IMPROVEMENTS IN. THE MANUFACTURE OF TYPE
Year: 1841

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BENJAMIN'S SPECIFICATION. Ly
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NATHANIEL
BENJAMIN, of Camberwell, in the County, of Surry, Gentleman, send
greeting....
019
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal, of Great Britain, bearing date, at
Westminster, the Twenty-eighth. day of June, in the fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and, grant unto me, the
said Nathaniel Benjamin, Her especial, licence, full power, sole, privilege and
authority, that I, the said Nathaniel Benjamin, my exors, admors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Nathaniel Benjamin, my exors, admors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,, from time to time,
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN. THE
MANUFACTURE OF TYPE," communicated to me by a certain Foreigner residing
abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said Nathaniel Benjamin, shall cause a particular description of the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar,
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.
I
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso,, I, the said
Nathaniel Benjamin, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Inven
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in, and by the following statement thereof, reference. being

page_text: Dengaman
had to the Drawings hereunto, annexed, and to, the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
The Invention relates to. a. mode of, constructing a machine for manufac
turing many pieces of type at one operation. And in order that the Invention
may be fully understood, and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to
describe the Drawings hereunto annexed, in the various Figures of which the
same letters are used to indicate, similar parts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a front view of the machine; Figure 2 shows a plan, and
Figure 3 shows a left-hand end view. These views represent the parts all
closed together in the positions they would assume immediately after the
parts are closed together, and the melted metal has been driven into the
various moulds contained in the machine. Figure 4 shows a machine when
opened out in the position the parts would assume immediately after having
removed the several pieces of type which have been formed at one operation
of the machine. Figure 5 shows a back view of the machine, the parts being
in the same positions as in Figure 4. Figure 6 shows a transverse section
of the machine, the parts being in the same position as those in Figures 4
and 5. And Figure 7 shows a transverse section of the machine having all
the parts in the positions they would assume on closing the machine to drive
the melted metal into the various moulds contained in the machine. It may
be here stated that machines may be made to have various numbers of pieces
of type made at oue operation. The machine shown in the Drawings has
moulds for making nineteen pieces of type at the same time. a, a, shows
the framing of the machine, the shape and nature of which is clearly shown
by the various Figures of the Drawings; 6 is what I call the bed plate, in
which are formed a series of angular grooves c, c, which angular grooves each
form two sides of a mould for a piece of type, and at the front end of each
of such angular grooves is formed an enlargement or gutter c', which opens
into the channel d formed in the bedplate b, into which channel the melted
metal is poured, and from which it is forced into the various moulds, as will
be hereafter explained. The other two sides of each of the moulds are formed
on the bar e, which moves on an axis at e', such axis being capable of adjust-
ment in order to allow of larger or smaller type being made in the machine,
the axis e¹ being carried by the plate e², which has a slot cut into it, through
which the set screw e³ passes, and when the plate is adjusted the screw affixes
the plate securely, e being an adjusting screw which regulates the position
of the plate e, as will readily be understood on examining the Drawing.
Through the bar e are formed' as many holes as there are moulds for pieces

page_text: of type in the machine, and through these holes pass slotted plates f, which.at
their lower ends carry suitable surfaces: c², for forming, together with parts of
the bar e, the other two surfaces, which, together with the sides c, form the
series of moulds, the plates f being capable of adjustment and fixture by
means. of the screws g, g; and it will be seen that on the surfaces c² of each
of the moulds there is a projection, to produce an indent in the pieces of type
to facilitate the compositor in setting up type, as is usual, and as is well
understood. h, h, are two plates affixed on the bar e, which govern the
distance of the bar e from the bedplate; and if larger or smaller type is.to :be
made by the machine these plates will be enlarged or reduced in thickness
accordingly, and the axis of the bare moved higher up or lower down, so that
the bar e may come parallel with the plate b, whatever be the size of type-
produced, the surface c³ being of a size according to the size of the type
desired to be made, for it will be understood that only the sides c² require to
to be changed in varying the sized type produced, and it is the sides c² which
are changed, the sides c'at all times remaining the same. On the upper-
surface of the bar e is formed a bridge é, on which the screw of one of the
clamping levers rests when clamping down the bar e, as hereafter explained;
and the reason of using such bridge c³ is that some of the plates f come so far
towards the end of the bar e, and the bridge is placed to receive the pressure
of the clamping lever without interfering with the plates f. e is a stop,
which is affixed to the bar e, in order that such stop coming over the right-
hand end of the bed plate may prevent the bare moving endways when .in
the act of clamping it in its place, which it might otherwise have a tendency
to do by the drag of the lever clamps. is a handle by which a workman
moves the bar e on its axis of motion, in order to close or open this part of.
the machinery. i, i, are two clamping levers, which move on axes it, and
there is a set screw through each, whereby, when the clamp levers.are
turned towards the back of the machine, the set screws 2 press on the bar e,.
one on the upper.surface of that .bar, and the other on the bridge affixed on
the upper surface of that bar, as above described; and it will be seen that the
lever i at the left-hand end of the machine, when it is clamping the bar e,
presses under the surface j, and the clamping lever at the right-hand
end of the machine when clamping the bar e presses under the surface
k. By this means the bar e will be held secure during the forming of
type in the various moulds, and by this means the four sides, c, c, and c²,
and the parts of the bar e, will be combined for each .mould. Z is what I
call the matrix plate, because it carries a matrix for each mould. This
plate is hinged to the bedplate, as is shewn at l, l', but the hinges allow of
play in order that the plate may be forced in close contact with the ends of

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the moulds. m, m, is a matrix for each mould, each of which is secured in" a
recess formed in the plate l, and m is an adjusting screw to affix and adjust
them to the ends of their respective moulds. is a handle by which the
workman moves the matrix plate l, and n is the clamping bar which secures
the plate 1, and keeps it in contact with the ends of the various moulds. This
bar moves on an axis at n', and has a handle n²; by which it is moved by the
workman, and when closed to retain the plate 7 securely the right-hand "end
bears against the upright n³; 'all which will readily be traced in the Drawing.
pis what I call the presser bar, which moves on axes o, o, in front of the
machine: p is a handle affixed to the presser bar p, by which the workman
moves the presser bar, such-presser bar when brought into-quick "motion
driving the melted metal into the various moulds from the channel into which
it is poured :—
is
je
Having thus explained the nature of the various parts, and the manner
in which they are combined, whereby a workman, aided by the Drawing's
annexed, will readily construct the machinery, I will now shortly explain the
manner of using the same.
Supposing the vari
various parts to be open, as shewn in Figure 4 as well as in some
other Figures, the workman would first place the bar e on to the bedplate b, and
he would by the clamping levers.clamp down the bar e, as above explained; he
would then raise the matrix plate, and secure it behind by its clamping bar;
he would then pour the melted metal into the channel formed in the bed=
plate; he would then suddenly raise the handle of the presser bar into it's
highest position, which last act would force the fluid metal into the various
moulds; he would then again lower the handle of the presser bar, then lower
the matrix plate, and next unclamp the bar e, and lift it off the bedplate:
The type formed will all be found connected together, which may readily be
removed. The workman will then again proceed to close the machine, and
work as just described.
h
"Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
combining the various parts, I would have it understood that I make no claim
to any of the parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the precise details.
But what I claim is, the mode of combining the parts into a machine,
whereby the melted metal is driven into a series of moulds at the same time;
as above described.
In witness, whereof, I, the said Nathaniel Benjamin, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.
NATHANIEL (L.S.) BENJAMIN..

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of December,
in the year of our Lord 1841, the aforesaid Nathaniel Benjamin, Esquire, came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and speci-
fied, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.