An Improved Stereotyping Process.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 7th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 6th July. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Stereotyping Process.
I, HERMANN SCHIMANSKY, of Adlershof, in the Empire of Germany, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the stereotyping process, as usually carried out hitherto, by means of paper moulds
or matrices," the latter are formed by the super-position, one over the other, of a
suitable number of sheets of tissue-paper, bound together by means of adhesive
material such as paste or glue. The mouldable sheet thus prepared, while yet moist,
is placed on the set-up type, when, if it be treated by the "cold" process, it is
beaten or pressed down (by hand), so as to receive the impression of the type, and
is then removed and dried; while, if the "hot" process be adopted, it is allowed to
remain under the heated press, in close contact with the type, until dry. In no case,
however, is such a matrix introduced into the casting apparatus, in a moist condition.
Then, after casting, there remains to be performed the tedious operation of covering
over with pieces of cardboard or the like the comparatively large ones amongst the
intermediate spaces between the type, at the back of the matrix, which are to
remain blank in print; so as to prevent those hollow parts, capable of but little
resistance, comparatively speaking, from being depressed by the metal, as it is cast,
and, as a consequence of such depression, from being caused to rise or protrude at the
corresponding parts of the front-side or face; which, wherever it occurs, necessitates
the additional operation of beating those unduly raised portions down again.
"
In contradistinction to these several methods, and their attendant manipulations,
this invention offers an improved "dry stereotyping process, the two main
advantages of which are, that, in the first place, it removes all the drawbacks
attending the employment of moist matrices, plastic impressions of type being taken
with a spongy paper mass, used in a dry condition (instead of with moistened tissue-
paper sheets); and, secondly, that the slow and laborious operation of covering the
back of the matrix in parts with cardboard or other protective material, is thereby
rendered once and for all unnecessary, inasmuch as the portions which are to appear
raised on the front side of the matrix, are solid and level with the remainder of the
back (instead of being hollow) in the improved material of which the matrix is here
made; with the result that those portions offer a most effectual resistance to the
in-flowing metal.
By this improved process the material for the manufacture of matrices is preferably
prepared in the following manner: Paper pulp, ground to maximum fineness, is
diluted with water, until the paper particles no longer adhere to each other. The
liquid mixture is then coloured with red bolus, or mixed with any other suitable
medium adapted to hinder the paper fibres from conglomerating; there being
obtained, as a result, a light porous or spongy mass, incapable of subsequently
hardening.
Of this liquid paper mixture, a sufficient quantity is drawn by means of a
perforated or sieve-bottomed ladle or receptacle, so that, after being drained off and
dried the material therein forms a layer corresponding in depth to the desired
thickness of the matrix. The bottom of such ladle or strainer is formed of
wire-gauze having meshes of as small a size as may be practicable, which meshes
enable the water contained in the paper mixture to ooze out in a very short time.
When the mixture has been freed from water to the required extent, the ladle is
steeped in a solution of carbonate of sodium, which is thereby caused to enter into

page_text: the mass of the material contained in the ladle from below. The ladle is next in the
same way immersed in vinegar or some other suitable acid, and is then introduced
into a moderately heated drying oven. By this treatment, owing to the effervescent
nature of the soda (or carbonate of sodium), the paper mass is rendered far more
porous and spongy than it would otherwise be. It will be understood, however, that,
for the attainment of this identical purpose, other suitable means may be resorted
to if desired.
After a short space of time the ladle or receptacle is removed from the oven and,
by upsetting the same, the material it contains is transferred to a sheet of wire gauze
having wider meshes than the bottom of the said receptacle, and as air has ready
access to the material through such large-meshed netting, the ambient warm air of
the oven effects a rapid desiccation.
The final product is a perfectly dry plate of paper-pulp, remarkable for its
lightness, porosity, sponginess, flexibility and plasticity. This plate is covered on one
side preferably that which had rested on the strainer-with a thin coat or layer of
starch-paste, to which, say, 5 per cent. of glycerine has been added. By such means
it is intended to prevent the molten metal from settling in the fibres of the material,
as the stereotype is cast, and the matrix is, accordingly, prevented from ever showing
any tendency to adhere to the casting; while as regards more particularly the
admixture of glycerine, its object is to prevent the surface of the material from
hardening.
This matrix-material, which, after undergoing the process described, is ready for
use, may be kept in stock in every printing office, so as to be available whenever
required.
The mode of its employment may be described as follows:
After the type to be cast from has been slightly oiled, a piece of the matrix-making
material, corresponding in size to the area of the type to be stereotyped, is cut-off
from the supply on hand. That side thereof, which is coated with starch, is then
placed on the face of the type, the whole "forme" is then inserted in the space
provided for its reception under an ordinary press, and, after pressure has been
applied, is withdrawn again. The matrix, which by this time is ready for casting, is
then removed from the type.
A matrix obtained by this method, in the first place, combines all the advantages
of the matrices as hitherto produced. All the parts, which are raised in the type,
leave clear-cut-hollow impressions in the material of the matrix; and even the
minutest devices and most delicate designs are reproduced with wonderful accuracy
and sharpness of outline. But in addition to this, the improved matrix possesses the
further very conspicuous merit, that, at the parts corresponding to the recesses of the
type, it develops no hollow spaces at the back; so that when the liquefied metal is
poured into such matrix, the raised portions do not, as hitherto, yield to the pressure
of the metal and recede, and, by so doing, cause the corresponding parts to be more
than desirable in relief on the face of the metal casting (whereas, of course, these
parts should be recessed in the stereotype); but the back of the matrix forms a
perfectly plane or level surface, and, wherever there are recesses in the type, the
material of the matrix retains in full its original depth, or, in other words, remains
solid. There are, therefore, no hollow spaces or portions here, requiring to be filled
up with patch-work and liable to lead to defects in casting.
A further advantage of the said material, as before stated, is, that it is placed upon
the type in a dry condition. It need not, consequently, be made only just before it is
required for use; while, at the same time, the subsequent drying process, which has
had to be performed up to the present time-both in the cold and hot stereotyping
methods becomes altogether unnecessary. The invention is, therefore, accurately
described as a "
dry" stereotyping process.
Dated this 6th day of Inl.. 1905

page_text: 4444
925
1, HERMANN SCHIMANSKY, of Adlershof, in the Empire of Germany, 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:
--
In the stereotyping process as usually carried out, the matrice is made of several
sheets of tissue paper placed one upon the other and united by means of paste or the like,
and is placed upon the type in the moist state. By continued beating with a brush
the type is pressed into the moist matrice, the free spaces which are to remain white
in the printing are filled up at the back of the matrice by covering with pieces of
pasteboard, then the matrice still in the moist state is completely dried in a hot press
or in a drying-furnace.
The work of covering up the spaces, which is very troublesome and takes much
time, is necessary because otherwise the hot lead would press down the very thin
matrice on the spaces during the casting, and these spaces would have to be again cut
out upon the cast plate..
The present dry stereotype process consists in using perfectly dry matrice plates of
vegetable fibre which are characterized by great porosity produced artificially, so
that the impression of the type to be stereotyped takes place by simply destroying the
porosity at the pressed parts, thereby rendering the matrice plates directly suitable for
the casting. As compared with the moist pasted matrices made according to the old
process the present dry, porous, flexible matrice plate possesses the following great
advantages:
1. It does not require to be beaten with the brush; for the beating is substituted
the impression which takes much less time and of course enables the characters to be
reproduced much more distinctly and accurately than by any other process.
2. The manipulation of covering up the free spaces, which takes a great deal of
time, is dispensed with, as the matrice plate retains its original thickness at all free
places which are not impressed.
3. The drying of the matrice, which is so injurious to the type is obviated, because
this matrice is used in a dry state from the beginning.
For producing dry stereotype plates, all kinds of vegetable fibres, also wood
(cellulose), hemp, cotton, flax in short any vegetable substances, such as are generally
employed in the paper and pasteboard manufacture, may be used.
The porosity of the matrice plates, which is necessary for this dry stereotype
process, may be obtained in various manners, for instance in the following way:
The plates consisting of vegetable fibre are impregnated with a chemical liquid
which, being brought in contact with another liquid, gives rise to the development of
gases. As these gases force their way from the interior of the plate to the outside
they loosen the ingredients of the plate, that is to say the vegetable fibre, in
consequence of which the plate becomes porous to a high degree. There are many
such chemical substances; by way of example I may mention the following
treatinent:
The plates are first immersed in sodium carbonate, then in an acid, thereby
developing, as a gas, carbonic acid which effects the loosening of the plate. The
proportions of the concentration of the bath, consisting of water and dissolved
carbonate of soda, are such that 80 per cent. of the former and 20 per cent. of the
latter are mixed. In this manner the porosity of the plate is obtained by loosening
alone. Extremely porous plates are however also produced by imparting to the
vegetable fibre used for the formation of the plates, and which are of a rectilinear
form, a bent curly form by artificial means. With such a form it is not possible for
the fibres to bear closely upon each other without any interstices, but by reason of
their bend they will form innumerable small cavities; each such small roll of fibre,

page_text: which is elastic in itself, encloses a small cavity, which gives a great porosity to the
plates formed of such fibre. The bent form may be imparted to the vegetable fibre
by chemical treatment. For instance a 20 per cent. of caustic lye of soda is suitable for
this purpose. On the vegetable fibre being placed in such a solution the bending
takes place at once, inasmuch as an ingredient is withdrawn from the fibre by the lye.
The resinous particles adhering to the fibres probably become dissolved. Under the
microscope this operation takes place in a similar manner as when straight fibre is
placed upon a hot plate, which, as is well-known, also gives rise to the bending by
drying. The causes which are at work in effecting the bending of the fibre in the
treatment with such chemicals of a caustic nature is immaterial as regards the present
invention; it is enough that the bending takes place. The fibre thus bent is then
formed by known means into plates. Finally these plates are covered on one side
with a thin layer of any earthy incombustible substance, in order that the adhesion of
the metal to the vegetable fibre may be obviated in the casting. The matrice plate
thus produced ready for use may be kept in stock in any quantities in printing works,
and used at once when required. It is only necessary to place a piece of matrice
plate corresponding to the size of the type upon the latter and to exert a slight
pressure upon it in any suitable press, in order to obtain at once a matrice which
is ready for casting and does not require any kind of auxiliary or after treatment.
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 :-
:-
First. A process for manufacturing stereotype plates characterized by the feature
that use is made of completely dry matrice plates of vegetable fibre, which present
great porosity produced artificially, in such a manner that the impression of the type
to be stereotyped takes place by simply destroying the porosity at the pressed parts,
whereby the matrice plates become ready at once for casting.
Second. The production of the porosity of the matrice plates enabling the latter to
be impressed for the process described in the first claim, in such a manner that the
plates are impregnated with chemicals which develop gases which in their turn loosen
the fibre, or in such a manner that the vegetable fibre designed for the formation of
the plates is treated with chemicals which, like a 24 per cent. solution of soda, will
bend the originally straight fibre, thereby imparting to the matrice plates made from
them the desired porous, spongy character.
Dated thin 7th of A: 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.