Posters and other Large Type.
Year: 1885

page_text: Posters and other Large Type.
I SAMUEL JONES, of 37 Beech Road, Tranmere in the County of Chester,
Printer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN OR RELATING TO BLOCKS OR TYPE FOR PRINTING POSTERS AND OTHER LARGE
TYPE," to be as follows:-
In the printing of large posters each letter has to be cut separately, and this is
very expensive and the type is very bulky to store and liable to injury in the case
of very large letters.
Now this invention consists in building up the letters from tesseræ or small
square types of uniform size or of multiples of a uniform size so that the same
blocks can be used for all letters. I find that to make the letters of the alphabet
either plain block letters or letters with serriffs white on a black ground, or black
on a white ground-requires about fourteen varieties of blocks and by the use of a
few more I can make a considerable variety of fancy or plain type. It is not
absolutely necessary that the blocks should be square, as oblong or triangular ones
will also answer, but after trying many different arrangements I have found that
the system of square blocks is the best.

page_text: Posters and other Large Type.
I, SAMUEL JONES of 37 Beech Road, Tranmere in the county of Chester, Printer,
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:―
In the printing of large posters it has been usual to cut each letter separately,
this is very expensive, the type is very bulky and difficult to store, and, in the case
of very large letters is liable to injury.
Now this invention consists in building up the letters from tesserae or small
square types of uniform size, or of multiples of a uniform size, so that the same
blocks can be used for all letters. I find that to make the letters of the alphabet
either plain sanseriff letters, or letters with seriffs, white on a black ground, or
black on a white ground requires about fourteen varieties of blocks, and by the use
of a few more, I can make à considerable variety of fancy or plain type. It is not
absolutely necessary that the blocks should be square, as oblong or triangular ones
will also answer, but after trying many different arrangements, I have found that
the system of square blocks with multiples or divisions of square blocks, if desired,
is the best.
In order to make my invention better understood, I have printed off from a
series of blocks, the letters A and B in black and white, and also shown impressions
from these blocks separately, and grouped, further in order the better to explain
my system. The parts shown white are spaced with blocks of the same size with
the exception that they are not so high. I have added, outlines of the blocks to
show their form, and what parts are cut away so as to be below type height. It
will be seen that by simply reversing the block pieces a black or white letter will
be produced. I have shown rather more than fourteen simple blocks, and also
combination blocks wherein two or more pieces are combined into one compound
block, so as to make a very complete set to show a variety of arrangement of
letters, every one of these could be formed out of those numbered 1 to 11 as
shown, but I prefer to cut separate blocks for those numbered 12 to 17 as they
will be largely required and the square will be constructed of one block instead of
two. When not cut in separate blocks N° 12 would be constructed of Nos. 9
and 1, Nº 13 of Nos. 9 and 2, N° 14 of Nos. 9 and 5, N° 15 of Nos. 9 and 6, N° 10
of Nos. 9 and 7, and N° 17 of Nos. 9 and 8. The Nos. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, may be cut
in blocks of oblong shape as shown, or be cut out of square blocks, in the former
case, a block such as N° 9 or its reverse 9¹ which is below type height to form
a blank, will make up the square. N° 10 may be a separate block, or con-
structed out of two blocks, N° 9, its reverse 10' will be cut of one or two pieces as
required. The two blocks shown N° 11 are the same, but placed in a different
position. To nicely complete the B as shown in the drawing, I form the inner
rounded corners a of the block or type N° 4, from the set or size of type smaller
than the one in use, and of which the one in use is the multiple. Nos. 18 to 23
show some of the combinations the blocks will assume in forming the letters.

page_text: Nos. 24 to 31 show combination blocks such as may be cut for the formation of
special letters to reduce the number of pieces the numbers indicate the primary
pieces of which they are composed. A few other blocks or type may be found
desirable to add fancy turns, comma tails, and the like.
The blocks can be manufactured from metal, wood, or composition, either cast,
moulded or cut to the desired size and shape, and they should be made to fit
against each other to a great nicety-the edges perfectly flush, so as to prevent
the joints from showing when printed, and to all intents and purposes to have the
appearance of a solid block.
In conclusion I am well aware that borders have been constructed or composed
of a large number of recurring pieces or type, and also that it has been proposed
to form large solid or ornamental surfaces by means of numerous small types in
combination grouped together in vast bunches, and I make no claim for such.
This proposition had not to my knowledge been carried to a successful pass at the
date of my present application, if it has yet indeed, and these small type had
hardly any relation to the shape of the letter or figure made thereby, further than
to build it up out of an almost innumerable quantity of small type grouped
together so as to roughly form the letter or figure while mine simply divides the
letter or figure into the fewest practicable number of pieces to form it of a few
simple types.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st. The method of forming letters and figures, which consists in building them
up of smaller blocks, each curve of a letter as a rule being formed by a single
block, the letter being divided into the fewest practicable number of simple
geometric forms, substantially as described.
2nd. The blocks or type and built up letters, resulting therefrom, substantially
as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of February 1886