Improved Stop Mechanism for the Pumps of Linotype Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 13th Nov.. 1896-Accepted, 16th Jan., 1897
[Communicated from abroad by THE NATIONAL TYPOGRAPHIC COMPANY (a
Company organized under the laws of the State of West Virginia), having its
principal places of business at Washington, D.C., and New York City, United
States of America.]
Improved Stop Mechanism for the Pumps of Linotype Machines.
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:-
The present invention relates to improved stop mechanism for the pumps of
linotype machines. The object of it is to prevent the molten metal being injected
into the mould when the latter may not be properly closed by the composed line
of matrices and space bars. It is particularly applicable to the Mergenthaler
linotype machine, which is, at the present time, more widely known and used than
any other. In this machine, the rear face of a composed line of space bars and
matrices form a vertical surface broken only by the formatives or matrices proper
in it. The mould is a horizontally positioned cavity extending through a disc or
mould wheel. The front face of the latter is a second vertical surface and the
mould is a little longer and wider than the line of matrices proper, so that when
the two vertical surfaces are brought together the surface surrounding the line of
cavities fits tightly up to the surface surrounding the mould. Under normal
circumstances, the surface presented by the composed line, as well as the fit between
the two surfaces is so perfect, that it is impossible for molten metal to be forced
between them or into the composed line excepting into the matrices proper.
It is
self evident that the non-entrance of metal into the composed line depends
altogether upon the continuity of the surface which it presents to the mould, for
if it should happen that the line fails to close the mould, the cast will be a
miscarriage. Now it sometimes happens that a line does fail to close the mould,
as would be the case if it were too short. But it is obvious that, if there were
established some mechanism which normally holds the metal pump loeked, which
mechanism can only be unlocked by the compose'l line and not even then unless the
said line be in perfect condition, the pump will not, operate during that cycle of
the motions of the machine.
In carrying the invention into effect, we provide a disconnection between the
pump piston rod and the respective cam of the driving mechanism adapted to prevent
casting when the pump piston is not to operate. The piston rod is notched or
otherwise treated so as to render it engageable by a dog or detent. The normal
position of the latter device is that of engagement with the rod when the piston is
at the top of its stroke thereby locking it. The said device is carried by one (the
rear) end of a lever which bas its fulcrum at a suitable point near the front of the
machine from which it is continued for a suitable distance (downwards, as a matter
of fact) where it carries a projection and holds it in the path of the composed line
as the latter is on its way to be presented in front of the mould. Now if the line
is full and carried properly to the presentation position, will some part, of it or

page_text: some organ moving with it, will engage the projection on the lever and lead to the
unlocking of the pump piston, but the presentation of the line in proper position
and condition and the closure of the mould will be effected before there is a chance
of the pump forcing metal into the mould.
There may be arranged a guide through which the pump piston rod can travel,
upon which guide, the dog or detent above mentioned can be mounted, the lever
end being linked with it or projecting between it and the guide.
Dated this 13th day of February 1896.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improved Stop Mechanism for the Pumps of Linotype Machines.
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED, late of No. 6 Serjeaut's Inn, 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 :-
The present invention relates to improvements in the mechanisms heretofore
known or used for preventing the metal pump of a linotype machine acting when
some imperfection in the presentation of the composed line to the mould to close
the same, renders such prevention desirable.
It is particularly applicable to the Mergenthaler linotype machine; and for the
reason that this linotype machine is more widely known than any other, and the
only linotype machine in use in this country at the present time, the application to
it of the said invention has been selected for illustration and detailed description in
connection with this specification.
As much of the Mergenthaler linotype machine as it has been necessary to
include in the accompanying figures, has been reproduced from the Specification of
Letters Patent 55821800
At the same time, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention itself is
applicable to all linotype machines in which the linotype is cast from molten type
metal injected at suitable intervals into a mould the front of which is closed by a
line of temporarily composed matrices and space bars.
In these machines, and especially in the Mergenthaler linotype machine, the
rear face of a composed line of space bars and matrices constitutes a vertical
surface broken only by the formative cavities in the respective matrices in the
bottom of each of which cavities, there is an incised letter, such cavities being
therefore, the matrices proper. The mould is a horizontally positioned cavity
extending through a mould wheel. The front face of the latter is a second vertical
surface and the mould is a little longer and wider than the line of matrices proper,
so that when the two vertical surfaces are brought together, the surface
surrounding the line of cavities fits tightly up to the surface surrounding the
mould. Under norinal circumstances, the surface presented by the composed line,
as well as the fit between the two surfaces is so perfect, that it is impossible for
molten metal to be forced between them or into the composed line excepting into
the matrices proper. It is self-evident that the non-entrance of metal into the
composed line depends altogether upou the continuity of the surface which it
presents to the mould, for if it should happen that the line fails to close the mould,
the cast will be a miscarringe. Now it sometimes happens that a line does fail to

page_text: close the mould, as would be the case if it were too short. But it is obvious that,
if there were established some mechanism which normally holds the metal pump
locked, which mechanism can only be unlocked by the composed line and not even
then unless the said line be in perfect condition, the pump will not, operate during
the cycle of the motions of the machine.
Several mechanisms have been proposed for the purpose of the present invention.
It is held that the latter possesses certain excellencies which entitle it to rank as a
useful and trustworthy addendum to machines of the class above mentioned.
In carrying it into effect, we provide a disconnection between the pump piston
rod and the respective cam of the driving mechanism adapted to prevent casting
when the pump piston is not to operate. The piston rod is notched or otherwise
treated so as to render it engageable by a dog or detent. The normal position
of the latter device is that of engagement with the rod when the piston is at
the top of its stroke thereby locking it. The said device is carried by one
(the rear) end of a lever which has its fulcrum at a suitable point, near the front
of the machine from which it is continned for a suitable distance (downwards, as
a matter of fact) where it carries a projection and holds it in the path of the
composed line as the latter is on its way to be presented in front of the mould.
Now if the line is fast and carried properly to the presentation position, will some
part of it or some organ moving with it, engage the projection on the lever and
lead to the unlocking of the pump piston but the presentation of the line in proper
position and condition and the closure of the mould will be effected before there
is a chance of the pump forcing metal into the mould.
Figure 1 is a perspective view.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation from rear to front through Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the top of the pump plunger and of the detent.
Figure 4 is a vertical section through the mould, the composed line and the
transporter.
a is the horizontal bed or table of the machine. I is the vertical transporter
(or yoke as it is called in the prior specification above mentioned). Its function
is to receive the composed line, to transport it vertically downwards, to then
present it to the mould, and to transport it from that point, after the casting
operation, to the distributing mechanism. This transporter is sustained and guided
through its motion of both ascent and descent, by the main frame of the machine.
is the swinging arm by which the transporter is put through its said motions.
J is the mould wheel and j, the mould cavity therein. 3, are the two jaws between
which the composed line is held against longitudinal extension. When the parts
mentioned are in the casting position, the composed line is held by the jaws j, j³,
at each end, by the transporter and adjacent parts in front, and by the mould
wheel behind.
K is the metal pot. K' is the piston rod of a pump connected therewith. This
rod works in suitable guides. It is driven from any suitable moving member of
the machine through a rod k, a lever k', a link and a stud k fast on the piston
rod. Each down stroke of the rod K delivers a charge of molten metal from
that in the pot K through a suitable delivery spout which had been previously
advanced up to and made to fit metal tight against the rear face of the mould.
None of the parts or functions described above constitute any part of the present
invention. Those which do are as follows.
I is a notch in the side of the piston rod K. It is so positioned therein that
when the said rod is at the top of its stroke, it-the notch-shall stand exactly
opposite to and therefore in the path of a swinging detent m. This latter is the
operative nose of a lever n which has its fulcrum in a stud n' held in a suitable
position for the purpose by a bar n² standing up from the machine frame or some
part of it. The cranked shape of the lever n is of itself not of any importance
beyond this that the weight of it must be so distributed that the detent m shall be
constantly urged in the direction of the axis of the rod K¹ in order that it shall
engage in the notch m whenever the piston rod K' is at the top of its stroke.

page_text: The opposite end o of the lever n is engaged by the adjacent end of a lever p
which has its fulcrum in a stud p' carried by an upstanding bar p³ in the same way
as the bar a above mentioned. This fulcrum stands in front of the said end o in
order that the engagement above mentioned may have the desired result. The
front end of the lever p is continued down the front of the machine far enough to
hold the bigbest point of a decline 9 which is held fast to it, in the downward
path of a pin which is fast to and projects from the adjacent end of the
transporter I.
The invention acts as follows. When the transporter 1 is making a perfect
descent the motion necessary to present the composed line to the mould cavity j
and as soon as the time of the casting operation requires before the completion of
that descent, the highest point of the decline q is engaged by the pin r.
The
consequence of this engagement is that the lever p is rocked on its fulcrum, the
lever n is rocked on its fulcrum by the engagement of the rear end of the lever p
with the adjacent end o of the lever n aud the detent m swung out of the notch
and held out of it until the down stroke of the piston rod K¹ moves the notch
away from the path in which the detent m swings. Consequently, any presentation
of the composed line must be perfect as far as the descent of the transporter is
concerned if the pump is to be unlocked.
In the event of the transporter I making an imperfect descent, the lever p is not
rocked far enough to disengage the detent m from the notch 1.
It is obvious that the several dimensions of the parts above mentioned must be
so adjusted that an imperfect descent of the transporter I shall not disengage the
detent m; and to facilitate such adjustment, the decline q is held to the lever p by
a screw instead of being rivetted or welded to it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a linotype machine and in combination with its casting mechanism, a stop
mechanism adapted to prevent the action of the casting mechanism without
preventing the action of the other parts of the machine, as herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying figures.
2. In a linotype machine, the combination of the pump piston rod and a stop
mechanism which automatically engages said rod when the latter is raised to the
top of the stroke by means of a notch and detent for the purpose and as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying figures.
3. In a linotype machine, the combination of pump piston rod, a swinging detent
adapted to automatically engage with it when the latter is raised, a projection on
the transporter adapted to engage with a decline as it approaches the end of its
descent, a lever one end of which holds the said decline in the path of the said
projection, and the other end of which engages the lever that swings the detent,
as and for the purpose described in connection with the accompanying figures.
Dated this 13th day of November 1896.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.