IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DISTRIBUTING TYPE
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
DISTRIBUTING TYPE."--A communication from abroad by Orren Lee
Brown, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Sealed the 17th May 1870, and dated the 20th November 1869.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of l'atents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 20th November 1869), pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the International Patent Oflice," Southampton
Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR DISTRIBUTING TYPE," and have petitioned Her Majesty to
grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal
Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it
[Price Sel.]

page_text: has been communicated to me from abroad by Orren Lee Brown, of
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, a reference being had to the accompanying Sheets of Drawings
forming a part of this Specification;-
The said Invention relates to an organization of mechanism for taking
types as they come from a press, picking out the several letters and
characters, and so distributing them that all the types of every kind
are respectively located in their separate and proper places.
The object of the said Invention is to obtain a simple machine (for
automatically distributing types) that shall be positive in its operation,
easy to understand, not liable to get out of order, and requires no skill
to operate it.
The types are distributed by means of a series of tumblers and keys
actuated and operating in accordance with the number or positions of
nicks in the separate types or characters to be distributed. Machines
have been heretofore made to distribute types by means of such nicks,
but such machines have been complicated in their construction and
operation, and have not done their work with certainty. This machine
not only does its work with certainty but handles the types in such a
manner that no injury can be done to them while in the machine.
With the said Invention the types are taken one line at a time from
the page of types which is placed in the galley, and from this line the
types are taken letter by letter and fed to an intermittently rotating
ring, where they are held (respectively) by sets of levers or tumblers,
which sets are placed at regular intervals, four or more in a set in slots
in the upper side of the distributing ring, each set of levers or tumblers
being precisely like every other set, and each tumbler in the set being
free to move independently (or relatively to the others in the set), so
that it makes no difference which set of tumblers receives the type.
These tumblers are so placed that one edge of the short arm of any one
of them may be pressed into any nick that may have been made (in
line with it) in the particular type received by it, so that if a type with
one nick in its edge is fed to the ring when the tumblers are pressed
against its side the tumbler that is opposite the nick will assume a

page_text: different position from the others, and the position of this tumbler will
decide where the letter shall be left. In connection with each set of
tumblers there is an ejector which forces out the type when it reaches
its proper place. These ejectors are operated by slides or keys placed
in slots in the bed of the machine, inside the ring and radiating from
the centre, these keys being placed at regular intervals corresponding
with the positions of the several ejectors and sets of tumblers when
the ring is at rest, there being the same number of keys as there are
ejectors. The number of tumblers in each set is governed by the
number of different letters the machine is intended to distribute, for
instance four tumblers will allow of fifteen combinations, five tumblers
will allow of thirty combinations, six will give sixty, and so on. It will
be obvious therefore that with a sufficient number of receiving tumblers,
keys, and channels, the, machines will distribute all the different
characters which are commonly used in printing. As each letter is
forced out by its follower it is received in one of a series of channels
which radiate from the ring, the letter next the ring being held in an
upright position by a spring which presses against its side and pre-
vents its falling into the ring. It is in a machine having this general
organization that this Invention primarily consists.
The Drawings represent a machine and the details of a machine
embodying these improvements.
Figure 1 shows the top of the machine with part of the cap platė
removed; Figure 2 is a rear elevation; Figure 3 is a front elevation
with driving wheel and distributing ring removed; Figure 4 is a side
elevation, with distributing ring and part of framework removed;
Figure 5 shews. (enlarged) the lifter plate and mechanism adjacent
thereto; Figure 6 shews (enlarged) the lifter plate, line follower, brush,
and springs for removing the leads; Figure 7 illustrates the operation
of the pawl for raising the lifter plate; Figure S is a sectional view of
the lifter plate and spring for removing the leads; Figure 9 is a side
elevation showing the key actuator at its lowest position and the lifter plate
at its highest position, the distributing ring being in motion; Figure 10
is a side elevation showing the key actuator at its highest position, the
lifter plate at its lowest position, and the line follower thrown back to
allow another line of types to be forced up by the lifter plate; Figures
11 and 12 illustrate the action of the line follower and other parts;.
Figures 13, 14, and 16 are sectional views illustrating the action of the

page_text: key actuator, keys, and other devices; Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19 are
detail views illustrating the action of the tumblers springs w³, and
other devices; Figures 20 and 21 show the clutch for actuating the
distributing ring and other parts.
"
a denotes a frame supporting upon its top a table or plate b, this
table and frame supporting the operative mechanism. On one side of
the frame below the level of the table is a "galley
c upon which the
types are placed one page or more at a time, one side wall d of the
galley being movable for reception of the different,
sized
pages, the
pièce d being held in place by means of a set screw e. The types are
forced in the direction of the arrow, Figure 1, until the front line rests
against an end wall f and the other end of the types is supported by a
slide or page follower g connected to and moved by a rod h which has
a rack cut on its under side, as seen in Figure 5, the rod being
intermittently fed by a pawl j hung to the upper end of a right angle
lever ) engaging with this rack, and thus operating the slide or follower,
the other end of the lever being supported by a lifter plate 7. When
the types are thus pressed forward the front line stands directly over the
edge of this lifter plate 1, which is just the thickness of the line of types,
the top of the plate being slightly below the surface of the galley c,
and the plate sliding vertically against the end wall f. Attached to the
lifter plate is a swing bar m which is forced out (at proper times) by a
stationary incline n (Figure 7), so as to bring a stud o (projecting from
the swing piece) into the path of rotative movement of a pin p on the
side of a cam wheel 9 on the main driving shaft, the cam pin raising
the swing bar and with it the lifter plate to which the swing bar is
jointed, as seen in Figure 7. The swing bar is held (normally in the
position shown by dotted lines in Figure 7 by a suitable spring, so that
it will not come in contact with the pin unless it is forced out by the
incline n, so that if from any cause the lifter plate is prevented from
falling low enough to allow the next line of types to advance to its
position over the edge of the lifter plate the swing bar will not strike
the incline, the lifter plate will not be forced up, and no damage will be
done. When the lifter plate reaches its highest point it is held by a
latch (Figures 5 and 11.) As the lifter plate is moved up the line of
types that rest on its top edge is forced into groove or channel just
wide enough to receive a single line, the outer end of the line being
supported by a line followers (Figure 6) which feeds the line along as
.

page_text: it is intermittently reduced in length by removal of the types (type by
type) from the inner end as will be herein-after explained. The line
followers is operated by a sliding rack t, a spring lever v, and cam w
(Figure 12), the follower being so actuated that there is no pressure on
the line of type at the time each end one is being removed from the
inner end of the line, thus allowing the types to be separated much
more éasily than they could be if the pressure existed during the process
of removal of any type.
The operations of the follower and its actuating mechanism are as
follows: The cam w is located directly under the table band turns
loosely on a vertical rocker shaft x. Near the foot of this shaft is a
segmental pinion y, the teeth of which engage with a sliding rack z, having
a cam slot a into which enters a crank pin on one side of a cam
wheel on the driving shaft . At each complete rotation of the shaft
the pin on the cam wheel c effects a complete reciprocation of the rack.
Under the cam w is a spring clutch or pawl e (pivoted to the cam),
and the point of this cam pawl engages at proper times with two teeth f³
on a clutch or pawl wheel g³ fixed on the rocker shaft x. As the rack z
moves inwardly and turns the segment piston y in one direction the
pawl wheel in turning slides under the pawl and imparts no motion to
the cam w. But as the rack is moved outwardly and thereby turns the
pawl wheel in the opposite direction one of the teeth of the pawl wheel
engages with the pawl or clutch e and carries the cam with it. There
are two cam projections on the cam wheel (diametrically opposite), and
two diametrically opposite teeth on the pawl or clutch wheel so that at
each intermittent rotative and forward movement of the pawl wheel the
cam w is moved a half rotation. When the cam w is at rest (namely,
during the inward movement of the rack i,) one arm of the lever rests
against or is opposite to one of the cam projections, as seen in Figure 12;
the other arm of the lever resting against a. pin, projecting from the
follower rack t, this rack pin being held up to the lever by a suitable
spring (Figure 12). As the cam w moves from this position the
adjacent arm of the lever can move towards the centre of the cam;
thereby permitting the other arm of the lever to move when the
spring acting on the pin presses forward the follower rack t and
with it the line followers, the follower being provided with a pawl j³
(jointed to the follower), the teeth of which pawl engage with the
teeth of the follower rack i, so that forward movement of the rack

page_text: carries with it the follower. The rack rests and reciprocates on pins h²
projecting through slots in the rack. At the inner end of each slot is
an incline and when the rack is moved outward these inclines enable
the rack to drop out of connection with the follower pawl, and then the
lifter plate is forced up carrying with it the front line of types which
has been brought up to the wall ƒ by the page follower g), and reaches
a position which brings the line of types into the channel whence
they are to be removed type by type, the latch r being forced under the
lifter by a suitable spring, and locking the lifter in its raised position.
This latch is hung on a pin n³, as seen in Figure 11, and over the pin
an arm o projects up from the latch bar, the top of this arm being in
the path of the forward movement of a finger p³ projecting down from
the line follower s. As the last type in the line occupying the channel
is forced up into position for removal, the position of the line follower
causes the finger to strike the arm o, thereby swinging the latch free
from the lifter which is then free to fall, its descent being effected by
the bent lever pivoted at, as seen in Figures 3 and 5. One arm of
this lever extends into a notch in the lifter, as seen in Figure 5, and
against its other arm a spring acts, the stress of this spring carrying
the lifter down (when released from its latch) bringing it into position
for the next front line of types to be fed over it preparatory to being
raised by it into the channel or groove leading to the distributor. The
descent of the lifter effects the back or outward movement of the line
follower (that presses the types towards the distributor) as follows:-
'A lever (pivoted as seen in Figures 9 and 10) carries at the end of one
arm a rod or spring wire u³, the upper end of which is slipped through a
projection on the follower. The other arm of the lever has at its end
a finger which projects under the lifter or a shoulder upon the lifter.
When the line of types has been fed or nearly fed out to the distributor
the lever, follower s, and other parts are in the position shewn in
Figure 9, and when the lifter descends it actuates the lever and causes
it to slide back the follower, as seen at Figure 10. The upper arm of
the lever has jointed to it the spring pawl j, as seen in Figure 5, this
pawl engaging with the rack i on the under side of the rod h that moves
the page follower g to which it is attached. Normally, or while the
types are being fed to the distributor this pawl is not in engagement
with the rack but is held back, as seen by the full lines in Figure 5, the
lever (when the lifter is upheld by its latch) retaining the pawl in this
position. But when the lifter descends to receive a new line of types

page_text: the movement of the lever throws forward the pawl, and as the pawl
point reaches the rack it is pressed up against the same by its spring,
and engaging with some tooth of the rack it feeds forward the rod h and
page follower g attached thereto, and this follower feeds the page of
types forward, bringing the front line of types over the lifter in position
to be raised into the channel as before described. As the pawl is jointed
to the lever, and the upper arm of the lever rests against the spring, it
will readily be seen that in feeding the page of types forward the pawl
can yield in accordance with the thickness of the types. When the
front line of types is thus brought over the lifter, and the instant the
pin on the cam wheel q begins to raise the lifter, the action of the
lifter on the lever draws back the pawl, and thereby relieves the types
from the pressure of the follower g, so that the lifter has no friction to
overcome of the other lines of types against the front line.. The lifter
is arranged to sink slightly below the surface of the galley, and this
pressure upon the types is therefore taken away before the lifter reaches
the bottom of the line of types to be raised. It will be observed that
the spring is so arranged that its greatest stress is exerted when the
pawl is engaged with the teeth of the rod h to move forward the types
upon the galley. It will also be observed that the outward movement
of the line follower and the downward movement of the lifter are effected
together, and the former by the latter, so that if by any accident the
line follower cannot run back to the end of the channel then the
lifter cannot descend far enough for its swing bar m to be thrown
by the inclinen into position to be raised by the pin of the cam
wheel,g.
Having thus described the mechanism for feeding forward intermittently
and successively the page of types in the galley so as to bring each line
of types in succession over the lifter, the mechanism for lifting each
line in succession into the channel for the action of the channel or
line follower by which the line is pressed towards the type-distributing
mechanism, and the devices operating as adjuncts to these operations, it
remains to describe the mechanism by which each type is taken singly
and conveyed to its proper destination. At the inner end of the channel a
shallow groove is made in the adjacent edge of the table and the face of a
plate below and flush with the back of this groove furnishes a wall against
which the inner type of the line is pressed by the line follower. In a vertical
line with the end of the channel and sliding against this wall is a thin narrow

page_text: tongue or slide a', Figure 19, which is as small or smaller in cross section
than any one of the types to be distributed (in cross section). This
tongue is shown in Figures 6 and 19. It is fastened at its lower end to
the outer end of a long arm fixed to and extending from a central and
vertical shaft c³. When this tongue is at its lowest position its tip or
point is below the channel and the end type is carried and stops directly
over it. At each rotation of the main shaft the tongue is raised and
pushes up the single type resting upon it, carrying such type into position
to be removed by the distributor ring: The vertical shaft c³ is supported
in suitable bearings and is connected by a link to a wrist pin on a
crank wheel eat the inner end of the driving shaft, and as the driving
shaft rotates the vertical shaft is reciprocated vertically, carrying with it
the arm 63 and tongue a³. The single type raised by the tongue is
carried above and out of the type channel and into some one of a series
of mouths or openings f made in the periphery of the distributor ring g³,
the bottom of the type being carried slightly above the bottom of the
ring g³, where it is held by a finger (between the inner end of such
finger and the outer end of a slide or type ejector P) for the action of the
selecting levers or tumblers of the distributing ring. This ring fits into a
wide circular groove made in the top of the table b, as seen in section in
Figure 14, and the ring is intermittently and rotatively moved as follows:
-At the top of the rocker shaft is a cam wheel w (as before described)
from the top of which wheel extend two pins h³ which work in slots i³
on the under side of the ring g³. At each rotation of the driving shaft
one of these pins engaging with some one of the slots imparts a
rotative movement to the ring one space or a distance equal to the
distance between two adjacent type followers P, the cam wheel being
then held stationary (by the lever v) while the clutch wheel rotates back
with the rocker shaft, bringing the clutch pawl e into engagement
with the opposite tooth or notch when the next forward movement of
the rocker shaft and clutch wheel (produced by the next rotation of
the driving shaft) will again move forward the distributing wheel or
ring g'. As before observed, the type raised by the tongue is held by
a finger and type ejector P, the tongue descending as soon as the type
is brought into position between the finger and ejector. This finger is
fixed to the top of a vertical rocker shaft m³, having fixed to it an
arm n' from which a pin o³ projects into a cam groove in the periphery
of the cam wheel q on the driving shaft, and at each rotation of the
driving shaft this finger first takes the type, and when the type is

page_text: grasped by the distributing tumblers then moves outwardly from the
ring leaving the ring free to rotate. (Above the channel is a brush 2³;
the bristles of which project into the groove into which the type is
pushed, the bristles yielding to let any single type of any thickness pass,
but preventing more than one type passing, should more than one ever
be started up with the tongue). The ring g has a series of radial
slots opening out, to the periphery of the ring and also opening at its
inner face into a space between the inner surface of the ring and the
perimeter of a cap 5. In these slots are located the several sets of selecting
or indicating levers or tumblers (by which the types are selected in ac-
cordance with the character of each) and the type ejectors P, between the
ends of which and the finger k³ the types are held for the action of the
selecting levers or tumblers, and by each of which (when the selected
type is brought opposite to its appropriate channel by rotation of the
ring g) the type is ejected from the ring. Each space in the ring
is devoted to one of these sliding type ejectors and one set of
selecting levers or tumblers t. The levers of each set liave, their
fulcrum on a vertical pin u³, and between each two adjacent levers is a
stationary washer plate, whicli though free to move vertically is
confined from lateral movement within its slot by the wall of the
slot. The levers and washier plates in each slot are held together by a
spring (held by a nut 7), the bottom lever resting upon the part
of the distributing ring at the bottom of the slot, and as the levers
are moved upon their fulcrums they are held in position by friction
between the levers and washers. In normal position, or as each
set of tumblers approaches the finger K, their edges adjacent to their
slide or type ejector 3 (near their outer ends) are against the slide or
enter corresponding grooves in the adjacent face of the slide, and as
each set of levers comes into line with the end of the finger, these
lever edges are thrown back from the slide and then again forward
towards it as follows:-In radial line with the end of the finger is a cam
or wheel a mounted on the, top of a vertical rocker shaft b', to which
is imparted an intermittent and reciprocating rotary motion as follows:
near the foot of the shaft is a pinion c which engages with the teeth
of a horizontal rack d, from the opposite side of which a pin projects
into a cam slot e' in the face of the came on the driving shaft. On
the edge of the cam wheel a' is a cam or wiper g', and just as the ring
stops this is brought (by movement of the rack d') against the tail

page_text: ends h of the tumblers , as seen in Figure 16, forcing them all back,
& thereby carrying the edges adjacent to the slide away from the
slide and into a vertical plane, forming a vertical space between the
edges of the tumblers, and the wall of the slot g³, and in front of the
end of the ejector P, the ejector being held back by a hook on its
inner end hooking over a flange on the cap ³. The type having
then been fed up into the ring g', and while the ring is still held
stationary, the rack d' moves back and turns back the cam wheel a'
carrying the cam g' away from the tumblers, and bringing against the
opposite edges of the tail ends of the tumblers a set of springs m' (one
for each tumbler), projecting from the cam wheel, as seen in Figure 17.
These springs moving the tumblers carry their front ends towards the
ejector, and against the edge of the type, and the edges of such tumblers
as are opposite to nicks in the edge of the type being forced into such
nicks by the action of the springs as will be readily understood.
The
inner arms of the tumblers are much longer than the outer arms, and
as the tumbler edges thus enter the type nicks their inner arms will
of course be thrown much farther out of line, as seen in Figure 17.
Ilaving thus moved the tumblers (in accordance with the number and
position of the type nicks) the rack d' again starts forward and moves
the springs away from the tumblers, leaving them in their new position
(in which they are held by friction), the springs retreating into or nearly
into the edge of the cap, as seen in Figure 18, so that both the cam g
and springs m' are out of the path of movement of the tail ends of the
tumblers. The ring then moves on carrying with it the type held
between the tumblers, the face of the ring slot and the end of the
ejector bringing the next set of tumblers opposite to the finger,
and bringing the type holding tumblers opposite the first of a series of
radial channels of, leading from the ring out over the table b, as seen in
Figure 1, the outer end of the ejector being exactly in line with the
channel which is of the width of the type and has a depth sufficient
to hold the type in upright position against any suitable guide. In
this position of the ring the hook at the end of the slide is in line
with an opening in the flange of the cap, which opening permits the
hook to move out through the flange so as to bring the end of the slide
flush with the periphery of the ring. Under the central cap sis a
series of radial slide plates or keys q' (one for each operative set of
tumblers), sliding radially through a vertical slot cut in a peripheral

page_text: ring of the cap.
Each key is formed as seen in Figures 13 and 14,
having at its inner end a bent arm 7 depending from it, the arm being
bent outwardly, as seen in said Figures, and the lower end or point of
the arm standing normally just within a vertical line drawn from the
circular edge of a sharp edged flange or incline s, projecting up from
the base of a hollow cone or key actuator t fixed on the top of the
vertical sliding shaft c³. The inner surface of the flange is vertical
and the outer surface inclined, as seen in Figure 14.
At the upper
end of the cone its inner surface inclines inwardly, as seen in Figures
13 and 14. When the cone is rising each key is pressed outward by a
spring u, but if the outer end of the key strikes any obstruction at
the periphery of the cap the foot of the arm 74 is kept inside of the
edge of the flange s', and the rise of the cone imparts no motion to the
key, the arm passing inside of the flange, but if the end of the key
meets no obstruction the foot of the arm passes beyond the circle of
the edge of the inclines, and as the cone rises the incline strikes the
arm, and moves the end of the key far enough beyond the periphery
of the cap to eject the type from the distributing ring, the key being
thus moved positively to eject the type but only needing the pressure
of a slight spring to indicate whether or not it is to be so moved.
the cone descends all the keys thus moved out are forced in again by
the inner surface of the top of the conè. As in each rotation of the
driving shaft the ring is completing its forward movement the cone is
moved up and the incline s strikes all the arms that are beyond its
edge and carries them radially outward, as seen in Figure 14, the incline
not striking the arms until the movement of the ring ceases, and forcing
out the keys while the ring is stationary, and having thus forced out the
keys the cone is drawn down by the descent of the slide shaft (as the
driving shaft continues to rotate), the descent of the cone taking place
while the ring is still at rest and all the thrown out keys being drawn
inward (to their normal position) in such descent of the cone, their
inward movement being effected by the inner surface of the cone
coming in contact with the arms bringing them into the position shewn
in Figure 13 as described. The outer end of each key has a lip w
projecting up from it, and when the keys are drawn in each lip w' is in
concentric line with the flange of the peripheral ring of the cap s³ and in
the space in radial line with the ejector, and as the ring moves forward
the hook of each outer ejector hooks over the nearest lip, or the lip is
When

page_text: Now, as to
brought into a slot of which the hook forms the inner side as seen in
Figures 13 and 14. Now, if when the key is moved radially outward by
the cone ring the end of the key meets with no obstruction the lip
will strike the front surface of the slot and will push out the ejector 1,
causing it to eject the type from its front end into the channel in line
with the slide., If the type have no nicks it will be readily seen that
the tumblers will stay in the positions into which they are removed by
the cam g', and in these positions their tail ends. are all on one side of the
end of the key which is opposite the first channel when the ring stops.
Consequently there being nothing to prevent the outward movement of
the key the lip w strikes the outer ejector P and ejects the type.
If
the type have nicks, however, some of the tail ends of the tumblers
will be thrown over (by the springs), so that they will come directly
into line with the end of the key when the ring stops.
correspond with the nicks in all and any of the types there are in
each ring slot four tumblers (which are relatively disposed by the
springs m in accordance with the number and position of the nicks
in any type brought to them), so there are to each key indicating
notches so relatively disposed of in the end of each key that to each
position into which the several tumblers are carried in accordance with
the nicks on the face of the types there is a corresponding key, the
notches of which being in position to allow the end of the key to pass
beyond the adjacent end of the tumblers the key moves outward
pushing before it the ejector and ejecting the type. Figures 13 and 14
show the notches at the end of one of the keys.
If when the type
holding tumblers come opposite the first key the tumblers have been
displaced by reason of the nicks their ends will be in the path of outward
movement of the end of the key (unless the notches correspond in
position with the tumblers so moved), and as the key cannot move out
the tumblers retain the type, and the ring moves on, continuing to move
intermittently, as described, with the type held by the tumblers until
they reach a key which has notches corresponding in position to the
displaced or nick entering tumblers, and when the ring reaches this
position the key will move outward and the type will be ejected. The
type when ejected into the channel o' pressed between a spring a
and the opposite wall of the channel, the spring holding it in erect
position and from falling over against the distributing ring, and each
channel is provided with a suitable sliding block against which the line

page_text: of types is supported while in the channel. From the channel the dis-
tributed types are delivered into any suitable receptacles. To remove
leads placed between any adjacent lines of types in the page fed over
the galley to the lifter 1, the face of the lifter is provided with the
spring catches or hooks b, as seen in Figures 6 and S. Each spring sets
in a notch in the face of the lifter, and the stress of the springs is so
slight that the contact of the line of types with the face of the lifter is
suflicient to press the catches into the slots or beyond the face of the
lifter.. These catches therefore never disturb the movements of the
types. As the leads are narrower than the length of a type the catches
are placed at such position as to just come over the top of the lead, and
if any line of types being fed to the distributor has next to it a lead the
catches hook over the top of the lead and as the lifter descends to take
the next line of types the hooks take down with the lifter the lead and
discharge it under the galley, while if no such lead is present the line
of types presses the springs back into the face of the follower. Thus
it will be seen that the said machine affects the distribution of leaded as
well as solid matter.
From the above description it will be obvious that all types (formed
with nicks suited to the action of this machine) may be correctly and
quickly distributed in accordance with the letter or character of each,
that all the movements of the mechanism are positive, where positive
action is necessary, and that the mechanism is compact and simply
accurate in its action, and not liable to derangement. It will also be seen
that the distributing capability of the machine is only limited by the
number of selecting tumblers and receiving channels which may be
employed. It will also be seen that the machine being entirely
automatic in its action no skill is required to effect the distribution.
The details of construction and arrangement of mechanism may of
course be varied without departing from the spirit of the said Invention,
but the specific organization shewn is considered best adapted to the
work to be accomplished by the said machine.
I have described the distributor as a ring having an intermittent
rotative and progressive movement. The distributor may, however, be
made oblong and have an endless chain of tumbler slots, &c., or it may
be made straight and have. only a rectilinear movement operating to

page_text: distribute in moving in one direction and sliding back to repeat such
operative movement. The circular ring, however, is considered the best
adapted to the work to be accomplished.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and shewn how the same may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into operation, I claim,
In a type distributing machine a distributing ring or type receiver,
having a system of indicating tumblers, the members of each set of
which, being brought into relative position in accordance with the nicks
in the face of the type indicate by such relative position the point at
which the type is to be removed from the ring.
Also, in a type distributing machine, the arrangement of tumblers
and sets of tumblers by which each type is directly seized in succession
by one of the sets and conveyed to its proper place of ejectment.
Also, the combination of mechanism for automatically separating
pages of types into lines and lines into single types with mechanism,
which taking each type singly from the line holds it until it is ejected
into its proper receptacle.
Also, in combination with the type seizing and indicating tumblers
type slides or ejectors by which each type is thrown from the machine.
Also, in combination with the tumblers and ejector slides the keys
for operating the ejectors, substantially as described.
Also, the combination of the lever, pawl j, and spring, or their
equivalents, for operating the page follower, substantially as described.
Also, in combination with such page follower actuating mechanism,
mechanism for automatically throwing the pawl out of action with the
follower rack when the line of types is being fed into the distributing
ring.
Also, in combination with the page follower g the lifter which
raises each line of types into the line groove or channel, substantially as
described.
Also, the combination of the swing bar m and crank pin p operating
to raise the lifter, substantially as described.

page_text: Also, in combination with mechanism for raising the lifter, the
mechanism for automatically effecting its release and fall, substantially,
as described.
Also, in combination with mechanism for bringing each line of types
into the follower channel the mechanism for feeding the types towards
the distributing ring, and for taking them type by type up into the edge
of the distributing ring, substantially as described.
Also, the mechanism by which the line follower is automatically,
moved forward carrying before it the types) and automatically back
after the line of types is exhausted, substantially as described.
Also, in combination with mechanism for pressing the line of types
towards the type distributor the tongue a that lifts each type in
succession into the distributing ring, substantially as described.
Also, the mechanism for imparting the vertical reciprocating move-
ments to the tongue a³ which carries each type up into the ring,
substantially as described.
Also, an intermittently moving type distributor having a series of
slots cach containing one set of selecting tumblers and an ejector slide,,
substantially as shewn as described.
Also, giving to the ejector such an extent of inward movement as to
form a vertical groove in front of it between the tumblers and the side of
the slot in the ring for the reception of type, substantially as described..
Also, the finger
by which the type is held while the tumblers move
against it, substantially as described.
Also, in combination with cach channel o' a spring a for holding the
type from falling against the ring, substantially as described.
Also, for effecting the movements of the slide keys the key actuator.
or cone t', substantially as described.
Also, in combination with the keys and key actuator the springs u',
substantially as described.
Also, in combination with the lifter, the spring catches for removing
the leads, substantially as described.

page_text: Also, in combination with mechanism for raising each type into the
distributor the brush 23 operating substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Wilness,
HARRY WRAIGHT,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.