IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMPOSING AND DISTRIBUTING TYPE
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Mackie, of Warrington, in the County of
Lancaster, Newspaper Proprietor, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
"
Sealed the 12th May 1868, and dated the 28th November 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Mackie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th November 1867.
I, ALEXANDER MACKIE, of Warrington, in the County of Lancaster, News-
paper Proprietor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMPOSING AND DISTRIBUTING TYPE," to be as
follows:-
The Invention is designed for the purpose of transferring type from certain
various channels or receptacles into one form called a "composing stick,"
and the improvements consist in effecting this by certain mechanical means
and combinations and adaptations thereof which may be described as follows:
_ The type are filled into a series of grooves either vertical or of a syphon
form, that is, commencing in a vertical channel and terminating in a vertical
channel, having a curve between, and the weight of the mass of type in the
longer vertical channels forces those in the shorter channels upwards, where
they are retained by "collars or shoulders" until any particular type is
required. At the back of the openings of the channels a sheet, strip, or band

page_text: of paper passes in a vertical direction with an intermittent motion, which
paper had previously been prepared by perforating it in accordance with the
matter to be composed, and in front of this paper a transverse reciprocating
bar, carrying a series of needles or "dents" is arranged in a line with the
top or bottom row or series of type, so that when any perforation comes
directly opposite one or more of the needles, the extremity thereof passes
through the paper, the pressure of the needles being maintained lightly against
the paper by means of springs, magnets, or by the gravitation of their own
weight if slightly inclined, and the point of the needle is then sufficiently
depressed or raised so as to push the uppermost or lowermost type forward at
the next forward movement of the bar unto a platform upon which one or
more lateral pushing bars move, which collect and bring the type to a centre,
where an opening is formed through which the type enters, or is forced into
a setting stick which is caused to move beneath by suitable mechanism. The
needles which do not come opposite any perforations in the motion of the bar
are prevented from acting on the type, and slip to and fro on the surface of
the type. The perforated paper may be prepared in duplicate or any multi-
plied form, so that any number of machines may be worked to arrange the
same matter. The distribution of type is to be effected in a similar manner
by the use of the perforated paper which is specially perforated for the
purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Mackie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MACKIE, of Warrington, in the County of Lancaster, Newspaper Proprietor,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Alexander Mackie, Her special license that I, the said
Alexander Mackie, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alexander Mackie, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might

page_text: make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMPOSING AND DISTRIBUTING TYPE," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Mackie, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Mackie, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say) :-
:-
The Invention is designed for the purpose of transferring type from certain
various channels or receptacles into one form called a "composing stick," and
the improvements consist in effecting this by certain mechanical means and
combinations and adaptations thereof which may be described as follows:-
The type are filled into a series of grooves either vertical or of a syphon form,
that is, commencing in a vertical channel and terminating in a vertical
channel, having a curve between, and the weight of the mass of type in the
longer vertical channels forces those in shorter channels upwards, where they
are retained by "collars" or "shoulders" until any particular type is
required. At the back of the openings, or opposite to the channels, a sheet,
strip, or band of paper passes in a vertical direction with an intermittent
motion, which paper has previously been prepared by perforating it in
accordance with the matter to be composed, and in front of this paper a
transverse reciprocating bar carrying a series of needles or "dents" is
arranged in a line with the top or bottom row or series of type, so that when
any perforation comes directly opposite one or more of the needles, the
extremity thereof passes through the paper, the pressure of the needles being
maintained lightly against the paper by means of springs, magnets, or by
the gravitation of their own weight if slightly inclined, and the point of the
needle is then sufficiently depressed or raised so as to push the uppermost or
lowermost type forward at the next forward movement of the bar on to a
platform upon which one or more lateral pushing bars move which collect and
bring the type to a centre where an opening is formed, through which the
type enters or is forced into a setting stick which is caused to move beneath
by suitable mechanism. The needles which do not come opposite any perfo-

page_text: rations in the motion of the bar are prevented from acting on the type, and
slip to and fro on the surface of the type. The perforated paper or other thin
surfaces may be prepared in duplicate or any multiplied form, so that any
number of inachines may be worked to arrange the same matter. The distri
bution of type is to be effected in a similar manner by the use of the said
perforated paper, which is specially perforated for both purposes. The
mechanical arrangements for working and distributing the type by means of
perforated paper may be varied and adapted as is well known and understood
by persons conversant with the use of cards in the apparatus known as the
"jacquard" apparatus.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
claim as new, or the exclusive use of perforated paper or cards, except when
the same are employed in the manner and for the purposes of my said im-
provements in apparatus for composing or distributing type, and which I
hereby declare to consist in the use of paper or other suitable material
previously and specially perforated or slotted to control or regulate the selec-
tion of type by self-acting mechanism in connection therewith, both for setting
and distributing printers' type.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Mackie, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Signed and sealed in the
presence of
JOHN L. DAVIES, C.E.,
Office for Patents,
Manchester.
ALEXANDER MACKIE. (L.S.)