the required thickness and width. Any known method of applying heat and
metallic adhesives and pressure may be employed to bring the strata into one
solid compound metal body. The drawn or rolled strips of proper sizes are of such
construction that the hard metal layers are outermost and the edges of each blank
matrix-bar or plate comprise continuous-pieces of the hard metal superimposed on
a continuous layer or stratum of soft metal, in such manner that by cutting away a
portion of the hard metal edge to form a recess a portion of the copper or soft
metal is exposed and constitutes a bottom to receive the desired intaglio character
which may be formed by a die punch or otherwise, as usual.
If a matrix-bar or plate having a number of intaglio characters in one edge is to
be produced, the hard metal layer is cut away at several points by suitable cutting
or milling tools for removing portions of the hard metal edge to form open-side
recesses 4, Fig. 5, which expose certain portions 5 of the soft metal layer 3, at the
places or points where the required intaglio characters are to be formed.
The dotted lines 6, Fig. 3, indicate the lines on which the hard metal edge of the
blank is cut or milled to produce the matrix-bar or plate Fig. 5.
If the matrix-plate having a single intaglio character in one edge is to be
- produced of the form represented in Fig. 6, which is suitable for a Mergenthaler
machine, the blank is suitably cut or milled as indicated by the dotted lines
Fig. 4, whereby the required form is imparted to the plate and a portion of the
hard metal edge is removed, as at 7, to expose a portion of the soft metal, as at 8,
in which the intaglio character is impressed, thus obtaining a matrix-plate, such as
shewn in Fig. 6, suitable for a Mergenthaler machine.
The compound metal body may be drawn or rolled in the form of a comparatively
narrow strip, which may be divided at certain intervals to produce matrix-bar-
blanks, such as shewn in Fig. 2, or as shewn in Fig. 4.
The matrix-bars or plates are provided with the usual or suitable means, such as
shewn, whereby they may be mechanically manipulated by the mechanisms of the
line casting machine.
Matrix-plates of the construction represented in Fig. 7, may be produced from a
block made by drawing or rolling superimposed layers of hard metal, and soft
metal, the latter being of less width than the hard metal layers or strata, whereby
the soft metal is wholly enclosed longitudinally by the hard metal.
A block formed in this manner, or otherwise produced, can be cut or severed
transversely to produce flat matrix blanks, and then by cutting or milling the edges
of these blanks to expose portions of the copper or soft metal, as before explained
matrix plates, such as shewn in Fig. 7 are obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
:-
1. A matrix for a line casting machine, consisting of a flat hard metal plate
containing a soft metal stratum and cut away at the edge to form a recess exposing
a part of the soft metal stratum in which the intaglio character is formed,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. The method or process herein described of manufacturing a blank matrix-bar
or plate, which consists in superimposing layers of hard and soft metal, with the
hard metal layers outermost, and then cutting away or removing a part of the
bard metal at one edge of the blank to expose a part of the soft metal which
constitutes a bottom to receive the desired intaglio, substantially as described.
Dated this 32nd day of March 1807
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.