Improved Means for Justifying Type Matrices or Type Dies or the like when Assembled Temporarily in Line.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 28th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 28th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 9th May, 1896
[Communicated from abroad by CARL MULHLEISEN, of Baltimore, Maryland; one
of the United States of America, Engineer.]
Improved Means for Justifying Type Matrices or Type Dies or the
like when Assembled Temporarily in Line.
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED, of No. 6 Serjeant's Inn, Fleet
Street, in the City of London, Sole Proprietors of and Manufacturers, Vendors
and Licensors under the "Linotype" Patents, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
At the present day there are known in the art various machines in which type
matrices or type dies are assembled temporarily in line and then justified or spaced
out to a predetermined length for the purpose of producing type characters in relief
or matrices from which to cast type lines.
Our invention relates to improved means for effecting justification of the line,
that is to say for introducing into the line between the words suitable spaces to
extend the same to the required length after all the letters of characters allowable
in the line have been composed or assembled.
Heretofore the devices used for this purpose in organized machines have been of
two classes, the first consisting of elongated bars or spaces increasing in thickness
step by step so that when thrust end wise through the line they would expand the
latter definite distances; the second consisting of two oppositely tapered wedges,
in some cases unconnected and in other cases united by a sliding joint so that after
being introduced together into the line the movement of one member endwise along
the other would increase the thickness of the space while maintaining a parallelism
of the outer faces.
The present device is intended to overcome-the various difficulties which-have
attended the use of the contrivances above mentioned. Under the present
invention, we make use of two classes of spaces which are used alternately and
independently in the line, spaces of the one form consisting of short wedges which
are introduced into or set up in the line between the matrices or dies and preferably
permitted to remain at rest: that is to say, without adjustment of any kind after
they are in place. The other spaces consist of end wedges or tapered -bars
which are set into the line and then moved endwise therethrough to effect its
expansion or elongation. It will be observed that under our system, the justification
of the line is effected by a part of the spaces and that the other spaces retain the
width which they present in the line in the first instance. We taper the two classes
of spaces in opposite directions. As each space presents opposite sides which
converge, or which, in other words, are not parallel, it follows that the intervening
matrices are tipped out of a vertical position so that their characters do not stand
in true vertical lines. But we find that it is practicable to effect the justification in a
satisfactory manner for the reason that the taper of the wedges is so slight that the
inclination of the letters to the right or left is imperceptible.
The essence of our invention resides in making use of oppositely tapered wedges
or spaces which are introduced into the line at different points and independently
of each other. Any other details may be varied at will and they may be

page_text: introduced into and adjusted through the line by a mechanism of any suitable
character.
The shorter spaces have, when used with matrices such as are shewn in Patent
No. 14582 of 1890, a marginal form similar to that of the said matrices, and also
distributing teeth, but are without the matrix proper or formative surface in
the edge.
The longer spaces consist each of a wedge-like bar having preferably flat side
faces and tapered or reduced in width from the lower toward the upper ends, the
upper ends being provided with shoulders by which they may be sustained in the
line during its composition and until justification is to be effected. The spaces
from one edge to the other should be of the same width as the matrices. In
making use of the spaces the matrices are assembled side by side in line. in the
ordinary manner. After the matrices representing the first word are assembled,
we introduce a space of either form which is then followed by the matrices
representing the next word, after which a space of the other form is introduced
and so on repeatedly until the line is completed, spaces of the two forms being
introduced alternately. The result of this operation will be a line composed of
matrices and intermediate oppositely tapered spaces. If the line as composed is
less than the predetermined length the longer spaces are advanced either
simultaneously or successively through the line until the latter reaches the required
limit. It may be and frequently is the case, that the spaces in the line represented
by the longer members are of greater width than the others but owing to the
irregularity in the distribution of the spaces in the successive lines this is not found
to be objectionable.
It is to be understood that our invention is limited to the employment of
reversely tapered spaces, when used separately or independently, at different
places in the line one at each place; and that it does not include reversely
tapered, unconnected spaces inserted in the line in pairs, in contact with each
other.
Dated this 28th day of May 1895.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improved Means for Justifying Type Matrices or Type Dies or the
like when Assembled Temporarily in Line.
"
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED, late of No. 6 Serjeant's Inn,
Fleet Street, but now of No. 188 Fleet Street, in the City of London, Sole
Proprietors of, and Manufacturers, Vendors, and Licensors under the "Linotype
Patents, 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 :-
At the present day there are known in the art, various machines for composing a
line of type matrices or type dies, spacing and justifying that line to a pre-
determined length, and producing from it, either a linotype or a stereotype matrix,
according as to whether the machine in question uses type matrices or type dies as
its units.
To prevent confusion of ideas, "spacing" is to be understood as referring to
spaces between the words and to the means by which they are introduced into the
line; and " "justifying as referring to the act of and means for extending the
spaced line to the predetermined length above mentioned.
"
It is obviously foreign to the conception of a machine of the class above
mentioned, for the spacing and justifying to be other than automatic. Several

page_text: types of devices for effecting both the said acts have been proposed. These are
divisible into four classes:-
(a.) The combination of two separate or conjoined members having each a
parallel and a tapered side face-the two tapers being in opposite directions
and in contact, the whole forming and acting after the manner of the well
known wedge, for the movement of one member end wise over the other to
increase the distance (measured in the direction of the line) between the
said parallel side faces.
(b.) A single wedge the thickness of which increases step by step, any two
adjacent steps being connected by inclines, so that when the wedge is thrust
end wise through the line, between two adjacent words, the latter are forced
apart in the direction of the line.
(c.) A resilient space operating solely by its own resilience and without being
pushed after the manner of a wedge farther between two adjacent words.
(d.) The combination in a single wedge, of the step by step increase and the
resilience above described.
There is common to all the above classes, the maintenance of the matrices or
lies in vertical and parallel positions, that is to say, the introduction of the
Spacing and justifying devices into the line and their operation therein, are both
effective without tipping any of the said matrices or dies over to one side.
The improved spacing and justifying device of the present invention, consists of
quad tapered froin one end to the other and in one direction, and a wedge tapered
rom one end to the other but in the opposite direction. The expression "quad
s used as indicating that the size of the member in question is the same as that of
matrix or a die; and "wedge' as indicating that the member in question is
ong enough to project beyond the line in order that it may be forced farther
brough it. These members are composed into the line individually and alternately,
hat is to say, if a wedge occurs between the first and the second words, there must
be a quad between the second and third. The quads and wedges stand in the
composed line with their adjacent tapered side faces parallel. Consequently, the
ntervening matrices or dies are tipped over to one side a little, so that their
haracters cease to stand vertically; but it is found that it is practicable to effect
be justification in a satisfactory manner for the reason that, the tapers being so
light, the tip of the letters to the right or to the left is imperceptible.
The essence of the present invention resides in making use of oppositely tapered
uads and wedges to be composed into the line at different points therein and
ndependently of each other, whereas in the double wedge device above referred to,
he two members which constitute it, are always composed into the line to stand
ide by side, the one member in contact with the other. Any other details may
e varied at will and any suitable mechanism may be used for effecting the
omposition of both the quads and the wedges into the line and for effecting the
ubsequent justification, but the alternation of independent and oppositely tapered
uads and wedges, being the distinctive feature of the present invention, is never
eparted from.
In the form in which the quads and wedges are represented in the accompanying
gures, they are adapted for use in the well known Mergenthaler linotype machine,
uch as described in the Specification of Letters Patent 14582 1890. This machine
the most widely known and used of all the machines of the class referred to in
he opening sentence of this Specification, and for that reason, it is thought that a
etailed description of the application to it of the present invention, will best
isclose the nature and scope of the latter and be of a greater advantage to
be trade concerned, than if an unused machine had been selected for the
urpose.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the vice jaws by which the length of the line is
re-determined, and of the composed line of matrices, both of the above mentioned
achine; as well as of the quota of wedges and quads of the present invention
ecessary to space and justify the said line.

page_text: Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views respectively, of an improved quad and
wedge adapted for use in the said machine.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the matrices.
A, B are the jaws of the machine vice. As the present invention does not
modify their construction or their operation, further description of either is
unnecessary.
C, C are the matrices; c, the formative cavity or matrix proper of one of them;
, its distributing teeth; 3, a notch operating in conjunction with the distributor,
and the sustaining shoulders.
D, D are the quads. A quad is practically a replica of a matrix except that it
has not a formative cavity or matrix proper, c, and that it is tapered regularly
from top to bottom. d', d, are the supporting shoulders, corresponding with the
shoulders of the matrices, d², the notch corresponding with the one e³, and d³, the
distributing teeth.
E, E are the wedges. Each is a wedgelike bar tapered from one end to
the other in the opposite direction of the taper of the quads. e, e are a pair of
sustaining shoulders necessary to the use of the wedges in the machine in question ;
they do not form any part of the present invention.
The present invention is carried into effect as follows. After the composition of
the matrices C, C, representing the first word of the line, either a quad D or a
wedge E is composed. Next, the matrices representing the second word are
composed, and then a wedge E, if a quad D followed the first word; or a
quad D, if a wedge E had been used. In any case, there is only one member-
a quad or a wedge-between two words, and the quads and wedges alternate each
other along the line.
The result of this composition is a line consisting of matrices and alternating
and oppositely tapered quads and wedges. If the said line is then less than the
pre-determined length-the distance between the vice jaws A, B, it must be
justified. This is effected by pushing the wedges E, E, either simultaneously or
successively, through the line until the latter is extended to the proper length. It
is only the wedges E, E, that are adjusted as to their position in their liue-the
quads D, D, remain stationary in that respect.
It may be, and frequently is the case, that the spaces in the line represented by
the wedges E, E aggregate more than do the spaces represented by the quads D, D.
This,, however, is not found to be objectionable, because of the varying distances
between wedge and quad.
.
Both quads and wedges are of the same width across as the matrices.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In a linotype or other type composing machine; the improved means of
spacing and justification consisting in placing single member taper quads and single
member wedges tapered in the opposite direction alternately to form the spaces
between the words of a line of type, the type of succeeding words being inclined
the one to the other at the angle of the wedge or quad between them and the type
of alternate words being parallel so that the letters and spaces of the printed line
appear to be parallel throughout.
2. In a composed line of type matrices or type dies; the combination of a series
of tapered quads in the said line at different points therein and a series of
oppositely tapered wedges at other points in the said line, the said wedges being
capable of being pushed farther through the said line, as and for the purposes
described.
3. The combination of a pair of vice jaws predetermining by the distance
between them, the ultimate length of the line to be composed; a line of type
matrices or type dies composed between the said jaws; a series of tapered quads
in the said line at different points therein; and a series of oppositely tapered

page_text: wedges at other points in the said line, the said wedges being capable of being
pushed farther through the said line, as and for the purposes described.
Dated this 28th day of February 1896.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.