AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PRINTERS' TYPE
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PRINTERS' TYPE."
A communication from abroad by Joseph Etienne Perrachon, of Lyons,
France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th September 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF PRINTERS' TYPE." [A communication from abroad by Joseph
Etienne Perrachon, of Lyons, France.]
The type ordinarily employed for printing is made of an alloy which is cast in
a mould or matrix. As this alloy must possess great fluidity when melted to
ensure its entry into all parts of the matrix it is not durable, the letters or other
characters soon become deteriorated and must be renewed, thus entailing
considerable expense.
Various attempts have hitherto been made to construct machines for the
manufacture of metal type in copper, iron, or steel, but none of these machines
have produced good results in practice.
Machines constructed according to my present Invention are capable of
manufacturing printers' type of copper or any other metal with great precision,
which type is exceedingly clear; and these machines are superior to others with
respect to their combined perpendicular motions.
In carrying the said Invention into practice, I make use of a band or ribbon of
copper or other metal, this band which is of dimensions suitable for the letters
to be formed being rolled upon a drum. As it comes from the drum the said band
passes between four rollers whose distance apart may be varied; two of these
rollers are arranged horizontally, and the other two vertically, and the ribbon is
straightened in passing through them; the ribbon is grasped by means of pincers
in connection with a lever, and is thus compelled to pass forward.

page_text: A driving shaft is provided and receives its motion from a crank or a pulley,
according to whether the machine is driven by hand or by other power. At the
outer end of this shaft there is a fly-wheel for regulating the motion, and the said
shaft also carries two pinions provided with teeth on half their periphery only.
These pinions gear with two wheels which are entirely toothed, so that for each
revolution of the driving shaft the two last mentioned wheels will only make half
a rotation alternately, and when one of the wheels nakes such half rotation, it
causes a shaft which carries an excentric to rotate to the same extent, and by
means of a connecting rod the two parts of a jointed pressure device are made to
occupy a straight line with respect to each other. A shaft or spindle in connection
with one of these parts oscillates in a cylindrical cavity in the frame and cannot
shift longitudinally, so that the two parts of the said jointed device straighten out
and push forward a piece in connection therewith (which carries the matrix for
stamping the character) against two bearing or holding pieces or blocks which hold
the band or ribbon, and thus the latter is pressed with great force. The excentric
continuing its movement the jointed parts are caused to bend, and the piece
carrying the matrix returns rearward, and stops as soon as the wheel ceases to gear
with its pinion; then as the other wheel gears with the second pinion it begins to
move, and by means of two bevel wheels-causes-a small-excentric to make half-a-
revolution. This in its turn causes two other jointed parts to straighten out, and
thereby the said bearing or holding pieces or blocks and a cutting devico_are_
caused to come together.
-Above-the-two-toothed-wheels-is-placed-a-stop-pawl provided with a strong
spring, which continually tends to hold the same against one of the said wheels,
and prevents all motion of the latter when they cease to be in gear with their
pinions. One of the said toothed wheels carries moreover a small oxcentric stud
which at each rotation of the wheel moves a lever aside, and by means of two
levers compels the aforesaid pincer-lever to advance the band or ribbon into or
between the bearings or holding pieces of the machine.
The pressure of the matrix upon the ribbon may be varied by means of
regulating devices, according to the degree of compression which is required.
The completed type falls into a shoot which conducts the same into a box.
Should the type adhere to one of the sides of the bearing or holding pieces, a
driver which tends to descend under the action of a spring, but which is held by
the matrix, expels the type as soon as the matrix is withdrawn. Should the
driver fail in any case to cause the type to fall, no accident to the machine could
occur, as the band or ribbon could not enter between the bearings or holding pieces
or blocks.
The matrix can by means of setscrews be moved in all directions, so as to
impress the letter or character exactly in the centre of the type. The bearing or
holding pieces or blocks and the matrix must be changed according to the size of
type to be produced.

page_text: Figure 3 an end view of the same.
Figure 4 is a section on line A, B, Figure 2.
Figures 5 and 6 are detail views of the matrix and of the dies or holding-pieces.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings.
A¹ is a band or ribbon of copper or other metal; this band is of dimensions
suitable for the letters which are to be formed and is rolled upon a drum B¹. As
it comes from the drum the said band passes between four rollers, whose distance
apart may be varied; two of these rollers are arranged horizontally, and the other
two vertically, and the ribbon is straightened in its passage between them; the
ribbon is grasped by means of pincers D in connection with the lever C, and
is thereby fed forward in the machine.
The driving shaft E receives its motion from a crank or a pulley, according to
whether the machine is driven by hand or by other power. Upon the outer end
of this shaft is fixed a fly-wheel for regulating the motion, and the shaft E also
carries two pinions provided with teeth upon only one half of their periphery.
These pinions gear with two wheels F and G which are entirely toothed, so that
while the shaft E makes one rotation the wheels F and G only make half a
rotation alternately, and when the wheel F makes half a rotation, it causes the
shaft which carries the excentric H to rotate to the same extent, and by means
of the connecting rod I straightens the jointed arms J, J¹, as shown in Figure 1.
As the shaft or spindle K oscillates in a cylindrical cavity in the frame, it cannot
move otherwise in the said frame, and when the jointed arms J, J', are straightened
they push forward the piece L (which carries the matrix for stamping the letter
or character) against the dies or holding pieces, containing the portion of the
band or ribbon which is to form the letter or type, and thus the said portion is
pressed with great force. The excentric continuing its movement the jointed arms

page_text: are thereby caused to bend, and the piece L carrying the matrix returns rearward
and stops as soon as the wheel F ceases to gear with its pinion; then as the other
wheel G gears with the second pinion the said wheel begins to move, and by
means of the bevel wheels M, M₁, causes a small excentric similar to that actuated
by the wheel F to make half a revolution, thereby causing the jointed arms N, N',
to straighten out, and bring together the dies or holding pieces O, O', and the
cutting device P.
Above the wheels F and G is placed a stop pawl Q provided with a strong
spring, which continually tends to hold the same against one of the wheels F, G,
and prevents all motion of the latter when they cease to be in gear with their
pinions. The wheel F carries moreover a small excentric stud R. (Figure 4) which
at each rotation of the wheel F moves the lever S nside, thereby actuating
levers T, U, and compelling the pincer-lever C to feed forward the band or
ribbon A¹ into or between the dies or holding pieces 0, 0¹.
The operation of the machine is as follows, that is to say, the pincer-lever C
introduces the band or ribbon A' between the dies or holding pieces 0, 0¹; the
wheel a gears at this moment with its pinion, and by means of the aforesaid
excentric straightens the jointed arms N, N¹, thereby pushing forward the picco.L'
to actuato the cutting device P and the die or holding piece O. The cutting
device P cuts the band or ribbon A' and continues its course; the die or holding
piece then presses the copper wire_or_ribbon_and-brings-it-to-the-required-
dimensions and makes the nick in the body of the type. The wheel G now ceases
-to-be-in-gear-with-its-pinion-and the wheel F commences its movement, and by
means of the excentric H straightens the jointed arms J, J'. The pressure of the
piece L and the matrix upon the ribbon may be varied by means of regulating
devices V, VI, according to the degree of compression which is required. The typo
obtained by the means herein before described is very clear and distinct, and is also
very hard.
The matrix being withdrawn rearwards the wheel F ceases to operate, and the
wheel G being again turned withdraws first the cutting device P, and then the die
or holding piece O. The completed typo falls into the shoot X which conducts the
same into a box. Should the type adhere to one of the sides of the dies or holding
pieces, the driver y which tends to descend under the action of the spring Z, but
which is held by the matrix when in its forward position, forces out the type as
soon as the matrix is withdrawn. Should the driver fail in any case to force out
the type no accident to the machine can occur, because the pincer-lever C which
introduces the metal band or ribbon between the dies or holding pieces cannot
perform its return stroke, on account of its being stopped by the driver coming
against the type, and will therefore not feed forward the ribbon.
For producing each letter or character two turns of the fly wheel are necessary,
one turn for closing the dies or holding picces and stamping the letter, and another
turn for opening the dies or holding pieces and withdrawing the matrix to its
original position.
The detail views, Figures 5 and 6, drawn to an enlarged scale show the type held
between the dies or holding pieces O, O¹; the cutting devico P, the movement of
which is given by the die or holding piece O', is shown in the position which it
occupies when the matrix stamps the letter or type. This matrix is capable of
being moved by means of set-screws in all directions, so as to impress the letter or
character exactly in the centre of the type. The dies or holding pieces and tho
matrix must be changed according to the size of type to be produced; and it is
obvious that the form and size of the machines may be varied in many ways if
desired.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,―
The improved machine, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the
accompanying Drawings, whereby printers' type may be manufactured with great

page_text: precision, and with distinctness of the letters or characters in any metal or alloy,
and without a shock or blow, as hereinbefore set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty seventh day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
W. ROBT. LAKE, (L.S.)