Improvements in the Trimming Mechanism of Linotype Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Trimming Mechanism of Linotype Machines.
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, Limited, of No. 6 Serjeants Inn, Fleet
Street, in the City of London, Sole Manufacturers, Licensors and Vendors unler
the "Linotype" Patents, CHARLES LEWIS IRELAND and FERDINAND JOHN
WICH, both of No. 11 Hulme Street, Oxford Road, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the trimming mechanism of linotype
machines, and the object of it is to prevent loss and damage, to expedite work,
when the machine is engaged in producing linotypes some of which begin with
2-line capitals, and to effect such prevention and expedition by simpler mechanism
and a more direct method than have hitherto been contemplated.
Those who are familiar with the machine production of linotypes or printing
bars, are aware that there is a certain amount of trimming to be done to both their
sides. The 2-line capital at the head of a linotype has the lower half of it,
projecting beyond the adjacent side of the linotype. Such projection, therefore,
renders the trimming of the sides of such linotype, by its being passed between a
pair of parallel trimming knives as long as itself, impracticable, for the reason that
such passage would result in the lower half of the capital being shorn off. To
prevent such shearing off, it has been proposed to make the respective knife end
capable of being moved out of the way before the advance of the 2-line capital
linotype to the trimming mechanism and of being replaced in its normal position
before the advance of the next normal linotype. The provision at present in use
for so moving the said knife end out of the way has been essentially of a type for
hand manipulation only, and for that reason demanding alert attention on the part
of the mind, the eye and the hand of the operator; or loss of time and material,
damage to linotypes and delayed output, are more or less inevitable.
The details of the provision above mentioned will be found in the Specifications
of Letters Patent No. 82581894 and are as follows. The respective knife end is in
a separate piece from the rest of the knife but it is pivotted thereto so as to be
capable of being turned by a winch handle through a quarter of a circle and that
in the plane of the whole knife. The pivot is so positioned that the tail of the
knife end, i.e., the piece of the latter on the side of the pivot opposite to the
trimming edge, stands, after the winch handle has been turned through the distance
stated, at a distance from the rest of the knife greater than the width of the
projection of the 2-line capital thereby establishing a clear way for the passage of
such projection. But if the operator does not turn the winch handle at the right
moment, the 2-line capital linotype will lose the said projection and if he does not
turn the winch handle back in time, the next normal linotype will be imperfectly
trimmed.
It has been proposed to perfect the mechanisin for trimming a 2-line by providing
for the automatic withdrawal of the knife in the direction of its edge; for the
introduction into the space so vacated, of the lower half or apron of the 2-line
capital; for the return of the knife along its line of withdrawal; for the apron
acting as a stop to it by standing as an abutment against the end of the knife; lor
the restoration of the knife to its normal position and for the disconnection of the
withdrawing mechanism when the following linotype is an ordinary one.

page_text: It is well known that in the linotype machine, the mould for the linotype is a
slot in a mould wheel; that the latter is carried on an axle which is part of the
mould slide; that the latter is capable of a motion up to and away from the casting
position; that the mould is advanced to the casting position against the matrices,
and withdrawn therefrom for a short distance after the casting operation; that
the mould wheel then makes a partial revolution, thereby bringing the mould and
linotype in it opposite the ejector blade; that the latter is moved forward into the
mould and ejects the linotype and is then withdrawn therefrom; and that the
mould wheel then rotates into its normal position.
But experience in the working out and practical application of the proposed
perfecting mechanism alluded to above, has demonstrated that the automatic
return motion of the knife, is apt to be too strong for the apron: that the latter
cannot always be relied on to act as a stop, for the top of the knife will shear off
the apron of a narrow capital such as I, and may sometimes do the same for the
lower half of a W.
The present invention consists broadly in providing an additional mechanism
adapted to break or retard the return motion of the knife so far as to bring it
within the opposing or stopping power of the apron. Our invention does not limit
us in respect of the particular type of break or retarding device which we may
employ. Amongst others which are suitable for our purpose we mention the
following types Two surfaces only, one of which is connected to the knife and
between which friction equal to the desiderated retarding influence can be
established, such as a Prony brake or a friction drum: a loose counterpoise to be
picked up by the knife block at the moment it commences its return motion:
a fluid obstruction, such as a dash-pot or a cushioning piston or a graduated let-
off motion such as an escapement.
:-
:
We have found that a graduated let-off mechanism consisting of a modified
pendulum escapement gives satisfactory result, and it together with the combination
of it with the knife block and the mould slide consists of the following mechanism.
The knife has a reciprocating motion in the direction of its edge, in a suitable
vertical guide in the knife block. There is a bell crank lever pivotted on the side
of the knife block having one of its arms connected with the mould slide by a
removeable link and the other to a stud on the knife. The connections of the
knife, bell crank lever and the mould slide are so arranged that a motion to the
rear of the mould slide, rocks the bell crank lever and pulls the knife down to
the bottom of its stroke, thereby effecting the withdrawal above mentioned. This
downward motion of the knife is against the pull of a spring which it puts into
tension sufficiently strong to effect the return intion of the knife as soon as the
latter is released. But as soon as the knife reaches the bottom of its stroke, it is
locked there by the automatic engagement in a socket in the back of the knife or
fast thereto, of a spring actuated bolt. It is obvious that suitable provision must
be made for unlocking the bolt and this provision consists in a push pices fast on
the bolt and standing out rearwards in the path of the mould wheel. When the
latter pushed the push piece in, the knife would be jerked up against the apron on
the linoty e if it were not for the retarding device which is as follows. A vertical
rack fast to the knife engages a spur pinion on the staff of which there is mounted
loose an escapement wheel. The latter carries the well known spring pawl
engaging a ratchet wheel fast on the staff of the spur pinion. The escapement
wheel has angular teeth with which engages the anchor of a pendulum
escapement.
During the downward motion of the knife the teeth of the ratchet wheel pass
backwards under the pawl, but on the return motion, they engage and turn the
escapement wheel, one pallet of the anchor always pulling on or pushing against
the side of one of its teeth.
A suitable device is provided for disconnecting the moull slide and bell crank
lever when ordinary linutypes as distinguished from those with 2-line capital, are
to be made.

page_text: The knife above mentioned carries a sharp projection adapted to rake out the
internal angle between the apron and the linotype.
Dated this 28th day of October 1895.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in the Trimming Mechanism of Linotype Machines.
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED, formerly of No. 6 Serjeants Inn,
but now of No. 188 Fleet Street, both in the City of London, Sole Manufacturers,
Licensors and Vendors under the "
Linotype" Patents, CHARLES LEWIS
IRELAND and FERDINAND JOHN WICH, both of No. 11 Hulme Street, Oxford
Road, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the trimming mechanism of linotype
machines, and the object of it is to prevent loss and damage and to expedite work
when the machine is engaged in producing linotypes some of which begin with
2-line capitals.
Those who are familiar with the machine production of linotypes or printing
bars, are aware that there is a certain amount of trimming to be done to both
their sides. The 2-line capital at the head of a linotype has the lower half of it,
projecting beyond the adjacent side of the linotype. The expression 2-line cap.
linotype must be understood as including 3-line cap. linotypes or the like as it is
evident that the particular size of the capital letter does not affect the matter.
Such projection, therefore, renders the trimming of the sides of such linotype, by
its being passed between a pair of parallel trimming knives as long as itself,
impracticable, for the reason that such passage would result in the lower half of the
capital being shorn off. To prevent such shearing off, it has been proposed to
make the respective knife end capable of being moved out of the way before the
advance of the 2-line capital linotype to the trimming mechanism and of being
replaced in its normal position before the advance of the next normal linotype.
The provision at present in use for so moving the said knife end out of the way
has been essentially of a type for hand manipulation only, and for that reason
demanding alert attention on the part of the mind, the eye and the hand of the
operator; or loss of time and material, damage to linotypes and delayed output,
are more or less inevitable.
The details of the provision above mentioned will be found in the Specification
of Letters Patent No. 82581894 and are as follows. The respective knife end is in
a separate piece from the rest of the knife but it is pivotted thereto so as to be
capable of being turned by a winch handle through a quarter of a circle and
that in the plane of the whole knife. The pivot is so positioned that the tail of
the knife end, i.e., the piece of the latter on the side of the pivot opposite to the
trimming edge, stands, after the winch handle has been turned through the distance
stated, at a distance from the rest of the knife greater than the width of the
projection of the 2-line capital, thereby establishing a clear way for the passage
of such projection. But if the operator does not turn the winch handle at the
right moment, the 2-line capital linotype will lose the said projection and if he
does not turn the winch handle back in time, the next normal linotype will be
imperfectly trimmed.
It has been proposed to perfect the mechanism for trimming a 2-cap. linotype by
providing for the automatic withdrawal of the knife in the direction of its edge;
for the introduction into the space so vacated, of the projection of the 2-line

page_text: capital; for the return of the knife along its line of withdrawal; for the apron
acting as a stop to it by standing as an abutment against the end of the knife;
for the restoration of the knife to its normal position and for the disconnection of
the withdrawing mechanism when the following linotype is an ordinary one.
It is well known that in the linotype machine, the mould for the linotype is a
slot in a mould wheel; that the latter is carried on an axle which is part of
the mould slide; that this slide is capable of a motion up to and away from the
casting position; that the mould is advanced to the casting position against the
matrices, and withdrawn therefrom for a short distance after the casting
operation; that the mould wheel then makes a partial revolution, thereby bringing
the mould and linotype in it opposite the ejector blade; that the latter is moved
forward into the mould, ejects the linotype and is then withdrawn from the inould;
and that the mould wheel then rotates into its normal position. Perfecting
mechanisms of the type described will be found fully described in the Specificatious
of Letters Patent 1389 and 14047 both of 1895.
"
But experience in the working out and practical application of such perfecting
mechanisms, has demonstrated that the automatic return motion of the knife, is apt
to be too strong for the projection: that the latter cannot always be relied on
to act as a stop, for the top of the knife will shear off the projection of a narrow
capital such as I," and may sometimes do the same for the lower half of a "W."
The present invention consists broadly in providing an additional mechanism
adapted to brake or retard the return motion of the knife so far as to bring it
within the opposing or stopping power of the projection. Our invention does not
limit us in respect of the particular type of brake or retarding device which we
may employ. Amongst others which are suitable for our purpose we mention the
following types: Two surfaces, only one of which is connected to the knife and
between which friction equal to the desiderated retarding influence can be
established, such as a Prony brake or a friction drum: a loose counterpoise to
be picked up by the knife block at the moment it commences its return notion:
a fluid obstruction, such as a dash-pot or a cushioning piston: or a graduated
let off motion such as an escapement.
We have found that a graduated let-off mechanism consisting of a modified
pendulum escapement, gives a satisfactory result and for that reason we have
selected it for illustration and detailed specification, but it must be understood that
the combination of an alternative brake mechanism of either of the four types
mentioned above, or of any other equivalent type, with the moveable trimning
knife is within the scope of the present invention.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation from the right hand of the machine, of the right
hand knife block, the mould wheel slide and the ejector blade.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 but omitting
the buffer device.
Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 1 but including part of the mould wheel with the
2-line cap. linotype in it advanced to the trimming mechanism far enough to unlock
the moveable trimming knife.
Figure 4 is an elevation from the right hand of the pendulum escapement.
Figure 5 is a rear elevation corresponding therewith.
Figure 6 is an elevation from the right hand of the rack plate.
Figure 7 is a rear elevation corresponding therewith.
A is the mould-wheel; B, the mould-wheel slide; C, the ejector-blade; and D,
the trimming block to which the trimming knives are made fast. These parts
are substantially the same as are described in the Specification of Letters
Patent 145821890. The mechanisms for actuating the mould-wheel slide and the
ejector-blade are both omitted from the figures, for the reason that they, as well
as the members which they actuate, are outside the scope of the present invention.
E, F are the two trimming knives and e, f, their cutting edges. They are made
according to Letters Patent 2292118, i.e., with portions of the edge in advance

page_text: of the remainder. Both knives are held to the rear face of the trimming block
parallel with each other and at the proper distance apart, as heretofore, for the
passage of the linotype i and the ejector-blade C. The right hand knife E is
moveable in the direction of its length as and for the reason explained in the
Specification of Letters Patent 1389 1895 This motion is a reciprocating vertical
one and takes place in a guide J which may be of any suitable construction. The
one illustrated is a block made fast to the rear face of the trimming block D.
jjj are headed pins or screws fast to the knife E and projecting horizontally to
the right through vertical slots j¹, j, in the guide block J, the length of the said
slots being adjusted to the length of the above mentioned motion of the knife E.
is a plate adapted to slide smoothly upon the right hand face of the guide block.
It has all the pins made fast to it, and, further, carries a stud j³ which is fast to it
and projects laterally from it to the right hand. k is a pin screwed into a forward
extension of the trimming block for the purpose of providing the fulcrum of a bell
crank lever. One arm k of the latter extends to the rear and rests upon the stud 1³.
The other and shorter arm, k², stands up above the arm and has its outer end
connected by a link k³ to a stud k¹ projecting from the right side of the ejector
slide.
is a push pin adapted to move to and fro in a horizontal bearing land cavity /
in the guide block J and the trimming block D, respectively. It has a shoulder 13
fast on it and a spiral spring surrounding its front portion and adapted by bearing
against the front of the cavity to keep the shoulder up to the back of the
block J and the nose of the pin! protruded as far to the rear as the length of the
pin to the rear of the said shoulder, permits of.
m is a block fast upon the pin in a certain position thereon, to wit, the one
which will permit it to stand over the front right hand corner of the knife E
(supposing that were in its lower position) when the shoulder 13 is up to the block J.
This block is, in fact, a spring actuated stop adapted to lock the knife E down in
the said lower position.
n is a rearward projection from the knife E, so positioned and dimensioned as to
stand under the projection of the 2-line capital at the head of the linotype i at
or during the first portion of the travel of the mould wheel A to the front; as well
as a little to the rear of and also a little to the right of the cutting edge e of the
knife E as illustrated in Figure 3.
o is a returning spring adapted to pull the knife E up again after its depression
by the bell crank lever above mentioned; and o', a buffer spring against the
downward motion of the same knife, which motion reaches it through an upstanding
thrust pin o² and a lever 3, the latter having its fulcrum at of intermediate of the
pivotted connection of between it and the pin o' on the one hand and the buffer
spring o¹ on the other.
All the mechanism described above is the same as in the before mentioned
Specification 14047 of 1895.
p is a vertical rack fast to the knife E by being in the rear edge of the plate
above mentioned. 9 is a spur pinion gearing with the rack p.
It is fast on an
axle which has its bearing in a boss q₁ carried by an arm q2 fast to and projecting
to the rear from the trimming block D. is an escapement wheel having angular
teeth of the contour shewn. It is loose on the axle of the pinion q. is a ratchet
wheel fast on the same axle and adapted to prevent the rotation of the escapement
wheel in one direction, by means of a pawl pivotted on the said wheel and held
in engagement with the ratchet wheel by a spring 3. The latter may be kept
in action by an arm 4 fast to the pendulum rod mentioned further on or in any
other convenient way.
s is an anchor escapement; s¹, a pendulum rod fast to it, and 2, a pendulum bob
adjustable on the said rod by means of a set screw 3. The escapement pivot st
has its bearing in a second boss q³ carried by the arm q* above mentioned. q* is
a stop pin adapted to keep the anchor escapenient sin engagement with the
escapement wheel r.

page_text: The present invention acts in conjunction with the mechanism described above as
reproduced from the Specification 14047 of 1895, as follows.
The link having been connected to the stud immediately before the rearward
motion of the mould-wheel slide, the said motion will have the effect of pulling the
knife E down into its lowest position, whereupon the locking block m is made to
stand immediately over its front right hand corner, thereby locking it down.
Neither the gearing of the spur pinion g with the rack p nor the engagement of
the pawl with the ratchet wheel r, have any tendency to stop the said motion
of the knife E, because of the pinion g being loose on its axle and because of the
set of the pawl ² and teeth of the ratchet wheel r. The rearward motion of the
push pin projects its nose as far to the rear as is necessary for it to be engaged
by the mould-wheel A at the proper moment for unlocking the block m from the
knife E.
After the cast, the mould-wheel A moves to the front and, engaging the nose of
the push pin l, pushes it into its socket for a short distance, as indicated by the
dotted lines in Figures 1 and 3, and at the same time places the projection i¹
vertically over the projection n. It has been already explained, that the downward
motion of the knife E takes it down into its lowest position. This lowest position
holds the projection n some distance beneath the path of the linotype projection ¹.
The continued motion of the mould-wheel A pushes the block m off the knife E
which is then free to be raised by the spring o. It is at this point that the present
invention comes into operation by imposing a brake on the first portion of the
upward motion of the knife E. The pull of the spring o and the contour of the
teeth of the escapement wheel r set the pendulum bobs swinging because the pawl
locks the escapement wheel r to the pinion g, with the result that the said portion
of the knife's motion is a step by step one, with a pause between each, each step
being no more than the distance of only one tooth of the rack p for each oscillation
of the pendulum. The projection n therefore comes up against the linotype
projection gently enough to obviate the risk of the latter being shorn off.
The last mentioned projection i¹ is next pushed to the front, along the top of the
knife E, by the ejecting motion of the ejector-blade C, whereupon the second or
completing portion of the upward motion of the said knife is completed by the
pull of the spring o, opposed, it is true, by the pendulum brake, but the action of the
brake during this completing portion of the upward motion, is not essential to
the invention and occurs only because it is considered unnecessary to provide for
the disconnection of the pawl and ratchet wheel r'.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The combination with the moveable trimming knife of a linotype machine and
mechanism for moving it out of the way before the advance of a 2-line cap.
linotype or the like and for replacing it in its normal position, of a mechanism
adapted to brake or retard the return motion of the said knife, as set forth.
2. The combination with the moveable trimming knife of a liuotype machine and
mechanism for moving it out of the way before the advance of a 2-line cap.
linotype or the like and for replacing it in its normal position, of a pendulum
escapement adapted to brake or retard the return motion of the said knife, as set
forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of July 1806
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.