Improvements in the Pump Stops of Linotype Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left. 27th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 2nd Oct., 1897
[Communicated from abroad by THE MERGENTHALER LINOTYPE COMPANY, of Tribune
Building, New York, United States of America.]
Improvements in the Pump Stops of Linotype Machines.
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED of No. 188 Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Sole Proprietors of, and Manufacturers, Vendors and Licensors under, the
"Linotype" Patents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
The present invention relates to improvements in the pump stops of linotype
machines, and the object of it is to prevent the machine squirting hot metal past
the composed line of matrices and space bars then in contact with the mould;
casting short lines; or injuring the matrices. Thus, in the event of the operator
failing to fill out the line to the full length, the present invention stops the action
of the pump, thereby preventing the casting of what would have been, the next
linotype.
The invention is particularly applicable to the celebrated Mergenthaler Linotype
machine. This latter is fully described in the Specification of Letters Patent
14582 1890. A description of the combination of the present invention with that
machine will best describe the nature of the former.
In the machine in question, the composed line of matrices and space bars, is
placed between two vice jaws or abutments. The latter are practically fixtures, the
matrices being wedged up to them by the subsequent expansion or thickening of
the space bars. Each space bar is a double wedge consisting of one short member
and one long one, the latter long enough to hang below the bottom of the line of
matrices and in the upward path of a justifying plate. The normal elevation of this
latter by the upward motion of the justifying lever, begins and continues to thicken
the space bars up to the point of all the members of the composed line being wedged
between the abutments above mentioned. In other words, the stoppage of the
justifying lever at a given point, is proof that the operator has either composed or
filled out the line to the full length. If he has failed to do so, the upward notion
of the justifying lever will be continued.
The object of the present invention is attained by the presence of a stud or finger,
or the equivalent of either, at or a little below that point in the possible upward path
of the lever above mentioned, at which it would be stopped by the wedging above
described.
This stud or finger is, conveniently, the outer end of one arm of a bell crank lever
which has its fulcrum upon a forwardly projecting pin behind and below the metal
melting pot. This position makes the bell crank lever move in a plane at right
angles with the pump actuating lever (the pumping stroke of which is to be taken
as the down one). On this lever there is a lateral projection. The other arm of the
bell crank lever is vertical and the end of it, or a shoulder on it, stands only just
clear of the downward path of the projection. Now the justifying lever gets its work.
in before the pump lever begins, so that if the former moves upwards as far as, or

page_text: beyond according to the exact position of the stud or finger above described-the
point mentioned in connection with the latter, the end of, or the shoulder on, the
opposite arm of the bell crank lever, will be rocked under the lateral projection, and
the operative stroke of the pump lever, prevented.
The bell crank lever is provided with an automatic returning device, preferably a
spiral spring.
Improvements in the Pump Stops of Linotype Machines.
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED, of No. 188 Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Sole Proprietors of, and Sole Manufacturers, Vendors, and Licensors under,
the "Linotype" Patents, do hereby declarc 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 present invention relates to improvements in the pump stops of linotype
machines, and the object of it is to prevent a machine injecting hot metal into the
mould so long as the composed line of matrices and space bars presented to the said
mould, is not wedged out into a practically solid block.
It is particularly applicable to the celebrated Mergenthaler Linotype machine.
For the reason that that machine is more widely known than any other and is the
only linotype machine in use in this country at the present time, the application
to it of the said invention, has been selected for illustration and detailed description
in connection with this specification. As much of the Mergenthaler machine as it
has been necessary to include in the accompanying figures, has been reproduced
from the Specification of Letters Patent 14582 1890, to which the reader is referred
for further information as to the other parts of the machine.
Referring to the accompanying figures:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the justifying and casting mechanism of the
machine from the left hand.
Figure 2 is a transverse section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the vice jaws and a composed line of matrices and
space bars held in a justified condition therein.
A, A are portions of the main frame of the machine; a', a shaft upon which the
cams of the driving mechanism are made fast; e, the cam for the metal pot V;
v the pot mouth piece; v2, v² a pair of legs upon which the said pot is supported,
their bottom ends being pivotted to the front of the main frame A; the pot gas
stove; 7, 57 a pair of brackets upon the back of the pot V, and from which hangs
the arm, through an anti-friction roller on which latter, the cam vengages the
said pot, such engagement. being maintained by the weight of the pot; v, a
combined adjustable tie and cushioning spring between the bottom end of the
arm and the bottom of the pot V for the double purpose of varying the distance
between the contacting faces of the mouth piece v and of the anti-friction roller just
mentioned and of cushioning the contact between the said cam and pot; 60 the cam
for the pump ; vl, a bell crank lever fulcrummed on the main frame A, having
the pump pivotally connected to its front arm, and its rear arm (duly fitted
with an anti-friction roller) kept in constant contact with the periphery of the
cam by a depressing spring 02. It is the down stroke of the pump that
injects the molten metal into the mould described further. The spring vis

page_text: held in compression between a pair of discs 3, 3, through which is passed
upwards from beneath, a nutted or headed rod, its head resting upon the front
arm of the lever and its nose passed through and projecting above a part of
the main frame A, such part being, consequently, the base of the depressing
action of the spring vs is a detachable pin capable of being changed into
the lower hole " in the rod 4 shewing just above the last mentioned part of
the main frame A, when the rod is in its highest position, to prevent the
resilience of the spring v depressing the said front arm.
O is the mould wheel; o, its supporting bush; o a mould block; and o, the
mould cavity therein.
2042 is the cam for the justifying lever p12; p3, a compressed spring under the latter
to keep it in constant touch with its cam; p", the connecting rod from the front end
of the said lever up to the justifying plates 2. The latter are a pair of horizontal
plates carried by two rods. Only one of these rods appears in Figure 1, the other
being concealed by its fellow p'. Y, Y, are the matrices; Z, Z, the long wedges, and
,, the short wedges of the space bars. These wedges are tapered in opposite
directions, all the long ones in one direction and all the short ones in the other.
pl, pare the jaws of a vice in which the composed line is held during the time that
it is before the mould cavity o. All the parts above described are as heretofore, as
is also the way in which they co-operate, this way being substantially as follows.
The composed line of matrices and space bars having been placed between the
vice jaws p, p, the mould wheel O is pushed up to it from the rear, until the front
of the mould block o stands in metal tight contact with the rear face of the said
line. The jaws p, p stand at a practically fixed distance apart, there being more or
less looseness in the composed line, i.e., the matrices and space bars do not fit tightly
against each other. This looseness is taken out of the line; the distances between
the words equalised; the length of the composed line made equal to the distance
between the vice jaws; and the elements-the matrices and the space bars-of the
said line, wedged between the vice jaws into practically a solid block, by the process
of justification. This process consists in pushing the long wedges Z up through the
composed line over the short wedges 211. It is effected by the elevation of the two
plates p. First, the recess p in the cam p2 is brought by the rotation of the latter,
over the contacting roller of the justifying lever p", and during the passage of it
over such roller, the spring pa makes the lever p push the wedges Z up through
the distance indicated by the lower set of dotted lines in Figure 1. A second cam
and justifying lever here come into operation, but as such operation does not affect
the present invention, they are omitted from the figures. The pot V is next swung
forward until its mouth v stands in metal tight contact with the rear face of the
mould block o¹¹. The recess p in the cam p2-the direction of the latter's. rotation
is indicated by an arrow-is next carried over the contacting roller; and during its
passage, the spring p13 makes the lever pl2 and the plates p push the wedges. Z up,
through the distance indicated by the second set of dotted lines in Figure 1. The
omitted justifying lever co-operates with the lever plz during the second elevation of
the justifying plates p. Full particulars of this omitted lever will be found in the
Specification of Letters Patent 14582 1800 above mentioned.
Now, if the operator had put into the composed line, as inany matrices and space
bars as he ought to have done, the second justifying action of the lever that
associated with the recess would have effected all the above.recited results of the
process of justification, especially the wedging the elements-matrices and space bars -
of the composed line between the vice jaws p', p', into practically a solid block, and no
amount of pushing on the wedges Z would have moved them farther up through the
composed line. In other words, the forced stoppage of the lever p" at this point, is
proof that the operator had composed a proper number of elements into the line.
But it sometimes happens that the operator presents to the mould cavity o, a line
that has not as many elements in it as will, after the second elevation of the
justifying plates p', constitute the practically solid block above referred to. The
next casting operation would necessarily be a miscarriage because the fluid metal

page_text: would be injected into the lacunae between the said elements instead of stopping in
the mould cavity o. But the very absence of elements which make such a miscarriage
a certainty, make it possible for the wedges Z to be moved farther upwards through
the line than the second justifying action of the lever p12 had moved them.
The present invention proposes to take advantage of the capacity for further'
upward motion on the part of the wedges Z, due to the absence of elements from
the composed line, by combining with one of the justifying levers, a third recess in
the periphery of one of the cams, whereby the said lever may be pushed higher than
its proper justifying action would have taken it, and with that lever, a stud or finger,
or the equivalent of either, standing at or a little below that point in the possible
upward motion of the said justifying lever at which it would be stopped by the
formation of the solid block above mentioned; the said stud or finger having
combined with it a detent adapted to be swung under a stop on the pump mechanisin
by the continued upward motion of the said lever, contact between such stud and
stop involving the locking of the pump. The figures illustrate the application of the
present invention to the lever pl2 and its cam p42, although it is obvious that it might
be applied to the omitted justifying lever and its cam with a like effect.
p4 is the third recess; and 7, the stud or finger or the equivalent of either. The
latter is conveniently the outer end of the lower arm of a bell crank lever p48, in
which end there is a hole into which is entered a pin p standing up from the
lever . The lever ps has its fulcrum upon the tie of the combination 59 already
described. This position provides for it moving in a plane at right angles with the
pump actuating lever v6. 250 is a lateral projection' on the latter. The top end of
the lever ps stands normally just clear of the downward path of the projection p50
Now the justifying action is completed before the pump lever v1 begins to move, so
that if the spring p13 pushes the contacting roller p12 into the recess p40, the top of
the lever ps (being the detent above mentioned) will be moved into a position
immediately under the projection p (being the above mentioned stop on the pump
mechanism), and the pumping action thereby prevented.
With reference to the bell crank lever p8 as such, it must be clearly understood,
that its function is only to provide the above mentioned detent and stop. For that
reason, the invention includes the substitution for it, of any other device that
may be capable, under the circumstances specified, of discharging the same
function.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The combination with the justifying mechanism of a linotype machine; of
a cam recess; a justifying lever; a stud or finger; a detent, and a stop; as and
for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination with the justifying mechanism of a linotype machine; of
a can recess; a justifying lever; a projection on the pump mechanism and a
bell crank lever having one end adapted to be engaged by the said justifying
lever when in engagement with the said cam recess and its other end to be
rocked under the said projection; as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this, 27th day of August 1897.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.