AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING MOULDS FOR PRODUCING STEREOTYPE PLATES FOR LETTERPRESS PRINTING
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Trier, of Champion Hill, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND
APPARATUS FOR PREPARING MOULDS FOR PRODUCING STEREOTYPE PLATES FOR
LETTERPRESS PRINTING:"
Sealed the 2nd November 1875, and dated the 4th May 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Trier at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th May 1875.
TO FRANK TRIER, of Champion Hill, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING MOULDS FOR PRODUCING
STEREOTYPE PLATES FOR LETTERPRESS PRINTING," to be as follows:-
In the usual mode of preparing moulds for producing stereotype
plates, the type is first correctly set up, an impression is taken therefrom
in papier maché or other suitable material, and metal casts are then
taken from the moulds thus formed. By this plan printers must have

page_text: many sets of type which require constant renewal, and the type must be
distributed after every job and set up for the next.
The object of this Invention is to dispense with the use of these sets
of type, and save the expense and loss of time consequent on such
renewal and distribution of the type.
The Invention relates to a novel mode of and apparatus for forming
the papier maché or other moulds from which stereotype plates arc
cast.
In carrying out my Invention I employ two horizontal metal rings,
around each of which are arranged a set of steel types in the form
punches. These metal rings carry pointers and are capable of turning
in guides which also serve as dials, and are marked off with letters and
signs corresponding to those attached to the rings. These rings which
with their accessories are quite independent of each other, receive an
upward vertical motion from treadles or any other suitable contrivance.
The downward motion being given by weights or springs.
The whole of this apparatus is mounted in a metal frame attached to
a table, which also carries a cylinder mounted loosely on its shaft and
coated with papier maché or other suitable substance to receive an
impression from the steel types, and which therefore is intended to form
the stereotype mould.
The working of the apparatus is as follows, viz. :-One of the rings
with its accessories having been raised by the depression of the treadle,
the pointer is turned to the required letter which is marked on the dial
and being attached to the ring, the latter is also turned and the letter
corresponding to that on the dial is brought into its proper position for
impressing the papier maché. The foot is then taken off the treadle and
the ring with the type is allowed to drop by its own weight, or caused to
drop by weights or springs attached thereto on to the papier maché,
where it makes the impression and is allowed to remain during the
formation of the following letter. This second letter is formed by
bringing the other ring and type into position in a similar manner to
that above described, but in this instance the shoulders of the type bear
during its downward motion against a fixed inclined plane, which causes
it to push forward the preceding type and with it the impression
cylinder. As soon as this second impression is formed and while the
second type punch remains in the impression, the first ring is raised by

page_text: the treadle and is used to form impression No. 3. From this it will
be understood that the type punches of the two rings act alternately, the
more recent one coming down to make its impression, while the former
punch is still in the papier maché.
It should be mentioned that a slight amount of play is given to each
ring to allow of the type being pushed forward by its successor.
It will be seen that the impression cylinder being rotated by one type
pushing its imprinted predecessor forward, no extra mechanism for
attaining this end will be necessary, and the difficulty of properly
spacing the letters is overcome.
I have explained the mode of proceeding when the rings bearing the
types are mounted in a horizontal position, but the apparatus would be
essentially the same were these rings held in a vertical position; or
again I sometimes prefer to dispense with the use of rings altogether,
and employ in their stead two parallel slides, the rest of the apparatus
being analogous to that above described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frank Trier in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANK
TRIER; of Champion Hill, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, 'by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Frank Trier, Her special licence, that
I, the said Frank Trier, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Frank Trier, 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 make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and

page_text: Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND Apparatus for
PREPARING MOULDS FOR PRODUCING STEREOTYPE PLATES FOR LETTERPRESS
PRINTING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frank
Trier, 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 Frank Trier, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
In the usual mode of preparing moulds for producing stereotype
plates, the type is first correctly set up, an impression is taken therefrom
in papier maché or other suitable material, and metal casts are then
taken from the moulds thus formed. By this plan printers must have
many sets of type which require constant renewal, and the type must be
distributed after every job and set up for the next.
The object of this Invention is to dispense with the use of these sets
of type, and save the expense and loss of time consequent on such
renewal and distribution of the type.
The Invention relates to a novel mode of and apparatus for forming
the papier maché or other moulds from which stereotype plates are
cast..
In the accompanying Drawings I have shown a convenient form of
apparatus whereby this operation can be effected.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus, one of the dial plates and the
pointer being removed; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken in the line
1, 2, of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an end elevation partly in section.
A, A¹, are two horizontal metal rings each of which carries a set of
steel types a, a³, attached to lever punches a², a³; B, B', are the guides
in which the rings A, A³, turn, and to the guides B, B', are secured by
screws or otherwise two plates b, b', which are marked off with letters,

page_text: figures, and signs, and serve as dial plates; C, C', are pointers which are
firmly secured to the rings A, A¹, and by turning one of the pointers to
the desired letter, figure, or sign represented on the dial plate, the metal
ring with the steel type corresponding to the said letter, figure, or sign is
brought into the proper position for making an impression on the papier
maché or other suitable substance for receiving the impression. A roller
D suitably mounted on its axis is employed as a bed to support the
papier maché or other substance while receiving the impression. The
lever punches a³, a³, are placed in recesses c formed in the outer edges
of the rings A, A', being supported therein by the springs d. At the
bottom of each recess c is a projection e against which the heel of the
lever punch presses.
Each punch when descending is thus forced
outwards so that its type is thrust on to a centre line drawn between the
two horizontal rings A, A', as shewn in the dotted position Fig. 2.
The rings A, A', are so arranged that their types come into action
alternately. The steel types a, a¹, on the lever punches a², a³, as they
are brought into position are caused to descend into the papier maché by
means of peculiarly formed hammers E, E', which are keyed on to shafts
ff, supported in bearings in the side frame of the machine. The
shafts, f, are rocked by means of levers g, g', which may be actuated
by hand or by treadles attached thereto. The hammers E, E', consist of
sockets i, ¹, into which the hammer heads are inserted, being pivotted
therein at. The under sides of the hammer heads are grooved or
notched, so that they may fit over the heads of the lever punches.
A certain amount of lateral play is allowed to these hammer heads so as
to allow of the type already in position being pushed forward by the
succeeding type as hereafter explained, but this amount of play is
regulated by the pins and spring it.
In working the apparatus the mode of procedure is as follows:-The
pointer C¹ is turned to the desired letter and the type corresponding to
this letter is brought into position as explained above. The lever g¹ is
then depressed and with it the hammer E¹ which forces down the lever
punch as, and thus the type a¹ is pressed into the papier maché, where it
remains until the lever g¹ is allowed to rise after the impression of the
next letter is made.
The mode of procedure for the second letter is the same as that just
described, except that the descending lever punch presses against an
inclined plane F, shewn in the diagram, Fig. 4. The object of this

page_text: inclined plane is to cause the descending lever punch to push forward
the previous type and with it the papier maché or other substance so
that a new portion is ready for the new type while the previous type
remains embedded in the papier maché, so as to prevent the impression
made thereby from being destroyed by the succeeding type while
making its impression.
When the first line is completed the types are raised out of the papier
maché, which with its supporting roller D is turned back and then
pushed sideways by any suitable mechanical contrivance, so as to be
ready for receiving the types to commence the second line.
In order to r space "the words the cylinder D is moved the required
distance by means of the hand lever D', as shewn at Fig. 3.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention for "An Improved
Mode of and Apparatus for Preparing Moulds for Producing Stereotype
Plates for Letterpress printing," and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First. The mode herein set forth of forming the papier maché or
other moulds from which the stereotype plates used for letterpress
printing are cast.
Second. I claim the apparatus herein described or any mere modi-
fication thereof for preparing the moulds preparatory to casting the
plates.
]
2
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank Trier, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Second day of November, in the year 2
Land One thousa d night h