Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Typographic Matrices.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 20th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 11th Feb., 1899
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Typographic
Matrices.
A communication from LÉON PARIS, of 1, Rue de l'Abbé de l'Epée, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Engineer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to a new method of producing, by means of a typewriter,
a mould or plate with intaglio or relief impressions of characters, in which metal
is cast to form a typographic block, replacing the blocks used at present and made
by means of ordinary movable types.
The mould or plate on which the characters of the matter to be printed are
impressed or formed by the typewriter is constituted by plastic material, for
instance by a mixture of equal parts of paper pulp, graphite or lamp-black, asbestos,
and clay; or as another example, any soft metal or alloy may be used, such as
lead, tin, nickel and regulus; or gutta-percha may be used.
The material or composition having been suitably rolled so as to form a sheet
a few millimetres thick, this sheet is placed on the typewriter which is then worked
in the usual manner.
The typewriter, has, however, to be slightly modified for this special work which
modifications will be now described.
The typewriter modified according to the present invention comprises a device for
advancing the platen or carriage in proportion to the width of the characters,
constituted by a projection or finger secured to each hammer.
The machine is provided with a horizontal bar secured to the frame and having
pivoted to it a lever which can move in the horizontal plane and is provided with
an inclined plane at one of its ends.
At each stroke of the hammer, one of the projections strikes with its corner the
inclined plane, and moves back the lever to an extent in proportion to the size
of the projection. The lever then oscillates on its pin and its other end connected
to a lever provided with a pawl also advances to an extent in proportion to the size
of the projection. The pawl thus turns the ratchet wheel and a toothed wheel
secured to that ratchet; this wheel operates by means of two pinions two worms
screw-threaded in opposite directions. It will be easily understood that these
two worms rotate at each stroke of the hammer to an extent in proportion to the
thickness of the finger of the particular hammer acting, and as these worms
operate, by means of a coupling, the platen or carriage of the machine, it follows
that said platen or carriage also moves to an extent proportioned to the size of
that hammer projection.
The two worms have, as just stated, threads cut in opposite directions and as
i

page_text: either of them may be made to operate the platen or carriage supporting the
mould or plate, by means of a coupling, it follows that said platen and mould
advance at each stroke of a hammer either to the right or to the left to an extent
in proportion to the width of a letter, it being assumed that "m's" are provided,
say, with a finger of maximum width, "a's" with a finger of intermediate width,
and "i's" with a finger of minimum width..
To reverse the direction of the movement of the carriage, that is to say to couple
it alternately with one or other of the worms or to throw it out of gear altogether,
a coupling device is employed constituted by a lever pivoted to the frame and pro-
vided with a projection having two half-nuts adapted to engage with the thread
of the worms respectively.
When by operating the lever one or other of the nuts is caused to engage with
the corresponding worm, every stroke of a hammer causes the carriage to move.
The lever is held in place by means of a detent.
This device for moving the carriage backwards and forwards, does not prevent
said carriage from being raised in typewriters in which such raising is necessary.
It has for its object to enable the operator, who wants to have the line properly
justified, to start the last words on the line from the end thereof, and to regulate
the intervals according to circumstances.
To make the depth of the impression in the plate or mould always the same,
the bar is provided with a fork against which strike from below shoulders made
at each side of the hammer. This fork is detachable, and its thickness varies
according to the depth of the impression desired.
The mould or plate having been finished on the typewriter, the metal is cast
flat if it is for an ordinary printing press. If it be for a rotary press, the mould is
rolled up, the letters inwards, so as to give a cylindrical shape, and the metal is
cast into the interior of the cylinder thus formed. The taking off of the mould
is then effected in sections.
Dated this 1st day of April 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Typographic
Matrices.
A communication from LÉON PARIS, of 1, Rue de l'Abbé de l'Epée, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Engineer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of London.
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a new method of producing by means of a typewriter,
a mould or plate with intaglio or relief impressions of characters, on which metal
is cast to form a typographic block replacing the blocks used at present and made
by means of ordinary types.
The mould or plate on which the characters of the matter to be printed are
impressed or formed by the typewriter is constituted by plastic material for instance
by a mixture of equal parts of paper pulp, graphite or lamp-black, asbestos, and
clay; or as another example, any soft metal or alloy may be used, such as lead,
tin, nickel, or regulus or gutta percha may also be used.
This mixture having been suitably rolled so as to form a sheet a few millimetres

page_text: 9 pམvས 0u
by Dewitter WHICH 15 спец Worked in the usual
manner.
The typewriter has, however, to be slightly modified for this special work, which
modifications will be now described with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which;
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a part of a Caligraph" typewriter modified
according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a plan of the parts illustrated in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line
of Figure 1, corresponding to the
point of contact of the characters with the roller.
Figure 4 is a section on the line y-z of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is an end-view of the carriage;
Figure 6 shows on an enlarged scale, the arrangement of hammers to produce an
advance of the platen or carriage depending on the horizontal width of the letter;
Figures 7 and 8 show different hammers for letters of smaller widths than those
for which apparatus of the dimensions indicated in Figure 6 is used.
Figure 9 shows a construction of a hammer which does not cause any advance
of the platen or carriage and is consequently destined to mark accents on the
letters.
It must be pointed out that although the drawing illustrates the modifications
made in the typewriter of the "Caligraph" type for the purpose of giving an
example of the practical application of this method of intaglio printing, these
modifications may, with slight alterations, be applied to various other typewriters.
The typewriter modified according to the present invention comprises
a device
for advancing the platen or carriage in proportion to the width of the characters
constituted by a projection or finger A A¹ or A² secured to each hammer.
The machine is provided with a horizontal bar B secured to the frame and
having pivoted to it at d a lever D which can move in the horizontal plane and
is provided with an inclined plane C at one of its ends.
At each stroke of the hammer, one of the projections AA'A² strikes with its
corner the inclined plane C and moves back the lever D to an extent in proportion
to the size of the projection. The lever D then oscillates on its pin d, and its other
end connected to a lever provided with a pawl e also advances to an extent in
proportion to the size of the projection A A¹ or A". The pawl e thus turns the
ratchet wheel F and a toothed wheel F¹ secured to the ratchet wheel; this wheel F
operates by means of two pinions g and h two worms G and H screw-threaded in
opposite directions. It will be easily understood that these two worms rotate at
cach stroke of the hammer to an extent in proportion to the thickness of the finger
of the particular hammer acting, and as these worms operate, by means of a
coupling, the platen or carriage of the machine, it follows that said platen or
carriage also moves to an extent proportioned to the size of that hammer projection.
The two worms G and H have as just stated, threads cut in opposite directions
and as either of them may be made to operate the platen or carriage supporting
the mould or plate, by means of a coupling, it follows that said platen and mould.
advance at each stroke of a hammer either to the right or to the left to an extent
in proportion to the width of a letter, it being assumed that "m's" are provided
with say, a finger A², of maximum width "a's" with a finger A', of intermediate
width, and "i's" with a finger A of minimum width.
To reverse the direction of the movement of the carriage, that is to say to couple
it alternately with one or other of the worms or to throw it out of gear altogether,
a coupling device is employed constituted by a lever I pivotted at i to the frame
and provided with a projection having two half-nuts G₁ and H' adapted to engage
with the threads of the worms G and H respectively.
In the position in which the lever is shown in Figure 5, the carriage is out of
gear, but when by operating the lever I one or other of the nuts is caused to engage
with the corresponding worm, every stroke of a hammer causes the carriage to
move.
The lever I is held in place by means of a detent I¹.

page_text: This device for moving the carriage backwards and forwards, does not prevent
said carriage from being raised in typewriters in which such raising is necessary.
It has for its object to enable the operator who wants to have the line properly
justified, to start the last words of the line from the end thereof and to regulate
the intervals according to circumstances.
To make the depth of the impression in the plate or mould always the same, the
bar B is provided with a fork J against which strike from below the shoulders n
made at each side of the hammer N. This fork is detachable, and its thickness
may vary according to the depth of the impression desired.
The mould or plate 0 having been finished in the typewriter, the metal is
cast flat if it is for an ordinary printing press. If it be for a rotary press, the mould
is rolled up, the letters inwards, so as to give a cylindrical shape, and the metal
is cast into the interior of the cylinder thus formed. The removal of the mould is
then effected in sections.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The method of making typographic matrices consisting in impressing the
desired characters upon a surface of plastic material by means of a typewriter or
printer substantially as described.
2. In a typewriter for use in making typographic matrices the combination of
hammers provided with projections varying in size according to the sizes of their
respective letters with co-operating means for moving the platen, substantially
as described.
3. In a typewriter for use in making typographic matrices, the combination
of hammers provided with projections varying in size according to the sizes of
their respective letters, with a pivotted lever acted upon by said hammers when
operated, the other end of said lever actuating a pawl engaging with a ratchet
wheel adapted to engage with one or other of two screw threaded rods for moving
the platens substantially as described.
4. In driving gear of the kind described a coupling device comprising a pivoted
bar provided with two half nuts GH adapted to engage with the screw threaded
rods substantially as described.
5. Means for regulating the depth of impression of the character dies comprising
a fork against which the shoulders of the hammers strike when making an impres-
sion, substantially as described.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts for moving the platen in accordance
with the size of each letter impressed, substantially as described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
7. The combination and arrangement of parts for use in producing typographic
matrices, substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of December 1898
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.