Improvements in or relating to Linotype and similar Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 24th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 28th Sept.. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Linotype and similar Machines.
A communication by PHILIP TELL DODGE, of Tribune Building, New York, in
the County and State of New York, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster and 31 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :—
This invention relates more especially to improvements in finger-key mechanisms,
such as are employed in the Mergenthaler linotype and in analogous machines for
effecting the discharge of matrices or types from magazine channels in which they
are contained.
In order that there may be a positive action of the parts, that a slight depression
of the keys may insure the delivery of the matrices and that the matrices may be
delivered with certainty in the order in which the keys are touched and at intervals
corresponding to the times occurring between the action of the successive keys, it
is customary to employ the finger-keys simply for the purpose of unlocking the
power driven mechanism through which the escapements or delivery devices are
actuated.
It is to this class of devices, that the present invention relates.
In an earlier mechanism each of the escapement-actuating rods is in turn
actuated by a rising and falling lever carrying a cam overlying a continuously
running roll, but held normally out of contact with the roll by means of a spring-
actuated pin sliding through the cam, so that when the lever, which is held normally
in an elevated position, is released by a finger-key, it will fall and allow its cam
to ride upon the roller by which it is rotated and to lift the lever above its normal
position so as to positively actuate the escapement.
The object of the present invention is to do away with the pins and their
actuating springs, and to this end it consists in constructing each cam with a
stationary shoulder arranged to encounter a fixed stop when the cam and lever are
in their elevated or inactive positions.
No claim is herein made for the key-board cams provided with stop pins sliding
therethrough, the same being to the best of my correspondent's knowledge, the
invention of Ottmar Mergenthaler.
Figure 1 is an outline elevation, showing the key-mechanism 'complete ;
Figure 2 is a cross-section of the same on the line '2 2;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cam;
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the stop device in another form; and
Figure 5 is a top view of the cam and lever, shown in Figure 4.
Referring to these drawings:
A. represents an inclined magazine in which the matrices B are stored, and
through which they descend by gravity to be delivered at the lower end.
C represents the escapement, consisting of a centrally pivoted lever, provided with
two upright pawls which are thrust upward into the magazine alternately by the
vibration of the lever, so as to discharge the matrices one after another. D is a
spring bearing on the rear end of the escapement and serving to hold forward the
:

page_text: pin normally in an elevated position. E is a vertically guided rod having its upper
end engaged with the escapement lever for the purpose of lifting the same and
reversing its position to effect the discharge of the matrices. F is a lever mounted
at one end on a horizontal pivot f and lying at the opposite end beneath the
rod E. It is sustained normally in position shown in Figure 1 by means of an
angular pivoted dog G. Upon the finger key I being depressed, the sliding
piece H rises and the dog G allows the lever F to fall, thus bringing the shoulder j
of the cam J clear of the stop L and allowing the cam to ride upon the running
roller. K by which it is rotated. The rotation of the cam lifts the lever F above
its normal position so as to actuate the escapement through the rod E. As the
cam further rotates the lever F falls again to its normal position against the
dog G.
When the cam clears the running roller, its momentum causes it to rotate or
throw over to its original position, so that it engages with the stop L, as in the
first instance.
Instead of forming the stop behind the shoulder in the middle of the cam face
as above described, the cam may be provided with a stud or projection L¹ on one
side, to encounter the stationary stop as represented in Figures 4 and 5.
The essence of the invention lies in combining with cams, operating substantially
as described, a stationary stop or shoulder to prevent their rotation until the finger-
key is actuated, and it will be obvious to a skilled mechanic that those parts may
be varied in form and arrangement to a very great extent without departing from
the scope of the invention.
Dated this 17th day of December 1894.
A communication by PHILIP TELL DODGE, of Tribune Building, New York, in
the County and State of New York, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster 118, New Street, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick and 31, High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates more especially to improvements in finger-key mechanisms,
such as are employed in the Mergenthaler linotype and in analogous machines for
effecting the discharge of matrices or types from magazine channels in which they
are contained.
In order that there may be a positive action of the parts, that a slight depression
of the keys may insure the delivery of the matrices and that the matrices may be
delivered with certainty in the order in which the keys are touched and at
intervals corresponding to the times occurring between the action of the successive
keys, it is customary to employ the finger-keys simply for the purpose of unlocking
the power driven mechanism through which the escapements or delivery devices
are actuated.
It is to this class of devices that the present invention relates.
In an earlier mechanism each of the escapement-actuating rods is in turn
actuated by a rising and falling lever carrying a cam overlying a continuously.

page_text: running roll, but held normally out of contact with the roll by means of a spring-
actuated pin sliding through the cam, so that when the lever, which is held
normally in an elevated position, is released by a finger-key, it will fall and allow
its cam to ride upon the roller by which it is rotated and to lift the lever above its
normal position so as to positively actuate the escapement.
The object of the present invention is to do away with the pins and their
actuating springs, and to this end it consists in constructing each cam with a
stationary shoulder arranged to encounter a fixed stop when the cam and lever are
in their elevated or inactive positions.
No claim is herein made for the key-board cams provided with stop pins sliding
therethrough, the same being to the best of my correspondent's knowledge, the
invention of Ottmar Mergenthaler.
In the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification,
Figure 1 is an outline elevation, showing the key-mechanism complete:
Figure 2 is a cross section of the same on the line 22:
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cam:
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the stop device in another form: aud
Figure 5 is a top view of the can and lever, shown in Figure 4.
Referring to these drawings:-
A represents an inclined magazine in which the matrices B are stored, and
through which they descend by gravity to be delivered at the lower end.
C represents the escapement, consisting of a centrally pivoted lever, provided
with two upright pawls which are thrust upward into the magazine alternately by
the vibration of the lever, so as to discharge the matrices one after another.
D is a spring bearing on the rear end of the escapement and serving to hold
forward the pin normally in an elevated position. E is a vertically guided rod
having its upper end engaged with the escapement lever for the purpose of lifting
the same and reversing its position to effect the discharge of the matrices. F is a
lever mounted at one end on a horizontal pivot f and lying at the opposite end
heneath the rod E. It is sustained normally in position shown in Figure 1 by
means of an angular pivoted dog G. Upon the finger key I being depressed, the
sliding piece Hrises and the dog G allows the lever F to fall, thus bringing the
shoulder of the cam J clear of the stop L and allowing the cam to ride upon
the running roller K by which it is rotated. The rotation of the cam lifts the
lever F above its normal position so as to actuate the escapement through the
rod E. As the cam further rotates, the lever F falls again to its normal position
against the dog G.
When the cam clears the running roller its momentum causes it to rotate or
throw over to its original position, so that it engages with the stop L, as in the
first instance.
Instead of forming the stop behind the shoulder in the middle of the cam face
as above described, the cam may be provided with a stud or projection L¹ on one
side, to encounter the stationary stop as represented in Figures 4 and 5.
The essence of the invention lies in combining with cams, operating substantially
as described, a stationary stop or shoulder to prevent their rotation until the finger-
key is actuated, and it will be obvious to a skilled mechanic that those parts may
be varied in form and arrangement to a very great extent without departing from
the scope of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be perforined, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a type discharging mechanism, the combination of a constantly driven
roller, a lever, a cam carried by said lever, and provided with a stationary shoulder
adapted to engage with the roller, a detenting mechanism to prevent the advance
of the lever and cam towards the roller, and a stationary stop to arrest the rotation
of the cam.

page_text: 2. In combination with the escapement and its actuating rod, the lever F, its
cam having a stationary stop or shoulder, a constantly driven roller to actuate the
cam, a stationary stop to arrest the rotation of the cam, and a finger-key mechanism
controlling the movement of the cam carrying lever.
3. In a type discharging mechanism and in combination with a constantly driven
roller, a lever, a cam mounted on the lever, and provided with a stationary shoulder
within the line of its periphery, a detenting mechanism to prevent the advance of
the lever and cam toward the roller, and a stop to engage the shoulder of the cam
and arrest its rotation.
Dated this 21st day of A noust 1895
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.