IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTROTYPE PLATES AND THE MODE OF SECURING THEM IN THE FORMS FOR PRINTING
Year: 1885

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
We, ALBERT WILLIAM MARSHALL, of Indianopolis, Marion County Indiana,
U.S.A Printer, and ORLANDO JAY SMITH, President of the American Press
Association of Chicago State of Illinois, U.S.A., do bereby declare the nature of
said invention for "IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTROTYPE PLATES AND THE MODE OF
SECURING THEM IN THE FORMS FOR PRINTING to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
"
The object of this invention is especially to improve the means, by which
newspapers at a distance are furnished printing matter from a central office in the
form of stereotype plates, and it consists in substituting for such plates an electro-
shell made of flexible material, without the heavy metal backing now. in general
and in providing such shell with edges extending out beyond the line of the
printing surface to form flanges, whereby the shell may be adapted to a block for
the purposes of printing.
use;
The shell is formed by an electric deposition of copper or other metal. When
made of copper it is formed in a battery on a wax mould in the manner followed
in making an ordinary electro-plate by which a fac simile of the type form is
produced. A margin or edge is allowed to form on two or more of the edges of
this plate, as and for the purpose now to be described.
In the accompanying drawings, there are shown ways of securing this shell to a
block or base.
Figure 1 represents a section of the shell as used in the columns of a newspaper,
a, a, are the flanges for the purpose of holding it in the forms. These flanges of
the same material, and cast integral with the shell, are turned at right angles with
the printing surface of the shell, as shown in Fig 2.
It is designed that the shell be mounted on a base of wood or metal to make it
type high. Fig. 3, represents a section of shell adjusted to a moveable base ready
for use.
The flanges a, a, lap down on the sides of the base C, and the column rule D,
in Fig. 3, presses against the flange when the forms are "locked-up," thus holding
the shell firmly on the base C. as will be readily seen by any one skilled in making
up forms for printing. It is evident that the flanges are adapted by reason of
their flexibility to be secured to the block in other ways than here shown. In
making electrotypes of wood-cuts, and other work it is desirable to have the
flange above referred to on four sides of the printing surface of the "shell," and
as shown in Fig. 4, these flanges can be made secure to a wood or metal base by
screws or nails for the purpose set forth.

page_text: Fig. 5, represents a dash used in the column of a newspaper and provided with
flanges at each end to secure it to a base in a similar manner as the section of
"shell" shown in Fig. 3.
Fig. 6, is a bottom perspective view of the electro-type shell, and Fig 7, an
enlarged section of the same.
In the process of casting the shell, the electro deposit may be allowed to thicken
to a greater extent than is necessary when "backing" is to be employed, or the
shell may be very slightly backed, but in either case not to a thickness inconsistent
with its perfect pliability, or with the advantages to be accomplished by the use of
the shell, as will now be stated.
One of the most important advantages of the improvement lies in the fact that
by reason of the thinness and pliability of the plate it can be used with all forms
of printing surfaces, whether straight or curved, without re-adaptation to meet
degrees of curvature, an impossibility with stereotype plates, as for example, on
what are known as "turtle" presses. Again an clectrotype shell thus constructed
can be cut by a pair of shears into any desired length to adapt the matter to the
make up of the paper similar to many stereotype plates now in use; and by reason
of its lightness it can be transported cheaply by mail, or, if by express or by
freight, at greatly reduced rates, thus saving a very large amount in the cost of
transportation. In this connection it may be said that twenty inches of the
improved plate ready to be put on the press weighs about two ounces, while the
same length of the lightest stereotype fit to use weighs a, little less than three
pounds.
As to cost of production, the value of metal in a twenty inch stereotype plate is
about twenty five cents (25 c.), whereas the value of this plate of the same length
is less than three cents. A large proportion, at least 25 per cent of the whole
amount of material used in stereotypes, is lost annually, whereas, such loss in
material by employment of this plate is so small as not to be considered.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. A flexible electrotype shell, without the usual backing, in combination with a
base or block having a plain upper surface supporting the shell at the required
height, for printing therefrom, substantially as described.
2. A shell having edges made of the same material and integral therewith, the
said edges extending out beyond the line bounding the printing surface a suitablo
distance to form flanges, whereby the shell may be adapted to a block for the
purpose of printing therefrom, substantially as described.
Dated this 17th day of February 1885