DISCIIOuting type, and in Apparatus and Means for and Connected with such Distribution.
Year: 1886

page_text: DISCIIOuting type, and in Apparatus and
Means for and Connected with such Distribution.
•
We ALFRED VON LANGEN of Düsseldorf Captain in the Reserves and CARL
GUSTAV FISCHER of Bielefeld Manufacturer 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:— •
Our Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for automatically distributing
printers type wherein variations in the form of the type as regards the arrange-
ment of the nicks or notches are utilised for effecting the selection. With this
object the type is presented sideways in the usual manner to orifices or openings
into which they can enter when of corresponding form.
The principal distinguishing features of our invention as hereinafter more fully
described consist as follows.
In a special method of distributing or dividing the type or letters composing
the matter for distribution into groups whose composition is independent of the
thickness of the individual letters and subsequently decomposing or redistributing
of the type composing these groups.
In the special system of arranging the similarly formed nicks or notches.
In guiding the letters by means of a rectangular guiding nick.
In the mode of collecting the piles of distributed type.
In the peculiar mechanism for effecting a step by step or intermittent rotation
of the machine and the arrangement of the interchangeable discs or selecting plates
which enable the same machine to be employed for different purposes connected
with the distribution.
And in order that our said invention may be fully understood we will now
proceed to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several figures
on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating corre-
sponding parts in all the figures.
The distribution is effected by means of the machine hereinafter described.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is an elevation partly in section of a
machine constructed according to our invention. Figure 2 represents a horizontal
section of the same taken along the line 1, 2 figure 1. Figure 3 is a side elevation
of the lower part of the machine and Figures 4 to 7 illustrate details hereinafter
referred to.
A shaft a Figures 1 and 2 working in a footstep bearing b, a collar c and the
boss of a disc d has rotary motion imparted to it by means of friction gear wheels e
and the machine being driven by a cord working on a pulley g on the shaft of
the wheel e-This pulley and the friction wheel e are fixed on a shaft z working in
a long bearing formed in a boss on a lever h pivotted on a pin à Figures 1, 2
and 3.. The two friction wheels ef are pressed together by a spring figure 2.
The machine can be thrown out of action by moving a lever handle k until a

page_text: cam connected therewith acts upon the lever / in such a manner as to disengage
or separate the two friction wheels e, f.
The disc d is fixed on a stationary pillar m and a disc n fixed on the shaft a
rotates above the disc d. Tubes o containing the type or matter for distribution
are connected to the disc n and to a disc p fixed on the shaft a above the disc n.
Into these tubes are inserted the lower extremities of interchangeable type carriers
or tubes q which are also supported in suitable slots formed for their reception in
a disc attached to the shaft a-The drum or cylinder of tubes thus formed
rotates step by step above the stationary disc d which carries on its upper side a
disc t having a selecting plate or sector u figures 1 and 4 made of sheet steel
attached to its upper side.
"
Accurately spaced slots or openings are formed in this plate corresponding
exactly with the. outward form or configuration of the type-These slots or
openings are continued through the discs t and d and lead to type tubes v herein-
after termed receivers which are held or supported in slots or openings in the
.stationary discs d and w, the disc w shewn in plan in figure 5 being attached to
the base of the pillar m-The step by step rotation of the shaft and drum of
tubes connected therewith at the upper part is produced by means of mechanism
next hereinafter described.
The shaft z figures 1 and 2 carries a cam disc a¹ which as it rotates imparts a
vertically reciprocating or up and down motion to a rod b¹ figures 1 and 3 by the
intervention of a lever ¹ and a helical spring c-The upper extremity of the
rod b¹ is in the form of a steel pin or locking bolt and works in holes formed in
the dises d and t-When the bowl or roller on the cam lever x is in a hollow or
depression in the cam disc a the spring e pushes up this pin or bolt against the
under surface of the rotating disc n and causes it to enter one of the holes m'
figure 6 in the said disc directly the openings in the discs and t coincide or stand
opposite to one another and the rotary motion of the shaft and drum is thereby
arrested-The, shaft z continuing to rotate at the same time the rod is after a
short interval drawn down by the action of the cam disc a¹ and the locking pin is
drawn out of the hole m¹ in the disc n so that the, latter is enabled to resuine its
rotary motion until the openings again coincide whereupon the locking pin is again
inserted into one of the holes m¹ in the said disc n. In order to avoid unnecessary
wear of the faces of the friction wheels the face of the wheel e is depressed or cut
away at the part which comes in contact with the larger wheel at the times
when the bowl on the cam lever is in the hollows of the cam disc a¹.
In distributing type with this machine the matter for distribution being first
placed in the type carriers q figure 1 the said carriers are placed in the machine
the type being prevented from falling out of the carrier or tube by applying the
finger to the lower end-As the drum or cylinder of tubes containing the type
rotates the lowest letters in these tubes are brought directly over the selecting.
openings in the plates or sectors u figure 4 and at this moment the motion of the
drum is momentarily arrested by the locking bolt b'. Each of the openings in
the plates or sectors u is provided on one side with three steel pins or projections
which correspond in form and position with the nicks in the type for which the
opening is intended as hereinafter explained. When the nicks in the lowest type
coincide with these pins or projections the lowest type (and also the succeeding
type or types in case it or they belong to the same group) enters the selecting
opening being pushed down or propelled by the weight or pressure of the superin-
cumbent letters aided if required by an additional weight-The letters thus
distributed are deposited on a sliding block d' working in the tubular receiver v
figures 1 and 7 and this block is connected by an arm passing round the receiver
to a spring slider el provided with springs bearing against the sides of a vertical
taper or wedge shaped bar f1. The object of this arrangement is to equalise the
descent of the pile of letters in the receiver in such a manner as to enable them to
yield readily with slight but uniform resistance whether the receiver be empty or
nearly full to the pressure of the type entering the receiver from above. This

page_text: result is obtained by reason of the inclined sides of the wedge shaped bar f which
gradually increases in width towards the lower part so as to offer a gradually
increasing resistance to the descent of the springs on the slider c¹ and compensate
for the increasing weight of the pile of type in the receiver v.
Notice is given when a receiver is full by the sound of a bell 71 Figures 1 and 2
The sliding block d¹ when in its lowest position depresses a pin 81 figures 3, 5
and 7 in such a manner as to cause this pin to come in contact with the tail of a
hammer which together with the bell is carried round on the wheel f. As the
wheelf continues to rotate the tail of the hammer is carried away from the pin 8¹
and the hammer is then caused to fly back and strike the bell by the action of a
spring. In order to prevent any types from falling through the selecting opening
whilst a full tube or receiver is being exchanged for ono that is empty arms ¹
figures 1 and 4 acting as valves are provided by means of which the said opening
can be closed before the receiver is taken out of the machine.
In order that the letters and especially the short spaces and quadrats may always
be properly presented to the pins or projections in the selecting openings the
letters are provided with a wido nick which in combination with an upwardly
tapering or pointed guide tongue gl figures 1 and 6 conducts the letters and
spaces to the proper position and retains them there until they drop through the
corresponding selecting opening.
The type to be distributed is first sorted by passing it through the machine as
hereinbefore described and is thereby divided into a number of groups which are
preferably so combined that the first group contains the most frequently occurring
letters etc the next less frequently occurring being in the second group and so on.
When the type has been thus divided each group is separately sorted or distributed
in a similar manner so as to separate the different letters in cach group.
With
this object the disc figures 1 and 4 with the sectors or selecting attachments
thereon is exchanged for a similar disc having selecting openings provided with
pins corresponding to the nicks that are used in the second sorting operation.
The distinguishing feature of this system of nicking is that each letter is
provided in addition to the guiding nick with six other equal nicks three of
which are used in the first sorting operation and three in the second sorting and
each letter when presented at a selecting opening through which it is not required
to pass is supported on two or more of the pins or projections in such opening..
The following example will show how this may be accomplished. One side of
the shank of the type is divided into twenty equal parts which are marked with
the numbers one to twenty. If the divisions numbered 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 17,
18, 19, for example are to be used for the nicks employed in the first sorting and
assuming that the type is to be divided in this first sorting into nine groups the
corresponding pins projecting into the selecting openings in the plates or sectors u
figure 4 must be arranged or combined as follows.-
When a letter belonging to group 2 for example is presented at the opening för
group 1 it is prevented from passing through this opening by the pins corresponding
to the nicks in divisions 10 and 17-The remaining divisions Nos. 1. 2. 3. 7. 8. 9.
13. 14. 15. 16. 20 may be similarly used as places for the nicks employed in the
second sorting.
Inclined projections o¹ figures 1 and 6 are provided on the underside of the
disc n and work in a groove q¹ Figure 4 in the disc u-These projections are
employed to push down the last letters discharged from the tubes o into the
receiver. The guide tongues gl are arranged in a line with these projections so as,
to be out of the way of the nicks used in the selection or sorting operations.

page_text: The hereinbefore described method of performing the automatic distribution of
type possesses the important advantage that it admits of the use of existing type
by simply cutting the necessary nicks in the shanks. Moreover the same machine
is capable of being used for sorting or distributing various sizes of type such as fat
or lean letters of latin or german type without any modification or alteration in the
machine..
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
1st. The hereinbefore described method of performing the automatic distribution
of. type by first dividing or separating the matter into several groups whose
composition is independent of the number and thickness of the individual letters
and afterwards.dividing or separating the different letters contained in each group
all substantially as herein before described.
2nd. The special arrangement or system of placing the nicks wherein nicks of
equal form or size are employed each letter or type being provided with a certain
number of nicks whereof one portion is used in the first sorting operation and the
other portion in the second sorting operation the said nicks corresponding with
pins or projections in the selecting openings so arranged that two or more of such
pins or projections are invariably presented to prevent the entrance of any letters
or type other than those for which the opening is intended all substantially as
hereinbefore described.
3rd. The employment of the guide tongue g¹ for the rectangular nick for the
purpose of causing the letters and spaces to be properly presented to the selecting
opening substantially as hereinbefore described.
4th. The arrangement of the wedge shaped or taper bar f' in combination with
the spring slider e¹ and sliding block d' for the purpose of compensating for the
progressive increase in the weight of the pile of type substantially as hereinbefore
described.
5th. The devices for obtaining a step by step or. intermittent motion of and
retaining the type distributing tubes accurately in. position relatively to the
selecting openings, the said devices consisting of the locking bolt or bar 6' with
the helical spring clever x¹ and cam disc a¹ in combination with the holes formed
in the disc n and friction gear wheels & and f all substantially as hereinbefore
described.
6th. The arrangement and application of the discs n, d and t with the selecting
plates or sectors u and the arrangement for interchanging the parts of the selecting
mechanism for the purpose of enabling the first and second sorting operations to
be performed in one and the same machine substantially as hereinbefore described.
7th. The arrangement for giving notice when the receiving tube is full and
consisting of the pin s bell and hammer t¹ substantially as hereinbefore
described.
8th. The arrangement and combination of parts forming a machine for dis-
tributing type substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.