IMPROVEMENTS IN TYPE CASES
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. and Wm Clark of
53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TYPE CASES" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to type-cases; and it has for its object the production of
a case in which partitions forming the compartments are constructed so as to
mutually strengthen each other, and so as to be in parts or sections removable, in
order to adapt the case for use either as a lower or cap case at will.
According to this Invention each of the partition strips is slotted to form the
usual half joint, and is, in addition, grooved slightly on each side and in line with
the slot. The sides of the groove may be slightly slanted, and the continuation of
that form of cut forms upon the walls of the slot a mitered bearing-surface, on each
corner thereof, so that as the partitions are united the walls of the slot of one strip
slide in the grooves of the other, and the mitered bearings of each are forced snugly
against the slanted walls of the groove of the other, and both halves of partitions
so formed are firmly supported against lateral strain and prevented from breaking
on a line extending from the bottom of one slot to that of the next in a strip.
In actual practice the groove, and consequently the bearing-surface or miter, is
made very slight or shallow, as with good workmanship a slight jointure of the
partitions at these points renders them exceedingly firm, and the slot may also be
cut slightly tapering, so that it is a trifle narrower at the top than at the bottom,
whereby, when united, the mitered walls of the slots shall the more snugly fit the
grooves; or, in other words, so that there may be a driving fit of the jointed
parts.
By these removable partitions and partition sections I am enabled to adapt an
ordinary lower-case-type case for a job font of type, or vice versa. I accomplish
this in the following manner : For the b, 1, and v compartments a single partition,

page_text: and for the c, d, m, n, u, t, and similar compartments a cross or double partition,
and for the e compartment a treble partition are provided, and suitable grooves, are
formed in the frame-work to receive the ends of these removable sections of
partitions wherever they come in contact therewith, and in the remaining localities
similar grooves are formed in the partitions.
By inserting single, double, and treble partitions or partition sections, a lower
case is transformed to a cap-case without difficulty, and each half of said lower
case is rendered capable of holding a font, so that the capacity in fonts is fully
economised.

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
TYPE-CASES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to type-cases; and it has for its object the production of a
case in which the partitions forming the compartments are constructed so as to
mutually strengthen each other, and so as to be in parts or sections removable, in
order to adapt the case for use either as a lower or cap case at will, and the
Invention consists in certain features hereinafter described, and specifically set
forth in the claims.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in plan one-half of a type-
case embodying this Invention, and Figures 2 to 6, inclusive, are details hereinafter
particularly referred to.
Heretofore the partitions of type-cases have been half-jointed to each other at
intersecting points, and at their ends mortised, as at x Figure 6 into the frame-
work of the case. In this construction one or more sides of all the compartments
are, throughout the upper or lower half of their height, at one or both ends,
entirely disconnected from the adjacent partition or frame-work, and hence such
sides are liable to become broken off, thus leading to an undesired admixture of
the characters in adjacent compartments. To overcome this objection, metal
corner-pieces have been applied to the upper edges of the partitions, and these,
when bent down against the sides thereof, serve to strengthen the same wherever
applied; but the object is to so construct the partitions that no additional separate
fastening devices shall be required; and this I accomplish in the following
manner:
Referring to the Drawings, A represents the frame work, and B the partitions, of
a type-case in which each of the partition-strips is slotted at v (see Figures 2 and 3,
a perspective and top and bottom views, respectively, of a partition strip) to form
the usual half-joint, and is, in addition, grooved slightly on each side and in line
with the slot at b¹ b¹.
In this instance the sides of the groove b¹ are slightly slanted, and the continuation
of that form of cut forms upon the walls of the slot ba mitred bearing surface b²,
on each corner thereof, so that as the partitions are united the walls of the slot b
of one strip slide in the grooves b1 of the other, and the mitred bearings 6* of each
are forced snugly against the slanted walls of the groove b₁ of the other (see
Figure 6) and both halves of partitions so formed are firmly supported against
lateral strain and prevented from breaking on a line extending from the bottom of
one slot to that of the next in a strip, as above described.
In actual practice the groove b' and consequently the bearing-surface or mitre 6º
is made very slight or shallow, as with good workmanship a slight jointure of the
partitions at these points renders them exceedingly firm, and the slot b may also be
cut slightly tapering, so that it is a trifle narrower at the top than at the bottom,
whereby, when united, the mitred walls of the slots shall the more snugly fit the
grooves, or, in other words, so that there may be a driving,fit of the jointed parts.
By means of these removable partitions and partition-sections, I am enabled to
adapt an ordinary lower-case-type case for a job font of type, or vice versa.
accomplish this in the following manner; for the b, 1, and v compartments a single
I

page_text: partition c, (see dotted lines, Figure 1) and for the c d m nut and similar com-
partments a cross or double partition d (see doted lines Figures and 4) and for
the e compartment a treble partition i (see Figure 5) are provided, and suitable
grooves, a are formed in the frame-work to receive the ends of these removable
sections of partitions wherever they come in contact therewith, and in the
remaining localities similar grooves are formed in the partitions, as at b³.
It will readily be seen that by inserting single, double and treble partitions or
partition sections, as indicated by dotted lines, Figure 1, a lower case is transformed
to a cap-case without difficulty, and each half of said lower case is rendered capable
of holding a font, so that the capacity in fonts is fully economised.
I do not claim, broadly, the removable single partition-strip c, as it is common to
insert and remove partitions in packing and other boxes; but I am not aware of
any instance where the single partitions of type-cases, nor a section of the
partitions in any box or case, have been made removable, and I do not therefore
limit myself to any particular form of removable section of partitions, as they may
comprise, either partially or wholly, the sides of four or more compartments, which,
when removed, will leave others intact.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1st As an article of manufacture, a partition strip, slotted as described, grooved
on opposite sides and in line with the slot, and provided with mitred bearings
extending from the top to the bottom of the strip, and forming the side walls of
the groove, substantially as specified.
2nd The combination, with the frame-work of a type-case, of a series of partition-
strips half-jointed, grooved on opposite sides and in line with the half-joint, and
provided with mitred bearing-surfaces which form the side walls of the grooves
and extend to the top of the strip substantially as shown and described.
3rd In a type-case, removable partition-sections, whereby the said case is adapted
to be transformed from a lower to a cap case, substantially as shown and described.
4th The combination of a frame-work, grooved as at a, partitions, slotted as at b³,
and removable partition-sections, as d or i, substantially as shown and described.
Dated th18 19th day of August A.D. 1884.
Dated this 19th day of August A.D. 1884.
Witness:-
T. W. KENNARD,
Clerk to
A. M. & Wm Clark.
A. M. CLARK.