IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DISTRIBUTING AND SETTING UP TYPE."
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Hooker at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 12th May 1876.
JOHN HOOKER, of the Caxton Printing Works, Beccles, in the County of Suffolk.
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DISTRIBUTING AND SETTING UP TYPE."
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for distributing and
setting up type.
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me No. 477, in the year 1874,
I described apparatus for distributing type in which electro-magnets were employed
to cause type to be pushed one by one from the end of a line of type to be dis-
tributed and to control their delivery into their proper reservoirs or receiving
channels.
My present improvements have for their object to improve type distributing
machinery in which electro-magnets are thus employed.
The arrangements of mechanism I employ for bringing the lines of type suc-
cessively into position to be distributed, and for moving endwise the line of type
which is being distributed up to a fixed stop so that the end type of the line shall
be brought in front of a pusher to be knocked away by it, are similar to those used
in distributing machines heretofore proposed. Each type as it is pushed off from
the end of the line drops on to an inclined shoot by which it is delivered on to a
rapidly travelling endless tape, above this tape are suspended a series of intercepting
plates, any one or other of which can be allowed to drop on to the surface of the tra-
velling tape and lie at an angle across it. The type which is being carried along by
the tape is thereby intercepted and caused to pass from the surface of the tape into
a narrow trough from which it is afterwards delivered to a slowly travelling tape.
There is a separate intercepting plate and trough for each kind of type, and a
separate slowly travelling tape for conveying away the type from each trough.
The slowly travelling tapes conduct the types delivered on to them to setting up
wheels or other well-known setting up mechanism to be set up in line in separate
channels or receivers.
For setting in operation the several electro-magnets employed for controlling the
action of the pusher, and for controlling the width of the opening through which
the end type of the line is pushed away, and for controlling the intercepting plates
or shunts a number of metallic contact plates are employed, these are insulated one
from the other, and are arranged in the form of an ordinary compositor's case or
tray of type in a similar manner to the contact board of the type setting machinery

page_text: described in the Specification of the above-mentioned Patent, except that instead of
there being only one contact plate in each division as in the type setting machine
there are two, the top one being for controlling the action of the class magnets, the
lower one for controlling the magnets which work the intercepting plates or shunts.
Each insulated plate is coupled by an insulated wire to one end of the coil of
whichever electro-magnet is required to be put in operation by it, whilst the
opposite end of the coil is coupled to one pole of a battery. The other pole of the
battery is coupled to a metallic pointer, which the operator moves over the plate to
complete the circuit. Other contact makers or circuit closing apparatus may
however be used for the purpose.
The type to be distributed are divided into five, six, or other number of classes.
according to their thickness. For the thinnest class of type the upper contact
plates of the contact board are connected by insulated wires with one end of the
wire coil of the electro-magnet used for giving motion to the pusher. The upper
contact plates for the next thicker class of type are connected to the end of the
wire coil of an electro-magnet used for adjusting the width of the opening through
which the end type of the row is to be expelled, and the movement of the armature
of this magnet at the same time that it effects the adjustment of the width of the
opening makes a contact by which a current is sent from a battery through the
coils of the magnet for working the pusher. For the type of the succeeding classes
of increasing thickness the upper contact plates are coupled to the coils of other
electro-magnets which give a greater and greater movement to the slide used for
adjusting the width of opening. Below each of the upper or class contact plates of
the contact board is as before stated another contact plate, which by an insulated
wire is connected to the wire coil of the electro-magnet used for controlling the
movement of the intercepting plate, which is to intercept the type and guide it off
from the quickly travelling tape before-mentioned. The operator after having
moved his metallic pointer over any one of the upper series of contact plates
immediately passes it on to the plate below it so as to complete a circuit through
that plate and cause the proper intercepting plate to be dropped on to the quickly
travelling tape in the manner presently described.
The electro-magnets employed for controlling the width of the opening through
which the type are expelled from the end of the line are ranged in a row, the arma-
tures of the several magnets are carried by arms which are free to turn upon an axis
which is parallel with the row of magnets. Upon the axis are fixed bosses with
projections upon them. Each of the arms carrying the magnet armatures has also
à projection upon it which, when the armature carried by it is drawn down to its
magnet, comes against the projection upon one of the fixed bosses and turns the axis
a distance corresponding to the distance the armature previously was from the
magnet. The axis at its end has fixed upon it an arm, which by a link is coupled
to a slide, this slide carries a plate forming the moveable jaw or side of the end of the
channel in which the line of type being distributed is contained. The slide is by n
spring drawn constantly towards a fixed stop, the position of this stop controls the
width of opening allowed for the thinnest class of type. It is adjusted so that the
opening is slightly greater than the thickness of the thickest type of that class.
When any one or other of the electro-magnets is put into action the axis is turned a
distance and the slide is moved away from the stop, and the width of the opening is
thereby increased according to the thickness of type which is to be next struck off
from the end of the line.
Upon the axis carrying the armatures is also another lever arm which when the
axis is in its normal position holds up a small lever forming part of a circuit closer
or contact apparatus, but when the axis is turned a distance (by one or other of
the armatures carried by it being drawn downwards by its magnet) the contact
lever drops and completes a circuit by which a current is passed through the coils
of the electro-magnet used for working the pusher.
The pusher is carried by the slide above-mentioned by which the width
of opening is adjusted, and is so adjusted that it may strike off the thinnest

page_text: type of the first or thinnest class. By carrying the pusher upon the slide I ain
enabled to cause the pusher to strike the type along the whole width of its
edge, whatever may be the width of the opening, instead of only employing as
heretofore a narrow pusher equal to the width of the thinnest class of type, and
which frequently caused the thicker types to turn as they were struck off from
the end of the line. The pusher is drawn back by a spring and is struck
forward by a lever carrying the armature of the electro-magnet by which the
pusher is to be actuated.
The intercepting plates which are above the quickly travelling tape are mounted
upon axes, and each intercepting plate is held up away from the tape by a link
which connects it to an arm on an axis which axis by other arms carries the arma-
ture of an electro-magnet.
The axis is by a spring held in such a position that the armature is away from
the magnet, and the intercepting plate held up clear of the travelling tape. When
a current is passed through the coils of any one of the electro-magnets, by the
metallic pointer being brought into contact with any of the lower series of metallic
contact plates, its armature is drawn down and the intercepting plate controlled by
it is allowed to drop on to the tape, at the same time the lever of a contact appara-
tus or circuit closer is allowed to drop and complete a circuit for continuing the
current through the coils of the magnet, even though the completion of the circuit
through the metallic pointer and contact plate upon the contact board is broken.
These contact makers are insulated from their lever connections by vulcanite or
other insulating material.
The intercepting plate thus remains resting upon the travelling tape, and is not
lifted off therefrom until another type is struck off from the end of the line being
distributed. To cause the intercepting plate to be then lifted up from the tape the
lever arm which knocks forward the pusher carries an incline, which, as the lever
arm moves forward, raises the lever of a contact apparatus or circuit closer and
breaks the circuit passing through the coils of the magnets by which the movement
of the intercepting plates is controlled. The armature of whichever of these
magnets was previously held down by its magnet is thereby set free, and is moved
away from the magnet by a spring as before mentioned, whilst at the same time it
raises the intercepting plate. At the completetion of the forward movement of the
lever arm above mentioned the incline passes beyond a pin upon the contact lever;
this contact lever then drops and again makes contact, so that a current may be
caused to pass through the coils of any of the clectro-magnets by which the inter-
cepting plates are worked. As the lever arm moves back the contact lever remains
in that position by reason of the incline before mentioned being free to turn upon
a pin joint so that it may be carried back without interfering with the lever of tho
contact apparatus.
The type which are by the intercepting plates guided off from the surface of the
quickly travelling tape pass into a trough or channel which is at the rear end of
the intercepting plate and forned in one piece with it. Opposite to the rear end
of the trough is a fixed spring; the type travelling tail end formost along this
trough is arrested by the spring and remains in the trough, it being prevented
from rebounding by the trough acting as a weighted lever and clipping the type
between itself and the spring. The trough carries a light guide plate, which as a
type enters the trough presses on the upper surface of the type and prevents it from
turning or slipping out. When the intercepting plate is lifted up clear of the
travelling tape the trough is tilted downwards and away from the end of the spring
before mentioned; the type is thereby delivered on to a slowly travelling tape, by
which it is conveyed away to be set up into line with other types of the same kind.
Each type as it is knocked off sidewise from the end of the line to be distributed
comes between two plates which are hung upon pin joints; these keep the type
from turning, and allow it to drop vertically on to an inclined shoot which conducts
it on to the quickly travelling tape. The upper end of the inclined shoot and one
of these hanging plates can be shifted away, so that capitals, figures, and all sorts

page_text: of type not required to be set up in line may be allowed to drop vertically into
another shoot and be by it conducted into a tray or receiver. Several such trays
or receivers may be mounted around a vertical axis, so that by turning the axis
the particular tray required may be brought below the end of the shoot. The
axis also may carry two or more sets of trays or boxes one above the other, and
branch shoots may be provided to lead to either set required. The delivery of the
type into any one or other branch shoot being controlled by a moveable switch.
If it be required to construct the machine so as to set up the capital letters, &c.
in line it can be done without increasing the size of the machine. To do this the
slowly travelling tapes which convey the type from the intercepting plates or shunts
have above them slanting bridges. The capital and lower case type of cach
character are caused to be shunted off from the quickly running tapo by the same
shunt shoot, and are deposited on to one side of the slowly running tape below that
shoot. If a lower case or small letter be deposited on to the slowly moving tape
it will keep on that side of the tape and be delivered as before described to a
setting up wheel as the space between the surface of the tape and the inclined bridge
above it is sufficient to allow the type to pass; but if a thicker or capital letter
be upon the tape it will be guided by the inclined bridge to the opposite side of the
tape, and be then carried forward and delivered on to another setting up wheel.
If it is desired to contract as much as possible the size of the machine it can be
done in the same way by delivering two or more type into the same shoot, it being
only necessary that the type which pass to the same shoot should be of different
thicknesses.
The next part of my Invention relates to working type setting machinery by
electricity at a distance from the operator. In the Specification of the Patent
before mentioned I described apparatus by which type might be set up at a distance
from the operator, and with comparatively few insulated wires used for the purpose.
According to my present Invention I arrange apparatus for setting up type at a
distance from the operator in such a manner that two wires only are required for
the purpose. For this purpose I use sending and receiving apparatus somewhat
similar to Wheatstone's dial instruments, in which when the dial or pointer of the
sending apparatus is moved round and brought to rest opposite to any particular
letter the dial or pointer of the receiving instrument travels round in a corre-
sponding manner and stops at the same letter upon a corresponding dial, but I
construct the instruments in such manner that when the pointer of the sending
instrument has been moved round to any letter a contact may be made and
current sent through a second wire. This may be effected either by pressing the
pointer towards the dial or by the mere fact of bringing the pointer to rest. The
pointer at the receiving end works over contact plates ranged around the dial, there
being a separate contact plate for cach letter, and when a current passes through the
second wire the current may be conveyed through the pointer and through the contact
plate, upon which the pointer rests, to the coils of one of the clectro-magnets of a
type setting machine, such as is described in the Specification of the Patent before
mentioned, and cause a type to be set up corresponding to the letter opposite to
which the pointer of the receiving instrument is brought to rest.
In place of the current passed through the second wire being passed through the
coils of the electro-magnets of the setting up machine it may be used to put in
action contact apparatus to cause a current from a local battery to be passed
through the coil of any one or other of these magnets.