A NEW OR IMPROVED TYPE MATRICE MACHINE
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Merritt Henry Dement of 90 Cannon Street in the city
of London gentleman for an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED TYPE
MATRICE MACHINE"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Merritt Henry Dement at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st July 1883.
MERRITT HENRY DEMENT of 90 Cannon Street London, Gentleman A NEW
OR IMPROVED TYPE MATRICE MACHINE
The object of my invention is to provide a mechanism for, making type
indentations or embossments in or upon strips or sheets of paper, or other suitable
material, from which material, when so indented, metallic or other casts may be
made to form stereotypes, from which a print may be taken; or from which
lithographic copies may be made. The process being intended as a substitute to a
great extent for the present mode of printing by type setting.
My mechanism consists of a series of types comprising the capital and lower case
alphabets, with figures, punctuation marks, etc, and operating in connection with a
revolving cylinder containing a series of sliding rods and hammers, which are made
to bring the type and paper in contact by the operation of cams. One cam brings
the bar or hammers in position to pass upon a second cam which causes the contact,
a third cam breaks the contact by a positive action, and a fourth cam returns the
hammer to its resting position. The type are set radially in a wheel, or cut on the
faces of the bars.
The machine is operated by means of a series of lettered keys, each key
operating upon a particular bar, which bar, in turn operates upon or in connection
with the type corresponding to the letter on the key operated upon. For example,
the key lettered A will operate the bar which operates upon the type A.
Power is applied by any suitable means, and the cylinder may be caused to
make from 200 to 300 revolutions per minute.
The material to be operated upon, may be used in strips or sheets. But, for
convenience in correcting errors, proof reading, and justifying lines, as well as speed

page_text: in operating, material in the strip form is preferable; for book and newspaper work
especially. Or it may be used in sheet form, and afterwards cut in strips. But
when used in a continuous strip form it obviates the necessity of re-adjusting the
paper feeding apparatus at the end of each line.
More particularly described, my machine consists of a revolving cylinder and
type wheel, keys, rods and cams, as now set forth. The cylinder is placed upon a
suitable shaft, running in hangers secured to a table or base plato; with a pulley
nt one end, by means of which power may be applied. Any desired number of
longitudinal grooves are cut in the cylinder, in which are placed bars or rods
capable of sliding, so as to protrude from the end of the cylinder over the type-ring.
The type ring may be constructed in various ways, the type being set radially in a
ring or wheel which may be concentric with the cylinder, or on a separato shaft
connected by gear wheels which make it revolve at the same rate as the cylinder.
The rods are provided with cam pins on their inner ends. A key board consisting
of the same number of keys as there are rods, is placed beneath the cylinder. The
key bars are pivotted near their centres so that by depressing one end, the other
end will be pressed against the cylinder. Each key bar is provided with a cam
surface which operates, when printing, upon the cam pin of a particular rod, and
causes the rod to slide in the groove and protrude over the type ring. Each bar
when protruded covers the particular type designated by the key which has been
depressed.
Underneath the point where the rod ends protrude, is placed a cam plate, which
the protruding rod will strike as it revolves and by which it will be pressed
upwards. Between the cam and the type ring is placed the paper strip in a
suitable groove, as a guide, with a forked spring above it. As the cylinder revolves
and a rod is protruded, the rod will strike the cam plate and be thrown upward so
as to strike the paper strip and press it upon the type, and an indentation is made
therein by the type. The paper meanwhile by means of such indentation is pulled
along in its groove as long as it is held by the rod and the type. The forked
spring operates to throw the paper from the type after the rod is released.
To feed the strip so as to give each letter its proper space, I make the rods or at
least that portion which passes over the cam of different widths according to the
widths of the letters they operate upon. It will be seen that the wider the rod the
longer it will be in passing the apex of the cam; and hence, the longer it will hold
and the further it will pull the paper. So that, in the case of the capital letter W
a very wide rod is provided, while the lower case letter i will require a very
narrow rod,
. Where several rows of type are used, each rod may have two or more places of
different widths corresponding to the different letters upon which it operates. In
such case, the cam is made to slide in a groove, so as to bring it under the portion
of the rod corresponding to the row of type to be operated upon. For instance if
the first rod shall operate upon the capital A in one row of type, the small a in the
second row, and the in the third row, it will require to have three spaces of
different widths, to correspond to the widths of the three types; and the cam must
be shifted so that it will operate upon the desired one of the three spaces. The
cam is shifted by means of a lever or bar connected with the apparatus for shifting
the type ring; or by an independent connection with a pedal upon which the
operator's foot is pressed in shifting.
I prefer to make the cam upon the end of a plate A the other end connecting
by means of a slot and pin, or other device, with the mechanism for shifting the
type ring; the under portion of the support for the cam B being cut away so as
to form a groove through which the cam plate A may slide. In this form the cam
may be made narrower than when fixed so as to require to be shifted but a short
distance to pass from one widened space on the bars to another.
The mechanism for shifting the type ring may be constructed in a variety of
ways. I prefer to use a grooved ring placed upon the shaft and connecting with
the type ring and revolving with it. In connection with this is a yoke, in each

page_text: arm of which is placed a pin fitting and running in the grooved ring. This yoke
is formed upon the end of a shifting bar which is pivotted to the base plate and
to which is fixed a horizontal arm extending under the base plate, which is in turn
connected with the pedal by means of a chain or cord or other suitable device.
The end of the shifting cam plate may be attached to this shifting bar, so that
the operator in pressing upon the pedal will shift both the type ring and the cam
at the same time. The type ring being required to be shifted a further distance
than the cam, it is connected with the shifting bar at a further distance from its
pivot than the cam plate which requires less movement, inasmuch as the widened
spaces on the bars will be closer together than the type rows.
This feature of a shifting cam will probably only be used on machines when
different sized fonts of type are used Where only one size is used, the Roman
capitals and lower case, with the ordinary punctuation marks, may be placed in
one row or ring, and the Italic capitals and lower case in the next row; and one
set of bars and a fixed cam will answer, for the bar operating upon the Roman
capital A, will also operate upon the Italic A, and so on through the Alphabet;
and it is only necessary to have the italics so cut as to be of exactly the same
width as the roman letters. Fig. 1 is intended to represent this form of the
machine, although a full double alphabet is not shown in each row.
In the grooves under each of the bars, a spring is placed to hold the bar in the
proper position when not printing such springs may also be used to throw the bars
off the paper after they shall have printed and passed the cam. But these springs
will not always retain the same elasticity, and the rods do not work up & down in
the grooves with the same ease; and, the result is that when a spring is weak, or
a rod works slowly, it will not be promptly thrown from the type after printing
and will, consequently, drag the paper too far and give the letter printed upon too
much space. To prevent this and secure absolutely accurate spacing I place a Cam
in position immediately after the first cam, and where the rod will strike it after it
shall have passed the first cam and printed, and be taken off the paper promptly
by a positive action. In connection with this cam, the rods, for a space of about
one eighth of an inch, more or less, from the ends are made of uniform width, and
true to, or even with, the rear side of the rods, as they revolve. This portion of
the rod is not made quite so high as the part which presses the paper on the type,
so as to leave room between it and the type for the plate to overhang it which
serves to prevent the bars from pressing the paper too far in the types, and thus
causes an uniform indentation.
The second cam is placed from the apex of the first Cam just the width of the
rods where they are of this uniform width, so that no matter how wide the rod
may be, it will not strike the second cam until it shall have finished printing, and
then it is thrown at once from the paper.
To make blank spaces between words by pulling the paper the required distance,
without puncturing the face of the strip, I place on the type wheel in the proper
position to be operated upon by the rod connecting with the space key, a blank
type or pin with a flat or slightly convex head at about the same height or a little
shorter than the type head. This may be milled or roughened. Then I place upon
the inner side of the rod or on that portion which presses upon the paper one or
more small pins or points, or suitable milling. The operation being substantially
the same as in printing a letter except that the indentation is made on the reverse
side of the Paper, and by the rod instead of the type. This method of spacing
between words is preferable to other methods, because it makes no indentations in
the face of the paper into which the Stereotyping metal will run, and thus cause
unnecessary prominences on the plate or bar, when cast from the strip, which will
print.
The rods, after printing, are returned to the cylinder by a third cam placed after
the other two cams, in such a position that the ends of the rods will strike it, and
be pushed back by it. It will be seen that each key operates upon its corresponding
rod but once in a revolution of the cylinder; and that two or more keys depressed

page_text: at one time will operate in their order at each revolution; so that words in which
the letters occur in the order of the Alphabet, as for instance, the word "know" or
in the order of the arrangement of the letters on the keyboard, may be printed at
one revolution-provided the keys are depressed before the rod which operates
upon the type for the first letter of the word shall have reached the cams on the
keys. To insure this in every instance it is important that the keys should be so
arranged as to be depressed at a certain point in the revolution of the cylinder;
and this point should be at the beginning of the Alphabet, or immediately before
the rod which is operated by the first key should reach the keys. This is accom-
plished by providing guards to hold the keys down so that they cannot be depressed
except at the desired point in the revolution of the cylinder at which point the keys
are automatically released, and one or more as may be desired may be brought in
line of contact with the cams on the longitudinal rods. It is also important that
the keys should remain in this position until they operate. These objects may be
obtained in a variety of ways, as here shown, they are attained by means of a
Series of uprights pivotted at their lower ends upon a rod, which is in turn secured
to the baseplate. Upon the inner sides of these uprights, tongues are formed
which are capable of protruding over the inner ends of the dormant keybars. The
upper ends of the upright pieces are provided with cams which rest against the
cylinders; or, to prevent unnecessary friction, they may be held slightly away from
the cylinder, but yet near enough to come in contact with a series of cams upon
the cylinders. These cams are so placed that each one as the cylinder revolves,
will operate to throw backward the upper end of a particular upright piece. A
spring behind each upright returns it to and holds it in position to be again acted
upon by the cylinder cam. As the uprights are thrown back, the tongue or guard
will be drawn back from over the end of the key bar, and the key if pressed upon
at the outer end, will then rise to the operating position and as the upright is
thrown back after the cam has passed, by means of the spring, the guard returns
& catches-under the elevated end of the key bar, and holds it rigidly in position
until it shall have operated, and the cam on the cylinder shall have again operated
to throw the guard back, when the end of the key is left free to fall to its dormant
position by its own weight or with the aid of the coil springs pressing upward
under its outward end. To permit the rods to be depressed on the types, they are
each provided with a joint, and the grooves in which they lie are made deeper at
the printing end of the cylinder; the rods being held in position when not printing
by suitable springs as described and prevented from going beyond by bands.
Where the type ring is placed on a special shaft, connected by gear wheels with
the cylinder shaft, the same cains and rods may be used. The positions of the
cams are reversed, the rods being pressed outwardly instead of inwardly, and the
paper guide and spring are placed between the outer edges of the rods and the
type wheel. Substantially, the same results will be accomplished in this way as
where the cylinder and type-ring are concentric.
Referring to the drawings hereto annexed, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my
improved Machine, Fig. 2 is an end view with shifting lever and yoke omitted,
Fig. 3 is a detailed view showing cams-with spring C omitted, Fig. 4 is a
detailed view of a key bar showing cam J and finger tip Q, Fig. 5 is a detailed
view of a hammer-Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the cams showing paper guide
and forked spring in position, Fig. 7 is a detailed view of Paper guide and forked
spring, Fig. 8 is a sido elevation of a portion of the machine showing modification
of my invention, the cam C being omitted, Fig. 9 shows detailed views of modi-
fications showing shifting cam A. and plate, and manner of attachment to shifting
bar.
In Fig. 1. G represents the pully, F the cylinder. D the sliding rods with
cams aa; D D the hammers; PP the rings for holding hammers in place; b the
ring for holding one end of sliding bars in place, the other end being held by
screws, as shown. E is the type ring with two rows of type; e the yoke on
shifting lever; & the operating arm of shifting lever; f the spring for returning

page_text: lever to position after operating; and g the pedal. is the point of pivotting of
the key bars I, and h h the supports for the bar upon which the key bars aro
pivotted B is the cam for throwing the bars from the paper; C is the papor
guide with forked spring attached-H is the base plato.
In Fig. 2 A represents the printing cam; B the cam for throwing the bars from
the paper after operating; B₁ the plate to regulate the impression, and O the cam
for returning the bars to position in the cylinder.
In Fig. 5, M is the portion of the bar operated upon by the cam B, and where
the bars are of uniform width and true to the rear side thereof. L is the portion
of the bar which passes over the cam A, and where the bars are made of different
widths, corresponding to the widths of the type. In Fig. 3 a bar is shown in
operation.
In Fig. 6, N is a plate which serves as a support for the paper guido c, and also
as a stop to prevent the bars from being thrown too far out by the operation of
the cams J upon the key bars; and i is the plate upon which the cams are secured.
In Fig. 10 L shows bar with two different widened surfaces, one for a wide letter
and one for a narrower letter, the cam A¹ as shown in Fig. 8 being capable of
shifting so as to operate upon either surface of the bar. A in Fig. 9 is the plate
upon which the cam A' is made, and by means of which it is connected with the
shifting lever. Fig. 11 shows arrangement of an operating key with upright and
guard. W is one of the cams on the cylinder which, as the cylinder revolves
comes in contact with the cam on the upright R, throwing the upright backward
so that the guard S is removed from over the end of the key at the point V, thus
permitting the end of the key to rise when the finger tip Q at the other end is
pressed upon by the operator. U is the spring which holds the upright R in
.position. T shows rod upon which the uprights are pivotted.
The machine may be used to print with ink, by providing suitable ink rollers;
in which case as there is no type indentation by which the paper may be fed,
a milled ring should be placed at the side of each row of type, or milling, or pieces
at the side of each type upon which the rods will press the paper and which will
indent or grasp it to feed it. By using lithographic ink and paper suitably
prepared with a starch coating or otherwise, the printed product may be litho-
graphed and any desired number of copies produced or the product may be
utilized to produce a multiplicity of copies by means of photolithography or
similar process.
I do not limit myself to the particular style of rods herein shown and described,
as I am aware that other styles may be used in connection with substantially
the same cylinder and cam devices herein described to accomplish substantially
the same results
Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to
secure by Letters Patent, are:
First, The Mechanism, substantially as herein described and shown, for making
typo indentations or matrices.
Second, The Mechanism, substantially as herein described and shown, for feeding
the paper or material operated upon.
Third, The combination of the Cylinder, and a series of rods, with a cam for
pressing the rods upon the material operated upon, substantially as described and
shown.
Fourth, The combination of the Cylinder and rods of different widths, with
a cam for pressing the rods upon the material operated upon, substantially as
described & shown
Fifth, The combination of the Cylinder, type, and a series of rods, with the
cam B substantially as and for the purposes shown & described.
Sixth In a type writing or type matrice machine, a series of rods, with means
for actuating the same and for pressing them upon the paper or material operated
upon, in combination with a cam for throwing them from the material after
operating, substantially as shown and described.

page_text: Seventh, The combination of the cylinder, and a Series of rods of different
widths at the point of contact with the cam A, and of uniform width from the
rear side at the point of contact with the cam B, and said cam B, substantially as
shown & described.
Eighth. The combination of the cylinder, sliding rods, and means for pressing
the rods upon the material operated upon, with the cam C, by means of which
the bars are returned to the cylinder after operating, substantially as shown and
described.
•
Ninth, The sliding cam A', with means for sliding the same, in combination
with rods of different widths having two or more spaces of different widths,
substantially as shown & described.
Tenth The combination of a 'blank type or pin in the type wheel with pins or
milling on the corresponding rod, substantially as shown & described.
Eleventh. The method of feeding the material operated upon to produce spaces
between words, which consists in making the feed indentations on the reverse side
of the material, substantially as described.
Twelfth The combination of a series of operating keys, with means sub-
stantially as shown & described, by which they are prevented from operating
except at a certain point in the revolution of the cylinder, and when operated,
are held in position.
Thirteenth, The combination of the operating manuals or keys, with the series
of catches or guards, substantially as shown & described.
Fourteenth, In a type-writing or type matrice machine a series of rods and-type
in combination with a plate to regulate the pressure of the rods upon the material
operated upon, substantially as herein shown & described.
In witness whereof I, the said Merritt Henry Dement have hereunto set
my band and seal this thirty first day of July in the year of Our Lord,
One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
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