Improvements in Space Bars for Line Casting Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 30th Sent., 1893
.
[Communicated from abroad by WILBUR STEPHEN SCUDDER, residing at
Brooklyn, State of New York, United States of America.]
Improvements in Space Bars for Line Casting Machines.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, in the County of London,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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:-
This invention relates to appliances or means for justifying composed lines of
type, more particularly in that class of machines for making type-bars wherein
female dies or matrices representing the required characters are assembled in a line
in proximity to a mould supplied with molten metal for the purpose of casting or
producing a bar having on its edge the characters represented by the female dies or
matrices. In machines involving this principle of operation the matrices are
selected and released from a magazine through the medium of suitable mechanism
controlled by the keys of a key-board and are arranged in the order of their
selection on an assembling support in juxtaposition to the mould. To produce lines
of type of equal length the spacing is changed after the line of matrices is
assembled or composed and ordinarily this is effected by wedge-shaped or stepped
spacer bars adjusted lengthwise between the matrices to expand the line and thereby
justify the same. The frequent lengthwise movements of the spacer-bars in
superficial contact with the sides of the matrices is objectionable and to avoid this
sliding contact, and to provide a new and improved spacer, is one of the main
objects of the present invention.
The invention has for its object to provide a novel spacer which by lateral
expansion effects an adjustment of the matrices and which can be varied in
thickness so that the word-spaces may be made such as to give the line its proper
length.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a spacer constructed in accordance with my
invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the matrices.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the spacer.
Figure 4 is a similar view in a plane at right angles to the plane of section of
Figure 3.
Figure 5 is an edge view showing the spacer in its normal or contracted.
position.
Figure 6 is a detail sectional view showing the spacer arranged between matrices
and expanded.
Figure 7 is a detail elevation showing a portion of a line of matrices with several
of the spacers in position and one of them expauded.
Figure 8 is a detail sectional view showing mechanism typical of that which can
be employed for operating the expander section of the spacer.
Figure 9 is an edge view of a spacer showing a modification of the invention.
Figure 10 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 11 is an edge view of a spacer showing another modification; and
Figure 12 is a detail perspective view of the expander employed in the
construction exhibited by Figure 11.
The spacer is composed essentially of two sections 1 and 2, one of which is
designed to remain stationary between two adjacent matrices, while the other one.

page_text: is susceptible of adjustment or movement to expand the stationary section, which
latter comprises a pair of approximately parallel elastic members or cheek pieces 4,
formed integral with or otherwise provided between a shank portion 2 and an upper
terminal or end portion 5 having a lateral supporting lug 6. The two parts
composing the shank portion 2 are designed to be rigidly connected by a filling
piece or block 2 to which the cheek picces are secured by riveting, brazing or
otherwise after the adjustable expander section 1 has been properly introduced
between the elastic members or cheek pieces. The expander section 1 is constructed
with a rectilinear slot or opening 9 having parallel edges bearing against the edges
of the shank portion 2 and the upper end portion of this expander section is formed
integral or otherwise provided with marginal ribs 3 and 3ª, formed as stepped
portions which successively increase in thickness for the purpose of more or less
expanding or spreading the elastic members or cheek pieces 4 when the expander
section is adjusted or moved in the proper direction. The number of steps of the
longitudinal marginal ribs 3 and 3" which successively increase in thickness may be
varied according to requirements, but as here illustrated I have provided two steps
or successively increasing expanding portions of the marginal ribs 3 and 3ª. The
elastic members or cheek pieces are connected together at their ends and constantly
tend to come together by their inherent elasticity and when the expander section 1
is adjusted or moved so that the thin extremity 3 lies directly between the cheek
pieces 4, the spacer, Figure 1, occupies the least space as regards its thickness.
The elastic members or cheek pieces may, however be gradually expanded or
spread apart for justifying purposes by adjusting or moving the expander section 1
lengthwise in the proper direction to place the stepped or expanding portion of the
ribs 3 directly between the cheek pieces to secure what may be termed the first
expansion and subsequently the thickness of the spacer can be increased by
adjusting or moving the stepped or expanding portion of the ribs 3 between the
cheek pieces. In all adjustments of the expander section the cheek pieces remain
parallel, or substantially so and therefore the line of matrices is accurately and
nicely adjusted or justified without danger of moving any matrix out of true
perpendicular position. By uniformly expanding the two cheek pieces of the
expansible section through the medium of an interposed expander of suitable
construction, I entirely avoid wearing or damaging the matrices incident to sliding
a spacer in contact with the sides of the matrices, and further I render the operation
more easy by materially reducing friction.
The rectilinear slot or opening 9 produces parallel side-bars 9 which lie outside
the edges of the shank portion 2, and the steps, or successively expanding portions
are in the form of the narrow marginal ribs 3 and 3", by which frictional contacting
surfaces with the elastic members of cheek pieces 4, are reduced, and the ribs have
no direct contact with the inner surfaces of those elastic portions of the shank 2,
which are below the cheek pieces 4. This construction materially reduces friction
and enables the cheek pieces or bearings to be expanded without expanding to the
same degree or extent those portions of the elastic shank below the parallel cheek
pieces or bearings.
In the construction shown and described, the two elastic members or cheek
pieces are united at their upper end portions, above the expander, to the arm-like
portion 5, and at their lower end portions to the shank portions 2, these shank
portions being connected by the filling block 2 or otherwise, through the slot 9 in
the expander section 1. By this means the strength durability and efficiency of
the spacer are materially increased and the elastic members or cheek-pieces are
caused to more positively and accurately return to their normal position when the
expander is moved for the contraction of the spacer. The connection of the elastic
members or cheek pieces above and below, as explained, also provides for their
more accurate separation in parallel or substantially parallel planes, and this
renders the spacer practicable in casting perfect type bars from molten metal.
The matrices 12 are preferably of the construction wherein one edge is provided
with a series of intaglio characters as at 13, and the opposite edge with a series of

page_text: projections 14, while the shank 15 is formed or constructed with a hook 16,
for supporting the matrix while being distributed in suitable line casting
machines.
The upper end portions 5 of the spacers are also provided with hooks 10 by
which they are susceptible of being handled mechanically.
The clastic portions of the expansible section are separated by a slot 8 above the
cheek pieces 4, to accommodate the upper end portion of the expander portion and
to secure the desired elasticity of the parts.
In the construction described and illustrated in Figures 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8, the
spacer is capable of two distinct expansions, first by the stepped or expanding
portions 3ª and second by the ribs 3, whereby a word-space, or other space may be
formed in part during the assembling of the matrices and subsequently varied to
suit the conditions or requirements of each particular case. Where the end
portion 3 of the expander cannot be adjusted or moved below the cheek pieces 4,
the contraction of the spacer is somewhat limited, but this limitation may be
avoided. by constructing the expander section 1 in such manner that it can be
adjusted or moved lengthwise to such extent that the end portion 3b can
be withdrawn from between the cheek pieces, as in the modification Figures 9
and 10, thereby permitting the cheek pieces 4 to spring or come together so that
the contraction of the spacer is only limited by the thickness of the metal or
material composing the cheek pieces. In this construction the end portion 3b
serves for the initial expansion and consequently the spacer is susceptible of three
distinct adjustments or expansions.
In the modifications Figures 11 and 12, the outer surfaces of the cheek pieces
may be parallel and the inner surfaces inclined relatively to each other so that they
will co-operate with the tapering or wedge-shaped ribs or expanding portions 28 of
an expander section 27, for spreading or expanding the cheek pieces in substantially
parallel lines.
The spacer affords positive adjustment of the matrices assembled in a line and its
thickness is susceptible of considerable variation to meet all the conditions required
whether the word-spaces or other spaces be formed after the line is set up, or
partly during the assembling of the matrices and partly after the line has been
composed.
The particular manner of using the spacer may be varied according to
circumstances and whether it is expanded wholly or partially before or after
the line is completely composed is not material.
The supporting lug 6 on the upper end portion 5 of the expansible section is
particularly designed to engage the assembling support or bar of a machine for
producing type bars. The construction of the assembling support or bar may be
largely varied, but for the purpose of illustrating a suitable construction for
supporting the matrices and the spacers and for adjusting the expander sections of
the spacers, I have included Figures 7 and 8 in the drawings. In these figures the
numeral 17 indicates the assembling support or bar having an attached cap plate or
flange 19, for the purpose of forming a groove into which the lugs 6 project. The
support or bar 17 may also be provided with a lateral rib 18 against which
shoulders on the matrices and spacers may bear.
The expander section 1 may be raised to laterally expand the expansible
members or cheek pieces by any suitable contrivances, but as typical of one
mechanism which may be employed for this purpose, I exhibit in Figure 8 a
lever 20 fulcrumed at one end to a supporting bracket 22 by a pivot 21, and having
at its opposite end an arm 26 which lies directly beneath the lower end of the
expander section 1 of a spacer. The lever 20 is acted upon by a spring 23, or
other mechanism or appliance, for the purpose of lifting it and thereby causing the
arm 26 to move the expander section 1 in an upward direction. The lever 20 is
provided with a friction roller 24 in proximity to its pivot 21 and with this friction
roller is adapted to engage a cam 25 having alternating cam projections and
depressions, so that when one of the projections bears against the friction roller the

page_text: end of the lever carrying the arm 26 is depressed and when the friction roller enters
one of the depressions the spring 23 operates to lift the lever.
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 spacer, consisting of laterally expansible members or cheek-pieces, and an
adjustable expander section having longitudinal, marginal, expanding ribs located
between the said members or cheek pieces and constructed to separate the latter in
approximately parallel planes, substantially as described.
2. A spacer, consisting of an expanding section, and laterally expansible members
or check pieces united at their upper and lower end portions and between which
united upper and lower end portions the expanding parts of the expander are
located, substantially as described.
3. A spacer, consisting of laterally expansible members or check-pieces connected
together at their upper and lower end portions and provided at the upper end
portion with means whereby they are rendered susceptible of mechanical
manipulation in assembling and distributing, and an expander section having
its expanding portions located between the laterally expansible members or
check-pieces, substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of August. 1893
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.