Improvements in and relating to type-setting of composing Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1889
Improvements in and relating to type-setting of composing
Machines.
L, LORENZO Dow, Gentleman, residing at 139, Columbus Avenue, in the City of
Boston, County of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of
America, 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 :-
My improvement relates to that class of Type-Setting or Composing Machines in
which the type are arranged in channels standing nearly vertical, and from which the
lower-most type in the column in any channel can be released and allowed to fall,
by gravity, through suitable channels into a stick, whence the type are moved into a
galley.
I attain this object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in
which-
Figure 1, is a front elevation with certain parts of the key-board broken out in
order to better show the operating devices, only a few of the type channels being
here shown.
Figure 2, is a vertical section through the line, x-x, Figure 1.
Figure 3, is a perspective view of the lower channels, the pushers and a portion of
the stick.
Figure 4, is a detail in elevation of the short fixed channels.
Figure 5, is a slide elevation of fixed channel and supporting ring or base.
Figure 6, is a section on line, y-y, Figure 4.
Figure 7, is a perspective view of type ejecting roller.
Figure 8, is a detail of one of the converging plates and the channels leading
to it.
Figure 9. is a cross-section of Figure 8, on line, -, Figure 8.
Figure 10, shows a portion and plan of the key-board.
Figure 11, is a sectional view of a portion of the key-board.
Figure 12, is a sectional detail view.
Figure 13, is an enlarged vertical section of the upper portion of the galley.
Figure 14, is a perspective view of the cap piece.
Figure 15, is an enlarged detail view of the rod adjusting nut.
A, is the table which supports the machine; B, the uprights or legs supporting the
upper portion of the machine, and, B', are extensions of the uprights, B; (, is the
ring or base to which the short fixed channels D, are attached., is an upper ring
or base which serves as the support of the upper end of the removable channels, D₁,
which are extensions of, D. E, E, are. the tubes that convey the type from the
channels, 1), to the converging plates, E'. These converging plates, El, are con-
tinuations in fact, of the channels, E, through which the type descend, their office
being to bring all the falling type into one of several (five as shown in Figures 1
and 3,) exits, E2, from which they emerge in proper succession in front of the
pusher, E³, operating to push said type as they fall, along the channel or stick, F,
to the galley, F. F2, is a slide operated by hand or by treadle, to press down the
lines of type as they are justified or spaced, one after the other. F³, is a friction
block that supports the type as they are pressed down, until the galley is full; when
the galley. F, is full it can be removed by releasing the screw, F, which holds it
at the bottom.
E, is a support attached to the frame, B, which holds the ring, E³, sustaining the
carrying plates El B¹

page_text: •
G, is the shaft operating the pusher, E³. This pusher is pivoted at, E, to one end
of a piece (shown in dotted lines) passing behind the channels, E2, and pinned at its
other extremity, at, E7.
The lower end of the pusher, E³, is moved by the rod G², attached to lever G³.
G³, is pivoted at, G5; its upper end carries the friction-roller, G-(see Figures 1
and 3,) and is actuated by the pin, G₁, carried at the end of the shaft, G.
H, is the key-board and, H', the levers thereof.
the keys, and, H³, is a guide to keep it in position.
H, Figures 10 and 11, is one of
The removable channels, D', are made of thin metal, pressed into the proper form
shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6; the opening or slot in which the type stand being
adapted to the font used, so as to admit of their moving down freely by gravity into
the lower fixed channel, D. The type are removed from the distributor in the
channels, D', and placed upon the machine, the lower end supported by the upper
end of the channels, D, as seen in Figures 1 and 4; and the upper end resting on
the supporting ring or base, C¹. The upper end of the channels, D, are enlarged to
receive the lower end of the channels, D, so as to make a continuous channel through
the entire length of, D, and, D', down which the type move as the lowermost in the
column is expelled by the ejecting roller.
The column of type standing in this channel rests on a roller, I, which I designate
as the ejecting roller. It is shown in detail in Figure 7, and in position in Figures 4
and 6, the type resting upon the round part of the roller.
The suppression of the key causes a partial rotation of this roller, as seen in
Figure 4, ati, allowing the type to descend into the groove or cut, when the finger
is removed from the key the coiled spring. I', Figure 6, restores the roller to its
former or normal position. Upon its return it carries out the bottom type lying in
the cut or groove, leaving the remainder of the column resting as before upon the
back of the roller. As seen in Figure 4, two of the channels, D, adjacent, are in one
block piece. The rollers at the bottom of each channel eject the type into the
same opening or mouth, lying between them, as seen in Figure 4. The exit, K, thus
acts as the outlet for two channels or columns of type. To this outlet, K, is con-
nected the single conductor, E, as seen in Figures 4, 5 and 6. Preferably, I make
these conductors, E, of coiled wire pressed or bent into such shape and size as to
admit the free passage of the type, but not so large as to admit of their getting out
of position. The outlet, K, is a part of the block in which the channels, D, are made
and in which the two rollers, I, are held, as seen in Figure 4. This block is made
of type metal or Bobbit metals, or of any metal sufficiently hard and readily molded.
In order that the type, when ejected by the roller, shall not be thrown too far over
and strike the roller standing under the other channel in the block, the cap, T,
Figure 14, carries a small piece, T', which, when the cap is in position forms a
partition that arrests the movement of the ejected type and guides it down the throat
or outlet, K. The shoulder, T², under which the outer end of the type passes, as it
is moved out by the ejecting roller, prevents the type from turning on its side or
turning over until the lower end of said type has entered the channel, K.
The partial rotation of the ejecting roller to eject the lowest type and allow it to
fall into its groove or cut, 12, Figure 7, is effected by the wire or rod, L, Figure 2,
attached at its upper end to the pin, L, bent to hold said rod at its upper end. This
pin, L', is fixed at the opposite end in the roller, L, as seen in Figures 5 and 6.
The coiled spring, I, serves to bring the ejecting roller back to its former position
when the key is released. The lower end of the rod is connected with one of the
levers of the key-board, as seen in Figure 2, at, L³. At, L2, in the same figure and
enlarged at Figure 15, is seen an adjusting nut to regulate the length of the rod, L.
The lever, H, which actuates the ejecting roller through the rod, L, is fulcrumed to
the piece, H, attached to the frame, A, and carries at its other extremity a lettered
key, H. The depression of this key partially rotates the ejecting roller as before
described. lt brought back to its position as seen in Figure 2, by the coiled
spring, H.

page_text: The conductor or tube, E, preferably made of coiled wire pressed into suitable
shape to allow the type to pass freely without getting out of position, is attached at
its upper end to the conductor, K, Figures 4, 5 and 6, and at its lower end to the
top of the converging plate, El, by the piece or hook, as seen in Figures 2 and 8.
These converging plates, E, F, are held in position at their upper end by the
circular piece, E, attached to and supported by the pieces, E, fixed to the up-
rights, B, B. The lower extremity of these plates is made to enter the upper end of
the channel, E, Figure 3, so as to form continuous channels for the passage of the
type. These converging plates are broad at the top in order to hold all the channels
or tubes, E, E, from which all the type pass as they descend into the openings, e³ e³,
Figure 9. Figures 8 and 9, show the construction of these plates. An inner and
outer plate are adjusted and held apart by the division plates, e, e, so as to admit
the type to pass between them without getting out of position and drawing together
all the type into one exit, E, Figure S, through which they pass into one of the
channels, E, Figures 1 and 3, and through these into the stick, F, in front of the
pusher, E. The outer one of these converging plates is made easily removable so
that in case of necessity the passage between them may be accessible.
It is obvious that since the type standing in the channels, D, D¹, face in different
directions, some method must be devised to bring them as they emerge into the stick
with the nicks on the same side. This is effected by slightly twisting the tubes, E, E,
and the lower part of the plates, E. Figures 1 and 8, show this. This slight
rotation in no way retards the descent of the type.
Type hodies varying greatly in their thickness, it is necessary that all the openings
and channels through which they pass should be made to conform to the size of said
bodies to a considerable extent. I find that five sizes of openings and channels suffice
to allow the free passage of the type of any font without their getting out of
position. The location of the channels, D, D, and, D', D', on the base, C, carrying
the several sizes of type referred to, need not be made in any special order, but only
with reference to convenience in arranging the letters upon the key-board.
I find a very good method of arrangement to be substantially as the boxes of the
compositors case are arranged and in a general way to cause the thinnest letters to
emerge through the one of the final passages E2, 2, to the right, Figures 1 and 3,
and the thickest to the left. As they successively emerge in front of the pusher, E³,
into the stick, F, they are pushed forward as has been already described.
In Figures 10, 11 and 12, are seen details of the construction of the key-
board, H. H2, is the lettered key-board. H³, is a guide to support the pin which
carries the head, H; a hole in the frame, A, serves as a guide, for the other end of
this pin. By depressing the letter keys in the order of the letters of a board, the
type representing the same word are set in the stick with great rapidity.
As word after word is thus set, a space being in the same way dropped down to
separate the words, all are pushed along the stick, F, towards the galley, F1, Figure 1.
The galley, F, is the ordinary printers galley supported upon the piece, F³, which is
attached to the frane by the arm, F. This piece, F, and the galley, F¹, which it
carries stand at a right angle to the type in the stick, F. This enables the operator
who justifies the type to cut off successive lines from type in the stick as they move
towards him, as shown at F7, Figure 1. When a line has been slid in upon those
already there, the lever, F, carrying the slide, F, is brought down pushing the line
down between the solid sides of the galley when it is spaced, and the process repeated
until the galley is full.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of any said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
First In type-setting machines, the channels, D, and D', in combination with the
ejecting roller, as and for the purposes specified.
Second: In type-setting machines; the channels, D, in combination with the ejecting
roller and the tubes, all of equal length.

page_text: Third In type-setting machines, the ejecting roller in combination with the
actuating rods, the tubes and the converging plates, as and for the purposes
specified.
Fourth In type-setting machines, of the class described, the channels, D, and D',
the ejecting rollers and thin actuating rods, the elastic tubes, a part of which are
twisted, and the converging plates, as and for the purposes specified.
Datad this 8th day of Outalia 1880
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.