Improvements in and connected with Linotype Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Linotype Machines.
We, WILLIAM HENRY LOCK, Manager and Secretary of The Linotype Com-
pany Limited, of No. 188, Fleet Street, in the City of London, FRANK CUTTRISS
DOLBY and WILLIAM TATTERSALL, of The Linotype Works, Broadheath, in the
County of Chester, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
The present invention relates to improvements in linotype machines and is
more especially applicable to the Mergenthaler linotype machine. The salient
features of this latter are fully described in the Specification of Letters Patent
14582 of 1890.
The first part of the said invention relates to improvements in the mechanism
for releasing the space bars, one by one, from their magazine, and dropping
them into the delivery shoot. It consists in a device adapted to make that
mechanism adjustable in respect of its reach, so as to enable it to deal with space
bars of different thicknesses. The releasing mechanism is of the rocking sector
type. Its axis is across the magazine, so that it always presents its front edge
Hitherto
to the space bars as they slide down a pair of inclined rails towards it.
the axis above mentioned has had only the rocking motion, so that if space bars
of a different thickness come to be used, the sector device was placed at a con-
siderable disadvantage in dealing with them for the reason that its reach was
not adjustable.
According to the present invention, the axle of the sector device is connected
with an eccentric pin or similar piece. The latter turns in the magazine frame
and is fitted for that purpose with a suitable handle or equivalent device which
presents itself in front of the magazine. The turning of the eccentric has the
effect of moving the axis of the sector device (and consequently its front edge)
nearer to or away from the point at which the front space bar stops.
was
The second part of the invention relates to improvements in the cam mechanism
In that specifi-
described in the Specification of Letters l'atent 24605 of 1894.
cation, the connecting rod from each finger lever of the key board to the
in two pieces. These
respective trigger of the matrix magazine,
two pieces were connected by a combination of lever pivotted at one end,
a cam eccentrically pivotted on the said lever, and a pawl adapted to hold
the lever up or to let it drop, according as to whether the finger lever was at
rest or was depressed by the operator. If it was depressed, the lower piece of
the connecting rod rocked the pawl from under the pivotted lever, the cam dropped
upon a roller constantly revolving about a fixed axis and which turned the cam
about its axis once, thereby swinging the free end of the lever up and making it
push the other piece of the connecting rod far enough to make it actuate the
respective trigger. The cam was fitted with a radially projecting spring pin
adapted to act as a stop for the cam at the end of each of its revolutions. The
pawl was a flat one, cranked to a right angle, the pivot passing through the bend.
According to the present invention, the top rear end of the pawl is prolonged
towards the pivot of the cam and past its edge so as to stand in the path of a

page_text: stud projecting laterally from the heaviest part of the cam.
This stud engages
with the top of the said prolongation at the proper moment to stop the cam.
The top of the prolongation is bent to form a clear way for the stud as it is
carried round by the cam.
Dated this 9th day of September 1898.
Improvements in and connected with Linotype Machines.
We, WILLIAM HENRY LOCK, Manager and Secretary of The Linotype Com-
pany Limited, of No. 188, Fleet Street, in the City of London, FRANK CUTTRISs.
DOLBY and WILLIAM TATTERSALL, both of the Linotype Works, Broadheath, in
the County of Chester, Engineers, 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 linotype machines and is
more especially applicable to the Mergenthaler linotype machine. The salient
features of this latter are fully described in the Specification of Letters Patent
14582 of 1890.
The first part of the said invention relates to improvements in the mechanism
for releasing the space bars one by one from their magazine and dropping them
into the delivery shoot; and the second part of it relates to improvements in the
eam mechanism described in the Specifications of Letters Patent 24603 and
24605 of 1894.
Referring to the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as part of
this specification and read therewith,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the top of a space bar magazine to which the
first part of the present invention has been applied:
Figure 2, a plan corresponding therewith:
Figure 3, a side elevation shewing the cam engaged by the pawl according to
the second part of the invention;
Figure 4, a side elevation shewing the position which the parts assume as
soon as the pawl has been disengaged from the cam:
Figure 5, a front elevation corresponding with Figure 3 but without the
connecting rod; and Figure 6, a plan corresponding with Figure 3 and also
without the connecting rod.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, K is the space bar magazine and the delivery
shoot from it to the assembly box. Zare the space bars hanging by their
shoulders from the top rails 18 of the magazine K and down which they
slide by gravity, till the shoulders of the leading one bear against the arc
shaped edges of a pair of sectors held together by a bush 27 turning upon
a shaft the journals of which are concentric with the said edges 26 and turn
in bearings in lugs 24 projecting from the top rails 18. The bottom end of the
first space bar rests against a shoulder 7. The edge of each sector 19 has a
notch in it large enough to receive a shoulder 2, the two notches being
aligned with each other. 12 is a connecting rod having its top end bent round
the bar which extends from one sector 19 to the other, and its opposite end
to a key lever not shown in the figures and by which the said rod is raised cach
time a space bar Z is to be taken from the magazine K. 21 is a returning spring
pulling on the pair of sectors from a fixed point on the magazine K. 2 is
a pin passed through the extensions 12+ and an arcual slot 29 in each sector k¹9

page_text: to steady their motion. The sector edges 26 are concentric with the shaft
and stand close up to the open side of the magazine K. The notches 20 are so
positioned in those edges, that so long as the rod 12 is not raised, they stand
lower than the shoulders 2 of the leading space bar Z but when the said rod
is raised by the depression of its key lever against the pull of the spring ", the
said notches 20 first stand opposite the said shoulders 2 (which then slide into
them), and then lift the space bar clear of the shoulder . When the rod kis
is pulled down, the sectors 19 are returned into the position illustrated in the
figures, as much of the edges 26 as then stands above the rails 18 holding back
the remaining space bars, while the one whose shoulders 2 were held by the said
sectors, drops down the shoot k. It is obvious that the notches 20 may not be
larger than suffices to receive one pair of shoulders at once, and that conse-
quently any pair of sectors notched and mounted as above described, can deal
only with space bars of a given size and having shoulders 22 of a certain
thickness.
The object of this part of the present invention is to make the sectors capable
of dealing with space bars differing in the thickness of their shoulders 22, and
it consists in interposing an eccentric between the shaft and the bush, by
which the edges can be moved away from the magazine K so as to allow the
thicker shoulders of stronger space bars to be engaged by the notches 20.
130 is an enlargement of the shaft, circular in transverse section and eccentric
to that shaft. The bush fits that eccentric. 1 is a winch handle fast upon
the front end of the shaft . It is resilient so that a stud 2 on the back of
its outer end, may automatically engage in one of a series of holes in the
front of the magazine K to hold the sector edges at their desired distance
from the open mouth of the magazine K, and to prevent that distance being
altered by the reciprocating motion of the bush upon the shaft ³.
The eccentric enlargement may be a sleeve turning on the shaft, and
projecting through the front lug 2, the handle being made fast on that
end instead of upon the front end of the shaft.
Referring to Figures 3 to 6, it is to be noted that according to the mechanism
described in the above mentioned Specifications of the Letters Patent 24603
and 24605 of 1894, the motion of a finger key on its pivot when depressed by
the operator to release a matrix, is not communicated to the escapement by the
connecting rod direct. That rod is in two parts, the lower one E being con-
nected to the respective finger key and the top end of the other part E, to the
escapement which controls the delivery mouth of the respective matrix groove
in the magazine. The escapement and finger keys are omitted from the said
figures because they are not affected by the present invention. There is com-
bined with each part E of a connecting rod, a lever E that carries a cam E6
pivotted upon a transverse and horizontal axis E and turning within a slot
in the lever E, that slot being longer than the cam E is wide. Each lever is
pivotted at 2 on a horizontal rod supported by the main frame of the machine.
The opposite end of each lever E' is held up in a certain position, viz., at a short
distance below the bottom end of the part E, by one arm of a pivotted dog or
bell crank lever E3, the opposite arm of which is engaged with the part of
the connecting rod. There is a cam E, a lever E and a dog E3 to each con-
necting rod E, and they are arranged for the sake of compactness in two rows,
one on each side of the row of connecting rods. A roller constantly rotating
in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figures 3 and 5, extends under each
row of cams E6, a short distance separating it from the cams above so long as
they are held up by the respective levers E¹. The depression of a finger key
rocks the bottom arm of the bell crank lever up, and the nose of the top one
under the above mentioned slot in the respective lever E. The weight of the
cam E and lever E¹ drops the latter over the top arm of the lever and the
cam on to the roller e¹. The motion of the latter rotates the cam E6, their
engagement being facilitated by the toothed portion E of the cam periphery

page_text: and the rubber covering of the roller e¹, and its eccentricity lifts the free end
of the lever E for a corresponding and definite distance, that distance being just
as much as is necessary to make the part E actuate the respective escapement.
As a cam is completing its rotation, the bell crank lever returns auto-
matically to its normal supporting position under the respective lever E¹, by
which motion the cam E is once more lifted off the roller e and held up
above it, the rotary motion of the cam being then stopped by a suitable stop.
The object of this second part of the present invention is to provide an im-
proved stop. Accordingly the top arm of the pivotted dog E3 has incorporated
with it, a prolongation E27 of it which prolongation extends in the direction
of the axis of the cam E6 but stops short of that to present its nose E in and
across the path of a stud 10 which projects laterally from the heavier or
eccentric half of the said cam. The prolongation E stands away from the side
of the cam E far enough to allow of the stud E being carried past it, while the
nose 29 of it is cranked towards the cam side. The side of the cam slot in the
lever E may be cut away to the extent clearly shewn in Figures 3 and 5, to
make room for the prolongation E27, its nose E, and the stud 10
. This part of the invention acts as follows. As long as the dog E3 holds the
lever E up, so long does the nose stand under the stud E30 and prevents
the weight of the front half of the cam turning the latter on its axis E28, thereby
acting as a stop, as shewn particularly in Figure 3. As soon as the operator
depresses the finger key, the rod Et is raised, the top end of the dog E3 rocked
back under the slot in the lever E' and the nose E29 behind the stud 30 so that
the latter is carried downwards in front of it and under it and between the pro-
longation and the cam E6. The finger key is immediately released and the
rod E returned automatically whereby the nose E2 is rocked into its operative
position the one illustrated in Figure 3-before the stud E comes up.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. The combination in the mechanism for releasing and delivering the space
bars of a Mergenthaler linotype machine, of notched sectors; a shaft upon which
they turn; and an adjustable eccentric interposed between the said shaft and
the sectors as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination in the mechanism for releasing and delivering the space
bars of a Mergenthaler linotype machine, of notched sectors; a shaft upon which
they turn; an adjustable eccentric interposed between the said shaft and the
sectors; and a device for adjusting the position of the eccentric with reference
to the notched edges of the sectors, as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In the ecapement mechanism of a linotype machine, the combination of
cam carried by a pivotted lever and adapted by contact with a continuously
rotating roller to transfer motion in an increased ratio of length from one part
of the connecting rod to another thereof; pivotted dog adapted to support or to
drop the pivotted lever; stud projecting laterally from the heavier half of the
said cam; and prolongation of the said dog adapted, when the respective finger
key is released by the operator, to be rocked into the path of the said stud and
to thereby stop the cam.
7
300
CHAS. S. WOODROFFE,
Fel. Ch. Inst. P.A., 188, Fleet Street, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.