Improvements in Machinery for Taking the Mould or Matrix in Stereotyping.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left. 23rd Jan., 1893-Accepted, 11th Mar., 1893 ·
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Taking the Mould or Matrix in
Stereotyping.
I, ROBERT CUMMING ANNAND, Engineer, Cornwallis Street South Shields do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The appliances commonly used in taking a mould of a forme of type for the
purpose of casting stereotype plates consists of a rolling machine or mangle and a
drying press. It is desirable to obtain a deeper mould than can be got by the
pressure of the rolling machine and for this purpose I dispense with the rolling
machine and substitute a specially constructed hydraulic press which performs the
two distinct processes of moulding the forme and drying the mould or matrix.
My press consists mainly of two plattens-an upper one and a lower one-with
four pillars which act as guides and carriers for the plattens. The upper platten is
constructed in such a manner that it can be lowered or raised by screws and a
handwheel, while the lower platten is made so that it can be raised or lowered by
hydraulic pressure in the usual well-known way.
The manner of operating my invention is as follows:-The flong having been
laid on the face of the forme to be moulded and a suitable blanket put on above the
flong, the whole is pushed in between the two plattens of the press. The upper
platten is lowered down by the handwheel and as much pressure put upon the forme
as the mechanism for bringing down the platten will allow. The under platten,
which is operated by hydraulic power is now raised with such pressure being applied
to it as is required to effectually mould the page sufficiently deep for casting
stereotype plates from.
For the purpose of drying the mould while under the press, the under platten is
formed hollow so that it can be heated by steam or by gas in the usual well-known
ways.
Amil 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Taking the Mould or Matrix in
Stereotyping.
I, ROBERT CUMMING ANNAND of Cornwallis Street, South Shields in the
County of Durham, Printers' 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 appliances commonly used in taking a mould of a forme of type, for the
purpose of casting stereotype plates, consist of a rolling machine or mangle and a
drying press. It is desirable to obtain a deeper mould than can be got by the
pressure of the rolling machine, and for this purpose, I dispense with the rolling
machine and employ a specially constructed hydraulic press which performs the
two distinct processes of moulding the forme and drying the mould or matrix.
My press consists mainly of two platens-an upper one and a lower one-with
pillars which act as guides and carriers for the platens. The upper platen is
constructed in such a manner that it can be lowered or raised as required and this
can be effected by means of gearing worked by a hand wheel; while the lower
platen is made so that it can be raised or lowered by hydraulic pressure in the well,
known
G
-

page_text: .
The manner of operating my invention is as follows:-The flong having been
laid on the face of the forme to be moulded and a suitable blanket put on above the
flong, the whole is pushed in between the two platens of the press. The upper
platen is lowered by the hand wheel and as much pressure is put upon the forme as
the mechanism for bringing down the platen will allow. The under platen, which
is operated by hydraulic power is now raised with such pressure applied to it as is
required to effectually mould the page or forme sufficiently deep for casting
stereotype plates from.
For the purpose of drying the mould while under the press, the under platen is
formed hollow so that it can be heated by steam or by gas in the usual well known
ways.
The accompanying drawings illustrate how my invention can be carried into
effect.
Figure 1 is a half elevation and half vertical section of a machine or press in
which my invention is embodied.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
a is an upper platen and a lower platen. c c c c are pillars which act as guides
and carriers for both platens. The upper platen a can be lowered and raised as
required and according to the arrangement shown in the drawings this is effected as
follows: A band wheel d is mounted on the outer end of a horizontal shaft e the
inner end of which carries a bevel pinion fin gear with a bevel wheel g; this bevel
wheel is keyed to a toothed wheel h which gears with a toothed wheel i on each of
the 4 pillars c. The wheels i have bosses jj which are formed internally as nuts to
engage with screw threads on the pillars. The bosses jj bear upon but are not
connected to the upper side of the platen a. kk are springs which bear against the
under face of the platen a and are fitted around the pillars c. The lower ends of
these springs bear against the bottoms of recesses in the lower platen 6 and always
tend to push the upper plate a upwards. When the hand wheel d is turned in the
one direction the motion is transmitted through the pinion f, and wheels g and h to
the wheels i and bosses or nuts jj so that these bosses by turning on the screws of
the pillars are caused to descend and force the platen a gradually towards the
platen 6 and in this downward motion the springs become compressed. When
on the other hand the wheel d is turned in the reverse direction the wheels i and
bosses; gradually rise and as they do so the springs k k by distending push up the
platen a so as to keep the top of same in contact with the said bosses. It is evident
that any other suitable means for lowering and raising the upper platen by hand
gear can be adopted in lieu of that shown. The lower platen b rests upon the ram
or platen m of a hydraulic press worked in the usual way when it is required to
raise or lower the platen b. nn are screws to enable the bottom platen 6 to be
raised when it is required to renew the leather washer of the ram.
"
The platen b
is formed hollow as shown to allow of its being heated by steam or gas in the usual
well known manner.
When it is desired to take a mould the flong is laid on the face of the forme to
be moulded and a blanket is placed above the flong. The forme with the flong and.
blanket is then pushed into the space p between the two platens a and b. The
upper platen a is then lowered by means of the hand wheel d so as to bring as much
pressure as practicable upon the flong and forme: The lower platen 6 is then raised
by the hydraulic power with sufficient pressure to effectually take a mould of the
forme deep enough for casting stereotype plates from. The platen b is then lowered
and the platen a raised and after the mould has become sufficiently dry the forme
and mould are removed from the press.
Although it is preferred to make the hand power platen the upper platen and the
hydraulic power platen the lower platen as above described and as shown in the
drawings the position of the two platens may be reversed. When a cheaper machine
is required I can dispense with the hand power platen and substitute a fixed block 5
or plate therefor against which the hydraulic power platen forces the. forme and
flong, but I do not recommend this modification.