Improvements in Type Bar Casting Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 26th Feb., 1898
Improvements in Type Bar Casting Machines.
(A communication by CHARLES SEARS, of No. 1047, Madison Avenue, Cleveland, in
the County of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, United States of America, Manu-
facturer.)
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil 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 machine shown in the drawing is one which is particularly designed to form
type bars by casting upon the edge of previously prepared slugs or blanks, a thin
strip of type metal having on its face printing characters which correspond with
the characters on a previously prepared matrix. The matrices which are intended
to be used with the machine, are those which are formed by imprinting the
characters into the end fibres of strips of wood of uniform size; but matrices of
cther kinds may be used, or an entire type bar may be cast either with the par-
ticular machine shown, or with machines of modified construction, but nevertheless
employing the invention, or material parts thereof, as set forth in the claims.
The principal object of the invention, as embodied in the machine shown, is to
automatically and rapidly form the described form of type bars from a stock of.
previously prepared matrices. One result, which has, in particular, been aimed at,
is the casting upon the blank, of character carrying edges which shall have perfect
printing surfaces, and no blow holes or other imperfections.
The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter
described and claimed.
In the drawing, Figure 1 is a front elevation of so much of the machine as
contains the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view thereof when the removable part
is a sectional view on line 3-3 of
of the casting box has been removed; Figure
Figure 2; Figure 4 is a sectional view of the plane indicated on line 4-4 of
Figure 2, and Figure 5 is a plan view of the hopper. Figure 6 is a bottom plan
view of plate G enlarged. The drawings do not show the melting pot, pump, or
the connection between the nozzle and pump, because there is nothing new in
the form of these parts which it is proposed to use; and such parts having any
suitable construction may be used.
Referring to the parts by letters, A represents the bed plate of the machine;
and B the hopper, secured thereon, having two compartments 662, separated by
a partition bin which are respectively placed a stock of matrices I and type bar
blanks J. A feed slide C having two arms cc', is movable between guides a a on

page_text: the bed plate; and is periodically advanced to carry the bottom matrix and blank from
the hopper, into the casting box. The slots 6364 are formed in the bottom of the sides
of the hopper, to permit the described movement of the slide and the matrix and
type bar.
The arm normally projects through the slot into the compart-
ment, which contains the blanks; and the column of blanks rests upon this 5
slide arm.
On this arm just to the right of the blanks, is a shoulder c², which is
not quite as high as the blanks are thick. The end of the slide arm c¹ lies nor-
mally just to the right of the lowest matrix. When the slide is moved to the
left, the shoulder and the end of the arm c¹, respectively engage with
the lowest blank and matrix, and push them through the slots into 1
the casting box. The slide may be moved by any suitable mechanism,
but there is shown herein a gear segment which engages with the
rack on the slide, which segment is oscillated by means of the rocker
arm H, which is connected with the gear segment by a pitman f. The
said arm H is rocked by a crank pink on a driven shaft K, which pin works in the 1
slot in the arm H. Any other mechanism for periodically operating the slide C
might be employed. The two arms of the slide are constructed differently, as
described, because the blanks are not so thick as the matrices with which the
machine is especially organised to work.
The casting box, which is placed on the bed plate, is movable a short distance 2
toward and from a nozzle L, placed between itself and the hopper for the purpose
of periodically making the necessary connection with said nozzle. This nozzle
extends vertically up through the bed plate, and its end is turned over into hori-
zontal position, and is directed toward the casting box. The end of this nozzle
is tapered slightly.
The bottom plate D of the casting box rests upon the bed plate between the two
longitudinal guides a²². Near the middle of this plate and in line with the parti-
tion in the hopper, is a raised longitudinal rib d, extending from one end to the
other. A laterally movable bar E parallel with the rib d, lies upon the plate D
beneath the flange 2. Two levers ce are pivoted at their lower ends to the 3
plate D; and their upper ends are connected together by a bar e'. These levers
are connected by links e2 with the bar E.
Two pins mounted in one of the guide blocks a pass through horizontal
slots in a vertical flange, on the rear edge of the plate D). Their outer ends are
connected together by a bar
.
2.
3
M represents a housing for the vertically movable members of the casting box,
and this housing is fastened to the bed plate by a screw or screws which pass
through the foot m of the housing. This housing is provided with a handle mi by
which this housing and all that it supports may be lifted off when these screws
are removed. The horizontal grip or hand piece in² is made of glass, wood, or some 40
other non-heat conducting material.
N represents a shaft which is journalled in the sides of the housing, and
to it are secured three cams n, n³, n', the two outer cams 11 being
alike. This shaft is revolved constantly, being connected by gears with
the main driving shaft P. G represents the top mold plate, which 4
has a bifurcated stem g, in the forks of which the transverse vertical slots glare
formed. RR represents two vertically movable gates the lower ends of which are
movable in vertical slots through the plate G. In both of these gates are the trans-
verse vertical slots near their upper ends. The shaft N extends through the
slots and in said gates RR and the stem g; and the cams n¹¹ and lie in 50
said slots and engage with said gates and stem respectively, to move them up and
down as the case may be.
In the bottom of the plate G are two spring-actuated presser feet g² g³, whose
ends adjacent to the hopper are bevelled, whereby the matrices and blanks
may slide beneath them, the functions of these presser feet being to press the blank 54
and the matrix down upon the bottom plate D, and prevent them from moving too
far. A. vertical pin which is set in the bottom plate D, passes into a hole in the

page_text: top mold plate G, which permits said mold plate to move independently in a ver-
tical direction, but which compels both plates to move together horizontally.
The bottom blank J, and the bottoni matrix I, are respectively moved out of
the hopper and into the mold box by the two arms of the slide C. The blank, as
before stated, rests upon the arm c. The blank in passing into the casting box
engages with the lower end of a bevelled spring pin g, (which is seated in the top
plate G), thereby lifting the pin, which, after the blank has passed it, flies down
behind the blank, wherefore, when the slide is retracted, the blank must remain
in the casting box upon the plate D. The matrix and the blank are now in the
casting box, resting upon the plate D, respectively in front of and behind the rib d.
A lever Q which is pivoted to the housing M, has a slot q in its lower end which
engages with the bar e¹. The upper end is engaged by a cam s¹ on a shaft S,
which is mounted in the housing. The rocking of this lever causes the bar E
to move laterally, and push the matrix block I against the front face of the
rib d, and also against a shoulder g' on the lower face of the plate G, which
shoulder is in the same vertical plane as the front face of said rib d. At the
same time the blank J is moved by the pins toward the matrix block, and into
contact with the rear face of the same rib d. The space between the rib d and
plate G, and between the matrix and the blank type bar is the mold
space to be filled with metal to finish the type bar. The pins are moved
by means of a bell crank lever T piyoted to an upright post ². The lower arm
of this lever is slotted, and embraces the bar . The other arm of the lever is
engaged by a cam u on a shaft U, which is mounted in fixed posts u¹; and a con-
tractile coil spring t is secured to the other arm of the lever and to a fixed arm 2.
The action of the cam upon the lever moves the pins inward to force the blank
towards the matrix as described. The spring causes the withdrawal of said pins.
As the matrix and blank are moved in the casting box, they slide beneath the two
presser feet 3, which prevent them from acquiring a momentum which will carry
them beyond the point to which they are positively pushed. The top plate G is
moved down so that it bears upon the top of the blank by the action of the cam n.
The gates RR are also moved down by the cams 'a'. The distance between the
proximate faces of these gates is exactly equal to the length of the blank J, where-
fore said gates bear against the ends of the blank. The gates R have forwardly
projecting vertical knife edges which cut into the face of the matrix block. When
the parts have reached the position described, the space between the matrix and
the blank is entirely closed, except for a hole through the right hand gate R,
which hole is directly in line with the nozzle L. The entire casting box is then
moved to the right; said hole embraces the nozzle, being tightly closed thereby,
and when the parts are in this position, molten metal is injected through the
nozzle into the enclosed mold space from the end thereof. It has been discovered
after much experimenting that when the molten metal is injected from the end
of the mold space, the strip of metal bearing the printing characters, is substan-
tially without blow holes, and the printing surface is practically perfect. The
results, in these particulars, are much better than when the molten metal is injected
from the side or top or bottom of the mold space.
This endwise movement of the casting box is effected by means of a lever W,
which is pivoted to a stud w, which is secured to the rear side of the housing. The
lower end of this lever is slotted, and it embraces a rearwardly projecting pin g
secured to the plate G. The upper end of this lever is bevelled and is adapted to
be struck by the two bevelled arms, which are secured to the driving shaft P.
One of these arms strikes one side of the lever and rocks it in one direction, which
causes the casting box to be moved to the right into the described engagement with
the nozzle. The other arm strikes this lever, rocks it in the contrary direction,
The continued
and causes the casting box to be moved in the reverse direction.
revolution of the driving shaft causes all of the parts of the casting box to reverse
their motion after the printing edge has been cast upon the blank. Another
advance of the slide C pushes another matrix and another blank into the casting

page_text: box, and they push before them out of the casting box, the matrix which has just
been used, and the completed type bar which has just been formed. These results
proceed automatically and indefinitely so long as the machine is run, and matrices
and blanks are supplied to the hopper.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a type bar casting machine, the combination of a casting box adapted
to hold a matrix having a plurality of aligned characters and to enclose a type bar
riold space in line with the character line upon said matrix, with means for deliver-
ing molten metal into the mold space from one end thereof, that is to say, from a
'point at one side of the characters, whereby the molten metal will flow into said
space in a direction transverse to the said characters, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
2. In a type bar casting machine, the combination of a casting box containing
a recess for a type bar blank, and mechanism for holding a matrix in parallel rela-
tion to said type bar blank, and mechanism for enclosing the space between them,
with a nozzle adapted to direct molten metal into said space from one end thereof,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. In a type bar casting machine, the combination of a casting box adapted to
receive a prepared matrix and a type bar blank, and to hold them in parallel rela-
tion at the proper distance apart, and means for enclosing the space between them,
with a nozzle, and mechanism for periodically introducing the nozzle into the end
of said enclosed space, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4. In a type bar casting machine, the combination of a longitudinally movable
casting box adapted to hold a prepared matrix and a type bar blank in parallel
relation and at the proper distance apart, and mechanism for enclosing the space
between them except for a hole at one end of said space, with a fixed nozzle adapted
to enter and close said hole, and mechanism for moving the casting box toward and
from the nozzle, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5. In a type bar casting machine, the combination of a casting box consisting
of a bottom mold plate adapted to support a matrix and a type bar blank, and
having a raised rib between them, mechanism for forcing said matrix and blank
against said rib, a vertically movable top mold plate, and two vertically
movable end gates, whereby the matrix and blank are held in parallel relations
and the space between them is enclosed, with a nozzle for directing molten metal
into said enclosed space, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
6. In a type bar casting machine, the combination of a hopper adapted to con-
tain a supply of prepared matrix blocks and type bar blanks, a casting box movable
toward and from said hopper, a slide for pushing the matrix blocks and blanks
from the hopper and into the casting box, mechanism for holding said matrix
block and blank in the casting box in parallel relations and at proper distance
apart, and for enclosing the space between them except for a small hole at one end
of said space, with a fixed nozzle located between the casting box and hopper, and
mechanism for moving the casting box toward and from said nozzle, substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
7. In a type bar casting machine, the combination of a longitudinally movable
bottom mold plate having a longitudinal raised rib, a hopper adapted to contain
a stock of prepared matrices and type bar blanks, mechanism for moving a matrix
block and a blank from the hopper on to said plate on opposite sides of said rib,
mechanism for forcing said matrix block and blank against said rib, a top mold
plate movable vertically independently of the bottom plate, connections between
said plates whereby they must move longitudinally together, end gates vertically
movable in guides in the top plate, one of said gates having a hole in which the
nozzle will fit, a fixed nozzle, and mechanism for moving a casting box toward and
from the nozzle, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

page_text: 8. In a type bar casting machine, the combination of a bottom mold plate having
a longitudinally raised rib, a vertically movable top mold plate having two spring
actuated presser feet in its lower side, mechanism for moving a matrix block and
a type bar blank onto the bottom plate on opposite sides of said rib and beneath
said presser feet, mechanism for moving the matrix block and blank against said
rib, end gates for closing the end of the space between said matrix block and blank,
and a nozzle for directing molten metal into the enclosed space between said matrix
block and blank, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
9. In a type bar casting machine, the combination of a casting box consisting
of a longitudinally movable bottom mold plate adapted to support a matrix block
and type bar blank, and having a raised longitudinal rib between them, a housing,
a top mold plate which is movable vertically and horizontally in said housing, a
vertical pin, two end gates, one having a hole, a cam shaft mounted in the hous-
ing, cams thereon for operating said top mold plate and gates, a fixed nozzle, and
mechanism for moving the casting box toward and from the nozzle, substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
10. In a type bar casting machine, the combination of a horizontally movable
casting box adapted to hold a matrix block and a type bar blank in parallel rela-
tions and at the proper distance apart, means for enclosing the space between them
except for a hole at one end thereof, a fixed nozzle having a horizontal tapered
end, and mechanism for moving said casting box toward and from the nozzle to
cause it to enter and withdraw from said hole, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
11. In a type har casting machine, the combination of a longitudinally movable
bottom plate D. having a rib d, the housing M, cam shaft N, and cams nn¹n¹, top.
mold plate G having a stem which is slotted and embraces the shaft N, two
gates R R which slide through the bottom plate and are slotted and embrace the
said shaft, one of said gates having a nozzle hole, the pin d', the fixed nozzle L,
and mechanism for moving the two plates and gates, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
12. In a type bar casting machine, the combination of a longitudinally movable
bottom plate D having a raised rib d, and a removable housing M, with a vertically.
movable top plate G, and gates R, and their operating mechanism supported by
said housing, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
13. In a type bar casting machine, the combination of a bottom mold plate
having a raised rib, means for introducing a matrix block and a blank onto said
plate on opposite sides of said rib, mechanism for pushing said matrix and blank
laterally into contact with said rib, with a vertically movable top mold plate, the
spring actuated presser feet carried thereby, the vertically movable end gates
having vertical knives on the edges which face the matrix block, and means for
directing molten metal into the enclosed space between the matrix block and blank,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
14. In a type bar casting machine, the combination of a hopper having two
compartments, both sides of which are slotted at the bottom, a slide having two
arms, one of which extends across one of the compartments and has a shoulder c³,
with a casting box consisting of a bottom plate, a vertically movable top plate, and
end gates, and a bevelled spring pin 9, which projects down from said top plate,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.