Improvements in Type-composing Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Type-composing Machines.
I, FRIEDRICH WILHELM SCHULZE of 17 Niederwallstrasse, Berlin, C. in the
Empire of Germany, Bookseller, 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:-
66
"
This invention relates to a type-composing machine in which the types are
arranged in a row of vertical cases side by side, delivered thence onto a horizontal
guide by the action of keys and levers in regular sequence, according to copy,
and so issue in a channel or galley in the form of a long row of words and
sentences; being thence transferred to the compositors board, where they are
divided into regular lines of the required length in the composing stick, justified in
galleys, and made up in columns on the stone in formes, as customary.
The accompanying drawings show
Figure 1 a front view or elevation of the composing machine, the bands, which
guide and convey the letters being omitted
Figure 2 a perspective view of the transmission device as seen from above;
Figure 3 a geometrical cross-section of a case with the slideway connected
therewith;
Figure 4 a cross-section of the key-board;
Figure 5 a vertical section of the collective channel-way or trough with the
transmission device (in side view), drawn to an enlarged scale.
In a wooden frame B are arranged, from right to left, with their openings to the
front, 96 vertical shoots or magazines, about one metre in height (Figure 1) wherein
are distributed, laid flat, one above the other, the types which are to be used in
composition.
The types are so arranged in the cases that the thin ones, such for instance as i,
are situated to the left, while the larger ones are situated to the right. The iron
covering plate v which is placed in front of the lower ends of the magazines or
cases, from one end of the frame B to the other, is so arranged as to form the
corresponding openings u through which the types are pushed singly forward by
the fingers or strikers (which are ranged behind the case) so as to lie on the
horizontal guide-board or slideway (Figure 3). Between the metal covering
plate and the magazines or cases strips of pasteboard are glued, for the protection
of the types; and against these are placed the glass plates which cover the open
fronts of the cases. The strikers, which are fixed to long springs behind the cases,
are actuated by pressure on the keys or pushes arranged in front of the slideway and
case-frame, the said keys being connected by bands or ties (shown in dotted line in
Figure 4) with the springs and strikers by which, as above stated, the types, as
required, are thrust forward on the slideway.
So soon as a type is thus advanced across the guide-line t, it comes under the
action of one or other of the forked propelling arms e, four in number, which are
fixed to the endless travelling band of india rubber d, moving continually from right
to left below the slideway; the forked arm, projecting above the slide-way on
each side, comes in contact with the type lying across the board, and carries it
forward to the collective channel way on the left. Here a stud or projection n
belonging to the forked propellér arme (Figures 1 and 2) engages with a hook m
attached to a presser arm 1, which is thereby caused to descend upon the type 1,
just delivered to the collective, channel way c, and to push it, together with those
previously delivered, down to the distance of 2 millimetres below the slideway or

page_text: 12
guide-board, to make way for the next following type. The endless band
continuing its movement, the stud or projection is withdrawn from the hook or
catch m, by reason of its suitable oblique position, whereupon the presser arm l,
which is fixed on a spring k, is immediately raised, clear of the slideway, in
readiness for another type, which meanwhile has been similarly dealt with to its
predecessors, and is being conveyed in like manner to the collective channelway c
by the next forked propeller arm.
The collected types in c are carried by a suitable tightly-fitting, sliding plug
made of paste-board, and are thus accumulated in the channel way, as a long row
of letters forming words and composing sentences, and gradually delivered towards
the left, by a bend in the channel way through a suitable passage in the wooden
partition B, Figure 5, finally reaching the composing board o, where a compositor
divides them in short, equal, lines, justifies them, and makes them up in columns with
the composing-stick.
The endless rubber travelling band d encircles the two rollers gand (Figure 1):
on the shaft of the latter is fixed a small driving pulley in connection with a
fly-wheel and shaft, operated by means of a treadle by a compositor, and suitably
arranged beneath the case and endless travelling band.
As shown in Figure 1 the presser / is lifted out of position; its arm must lie
beneath the rod Figure 2. In Figure 1 also, as before explained, the rubber
guide-bands qq (Figure 2) are omitted; of these q' is stretched parallel to the
guide-board or slide-way b, by means of the oblique plate on the right (Figure 1)
and of the metal strips (Figures 2 and 5) on the left at a distance varying from
3 to 5 millimetres. Thus the guide-band q' is fixed at an acute angle to the slide-
way (Figure 3), whereby the type, when pushed out of the vertical case by the
striker z is inclined downwards, so that its head comes in contact with the guide-
band q which is stretched from right to left of the apparatus, on a level with the
upper surface of the slideway b (Figure 2) at a distance of 7 millimetres away from
it. The type rebounds from the band q" and falls on the slideway with its foot
abutting against the guide-plate t fixed in front of the case-frame B, just beneath
the opening u¹ and projecting about 14 millimetres above the upper surface of the
slideway (Figure 5).
The guide-band q¹ presses the type lightly against the slideway b so that it may
not tip up but slide gently along when propelled forward by the forked arme of
the travelling band, which thus pushes it along the slideway until it is brought to
rest against the left-hand wall of the collective channel way c which stands about
1 centimetre higher than the right-band wall, and is provided (like the presser-arm 7)
with a notch to receive the metal strip s but too small to permit the passage of the
type, which therefore remains, lying across the notch. Owing to the slightly
inclined position of the metal strip s, and of the rubber band q which it carries,
tightly strained, the type is pressed down so as to prevent its tipping up, until the
presser is brought into action and pushes it down 2 millimetres below the upper
surface of the slide-way or runner b.
After the forked carrier or propeller arm e has deposited the type in the channel-
way it has to pass through the narrow space between the latter and the driving
roller of the endless rubber travelling band d. For this purpose it is arranged
(Figures 5 and 3) so as to pivot and be pressed backwards, against the pressure of
the spiral spring a on its axis, and lie close to the driving-roller f while passing
from the upper to the under side between and c; whereupon the reaction of the
spring raises it again into the erect position, while, immediately afterwards, its
projecting stud or catch n engages in the hook m of the presser arm and draws the
presser down, whereby the last-deposited type is pushed downwards in the
collective channel-way c displacing also at the same time all the types below it with
the pasteboard stop or sliding plug. The catch n being withdrawn from the hook m
by the return movement of the travelling band the presser arm is released and
springs back to its former position above the slideway, abutting against the stop ẞ
(Figure 2).

page_text: On the key-board apparatus the guide-bars Rare carried by the side-frames,.
step-fashion, (as shown in dotted lines on Figure 4); and therein when the keys
are struck move up and down the rods P surmounted by the keys. When these are
depressed they draw with them, by means of suitable hooks, the bands or ties.
which pass over rollers carried by uprights T, and are led (as shown in dotted lines.
Figure 4) by oblique guide-rollers away to the striker-rods and strikers z which
are thus actuated to eject the types from the cases. As seen in Figure 4 the first
or highest key is depressed, causing the ejection of its corresponding type. Its
stop V is in contact with the key-board, so that the key-rod P cannot go any
lower. Its hook has drawn the band and with it the striker-spring to which it is
attached. The stop of the second key-rod is shown in place, at a distance of
about 3 centimetres below its guide-bar R; and the others similarly. The key-
board is of course perforated below every key-rod P to allow the key to be
depressed. The key-rods P and uprights T belonging to them, are not placed one-
behind the other; but cach pair, key-rod and upright, is placed about 6 millimetres
to the left of its predecessor, corresponding to the cases.
Qrepresent the oblique rollers serving to guide the bands or ties effecting the
protrusion of the types. In order to prevent the guide-standards being bent or
displaced by the tension of the springs, they are supported by wire stays carried
through the key-board and secured to its underside.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A type-composing machine, in which the types, distributed into a row of
vertical magazines or cases side by side are by means of a key-board whereof the
key-rods P operate on spring-strikers z by hooked stops V and bands or ties.
suitably arranged and guided, protruded onto a horizontal slide-way specially
characterised by the arrangement beneath such slideway of an endless travelling
band & provided with forked propeller arms or carriers e with projecting catch n in
such manner that the types thus delivered on the slideway are carried along by one or
the other of the forked carriers projecting on each side above the slideway and
deposited in a collective channelway c arranged at one end of the slideway, wherein
subsequently they are by previous engagement of the said catch with the hooked
arm mn of a spring-presser pushed down into the said channelway while the forked
carrier-arms e held in their proper upright position by spiral springs a coiled on
their axis and on passing between the collective channelway c and the driving
roller of the endless travelling band are inclined backwards against the roller
and endless band d substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In the type-composing machine described in Claim 1, the arrangement, above
the slideway 6 of a slightly inclined elastic strip or belt q' under which the type
travels along the said slideway under gentle pressure, and of a second elastic
belt vertically placed near the outside edge of the slideway in such manner
that the head of each type as it is protruded or ejected by the striker z comes
against the said vertical belt q" and owing to its elasticity is thrown back with the
foot of the type abutting against the stop formed by the edge-plate or guide t and
so held in position while travelling along the slideway b substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of December 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.