IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO STEREO- TYPE PLATES AND BLOCKS OR BEDS FOR THE SAME
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Smith, of La Belle Sauvage Yard, in the
City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO STEREO-
TYPE PLATES AND BLOCKS OR BEDS FOR THE SAME."
Sealed the 2nd January 1880, and dated the 23rd October 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Smith at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd October 1879.
WILLIAM THOMAS SMITH, of La Belle Sauvage Yard, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO STEREOTYPE PLATES AND BLOCKS OR BEDS FOR THE
SAME."
My Invention has reference to stereotype plates which are cast or made
separately from the block or bed upon which they rest when in the chase, and the
object of the improvement is to enable the plates to be firmly secured by means of
the column rules or by leads, reglets, or furniture of the required height. For this
purpose, according to one modification or arrangement, I cast or form the plate with
a catch or undercut projection on its underside and extending its whole length,
which catch by a sideways movement of the plate takes under a corresponding
catch on the upper surface of the block. Thus when the plate is put upon the
block and moved sideways, so that the catches engage with each other, the placing
of the coluinn rule or furniture in position will force home the catch on the plate,
and thereby lock the plate firmly.
According to another modification or arrangement I make the plate for a portion
of its width thicker than the remainder, and I make the block correspondingly
thicker at that part upon which the thinner portion of the plate is to come. Along
the inner edge of the thicker part of the plate I form a longitudinal groove, and I
also form a corresponding groove along the inner edge of the thicker part of the
block. Into these grooves I slide a key or tongue which takes partly into each
groove. Thus when the column rule or furniture is placed in position it presses
against the edge of the plate, so that its thicker part is forced tightly against the
.

page_text: thicker part of the block, while the key or tongue holds the plate to the block.
The grooves and tongue may be cast to any size or thickness desired; an ordinary
"4 to pica "lead will answer the purpose if the grooves be of corresponding size.
According to a third modification or arrangement I form a longitudinal slot
along each side of the plate, and another slot along each side of the block, and in
these slots I fit catches of ☐ shape, which when the column rules or furniture are
placed in position are forced home in the slots, thereby becoming embedded in the
plate and block, and they thus securely hold the plate to the block. These catches
will be placed at intervals along the plates forming the columns, or if preferred
they may extend the whole length of the columns.
In any of the arrangements or modifications the blocks or beds may if preferred
be divided longitudinally.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Thomas Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th April 1880.
WILLIAM THOMAS SMITH, of La Belle Sauvage Yard, in the City of London.
IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO STEREOTYPE PLATES AND BLOCKS OR BEDS FOR THE
SAME."
My Invention has reference to stereotype plates which are cast or made separately
from the block or bed upon which they rest when in the chase for the purpose of
being printed from, and the object of the improvement is to enable the plates to be
firmly secured by means of the column rules or by leads, reglets, or furniture of the
required height. For this purpose according to one modification or arrangement,
which is represented in Figures 1 to 4 of the annexed Drawings, I cast or form the
plate a (Figure 1) with a catch or undercut projection 6 on its underside and
extending its whole length, which catch 6 by a sideways movement of the plate
takes under a corresponding catch c on the upper surface of the block d (Figure 2).
Thus when the plate a is put upon the block d and moved sideways, so that the
catches b and c engage with each other, as seen in Figure 3, the placing of the
column rule or furniture in position will force home the catch b, and thereby lock
the plate firmly; Figure 4 is a plan of the plate a.
According to another modification or arrangement, which is represented in
Figure 5, I make the plate a for a portion of its width (a) thicker than the
remainder, and I make the block d correspondingly thicker at that part d¹ upon
which the thinner portion of the plate is to come. Along the inner edge of the
thicker part of the plate I form a longitudinal groove b, b, and I also form a
corresponding groove c, c, along the inner edge of the thicker part of the block.
Into these grooves I slide a key or tongue e, which takes partly into each groove
as shown. Thus when the column rule or furniture is placed in position it presses
against the edge of the plate a, so that its thicker part is forced tightly against the
thicker part of the block, while the key or tongue e holds the plate to the block.
The grooves and tongue may be cast to any size or thickness desired; an ordinary
"4 to pica" lead will answer the purpose if the grooves be of corresponding size.
According to a third modification or arrangement, represented in Figure 6, I form
a longitudinal slot b, b, along each side of the plate a, and another slot c, c, along
each side of the block d, and in these slots I fit catches f, f, of shape, which
when the column rules or furniture are placed in position are forced home in the
slots b and c, thereby becoming embedded in the plate and block, and they thus
securely hold the plate to the block. These catches will be placed at intervals
along the plates forming the columns, and may be of any desired width, such for
instance as that indicated in Figure 7, which is a face view of one of the catches;
or if preferred they may extend the whole length of the columns.
In any of the arrangements or modifications the blocks or beds d may, if
preferred, be divided longitudinally, as indicated by dotted lines g in Figures 2, 3,
and 6. It may also be found convenient to divide the blocks or beds d transversely,
as shown in Figure 8, that is to say, to have blocks or beds capable of occupying
varying portions of the lengths of the columns.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
beds for the same with
First. Making stereotype plates and the blocks or
catches or undercut projections, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the annexed Drawings.
Second. Making stereotype plates and the blocks or beds for the same, sub-

page_text: stantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 5
of the annexed Drawings.
'
Third. Making stereotype plates and the blocks or beds for the same, substantially
as and for the purpose herein before described with reference to Figure 6 of the
annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Smith, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, One thousand eight hundred
and nicht..
W. THO. SMITH. (L.S.)