IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTERS' GALLEYS
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Edward Newton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd May 1876. A communication
from abroad by James Farquhar Hannan, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTERS' GALLEYS."
In the use of printing types, where the same after being composed or set up, are
kopt standing on galleys to be periodically used, as is largely the case with adver-
tisements, or even when they are " worked off" and stand for a few hours only, one
of the greatest drawbacks, especially where rapidly drying inks are employed, is
the cementing together of the types by the ink which penetrates into the interstices
between the types. It is scarcely possible without an impracticable expenditure of
time to so thoroughly clean them with apparatus commonly used as to prevent this
cementation. There results great loss of time in separating them for distribution,
and the labor of separating them without commingling the sorts, or as printers
call it making pi," is very severe upon the muscles of the fore arm and the
hand. Besides it is sometimes necessary to strike the types with a small mallet
to loosen them, and this causes serious damage to them. To remedy these and
other evils attending the drying of the ink on the types is the object of this Inven-
tion, which provides a cheap, portable, and convenient tank galley of peculiar
construction for keeping the type immersed in water or other suitable liquid or
solution when standing out of use, in order to prevent the drying of the ink by the
access of the air, which hardens the " driers" contained in all printers' ink.
The Invention also provides for the convenient and thorough cleansing of the
type while on the galley, and renders them perfectly loose and in good condition
for distributing.
The tank is preferably made of cast iron, and of rectangular form, and has at each
end of and upon the inside and on the bottom thereof inclined planes. Upon each of
these inclined planes rest the lower ends of a pair of legs or levers, which are
pivotted to the end pieces of a perforated shelf or galley, on which the types are to
be placed. By pressing together the upper ends of these legs or levers the lower
ends will be made to slide along towards the highest points of the inclined planes
till they rest upon the level ledges formed at the top of the inclined planes, the

page_text: lower ends of the legs or levers being prevented from passing by each other by a
stop. Thus the shelf will be raised out of the tank and remain supported in the
raised position by the legs or levers. The shelf is lowered into the tank by reversing
the movement of the tops of the legs or lovers.
The tank is provided with a tight fitting cover, so that the odor of whatever
liquid may be employed in the tank does not disagreeably pervade the room in
which the types are kept standing.
Tank galleys thus constructed and used may be placed on shelves and kept for
any length of time without the types contained in them becoming cemented together
or disarranged, and the types may by a suitable cleaning solution be conveniently
cleansed with a brush while on the shelf and supported by the sides of the tank.
and the legs or levers.
--
As a modification of the above the galley or shelf may be raised or lowered by a
screw which has a collar that rests on the bracket through which the screw
penetrates. The threaded part of the screw is fitted into a nut which acts on the
under side of a lug rivetted or otherwise fastened to the end of the shelf or galley,
or to end pieces attached to the shelf. Supports are provided for the screw, one
being placed in either end of the tank.