Improvements in Type Line Casting Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 12th Feb., 1898
Improvements in Type Line Casting Machines.
I, FRANK HINMAN PIERPONT, of 113/114, Gitschiner Strasse, Berlin, Germany,
Director, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 line casting machines, in which the lines of type
or slugs are cast in a mould, the face of which is formed by the assembled matrices.
The casting has been hitherto effected by moving the delivery nozzle or mouth of
the melting pot towards the mould, against the mouth of which it closes, and then
forcing the molten type metal into the mould by means of a plunger arranged in
the well known manner within the pot. Before, however, the melting pot could be
removed from the mouth of the mould, the plunger of the same has
to be operated to relieve the molten type metal from pressure, in order to
prevent molten metal from being forced out of the spout or nozzle, after
it has been withdrawn from the mould. Now, this necessity for relieving the metal
in the pot of pressure has a disadvantageous effect on the metal in the mould,
which as the series of operations of casting and withdrawing the pot take place
almost instantaneously, has not had time to properly cool and harden. The result
is therefore that a portion of the metal in the mould, which is near the top of the
slugs is drawn out of the same by the suction caused in operating the plunger to
relieve the metal in the pot of pressure and this causes the top or back of the slug
to turn out porous, ragged or spongy, the casting being not of uniform density
throughout.
This is disadvantageous, in that it impairs the absolutely necessary accuracy of
type height.
According to the present invention this disadvantage is obviated by inserting
between the pot mouth and the mould inlet a plate or partition having opening
therethrough, which may be either uniform or may be flared at the side adjacent to
the pot, and this latter is the preferred form. This partition may also be caused to
slide on the mould after the casting has taken place, so as to remove the burr, a
very small movement of the said slide upward or downward being sufficient to
remove the narrow line of burr. Instead of moving the partition the mould might
be slightly moved upward or downward, by which means the same result would
be attained. The object in making the mould inlet to the said plate or slide flared
towards the pot, is to attain a better casting, since, when the metal in the pot is
relieved of pressure, immediately after the mould has been charged, the suction
action previously mentioned will not affect the contents of the mould, but will act
on the metal in the flared part of the plate or slide, thus leaving the contents of the
mould of uniform density.
Although a series of circular flared openings could be employed in the plate or
slide, the preferred form of the invention consists in forming a slot therein, which
does not extend the full length of the mould, said slot being flared at the side
adjacent the pot, so as to form a funnel-like inlet opening to the mould. The ends
of the mould, which extend beyond the slot are advantageously recessed, so as
to form ledges or lugs at each end of the slugs, which ledges or lugs stand higher

page_text: than the intermediate part of the slug, in fact these ledges represent the type height
of the slug, so that any little burr remaining on the slug between the ledges, along
the part of the slug within reach of the slot, would not effect the type height of the
slug, which is formed by the solid end lugs or ledges. Such ledge or lug could
also be formed in the middle of the slug by employing two inlet slots to the plate
or slide.
If desired, the inlet slot to the mould may extend the full length. of the mould,
said slot, in such case being raised, so as to project the metal into the mould along
the top edge of the back of the type. This would produce a type having the greater
area of its back of the proper type height and having one edge only somewhat
rough, but this edge would be below type height, so that it would not in any way
impair the value of the type slug.
As already stated, the main object of the invention is to provide a space outside
the mould, from which the metal may be withdrawn, when the metal in the pot
is relieved of pressure, so that the contents of the mould are not influenced by
the suction caused.
And in order to render the present specification more easily intelligible reference
is had to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference denote
similar parts throughout the several views:
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the parts of the machine involved in the
present invention showing the position of the pump nozzle, mould and plate or slide
prior to the closing of the matrices against the mould.
Fig. 2 is a similar view with the matrices in position.
Fig. 3 a similar view with the pump nozzle in position against the slide showing
the mould just filled with metal.
1
Fig. 4 shows the same view with the position of the metal after the metal in the
pot has been relieved of pressure and previously to the withdrawal of the pot nozzle
from the mould.
Fig. 5 shows the pot nozzle withdrawn and the slide moved upwardly to cut off
the burr.
Fig. 6 is a sectional plan of the mould, matrices slide and pump-nozzle.
Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a slide having two inlet slots, said slide being
adapted to produce three ledges on the back of the slug.
Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of the mould, matrices and slide showing a modified
arrangement, according to which the metal is projected into the mould from the
upper corner or edge of the back of the slug.
The spout or nozzle a of the pot is provided with the jet opening or openings al,
which close against the funnel-shaped opening 61 in the plate 6. The latter is
adapted to slide on the mould m, advantageously vertically, but the plate may as
stated be stationary and the mould caused to make the slight movement necessary
to remove the burr along the slot. The assembled matrices forming the face of the
mould are indicated by o.
The device operates in the following manner:-
The parts being in the position shown at Figure 1, the matrices are first moved
to close the mould as at o in Figure 2, the pump nozzle a¹ is then moved up close_to
the slide or plate 6, its nozzle a¹ covering with the enlarged end of the slot b¹. By
the action of the plunger, the molten metal is now forced into the mould in the well
known manner and immediately after the metal in the pot is relieved of pressure,
so that the level of the same in the spout of the pot retires to the position shown at
in Figure 4, causing a partial vacuum in front of the hot metal in the mould, which
acts to suck any metal back, which may not be too hard. From Figure 4 it will
be evident that any metal sucked back will not be taken from the mould, but will
be taken from the funnel shaped space 61, so that the contents of the mould remain
untouched.
In Figure 6 the formation of the type high ledges is illustrated at Y Y, and needs
no further description.
The slide plate 6 at Figure 7 is provided with two inlet slots 62 in order to form a

page_text: third ledge y as shown. Fig. 8 shows the arrangement of the slot 63 at or along
the upper corner or edge of the back of the slug this figure is drawn to a larger
scale so as to clearly illustrate how the burr is broken away.
Another advantage of the present device, is that the plate or slide being on the
mould and not on the pump nozzle, will always remain considerably cooler than the
latter, and this assists the metal to cool more rapidly in the mould than has hitherto
been the case.
In the present specification those parts only of the linotype have been illustrated,
which are necessary to properly illustrate the present invention, all other particu-
lars as to the machine may be gathered from the numerous patents & works existing
on the subject. The slide or the mould may be arranged in any convenient manner,
no claim being made to any device therefor, since the parts in question may easily
be connected up to any operative part of the machine, by means of which a short
movement will be imparted to them at the proper moment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1: In a linotype machine having a mould, a series of interchangeable matrices
to form the face of said mould, a melting pot having delivery mouth adapted to be
reciprocated to and from said mould, and means for periodically injecting metal
into said mould, the combination of a slide inserted between the said mould and
the delivery mouth of the metal pot and means in said slide for establishing com-
munication from the pot mouth to the mould substantially as described.
2: In a linotype machine of the class specified, the combination of a moveable
slide, inserted between the pump or pot nozzle and the mould and a slot in said slide
to establish communication to the mould substantially as described.
3: In a linotype machine of the class specified, the combination of a moveable
slide inserted between the pot mouth and the mould and a slot in said slide extend-
ing over a part of the length of the mould and flared at side adjacent the pot
substantially as described.
4: In a linotype machine of the class specified, the combination of a moveable
slide inserted between the pot mouth and the mould, an opening therein to establish
communication from the pot mouth to the interior of the mould, and means in
connection with said slide to form type high ledge on the slug substantially as
described.
5: In a linotype of the class specified, the combination of a moveable slide
inserted between the pot mouth and the mould, a slot in said slide at the mould
side, and depressions in the said slide at the mould side of the same to form type
high ledges on the slug substantially as described.
6: In a linotype machine of the class specified, the combination of a moveable
slide inserted between the pot mouth and the mould, a slot in said slide extending
along the length of the mould to a certain distance within the same from both ends,
depressions in said slide extending from the end of the slot to the end of the mould,
said slide being flared at the pot side in the manner and for the purpose substantially
as described.