Improvements in Mounting Blocks for Stereotypes, Electrotypes, and Zinc Plates.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 4th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mounting Blocks for Stereotypes, Electrotypes,
and Zinc Plates.
I, EDWARD BADOUREAU, of Poppin's Court, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Electrotyper and Stereotyper, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in mounting blocks for stereotype, electro-
type, and other printing plates; and it has for its object to combine the resistance
of a metal block with the facility afforded by a wooden block for fixing the plate
thereto without the use of special clamps.
The invention consists of a metal mounting block having grooves of dovetailed
section planed or otherwise formed in its upper face preferably parallel and in the
diagonal direction of the block, said grooves being filled with strips of wood of
corresponding section, to which the stereo', electro', or other plate is screwed as to
a wood block, the intervening metallic portions affording an unyielding support
under the pressure in printing by which blocks of wood alone are liable to be more
or less crushed.
Dated this 2nd day of A muil 1001
E. BADOUREAU.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mounting Blocks for Stereotypes, Electrotypes,
and Zinc Plates.
I, EDWARD BADOUREAU of Poppin's Court, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Electrotyper and Stereotyper, 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 relates to improvements in mounting-blocks for stereotype, electro-
type, and other printing plates, and it has for its object to combine the resistance
of a solid metal block with the facility afforded by a wooden block for fixing the
plate without the use of soldering as usual when solid metal blocks are used or of
special clamps heretofore used with other metal blocks.
The invention consists of a combined metal and wood mounting-block, being a
metal block having grooves of dovetailed, undercut, or other form in cross-section
cast, planed, or otherwise formed in its upper face preferably parallel and in the
diagonal direction of the block, said grooves being filled with strips of wood of
corresponding sectional form to which the stereo, electro, or other plate is nailed or
screwed in the same manner as when the plate is mounted on wood. The metallic
portions intervening between the wooden strips afford an unyielding support under
the printing pressure by which blocks of wood are liable to be more or less crushed
or consolidated in course of time so that they cease to support the stereo or other
plate at the requisite type height.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 a section of part of a
mounting block constructed according to my invention.
a is a block of stereotype metal or similar alloy and bare strips of wood
(preferably mahogany, oak, or other hard wood) of dovetailed cross-section fitting

page_text: in parallel grooves of corresponding form extending diagonally across the upper
face of the block a. I do not however limit myself to the dovetailed form as any
cross-sectional form of strip which will correspond to and engage with the undercut
or other equivalently-formed sides of the grooves so as to retain the strips firmly in
place will answer the purpose. The strips might even have vertical sides, provided
they are furnished with means for holding them in place in the grooves.
A convenient and inexpensive way of making the metal block would be to cast it
upon the wood strips by suitably arranging the latter in position in the casting-box.
In this case the strips might have laterally projecting metal pins at intervals (as
shewn at in Figure 3) which by becoming embedded in the metal cast around
them would securely hold the wood strips in place even when the sides of the latter
are normal to the face of the block. The compound metal and wood face of the
block should be carefully levelled, the wood being in a dry state, so that it will
never shrink below the face of the metal part. Should the wood become wetted in
work and swell so as to rise above the face of the metal block, it will readily yield
under the printing pressure until it again comes flush with the metal. The depth
of the wood strips should be about one-half the height of the block or just sufficient
to receive the pins or screws by which stereotypes are usually fixed to wooden
blocks.
I am aware that it is not new to use metal blocks with parallel diagonal grooves
of undercut section for mounting stereotypes and make no claim thereto in itself,
but such blocks have heretofore always been used with special clamps or holding
devices adapted to engage in the grooves and to embrace the edges of the stereo or
other plates. A great advantage of my improved compound mounting block is that
the grooves being filled up flush with the face of the block the plate is more
uniformly supported under the printing pressure over its whole area, and as regards
facility for fixing several plates on the same block in any required positions, the
compound block of my invention is comparable to a wooden mounting block, since
the pins or screws may be inserted wherever the blanks of the plate coincide with
the wood strips and the plates are bedded evenly no force being applied edgewise
which would tend to bend the plates as is the case when gripping clamps are used
as above mentioned. Such an assemblage of plates on one mounting-block is
indicated in dot and dash lines in the drawings, the several plates being fixed to the
wood strips by pins or screws c. The diagonal arrangement is preferred as
affording a better choice of positions for inserting the pins or screws.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
A combined metal and wood block for stereotype, electrotype, and zinc printing
plates, consisting of parallel wooden strips of dovetailed or other cross-section
embedded in correspondingly-shaped grooves in a metal block, substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
Dated this 4th day of December 1891
E. BADOUREAU.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.