CERTAIN IM. PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CASTING PRINTING TYPES, SPACES, AND QUADRATS, AND THE MEANS OF BREAKING OFF AND COUNTING THE SAME
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
BESSEMER, of City Terrace, City Road, in the Parish of Saint Luke, Old
Street, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Eighth day of March, in the first year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry
Bessemer, Her especial licence that I, the said Henry Bessemer, my exors,
adiiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Bessemer, my
exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all Her said
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my said Invention of CERTAIN IM.
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CASTING PRINTING TYPES, SPACES,
AND QUADRATS, AND THE MEANS OF BREAKING OFF AND COUNTING THE SAME; in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Henry
Bessemer, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly
to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
mauner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in
Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and
the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
annear

page_text: KNOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Bessemer, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention consists
in certain improvements whereby I obtain an arrangement of self-acting
machinery for the purpose of casting or forming types, spaces, or quadrats for
printing, which enables me to perform the various operations of casting,
breaking off, and counting, without the aid of manual labour, and to produce
types with greater expedition and accuracy than by the old machinery or
apparatus; and in further compliance with the said proviso, I do hereby
describe the manner in which my said Invention is to be performed, by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings annexed,
and to the figures, letters, and numbers marked thereon (that is to say):-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Sheet A, Fig. 1, is a side elevation of the machine with the several working
parts in the position they will assume during the time the metal is being
injected into the mould. Sheet B, Figure 2, is a longitudinal section of the
same, taken on the line A, B, through the centre of the machine. Sheet C,
Figure 3, is a transverse section through the machine on the line C, D, taken
vertically. Sheet D, Figure 4, is a horizontal section on the line E, F. Sheet
E, Figure 5, isa plan of the top of the upper portion of the machine. Sheet F,
Figure 6, is a transverse section of part of the machine, taken on the line
G, H, and shewing the metal pan and cylinder and a portion of the mould.
Figure 7 is an end elevation of the mould, with the cams and levers for
opening and shutting the sliding sides of the mould, which I call the sliding
doors, and for working the matrixes as they would appear when drawn aside
from the face of the type, as will be hereafter described. The whole of the
Figures in this Sheet are of the full size. Sheet G, Figure S, is a vertical
section of the metal pump and pan, taken on the same line as in Figure 2,
and drawn of the full size; Figure 9 is a horizontal section of the same on
the line I, K; and Figure 10 is a similar section on the line I., M. Sheet H,
Figures 11 to 24* shew the mould for forming the types in detail with the
"breaking-off" apparatus, all drawn of the full size. Similar letters of
reference are used to denote similar parts in the whole of the Figures.
A, A, A, is the framework of the machine, which contains the furnace at B,
which furnace has an outer casing round it filled with loam w for the purpose
of preventing the radiation of heat; the ash-pit at C, the blowing machine for
cooling the mould at D, and the pan where the metal is melted at E; F is a
fly wheel (provided with a handle) fixed on the main shaft G, turning in
bearings fixed to the bed plate H and H*. This bed plate forms a flat surface

page_text: nearly over the whole of the frame, and is so arranged that a portion of it H,
as well as the whole of the machinery attached to that portion, may when
required be disengaged from or rather slided away from under the working
parts of the machine, in order to afford facility, when changing the matrixes, or
what is technically called "setting a sort." It will be well here to observe,
the machine as represented in the accompanying Drawings is arranged for
casting at one operation two distinct letters or types, but it may be so arranged
as to cast a greater number, if required, at one operation.
The bed plate H has cast upon it a tubular projection, extending its whole
breadth, and projecting from it on either side, forming a hollow axis, into which
is accurately fitted the fixed circular rod I, (which is attached to the frame on
one side by the bracket J,) and forms an axle for that portion of the bed plate
marked H to turn upon (see Figure 3); and on the opposite side is fixed a
brass bearing K, which supports the bed plate, in which it turns when dis
engaged or drawn out from the machine; in order to effect which, the main
shaft G is provided with a coupling of a peculiar construction at L, which is
shewn detached in Figures 29 and 30, Sheet D, of the full size; and when
it is required to detach the bed plate from the machine, the main shaft must
be turned round until theupper or wider part of the wedge L' is brought quite
horizontal towards that side of the machine where the brass bearing K is
fixed, and by drawing out that part of the bed plate H by hand it will
immediately detach itself from the shaft G and can then be turned roundupon
the rod I. In order to connect the bed plate and its machinery again to the
working parts of the apparatus, the wedge L', which I call the clutch wedge,
must be brought into a horizontal position, with the point or smallest part of
the wedge towards the recess in the opposite half of the coupling fixed to the
shaft G, and being pushed inwards will connect itself again firmly to the
working parts of the machine. Upon that portion of the bed plate marked H⭑
of the machine are two columns which carry the upper framing A', to which
are attached the bearings M, in which the beam N vibrates. At one end of
this beam is attached by a universal joint a connecting rod (O), the lower end
of which is attached to a crank on the main shaft G; at the opposite end of
the beam is attached by a cross head and slings the piston rods P, by which
the metal is supplied to the mould, as will be hereafter explained. Q is the
piston, provided with a conical valve 78, the rod of which passes through
the cross head, and has a weight R on its upper end, which regulates the
pressure of the metal under the piston during the time of injecting it into
the mould; S is a spring catch, connected to the beam N, which passes
through a slot in the end of a strong spring T. This catch has a notch at U,

page_text: which on the descent of the beam comes in contact and depresses one end of
the lever V, the other end of which is forked, and passes through slots in the
upper end of the plug rods W, W, the lower ends of which are made to fit
the openings in the nipples X, from which the metal issues into the jets of the
moulds, which will be best understood by reference to Fig. 6, Sheet F. Ouone
side of the catch S is an inclined plane, which as the beam descends comes in
contact with the conical end of the screw Z and releases the notch from the
end of the lever V, while the spring Twill raise that end of the lever and lower
the plug rods into the nipples, which will close the apertures or openings and
prevent the further flow of the metal to the mould; but to prevent the pos-
sibility of any accidental drop of metal falling into the mould, what I call
intercepting plates 85, 85, are attached to the sliding doors 19, X cing the
nipple, and 19 the sliding door, to which the plate 85 is attached by a sup-
porting a arm 86. The plate 85 forins an inclined plane, the lower side over-
hanging a small trough 87 at the front of the furnace. The upper end of
the plate, it will be seen, is furnished with a small perforated cone, forming part
of the plate through which the fluid metal passes into the mould when the
sliding door 19 is shut; but when the sliding doors are opened, the cone is no
longer in a line with the jet of the mould or under the nipple, so that any
drops of metal that might escape from the nipple are intercepted in their
passage to the mould, and rolling down the inclined surface of the intercepting
plate are received into the trough 87. (a) is an air pump, worked by a
crank (6) on the shaft G; this pump is for the purpose of extracting air from
the moulds during the process of casting, as will be hereafter explained. At the
extremity of the shaft G is fixed a toothed wheel c, geering into similar
wheels (d), fixed to the cam shafts e, e. f, f, are cams, (see Fig. 4,) which as
they revolve give motion to the horizontal bar (y); this bar is attached by
screws to a projection on the side of each of the brass cylindrical slides (h, h,)
which are moved forward by cams f, f, on the shafts e, e, and are brought
back again by coiled springs contained in them; the cam shafts e, e, revolve in
bearings i, i, fixed to the moveable part of the bed plate H of the machine.
,, are two sliding pieces, which I call pushers, their office being to push
out the type from the mould when formed; one end of each of these slides or
pushers are acted upon by the bar g, and their opposite ends from one side of
the "jet and body" of the mould; these slides are accurately ground and
fitted between the fixed sides of the mould, and are forced forward by the
bar g for the purpose of pushing out the types from the mould after they have
been cast; they are brought back again to their original position by the
springs l, l. This operation will be best understood by referring to the longitu-

page_text: separater
dinal section, Fig. 2. At the extremity of the shafts e, e, are fixed two cams
m, n, the former of which is for the purpose of depressing the matrixes after
the type has been cast, and the latter for opening and shutting the doors or
slides, forming one side of the mould, as will be hereafter explained. On the
main shaft G is fixed a cog wheel (o), geering into a similar cog wheel on
the end of the shaft (p) which turns in bearings on the under side of the bed
plate H*, seen in Fig. 2; and in Fig. 3 () is a cog: wheel geering into a
similar cog wheel fixed on the shaft (), which also turns in bearings fixed to
the frame of the machine; the teeth of these cog wheels are cut at an angle
of 45° to the plane of their axles, and give motion to the shaft r, which is
placed at right angles to the shaft (p) sufficiently low to allow the cranked
ends of the shaft (1) to revolve without coming in contact with the frame
of the machine; to this crank is attached the rod (t), which is also connected
to a vibrating plate u, which I call a "separater," and which is for the
purpose of separating or dividing the "breaks" from the types after being
cast; it has side plates, which guide the types as they fall from the mould, so
that they may drop on the canvas v over each of the trays placed to receive
them. The inner surfaces, of the separater are covered with cloth, in order that
the types may not be injured as they fall upon it. A little below the:
are two rollers (x), over which is streched an endless band of cloth (v), upon
which the type falls from the separater. The rollers with the cloth receive
motion by a catgut from the pully (7), fixed on the shaft (r), and as they
revolve the cloth conveys the types along from under the separator, and deposits
them in the trays below. The position of the separator, as seen in Figure 2, is
such that the "breaks or jets" will fall from the mould upon the inclined
plane, formed by the back of the separator, and will guide the pieces of
waste metal into the shoot 1, which passes under the ash-pit C, to the out-
side of the machine. The dotted lines shew the reverse position of the
separator, in which position the types will be conveyed on to the canvas, as
before described. The blowing machine 1) consists of four revolving fans or
leaves 2, 2, 2. 2, inclosed in a casing fixed to the frame at 3, having an open-
ing at the centre for the admission of the air; the fans are fixed on to the
axle of the blower, and receive a very rapid motion. by the contact of the
small friction roller 4 with the fly wheel F; a tube 5 leads from the blower
to a horizontal pipe 6, from which three pipes 7, 7, 7, branch, which are
attached by union joints to the back of the mould at s, and by which a
constant current of cold air passes through the several channels or passages of
the mould and reduces its temperature.
I will now describe the mould and the manner in which it is constructed,

page_text: for which it will be necessary to refer to Sheet H of the Drawings, where
I have shew it in detail. Fig. 11 is a plan of the upper side of the
mould as placed in the machine, shewing the jets 7, 7, 7, 7, which receive
the liquid metal from the melting pan; Fig. 12 is a plan of the under
side of the same; Fig. 13 is a back elevation, shewing the openings 8,
to which the cold air pipes 7 are attached, and the orifices 9, 9, 9, by
which the air returns and escapes into the atmosphere. 10 is the opening
to which the exhausting pipe is attached. Fig. 14 is a front elevation
of the mould, in which is shewn the four holes 11, 11, 11, 11, by which the
breaking-off apparatus, and also the four holes upon the sliding doors by
which the intercepting plates are attached, but here removed in order to shew
the several parts of the mould more clearly; Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the
same. Fig. 16 is a longitudinal section of the mould on the line A, B, with
one of the slides and bar dotted in the position it will be when it has
been pushed forward and expelled the type from the mould; Fig. 17 is a
horizontal section on the line C, D, in which the exhausting passages are
more clearly seen; Fig. 1S is a section on the liue E, F, which shews the
cold air passages; Figs. 19 and 20 are sections at G, H, and I, K, shewing
the manner in which the cold-air channels are connected to the main passages
from the cold-air pipes 7. Fig. 21 is a side and end view of one of the
pushers detached from the mould 12, 12, being two grooves which pass over
the male nicks on one side of the mould during the operation of expelling
the types.
The mould is composed of two ranges of moveable parts or pieces, the
lower set or "blocks" forming what is termed the "body," and the upper
blocks forming what is technically called the "jet." 13 is the bed plate or
foundation of the mould; to this plate are attached by screws 14 the lower
blocks or carriages 15, 16, 17, leaving two spaces 18, 18, between them
corresponding precisely to the size of the intended types, and forming two
of the sides of each mould; the centre block 16 forming the two backs, and
the outer blocks 15, 17, the "nick sides" of the types. (The size of type
intended to be cast in the mould, as shewn in the Drawings, is for what is
called "brevier.") Within these spaces 18 are accurately ground or fitted the
pushers or sliding pieces 1, 2, which form at their extremities the third side
of the mould, or what is technically called the "rub side." In Figure 17 the
pusherk' is seen set for casting a letter (m), which requires a larger space
than for the letter (a), which is seen in front of the pusher 2; the fourth or
other "rub side" of the mould is formed by the two sliding doors 19, 19.
20, 21, 22, are the three upper blocks of the mould which contain cold air

page_text: passages, the bottom of these blocks overhang the spaces 18, and determines
the point where the body of the type ends and the jet begins, the jet being
two-thirds less in thickness at that point than the body of the type, and it
also makes a shoulder where the jet or break is separated from the type; the
upper and lower blocks are attached to each other by countersunk screws 23
and steady pins 24, see Fig. 20, and also Fig. 22, the latter of which is a plan
of the lower surface of the upper blocks or jets.
On the top of the upper blocks is screwed the covering plate 25, which
attaches the whole together, and keeps the pushers 1, 2, in their proper
position. In Fig. 14, the doors 19, 19, which form one side of the mould,
are best seen, and are drawn back, leaving the space where the types are cast
open to view. The doors are pressed close to the surface of the mould by
elastic plates 26, two of which are screwed to the foundation plate 13 and
two to the upper or covering plate 25. 27, 27, are two screws tapped into
the cloors, to which are attached the springs 28, 28, by the links 29, 29; this
will be more clearly seen in Fig. 7, Sheet F. 30, 30, are two springs which
press against one side of the matrixes 31, 31", and keep them close to the
registers 32, 32.
The registers are fixed to the mould by screws 33 passing through slots 34,
which slots are seen best in the detached Fig. 23 of the register, and are
sufficiently long to allow the registers being adjusted one way or the other
according to the thickness of the matrix to be used in the mould. At one end
of the registers are attached by screws the stops or guages 35, which are for
the purpose of regulating the thickness of the type. 36 is a fixed bar, extend-
ing across the upper side of the registers, and between this and the stops 35
a space is formed, in which the matrix is placed for registering its thicknes,
previous to its being placed where it forms the type, and before the registers
are screwed tight to the mould. It will be seen that the spaces between this
bar and the stops 35 are unequal; the reason of this is, that on the side /¹ a
wider letter is intended to be cast than at k², or vice versâ, and on the side k
the matrix is shewn placed within and entirely filling the space for the purpose
of adjusting the register and pushers. The register has fixed to it stops 37,
seen in Figs. 12 and 16, which pass through slots in the bed plate of the
mould, and into slots in the under side of the pushers, and as the stops 35 and
register 32 are adjusted to suit the different widths of letters, so the stops 37,
being attached also to the register, are adjusted in the same proportion, and
thus the pusher is prevented being drawn back further from the face of the
mould than is required for the intended thickness of the type.
The method in which the registers are adjusted, or what is technically called

page_text: "setting a sort," is as follows:-Supposing, as is shewn in Fig. 12, the matrix
31 containing the letter (m) has cast the required number of types, and it is
intended to place in the same situation a leter (i), which requires a matrix of
less width, the register slide and guage will require a different adjustment; for
this purpose the screws 33 must be slackened, and a matrix containing the
letter (i), shewn by red lines, must be placed against the fix bar 30, which will
leave a space between it and the stop 35; the stop or guage must then be
forced up against the opposite side of the matrix, which will carry with it the
register 32, its stop 37, and pusher 1, contracting the space in front of the
slide or pusher in the mould at 38 as far as the red lines are drawn in Fig. 16;
the screws of the register are then to be tightened and the matrix be taken from
between the fixed bar and guage and placed between the spring 30 and the end of
the register, where it is ready to cast from. 39,40, are stops, or what is generally
called "stools," fixed to the bottom of the mould (one of which is shewn detached
in Fig. 24), against which the end of the matrixes are kept in close contact by
the springs 41, which springs also keep the matrixes in close contact with the
under side of the mould, see Figs. 6 and 7, Sheet F. 42, 42, are two springs,
which press lightly on the opposite end of the matrix, to which the latter is
formed, and keeps it in close contact with the under side of the mould during
the operation of withdrawing the other end of the matrix from the face of the
type, and forming at the same time a kind of fulcrum on which the matrix
moves; 43 are three fixed guide plates between which the registers move in a
parallel line during the operation of adjustment; 44 is the main air-exhausting
passage, which is connected to the air pump by the pipe 45, and communicates
on either side through the slots 46 in the pushers to the outer blocks or
carriages of the mould; 47 are cross passages from those last named to
grooves 48, which extend perpendicularly nearly the whole length of the body,
as shewn in Fig. 14, and are placed as close as possible to the angles formed
by the four sides of the mould, in order to facilitate the passage of the air
from the mould into these channels. The mould, when screwed and fitted
together, is attached to the bed plate of the machine by screws passing thro
the holes 49 in the bed plate of the mould.
I have already described that an apparatus for breaking off or separating the
type from the waste metal is attached to the mould by screws at 11, in Fig.14
but removed in that Figure in order to shew the parts of the mould more
clearly. I will now describe this "breaking-off" apparatus, as 1 term it.
50 is a piece of brass which is attached by screws at 11 to the lower and
upper central block 16, 21, of the mould, and to this piece is also attached the
bent piece of brass 51, forming between it and the piece to which it is screwed

page_text: a pair of elastic jaws 52, placed exactly opposite each of the pushers & 1,k2, of
the mould, and as the newly cast type is forced out of the mould by the
pushers or slides it is pushed between these jaws and there held fast while
the slide recedes into the mould. To each of the doors 19 are attached pro-
jecting pieces 53, which, as the doors are closed (and when about half way),
come in contact with the waste part of the metal and breaks it off just at the
shoulder formed between it and the type, as before described, when it falls on
the inclined plane of the separater, the jaws still holding the body of the type
between them until another type has been cast, and as that is brought forward
by the pushers it forces out of the jaws the type which had been previously
held there and places the next formed type in its stead, when that also falls
on to the inclined plane of the separator, as before described (and so on, at
every letter that is cast):
In order to obviate the present tedious process of counting the types, I have
attached to the machine an apparatus for effecting this object, and it is neces-
sary to have to each mould as many counting machines as there are provi-
sions for making different sorts of type, or one counting machine to each slide
or pusher. In Sheet D, Fig. 4, the position of the counting machines is shewn,
and I have also given detached Figures of one of them of the full size; they
are both alike, therefore a description of one will suffice. It consists of a
box 54, see the longitudinal section, Fig. 25, the bottom of which is screwed
to the bed plate H of the machine; the top or cover 55 is made to unscrew,
in order to get access to the interior. On this cover are two dials engraved,
which register the numbers of the types, see Fig. 26, one signifying hundreds,
the other thousands. To the end of each of the cam shafts e is fixed a pinion
56, seen on the plan, Fig. 4, geering into a wheel 57, here shewn in the pro-
portion of 1 to 10, fixed to the shaft 58; on this shaft is a worm which drives
a spur wheel 59, the proportion between the worm and wheel being as 1 to
100. The spindle of the wheel 59 carries on its end the index 61, which
counts the hundreds, and has also fixed to it a pinion gearing into a cog wheel
60, the proportion between them being as 1 to 5. On the axis of the wheel 60
is a pinion which gears into a toothed wheel 62, the spindle of which carries
at its upper end the index 63 for the marking of the thousands. The propor-
tion between the wheel 62 and its pinion is as 1 to 10: it will be seen, there-
fore, that at every ten revolutions of either of the cam shafts e the shaft 58
will have turned once round and have moved the wheel 59-ruth part of a
revolution, that is, in the time occupied in making ten operations of the
machine. The index 61 having moved to the first division of the circle, and
by the time 1,000 similar operations of the machine have taken place, the

page_text: index 61 will have completed one revolution of the circle, and the index 63
will have moved to the first division on its dial; and there being 50 divisions
shewn on the dial, it follows that when this index has completed its circle
50,000 types will have been cast in one mould, and there being two jets in the
mould shewn in this machine, 100,000 types will have been made during that
space of time; so that the proportion of the two dials being as 1 to 50, an
examination of their relative positions will, at any time after the machine has
been at work, shew the exact number of types that have been cast, both
indexes having been set to zero on each dial previous to starting the machine.
Fig. 27 is a horizontal view of the wheels, the top cover of the box being
removed.
Having now described the several parts of the machine, I will proceed to
describe the operation of casting tppes, thereby premising that the registers of
the mould have been previously adjusted according to the method before
described, and the bed plate H* brought back again and attached to the
working parts of the machine by the coupling on the main shaft G.
In order to guard against the possibility of accident to that part of the
machine contained in the metal pan should the fly wheel be turned before the
metal is in a liquid state, the connecting rod O at one end of the beam is
made in two parts, accurately fitted to each other, and held together by a small
brass pin 64 passing through them just of sufficient strength as to work the
beam when the metal is in a proper state of fusion; but should any impediment
off to the free action of the piston, the smaller portion of the connecting rod
will sever the brass pin and allow the crank shaft to revolve without causing
any motion of the beam.
The metal being in a proper state of fusion, and the working parts of the
machine brought to the position shewn in Sheets A, B, C, D, by the motion
of the fly wheel the metal has been supplied to the cylinder through the
aperture 65 in the cylinder, the piston has passed the aperture and is forcing
the metal through the nipple X into the jet of the mould. (The operation of
the machine will be best understood by reference to Fig. 2, Sheet B.) Just
before the piston reaches the bottom of its stroke the beam will have brought
down the spring catch so far that the inclined plane on its side will strike
against the conical end of the adjustable screw, allow the spring T to force
up the end of the lever, and at the same time depress the rods, through which
its forked ends pass and force the plugs at their lower ends into the nipples,
and thus prevent the further flow of the metal into the mould; at this moment
the cams on the shafts e will assume the position shewn by red lines in Fig. 7,
and the circular end of the springs 28 will be passing down the inclined plane

page_text: on to the smaller diameter of the cams, and thus allow the springs 28 to draw
back the doors, and at the same time the cams m, m, will depress the matrix
bars 68 and their springs 69, the end of which bars are connected by wire
loops 67 to the under side of the matrixes, and thus draw them down away
from the face of the type, allowing the cams on the shafts e, e, the projecting
face of which have now arrived at the back of the horizontal bar, to push
forward the slides or pushers k¹, 2, and with them the body of the types, into
the jaws of the breaking-off apparatus, the bar having been pushed forward
as far as the projecting face of the cam will carry it; the coiled springs
contained within the brass slides will now begin to bring back the bar, which
will slide down the other inclined face of the projecting cam and allow the
springs 1, 1, to bring back the pushers 1, 2, as far as the stops in the mould
will allow; by this time the round end of the springs 28 will have arrived at
the position in Fig. 7, Sheet F, and commence ascending the inclined planes
on to its larger diameter, and consequently closing the doors 19, and the
projecting pieces 53 upon them coming in contact with the breaks force them
off from the types; by this time the corner 71 of the cams m, n, will have
passed the projections 72 on the matrix bars, and the springs 69 under them
will raise them to their former position and allow the springs 41 to press the
matrixes firmly up into their seats against the under side of the moulds and
hold them there while the letters are being cast. Note.-When spaces or
quadratsare to be cast this action will not be required, as there will be only a
plain surface of copper and no matrix with a letter to be delivered. During
this action of the moulds the piston in the metal pump has been raised to its
greatest height (as shewn in the detached Figure S)and drawn in a supply of
liquid metal through the aperture 65, the plugs still remaining in their seat
and keeping the apertures in the nipples closed; the spring bar has also been
raised to the position shewn in this Figure above the end of the lever, the air
pump has also arrived nearly to its greatest height, producing a vacuum; the
slide valve 74 being closed, the further progress of the fly wheel will bring
the cam 75 against the slide rod 76 and instantly open the slide valves 74,
opening a communication between the passages in the mould before described
and the air pump by means of the tube 45, whilst the slide valve is being
opened to form the communication the beam has gone so far down its stroke
as to bring the piston into the position shewn in Figure 2 and raised the plug
rods out of the nipples by the spring catch coming in contact with the end of
the lever, which will allow the metal to flow into the mould at the precise
moment the air contained in it is passing through its passage into the vacuum
formed in theair pump; and this vacuum in the mould is formed by the bottom

page_text: of the jet being choked for a moment by the flow of the liquid metal into it
preventing the admission of the atmosphere from above, so that the air con-
tained in the body of the mould is instantly drawn off to the air pump, allowing
the metal to flow freely into the angles of the mould, and thus forming more
perfect types than heretofore, not only as regards uniformity of surface and
sharpness of angle of the type, but also solidity of metal.
In order to allow the piston to work freely in the cylinder at so high a
temperature as is necessarily required to keep the metal in a fluid state, it
is made to fit loosely the cylinder as well as the plug rods which pass
through it; and in order to obtain the requisite pressure on the metal,
which would, in consequence of the looseness of the fitting of the piston,
be otherwise prevented, a much larger cylinder than would be required to
supply the mould with metal at each stroke is provided, and the surplus
metal which has flown into the cylinder through the aperture during the
ascent of the piston will pass up, not only between the spaces of the
piston, cylinder, and plug rods, but a considerable portion will find its way
through the weighted valve 78, and will pass again into the metal pan through
the large openings 79 of the cylinder. During the whole of the revolution of
the fly wheel the blowing machine is kept in motion, and by the means before
mentioned described affords a constant current of cold air to the mould,
otherwise the mould would become so much heated that the metal would not
become solid before the sliding doors of the mould are opened.
Now, whereas the machine may be set in motion by hand, or by a band from
any first mover, and the air pump, separator, and blowing machine may be
worked by any other separate power, for I do not confine myself to the mode
of giving motion to the several parts as shewn in the Drawing; but whereas
1 claim as my Invention the following improvements, that is to say,
First, the arrangement of the magazine of liquid metal placed vertically
over the mould, with the weight above regulating the pressure on the metal,
and the cylindrical plugs below for closing and clearing the nipples.
Secondly, the pushers forming one side of the mould, as herein-before
described, whereby I am enabled to vary the thickness of the type according to
the letter required, and to push out the type when formed from the mould.
Thirdly, the sliding doors with which I form another side of the mould, and
whereby I am enabled to open the mould for the delivery of the type, leaving
two sides of it always fixed and steady.
of type-
Fourthly, the exhausting the air from the mould in the process
founding.

page_text: Fifthly, the application of a blast of cold air to cool the mould, whether
applied internally, as herein-before described, or externally.
Sixthly, the breaking-off apparatus and the separator, herein-before
described.
Seventhly, the intercepting plates, herein-before described.
And, lastly, the application of a counting machine in the process of type-
founding.
And such my Invention being, to the best of my knowledge and belief, en-
tirely new, and never before used within that part of Her said Majesty's United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her said Dominion of
Wales, or Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all Her said Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, I do hereby declare this to bemy Specification
of the same, and that I do verily believe this my said Specification doth
comply in all respects fully and without reserve or disguise with the proviso
in the said herein-before in part recited Letters Patent contained, wherefore I
do hereby claim to maintain exclusive right and privilege to my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Bessemer, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of September, One thousand eight