Improvements in the Moulds of Linotype and analogous Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 11th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Moulds of Linotype and analogous
Machines.
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED, of No. 6, Serjeant's Inn, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Sole Manufacturers, Vendors and Licensors under the
"Linotype" Patents, and WILLIAM FLETCHER of Mercers Buildings, Endell
Street, Long Acre, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to improvements in the moulds of linotype and
analogous machines, and the object of it is to simplify the work of altering the
size of the mould according to the desired alteration in the length of the next
linotype.
In the linotype machine, for instance, the mould consists of two parallel bars
held apart and having the intermediate space, at the same time closed at both
ends by two liners, one of which latter is fixed permanently, and the other
removably, in position. The work of substituting another liner, longer or
shorter as the desired length of the next linotype may require, for the removable
one then in the mould, has hitherto required the services of a skilled fitter.
According to the present invention, the alteration in the length of the mould can
be effected by the linotype operator.
In carrying the invention into effect, there is provided a fixed block at the end
of the mould where the alterations are to be made, the top of which block is on a
level with one side of the mould, thereby making the said top serve as a table or
base upon which can slide to and fro, a special liner long enough for all alterations.
A suitable guide is fixed upon the said table or base and the special liner slotted or
grooved or otherwise adapted to engage with the guide in such a way that it shall
be incapable of any motion other than a longitudinal one in either direction and
aligned with the length of the mould.
Holes are drilled through the special liner, at specified distances along the
length of it. The distance between any two holes-centre to centre-is equal to
the smallest regular alteration which may be desired. A set screw is passed
through one of the said holes into a single hole in the block. The positions of the
series of holes and the single hole with the set screw engaging in it may be
reversed.
For finer alterations than those described above, there is provided a set screw
working through a lug on the end of the block in a line with the length of the
mould and engaging with the outer end of the special liner.
Dated this 11th day of February 1894
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in the Moulds of Linotype and analogous
Machines.
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED, of No. 6 Serjeant's Inn, Fleet
Street, in the City of London, Sole Licensors, Manufacturers, and Vendors under
the "Linotype" Patents, and WILLIAM FLETCHER of Mercers Buildings, Endell
Street, Long Acre, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, 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 :-
The present invention relates to improvements in the moulds of linotype and
analogous machines, and the object of it is to improve the adjustable type of
moulds.
The actual mould-block cf a linotype machine, as the latter is made at the
present time under Patents granted to Ottmar Mergenthaler, consists of four pieces
held together in a way proper for producing a mould-block having a central or
mould-cavity through it, of a definite length and sized in all its dimensions to those
of the body of the linotype. The said four pieces are a top and a bottom piece
having their opposite faces truly parallel and as wide as the depth of the linoty pe
body, and two distance pieces of the same width as the top and bottom pieces
and as thick as the linotype body. The top and bottom pieces are made fast
together, face to face, with the distance pieces between them flush, as to their
sides and outer ends, with the respective ends of the mould-block, thus framing
the central or mould-cavity last mentioned between them. These distance pieces
are hereinafter referred to as "liners." The above mentioned mould-block is
bolted to the face of a wheel known as a mould-wheel, each revolution of which
provides for the presence of the above mentioned mould-cavity between the
assembled matrices on the one side and the casting mechanism on the other, in
time for the casting operation. One jaw of the vice which holds the line of
assembled matrices and space bars, is constantly forced by a spring towards its
fellow jaw, the two being thereby adapted to close upon a line of natrices of any
length, either the maximum or a shorter one. When the line of matrices is a
short one, the movable jaw is pushed in front of the moulu-cavity, the edge of
the resulting linotype being without printing characters for a distance equal to
the overlap of the mould-cavity by the movable jaw then in front of it. But this
movability of one jaw towards the other, does not provide for any variation of the
linotypes in respect of their length. When, therefore, linotypes shorter than the
maximum length of the mould cavity, are required to be made in any particular
linotype machine having a mould-block of the usual construction, it has hitherto.
been necessary to substitute a mould-block having a mould-cavity of the desired
length, in place of the one then on the mould-wheel. Each demand for a change
in the length of the linotype, has necessitated the removal from the mould-wheel
of the mould-block then on it, and the fixation of another in its place.
It was to enable the operator of the machine to meet the demand indicated in
the preceding paragraph, in a better way, that the adjustable type of mould-
block was invented. The distinguishing feature of this type, is the longitudinal
adjustability of one of the liners with respect to the other, to which are added
a fixed scale of lengths by which the desired length of mould can be assured, and a
locking device by which the adjustable liner can be locked in the desired position
between the top and bottom pieces of the mould-block.
The present invention consists in an improved embodiment of the above
described adjustability of liner; and it offers two practical advantages, one of
which is the small cost of applying it to ordinary, i.e., non-adjustable mould-blocks,

page_text: the other being a practical immunity from breakage of the locking device during
the act of re-adjustment.
It must be borne in mind that the adjustability in question, can be applied only
to mould-blocks of less than the maximum length, for the reason that in the case of
a mould-block of the last mentioned length, there is not room, longitudinally, on
the mould-wheel, for such adjustability: that as the rear face of the mould-block
and the front face of the casting mechanism must be in contact over their entire
area during the operation of casting, there must be a cavity clear through the body
of the wheel, large enough to pass the rear face of the largest mould-block of the
series from which the mould-wheel in question, is served; and further, that as a
short length mould-block would leave a portion of this cavity uncovered, a fixed
supplementary block of the same section as the mould-block but solid, has been
used to fill up such portion.
In carrying the invention into effect, there is provided a fixed block at the end
of the mould-block where the alterations are to be made, the top of which fixed
block is on a level with one side-the bottom face-of the mould-cavity, thereby
making the said top serve as a table or base upon which can slide to and fro, a
special liner long enough for all alterations. A suitable guide is fixed upon the
said table or base; and the special liner, slotted or grooved or otherwise adapted
to engage with the guide in such a way that it shall be incapable of any motion
other than a longitudinal one in either direction, is aligned with the length of the
mould.
The scale of distances according to which the said holes-centre to centre-are
set, corresponds with that of the possible alterations in the length of mould-
cavity.
The locking device for holding the above mentioned special liner in its adjusted
position, consists of one or more set screws, pins, or bolts, working in suitable
sockets in the fixed block above mentioned, and adapted to engage in one or more
of the holes in the special liner.
The relative position of the locking devices and the sockets may be reversed
without going outside the present invention, but we prefer the one just described.
For finer alterations than those described above, there is provided a set screw
working through a lug on the end of the block in a line with the length of the
mould-cavity, and engaging with the outer end of the special liner.
Referring to the accompanying drawings
:-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a mould wheel having an improved mould fitted
to one of its cavities :
Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1:
Figure 3 is a sectional plan taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1:
Figure 4 is a plan, to a double scale, of the bottom piece of the block, the fixed
block and the fixed liner :
Figure 5 is a front elevation of the special liner:
Figure 6 is a plan thereof:
Figure 7 is an end elevation of the same, from the left hand :
Figure 8 is a transverse section on the line 8-8 of Figure 6:
Figure 9 is a front elevation, and Figure 10, a plan, of the closing block of the
bolt chamber.
Figure 11 is a front elevation of a modification of the invention, detached from
the mould-wheel.
A is the mould-wheel. a is the bush by which it is mounted upon a stud capable
of a reciprocating linear motion to and from the line of assembled matrices already
referred to. a' is the toothed periphery of the wheel by which it is rotated about
its axis, as the consecutive operations of casting and trimming the linotype, require.
a², a², a², a² are four holes through the wheel parallel with its axis, about which
they are symmetrically arranged with reference to the bush a. Their function is
to fit over studs projecting towards them from the front of the linotype machinė,

page_text: for the purpose of holding the mould-wheel immovable in either of its fixed
positions. A cavity clear through the body of the wheel A has been already
described as necessary to pass the rear face of the largest mould-block. Of these,
there may be two, a³, a³ on opposite sides of the wheel. B is the top piece;
and C, the bottom piece of the mould-block. D is the fixed liner between
the pieces B and C on the right hand of E, the mould cavity. e, e are the
screws by which the pieces B and C are held together. b is a steadying flange;
and 61, 6', holding screws, by which the mould-block is held to the mould-
wheel A.
The foregoing parts are of the same construction as in the non-adjustable mould-
block.
Z is the improved fixed block; and G, the special or improved adjustable liner.
These two, together with the locking device for the liner, constitute the only
subject matter of the present invention.
In the non-adjustable mould-block, the liner complementary to the liner D,
.e., the one closing the mould-cavity E on the left hand, is a counterpart of it
both as to shape and mode of fixation between the top and bottom pieces B
and C. Further, the fixed supplementary block which used to cover the before
mentioned uncovered portion of the cavity a³, had the same vertical section as the
combined top and bottom pieces B and C. Now the application of the present
invention to a mould-wheel equipped with a non-adjustable mould-block, does not
necessitate throwing away either the present mould-block or the present fixed
block. The only part of the present non-adjustable mould-block which must
according to the present invention be discarded is the fixed liner at the left
hand end of the mould-cavity E-hence its absence from the accompanying
figures.
The top of the block Z is in the same plane as the top of the bottom piece C,
thereby providing a suitable table or base for the special liner to slide to and fro
upon, and one adapted also to carry the locking device. Such suitable table or
base is readily made on an old fixed block by planing it down.
Of course, new top and bottom pieces B and C and fixed liner D may be made
to receive the present invention, and so also may a new fixed block Z, detached
from or in one piece with the bottom piece C, without the completed improvement
being outside the present invention; but in actual practice, such a procedure in
dealing with a linotype machine equipped with non-adjustable mould-blocks, would
not be availing oneself of the full advantage of the present invention.
G is the adjustable liner. It is as wide as the pieces B and C are thick, and of
the same external contour, as heretofore, being oblong with a projecting corner g
opposite and capable of co-operating with the corresponding projecting corner d¹ of
the fixed liner D. 9' is a slot in the said liner. It is aligned with the sides of it.
H is a stud standing up from the top face of the bottom piece C. The slot g¹ and
the said stud are respectively dimensioned and positioned for the latter to engage
in the former, to keep the motion of the slider aligned with the direction of the
mould-cavity E, and also to serve as a stop for the liner at both ends of its
motion.
i, i are vertical holes through the liner G. They are of equal diameter and
distance apart, and stand in front of the slot g¹, being aligned between it and the
front edge of the liner, parallel with both; and extend from near the left
hand end of the liner to past the centre of it, or farther than that if desired.
The following locking device is the one which we propose to use in combination
with a special liner G having the series of holes i, i. j, are two locking bolts
working in vertical sockets in the bottom piece C. They stand side by side, a
horizontal line through their axes being parallel with that through the centres
of the holes i, i. Each bolt is provided with a spring adapted to project its
nose above the top surface of the bottom piece C, and a stud j³ presenting to
the front through a slot * and an opening in the front face of the

page_text: bottom piece C. The studs are of a proper type to provide for the respective
bolts being independently withdrawn from the hole i in which either is engaged for
the time being.
k is a scale of distances set out upon the front face of the bottom piece C, along
its top edge, and reading from the right hand to the left. A unitary distance on
the scale illustrated in Figures 1 and 9, corresponds with that between the centres
of any two adjacent holes i, i. The distance between the axes of the two bolts j.j
is half as much more. Consequently, the adjustable liner G is locked by only one
bolt at a time, the other one being ready to engage in the next hole i and lock the
liner at half a unitary distance, one bolt locking at whole scale distances and the
other at half scale distances.
It will be observed that according to the construction of the locking device just
described, the collection of dust in the sockets of the bolts j, j', and consequent
clogging of the springs 1, 2, is more than probable. To obviate such collection
and fouling, I may provide an accessible cavity in the block Z about the bottom
ends of the bolts and the springs and combine with it, a removable closing block z.
This has the shape of an inverted T in elevation, the central leg, 1, being adapted
to stand up between the said bolt ends and springs, having one of each on each side
of it. When the closing block is in position, its head 2 stands flush, or nearly
so, with the bottom face of the block Z, in which position it is held by any suitable
device, such as an ordinary set screw passed into it through the front portion of
the said block.
2
The object of the modified locking device illustrated in Figure 11, is to provide
for finer adjustabilities than can be effected by the combination of holes in series
and the pair of alternately acting bolts described in connection with Figures 1 to 10.
It cousists in the combination with the adjustable liner G, of a nut / fast on the
outer end of it and an adjusting screw engaging in the said nut and adapted to
turn in bearings, one in the end of the top piece B and the other in a lug 2 fast on
the left hand end of the improved bottom piece C. The position of the bearings is
such as to hold the screw parallel with the direction of the motion of the adjustable
liner G. The screw has only one motion in its bearings, to wit, a rotary one about
its own axis, any tendency to linear motion in the direction of such axis, being
prevented by collars 13 fast on the screw immediately outside the block 12 and on
each side of it. is a square by which the screw i can be readily turned by a
suitable key. Figure 11 further illustrates the embodiment of our invention with
a new bottom piece C and a new fixed block in one piece, an old top piece B and
fixed liner D.
Attention has already been directed to the small cost of applying the present
invention to non-adjustable moulds, as one of the practicable advantages of it.
The second advantage is a result of the strength of the locking devices. A
locking device for an adjustable liner, consisting of a spring arm fast by one end
to the liner and carrying a finger on its other end adapted to engage in any
one of a series of indentations on the block, has already been proposed. But,
experience with such device has shown that the spring arm is very liable to snap
under the strain to which it is subjected when it is disengaged from the indeuta-
tion, unless such disengagement be effected with the greatest care. This liability
to fracture is a serious drawback to the practical utility of the adjustable mould
in question, seeing that the fracture of the spring arm locking device will render
the mould useless.
Neither of the locking devices which the present invention makes use of, have in
their construction, any of the brittleness of a spring arm-their locking bolts are
solid, direct acting and non-elastic.
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 of the fixed block or lateral extension of the bottom piece

page_text: of a linotype mould, forming a table or base for the adjustable liner, with or
without a scale of distances, an adjustable liner G and the locking device con-
sisting of the bolts j, j and springs, with or without the removable block Z,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. The combination of a fixed block or lateral extension of the bottom piece
of a linotype mould, forming a table or base for the adjustable liner, with or
without a scale of distances, and an adjustable liner provided with an adjusting
and locking screw, substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. The combination of either of the locking devices herein before described with
the adjustable liner of a linotype mould-block.
Dated this 11th day of December 1895.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.