Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 29th July, 1887.
I, ORLANDO JAY SMITH, of the City of New York, County of New York and
State of New York, United States of America, gentleman 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 :-
My invention consists in the combination with an electrotype or stereotype plate,
of a flexible sheet or strip attached to the under surface of the plate, and having
flaps extending laterally beyond the edges of the plate to hold the plate to the
base block.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electrotype shell secured to a flexible plate
of metal.
Figure 2 is a rear view of the same, the dotted lines indicating where the plate
is to be. bent to form the flanges.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a shell secured to a plate of flexible metal,
mounted on a base block, with the holding flanges bent at a right angle.
Referring to the drawings, A represents an electrotype shell, secured by any
suitable means, but preferably by solder, to a rectangular plate, B, of flexible metal,
such as sheet tin, copper, zinc, or other analogous material. This plate corresponds
in length with the shell to which it is to be secured, but its width is somewhat
greater than that of the shell, in order to form holding flanges b, on either side.
C, is a base block, on which to mount the shell.
This block is of such height as to raise the face of the shell type high. In locking
the shell in the form it is first laid on the base block, and then flanges b, are
bent downward at a right angle. When the column rules are placed in position
they will of course bear against the flanges, and hold them, when the form is locked
up, firmly to the base block.
I am aware of the United States letters patent, No. 146,454, granted to Marshall
J. Hughes, dated January 13, 1874, in which is shown a reversible stereotype-plate
provided with a lining or lateral extension of sheet metal, to facilitate locking up
the same.
I am also aware of United States letters patent to Albert W. Marshall, No. 312,569,
dated February 17th-1885 and of letters patent of Great Britain and Ireland,

page_text: No. 2168 of the same date, and to the same person, wherein is shown and described
an electrotype shell made of flexible metal without the usual metal backing, and
provided with sides extending out beyond the line of the printing surfaces to
form flanges.
My invention differs from both of these devices, in that, by securing a flexible
plate to the flexible shell I provide a backing, and holding-flanges for it, and at the
same time preserve its flexibility. Hughes' flexible plate lies between two rigid
printing surfaces-that is to say, it is in the center of a reversible stereotype plate.
Marshall's shell is not provided with a backing, and the holding flanges are integral
with the shell, and are necessarily of the same material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is―
The combination with an electrotype or stereotype plate, of the flexible sheet or
strip adhesively attached to the under surface of the plate, and having flaps extending
laterally beyond the edges of the plate to hold the plate to the base block, substantially
as described.