Blocks for Locking Stereotype or Electrotype Plates for Printing.
Year: 1888

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Blocks for Locking Stereotype or Electrotype Plates for Printing.
We, HERMAN FIETSCH, Jr. and DANIEL WILLIAM RYAN, both of Chicago in the
State of Illinois, one of the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature
of our invention for BLOCKS FOR LOCKING STEREOTYPE OR ELECTROTYPE PLATES
FOR PRINTING, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The object of the improvement is to furnish a base or block for stereotype plates on
which one or more of such plates may readily be secured for printing therefrom, the
means for securing the plate to the block being adapted to fasten a plate of any
ordinary size, less than the area of the block, in any desired place thereon, or to fasten
several plates of the same size in different places thereon and adjust the spaces
between them as required to produce the desired page margins in book printing.
The invention consists broadly in a base or block having narrow sections of its
upper surface made relatively movable and provided with pins holes arranged in check
or cross rows so that by placing pins in such of the holes as come nearest to the
edges of a plate or plates placed on the block, such pins by a slight sliding of some of
the sections may be made to impinge the edges of the plate or plates to hold them in
proper place on the block. The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.
Fig. 1 is a plan or top view of such block. Fig. 2 is a fragment of an enlarged
plan. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of a portion of the frame employed to support
the sections. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line cx of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged
section on line of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 shows a detail. A designates a chase or frame
for supporting the movable sections B. In the present instance the movable sections
are provided with tenons b which work in mortises a in the frame A so as to allow a
short end wise movement of the sections in either direction. At one end the tenons
are provided with a rachet b' adapted to engage with a rachet bar 62 set in the frame
The frame is also
in a slot to one side of the mortise and actuated by a spring s.
provided with a small disk a' which has a cam a² coming against the bar b² so that
by a partial rotation of the disk by means of a key inserted in a square or angular
opening a³ the cam may be brought to bear hard against the rached bar as seen at a

page_text: and cause it to move into contact with the ratchet on the tenon and thereby lock
the section rigidly in place.
In this manner each of the sections may be shifted longitudinally and secured in its
various positions. When the cam is released the spring throws the ratchet bar back
out of the engagement with the tenon. It will be seen that the tenons as illustrated
are formed by letting a bar 6³ into a groove in the side of the sections and securing it
therein by screws c. This, however is merely an incidental construction and is not to
be regarded as substantially different from an integral tenon or the untenoned end of
the section inserted in a slot or mortise of sufficient size to receive it.
The dotted line d indicates the space inside the frame allowed for the end wise move-
ment of the sections. The upper face of the sections is provided with a series of
holes c so arranged as to form check or cross rows preferably about one sixth of an
inch apart. The surface is otherwise smooth or level so as to form the base on which
the Electrotype or Stereotype plate C, with a flat under surface, may rest. The plates
are secured to such base by pins c² received in such of the holes c¹ as come nearest to
the edges of the plate and projecting above the surface of the base so as to impinge
said edges and be tightened in place by the longitudinal adjustment and locking of
the sections in place when the pins are pressed against the edges of the plates suffi-
ciently to bind the parts together.
The mode of operation is illustrated in Fig. 1 which shows the second and fourth
sections from the left hand upper corner slightly moved endwise toward the left,
bringing the pins c² thereof against the upper and right hand edges of the plate while
the pins of the third and fifth sections impinge the lower and left hand edges.
It is obvious that said plate C or one of a different size, could be secured in the
same manner to any other part of the face of the block, or that a series of such plates
of equal size could be thus secured to the base so that the edges of their ends and
sides would be in line and the spaces between would be equal so as to make uniform
margins in book pages printed therefrom.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :
1. A base or block for stereotype or electrotype plates having its upper surface
composed of a series of separate sections made relatively movable and provided with
pin holes arranged in check or cross rows substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
2. A base or block for stereotype or electrotype plates composed of a series of
separate relatively movable sections provided with pin holes, a frame for supporting
such sections and means substantially as described for locking the sections respectively
in their various positions substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Hakod
1000
HERMAN FIETSCH, JR.
DANIEL WILLIAM RYAN.
Hughes, Eli & Hughes,
Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
1000
wwwwww
August 1888.
HERMAN FIETSCH, JR.
DANIEL WILLIAM RYAN.
Hughes, Eli & Hughes,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.