Improvements in Apparatus for Assembling and Distributing Type-dies.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th June, 1899-Accepted, 29th July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Communicated from abroad by Joux RAPHAEL ROGERS, of 377, Green Avenue,
Brooklyn, in the County of Kings and State of New York, United States of
America, Inventor.]
Improvements in Apparatus for Assembling and Distributing
Type-dies.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:--
Various machines are known in which a series of dies, each representing a
letter or other character, are held in storage, finger-keys or equivalent devices
being employed to select the dies and assemble them temporarily in justified lines,
each line representing the characters for one line of print in the order and
arrangement in which they are to appear.
In one class of these machines the dies are of the female order, or in other
words are matrices, and the composed line of dies is applied directly to close-
the face of a slotted mould, in which a type-metal slug is cast against the series
of matrices or dies, which operate directly to produce the characters in relief on
the slug, after which the dies are distributed to the magazine or place of storage,
from which they are re-delivered and assembled in new arrangements for suc-
cessive lines of print.
In another class of these machines, commonly known as matrix machines, dies
of the male order are employed and the composed line of dies impressed into lead,
papier-mache, or equivalent material, to form a matrix, which is used in con-
nection with a mould to reproduce the characters in relief on the edge of a type-
metal slug cast in the mould, the dies being thereafter distributed, preparatory
to their selection, and re-assemblage in their order.
My invention is applicable alike to machines of the two classes named and
relates to the means for assembling and distributing the dies. It is especially
applicable to machines of the kind shown and described in the Specification of
Letters Patent No. 15060 dated 23rd September 1890 and granted to the said
John Raphael Rogers and Fred Eugene Bright.
In this machine the dies are in the form of slender rods, having the characters
at their lower ends and having their upper ends fashioned into hooks by which
they are suspended from a series of wires or guides, each wire carrying dies bear-
ing the same character. The wires bearing the groups of dies are widely separated
at their upper ends but extend downward in converging lines and finally terminate
at their lower ends in two vertical tiers or rows, so that the dies when released will
descend by gravity on the several wires and align themselves side by side between

page_text: the lower parallel ends of the wires. The distribution of the dies after use was
effected by canting or tilting backward the frame in which the wires were
supported, thereby reversing the inclination of said wires, so that the dies would
run back on their respective wires, separating from each other, to the storage
point from which they were released.
Now the primary object of the present invention is to avoid the delay and other
objections incident to the old mode of distribution, and to provide a machine
in which the dies shall be carried by endless guides or ways, so that they may
travel around their path always in one direction, thus allowing each die, while
remaining perpetually with its guide or way, to travel from the storage point to
the assemblage point and thence backward through a continuing path to the
storage point.
To this end I provide a number of endless guides, equal in number to the
characters represented in the machine and cach intended to sustain a group of
pendant dies bearing the same letter or character. Midway of their length, at
the points where the dies are held at rest thereon by escapement devices con-
nected with finger-keys, these guides are spread or separated horizontally in order
to permit the groups of dies to hang between them. From this point they are
carried downward in converging lines until they finally terminate in parallel
portions overlying each other in two vertical tiers, so that the dies may be
assembled in line between them, as in the previous machine.
At this point, however, the resemblance to the original machine ceases, and
according to the present invention I continue the guides to one side and thence
upward and rearward in two parallel tiers, so that the dies without disengage-
ment may be moved backward and upward between them to the rear end of the
machine. From the rear upper portion of the machine the guides are continued
downward in diverging lines to the points at which the dies are held in storage,
this divergence being for the purpose of separating or distributing the dies, which
join their respective groups at the rear thereof.
This arrangement of continuous guides converging from the middle toward the
front for the purposes of assemblage or composition and diverging from the rear
toward the middle for the purposes of distribution, enables me to construct a
very simple machine in which the assemblage or composition of one line of dies
may be carried on concurrently with the distribution of the dies forming the
preceding line.
I prefer to use as guides, tubes of rectangular form, having in one side a slot,
through which suitably formed hooks on the upper ends of the dies will be
engaged; but the sectional form of these guides does not form an essential part
of my invention.
For the purpose of carrying the line of dies from the point of assemblage upward
to the point where distribution occurs, I propose to use an endless chain, suitably
guided and carrying a finger, which sweeps the dies before it; but any equivalent
carrier may be employed.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which such parts only are represented as are necessary to enable my
invention to be understood.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the mechanism, a number of the finger-keys and
the escapements connected therewith being omitted in order to expose others to
view.
Figure 2 is a plan view, looking down obliquely on the top of the machine, with
the keyboard omitted to expose other parts to view.
Figure 3 is a side view of the machine, looking from the right, as indicated
by the arrow 3 in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 4 is a similar view, looking from the left side of the machine, as
indicated by the arrow 4 in Figures 1 and 2.

page_text: Figure 5 is a top plan view of two of the complementary guides, one on the
right and the other on the left, showing the manner in which they are extended
rearward in parallel lines in order to guide the dies between them toward the
point of distribution, the dies travelling always in the direction indicated by
the arrows thereon.
Figure 6 is a vertical cross section on the line 6-6 of Figures 1, 2 and 7, show-
ing more particularly the manner in which the guides diverge and converge and
the relation of the escapements or die releasing devices thereto.
Figure 7 is a vertical cross section on the line 7-7 of Figures 1, 2 and 6, show-
ing on an enlarged scale one of the escapements for releasing the dies one at a
time.
Figure 8 is a cross section on the line 8-8 of the Figure 7, showing the
manner in which the ways or guides are supported.
Figures 9 and 10 are cross sections on the line 9-9 of Figures 6 and 7, illus-
trating the manner in which the dies are held by the escapement and released
by its rotation.
Figure 11 is a vertical cross section through a number of the guides or ways,
showing their arrangement at different levels, between the storage point and
the assembling point.
Figure 12 is a top plan view, showing the distributor chain, its finger and the
guides around which it travels.
Figure 13 is a side view of the same, together with the guide rail for the finger,
and Figure 14 is a cross section on the line 14-14 of the two preceding figures.
Figure 15 is a vertical section on the line 15-15 of Figures 1 and 2, between
the rearwardly extending portions of the two series of guides, showing the manner
in which the dies are carried rearward and upward between them by the distribut-
ing finger.
Figure 16 is a vertical cross section on the line 16--16 of Figure 15, illustrat-
ing the manner in which the dies are suspended between the two tiers or series
of rearwardly extending guides in their course toward the point of distribution.
As the first step in the construction of this machine, I provide a series of dies A A
(see particularly Figures 6, 11, 15, 16), each consisting of a shank or stem
having a character or letter in or upon its lower end, as heretofore, and having
at the upper end a laterally extending hook or shank a, to engage with the sup-
porting guides. As in the previous machine, the dies bearing different characters
will be made of different lengths, so that although suspended from guides at
different heights or levels, their lower ends will align at a common level.
As the second step in the construction of the machine, I provide the series of
endless guides 13, such as shown particularly in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, equal in
number to the keys in the keyboard. In the preferred form these guides con-
sist each of a square tube of brass, steel or other suitable material, having a slot
or opening cut in one of its vertical sides to admit the shank of a die, so that the
latter may hang suspended therefrom. Each guide is made in one continuous or
unbroken length and the slot extended throughout its length, so that the sus-
pended dies may travel around and around in one direction the entire length
of the guide.
I mount these guides rigidly in a framework C, which may be of any suitable
All of the guides are inclined
form and construction adapted to sustain them.
downward from the rear of the machine toward the front, so that the dies tend
when released to descend by gravity to the front.
In the body of the machine the guides are arranged, as shown in Figure 5, to
converge downward and upward from a point midway of their length, where the
groups of dies are ordinarily held at rest, and which point I therefore term the
storage point.
The guides are deflected to the right and left of the central line in pairs, as
shown in Figure 5, in order to leave between them an open space in which the
dies hang suspended. Beginning at the middle of the machine, the guides to the

page_text: right and left stand at successively lower levels at the storage point, as shown
in Figures 6 and 11, in order that the dies on the successive guides may hang
freely from the guides without interference with each other. From the storage
point the guides, extending downward and forward, converge toward the middle
line, and at the lower ends they assume parallel positions, those on the right
being brought together in a vertical tier, one on top of another, while those on the
left are arranged in like manner, thus leaving between the lower ends of the
two series a vertical slot or space in which the dies are assembled, as indicated by
dotted lines in Figure 5. From this point the guides are carried to the right
and then extended upward and rearward and again carried to the left until they
reach the rear end of the machine, when they are returned in curved lines toward
the front and then carried downward and forward in diverging lines to the storage
point.
It will be observed that the guides extending rearward from the point of
assemblage are arranged in two vertical tiers, leaving between them a continuous
vertical opening or slot, through which the composed line of dies may be con-
veniently guided and carried backward. This composed line may consist of
dies some of which are suspended from the left-hand guides, and others from the
right-hand guides, as shown in Figure 15, but this fact does not in the least
interfere with their travel rearward and upward between the guides.
Adjacent to each guide at the storage point I amount on the main frame an
escapement device D, which may be of any form and construction adapted to
release one die at a time in order that it may pass down the guide to the assem-
blage point. In the form shown, the escapement consists of a vertical spindle, the
lower end of which is grooved on one side, as shown in Figures 7, 9 and 10, so that
when it is given a rotary oscillation it will receive the upper end of the forward
die in the group on the guide, as shown in Figure 10, and carry the same forward,
allowing it to pass freely down the guide, while holding the remainder of the
group in check. Each of these escapements is surrounded, as shown in Figure 7,
by a helical spring E, which tends to hold it in its normal position of rest.
the upper end the escapement is provided with a crank arm F, from which a wire G
is extended to the key-board and there connected to a finger-key H, as shown in
Figure 1. There is an escapement and finger-key connection for each of the
guides. In composing a line, the keys representing the desired characters are
operated in proper sequence. Each key actuates the corresponding escapement,
thereby allowing the die bearing the selected character to descend its guide to
the assemblage point. In this way the line is composed, essentially as in the
prior machine herein before referred to, between the lower ends of the guides.
At
In order to effect the distribution of the lines of dies, it must be carried bodily
upward along the rearwardly extending portion of the guides until it reaches the
rear end of the machine, from which point the dies descend by gravity down the
diverging guides to the rear ends of the groups thereon, at the place of storage.
For the purpose of thus transferring the line, I make use of a distributing
finger J (see Figures 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16), carried by an endless chain K which
is extended around the three guide wheels, L, M and N, suitably mounted in
the frame. These wheels are located, it will be observed, at the front and rear ends
of the machine and at the extreme right midway of its length, so that the chain
is caused to carry the finger downward along the centre line of the machine
between the right and left guides and against the rear end of the composed line
and thence downward, upward to the right between the parallel guides, until the
rear end of the machine is reached.
As an additional means of guiding the finger, I propose to fix rigidly to the
frame an endless guide rail 0 (see Figures 1, 2, 13, 14, 15 and 16), overlying the
chain and grooved in its side to receive anti-friction rollers P on the upper forked
end of the finger, which straddles the rail, as shown in the several figures.
It will be observed that in this manner the distributor finger is caused to
pursue a circulatory course, travelling centrally to the front through the machine,

page_text: 0
15
hind the composed line, and then sweeping the line rearward and upward per
and finally advancing again centrally behind the next line. It will be
served that the divergence of the guides from the rear end forward carries the
es to the right and left out of the path of the finger, which will be held at
st until the next line is composed before it on the lower ends of the guides.
The essence of the invention lies in the continuity of the guides carrying the
es, so that they may pursue a circulatory course through the machine, each
ie pursuing one path from the storage point to the point of assemblage and a
ifferent path in its return to the point of storage.
While the number of characters employed in the machine is usually so great
s to demand the use of two series of guides diverging to the right and left of
he median line, it is evident that in machines containing only a small number
f guides they may all diverge to one side of said line. Although I have shown
n the drawings the two series of guides returning rearward on one side of the
machine in parallel lines, it is manifest that the guides on each side may be
not recom-
carried rearward on the same side and independently of those on the opposite
side, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 5. but this arrangement
mended, as it necessitates the employment of two distributor fingers or carriers.
I prefer to make use of an endless chain and finger as a means of transferring
the dies to the rear, but it is to be understood that any other device which will
cause the proper travel of the dies along the guides is to be considered the
mechanical equivalent of the construction shown.
The word "dies" is used herein in a generic sense, as including both cameo
and intaglio dies.
While it is preferred, because of the simplicity and cheapness resulting there-
from, to arrange the guides in an inclined position, so that the dies will descend
by gravity during the distribution and composition, it is obvious that many of
the advantages attending the use of the continuous or endless guides can be
retained when the guides are arranged in a horizontal position. In such case,
however, it will of course be necessary to provide means for advancing the dies
along the guides during the course of composition and distribution.
"
continuous guide' as herein employed, is meant a guide
By the expression
over which the dies may travel from any given point in one direction, being
returned to said point without the interposition of intermediate supports or
carriers.
My invention includes guides of any form in cross section adapted to sustain
the dies, and arranged in any relation to each other, provided they converge to
one point for purposes of assemblage and diverge from another point for purposes
of distribution.
It is evident that the mere division of the guides at any point in their length,
although the two ends may be thrown slightly out of line, will not be a departure
from my invention or an avoidance of the claims herein, providing the construction
is such that the dies in their course may pass across the point of division from
one of the guides to the other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In apparatus for assembling and distributing type dies, an endless guide
along which the dies are caused to travel without becoming detached therefron
50 for the purposes specified.
2. The combination with a series of the endless inclined die sustaining guide
converging in opposite directions from the storage point, of escapement device
to release the dies one at a time for assemblage in a common line, and of mean
for advancing the assembled line of dies along the guides, preparatory to thei
55 distribution thereby.
3. The mechanism for assembling and distributing type dies having its par

page_text: constructed, arranged and combined to operate substantially as described" with "
reference to the accompanying drawings for the purposes specified.
Dated this 24th day of June 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.