Improvements in Machines for Justifying Type.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Machines for Justifying Type.
[Communicated from abroad by FRANK MCCLINTOCK, of 11, University Place,
Newhaven, in the State of Connecticut, United States of America, Engineer.]
I, JOHN TYRRELL BOYES, Secretary of the British Empire Type-setting Machine
Company, Limited, of 37 and 39, Essex Street, Strand, in the County of London,
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 machines for justifying type and its object is to improve
the construction of certain parts of well known machines which are used for
this purpose so as to effect a saving of time in the operation of such machine
and therefore conduce to economy in working
The machines to which our invention is applicable are variable in construction,
but all of them operate in a similar manner and their main features are the same.
Such a machine will comprise a travelling line holder for holding types and
temporary spacing devices, this line holder travels along a suitable track or
way from the position in which the types and temporary spacing bars are inserted
to a second position where the line is expanded by operating the temporary
spacing devices so as to fill up the line; the line holder is then removed to a
third position where proper space blanks are substituted for the temporary
spacing devices and thence to a fourth position where the line of type now
properly justified is removed from the line holder to a galley. The emptied line
holler is now returned from the fourth position above mentioned to the first
position. In machines as heretofore constructed two or more line holders are
generally used and the temporary spacing devices after being replaced by the
space blanks are collected in one place and also the empty line holder is held
in the fourth position until a second line holder has been filled with types and
spacing devices. The removal of the empty line holder to its first position and
the return of the temporary spacing devices takes place at the same time that
the fresh filled line holder is started from the first position to the second position:
consequently during the period of the time while the line holder and temporary
spacing bars are being returned to their first position the operation of composing
is necessarily discontinued, and the output of the machine in a given time is
reduced.
In our present invention we provide a special device which operates to return
the temporary spacing bars to their first position in succession as fast as they
are replaced by proper space blanks in the justified line of type. We further
provide an improved construction for returning the line holder to its first position
which construction operates as soon as the line of type has been removed to the
galley. By this means the circulation of the line holders and temporary spacing
bars is rendered practically continuous so that the operator may proceed with the
composition without any loss of time between the composition of the successive
lines of trone

page_text: Machines for justifying type which operate in the manner above indicated
are shewn and described in the British Patent No. 4379 of 1898 of John Tyrrell
Boyes, and in the British Patent of Charles W. Dickinson, communicated to
William Phillips Thompson No. 17302 of 1898, and we will describe the present
invention as applied to the latter machine although its use is obviously not
restricted thereto.
In the accompanying drawings::
:-
Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine with a portion of the top of the
space bar race-way cut away to shew the interior construction.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the machine.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal view partly in section looking in the direction of
the arrows on the lines III-III of Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 4 is a cross section looking in the direction of the arrows
lines IV-IV of Figures 1 and 3, and
on the
Figure 5 is a cross section looking in the direction of the arrows along the
lines of Figures 1 and 3. This last figure shews a line holder supported
in its fourth position for having the line of type removed to the galley and also
the mechanism for lowering the line holder to a lower track along which it
is returned to its first position.
The line holder which is shewn at 1 Figures 3 and 5 is fitted to move freely
along an upper track 2 and a lower track 3. Its first position is on the upper
track and in the table 4 and in this position it receives the types through the
shoot 5 in their proper order from any suitable composing machine. Mechanism
of the usual kind feeds the line holder forward that is towards the right in
Figure 3, down the track 2 as fast as the types are assembled. The temporary
spacing bars are wedges 6 of a peculiar form described in the patent specification
of Dickinson above referred to and the supply of these bars is supported in the
upper end of their return race-way or channel 7 which is below the upper track 2
for the line holder. In order to raise the space bars successively to the position
from which they may be inserted into the line holder in the usual manner by
means of an inserting rod 8 an elevating device 9 is employed which normally
rests as shewn in Figures 2 and 3 with its top on a level with the bottom of
the race-way 7. A pivoted key lever 10 is provided by means
of which the device 9 may be pressed up to a level with the upper
rest or track thereby carrying the topmost space bar into position ready for
insertion in the line holder, it is retained in its position by a spring 11 shewn
in Figure 3. The insertion of the space bar is accomplished in any suitable
manner and the inserting mechanism is usually actuated by means of a key which
is pressed by the operator, this key may be dispensed with and the inserting
mechanism operated by pressure on the key lever 10, if desired. After the line
holder has been filled it is by operating a key or lever caused to move down the
track 2 to its second position where the space bars are driven in so as to expand
the line and justify the same and then it is moved further to the point where the
space bars are withdrawn (its third position) and the proper space blanks inserted
in lieu thereof.
The withdrawal of the temporary space bars is effected by means of a hook 12
which is secured to a reciprocating bar 13, the forward and backward movement
of said bar being controlled by a cam 14 in the usual manner. Immediately
upon being withdrawn from the line holder the space bars drop down into the
race-way or channel 7 through the opening 16 (see Figure 1). An open coil
of spring wire 17 is contained in a longitudinal recess in the race-way or
channel 7 having the distance between its convolutions greater than the thickness
of the individual space bars 6, but not so far apart as to allow them to fall over
on their sides. This coil is secured to a disc 18 on the shaft 19 which is con-
tinuously rotated through gear wheels 20 and 21. The coil 17 will therefore act
as a fixed screw or worm and a space bar as it drops into the race-way 7 between
the convolutions will be carried along to the upper end where it is stored with

page_text: the others as shewn in Figure 3. The coil 17 is of sufficient length as to be
at all times under compression and operates as an ordinary spring to push the
space bars to the upper end of the race-way 7 and to advance the entire number
the thickness of an individual bar each time one is elevated by the device 9.
It will be understood that since the individual space bars are started on their
return up the race-way as soon as withdrawal from the line holder takes place
a less number will be required than if they are retained until the whole of the
bars used in the line have been withdrawn and then the whole number returned
to the place of storage for re-insertion in a fresh line of type.
After the temporary space bars have been removed and proper space blanks
inserted the line holder is caused to continue its travel along the track 2 to its
fourth position in front of the galley 22 into which the line of type is removed
by means of a bunter head 23 which is operated from the revolving shaft 24
being automatically set into operation in the usual manner by the line holder
when it reaches the lower end of the track 2. The lower end of the track 2
is cut away for a distance equal to or slightly greater than the length of the
line holder, but in order to prevent the line holder from dropping to its lower
track 3 through the opening before the line of type has been removed to the
galley, a hinged plate 26 is provided (Figures 1 and 5) which by means of a
spring 30 is held normally in the position shewn in Figures 1 and 5 forming
a temporary support for the line holder. Pivoted to the plate 26 is a bar 27
having a bevelled termination in the form of a hook 29 and a lock 31 on the
bar 27 engages with a fixed lug 32 and prevents the hinged plate 26 being pushed
too far by the spring 30. The plate 33 which carries the bunter head is pro-
vided with a projection 34 on its side which as the bunter head ejects the line
of type into the galley 22 comes under the hook of the bar 27, lifts it up, passes
under it and permits the bar to drop. Then as the plate 33 moves backwards
with the bunter head 23 to its normal position the projection 34 engages with the
hook 29 and draws the bar 27 and plate 26 backwards which allows the lines.
holder 1 to drop on to the lower track 3. A fixed pin 44 is provided which
engages with the bevelled surface of the hook 29 and lifts it up thereby dis-
engaging the hook from the projection 34 as soon as the line holder 1 has dropped.
The mechanism for returning the line holder up the lower track 3 to the table
or elevating device 4 comprises an endless chain 35 supported on sprocket
wheels 36 which is continuously rotated, said chain having lugs 37 at intervals
which project through a channel in the lower track 3. One of said projections
will very quickly after the line holder has dropped engage with it and niove
it to the upper end of the track. As the line holder moves along it engages the
projecting end of a bell crank 43 and rotates said crank. The other end of the
bell crank is connected by a link with the table 4 (see Figure 3) and as the
bell crank is rotated to the position shewn in dotted lines in Figure 3, table 4
will be lowered until it is on a level with the track 3 and the line holder is pushed
on to the same. When this is done the bell crank being disengaged from the
Jine holder is rotated back again by the spring 42 and raises the table 4 with
the line holder thereon to a level with the upper race-way 2, the line holder being
then in its first position and ready to receive a fresh line of type. Should the
line holder elevator or table 4 with the empty line holder be raised before the
second line holder has been entirely filled and started down to the justifying
mechanism it can only rise until the lower end of the holder strikes the upper
one and the complete elevation of the empty line holder will therefore be stopped
until the upper one has been filled and started down the upper track 2 at which
time the elevator 4 will rise the remainder of the distance to its uppermost posi-
tion.
By properly arranging the speed of the justifying mechanism and of the
chain 35 so that the empty line holder may be carried up the return track 3
and on to the elevator 4 within the time required by the operator to compose
a line the empty line holder will always be in position immediately after the

page_text: filled line holder has been started down the track toward the justifying mechanism,
thus allowing the operator to proceed continuously with the composition of the
type. The invention herein shewn and described is in the form best adapted
for the type justifying machine of Charles W. Dickinson above referred to, but
it is evident that various modifications may be made to apply it to other type
justifying machines of that class which will be evident to those skilled in the
art.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention 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 machine for justifying type of the kind described, a rotating open
coil of spring wire extending longitudinally along a track and adapted to receive
between its convolutions the temporary spacing devices in succession as they are
withdrawn from the line holder for returning them to the position for reinsertion
into the line holder.
2. In a machine for justifying type of the kind described, the devices for
ensuring the descent of the line holder from its upper track or race-way to a
lower return track or race-way immediately upon the ejection of the justified
line of type to a galley, substantially as described.
3. A machine for justifying type of the kind described in which the empty
line holder in its movement along the return race-way operates the elevator
mechanism for raising the line holder from the lower track to the position in
which it is filled with type.
4. A machine for justifying type having the devices for returning the tem-
porary space bars to the position for reinsertion into the line holder as described
and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
5. A machine for justifying type provided with the mechanism for operating
the line holder as described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of September
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.