IMPROVEMENTS IN STEREOTYPING APPARATUS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Wood, of West Smithfield, Type Founder,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEREOTYPING APPARATUS."
Sealed the 5th March 1861, and dated the 8th September 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Wood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
September 1860.
I, JAMES WOOD, of West Smithfield, Type Founder, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEREOTYPING APPARATUS,"
to be as follows:-
My present Invention consists in certain improvements in the construction
and arrangement of the various parts of apparatus employed for the produc-
tion of stereotype casts in metal, and certain parts of my present improvements
relate more particularly to the casting of "news columns," but the whole of
the improvements comprised in my present Invention are improvements in the
apparatus and means of producing stereotype castings rather than in the
resulting products of such process. Instead of constructing the various parts
of the apparatus as heretofore, and employing them in the manner necessitated
by their form, design, and construction, I construct the different parts of the
apparatus as herein-after described, and whilst employing them severally in
manner generally similar to that ordinarily practised, I am enabled to produce
superior work more rapidly than heretofore. I will therefore proceed to
describe the different parts of the apparatus according to my present Invention
as near as possible in the order in which they are used or employed.
I construct my improved moulding galley in metal, preferring to make the
Price 8d 1

page_text: plate of brass, and the frame or sides and ends of iron, providing the means
for adjustment of the width of the column, and for locking up with metal
quoins for the purpose of securing the type, or type and blocks together, for
the purpose of taking a correct impression from the face thereof in prepared
paper material, which is afterwards to form the matrix from which the stereo-
type casting is made. Instead of making the side bars square on the inner
edge nearest the form, I bevel the edge, so that the paper matrix when pressed
upon the surface, and afterwards applied in the core guage for casting news
columns," forms a correct guide, and at the same time leaves a space in the
angle of the mould, and this bevel being less or rather smaller than the bevel
which (as hereafter will be described), I similarly provide in the core guage,
the difference between these angles or the bevels respectively leave a space in
which the metal runs or finds its way; and so when the casting is made, a
fringe (or dressing) is left, by which a perfect edge and face is insured around
the stereotype casting, which otherwise would, by the ordinary process of
casting from the bulk of metal and the shrinkage, leave around it an imper-
fect edge produced by the "falling away" of the metal. Where the thickness
of the fringe (or dressing) is of little consequence, the extent of bevel on the bars
of the galley is immaterial, or it may be dispensed with, provided a sufficient
bevel is formed in the core guage, or a groove of any suitable form provided
as an equivalent, so as to ensure an edge, feather, or fringe being cast to the
form or stereotype, which may afterwards be readily removed by a file or
cutting instrument, and by which means the necessity for planing up the
edges of "news columns" or type-high stereotype castings is avoided.
I construct a jobbing casting guage for use in the ordinary casting frame
or moulding box, by making the side bar traverse back and forward on the
tail piece or bottom bar, and in this as well as in the other part of stereotype
moulding and casting apparatus, I arrange the various parts which are
required to be moveable or adjustable, so that they slide back and forth, and
are moved, adjusted, and secured by means of screws, except where quoins
must necessarily be employed for fixing the mass of type from which an
impression has to be taken; and wherever a temporary detachment of parts
is needed for the facility of removal, replacement, or adjustment, I hinge such
parts together.
I construct moulding presses with a hollow boxed form base or sole plate,
forming the bed upon which the type form is placed for the purpose of giving
an impression to the paper matrix, and I combine therewith the application
of heat; but instead of applying heat as it is ordinarily applied, I take a ring
burner or other form of gas heater capable of being moved about within the

page_text: box, either through the intervention of a flexible india-rubber pipe or other
suitable means, so that the heat may be applied to the part where most
required, and for the time requisite and necessary. Instead also of constructing
the platten of such moulding presses in the
working them, I mount the platten between
and give the necessary amount of pressure by
nut in the cross head or bow surmounting the side guide or standards similar
to the screw copying press.
ordinary way of mounting and
guides, and lower and raise it,
means of a screw working in a
I construct core guages or casting moulds for casting "news columns" type-
high entirely of metal, and in several parts mounted upon a bottom plate or back
of metal accurately planed and finished, upon which the back of the paper
matrix is laid, and the side bars by which the stereotype casting when made is
bounded are framed together, and capable of extension or opening out, or closing
by means of screws, and are so made as to fold down upon the paper matrix
and hold it accurately in position. In like manner the core bars are mounted
at one end or fringed, so that they fold down into position for the purpose
of leaving the resulting casting hollow in one or more places in the direction
of the length of the column, by which sufficient strength is secured, whilst
lightness is at the same time secured. Now, instead of leaving the edge of
each of the side bars of the core guage full and square, as is ordinarilly done,
I level the inside edge. or edge against which each edge of the longitudinal
sides of the paper matrix comes in contact, so that beyond the edge of the
form on each side, or longitudinally, a space or narrow opening is left for the
purpose of allowing a film of metal to be cast in addition to the width of the
face of the type, and in form corresponding with the difference between
the bevel on the guage pieces or bars and the square or more or less bevelled
form which has been given to the paper matrix during the preceding
operation in the moulding galley; thus by undercutting, as it were, the
guage pieces or side bars, the casting made has a feathered or fringed edge
(forming a dressing), which is afterwards removed by a file or cutting instru-
ment almost instantaneously, and thus acts as a substitute for the extra width
of metal usually left in the ordinary process of stereotype casting for "
columns" type-high, which has been heretofore necessitated to compensate for
or counteract the falling away of the metal on the edge of the stereo when cast,
and which in turn necessitated the planing off the entire surface to the proper
width.
news
Instead of constructing melting furnaces as heretofore, I make a furnace
casing similar to a domestic heating stove, of round, square, or any other con-
venient form, and I employ fire-brick lining and fire through an opening in

page_text: the front, which is closed with a door or flap cover, as well for the purpose of
feeding as for regulating the fire. I construct the melting pot with a lever
handle or handles, and provide a cover for the opening in the furnace top
when the melting pot has been removed.
For collecting the sawings or fragments of metal removed by the circular
saw in the process of cutting, instead of allowing them to be collected from
the floor or bench as sweepings, I construct a box in which the circular saw
is made to revolve, and leave sufficient space for the saw to revolve perfectly
free and unimpeded by the collection of metallic cuttings. When the box
has been sufficiently filled, the contents may be emptied at once into the
melting pot.
I construct planes and planing blocks for the purpose of finishing the
sides of stereotype castings entirely of iron, instead of in wood, or wood with
iron facings as heretofore, and the plane, iron, or cutting instrument is held
in its place by a wooden wedge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Wood in the Great Seal Patent Office
8th March 1861.
on the
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES.
WOOD, of West Smithfieldy Type Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Wood, Her special licence that I, the said James Wood,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Wood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire-
land, the Channel Islands; and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEREOTYPING APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Wood, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great

page_text: date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Wood, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in stereotyping apparatus.
Heretofore in producing stereotype blocks or plates, it has been usual to cast
the same of a width exceeding considerably that of the face of the type; this
has been done because otherwise difficulty would be experienced in making
the block or plate perfect at its edges, as the fluid metal on being poured into
the metal mould becomes chilled by the sides thereof, and will not then run
up perfectly into the adjacent letters. The additional width given to the
block or plate for this purpose is in many cases very inconvenient, and it is
especially so in newspaper work, where the stereotyping is usually done column
by column, as then, in order that the columns may fit properly side by side, it
becomes necessary to remove accurately this additional width by means of a
planing or other tool.
A part of my Invention consists in arranging apparatus as is herein-after
described, so that a stereotype block or plate may be cast of the exact width
required, whilst at the same time the letters at the edges of the said block or
plate are produced perfectly and sharply. This is ensured by so forming the
mould that the block or plate when cast may have a projecting edge or
fringe running along the upper edge of each side. The formation of this
edge or fringe is formed to prevent the injurious effect before mentioned
of the cold metal sides of the mould; and after the block or plate is cast the
said edge or fringe is very readily removed. I proceed in the following
manner:
The type to be stereotyped is placed in a galley such as is shown at Figures
1, 2, and 3 of the annexed Drawings.
Figure 1 is a plan; Figure 2, a transverse section; Figure 3. an end view;
the column of type rests against one side and end of the galley, and a side
bar and an end bar are placed against the other side and end of the column
of type; in this position the type is wedged up one side, and one end of the
galley being set at an angle that this may be done more conveniently. The
sides of the galley and the side and end bar are made about the same height
as the type, and the side of the galley against which the type rests and the
side bar are bevilled at the edge, as is shown. One end of the galley is made"
moveable to facilitate the getting the type into and out of the galley. The

page_text: type being locked up in the position described, a matrix is produced from it
in a manner similar to that now ordinarily practised; that is to say, several
sheets of paper pasted together are beaten on to the type with a brush, and
other sheets of paper are added until a sufficient thickness is obtained, the
whole is then placed under a press, the press which I employ for this purpose
being similar to an ordinary letter-copying press, but having a hollow bed;
this bed is made by preference of cast iron; it is of a box-like form, with an
opening at one end, so that a gas burner supplied by a flexible tube may be
introduced so as to heat it; the heat is communicated from the bed of the press
to the type, and the paper upon it is thus dried. The heated bed or plate
I make about twice as large as the platten of the press, and the remaining
surface serves as a hot plate, which is used to complete the drying of the
matrix after it is removed, the gas burner is made moveable; so that the
heat may be applied where required, that is to say, under the type or the
heavier portions thereof. The applying the heat to the press by means of gas is
much more convenient than heating it by a flue underneath, as has been
usual heretofore.
When the matrix is dry I proceed to arrange it in the mould as follows:-
I employ an ordinary casting box, that is to say, two plates of cast iron planed
true on the surface; these when in use are held together by a clamp at a
suitable distance apart to produce a stereotype block or plate of the required
thickness. On one of the plates of this box the matrix is laid face upwards,
and over it is placed the frame shewn at Fig. 4, which I will now proceed
to describe. This Drawing shews a plan of the frame; it consists of an end
rail a, on which are secured the side rails b, b¹, by the screws c, c, and the end
rail a is slotted, so that the side rail b¹ may be set at any required distance from
the side rail b; the other end rail d is attached by a thumb screw e to the side
rail b¹; this screw e is, as will be seen hereafter, used to facilitate the delivery
of the block or plate when cast from the mould. At the other end of the rail d
is a screw passing through a slot therein, and securing to it the side rail bat
the required distance from the first. All these rails are of the same depth as
the sides of the galley already described, and the two side rails should be
made of the same width as the side of the galley, and the side bar with
which the type is in contact when the matrix is produced. The edges of the
side rails b, b1, are also bevilled off, as is clearly shewn in the transverse section
Figure 5, and this to a greater extent than the edges of the side of the galley
and the side bar used in producing the matrix; the difference between the
two bevils will be the thickness of the edge or fringe produced on the block
when cast. On the end rail a is a lug f, which receives a screw g, and to the

page_text: further end of this is loosely jointed the core plate h. This plate has on it
cores or projections h', ', which, as will be seen, project into the mould and
produce hollows in the block to lighten it. Before the frame is used the side
rails are set at a distance apart exactly corresponding with the distance
between the side of the galley and side bar when the matrix was made.
The matrix being placed on the plate of the mould box, as before mentioned,
the frame properly adjusted is laid over it, so that the side rails drop into the
depressions produced by the side and side bar of the galley. The core plate is
then shut down on to the frame, and set correctly in its place by the adjustable
stop i; the upper plate of the mould box is then put on, and the whole
clamped up. The casting is performed in the usual manner by pouring the
metal into the mould, and a block is thus produced of the form shewn in trans-
verse section at Figure 6; the edges or fringes are marked a, a; these are
removed by a file, knife, or other tool before using the block. Thus blocks are
produced which may at once be used for printing, and which may, if required,
be made up in a form together with type. If in place of a block of the height
of type, it be desired to produce plates, it is evident that it may be done by
altering the depth of the frame Figure 4.
For jobbing and book-work I proceed as heretofore, except that I make
use of the improved casting gauge, shewn in side view at Figure 7, and in edge
view Figure 8. Ordinarily the casting gauge, which answers the same
purpose as the frame Figure 4, is made in two pieces, one of an L-form and the
other straight, and these are laid on to the matrix to produce three sides of
the mould; if, however, they are not very accurately placed, the metal will
run out between them. In the gauge I employ, as the Drawing shews, both
the parts are of L-form, the one stands on the other, and is held in its place
by a screw clamp, the upright portions being capable of being set at any
required distance the one from the other.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Wood, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
JAMES WOOD. (L.S.)