IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TYPES, SPACES AND QUADRATS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Wirth, of the firm of Wirth and Company Patent
Solicitors at Frankfort on the Main, in the Empire of Germany for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TYPES,
SPACES AND QUADRATS a communication from John Mair Hepburn a person
resident at Frankfort on the Main and the firm of Bauer'sche Giesserei also of
Frankfort on the Main both in the Empire of Germany.
"
3..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION. left by the said Frank Wirth at, the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st May 1883.
FRANK WIRTH of the firm of Wirth and Company, Patent Solicitors, at
Frankfort on the Main, in the Empire of Germany, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TYPES, SPACES AND QUADRATS" [a communication
from John Mair Hepburn a person resident at Frankfort on the Main and the
firm of Bauer'sche Giesserei also of Frankfort on the Main both in the Empire of
Germany.]
This invention relates to apparatus for the manufacture of types, spaces, and
quadrats, that is to say, for casting the types, spaces, and quadrats in a mould
and the subsequent operations of breaking off, setting up, rubbing, cutting out
and dressing the same. The apparatus employed for these purposes may be used
separately, that is to say, one set of apparatus for casting the types, spaces, or
quadrats and another set for dressing or finishing them; or the casting and finishing
apparatus may be combined so that each type, space, or quadrat has the successive
operations performed upon it and finally leaves the machine in a perfect condition
ready for use. For casting the types, spaces, or quadrats I use a mould made of
solid cast steel and perfectly hardened at the working parts. I fix this mould on
the casting machine with two steel bolts through the sides of the mould; the face
of the mould occupies a vertical position. By this arrangement I am able to
utilize the action of the centre sliding piece of the mould which is then in a
horizontal position for advancing the types, spaces or quadrats through their first
Dmine 31

page_text: "
operation and thus dispense with the cams usually employed for that purpose.
The sliding top piece of the mould has a vertical reciprocating movement and is
held firm on the surface (or face) of the mould by an inclined plane on its opposite
side which fits a corresponding face on the end of the platform. This platform has
a reciprocating movement and is provided with an adjusting screw and spring_in
the end so that it may be adjusted relatively to the face of the mould. For
regulating the action of the centre sliding piece of the mould, 1 employ an
this block
adjustable screw which passes through a block at the end of the mould;
is mounted on a pivot so as to allow the centre sliding piece of the mould to be
removed for cleaning or repairs. The matrix which foms the front of the mould
is held in a steel box having adjusting screws on both sides. By this arrangement
the thickness of the types is more readily determined; this steel box with the
matrix is swung from its centre vertically and is moved to and from the side of the
mould by a lever having an oscillating movement,communicated to it by an inclined.
plane on the side of the lever which gives the necessary motion to the sliding top
piece of the mould. On the side of the matrix lever is an inclined plane with a
spring attached which acts upon the matrix box and determines its correct position.
For casting each type, space, or quadrat, a jet of molten metal is forced by a pump
into the mould; this pump is so arranged that the piston occupies a place in the
rear of the melting pot and the passage from it to the mould is a direct inclined
plane. Between the sides of the top flange of the melting pot is a passage or
canal through, which the flame and products of combustion circulate, before reaching
the chimney which is at the opposite side of the melting pot; by this arrangement
I utilize more fully the gas used in melting the métal; the piston of this pump has
a conical' valve with a long stem which passes up the centre and hangs from a
cross-pin' somewhat higher than the level of the metal in the melting pot; the
bottom of the piston contains the seating for this valve. When the dressing or
finishing apparatus is combined with the casting apparatus. I utilize the action of
the centre sliding piece for advancing the types, spaces, or quadrats, between two
plates or arms, the upper arm having a right. angle flange with two slots which
allow of its being adjusted to the surface of the types; it is then fixed by two
screws at the back. The types, spaces or quadrats being delivered on to the
platform, are guided between the aforesaid plates or armis by two steel pieces which
fit the shoulder of the break.or tail of the types, which is removed by coming in
contact with a sharp pointed knife or cutter fixed at the side of the upper plate or
arm. They are then advanced down a 'quadrant which is so shaped as to gradually
bring the types forward in the form of a right angle so that the type at the
bottom of the quadrant is just the length of itself in advance of the type at the
top of the quadrant; they are then at right angles to their former position and are
ready to be acted upon by an adjustable, pusher, which advances them between two
plates or arms fitted with spring cutters adjusted to the types by a screw on the
back or opposite side of the cutting edge; these cutters rub the types on both
sides; they are then passed down a short quadrant at the bottom of which is
another adjustable pusher (this with the former is fixed on a lever acted upon by
the same cam as that used for giving motion to the top sliding piece of the mould
which pusher sets the types on their body" side and advances them between the
last pair of plates or arms similarly fitted with spring cutters which dress and cut
out the foot and smooth" the ends of the types; extra nicks' may be cut in the
types by means of rotary or stationary cutters fixed' as required. The types being
now perfectly finished pass on to a wooden rail which is held in position by springs
on the side and end and may be removed instantly when filled with types, spaces
or quadrats.. When spaces or quadrats are being cast I use only the first set o
plates or arms above referred to, namely those which receive the types, spaces o
quadrats from the mould; the spaces or quadrats are held in position by th
aforesaid steel pieces' which fit the shoulder of the break or tail until they hav
passed the nicking cutters (if required) when the said break or tail is removed by
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coming into contact with the aforesaid sharp pointed knife or cutter fixed at the
side of the upper plate or arm and cuts out and smooths the ends; they are then
pushed forward to the extremity of the arms where there is an extra apparatus
which receives a certain number of spaces or quadrats and sets them on their ends,
row after row. When there has been sufficient set up on the strip or gally
attached to this apparatus it is instantly removed and another put in its place to
receive a fresh supply. This apparatus may be worked by hand or by being
connected with an endless screw on a shaft at right angles with the shaft of the
casting machine. The casting and finishing machines may be worked together or
separately as above mentioned as the machine is fitted with spring clutches which
connect them. By the use of the above described apparatus, types, spaces, and
quadrats can be produced with greater economy and rapidity than hitherto.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frank Wirth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st November 1883.
"
FRANK WIRTH of the firm of Wirth and Company, Patent Solicitors at
Frankfort-on-the-Main in the Empire of Germany IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TYPES, SPACES, AND QUADRATS " A communication
from John Mair Hepburn, a person resident at Frankfort-on-the-Main and the
firm of Bauer'sche Giesserei also of Frankfort-on-the-Main, both in the Empire of
Germany,
This Invention relates to apparatus for the manufacture of types, spaces, and
quadrats, that is to say, for casting the same in a mould and performing the
subsequent óperations of breaking off, setting up rubbing, cutting out and dressing.
The apparatus employed to effect the above named operations can be used
separately that is to say one set of apparatus may be used for casting the types
spaces or quadrats and another set for dressing or finishing them. Or the apparatus
can be combined in one machine in such a manner that each type, space, or quadrat,
has the successive operations performed upon it, and finally leaves the machine in
a finished condition ready for use.
The said invention comprises the novel construction combination and arrangement
of parts as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is plan partly in section of a machine constructed according to this
invention.
Figure 2 a front elevation of the same partly in section.
Figure 3 is a side view shewing the face of the mould, the matrix, and the
matrix holder as well as the mechanism which actuates them.
Figure 4 shews the guides and cutting off arrangement

page_text: Figure 5 is a section on the line 1, 1 Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the levers and arms hereinafter described.
Figure 7 is a vertical section of the melting pot and
Figure & is a sectional view of the valve of the metal pump.
The upper and lower sides of the mould into which the liquid metal is forced are
formed by the top and bottom steel cheeks A and A¹ which rest upon an angle
piece attached to the frame W and regulated by the screws a a and e.
The slide B which is also made of hardened steel fits exactly between the
cheeks A A¹ (see Figures 1, 2 and 3). The front end of this slide bar B forms one
side of the mould and by its movement bereinafter described, pushes the type,
quadrat, or space, when set out of the mould to be further manipulated by the
finishing apparatus.
The slide B receives its horizontal reciprocating movement, from the lever N
which is drawn back by a spiral spring n and intermittently pushed forward by a
suitable cam working against a friction roller n' see Figures 2 and 6.
In order to determine the thickness of the types, the slide B is drawn back by
the spiral spring n and rests against the regulating screw E, which is situated in a
pivotted block e¹ and held fast in position by the set screw e the regulating
screw E can also be provided with a stop nut or gauge, serving to set the said
screw according to the size of the types to be cast. The object of providing the
block e¹ with a pivot is to enable the said block to be thrown back in order to
withdraw the slide B without altering the screw E when the slide B has to be
cleaned or repaired.
The mould has its front side formed by the slide P which is moved vertically by
the lever arm O. This arm is attached to a spiral spring Q by which it is drawn
upwards, the downward movement being given to it from its shorter end O¹ by
means of a friction roller O" working against a suitable revolving cam. The slide P
is firmly held against the face of the mould and at the same time against the back
plate C (see Figure 1) when at the highest point of its stroke, by an inclined plane
working against a corresponding one on the end of the platform F (see Figures 2
and 6). The platform F which advances up to the face of the mould to receive
the letter which has just been cast and is pushed out of the mould by the slide B
as soon as the slide P descends, is provided with a square shank, which slides in
the frame V. Within the frame V a spiral spring f' is situated which pushes the
platform F up against the slide P. A regulating screw F¹ is screwed into the
frame V against which the end of the shank of the platform F rests when
the slide P is at its highest point. Through the centre of the regulating screw F1
a second regulating screw f passes freely, and is screwed into the shank of the
platform F, this screw f.is regulated in such a manner that its head strikes on the
head of the screw F', through which latter it passes in the manner as before
described, before the sharp upper edge of the platform F can come in direct
contact with the face of the mould (see Figure 1).
The opposite side of the mould to that at which the molten metal is pumped in,
is closed by the matrix L see Figures 1 and 3, the matrix is held by a screw z in
the matrix box K..
The vertical position of the matrix box and with it the matrix is regulated by
the screw k which is situated in the top of the matrix box and rests with its head
against a suitable register, attached to the top cheek A (see Figures 1, 2 and 3).
The matrix box K is provided with a pivot, which fits into an arm i of the head
piece I, this head piece I fits in its turn into the vertical lever bar I' by a suitable
pivot under which is situated a spiral spring z¹ (see Figure 3) the vertical bar I'
is hinged onto the bed plate of the machine at III and is thrown back by an
inclined plane Q attached to the lever arm O before named. This inclined plane Q
operates against a friction wheel and holder T which passes through the vertical
bar I¹ to which it is fixed by the set screw t. A spiral spring R draws the vertical
bar I and with it the head I the matrix box K and the matrix L firmly up
against the mould as the lever O ascends. The two set screws U and U₁are

page_text: employed to adjust the matrix L against the side of the mould. To ensure the
matrix box, and with it the matrix, being brought well up with its screw k against
the register attached to the top cheek A before described a spring Z is attached to
the frame of the machine which pressing against the head of the said screw 2, lifts
the whole against the register (see Figures 2 and 3). The matrix box and with it
the matrix is regulated from left to right, by the spring pushing against the
21
pivot of the matrix box and thus forcing the matrix against the adjustable
register M attached to the slide P; the register M is regulated by the screw m
(see Figures 1, 2, and 6). It will thus be seen that the position of the matrix, can
be exactly regulated.
The downward motion of the lever arm O draws down the slide P and removes
the matrix from the side of the mould, at the same time as the slide B operated by
the lever N pushes the letter which has just been cast, out on to the platform F,
this latter having moved up to the face of the mould as before described.
The object of having the head I of the lever" arm I only fitted to the latter by
a pivot as shewn in Figure 3.is to enable the workman to remove the head I with
the matrix box K and matrix L quickly and easily in order to effect any alteration
necessary, and to allow of the automatic regulation before described. When the letter
is pushed by the slide B out of the mould the break or tail of type is held by two
plates E'E¹ (see Figures 1, 4, and 5) which guide it up to the cutting out knife D,
this knife D is provided with a regulating screw d¹ and setting screw d. The
plates E and E' have their screw holes slotted in such a manner that they can be
regulated so as to fit different sizes of letters.
i
The body of the letters are held down on the commencement of the platform F
by the hinge piece S and spring 8. After they have had their breaks broken off
they pass along under the platform cover S' and down the right angle quadrant S¹¹,
(in place of having a right angle quadrant as shewn in the drawings the platform
can be brought over slanting and the quadrant taken straight down) during their
passage down which they turn 90° and on arriving at the bottom are moved
forwards by the arm G which is attached to the bar Y. Here they are planed at
the top and bottom by two spring cutters h¹ h². After being planed they pass
over another quadrant turn again 90° are moved along by the arm G¹ which is also
attached to the bar Y before named and are then planed again on their opposite
sides by the spring cutters h³ and h (see Figures 2 and 1). A wooden rail is put
into the machine at H to receive the finished letters.
The bar Y is attached to the frame of the machine by a spring y (see Figure 2)
and is moved in the opposite direction to that in which the spring draws, by the
friction roller y¹ working against a suitable revolving cam.
When spaces and quadrats are being cast, I employ only the first set of plates E E¹
while passing between these plates E E¹ the spaces or quadrats come in contact
with the before named breaking off and cutting arrangement D which cuts out
and smoothes their ends, they are then passed along and set up on a ship or galley
ready for use.
The improved melting pot C in Figure 1 and shewn drawn to an enlarged scale
in section in Figure 7 is constructed as follows that is to say: The heat is produced
.by a Bunsen burner wbich is placed in a slanting position so that the flame plays
along under the metal channel X X up to the nozzle, it then passes round the pot in
the. flue xx out of the chimney_x¹. By this arrangement I can keep the
metal contained in the channel XX together with the nozzle at any required
temperature and introduce the metal in a more or less fluid state into the mould
as before described.
The pump valve which I have constructed is also novel and is represented in
Figure 8. The stem of the valve ẞ I make hollow in order that it may be light
and therefore close easily, the metal however ascends somewhat within the hollow
space and balances the valve. I thus produce an air chamber which partly supports
the valve in the molten metal, and by its expansion assists in closing the same.
The pin ẞ is firmly attached to the pump stem that is to say to the body of the

page_text: plunger, the pin hole however is slotted in order to allow the valve play enough
to close at the bottom at each down stroke.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me and the
manner of performing the same I wish it understood that I claim in apparatus for
the manufacture of types spaces and quadrats
First. The mould, which consists of the horizontal cheeks A A¹, the vertical
slide P, and the matrix L arranged as described, and the centre horizontal slide B
for advancing the types, spaces and quadrats on to the platform F and through
their first operation, as set forth.
Second. The centre slide B, in combination with the adjusting screw E, substan-
tially as shewn and described
Third. The guides E E¹, as set forth.
Fourth. The sliding platform F, the regulating screws F¹ and f, and the spiral
spring f, for the purposes specified.
1
Fifth. The herein described skew quadrant S".
Sixth. The arrangement of mechanism for turning over and planing the spaces,
types, or quadrats, substantially as described.
Seventh. The oscillating lever arm I the head I, the matrix box K, the matrix L,
the spring, the arm i, the screws U, U₁, k,, the spring Z and screw z, and the
spiral spring z¹, all substantially as shewn and described
Eighth. The lever arms O and N with their friction wheels and springs operating
the slides B, P and the oscillating arm I'.
Ninth. The melting pot and valve, substantially as shewn and described..
Tenth. The slide P, the register M and the regulating screw m.
Eleventh. The spring cutters h¹ h³ h³ and h*
In witness whereof I the said Frank Wirth have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Fifteenth day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
FRANK WIRTH (1.0)