Plates for Letter-press Printing
Year: 1888

page_text: Plates for Letter-press Printing
JAMES STENHOUSE SCOTT North End House, West Kensington, W Gentleman,
ALFRED CARROLL 89 Lewisham Road, London S E Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows
The object of this invention is to produce a matrix or mould for the casting of
stereotype plates for letter press printing
The machine consists of a circular disc or drum carrying round its edge rods of
steel or other metal At the lower end of the rods are types of various kinds
By the action of lever or cam moved by the foot or other motive power the
letter rods are pressed down into the matrix-plate, which may be made of any suitable
material
The letter-rod is brought back to its original position by a spring
A projection on the letter rod acts upon lever which distends a spring which in
succession on being released moves the matrix plate the distance required for the
letter last printed or for the space between two words or sentences
When one line has been stamped upon the matrix-plate, the plate is brought back
into position for commencing the next by hand or automatically
There is on the upper edge of the drum an arrangement by which the letter rod
when moved downwards projects, in a horizontal direction, a letter of the same kind
as there is at the end of the letter rod, against a cylinder carrying paper which would
receive an impression identical with that made upon the matrix-plate and which would
act as a 'proof'-This cylinder would be subject to the same movement as the matrix
plate, and the movement would be effected by the same means
the
The drum containing the letter rods already mentioned would work on an axis,
lower end of which would rest in a socket This axis would be projected upwards,
above the disc or drum, and there would be attached to it a hand-wheel for turning
7

page_text: the drum so as to bring the letters under the lever or cam as required
At the
extreme upper end of the axis and above the hand-wheel there is attached to it a
pointer which would be moved round the face of a disc fixed immediately beneath it
on which all the letters and signs engraved on the letter rods would be imprinted
London, 5th June 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improved Machine for the Formation of Matrices for Stereotype
Plates for Letter Press Printing
We JAMFS STENHOUSE SCOTT of North End House West Kensington in the
county of Middlesex Gentleman and ALFRED CAKBOLL of 89 Lewisham Road
Greenwich in the county of Kent 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
This invention for an improved machine for the formation of matrices for stereotype
plates for letter press printing relates to machines of that class in which vertical
sliding rods provided with letters or other characters are arranged around or near the
periphery of a horizontal disc or drum which is free to turn about its vertical axis SO
that any type rod may be brought underneath a plunger actuated by any convenient
means so as to depress the said type rod and force the character engraved on its lower
end into a prepared sheet of suitable material underneath, the impressions thus
obtained being subsequently employed for the reception of melted type metal for
forming stereotype plates, and in which a proof of the matrix so formed is printed
simultaneously with it, and consists essentially of improvements in the means for
actuating the type for printing the proof
and
In the accompanying three sheets of illustrative drawings
Fig 1 is a vertical section of the circular disc or drum for carrying the type rods
Fig 2 is a plan of the same
Fig 3 a vertical section through the periphery of the carrying disc shewing a
modified arrangement of type rods
Fig 4 18 a plan of a sliding table for carrying the matrix plate and
F

page_text: Fig 6 is an end elevation of the table top shewing the divided screw wheel
Figs 7 and 8 are vertical sections of the tables through plines at right angles
to one another respectively and Figs 9, 10 and 11 are front and side elevations
and a plan respectively shewing the general arrangement of machine constructed
according to our invention
A disc or drum 1 working on a pillar 2 secured to the frame 3 carries at or near
its periphery the main type rods 4 having engraved or otherwise formed on their
lower ends letters or other characters, each rod being retained in an elevated position
as shewn by the spring 5 acting on the lug 6 A second lug 7 works in a vertical
slot 8 in the periphery of the disc 1 which serves to prevent it turning On the
upper part of the rod 4 is an angular projection 9 which, as the rod descends acts
upon the bent lever 10 suspended from a projecting ledge 11 and forces the end 12
upwards thus carrying a small auxiliary type rod 13 forward and pressing the
auxiliary type against the roller 14 over which the paper receiving the proof
impression is passed The roller 14 is rotated a step at each impression by means of
suitable mechanism which is not shewn in the drawings When the impression type
rod 4 returns to its normal position the lever 10 and proof type rod 13 also return to
their initial positions by the action of gravity The lower ends of the mun type
rods pass through holes in the lower web of the disc 1 and their upper ends
slide in cover plates secured to the upper side of the periphery of the disc
The disc 1 is surmounted by a circular table 15 having a rim 16 for convenient
handling and a circular index scale corresponding with the various type characters
on the peripheral type rods The index pointer 17 is secured to the vertical pillar 2
It will be obvious that by turning the table 15 until the pointer 17 coincides with
the required character on the index scale, the corresponding type required will be in
a proper position for depression
The impression type rods 4 are depressed when in position by a vertical sliding
bolt 18 actuated by the foot through the treadle lever 19, the rod 20, levers 21, 22,
and link- 23 24 25 as clearly shewn the combination being returned to and maintained
in its normal arrangement by the counterweight 26
In order that the disc 1 may occupy an absolutely definite position during the
depression of any type rod there are formed on the underside of its periphery a series
of indentations 27 corresponding in number and position with the type rod divisions
and one of which when the disc is roughly adjusted by hand to the index engages
with a projecting tooth 28 attached to i trigger lever 29 which thus effectually locks
the disc in the position required until the trigger is again released by the operator
tefore turning the disc for a fresh adjustment
The plate or sheet 30 on which the matrix is to be formed is secured to the table
plate 31 working on the slides 32 and its traverse is regulated by the screw 36
working in a nut 34 on the underside of the said table Secured to the screw 33 is a
disc 35 having indentations 36 with which a pawl or detent 37 engages and by means
of which the step by step advance of the table corresponding with the distance between
two lines of type is accurately effected The table 31 is also traversed in a
transverse direction (corresponding with the direction of the line of t, pe impression)
on slides 38 secured to the main frame 3, the forward motion being effected
automatically in the following manner
On the end of the screw 39 18 secured pinion 40 gearing with a spur wheel 41
secured to a ratchet wheel 42 rotating on the spindle 43, and engaging with the
ratchet 42 is a pawl 44 connected to the lever 45 secured to a spindle 46 working in
the bracket 47 and on the remote end of which is a tappet lever 48 The combination
is held in its normal position by the spring 49 acting on the lever 50 which abuts
against the stop 51
When a type rod 4 is depressed for the purpose of impressing a character into the
matrix, the tappet arm 7 strikes the lever 48 and depresses it, its motion being
communicated through the lever 45 pawl 44 and ratchet and toothed wheels 42, 41 40
to the screw 39 operating the table 31 By varying the position of the tappet arm 7
on the type rod 4, the travel of the lever 48 is varied, and consequently the length of

page_text: iny step of the traverse of the table is thus made to correspond with the length of the
particular character impressed When a line of impressions is completed the table is
wound back by means of the handle 52
In the modification shewn in fig 3 the lever 1 and type rod 13 shewn in Fig 1
are dispensed with the proof type boing attached directly to an arm 13 projecting
from the main type rod 4 and pressing directly upon the proof roller which is placed
beneath it for that purpose
The wheel is rotated after each impression so as to print
in a continuous line
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
-
In a machine for the formation of matrices for letter press printing
1 The arrangement of apparatus for simultaneously printing off a proof consisting
in irranging auxiliary type rods to slide in the periphery of the disc carrying the
main type rod and connecting each auxiliary type rod with the corresponding main
type rod by a lever so that when man type rod is depressed to make an impression
the corresponding auxiliary type is forced on to the paper on which the proof is to be
printed substantially as described
2 The arrangement of apparatus for simultaneously printing off a proof consisting
in rigidly connecting a corresponding auxiliary type to the main type rod in such a
manner that when main type rod is depressed to make an impression the
corresponding auxiliary type is forced on to the paper on which the proof is to be
printed substantially as described
3 The arrangement and construction of a machine for the formation of matrices
for stereotype plates for letterpress printing substantially as described with reference
to the drawings
Dated this 2nd day of Anvil 1880
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
156, Strand, London, WC,
Agents