Improvements in and connected with the Key Board Mechanism of Linotype Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13tn Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 13th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1897
[Communicated from abroad by THE NATIONAL TYPOGRAPHIC COMPANY
(a Company organized under the laws of the State of West Virginia), having
its principal places of business at Washington, D.C., and New York City,
United States of America.]
Improvements in and connected with the Key Board Mechanism of
Linotype Machines.
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED, of No. 6 Serjeants' Inn, Fleet
Street, in the City of London, Sole Proprietors of and Manufacturers, Vendors
and Licensors, under the "Linotype" Patents, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in and connected with the key board
mechanism of linotype machines and consists in improvements on the mechanisms
described in the Specifications of Letters Patent 24603 1894 and 24605 1894. The
object of it is to permit of the ready removal and substitution of operative parts
without the risk of allowing the other parts falling out of position.
According to the present invention, the lower extremity of each of the escape-
ment rods by which the triggers of the matrix escapements are actuated, stands
over one end of a lever which has its pivot outside the rank, either to the front or
to the rear, of said rods. These levers are arranged in banks and have their
fulcra in their outer ends. Each lever has a longitudinal slot in it, in which slot a
cam is pivotted on a transverse axis passed through the slot from one side of the
lever to the other. Under each row of cams, there is a constantly rotating roller
at a sufficient distance from them to clear them when all are in their normal
position. Each lever is held up in a nearly horizontal position by a bell crank
lever applied as a support to the underside of it, whereby a radial notch in the
longer projection of the cam, being the one then uppermost, embraces a stop
hanging from a fixed point. The pawl and stop between them keep the cam off
the roller and prevent it from rotating. The opposite end of the bell crank lever
engages a short vertical rod standing immediately under the respective escapement
rod and with which the respective finger key lever is connected as heretofore.
When the finger key lever is depressed, the short vertical rod rocks the bell
crank lever out of the slotted lever which then drops, its cam leaving the hanging
stop and dropping with its shorter projection on to the constantly rotating roller.
The latter rotates the cam, in the proper direction to bring a projection of a
gradually increasing length upon it, thereby swinging the slotted lever up on its
fulcrum and raising the escapement rod accordingly. The usual returning springs
are provided.
Heretofore, the slots in the frame in which the outer ends of the slotted levers
have their fulcra, were open at the lower side so that when the pivot rods (which
provide the said fulcra) were withdrawn, the said levers would fall out of position.
This led to much trouble and caused delay in assembling the parts. According to
the present invention, the outer ends of the slotted levers are passed through slots
in vertical and stationary plates. These slots run out through the top edge of the
plates. The latter carry lugs adapted to receive and support the pivot rods.

page_text: This arrangement of slots provides for any one or more levers being inserted,
removed or substituted individually from the top, and for all the others of that
bank remaining in position during the time occupied by such insertion, removal, or
substitution.
Dated this 13th day of February 1896.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in and connected with the Key Board Mechanism of
Linotype Machines.
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED, late of No. 6 Serjeants' Inn, but
now of No. 188 Fleet Street, in the City of London, Sole Proprietors of, and
Manufacturers, Vendors, and Licensors under, the "Linotype" Patents, 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 improvements in and connected with the keyboard
mechanism of linotype machines. The object of it is to permit of the ready
removal and substitution of the operative parts without there being incurred the
risk of the other parts falling out of position. The invention itself consists in
improvements in the mechanisms described in the Specifications of Letters
Patent 24603 1894 and 24605 1894.
Referring to the accompanying figures :-
Figure 1 is a vertical cross section through the key-board mechanism.
Figure 2 is a detail side elevation looking at Figure 1 in the direction indicated
by the single headed arrow in the latter figure.
Figure 3 is a view of the slotted plate detached.
The several parts illustrated are indicated by the same reference letters as are
used in the Specification 246031894 above mentioned.
E is one of a series of escapement rods by which are actuated the triggers of
the matrix escapements. The bottom end of each rod stands immediately over
one end of a lever F. The latter has its fulcrum in a fixed pivot rod f which is
passed through its opposite or outer end. Each lever F carries in a central slot,
a cam J turning on a horizontal pivot carried by the said lever. There are two
banks of levers extending across the width of the machine, those in cne bank end
on to and alternating those in the other. Under each bank, there is a constantly
rotating elastic roller K. Each lever is held in a normally elevated position by a
pivotted pawl G, so that its cam J, prevented from rotating by a stop-pin L, is
also prevented from touching the said roller. When the respective pawl G is
rocked on its pivot by means of a finger key and connections, the respective lever F
falls until its cam J contacts with the roller K under it. The latter rotates the
cam in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, whereby the lever F is
lifted above its initial or normal position-the one illustrated in Figure 1-and the
rod E is pushed up. The above mentioned parts so far as described, are constructed
and arranged to operate as described in Specification 24603 1894.
Heretofore the outer ends of the levers F and their pivot rods have been
mounted in slots in frame-plates, the slots being open at their lower ends, so that
when the pivot rods have been withdrawn to permit of the removal of the
levers F, as is occasionally necessary, there has been a risk of the said levers
falling out of position. This falling out of position caused much trouble and delay

page_text: in re-adjusting them. The present invention is intended to prevent the risk above
mentioned, by providing for the levers in question being held in position when the
pivot rods fare withdrawn, so that they-the levers-may be inserted or removed
quickly and safely. To this end, there are now provided plates M, which are fixed
to the machine frame. They are slotted in their upper edges to receive the outer
ends of the levers F, so that when the latter are placed in position, they will be
supported there independently of the pivot rods f.
The plates M are provided with lugs m. These latter are adapted to receive
and support the respective pivot rod f, and as the perforation in all of a series are
aligned with each other, the respective bank of levers F, may, after being placed
in position, be pivotted there by the passage through their ends and the lugs m, of
a single rod of the necessary length. The lugs m may be replaced by any
equivalent, but we consider that they constitute a convenient and suitable device
for their purpose.
The above described arrangement of slots provides for any one or more levers.
being individually inserted, removed, or substituted, from the top; and for all the
others of that bank remaining in position during the time occupied by such insertion,
removal, or substitution, as the case might be.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The combination with the keyboard mechanism of a linotype machine having
levers for actuating the triggers of the matrix escapements, of slotted plates
adapted to support the outer ends of the said levers independently of their pivot
rods as hercin described.
2. The combination with the keyboard mechanism of a linotype machine having
levers for actuating the triggers of the matrix escapements, of slotted plates adapted
to support the outer ends of the said levers and having lugs adapted to receive
and support the respective pivot rod as herein described.
Dated this 13th day of November 1896.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.