Improvements in Printers' "Quoins" and "Sidesticks."
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Printers' "Quoins" and "Sidesticks."
I, GEORGE EDMONDS SAN GARDE of 5 Treherne Road, Brixton, Compositor,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to obviate the present loss of time caused by
hunting up and applying the loose quoins used in conjunction with the ordinary
sidestick and in carrying out my invention I proceed in or in about the following
manner; I provide a piece of wood, metal or other suitable substance or combination
of substances, but preferably oak, similar in shape to an ordinary sidestick, that is
to say, it is wider at one end than the other, the whole forming a long truncated
wedge, or inclined plane, one edge being consequently straight and the other
sloping. On the sloping edge I affix a strip of metal (of "squat" T shaped cross
section) so as to form a narrow groove on the top and bottom sides of the combined
stick and T shaped strip. I also provide a number of blocks to take the place of
the usual loose quoins. Each of these blocks has a sloping edge, of the same angle
as regards its straight edge, as that of the sloping edge of the sidestick to its
straight edge. The sloping sides of these blocks are covered with metal and the
upper and lower edges of this metal are lipped over towards each other, so as to
form runners which permit of each block being attached to the sidestick by sliding
(from the end of the stick) the lipped over edges into the upper and lower grooves
in the stick.
The blocks are prevented from running out of the grooves by a stop at one end
and a spring at the other, the spring allowing them to pass when being put on,
but preventing their going back until it (the spring) is moved out of the groove.
Any convenient number of these blocks can be used on each stick, and they vary
in size in such manner that when the narrowest of them is slid up to the wider end
of the stick, and the widest of them to the narrower end of it, then the width
between the straight side of the stick and the straight side of the blocks shall be
equal and so also as regards the intermediate blocks.
I provide also supplementary blocks of greater size than the largest usually
employed with the stick, so as to accommodate variations in the width of the
galleys. Each supplementary block may be made to serve as quoins of two different
widths.
In use the straight edge of the sidestick is placed against the type and the blocks
run along the grooves so as to wedge in between the stick and the flange of the
galley and thus hold the type in position; when the stick is to be removed the
quoins are all moved back to the narrow end of the stick. It will be obvious that
my improved sidestick will be less likely to warp owing to its being attached to
the metal strip forming the grooves.
In order to accommodate galleys which may require a larger quoin than usual,
I make the largest quoin on the stick rather differently to the others so that it may
serve as a quoin of two widths.
'
In this case instead of fastening the lipped over piece of metal to the side of
the quoin, I attach it by two pieces of metal (one above and the other below)
extending from the lipped over edges to the upper and lower surfaces of the quoin.
These pieces of metal are attached to the quoin by pins so that the quoin can be
turned round on them to bring its greater length into play. when the wider quoin is

page_text: required. round off two opposite corners of the quoin to enable it to turn on the
pins as above described. In all cases I slope off the largest quoin from below
upwards so as to facilitate removal of the sidestick.
My improved sidestick can be made usable for all purposes where ordinary
sidesticks and quoins are employed.
Dated this 21st day of January 1896
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23 Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for Applicant.
еше
Inters Quoins and
Sidesticks.
I, GEORGE EDMONDS SAN GARDE of 5, Treherne Road, Brixton, Compositor, 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 object of my invention is to obviate the present loss of time caused by hunting
up and applying the loose quoins used in conjunction with the ordinary sidesticks
and in carrying out my invention I proceed in or in about the following manner:
I combine the quoins with the sidesticks. The stick is made of wood metal or
other suitable materials or combination of materials, and preferably with parallel
sides, and to one of the sides is attached two or more inclined planes of wood, metal
or other materials or combination thereof. On these inclined planes solid or other
quoins are arranged to slide, the quoins being of such shape that in whatever
position they may be on the inclined planes, their outer surfaces will be parallel
with the surface of the opposite side of the stick. In use the outer edge of the
stick is placed against the type and the quoins on the inclined planes run along so
as to wedge their straight sides against the flange of the galley and thus hold the
type in position. When the stick is to be removed the quoins are all moved down
the inclined planes.
In order that my invention may be the more readily understood I make reference
to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a side view of a sidestick embodying the essential feature of my
invention the combining of the quoins with the sidestick.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section through A B Fig. 1.
a is the sidestick, which may be of wood strengthened by a strip of metal b.
care inclined planes (in this instance made of metal) attached to the stick a, on
these planes slide the quoins d. The edges of c are sloped from above downwards
as at e, and the lower ends of the quoins are undercut or dovetailed as at f to
slide on the sloping edges e of the inclined planes c as shown in Fig. 2. A screw
or other contrivance can be provided as at g to prevent bending of c when the quoins
are put into position. The appliance is used as already described. I do not
confine myself to the precise configuration relative proportions or disposition of
parts as shown in the accompanying drawings or described in the above speci-
fication, as any or all of them may be considerably varied without departing
from the essential feature of my invention which as already mentioned is the
combination of the quoins with the sidestick. For instance, the stick itself might
be tapered from one end to the other, and the quoins be of various sizes and capable
of sliding along the tapered stick, a suitable groove being provided in the top or
sides of the former and ledges or dovetails in the latter. Again, the stick itself
might have one of its edges cut so as to form inclined planes at intervals,
the quoins being arranged to slide thereon as already mentioned. The quoins-

page_text: themselves may be open ones as shown on the drawing or solid; so also may be the
inclined planes. The invention is applicable to sidesticks for all purposes where
the ordinary sidestick and quoins are employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Combining quoins with sidesticks substantially in the manners described in
the above specification and exemplified in the accompanying drawings.
2. Attaching to, or forming on or in sidesticks inclined planes provided with
grooves, sloped edges or equivalent means for retaining thereon sliding quoins or
equivalents, the whole substantially as described in the above specification and
exemplified in the accompanying drawings.
3. Combined quoins and sidesticks provided for and operating substantially as
described in the above specification and exemplified in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated the 8th day of October 1896
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23, Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents..