IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION OF PRINTING TYPES AND IN THE TOOLS EMPLOYED FOR CORRECTING TYPICAL ERRORS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Shaw, of Hollister, Monterey County,
State of California, in the United States of America, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION OF
PRINTING TYPES AND IN THE TOOLS EMPLOYED FOR CORRECTING TYPICAL
ERRORS."
Sealed the 27th May 1873, and dated the 8th April 1878.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Shaw at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 8th April 1878, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SHAW, of Hollister, Monterey County, State of California, in the United
States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION OF PRINTING TYPES AND IN THE TOOLS EMPLOYED
FOR CORRECTING TYPICAL ERRORS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to
grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal

page_text: Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that I
really believe myself to be the first and true Inventor thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Shaw, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal,
fully describes the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to certain improvements in the art of making
type for printing purposes, so that by the use of type thus constructed
corrections and alterations can be easily made either when the matter is
standing upon the galleys, or even after it is locked up and on the form.
My Invention consists in the employment of a mould for casting the
type with a double body, that is, making a portion of the body nearest
the letter narrower than the remainder by cutting away one side. A
notch is made at the lower end of this narrow portion so that when the
type are set up there will be a narrow channel leading down between
each line of type, and by means of a small hook, which can be
introduced and catch in the notch, any particular type or part of a line
can be easily withdrawn without disturbing the remaining ones or
marring the type withdrawn.
Referring to the accompanying Drawings for a more complete
explanation of my Invention.
Fig. 1 is an enlarged view of a single type of my improved construction.
"
2 shows the manner of withdrawing it.
A is the body or lower end of any type, this body being ordinarily
carried up the full size. In my type I make a portion B narrower by
employing a mould which will cast the type with a double body, the
narrow part or body B being nearest the face of the type and extending
to any suitable depth, so that when any number of lines of type are
set up a narrow channel will be formed as deep as the length of
this smaller body; at the lower end of the part or body B I form a
notch C as shown, and by means of this notch the type can be easily
withdrawn by a suitable tool. For ordinarily large type this tool can
be made by simply bending a piece of spring steel, as shown at D; this
spring hook is simply inserted in the channel between the types, and
when it reaches the bottom the hook will spring into the notch, and by
this the type can be withdrawn, as the next line of type supports the
hook and causes it to draw vertically on the type. If the type be very

page_text: small and narrow I make hook as shown at e, with a slender steel wire
having a projection of very small size a short distance from the end.
When the end of the wire reaches the bottom of the channel it can be
turned, so that the hook or point will enter the notch or groove and the
type can be withdrawn. By the use of this device the compositor can
make corrections and alterations in a very short time with but little
delay, and it is especially useful in job printing. The type when cast in
this manner will be no more expensive than any other form, and can be
handled just as easily.
Having thus described my Invention, what I claim and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is,―
First. The improvement in the manufacture of printing type, the
same consisting in making the mould so that it will cast the type with
the two bodies A and B of different sizes and provided with the notch C,
substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
Second. In combination with a printing type constructed with the
two bodies A and B and the notch C, I claim the hook provided with
the catch or shoulder D or e for engaging with and lifting the type,
substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Shaw, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of March, in the year of our
Lord A.D. One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witnesses,
JOHN L. BOONE,
CHARLES M. RICHARDSON.
WILLIAM SHAW. (L.S.)