IMPROVEMENTS IN TYPE COMPOSING AND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Fraser, of Edinburgh, in the County
of Mid Lothian, North Britain, Printer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TYPE COMPOSING AND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.”
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TYPE COMPOSING AND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.”
Sealed the 5th November 1875, and dated the 15th May 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Fraser at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th May 1875.
I, ALEXANDER FRASER, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian,
North Britain, Printer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TYPE COMPOSING AND DISTRIBUTING APPA-
RATUS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to type composing and distributing apparatus
of the kinds described in the Specifications of Letters Patent granted to
the present applicant, and dated 10th April 1872 (No. 1060), and of
Letters Patent also granted to the present applicant and dated 20th

page_text: November 1872 (No. 3461), and comprises various improvements in
details whereby the construction is simplified, the action of the parts is
made more certain, and the working of the apparatus is facilitated.
The types to be used in the composing apparatus are contained in one
or more grooved trays, in which they are distributed or arranged by the
distributing apparatus. Each tray consists simply of a horizontal plate
fitted with vertical partition slips, the spaces between which constitute
the grooves, and each tray is not necessarily provided with separators
and other parts as formerly. The partition slips are made thick enough
to admit of. their front ends being rebated or thinned to about half their:
thickness, and they may be made of brass with steel pieces rivetted on
to form the thin projecting ends. When the tray is placed in position
on the composing machine the thin ends of the slips enter between thin
side pieces formed or fixed on depressors (having combined the functions
of the separators and depressors of the former machine), and these
side pieces or fins on the depressors can thus pass down between the
lines of the types to the under sides thereof where the connections for
moving the depressors can be more conveniently made than as formerly
arranged. By this arrangement also the intervening brass boxes are dis-
pensed with, and the types go directly from the tray into the grooved guide
plate. The depressors are guided by grooves in the front of a transverse
horizontal frame bar just over the front ends of the lines of types, and
are retained by bars fixed in front of them. They are depressed by wires
connecting their fins to the bell-crank levers below, and they are raised
after depression by helical springs acting on the wires.
The pushers for keeping the lines of types up to the depressors are
pulled forward by cords hooked to them and fixed to pulleys fitted with
steel volute springs. Each pulley is formed with a box or barrel to
receive the spring, the outer end of which is attached to it, whilst the
inner end of each spring has a key piece attached to it, which both keeps
the end of the spring at the eye of the pulley and engages in a groove
on a stationary rod on which a number of the pulleys are strung. The
pulleys are strung on two rods to allow more room for the spring boxes,
and the cords from the front row of pulleys pass alternately between
those from the back row.
The grooved guide plate is made mainly as formerly, but with the two
principal divisions of grooves by preference occupying more nearly equal

page_text: spaces, and with the glass cover made in three separate parts, a bottom
part arranged to turn upon horizontal hinges, and two upper parts
arranged to open on vertical hinges at the middle. For the springs at
the bottom outlet of the guide plate there is substituted a thin
metal tongue centered on a horizontal pin and counterweighted just
sufficiently to make it bear gently on the thin types and not offer too
much resistance to the thicker types.
-
The pusher which moves forward the types as they are successively
deposited in the galley is actuated by a cam projection on a vertical bar
connected to a horizonal rod, which is held by lever arms at its ends so
that it lies under the series of bell cranks connected to the depressors,
and is depressed by whichever bell crank is acted on. After depression.
the cam bar is raised by a helical spring, whilst the pusher is also moved
back by a helical spring, and in consequence of the shape of the cam
part it acts both when moving up and when moving down,, and by thus
acting twice for each depression of a finger key cusures room being
properly made for the types.
In the distributing apparatus instead of the column of types being
pushed forward directly by a screw spindle the column pusher is con-
nected by a pin to a slide beneath the table, and this slide is formed with
rack teeth to be acted on by a pinion on a shaft turned by means of a
hand wheel. This arrangement allows the column pusher to be moved
out of the way on simply withdrawing the connecting pin. The line
pusher is worked by an endless cord, the upper line of which lies in a
groove formed in one side of the groove along which the line of types
are moved. The pusher cord is worked by a pulley with a volute spring,
and a separate cord and treadle is provided for winding up the spring,
which at the same time moves back the line pusher.
The separator or depressor is acted on by a helical metal spring instead
of a rubber one. The distributing plane is reversed in position, and is placed
in a nearly vertical position. The switches are fixed on pins passing
through the plate, on the outer side of which the pins have levers fixed
on them in the same positions as the switches, and these levers are acted
on instead of wings on the switches as formerly. The switch levers are
formed with short arms, which are acted on by blade springs to restoro
the switches when released. The lowest or minor series of switch levers

page_text: are acted on by the former arrangement of cranked arms on rocking
spindles moved by the finger keys. The minor switch levers are held
open until the operator depresses another key of the same section in each
case by hinged catches placed one over the ends of the levers of each
section, and cach catch is lifted to release any levers it may retain at the
commencement of the depression of a finger key by the action of the
corresponding section bar on a lever having a jointed tooth, which lifts
the catch in rising but turns out of its way in descending. The section
switch levers are moved by horizontally sliding rods acted on by bell
cranks centered on the outer side of the distribution plate, the bell
cranks being connected by wires to the section bars below. These hori-
zontal rods also determine the extent of opening through which cach
type is depressed from the line above, according to the thickness of the
type, by acting on a lever which bears on the sliding door or slide. Onc
arm of this lever is provided with a series of screw pins, one for each
rod, and each of which screw pins can be adjusted with the greatest
nicety to suit a particular thickness. Each rod has a shoulder, which on
the rod being moved passes under and acts on the corresponding screw
pin, and so effects the desired adjustment. Retaining catches and
releasing levers may be fitted in connection with the upper switch levers

page_text: that to the extent necessary for one stroke on the depressing of a finger
key. This supplementary power is made to act through revolving cranks
on the depressor, and on whatever other parts have to be moved, at each
stroke; or the power may be arranged to act on more parts, but limited
to the section of the finger key that is depressed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Fraser in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
FRASER, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
Printer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth 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 Alexander Fraser, Her special licenco
that I, the said Alexander Fraser, my exccutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Fraser, 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 Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TYPE COMPOSING and Distributing Apparatus,” upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alexander Fraser, my executors or admini-
strators, 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 per-
formed, 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 Fraser, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to type composing and distributing
apparatus of the kinds described in the Specifications of Letters Patent &
granted to me, and dated 10 April 1872 (No. 1060), and of Letters
Patent also granted to me, and dated 20 November 1872 (No. 3461),
and comprises various improvements in details whereby the construction
is simplified, the action of the parts is made more certain, and the
working of the apparatus is facilitated.
And in order that my present Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, I hereunto append five Sheets of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing as
much of my improved apparatus as appears necessary, but without
similar parts being as fully repeated as in the actual apparatus. In 1
these Drawings the same reference letters and numerals are used to
mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of the Drawings is a front view; and Figure 2
Sheet 2 is a sectional side view showing the main parts of my improved
composing apparatus; whilst Figure 3 is a plan of part of one of the 2
type trays.
The types are contained in one or more, and by preference in four
grooved type trays T, in which trays they are distributed or arranged by
the distributing apparatus. Each tray T consists simply of a horizontal
plato fitted with vertical partition slips, the spaces between which 2
constitute the grooves, and each tray is not necessarily provided with
separators and other parts as formerly. The partition slips may be
continued forward to the extreme front ends of the lines of type; and
being there rebated or reduced in thickness be entered between thin side
pieces formed or fixed on depressors D (having combined the functions 8
of the separators and depressors of my former machine). I however
now prefer to have the type grooves continued beyond the front end of
the tray proper for a short distance in a separate piece 1, shown in
section in Figure 2, which I will term the groove mouth-piece, and
which consists of a horizontal bottom or bar fitting partly under the 3

page_text: front end of the bottom of the plate of the type tray T, and formed with an
angular edge to enter an angular groove in the edge of the bottom plate.
The groove mouth-piece 1 is also fitted with division slips, the back
edges of which are sharpened so that the types cannot catch against
them when moving forward from the tray grooves, whilst their front
edges are rebated or grooved so that the thin sides 2 of the depressors D
can pass down between the lines of types. The lower ends of the depressor
sides 2 are thus got behind the grooved guide plate G and under the
type trays T, and their connection by the wires 3 to the bell cranks 4
below is much more conveniently made than in my former arrangement,
the intervening brass boxes being dispensed with, and the types going
directly from the groove mouth-piece into the tops of the grooves of the
guide plate G. Saw cuts are formed in the top edge of the grooved
guide plate G to receive and guide the bottoms of the depressor sides 2.
The upper parts of the depressors D are guided between a back hori-
zontal bar 5 and a front bar 6, the latter being formed with two hori-
zontal ribs on its inner face, and these ribs being grooved vertically to
retain the depressors laterally. The depressors D are connected by
helical springs 7 to a horizontal frame bar 8, and each depressor is raised
by its spring after being pulled down.
'
One of my composing machines as now improved will answer for
several different sizes of type. Two or three groove mouth-pieces 2
may be provided, each answering quite well for two or three different
sizes of type. The front guide bars 6 for the depressors and the glass
front plates of the grooved guide plate G are adjustable by means of
liners at their points of attachment to suit the different sizes of types
for which the other parts are provided.
The pushers 10 for keeping the lines of types up to the depressors D
are pulled forward by cords 11 hooked to them, and fixed to pulleys 12
fitted with steel volute springs. Each pulley 12 is formed with a flat
box or barrel 13 to receive the spring, the outer end of the spring being
attached to the barrel, whilst the inner end of each spring has a key
piece attached to it, which projecting to cach side keeps the end of the
spring at the eye of the pulley and also engages in a groove on a
stationary rod 14 on which a number of the pulleys are strung. The
pulleys 12 are strung on two rods 14 to allow sufficient room for the

page_text: spring box 13 at one side of each, and the cords 11 from the front row
of pulleys pass alternately between those from the back row.
The
rods 14 are held in brackets 15 fixed to the iron sole or framo of tho
type tray T.
The grooved guide plate G is made mainly as formerly, but with the
grooves arranged symmetrically and with the glass cover made in three
separate parts, a bottom part 20 arranged to turn upon horizontal hinges,
and two upper parts 21, 22, arranged to open on vertical hinges at the
middle. For the springs formerly applied at the bottom outlet of the
guide plate G, I now substitute a thin metal tongue 23 centered on a hori-
zontal pin, and counterweighted just sufficiently to make it bear gently
on the thin types and not offer too much resistance to the thicker types.
I find it advantageous also to add a second similar tongue 24, as shown
in Figure 4. The pusher 25 which moves forward the types as they are
deposited in the galley 26 is actuated by a cam projection 27 on a
vertical rod 28; this rod passing through a slot in the pusher and being
pulled up by a helical spring 29 connecting its upper end to a fixed
bracket, whilst its bottom end is jointed to a horizontal rod 30 fixed to
two or more lever arms 31 centered on the framing. The horizontal
rod 30 lies under the scries of bell cranks 4, so as to be depressed by
whichever bell crank is acted on. The pusher 25 is moved back by a
helical spring 32, and as the cam projection 27 acts both when
descending by the depression of the rod 30 and when re-ascending by
the action of its spring 29, the pusher 25 is thus actuated twice for cach
depression of a finger key, which insures room being properly made for
each type in succession.
Figure 5, on Sheet 3, of the Drawings is a view of the outer side of
the distributing plane of my improved distributing apparatus; and
Figures 6 and 7 are horizontal sections of certain details on such
plane.
Figure 8, on Sheet 4, is a view of the inner face of the distributing
plane; and Figure 9, on Sheet 5, is a sectional side view of the
distributing machine with the distributing plane P seen in edge
view.

page_text: connected by a pin to a slide beneath the table, and this slide is formed
with rack teeth to be acted on by a pinion on a shaft turned by means
of a hand wheel. This arrangement allows the column pusher to be
moved out of the way on simply withdrawing the connecting pin. The
line pusher 40 (Figure 9) is worked by an endless cord 41, partly shown
in Figure 10, the upper line of which cord lies in a groove 42 formed in
one side of the groove along which the line of types are moved. The
pusher cord 41 is worked by a pulley 43 with a volute spring, and a
separate cord 44 and treadle 45 are provided for winding up the spring,
which action at the same time moves back the line pusher 40.
The separator or depressor D, Figures 5, 8, 9, is acted on by a helical
spring 46 instead of a rubber one. The distributing plane P is reversed
in position, the types moving down its inner instead of its outer face,
and it is placed in a nearly vertical position. The switches S are fixed
on pins 47 passing through the plate on the outer side of which the
pins 47 have levers 48, 49, fixed on them in the same positions as
the switches, and these levers 48, 49, are acted on instead of wings on
the switches, as formerly. The switch levers are formed with short
arms 50 projecting downwards, which are acted on by blade springs 51
to restore the switches when released. The lowest or minor series of
switch levers 48 are acted on by my former arrangement of cranked
arms 52 (Figure 9) on rocking spindles 53 moved by the finger keys 54.
These minor switch levers 48 are held open until the operator
depresses another key of the same section in cach case by hinged
catches 55 placed one over the ends of the levers 48 of each section, and
cach catch 55 is lifted to release any levers it may retain at the com-
mencement of the depression of a finger key 54 by the action of the
corresponding section bar 56 on a lever 57 having a jointed tooth 58
which lifts the catch 55 in rising, but turns out of its way in
descending. The upper or section switch levers 49 are moved by hori-
zontal sliding rods 59 acted on by bell cranks 60 centored on the outer
side of the distribution plate, in most cases directly on the plate, but in
the cases of two bell cranks near the middle on overhanging brackets,
which are not shown in Figure 5. The bell cranks 60 are connected to
the section bars 56 below by wires 61, 62, connected by hooks and eyes
to admit of the easy separation and withdrawal of the frame containing

page_text: the finger keys 54 and other parts from in front of the distribution
plate P for examination or repairs. Springs 63 are applied to the
bell cranks to recover them after being pulled down. The horizontal
rods 59 are formed with projections on [their inner sides to act on the
upper switches 40, and they also determine the extent of opening
through which each type is depressed from the line above, according to
the thickness of the type, by their acting on a lever 64, partly indicated
by dotted lines in Figure 5, and which bears on the door or slide 65,
Figure 9. The action of this lever 64 will be best understood from
Figure 6. The part of it below its fulcrum 66 is fitted with a series of
screw pins 67, one for cach rod 59, and each of these screw pins can be
adjusted with the greatest nicety to suit a particular thickness of type.
Each rod 59 has a shoulder 68 which on the rod being moved passes
under and acts on the correponding screw pin 67, and in doing so moves
the lever 64 and so effects the desired adjustment.
In Figure 7 an alternative arrangement is shown, cach rod 59 being
in this case formed with a limb 69 extending over the lever 64
(represented as a broad flat plate). The screw pins 67 are fixed one in
the limb 69 of cach rod 59, and when any rod is moved its pin passes
from a recess in the lever 64 to the raised surface thereof and depresses
the lever accordingly, the lever 64 having its fulcrum below the series
of rods 59 in this case. Retaining catches 55 and releasing levers (57)
may be fitted in connection with the upper switch lovers 49 if found
desirable. The door or slide 65 is never completely closed by its spring,
so that the lever 64 does not require to act for the thinnest types, and
the corresponding sectional switch lever 49 is acted on by a lever 38
moved by a cam projection on a piece 39 substituted for the upper
connecting wire (61) in the case of one of the middle sections, such
section having the thinnest types allotted to it.
The rake-like pushers 70, Figure 9, for moving the types back in the
grooves of the trays T are moved back or into the grooves by helical
springs 71 being moved outwards by cam bars 72 jointed to bell
cranks 73 connected to the section bars 56, and the cam bars 72 are
shaped to move the pushers 70 twice at each depression of a key. With
this arrangement there is the advantage that when a fresh type reaches
the bottom of the distribution plate P the pusher 70 is in its inmost
position, and the type rests on it momentarily, so that the upper end of

page_text: the type is not clear of the glass or other covering plate and cannot get
thrown out by rebounding.
In order that the finger keys 54 may require less force to depress
them and to overcome the spring and frictional resistance in connection
with the depressors D, and also to admit of stronger springs being used
and of the action being thereby made more certain when operating
rapidly, I supplement the power by a weight 74, Figure 11 (or it might
be a spring), to be wound up once an hour or at other convenient
intervals, and acting when a key 54 is.depressed to an extent limited by
an escapement. The weight 74 is by a train of spur wheels and
pinions 75 made to drive a spindle having fast on it a disc 76 which has
fixed on one side of it a pin connected by a wire 77 to a lever 78 centered
on a bracket 79 fixed to the upper part of the framing. The lever 78
bears on a little roller fitted on the depressor D, and thereby moves the
depressor down when the wire 77 is pulled. A roller 80 is held in front
of the depressor to reduce its friction when moving. On the other side
of the disc 76 there is a pin 81 which bears against an escapement stop
bar 82 fitted to move horizontally in guides, and having jointed to it a
picco 83 held lightly by a spring. The outer end of the bar 82 is con-
nected to a bell-crank lever 84, one arm of which has fixed to it a rod 85
running across and beneath all the section bars 56 and carried by levers
at its ends. When a section bar 56 has moved partly down it encounters
the rod 85 and makes the bar 82 move inwards; the pin of the disc 76
then escapes off the outer edge of a lateral projection on the end of the
bar, and the disc makes a turn and pulls down the wire 77, but as its
pin comes round it encounters the spring piece 83 which prevents the
disc making more than one turn. The pin bears the spring piece 83
down to the level of the bar 82, and when this bar returns outwards by
the action of a helical spring the pin of the disc 76 slips from the spring
piece 83 to the projection on the end of the bar 82.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner
of performing the same I have to state that I do not restrict myself to
the precise details herein described or delineated, and that I am aware
it is not new and do not claim as such by itself the working of switches
on the inner side of a type distributing plate by levers on the outer side
of such plate; but that what I believe to be novel and original and
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part

page_text: recited Letters Patent is, the combining of the several improved arrange-
ments and details herein-before described with the remaining parts of
the type composing and distributing apparatus described in the Speci-
fications of the two earlier Patents herein-before referred to.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Fraser, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
ALEX. FRASER. (L.8.)