Improvements in Type Distributing and Type Composing Machinery.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 1st Nov., 1893-Accepted, 6th Jan., 1894
Improvements in Type Distributing and Type Composing
Machinery.
We, ELIJAH WARBURTON and HENRY WARBURTON, of 51, Kilshaw Street,
Liverpool, Lancashire, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The invention relates to machinery for bringing types of a like character into
type-channels, and to machinery for forming or setting the types afterwards into
words.
To effect the first-named purpose there is provided a number of short vertical
channels or grooves wider than the types to be distributed, the said channels or
grooves being of a depth corresponding to the thickness of the types they are each
intended to receive, which channels are fixed in a suitable frame. To the front
of these channels is a carriage or bed, which is moved forward and backward on
rails by a handle at each end. On the edge of this carriage nearest the vertical
channels is fixed a fence a little shorter than the carriage, near the end of which
is placed at right angle a short pivotted bar, which acts for a jaw. Adjoining the
pivotted end of this jaw is a grooved fence containing a rod, a spring, and a stud
which is attached to a pusher of a suitable length and width. Parallel to the last-
mentioned fence is a notched slide, and behind the jaw is one end of a pivotted
flat spring on its side, while the other end rests on the notched slide. This slide
is connected to another slide placed under the carriage, having fixed to the front
of it, facing the channels, one or more conical-pointed pins, a blunt pin, and a pin
with the point turned down. Between this slide and the front rail is fixed a bar,
having holes in it in a line, and steps above or below such holes. The type-
channels is pushed horizontally under the vertical channels at the back, the sides
of which vertical channels are shorter than the vertical channels, so as to leave
room for the high ends of the type-channels sides to form a joint with the sides of
the vertical channels, which are formed so as to prevent the type forming a step
on them, and at the back, near the bottom, they are chamfered to allow the sides
of the type-channels to slip between them easy. At one end of these vertical
channels are a few channels to receive quads, small caps, or other sorts.
back edge of the carriage there is placed a movable fence parallel to the fence
facing the channels.
At the
The manner of working the machine is as follows:-A number of lines of types
is placed faced up on the carriage, between the three fences, and the lines are
pushed in a mass towards the grooved fence. The line pusher is drawn back,
allowing one line to take its place, and, when released, pushes the line into the
opening between the jaw. The line pusher is pushed towards the jaw by the spring
on the rod against the stud in the grooved fence. Immediately the slides are
moved forward the conical-pointed pin or pius enter the hole or holes, which brings
the opening between the jaw opposite one of the vertical channels. The top slide
is so adjusted that as soon as the body of the conical-pointed pin or pins enter a
hole or holes it allows the end of the jaw spring to fall into a notch in the said
slide. Immediately this occurs the line pusher pushes the line through the jaw
until it is arrested by the vertical channel, and, when the pressure is taken from
the top slide, both slides are drawn back by a spring, thus lifting the end of the
jaw spring out of the notch, and fixing the remaining types in the jaw, thus pre-
venting their escape. The blunt pin regulates the distance which the bent pin is

page_text: to travel in order to push the type along the type-channel to make room for the
next type that falls down the vertical channel. This bent pin is placed in a line
under the opening of the jaw. Stops in the type-channels and the front rail
prevent type from falling off their feet. On the carriage is placed a follower to
disturb types that adhere to the vertical channels. Above the vertical channels is
an index, and attached to the carriage is a pointer.
The second purpose is effected by providing a stile or dam, against which one
end of the type channels meet. This stile is of a height to allow the head of the
types to be about in. higher than the stile. Above this stile is a bar with
vertical grooves corresponding in depth to the types underneath. A line of ejectors
or lifters are placed behind this stile, and at about the same level as the bottom of
the type-channels. When the type in the type-channels is up to the stile, the foot
of the types rest on the lifters, and when one lifter is raised it forces the type
above it into the groove in the bar, which bar also prevents the following types
from rising. Each row of types in these type-channels is pulled towards the stile
by springs. When the foot of the type is lifted above the stile or dam, the
pressure of the following type against the lifted type pushes it over the stile, owing
partly to this lifter being thinner than the ejected type. The type then falls by
gravitation down a ribbed channel or funnel, which ribs are formed so as to bring
the ejected types into a line at the bottom. The grooves in the bar are closed in
front and at the top. The ejectors or lifters are actuated by keys. The type-
channels sides at the end are made to go through the stile, or a short type-channels
is made to fit the stile or dam and a long movable channels to join it. The types
present their sides to the stile or dam.
The line-pusher can be pulled towards the vertical channels by a rubber spring
in the grooved fence.
of Fahrman 1802
Improvements in Type Distributing and Type Composing
Machinery.
We, ELIJAH WARBURTON and HENRY WARBURTON, of 51, Kilshaw Street,
Liverpool, Lancashire, Engineers, 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 and drawings
This invention relates to machinery for bringing types of a like character into
channels (hereafter called type-channels) and to machinery for composing or setting
same into words, lines, &c.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 relate to the mechanism for distributing type; and
Figures 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 9, and 94, refer to the mechanism for composing same
type into words, lines, &c., for letterpress printing.
The parts in these figures are marked with similar reference letters.
Figure 1, front view; Figure 2, side view; Figure 3, plan; Figure 4, side view
of fence Z; and Figure 5 a section across from G to G of Figure 4; Figure 6, a
side view; Figure 6 being continuation of levers L', showing keys K
attached; Figure 6, side view of short type-channel; Figures 8, 9, and 94, front
views; Figure 7, plan of composing stick and accessories; and Figure 74, side
view of slide t.
V (Fig. 1) are vertical channels between ends of framing F F, which channels
are of a depth corresponding to the type or characters they are each to receive.
These vertical channels are made of brass o' (Fig. 2), which is thicker than the
width of the types to be distributed, and the sides o are made of thin steel; o² being

page_text: pieces of hardened steel, which are let into the brasses of ', covering the part of the
vertical channels that arrests the letters or types after they leave the opening
between one end of fence and the jaw J (Fig. 3), the said pieces of steel of being
movable so that others can be substituted in the event of vertical channels becoming
too deep through wear. The side o of said vertical channels do not extend to the
lower end of brasses o¹. The vertical channels below the steel-facing of are made
slightly deeper, so as to prevent types forming steps thereon. These vertical
channels are kept up and held in position by screws XX and the framing F F. To
the right (Fig. 3), divided by the frame F, are three additional vertical channels to
receive quads, adjoining which vertical channels is a fixed narrow type-channel, into
which italics, small capitals, &c., have to be guided by preventing the line-pusher
(Fig. 3) forcing them too far. The quads drop into a receptacle underneath. The
screw holds these three vertical channels and narrow type channel in position.
Above the vertical channels on framing is an index I. E is one end of type-channels,
onto which end the distributed types fall from the vertical channels, which type-
channels' sides are higher at this end (Fig. 6B) so as to slide into and pass the vacant
place left between the brasses, owing to the thin steel forming the sides o being
shorter than the brasses, which brasses are chamfered at the back for in. from
bottom to allow easy access to said high part of type-channels' sides. C is a carriage,
on which are fixed fences f, f', and Z-the jaw J also acting partly as a fence-to
support type Y which is to be distributed. On one side of jaw J (which moves on
a pivot at end nearest to fence Z) is also pivotted to carriage a flat spring P on its
side, one end of which spring presses on said jaw, while the roller P¹ on the other
end presses on slide S'; is a handle, and k a knob; S' is a thumb-plate; is
line-pusher (Fig. 3), connected by a stud to spindle in fence Z, on which spindle
and behind such stud is a spiral spring (Figs. 4 and 5). The fence f' is movable to
allow of wider columns to be placed on carriage; R and R₁ are front and back
rails respectively, rebated so as to receive the rollers or wheels W fixed under-
neath the carriage (Fig. 2); B is a bar, placed contiguous to rail R, containing one
hole for each vertical channel, and steps T on (Fig. 3). S is a slide, connected by
two bolts to slide S', having a conical-pointed pin A', a blunt pin A (a little shorter
than the pin A'), and a pin L with the point turned down, which said pins are all
inserted into the turned down part of said slide S, such pins being made of hardened
steel. El is type-channels in position for receiving types from vertical channels.
N is a spring to pull back the slides S and S¹ to their original position.
carriage is slotted under slide S' to allow room for the too and fro motion necessary
for the bolts connecting said slides. D are two delicate flat springs or followers
attached to carriage to depress any types that adhere to vertical channels. One
end of a pointer is also attached to carriage, the other end being over the index I.
The jaw J and fence are made of hardened steel, as well as line-pusher. The
type-channels is made in three sections, all movable, the middle one being the
longest, as it contains the characters most frequently used, some of which characters
are duplicated, while the "e" and thick spaces have cach three separate com-
partments in said type-channels, and each have three vertical channels; m are
buffers to stop types falling forwards; the type-channels' end E coming up to rail R
prevents them falling the other way.
The
K are keys; L', key levers, swung at g; s and s' are saddles connecting
levers Land L2 by wires to', which wires have on one end a left-hand thread and
on the other a right-hand thread, the saddles being tapped to correspond to said
threads on wires w¹; L' are levers, swung at 9'; e are ejectors with boles to receive
one end of levers L'; F' is a bar to prevent levers L2 and therefore the ejectors
from descending too low; B¹ is a bar with holes in, through which holes the
ejectors work, and which bar also prevents the levers L² ascending too high; O is
an oscillating frame, swung at g', to bring the levers L on to bar F¹, and therefore
raise the keys to their original position; O is also an oscillating frame, but
differing from O' in the front part that is above levers L (Fig. 8); O is a pendent,
connected at the top to frame O³, having a pathway between two levers, the other

page_text: end, which is wedge-shaped, working in a slot (Fig. 7); p is a pusher, which
receives a forward motion from pendent 0; j is a slotted fence, through which slot
the pin i, connected to said pusher, moves; is a pulley, on which cord runs, one
end of which cord is attached to pin i, the other end being fixed to a spiral spring
under levers L' (Fig. 6); t (Fig. 7) is a slide with the front end turned up, which
slide is pushed forward by pusher p as types fall on said slide; t¹ is a groove in
which slide t travels; is a short fence parallel to fence j; s³ is a fence, and 8³ is a
movable fence, between which two last fences the lines as composed are pushed by
the operator with the hook-shaped piece Ha; U is a plate, preferably of steel,
shaped somewhat like a V, onto which plate the guides à are secured by screws at
the back, the top part of which plate forms the stile or dam r (Figs. 6 and 6³),
which plate and guides are hardened. On end of pusher p nearest to outlet z is a
flat delicate spring, one end of which spring is fixed to top edge of said pusher, the
other end being bent down to cover about one-third of the front end of said pusher.
V2 are a series of vertical channels deeper than the thickness of that ascends
Peave the type-
into them; c is the foundation on which the types travel as they
channels, sufficient space being left between ends of c and stile for the ejectors to
move up and down; one edge of c¹ forms the bottom of vertical channel; V³ is thin
pieces of brass to form sides of said vertical channels: the part forming the front of
said sides being cut so as to receive the stile or dam, and the part of said sides that
is above the opening betwixt said guides is shorter, the other sides adjoining the top
of guides; the said c c are brasses thicker than the width of type to be com-
posed. This short type-channel is made by laying ce alternately with the thin
brasses; that is, there are in one vertical channel the brasses c c¹, the thin brass
forming the partition between. The combined thick and thin brasses form the
short type-channel, which is placed between the bars F and F, and is held in
position by screws X'; d (Fig. 9) are guides or ribs; P is a lid, which lid is of two
thicknesses, to allow of it fitting close to said guides or ribs, owing to the guides
being higher on one side of plate U than the other, which guides or ribs are made
of steel and hardened; a is a strip of indiarubber to prevent the letter or type being
ejected out of the vertical channels V; the lid is hinged at b; X² are screws
securing funnel or plate to framing; D' is a flat delicate spring to act as a brake on
types descending onto slide t; E¹ (Fig. 6) is type-channel; Y are types in short
type channel and a few in type-channel, some of which types rest on c and against
the stile or dam; e prevents more than one type being lifted at one time by the
ejector. Instead of foot of type resting on lifter we prefer said foot to partly rest
on c (Fig. 6); n is a propeller, having attached to it a cord y; v' and are small
pulleys on which said cord travels; q is a spiral spring attached to wheel v.
• ejectors are made of hardened steel, and the part of levers L2 which enter holes in
said ejectors are also hardened.
The
The general method of operating the type distributing and composing mechanism
according to our invention is the following:-A number of lines which are to be
distributed are slided onto or lifted onto the carriage, face up, between the fences fif',
and Z. The line-pusher (Fig. 3) is drawn back, and the lines of types are pushed
forward until the first line occupies the place vacated by the line-pusher. The
carriage is then moved by the operator-who has his right hand on the handle k',
his right thumb against the thumb-plate S2, and his left hand on the knob k-until
the pointer is on the letter on the index that corresponds to the type that first
presents itself to the vertical channel. For example; the first word of the types
between the jaw and end of fence (Fig. 3) is London, the operator moves the
carriage until the end of pointer is between two lines, which have in the middle of
them an engraved letter "L" on the index. Immediately. the pointer is inside
these lines the operator, by pushing his right thumb forward, moves the slides St
and S towards the vertical channels, the pin A', by entering a hole H in bar 1,
bringing the said letter L exactly opposite vertical channel for L's, and when in
this position the roller P falls into the notch in slide S', removing the pressure the
spring P exerts against the jaw, thus allowing the spring in fence Z to push the line-

page_text: pusher along, which sends the types in front of it towards the vertical channel, this
vertical channel being only deep enough to receive the said L. The pin A arrests
both slides by coming in contact with step on bar B, thus allowing the pin L to
only make room in type channel for the said letter L. The operator then removes
the pressure of his said thumb off the thumb-plate, which allows the spring N to
pull both the slides to their original position, thus locking the remainder of the
types while the operator moves the carriage until the next letter ("0") is opposite
its proper channel; and so on he proceeds until the word or line is disposed of.
The line-pusher is set so as to be inactive when the last type of line has passed the
entrance of the opening between the jaw and end of fence. When the line-pusher
becomes inactive it is drawn back, and the lines of types on carriage moved along
in a mass, the said lines being supported at the back by a suitable "clump." The
capitals, round and (&), em-rule (-), em-quad, and the small "m" and "w,"
"ffi," "fi," are placed to the right, except the capital "I," which is placed with
the remainder of the other characters to the left.
When the type-channels contain sufficient types they are joined at end opposite
to E to the back edges of sides V³ of short type-channel (Fig. 6B); the propellers n
are placed one in each channel of said type-channels at back of types which they
contain, the buffers m are taken out from the front; the spring g in closing forces
said propellers to move said types towards stile or dam, which stile arrests the types.
The operator, on pressing one ef the keys causes the corresponding lever L and
ejector e to rise, and also the oscillating frames 03 and 04, and peudent O³, the
ejector pushing in front of it a type into vertical channel V. Immediately the
foot of said ejected type is above the stile or dam it is sent forward against
the lid by the pressure of the following types, owing partly to the ejected type
being thicker than the ejector, and, by gravity, the said type falls down the funnel
between the guides d, onto the slide t, which slide has been pushed far enough by
wedge-shaped end of pendent O' pushing the pusher p to make room for said type
to fall out of the outlet and between the turned up end of slide and end of said
pusher (if it is the first letter commencing a line), the front part of oscillating
frame (Fig. 8) being cut out so that said levers L' only raise the pendent
sufficient to push forward the pusher to make room for said type to fall on slide t,
the said pusher being brought back by a spring under levers L, attached to cord
When sufficient for a line is thus composed the operator pulls forward the pusher
by the pin until end of slide t is arrested by a projection on fence s, when the
operator presses the said line by the line-pusher H between the fences and s³.
Immediately the pusher is released it is drawn back by the spring attached to
cord. The operator pushes back the slide t, and justifies or spaces out the line.
When he has thus filled the space between the fences and she slides the
composed types on to a galley.
From the foregoing statement it will be understood that each letter or type of a
like character has a separate vertical channel and compartment in type-channels, a
separate compartment in short type-channel, separate keys, levers, and ejectors;
and where characters are duplicated or trebled these parts are duplicated or trebled.
100 vertical channels in front of carriage and same number in short type-channel
we find suitable. It will also be understood that we do not confine ourselves to
the precise mechanism hereinbefore described, as the general arrangement of our
apparatus operating as hereinbefore described, is consistent with variations of the
forms of the parts and of the means by which the required movements are imparted
to them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The general arrangement of a type distributing and composing machine,
substantially as hereinbefore described.

page_text: 2. In a type distributing and composing machine the vertical channels V and
the steel-facing o³ in same vertical channels, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In a type distributing and composing machine-the jaw and jaw spring and
notched slide S', substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In a type distributing and composing machine, the slide S and the three pins
in the turned down part of said slide, substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. In a type distributing and composing machine the holes in and steps on bar B,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
6. In a type distributing and composing machine, the levers and saddles and
wires combined, substantially as hereinbefore described.
7. In a type distributing and composing machine, the ejectors e substantially as
hereinbefore described.
8. In a type distributing and composing machine, the short type-channel,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
9. The stile or dam in a type distributing and composing machine, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
10. In a type distributing and composing machine, the guides d and lid ľ,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
11. In a type distributing and composing machine, the pendent O' and pusher p
substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 31st day of October 1893.
ELIJAH WARBURTON.
HENRY WARBURTON.